The Company We Keep. Mary Monroe

Well, let’s talk business, honey. I was just telling Jake about how much I enjoy working with you.” Ron’s voice was so sweet and gentle now; it was hard for Teri to believe that it belonged to the same man who had just trashed her. “Now, where were we, T?”

      “As I was saying, Rahim wants several cases of Cristal, several cases of Jack Daniels, and several cases of Jose Cuervo tequila.”

      “Now, when you say several cases, are you talking about three or four or what? Several is a vague word,” Ron told her.

      “Last count was five cases each. Before that it was three. I don’t know what it’ll be the next time I talk to him,” Teri said.

      “All right, consider it done. Is that all?”

      “He wants several dozen lambskin condoms, several cases of Evian water, his own manicurist and barber, somebody to take care of his dogs, and the phone numbers to the most exclusive brothels in each of the twenty-two cities on the schedule,” Teri revealed with a grimace.

      “Is that all?” Ron asked again, holding his breath.

      “That’s all that I’m aware of,” she replied in a stiff voice.

      “Well, if any of this is going to be a problem, you need to let me know and you need to let me know now so I can deal with it. We can always get our people to do what you can’t do.”

      “I can do whatever he wants, as long as it doesn’t involve standing on my head,” Teri said, trying to make the conversation less painful.

      “But I bet you could do that, too, if you had to, Miss Teri,” Ron muttered.

      “There won’t be any problems. At least not on my end,” she promised.

      “Uh, I hope you’re right. I need to know that a job can get done the way it’s supposed to get done.”

      “That’s why I’m here,” Teri said dryly. She had been flattered and annoyed at the same time when the artist in question had insisted that she help organize his tour. She could have turned him down but she liked adding feathers to the many caps she wore.

      “All right now. I’m counting on you. I’ve heard a few good things about you. If anybody can take care of business, it’s you.”

      “That’s good to know,” Teri said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She was surprised that they were able to reach an agreement without a fight. “Well, uh, how can I get the contract to Rahim ASAP?”

      “How ASAP?” Ron asked gruffly. His voice was beginning to sound like a frog croaking for his dinner. “After all, it is New Year’s Eve.”

      “Like tonight? I know this is short notice and all. I’m sure you must have plans for later tonight, so I apologize in advance for the inconvenience.”

      “Uh, Teri, I do appreciate all your hard work. You make your company look good,” he offered. “In more ways than one, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

      “Thank you.” That was all she said before a long pause.

      Ron gasped and blinked. His eyes were burning almost as much as his throat. What the hell was with this woman? Couldn’t she tell when a man was trying to show a little interest in her?

      “Messenger a copy of the contract to me,” she said, pausing to look at her watch. “Within the next hour. I’ll see Rahim later tonight.”

      “Oh? I wasn’t aware of that. Will you be visiting him at his office on Melrose?”

      “No. I received an invitation to attend his New Year’s Eve party at his place. I will give it to him there.”

      There was an excruciating moment of silence before Ron responded. “Oh. I…I see,” he stammered.

      “Will you be there?” She knew he wouldn’t because he would have mentioned it by now.

      “Uh-uh. My brother’s home on leave from the air force so there’s a family thing I have to attend…” Poor Ron. He didn’t want to admit that he didn’t even know about a damn party until she brought it up. That was bad enough, but not receiving a party invitation from one of his most important clients made it even worse. And he was too embarrassed to admit it.

      “Well, that’s a damn shame,” Teri said. “You’ll be missed,” she added, trying to think of other ways to rub it in. But he refused to give her that satisfaction. Without another word, he hung up.

      Teri shrugged her shoulders and looked at the telephone, talking to it as if it had a brain. “He could have at least wished me a Happy New Year.” She chuckled.

      With a loud sigh, Teri whirled around in the soft leather chair that had begun to feel like it was glued to her butt. She wasted no time getting up, turning out the lights in her office, and calling it a day.

      CHAPTER 5

      Teri didn’t know that it had started to rain until she drove out of the enclosed garage beneath the building she lived in. But minutes after she’d pulled out onto the street, it stopped. She was glad she didn’t have to haul an umbrella around with her, too. She felt like she was dragging enough already. But it had been a productive year for her, and she had to admit that ending it at one of the most anticipated parties of the year, an invitation-only party at that, suited her just fine. She had already begun to perk up.

      It had been a while since she had attended a party. And even longer since she’d attended one on her own. Well, she was not exactly going to the party alone. The engraved invitation that she had received by messenger a week ago had indicated that she could bring a guest. Other than her secretary, Nicole—or executive assistant as Nicole liked to be called (as the metal nameplate on her desk said)—she couldn’t think of anybody else whom she could tolerate socially to invite to another one of these music people parties.

      Teri picked up Nicole about twenty minutes past eleven o’clock. When Teri saw Nicole exit her apartment building dressed in black from head to toe, she did a double take. The black turban wasn’t so bad. But the black woolen poncho, the black leather pants, and black boots were a little too much. Teri had on a simple green silk dress, matching green earrings shaped like four-leaf clovers, and a pair of low-heeled black pumps. A pale beige shawl lay across her shoulders.

      “You spent hours on end trying to decide what to wear and that’s the best you could come up with?” Teri teased as Nicole climbed into the front passenger seat of her BMW. Nobody would have guessed that Teri was Nicole’s boss. The truth of the matter was, they’d been best friends for more than twenty years.

      “What’s wrong with what I have on? A lot of people wear black all the time,” Nicole protested.

      “Yeah, and that’s fine if your name is Johnny Cash. But we are going to a party, not a wake. Black is too depressing for a party.”

      “But it goes with everything,” Nicole whined as she brushed lint off the front of her poncho.

      “So does white.”

      “Well, all my bedsheets were dirty.” Nicole gave Teri a playful tap alongside her head and laughed. “Let’s roll. I hope you didn’t forget to bring that contract to give to Rahim,” Nicole said, looking at Teri’s small black suede purse on the armrest.

      “I didn’t. If I didn’t want to get this damn thing signed so badly, I’d be on my sofa with a glass of wine and a bowl of popcorn.”

      “Well, I’m glad you decided to come out tonight, Grandma. I know I sure needed to get out tonight. Even if it is just with you…”

      “Well, you don’t need to pout about it,” Teri said, glancing at Nicole. “You didn’t have to break your date with what’s his name. I didn’t beg you to come with me tonight.”

      “It’s not that,” Nicole admitted.

      “Oh. I forgot Greg was coming by to pick up Chris. Was