Post by Femme Fatale on Aug 14, 2011 12:19:19 GMT -8
“I won’t do it!” Her voice was firm, absolute; there was no way she was going to back down from this decision.
A beat on the other end of the line sent a small twinge of anxiety through her however and Jessica could practically hear the cogs turning in the mind of her agent as she scrambled to find a way to convince her to reconsider; absently she looped the telephone cord around her finger, drawing in her plump lower lip as she waited. It was almost a relief to hear the soft voice respond on the other end.
”But Jessica-“ her agent pleaded wearily- how many times had she started with those words since they began this conversation almost half an hour ago? ”Think of what a boost to your career this could be!”
“My career is fine,” she retorted, and it was. The comment had only been made because the woman on the other end of the line was running out of ideas. “We have a meeting with Radcliffe Records next week to record my new single; I hardly think this can be connected to that in any way.”
”Then your fans!” the agent pressed. ”Think of how much closer they’ll feel to you!”
“By selling out?”
The agent sighed. ”It’s one deal, Jessica. Just one little perfume deal and you can choose your own scents to be used, you’ll have a say in the name and everything!”
“I told you no,” Jessica repeated for what felt like the millionth time. “Everyone knows I don’t work that way.”
Silence on the phone again, though this time much shorter than the ones before. The agent had one last card to play, one that no one ever liked playing because it reminded them of a truth the citizens of Epcot would rather ignore. Jessica had pushed her to this point however and if this is what it was going to take to get her to agree to this perfume deal, then so be it.
”Shere Khan could ruin you if you don’t accept and you’ll have much more to worry about if that happens than ‘selling out.’”
Now it was Jessica’s turn to fall silent. Unconsciously she held her breath, considering the stinging words. Her olive eyes flicked to the bay window that overlooked Epcot city, providing a clear view of Khan Tower. The truth was whispered throughout the streets and though anyone would deny it directly it was no secret that Shere Khan pulled the strings in Epcot- he was the puppet master of an entire city, the king of his urban jungle. And it was his company that first approached Jessica’s agent regarding a perfume deal to create her own brand. There was no saying what the consequences would be if the business offer was denied but should Shere Khan turn nasty she knew he could do more than crush her singing career.
”Jessica? Jessica?”
“Yes,” came the breathless response, defeat detectable in Jessica’s husky voice. “I’m here.”
”Well?” her agent asked expectantly.
With a heavy sigh, Jessica collapsed into the chair beside the little ornate end table her phone sat on, her ginger tresses falling forward, curtaining her visage as if forming a protective barrier to conceal her emotions from the outside world. Cradling the phone against her cheek, she massaged her temple with a gloved finger.
“All right, I’ll do it,” she agreed, instantly annoyed at hearing the sigh of relief from her agent on the other end. “But I want to do it my way; if there’s a profit to be made, I want the proceeds to go to charity.”
”Yes, yes! We’ll set up a meeting and deal with all of that later. Thanks, Jess! You’re the best. You made a smart decision today! A smart decision indeed! Gotta run, but let’s do lunch soon, maybe with Mr Khan! Ciao!” CLICK![/B]
The steady beep of a dead line rang in her ear for a full minute before Jessica finally hung up the phone. That was all her agent wanted; a yes, a yes for Shere Khan. She doubted the woman had ever received an offer from his company before and would have promised Jessica anything if all she did was agree. How quickly her attitude turned around when she did! Had she even heard the comment about charity?
Threading her fingers through her locks, Jessica rose and made her way toward the window, reaching out to touch the pane and running her finger over the length of the tower she spied so far away. It was possible she would lose her voice in the meeting with whoever was handling this deal; already she could see her agent dominating the conversation with Jessica being forced to sit pretty on the sidelines. Well not this time! Not if her name was to be directly attached to the project. Abandoning the view, Jessica picked up the phone and dialed the number that would direct her to Shere Khan’s secretary.
At first she was refused an appointment. The furious clicking of computer keys could be heard through the phone as the secretary sifted through calendars and dates finally finding an opening three months from now with one of the directors. The perfume deal was mentioned and the wait time was reduced to a fortnight. When Jessica gave her name however she was promptly put on hold and when the woman came back on the line she was told that Shere Khan would see her personally that night.
“Please inform Mr Khan of my deepest gratitude for his compliance to my request,” Jessica told the secretary in such silky tones that she was certain even she was charmed before hanging up.
Perfect was the one word that came to mind as Jessica surveyed herself in the tiny mirror, adjusting it so that she could thoroughly inspect herself before exiting the stretch limousine. After securing the backing that had wiggled loose on an earring, she closed the compact and her chauffeur took his cue from the soft click to open the door, offering a hand to help her out.
Her gown sparkled brilliantly in the evening lamp light as she approached the tower, drawing even more attention to her voluptuous curves. A pair of guards scrambled to be the one to hold the door for her and though one lost out in the end, she favoured both with an alluring half smile. From there she was escorted to an elevator separate from the main elevator bank and was immediately taken up to Khan’s office on the top floor. There, the secretary she had spoken with earlier greeted her cordially before excusing herself and slipping behind the plated double doors which concealed the great tiger. She returned a moment later and a doorman held open one of the doors for Jessica as she passed into the office, her hips swaying seductively with each step she took.
A beat on the other end of the line sent a small twinge of anxiety through her however and Jessica could practically hear the cogs turning in the mind of her agent as she scrambled to find a way to convince her to reconsider; absently she looped the telephone cord around her finger, drawing in her plump lower lip as she waited. It was almost a relief to hear the soft voice respond on the other end.
”But Jessica-“ her agent pleaded wearily- how many times had she started with those words since they began this conversation almost half an hour ago? ”Think of what a boost to your career this could be!”
“My career is fine,” she retorted, and it was. The comment had only been made because the woman on the other end of the line was running out of ideas. “We have a meeting with Radcliffe Records next week to record my new single; I hardly think this can be connected to that in any way.”
”Then your fans!” the agent pressed. ”Think of how much closer they’ll feel to you!”
“By selling out?”
The agent sighed. ”It’s one deal, Jessica. Just one little perfume deal and you can choose your own scents to be used, you’ll have a say in the name and everything!”
“I told you no,” Jessica repeated for what felt like the millionth time. “Everyone knows I don’t work that way.”
Silence on the phone again, though this time much shorter than the ones before. The agent had one last card to play, one that no one ever liked playing because it reminded them of a truth the citizens of Epcot would rather ignore. Jessica had pushed her to this point however and if this is what it was going to take to get her to agree to this perfume deal, then so be it.
”Shere Khan could ruin you if you don’t accept and you’ll have much more to worry about if that happens than ‘selling out.’”
Now it was Jessica’s turn to fall silent. Unconsciously she held her breath, considering the stinging words. Her olive eyes flicked to the bay window that overlooked Epcot city, providing a clear view of Khan Tower. The truth was whispered throughout the streets and though anyone would deny it directly it was no secret that Shere Khan pulled the strings in Epcot- he was the puppet master of an entire city, the king of his urban jungle. And it was his company that first approached Jessica’s agent regarding a perfume deal to create her own brand. There was no saying what the consequences would be if the business offer was denied but should Shere Khan turn nasty she knew he could do more than crush her singing career.
”Jessica? Jessica?”
“Yes,” came the breathless response, defeat detectable in Jessica’s husky voice. “I’m here.”
”Well?” her agent asked expectantly.
With a heavy sigh, Jessica collapsed into the chair beside the little ornate end table her phone sat on, her ginger tresses falling forward, curtaining her visage as if forming a protective barrier to conceal her emotions from the outside world. Cradling the phone against her cheek, she massaged her temple with a gloved finger.
“All right, I’ll do it,” she agreed, instantly annoyed at hearing the sigh of relief from her agent on the other end. “But I want to do it my way; if there’s a profit to be made, I want the proceeds to go to charity.”
”Yes, yes! We’ll set up a meeting and deal with all of that later. Thanks, Jess! You’re the best. You made a smart decision today! A smart decision indeed! Gotta run, but let’s do lunch soon, maybe with Mr Khan! Ciao!” CLICK![/B]
The steady beep of a dead line rang in her ear for a full minute before Jessica finally hung up the phone. That was all her agent wanted; a yes, a yes for Shere Khan. She doubted the woman had ever received an offer from his company before and would have promised Jessica anything if all she did was agree. How quickly her attitude turned around when she did! Had she even heard the comment about charity?
Threading her fingers through her locks, Jessica rose and made her way toward the window, reaching out to touch the pane and running her finger over the length of the tower she spied so far away. It was possible she would lose her voice in the meeting with whoever was handling this deal; already she could see her agent dominating the conversation with Jessica being forced to sit pretty on the sidelines. Well not this time! Not if her name was to be directly attached to the project. Abandoning the view, Jessica picked up the phone and dialed the number that would direct her to Shere Khan’s secretary.
At first she was refused an appointment. The furious clicking of computer keys could be heard through the phone as the secretary sifted through calendars and dates finally finding an opening three months from now with one of the directors. The perfume deal was mentioned and the wait time was reduced to a fortnight. When Jessica gave her name however she was promptly put on hold and when the woman came back on the line she was told that Shere Khan would see her personally that night.
“Please inform Mr Khan of my deepest gratitude for his compliance to my request,” Jessica told the secretary in such silky tones that she was certain even she was charmed before hanging up.
***
Perfect was the one word that came to mind as Jessica surveyed herself in the tiny mirror, adjusting it so that she could thoroughly inspect herself before exiting the stretch limousine. After securing the backing that had wiggled loose on an earring, she closed the compact and her chauffeur took his cue from the soft click to open the door, offering a hand to help her out.
Her gown sparkled brilliantly in the evening lamp light as she approached the tower, drawing even more attention to her voluptuous curves. A pair of guards scrambled to be the one to hold the door for her and though one lost out in the end, she favoured both with an alluring half smile. From there she was escorted to an elevator separate from the main elevator bank and was immediately taken up to Khan’s office on the top floor. There, the secretary she had spoken with earlier greeted her cordially before excusing herself and slipping behind the plated double doors which concealed the great tiger. She returned a moment later and a doorman held open one of the doors for Jessica as she passed into the office, her hips swaying seductively with each step she took.
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