Category: Women Publisher: Melodrama Publishing
ISBN-10: 1934157058
Type: Fiction
Pages: 252
Copyright: October 2007
ISBN-13: 9781934157053
Everything changes in an instant for Jade and she must tunnel her way out or be swallowed up by the effects of greed and power.
Jade Wilcox is a queen bee at the top of her game. She s the number-one celebrity agent in the country, she s got a great man, and everyone she knows is an A-Lister. But nothing lasts forever. Everyone knows that sex sells, so when her near-bankrupt boss uses that idea to his advantage, it means a world of change is headed for Jade. Her fairy-tale life is about to turn into a nightmare as she fills shoes she d never thought she would wear: those of a madam, a mother hen to a flock of high-priced call girls. As she struggles to juggle both sides of her life, Jade must keep herself and her girls on the right side of the law without losing her own life or anyone else. This becomes harder and harder to do because the smallest triggers become everyone motivation for murder. Jade has her eye on the finish line, but can she get there before she becomes a victim of the world she has worked so hard to become a part of?
Excerpt
One: The Problem Is…
Jade wondered if the fall from the fifth-floor window would be enough to kill her.
As she glanced across the street and watched the early afternoon sun glint off the Metro-Life building, the wheels of her mind turned faster and faster, hoping she could think her way out of this one. She crossed and uncrossed her legs, aware that he was watching every move she made. This had to be some kind of a joke. Any minute now, Ashton was going to come out and tell her she’d been Punk’d.
She drew her face away from the window and focused on the gun aimed at her head. Reality had sunk in long ago and despite all they had been through, she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Her mind was made of mush and all thoughts had fled her mind except that of her own survival. She figured sprinting to the door was out of the question because a bullet could travel faster than she could. Fear kept her in the seat, hoping that this wouldn’t take a turn for the worse.
Clearing her throat, Jade said, “This was not what I had in mind when you said you wanted to talk.”
“You know, one of the reasons I hired you is because of how you think. You’re hardheaded, Jade. You don’t like to take no for an answer. You do only what benefits you in the end. Well, this is a different type of situation. I need you to do something that will benefit me. I knew this was the only way to get your attention.” The loaded .45 in her face had captured her attention.
Alphonse Stanley, like Jade, was not used to hearing “no.” He had pulled himself up by the bootstraps to become a driving force in the world of entertainment. He and his partner, Tony Vice, had been struggling to book major acts for popular venues. They began to push the envelope in order to get appearances for musicians in places that were unheard of. Stanley and Vice had been one of the first to book a rap artist in Japan. Now, almost thirty years later, Vice having died of cancer nearly ten years earlier, the empire was untouchable.
They dominated the industry, supplying agents for every form of entertainment; literary, sports, music, acting, comedy; it was a one-stop shop for every celebrity looking for an agent. Stanley had purchased the Greenway Building on 32nd Street to house his fleet. Each division had its own floor and about ten agents; Stanley occupied the top floor, along with the sports agents. Jade herself had been with the company’s music division for the past five years and had quite a few celebs under her belt. She was, in fact, the top agent at Stanley and Vice, bringing in more money than the two bottom agents put together. And now that the shit Stanley put up with over the years had piled up and was hitting the fan (too common find wording), he wanted Jade to clean it up.
The office wall behind her was made of glass, reminding everyone that the boss was always watching. Usually, the floor was abuzz with action but not a soul had passed by in the half hour she’d been here. Jade shifted her eyes from the gun to his face and back to the gun. She spoke to the weapon.
“Is this at all necessary? Aren’t you being a little irrational?”
“I'm not being irrational. You need to understand, Jade, that this is strictly business. I take my business very seriously.”
She folded her hands, determined to keep her cool.
“I noticed. You’re threatening to kill me.”
“I didn't threaten you. I gave you a business proposition which will not be turned down.”
His exact words were, “Do it or I’ll kill you.” That surely sounded like a threat to her.
“A business proposition has two ends. Apparently, I have no say in this matter. And why--”
“Questioning my decision is only going to make this harder for the both of us. I need this money. The company needs this money. You're the best agent I have. You're smart, beautiful, business-minded. I can't afford to have you say no, and I can’t afford to have to look for anyone else who can do this.”
Jade sighed and studied her fingernails.
“What happened to downsizing? What’s wrong with that? We can afford to drop the dead weight.”
Stanley appeared to be comfortable with the conversation at hand as he shifted in his seat, the gun still trained on Jade. “That’s where you’re wrong. We can't afford to drop any dead weight. If anyone else leaves and takes their multi-million-dollar wallets with them, we’ll be too far under to dig ourselves out.”
“You want me to perform an illegal service if I value my life. You want me to run a whorehouse.”
“You're putting words in my mouth.”
“Am I?”
“When did you hear the words ‘whorehouse’ leave my lips?”
Was he kidding? This had to be a joke. Jade was tempted to stand up and slap him. The gun made the thought remain only a temptation..
“I can't do that.”
“I didn't ask you whether or not you could do it. I gave you an either or. Either you do or you die.”
“You’re going to kill me if you don't get your way? This is outrageous. Blackmail is above you.”
He laughed, a rumbling sound that rose from deep in his chest. He waved the gun. “I like how you put that. Blackmail. Well, for lack of a better term, yes.”
Jade shook her head and stood to leave, straightening her suit.
The gun followed her. “One more step and I will level you, Jade. Aren’t we supposed to be a team? There’s no ‘I’ in team. I can't do this alone.”
Jade shook her head again, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “Well, there ain’t no ‘we’, either. I’m not doing this.”
“We can drag this out as long as you'd like. But the only way you leave this room is working overtime for me,” he cocked the gun, “or dead. Your choice.”
“You’re threatening to kill me for something I have nothing to do with. I’m not getting my hands tied up in this,” she shouted. “This is your shit, you got yourself into it, and you need to get yourself out!” She turned her back and swung the door open.
Stanley stood up. “I am very serious about this. I can't bail without you.”
She knew he was. Her eyes closed and she bowed her head, biting down on her bottom lip. Silently, Jade laid her cards out on the table. Stanley had no problem killing her. As tempting as the offer was, she wondered if it was worth the risks. Before she opened her eyes she made a fly-by-the-pants decision, regretting it instantly but knowing it would save her life.
Jade took a deep breath before opening her eyes and turning back around to face him. “Would it be too much to ask that you not point that gun at me?”
“Do we have a deal?”
“Would you lower the gun?”
“Do we have a deal?”
The air was thick with silence and neither of them blinked during the battle of wills. He was going to get what he wanted whether she liked it or not. (this sentence is not needed)
“Yes.”
He lowered the gun, not before gesturing with it. “Sit down.”
Jade shut the door and sat back down, crossing her legs again and folding her hands. She felt completely helpless. In any other situation she was behind the desk pointing the figurative gun, making the threats. Now the tables were turned and he had her trapped in a vise grip. She hated not having power.
Stanley kicked his feet up, sliding a cherrywood box closer to himself. He lifted out a cigar and put it under his nose. Producing a cutter from inside his jacket, he clipped the end and lit it. Taking a few deep puffs, he blew the smoke in her direction. She turned her head away and the smoke curled toward the ceiling.
“Now, in your rush to turn me down, we never got to discuss the perks.”
She snorted. “I wasn't sure there were any.”
“For starters, a salary increase.”
“How high?”
“Double; maybe triple, in time.”
She raised an eyebrow. She was already bringing home numbers high in the six-figure bracket; a couple of extra dollars wouldn’t hurt. “And legalities?”
He turned up his face and waved the cigar, the smoke dancing away. “Don't worry about that.”
“I am worried about it.”
“Don't be.”
She exhaled quietly, knowing she would have time to weigh pros and cons later. “Well, then, we need to talk numbers. Exactly how many people need to be involved?”
“Six, maybe seven. If it works out as well as I'm anticipating, you can expand.”
He had the entire thing thought out before she even came in the room. She was a pawn in a chess game he had already figured out how to win. “What's your part in this?”
“They take a third and I take the rest, to be put into the company.” He clasped his hands together and aimed them at her. “You get to live.”
“So let me get this straight. These girls are going to make money on my watch, which you take and use to save yourself from going under?”
“You pick up quick.”
Her head was spinning. She rubbed her temples. This was outrageous. “And that’s all?”
“That’s all.”
It was a long while before she answered. “Fine.”
“Good. And before you go, stop making it sound like I’m doing this for myself. It’s for the best. For everyone. You work here, don’t you? You like what you do, right? So, think of it as taking one for the team.” He batted at an imaginary pitch.
Jade stared at him blankly.
“I'm glad we could work this out. You’ll be hearing from me.” Standing, Stanley waited for Jade to do the same. He stretched his arm out in front of him, indicating her dismissal. He was smiling as if nothing had ever happened.
Jade pulled the door shut behind her. She nodded and smiled casually as she passed her coworkers in the hall, very aware that Stanley was still watching her through the glass walls of his office. At the elevator, she chanced a glance backwards. As she expected, he was watching her. Like fucking Santa Claus. He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. Exiting the building through the downstairs garage, Jade was fuming as she started up her car. She flashed her ID and drove outside, where it was five lights later that her heart finally slowed to a normal pace. Her fingers were shaking as she handled the steering wheel.
She needed to talk to someone who would understand what was going on, and more importantly, help her get herself together. The only way she could turn down the proposition Stanley had made would be to leave the country and disappear. Since she wasn’t planning on giving up her entire life at the drop of a dime, (avoid these type of clichés) she knew that her only option was to go along with this outrageous idea.
Even as the words ran through her brain, Jade was having a hard time convincing herself. Jade had stumbled into something that was much bigger than she. But the go-getter inside her was determined to make it work to her advantage.
Kimberly has gone from a well-paid female executive one minute to a desperate woman the next. Thinking her day can't possibly get any worse, she finds out how wrong she is when she goes home. The only way to set things straight is to get even.
(Baxter Springs, Kansas) - Discover how a beloved high school guidance counselor twists fate on behalf of four troubled misfits, and turns their life around.
