Because we all went to the same grade school, then middle school, and finally high school, everybody knew everyone. It didn’t matter where in the social food chain you were; it was almost arbitrary to play a part and fill the spectrum with archetypes. But I remember when the two Jennifers with the same last name were differentiated by their middle names, long before any mention of her could only be in reference to the pretty, popular one. I remember that thuggish, white trash kid Steve Berryholt as a troubled weirdo that you were better off avoiding well before his sickly peach-fuzz moustache, not yet having blossomed into a more dangerous, low class version at puberty. The same goes for Elisha Collins who worked on an English class project with me, and Jocko Dellham who used to play kickball with me and some of the other local kids.
There’s a picture in the yearbook where those shrews who where the cheerleaders and homecoming queens are posing with Denise Silvio, who most of them probably played dolls with or had tea parties years ago. Denise had Cerebral Palsy, and was not part of that elite clique, though the smiles and friendly poses with her in her wheelchair sold a completely different image altogether. She’d never get invited to their parties or have lunch with her, but a photo op was like a time machine and peeled away all the bullshit and pettiness. Similarly, I was friendly with a few of the band geeks, and was almost one of them if I’d have stuck with clarinet, but after hearing The Velvet Underground & Nico, I picked up a guitar. Though we didn’t cross those boundaries at school, it was after watching the Spring Talent Show we hatched the idea to form a band. We were decent, but clearly not good enough to be serious about pursuing.
That summer we played anywhere and everywhere we could because Mark Russell was enlisting in the Navy, and he was the most talented of the bunch. There were a few originals sprinkled in with the covers but we mostly played the same set in the coffee houses and drinking establishments that would let four underage kids play for an hour before their main act or on a Tuesday when they’d otherwise have nothing. Todd Cochran and I both knew Mandy from school, but their families were neighbors, and they were far friendlier than she and I. Her older sister Janet and I - that was another story (also lending itself to part of my sister scoring legacy).
She and I met briefly a few months prior at a party; she’d come back home for the weekend from college, which was only an hour’s drive, and we’d hit it off. Janet and I had a few dates, and while it wasn’t terribly serious, it was a long distance relationship with fair convenience and a small source of pride for a younger man who was able to land a college girl. She’d come into town one particular August night we were playing a set at Toes Tavern, a grimy watering hole on the southside of town. Patiently, she watched from the audience as we entertained the uninterested and distracted crowd. To my surprise, Janet was not the only girl in attendance waiting for me.
I was working in a pizzeria and used to have all the local shop girls come through on their breaks, so it was only a matter of time before I became flirtatious with one of them. I had made mention of the band playing and promptly forgot I’d even made the proposition, but sitting in a corner with one of her co-workers was Helene, clearly there to acknowledge her interest in me. In a panic, I quickly determined the best way to survive the situation was to split them up. Before the two worlds collided, I greeted Janet and told her that I was going to be a little while packing the gear with the band, which would probably not be any fun for her to sit through, and that if she wanted to go home, I’d swing by her place to pick her up after I was done, in no more than 40 minutes or so. The idea of sitting by yourself in a seedy place with nothing to do was easily defeated by the comfort of home, and I’d avoided having two camps upset ant the lack of attention I was paying them. And being charming comes much more naturally when nobody is over your shoulder ready to burst into a fit of jealousy.
It was not harsh, but I could only imagine how Janet would have felt knowing she was waiting in queue for me to take care of other business and was not a top priority. But I was getting a little of that feeling now, holding court back on the terrace that overlooked the pool, the bar behind me inhabited by different faces but the same flavor of nightbird. Waiting for my chance to chat candidly with Gaston Burnett was taking forever, and while I could feel my guts quiver anxiously to talk to him, I was just as concerned about losing some of the fire and adrenaline from making it though the engagement with all my limbs intact. My gin didn’t taste any better now that I was free of the pressure, and I was disappointed that it didn’t. Should the air not be sweeter and cleaner with deep breaths of freedom?
Nell had gone to talk with Mason about their exclusivity since my talk didn’t end in a riot, which would be considered a success to her but a little shy of my hopes of anarchy. But just in case the attendees did get that roused, at that time I had retreated to the service ways between the ballrooms, where I thanked the girls who added to my stage antics and paid them for their time. Soon it was just Carla and I and a canvas duffle bag full of gorilla masks.
“Thanks for helping out,” I said
“If they were selling tickets I would have paid any amount to watch,” Carla said sweetly.
“No,” I smiled, “really, thanks. You helped me get those girls and –“
“They were happy to get paid to keep their clothes on and not have to grind up against any sleezebags for a change. And I like to think that by helping them get away from that I’ll have to deal with them less professionally.”
“Don’t be so fast to stop eager, young girls from earning their tuition.” I was serious about that. A world without objectified women who are ridding horny men of their money is not one worth living in. “And I mean, thank you for not tipping Nell off to any of this. My plan already had a bunch of holes in it, but that would have torn it apart.”
Carla added, “Watching Nell drink herself into a stupor was also a selling point. It was either she have a heart attack or drown herself to be able to sit idly by.”
“Ever have to defuse a bomb, especially when you know it can explode at any moment? Nell is smart enough not to jump in the path of the explosion.”
“No casualties either. Not even yourself.”
“Yelling ‘Sheldon Akbar’ wasn’t quite the endgame I had in mind.”
“Thankfully,” she said. “But what is your endgame?”
I hadn’t thought of that. You spend all your time cracking the shell and getting through defenses that you don’t have any plans afterwards because you never thought you get that far.
“Probably just open my mouth and see what comes out. It’s always kept me in trouble before.”
Carla smiled and gave me a hug. “Go and wrap this up. You can give me the recap tomorrow.” She started to leave but continued. “I hope it doesn’t weird you out or anything, but I have you as an emergency contact.”
“You really want me in an emergency?”
“I just feel that I can depend on you, that you’re a man without compromise. It’s a rare thing to find.”
“I’ll take the responsibility then, since you put it that way. I just hope that I never get that call.”
It would have made the time pass if she’d not left, but being reflective is best coupled with a boozy state, even if the company is worth keeping. No sooner than I’d thought it, Britta and Zia came outside, fresh from a rendezvous.
“Getting into trouble, ladies?”
“Not enough so far,” said Britta. “You conquer the world, hero?”
“Sure, and we even agreed to an armistice. Got the enemy to come here and sign too.”
“Shall we celebrate,” asked Zia.
“Wouldn’t want to take you away from other opportunities.”
“Oh, please,” Zia said, “We just finished playing together for some of those boys in there. It’s time we actually had some physical contact with a man tonight.”
“Even if it’s me, it will have to wait…looks like my date is here.” Gaston Burnett entered the bar, looking like the fox who not just got into the henhouse, but changed the locks and put in an alarm system.
“Didn’t peg that as your type,” Zia lamented.
“No, you’re both way more my type. Hang around if you’re not preoccupied, and I try to do my best to not leave you ladies without plans.”
“We can’t promise anything,” Britta said.
“Neither can I,” I admitted.
Gaston saw I was outside and strolled out.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” he said.
“No sir, I was just enjoying the atmosphere. It’s nice outside.”
He took a glimpse at Zia and Britta lounging in the corner and agreed, “Yes, you make a good point. Not the first, either.”
“I was worried all my forward thinking and being shockingly reasonable would have fallen on deaf ears. Not a lot of virgin minds in there.”
“Thankfully so…you basically told my advertisers to be concerned about the content that surrounds their products, all because of a little attention from one of our mistakes.”
“A little mistake?”
“Sure. A learning experience for Mason. You look confused. Let’s have a drink,” Gaston said, and gestured at the bartender. It was less than a minute later when they brought over another gin and tonic, and a bottle of ancient scotch that probably cost a month’s rent in certain parts of town.
“Cheers,” he said, raising his full glass, and swallowing the whole thing with a few mighty gulps. “Gotta get the first one out of the way before you can really begin to enjoy the second.”
“I know the feeling,” I said, masking my shock at the manhandling of that scotch. “But I don’t see how you can treat it like a little thing, Mr. Burnett.”
“Please, call my Gaston. I don’t worry about Mason so much. I taught him well, and while he still has a way to go, I’m not so concerned with what he does. There will be some setbacks and some negative response, but it’s hardly going to be the Achilles heel of our operations. I told Mason from day one that he was getting covered in blood and dropped in shark-infested waters, and he’s handled himself in a way that makes me proud.”
“I lost my job and my position on account of this.”
“You lost it for what you said and did, not my ennui about how it played out. Is the issue with me, or our company, or your own actions?”
I paused to keep my composure, including that in my hands which wanted to give Gaston a right cross for his flippant attitude. “You’re right, it was my own doing. It just when you say or do what’s right, it’s supposed to have positive results.”
“You think things didn’t turn out well?” Gaston studied me for a moment. “Sheldon, I think you may be too focused on the ‘little picture’. Attention to detail is good, but you’re too concerned with pleasing yourself by making your opinion and thoughts heard. That should never be more important than the message you have.”
“I may not have had the podium to spread it from, but I know the right people heard it,” I said defensively.
“That is true, Sheldon. And I can appreciate that because there was a time I thought like that too. Let me share a tale with you about my early days…I used to go to our stations in the morning and say hello to everybody, just to let them know that I was still involved there and so that they could see I was not some figure who was out of touch with them. This was what I did until soon, there were plenty more stations. And then other fields we diversified into. And you know what happened? I couldn’t get to all the stations in the morning. Or companies. And I didn’t meet all the people who worked for me. Sure, there were familiar faces I certainly recognized, but you could throw out a name and I’d be just as ready to believe you it was theirs for my own lack of knowing. But they all knew who I was, no matter how many more bricks they added to raise me up in a tower above them.
I didn’t feel bad about it, either. You’re not wrong, but at this level those are not real concerns. Business is war, and it’s foolish to spend time thinking about leading on a personal level. You have to reach everybody, and so the message has to be simple. Sometimes the message is loud and clear and yet it fails because it was incorrectly understood. Other times the things you’re telling them are the wrong message. But when you’re overseeing armies, you look at the overall aim of your campaign and deal with achieving it. Your generals have to deal with the battles and skirmishes and get you the big win. They don’t have to claim every victory as long as the end result is.”
“I never pegged you for a big war analogy guy.”
Gaston tore through another giant glass of scotch, though not as voraciously as the first. “It’s that damned History Channel. I just end up watching it whenever I’m in my room traveling. They’re always playing something about World War Two, which I almost got tangled up in, so I have an interest in it. May buy the channel in a year or so if the numbers are right. And for all we know, they could be a bigger mess then Ephimria. But messes can be cleaned up, and Mason makes a few. But again, things worked out. Your boss is very happy because she and my boy finalized their business dealings. My friends and associates, were not only enlightened but entertained, and you’ve proven that David does not need to fear Goliath, and can respect him as an opponent.”
“Begrudgingly, though. Overlords are still overlords, whether they dominate their subjects or simply absorb them into their empire.”
“Did you ever feel like you were too good for this business?”
“Perhaps better than,” I said, “but not too good for it. It doesn’t take someone like me to point out what’s good or bad or right or wrong, as long as somebody is thinking about it.”
“Sure. And that’s normal. But Ephimria could be an oil company or an arms manufacturer or a shoe factory and it wouldn’t matter. A family is still a family even if one of the uncles is disliked.”
“Or a son,” I added.
“Or a father,” Gaston replied. We had a small laugh, and then I took a few sips of my drink to try and catch up to the dent Gaston was making on the bottle with his third full glass.
“You’re not all bad, Mr. Burnett. Maybe half, but not all.”
He smiled and shrugged. “I know my reputation, and it was not easily earned. But if you’re going to be a bastard, you have to be unapologetic. You have to create a persona that makes you a formidable foe, and sometimes you even need to become it. Which is why I’m going to finishing this glass and retire back to the penthouse to prepare for those two lovely ladies to arrive, and then do things that would make rock stars and Vikings blush.”
“Charming. And here I though it was blood sacrifices and the blood of newborns.”
“Not since my doctor ordered me to cut back on the souls of the innocent. But what is decadent to most is ordinary to people like me.”
I interrupted,” There aren’t many people like you.”
“And so the majority view is it’s an obscenity of excess,” he countered to wrestle the conversation back. “And I could give a shit about what the common man thinks. And you’re not, which is why we’re talking.”
“Doesn’t that level of arrogance ever bother you? You should hear yourself.”
“As should you. I know that you’ve had to come to terms with what happened, and I do believe that you’d do it all again, the exact same way if you were faced with the same situation. Mason, he’s figuring it out, but he may be anticipating things too much. He needs a curveball thrown at him every once in a while. Like this Ephimria thing. Mason has to be able to not let a situation get the better of him. Even if that means getting someone like you to hand him his lumps in front of everybody. I’m too old to give him a spanking, even when he deserves it. But in the end, he’ll learn, or be punished for not.”
It was chilling to see a man so comfortable and confident with the incredible amount of power he wielded. Most of the top dogs are so full of pride and swagger that they become their own worst enemies, but Gaston Burnett knew how to be in the crosshairs and not even flinch. Which is why what he said next surprised the shit out of me.
“Sheldon, there’s no way you’re ever going to get your old job back, you know that,” he said matter of fact. It wasn’t as though I’d expected much of a chance, but just that he was saying it was stunning. “And let’s face it, you’re not going to work in front of a camera again. Not on any of my networks. Ever. And that’s not even coming from me…those are the ruffled feathers of Mason, which I’m inclined to go with.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I wish I was, Sheldon. But you don’t wait for lightning to strike twice.”
“Shouldn’t Mason be here to enjoy drawing blood?”
“This isn’t personal, Sheldon…he’s got no interest in jamming spurs in just to see you buck. Besides, you seem to be doing alright opening your mouth to people. I’ve done a few private speech gigs myself, and they’ve paid handsomely. You know what else does? Consulting.”
“I’m sure it does.”
“Listen to me…I’m old but I’m not dead yet, and I’m still the final word in my company. I can let Mason run it the way he wants to, even if that means making him think he’s running it the way he wants to. I’m not sure yet how or what I’m going to do, but you’re a resource Sheldon, and thank God you’re more sage and smart than abrasive. I’ll come up with a use for you that won’t be a detriment to me.”
“You seem pretty confident about that. How do you know I won’t say no?”
“If I figure out the right application for your sensibilities, you won’t be able to. You can still chat away to people – what I have in mind won’t prevent you from doing both, but I will eventually call you with an offer.”
“Great. I’ll be waiting at home by my phone.”
“If you feel like it. But I’ll make sure I call when you’re home.”
“You got somebody to deal with that for you too?”
“Knowing where you live was one of the first things I took care of when I heard about his whole Ephimria clash you had. Of course I can get to you.”
I hoped that he meant ‘get a hold of you’ when he said ‘get to you’, but that wasn’t a point worth lingering on, and apparently Gaston felt the same by dusting off a fourth blast of scotch.
“Thanks for your time, Sheldon. I will be in touch.” He bowed his head as a gesture and took the bottle with him. Zia made her way over.
“Does the hero get a ticker-tape parade?”
“I think the question is, does he deserve it?”
“Why be hard on yourself when you can be hard on us,” she suggested, not looking for my downturn in demeanor to spoil her chances.
“You’re both in for a very profitable and interesting evening, I assure you. I’m sure you know where the penthouse suite is.” Zia nodded. I pulled out her card from earlier and flipped it over, writing. “This is my number. Go have fun, take care of business, but hold on to my number. I think you’re going to find yourself in situations that require discretion, and that’s a very important person you’re getting involved with. Very important and powerful. Some would even say dangerous. Anything…out of the ordinary or interesting comes up, don’t forget that number. It’s really for his safety and much as it is yours.”
She looked at it suspiciously. “Hmmm…I’m not sure about this. What’s in it for you?”
“Probably nothing, but I’m doing my good deed and setting you up with one of the few people who can allow you to retire decades before you planned. Just remember me and call me if you ever think you have a reason to.”
“And I know when that will be, right?”
“You will.”
They slinked away, headed for great opportunity.
There’s a picture in the yearbook where those shrews who where the cheerleaders and homecoming queens are posing with Denise Silvio, who most of them probably played dolls with or had tea parties years ago. Denise had Cerebral Palsy, and was not part of that elite clique, though the smiles and friendly poses with her in her wheelchair sold a completely different image altogether. She’d never get invited to their parties or have lunch with her, but a photo op was like a time machine and peeled away all the bullshit and pettiness. Similarly, I was friendly with a few of the band geeks, and was almost one of them if I’d have stuck with clarinet, but after hearing The Velvet Underground & Nico, I picked up a guitar. Though we didn’t cross those boundaries at school, it was after watching the Spring Talent Show we hatched the idea to form a band. We were decent, but clearly not good enough to be serious about pursuing.
That summer we played anywhere and everywhere we could because Mark Russell was enlisting in the Navy, and he was the most talented of the bunch. There were a few originals sprinkled in with the covers but we mostly played the same set in the coffee houses and drinking establishments that would let four underage kids play for an hour before their main act or on a Tuesday when they’d otherwise have nothing. Todd Cochran and I both knew Mandy from school, but their families were neighbors, and they were far friendlier than she and I. Her older sister Janet and I - that was another story (also lending itself to part of my sister scoring legacy).
She and I met briefly a few months prior at a party; she’d come back home for the weekend from college, which was only an hour’s drive, and we’d hit it off. Janet and I had a few dates, and while it wasn’t terribly serious, it was a long distance relationship with fair convenience and a small source of pride for a younger man who was able to land a college girl. She’d come into town one particular August night we were playing a set at Toes Tavern, a grimy watering hole on the southside of town. Patiently, she watched from the audience as we entertained the uninterested and distracted crowd. To my surprise, Janet was not the only girl in attendance waiting for me.
I was working in a pizzeria and used to have all the local shop girls come through on their breaks, so it was only a matter of time before I became flirtatious with one of them. I had made mention of the band playing and promptly forgot I’d even made the proposition, but sitting in a corner with one of her co-workers was Helene, clearly there to acknowledge her interest in me. In a panic, I quickly determined the best way to survive the situation was to split them up. Before the two worlds collided, I greeted Janet and told her that I was going to be a little while packing the gear with the band, which would probably not be any fun for her to sit through, and that if she wanted to go home, I’d swing by her place to pick her up after I was done, in no more than 40 minutes or so. The idea of sitting by yourself in a seedy place with nothing to do was easily defeated by the comfort of home, and I’d avoided having two camps upset ant the lack of attention I was paying them. And being charming comes much more naturally when nobody is over your shoulder ready to burst into a fit of jealousy.
It was not harsh, but I could only imagine how Janet would have felt knowing she was waiting in queue for me to take care of other business and was not a top priority. But I was getting a little of that feeling now, holding court back on the terrace that overlooked the pool, the bar behind me inhabited by different faces but the same flavor of nightbird. Waiting for my chance to chat candidly with Gaston Burnett was taking forever, and while I could feel my guts quiver anxiously to talk to him, I was just as concerned about losing some of the fire and adrenaline from making it though the engagement with all my limbs intact. My gin didn’t taste any better now that I was free of the pressure, and I was disappointed that it didn’t. Should the air not be sweeter and cleaner with deep breaths of freedom?
Nell had gone to talk with Mason about their exclusivity since my talk didn’t end in a riot, which would be considered a success to her but a little shy of my hopes of anarchy. But just in case the attendees did get that roused, at that time I had retreated to the service ways between the ballrooms, where I thanked the girls who added to my stage antics and paid them for their time. Soon it was just Carla and I and a canvas duffle bag full of gorilla masks.
“Thanks for helping out,” I said
“If they were selling tickets I would have paid any amount to watch,” Carla said sweetly.
“No,” I smiled, “really, thanks. You helped me get those girls and –“
“They were happy to get paid to keep their clothes on and not have to grind up against any sleezebags for a change. And I like to think that by helping them get away from that I’ll have to deal with them less professionally.”
“Don’t be so fast to stop eager, young girls from earning their tuition.” I was serious about that. A world without objectified women who are ridding horny men of their money is not one worth living in. “And I mean, thank you for not tipping Nell off to any of this. My plan already had a bunch of holes in it, but that would have torn it apart.”
Carla added, “Watching Nell drink herself into a stupor was also a selling point. It was either she have a heart attack or drown herself to be able to sit idly by.”
“Ever have to defuse a bomb, especially when you know it can explode at any moment? Nell is smart enough not to jump in the path of the explosion.”
“No casualties either. Not even yourself.”
“Yelling ‘Sheldon Akbar’ wasn’t quite the endgame I had in mind.”
“Thankfully,” she said. “But what is your endgame?”
I hadn’t thought of that. You spend all your time cracking the shell and getting through defenses that you don’t have any plans afterwards because you never thought you get that far.
“Probably just open my mouth and see what comes out. It’s always kept me in trouble before.”
Carla smiled and gave me a hug. “Go and wrap this up. You can give me the recap tomorrow.” She started to leave but continued. “I hope it doesn’t weird you out or anything, but I have you as an emergency contact.”
“You really want me in an emergency?”
“I just feel that I can depend on you, that you’re a man without compromise. It’s a rare thing to find.”
“I’ll take the responsibility then, since you put it that way. I just hope that I never get that call.”
It would have made the time pass if she’d not left, but being reflective is best coupled with a boozy state, even if the company is worth keeping. No sooner than I’d thought it, Britta and Zia came outside, fresh from a rendezvous.
“Getting into trouble, ladies?”
“Not enough so far,” said Britta. “You conquer the world, hero?”
“Sure, and we even agreed to an armistice. Got the enemy to come here and sign too.”
“Shall we celebrate,” asked Zia.
“Wouldn’t want to take you away from other opportunities.”
“Oh, please,” Zia said, “We just finished playing together for some of those boys in there. It’s time we actually had some physical contact with a man tonight.”
“Even if it’s me, it will have to wait…looks like my date is here.” Gaston Burnett entered the bar, looking like the fox who not just got into the henhouse, but changed the locks and put in an alarm system.
“Didn’t peg that as your type,” Zia lamented.
“No, you’re both way more my type. Hang around if you’re not preoccupied, and I try to do my best to not leave you ladies without plans.”
“We can’t promise anything,” Britta said.
“Neither can I,” I admitted.
Gaston saw I was outside and strolled out.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” he said.
“No sir, I was just enjoying the atmosphere. It’s nice outside.”
He took a glimpse at Zia and Britta lounging in the corner and agreed, “Yes, you make a good point. Not the first, either.”
“I was worried all my forward thinking and being shockingly reasonable would have fallen on deaf ears. Not a lot of virgin minds in there.”
“Thankfully so…you basically told my advertisers to be concerned about the content that surrounds their products, all because of a little attention from one of our mistakes.”
“A little mistake?”
“Sure. A learning experience for Mason. You look confused. Let’s have a drink,” Gaston said, and gestured at the bartender. It was less than a minute later when they brought over another gin and tonic, and a bottle of ancient scotch that probably cost a month’s rent in certain parts of town.
“Cheers,” he said, raising his full glass, and swallowing the whole thing with a few mighty gulps. “Gotta get the first one out of the way before you can really begin to enjoy the second.”
“I know the feeling,” I said, masking my shock at the manhandling of that scotch. “But I don’t see how you can treat it like a little thing, Mr. Burnett.”
“Please, call my Gaston. I don’t worry about Mason so much. I taught him well, and while he still has a way to go, I’m not so concerned with what he does. There will be some setbacks and some negative response, but it’s hardly going to be the Achilles heel of our operations. I told Mason from day one that he was getting covered in blood and dropped in shark-infested waters, and he’s handled himself in a way that makes me proud.”
“I lost my job and my position on account of this.”
“You lost it for what you said and did, not my ennui about how it played out. Is the issue with me, or our company, or your own actions?”
I paused to keep my composure, including that in my hands which wanted to give Gaston a right cross for his flippant attitude. “You’re right, it was my own doing. It just when you say or do what’s right, it’s supposed to have positive results.”
“You think things didn’t turn out well?” Gaston studied me for a moment. “Sheldon, I think you may be too focused on the ‘little picture’. Attention to detail is good, but you’re too concerned with pleasing yourself by making your opinion and thoughts heard. That should never be more important than the message you have.”
“I may not have had the podium to spread it from, but I know the right people heard it,” I said defensively.
“That is true, Sheldon. And I can appreciate that because there was a time I thought like that too. Let me share a tale with you about my early days…I used to go to our stations in the morning and say hello to everybody, just to let them know that I was still involved there and so that they could see I was not some figure who was out of touch with them. This was what I did until soon, there were plenty more stations. And then other fields we diversified into. And you know what happened? I couldn’t get to all the stations in the morning. Or companies. And I didn’t meet all the people who worked for me. Sure, there were familiar faces I certainly recognized, but you could throw out a name and I’d be just as ready to believe you it was theirs for my own lack of knowing. But they all knew who I was, no matter how many more bricks they added to raise me up in a tower above them.
I didn’t feel bad about it, either. You’re not wrong, but at this level those are not real concerns. Business is war, and it’s foolish to spend time thinking about leading on a personal level. You have to reach everybody, and so the message has to be simple. Sometimes the message is loud and clear and yet it fails because it was incorrectly understood. Other times the things you’re telling them are the wrong message. But when you’re overseeing armies, you look at the overall aim of your campaign and deal with achieving it. Your generals have to deal with the battles and skirmishes and get you the big win. They don’t have to claim every victory as long as the end result is.”
“I never pegged you for a big war analogy guy.”
Gaston tore through another giant glass of scotch, though not as voraciously as the first. “It’s that damned History Channel. I just end up watching it whenever I’m in my room traveling. They’re always playing something about World War Two, which I almost got tangled up in, so I have an interest in it. May buy the channel in a year or so if the numbers are right. And for all we know, they could be a bigger mess then Ephimria. But messes can be cleaned up, and Mason makes a few. But again, things worked out. Your boss is very happy because she and my boy finalized their business dealings. My friends and associates, were not only enlightened but entertained, and you’ve proven that David does not need to fear Goliath, and can respect him as an opponent.”
“Begrudgingly, though. Overlords are still overlords, whether they dominate their subjects or simply absorb them into their empire.”
“Did you ever feel like you were too good for this business?”
“Perhaps better than,” I said, “but not too good for it. It doesn’t take someone like me to point out what’s good or bad or right or wrong, as long as somebody is thinking about it.”
“Sure. And that’s normal. But Ephimria could be an oil company or an arms manufacturer or a shoe factory and it wouldn’t matter. A family is still a family even if one of the uncles is disliked.”
“Or a son,” I added.
“Or a father,” Gaston replied. We had a small laugh, and then I took a few sips of my drink to try and catch up to the dent Gaston was making on the bottle with his third full glass.
“You’re not all bad, Mr. Burnett. Maybe half, but not all.”
He smiled and shrugged. “I know my reputation, and it was not easily earned. But if you’re going to be a bastard, you have to be unapologetic. You have to create a persona that makes you a formidable foe, and sometimes you even need to become it. Which is why I’m going to finishing this glass and retire back to the penthouse to prepare for those two lovely ladies to arrive, and then do things that would make rock stars and Vikings blush.”
“Charming. And here I though it was blood sacrifices and the blood of newborns.”
“Not since my doctor ordered me to cut back on the souls of the innocent. But what is decadent to most is ordinary to people like me.”
I interrupted,” There aren’t many people like you.”
“And so the majority view is it’s an obscenity of excess,” he countered to wrestle the conversation back. “And I could give a shit about what the common man thinks. And you’re not, which is why we’re talking.”
“Doesn’t that level of arrogance ever bother you? You should hear yourself.”
“As should you. I know that you’ve had to come to terms with what happened, and I do believe that you’d do it all again, the exact same way if you were faced with the same situation. Mason, he’s figuring it out, but he may be anticipating things too much. He needs a curveball thrown at him every once in a while. Like this Ephimria thing. Mason has to be able to not let a situation get the better of him. Even if that means getting someone like you to hand him his lumps in front of everybody. I’m too old to give him a spanking, even when he deserves it. But in the end, he’ll learn, or be punished for not.”
It was chilling to see a man so comfortable and confident with the incredible amount of power he wielded. Most of the top dogs are so full of pride and swagger that they become their own worst enemies, but Gaston Burnett knew how to be in the crosshairs and not even flinch. Which is why what he said next surprised the shit out of me.
“Sheldon, there’s no way you’re ever going to get your old job back, you know that,” he said matter of fact. It wasn’t as though I’d expected much of a chance, but just that he was saying it was stunning. “And let’s face it, you’re not going to work in front of a camera again. Not on any of my networks. Ever. And that’s not even coming from me…those are the ruffled feathers of Mason, which I’m inclined to go with.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I wish I was, Sheldon. But you don’t wait for lightning to strike twice.”
“Shouldn’t Mason be here to enjoy drawing blood?”
“This isn’t personal, Sheldon…he’s got no interest in jamming spurs in just to see you buck. Besides, you seem to be doing alright opening your mouth to people. I’ve done a few private speech gigs myself, and they’ve paid handsomely. You know what else does? Consulting.”
“I’m sure it does.”
“Listen to me…I’m old but I’m not dead yet, and I’m still the final word in my company. I can let Mason run it the way he wants to, even if that means making him think he’s running it the way he wants to. I’m not sure yet how or what I’m going to do, but you’re a resource Sheldon, and thank God you’re more sage and smart than abrasive. I’ll come up with a use for you that won’t be a detriment to me.”
“You seem pretty confident about that. How do you know I won’t say no?”
“If I figure out the right application for your sensibilities, you won’t be able to. You can still chat away to people – what I have in mind won’t prevent you from doing both, but I will eventually call you with an offer.”
“Great. I’ll be waiting at home by my phone.”
“If you feel like it. But I’ll make sure I call when you’re home.”
“You got somebody to deal with that for you too?”
“Knowing where you live was one of the first things I took care of when I heard about his whole Ephimria clash you had. Of course I can get to you.”
I hoped that he meant ‘get a hold of you’ when he said ‘get to you’, but that wasn’t a point worth lingering on, and apparently Gaston felt the same by dusting off a fourth blast of scotch.
“Thanks for your time, Sheldon. I will be in touch.” He bowed his head as a gesture and took the bottle with him. Zia made her way over.
“Does the hero get a ticker-tape parade?”
“I think the question is, does he deserve it?”
“Why be hard on yourself when you can be hard on us,” she suggested, not looking for my downturn in demeanor to spoil her chances.
“You’re both in for a very profitable and interesting evening, I assure you. I’m sure you know where the penthouse suite is.” Zia nodded. I pulled out her card from earlier and flipped it over, writing. “This is my number. Go have fun, take care of business, but hold on to my number. I think you’re going to find yourself in situations that require discretion, and that’s a very important person you’re getting involved with. Very important and powerful. Some would even say dangerous. Anything…out of the ordinary or interesting comes up, don’t forget that number. It’s really for his safety and much as it is yours.”
She looked at it suspiciously. “Hmmm…I’m not sure about this. What’s in it for you?”
“Probably nothing, but I’m doing my good deed and setting you up with one of the few people who can allow you to retire decades before you planned. Just remember me and call me if you ever think you have a reason to.”
“And I know when that will be, right?”
“You will.”
They slinked away, headed for great opportunity.
---
I’ll admit that there was more time after that night to sit around a wait for things to happen than I’d expected. Immediately after landing the deal, Nell took off for Europe to work on other opportunities. Having a friend in Burnett Media was going to pay off handsomely, just for the sheer volume of doors it opened by being associated with them. She sent me thanks in a lavish gift basket with champagne and caviar and other overpriced delicacies that I called Cami over to enjoy, seeing as it should go to waste on my untrained palette. Just to show here there were no hard feelings or awkwardness. Cami was able to restrain herself, but warned me not to be surprised if she called sometime, looking for…well, she said somebody who would appreciate the finer things, but I had my own idea what that was polite speak for.
Sunday was clear that Nell would be angling for bigger and better things for me, her wild card and closer, though I thought I was just exceptional for retaining the new car smell for longer than normal.
“You can’t do high schools and felons anymore,” she laughed, “but that’s not where you want to be anyway. When the time comes, and the right group is lined up, she’s going to pull the trigger and send you in.”
“Anything look like it’s coming up,” I pressed her.
“Oh, Sheldon…you’ll have a chance to get back out there and work your magic. In the meantime you get to do whatever you want and get paid for just waiting. You’ll get the call, but until then, figure out your hobbies and don’t lose any of that charisma.”
So I made sure that the place was clean and I kept up with my exercise and diet, keeping what passed in my case as peak form for when I actually had to do something. It had been close to a month I was living a simple, slightly monastic life when my phone finally rang. It was unfamiliar, hearing it chime after a long run of silence, and the first two rings were taken just to make the identification that it was the phone and that it should be answered. Who was it and what was I in for?
“Hello…”
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