MORE OF SOMETHING MORE,
a story about a salesman trying to establish himself,
a CEO scheming to buy out his father's influence
and the woman important to each
23
Atom Green glared at the
phone then dropped onto the sofa of his Manhattan Beach condo. Since resigning
from Slade, he had not tried for another position and was consumed by
thoughts of Helen. Her
unwillingness or inability to respond -- he wasn’t sure which-- created a kind
of panic, forcing him to confront the fear of being on the outside looking in.
His time working in the background at the restaurant compelled him now to seek
the main event and the greatest prize. At Slade he enjoyed the status of top
salesman, the competitive camaraderie of the agents and the out-sized bonuses.
The meta of Helen encompassed them all; she was the greatest prize.
He changed into slacks,
white shirt and blue blazer, then inspected himself in the mirror. He brushed
back his quill-like black hair and flashed a smile that competed with the shirt and conveyed the electric exuberance that charmed others.
Confidence recharged, he left for the drive downtown.
After parking his Mercedes
coupe in a lot a block from the Wayfare, he walked quickly to the hotel and
through the lobby to the elevator where he keyed in the code.
The smell of smoke should
have been a warning, as well the dark figure propped at the end of the
corridor. Intent on his mission he continued to the door and pressed the
buzzer, and the figure approached. “You’re not allowed,” it said
and grabbed him by the collar just as the door opened. Helen peeked out. “Bill!
What are you doing?” The chauffeur stunned Atom with a rap to the back of the
head and dragged him to the elevator. Helen followed, pulling at his black
tunic. “Stop!”
Momentary
pleasure at seeing Helen vied with the distress of being manhandled. He was
six feet and toned, but the other man was larger and apparently used to hauling
heavy loads. He twisted and flailed as Bill pressed the button and blocked out
Helen. When the elevator opened, he threw him in. “You’re not allowed.” The doors closed.
Later, back in the car, his
phone lit up and HELEN flashed on the screen. She
apologized, and said she didn’t know why Bill was in the hall. He insisted that
they meet.
“There’s something I need to finish first.”
“The wedding?”
“Partly. Don’t try to see me until I call. Promise."
The call was as brief as
the encounter in the hallway. Thoughts of the wedding filled him with dread. He
and Dave Forester traded places at the top of the sales chart and a friendly
rivalry had developed, so much so that he was to be in the wedding party.
Slade’s hostility quashed that. Dave was embarrassed, but his family was
friends with Slade’s family and had the closer bond.
Having the CEO of the
company host your wedding would seem to confer a guarantee of success and he had dreamt of such a benediction. Now all he
could think of was Helen with Slade at the wedding. Slade, who had the power to damn
and bless, held Helen in his thrall. His mind contorted to deny converging associations. He needed to be present to prevent the unimaginable, and would have to sneak into the Palisades
mansion.
He searched his phone for the number of someone who was possibly
more excited about the wedding than even the bride or groom. Lola McIntyre
picked up on the first ring, and he explained the situation. She was on board
enthusiastically. He cautioned, “Don’t tell Slade or anyone close to
him. You know who I’m talking about.” She agreed and promised to get back to
him. It was a risk he had to take. Lola had helped him connect with Helen the
first time. The hitch was her workplace
boyfriend: Bill.
The characters and events in this story are fictitious and do not represent any living person or real event.
