REPRESENTED (44 page)

             
“You could take a vacation anytime” he began again.

             
She smiled “and how long until I received that first phone call that my presence was absolutely necessary for some client somewhere” she shook her head.  “This is the only way I can see to make a total break.”

             
“Are you starting your own agency” he eyed her speculatively.  She had all the skills and contacts.

             
Again she shook her head.  “I don’t care if I don’t work anymore.  I’m set for life, I have enough.  I want to enjoy life while I’m still young enough to.  By the way, you owe me for vacation time that I never took and I expect to get paid for it.”  She tried to joke with him even if she was serious.

             
He didn’t believe her.  A noted workaholic in his own world he couldn’t understand someone not working for more money.  “Has someone made you a better offer?”

             
She shook her head.  He would never understand.  “No Elliott.  Even if they had, I don’t think I’d have the autonomy you allow me here.  I’m done.  I’m finished.  I will work out my notice as I’ve outlined in that letter.  My teams are excellent, you know that.  I plan to take an extended vacation and then I’ll decide what I want to do with the rest of my life.”  She honestly believed what she was telling him at that moment and her sincerity came through in her voice.

             
Elliott didn’t believe her though.  He wanted to, but it was too incredulous to believe.  She had always had the company’s best interests at heart though and while other reps had milked the company for ‘benefits’ she had been scrupulously honest with him, always.  Her teams had to account for every expense because ultimately it had been her shoulders that it fell upon.  She had trained some of the very best in the industry.  He knew her teams would be of immense benefit to him and his company but without her at the helm he wondered if they would be as successful.  “What about Cassie Summers?” he knew they had been lovers “what about her contract?”

             
She shrugged again.  She knew this would be the tricky part.  “If you notice in my reports I’ve been letting my team handle most of her appearances and concerts.  It’s not really my venue anymore.  I felt distancing myself would be for the best” at his inquiring look she added “you knew we were a couple, I felt it was a conflict of interest if I personally handled her.”

             
He had to admit that would be correct.  Advisors, managers, handlers who got involved with their clients usually mucked it up.  She had been wise to ‘distance’ herself.  He knew that Cassie had been one of their most profitable ventures though in the short year plus that they had handled her career.  “What does she say?”

             
She grinned “I think you should ask her since it’s her contract, her career, her life.  Mine is involved with her life only, not the rest.  We fulfilled the terms of her contract when she won that Grammy.  I think you should talk with her yourself.”

             
“Why, do you know something?” he asked astutely.

             
She grinned shaking her head; she wasn’t stupid enough to offer information even if she did know.  “It’s not my business to know, you know that.  I did my best to fulfill every iota of her contract for Kreske.  We did that and more.  Do you know how many clients came in as a result of you landing Cassie Summers?” she used that question to distract him and it worked.

             
Elliott mused for a moment.  His firm was one of the strongest in the industry thanks to that contract and others that Karin and her teams had handled over the years.  The amount of money they had made off of Cassie and the people who had come on board as a result was legendary.  He wondered if she would be willing to stay on when Karin left though.  He wondered how many others would leave when their terms of contract were up because Karin Myers was no longer there to give her magic touch.  “Could you talk her into signing a new contract?”

             
She smiled “I’m not her agent anymore, see if someone on the teams could.  Actually, maybe you yourself should talk to her.”

             
“Why?  Would that make a difference?” he asked astutely.

             
She shrugged her elegant shoulder “I don’t know if it would or not, we don’t discuss business when we get together.  She came to you remember for this original contract, maybe if you talked to her you could get her to sign again.”  She left him hope even knowing there was none.

             
“I’ve been after you for months to get her to re-sign” he pointed out.

             
“And I made a strategic withdrawal a long time ago.  My teams will tell you that.  They’ve been handling many aspects of Cassie’s career themselves under my direction.  I however did not take a personal interest in a lot of it for obvious reasons” she tried to reason with him.

             
He sighed.  She was right.  If you wanted something done right, you did it yourself.  He hadn’t risen this high in the PR field not to handle someone of Cassie Summers caliber himself.  He was sorry to lose Karin though.  “Nothing I can say to change your mind?  More money?  That VP spot?”

             
She shook her head a final time.  “It’s time for me to move on Elliott.  I’d like it to be a good thing for both of us.”

             
He thought of using threats and then thought better of it.  He wanted to be fair for some reason although he had been ruthless for years.  She had given his company a lot, she had made it millions.  He had to give it one more shot though, if only for forms sake “you know I could make you stay” he informed her.

             
The look on Karin’s face nearly staggered him it changed so dramatically.  The pit-bull in this woman came out at the subtle threat.  “No Elliott, you can’t make me do anything anymore” she said quietly.  She left it at that, she didn’t explain, she didn’t apologize, plead, or threaten in return.  She simply left it at that.

             
He believed her.  He didn’t know if she had something on him too but he wasn’t willing to take the chance.  Karin Myers was a force to be reckoned with in the industry.  Her look said it all.  You push me, I’ll push you back, twice as hard.  He had to let her go.  “You’re right Karin, its time.  I wish I could convince you to stay.”  He stood up and held out his hand for her to shake.

             
She shook it gladly.  She was so relieved this hadn’t ended ugly as it really could have.

“They might not like it though” he warned and she immediately understood the veiled warning.

“
They
might not like the results” she answered readily.

“They’ve been known to take chances” he advised fatherly as he sized her up.  She was impressive.

She smiled; it was a smile that made many people back up, Elliott kept himself from taking a step back but only just “if something should happen to me or mine they won’t like the results.  I take my information to the grave,
but only to the grave
” she left after saying that with a look that told him she meant it.  It was then that he realized the subtle warning within what she had said.

              Karin spent the next week bringing her various teams up to speed.  She informed the team leaders of her decision to retire.  That Kreske was in no way responsible for her decision.  She made sure they all had what they needed to succeed with the various clients that they handled.  Many meetings were attended where she shared her information and expertise with others who would benefit and share her duties after she left.  Carol Lemke was brought in to ‘supervise’ her teams until a final decision was made on who would replace Karin.  Carol was a good possibility, a little cold but efficient at her job.  Karin didn’t particularly like her but then maybe she wouldn’t like anyone who might replace her.

              “Have you spoken to Cassie?”  Elliott stuck his head in her office on one of her last days.

             
She looked up from the report she was going over with Carol and said “Carol, will you excuse us?” she waited until Carol had left and closed the door before answering Elliott’s question.  “Nothing other than personal things, why?” she looked at him inquiringly.

             
“She says she won’t be renewing her contract with Kreske.  She says she wants to try other avenues” he watched her carefully, like a hawk and its prey.

             
Karin kept her features carefully schooled; this was a dangerous game and could get ugly if she wasn’t careful.  “Other avenue’s?” she asked.

             
“Yes, apparently she is working with her label at setting up an agent who will handle things for her personally.  Are you that agent?”

             
Her look was genuine in its surprise “no, no one has approached me about that” she could answer honestly.  It was a good thing she let that surprise show though; it was what kept Elliott from losing his cool.

             
He relaxed only minutely but enough to know she wasn’t stealing a client from him and his firm.  It could be a business move on Cassie Summers part after all.  Her label could be making suggestions in her best interest.  He ran a hand over his face, he was a little tired.  After the announced ‘retirement’ of Karin Myers he had worked harder than he had to in years.  He hadn’t realized how much she actually did in the course of a day, a week, or a month.  He knew of the many offers she had from rival firms, all turned down as far as he knew.  He had tried countless times to get her to change her mind, even offering her a limited partnership.  She had adamantly refused.  Especially after his mouth went off despite his better judgment and he threatened her with their long held secret.  Her temper was something to see; even he who had known her for years had never seen such a display.  His threat, while tentatively idle, had been met and matched in a way that left him breathless and glad he hadn’t put it into action.  Karin had been the consummate professional over the years and the knowledge she took with her about him, his clients, and his firm made him realize her integrity.  She hadn’t betrayed him, she had just had enough.  “What if she wants you to represent her in the future?”

             
She smiled relaxing “Elliott, what if she does?  It’s entirely plausible that many people will approach me over the years to come.  My name is well known in the industry after all.  That doesn’t mean I’d take any of them on.  I want to tell you something and I would like your promise you will keep it a secret.”  She waited for him to nod before continuing “Cassie and I are engaged” he glanced at the ring on her finger; he had seen her wearing it for a while and wondered at its significance.  “I would do anything for that woman as she would for me.  I’d like to keep it quiet for a while.  But right now, I have no intention of representing her or anyone else.” 

             
Elliott had to admit to himself that she was being more than fair.  He acknowledged it even if he didn’t really like it that he was losing his best employee as well as a lucrative contract.  “Congratulations” he offered lamely knowing she had beaten him and he hadn’t even realized the game was being played.  He could have made it ugly, gone public with his threats but she had handled everything with class, what she had on him could ruin him as well as many other people and he liked making money too much to do that.

              “Well honey, you’re officially retired” Cassie called to congratulate her.  She was appearing in Atlanta at a GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, and Trans-sexual) benefit.

             
“I wish you could have been here for the party” Karin said as she looked around her apartment at the balloons and presents that she had received.  She hadn’t had the party at her apartment, it had been too large for that but the piles had been delivered and she had watched that everything was dumped in her living room.  She had used her gadget to check for bugs, she was still feeling a bit paranoid.

“Can you join me?” Cassie asked hoping to see her.  The new promoter her label had hooked up with she didn’t feel comfortable with.  She realized she was biased but Cassie was good at her job, loved her, and knew things instinctively.  This man and his team didn’t have the velvet gloves that she had always enjoyed and taken for granted under Karin’s tutelage.  Despite the ‘teams’ that had worked under Karin she had always felt Karin’s touch somewhere in the chain of command.

“I think I’m going to stop down in Nashville for a few days and hang out” Cassie told her instead, she just wanted to escape from the hustle and bustle for a few days, it had been particularly hectic.  She had received several offers as news leaked out that she was leaving Kreske.  They were interesting to say the least, none of them tempted her.  Not now.

“I’ll be there in a couple of days” Cassie assured her knowing they could at least have the weekend together.

“You’ll want Don Dreamcatcher to start the rumors about the announcement of who you are engaged to before the People magazine article comes out” Karin advised.  She didn’t know if she liked Cassie’s new agent, his name alone sounded phony but she had checked him out and he was legitimate, his mother was a Cherokee native and his name authentic.  He also knew Country music and its foibles.  He had been leery of Karin but shown her great respect.  He was relieved when he realized she wasn’t going to interfere with his work.