Can't Help Falling in Love (17 page)

    
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Board, Madame Secretary, and guests.
I’m honored to be a new, vital force in Star Record’s success. This year, we
launch an unprecedented roster of new talent, with a goal in mind to carry our
tradition of excellence and cutting-edge artistry to new levels. Being #1 in an
evolving industry looms as more than a mere goal; it heralds a new era, one in
which we can chart the course for future developments, as well as lead the
industry as the trend setter of record.”

   
Sharon
consciously moved her eyes around the
table as she continued. “With those objectives at heart, no one will be
surprised to find that growth—and the growing pains that accompany that
expansion—will prove challenging, but I stand firm in the belief that I share
with Mr. Stein, the Board, and our investors, that branching out into new
fields invites us to rise to the apex of our abilities. As Vice President of
Sales and Marketing, I vow to trim expenses, tighten our control of campaigns,
and effectively initiate a new standard, one that will guide our sales team to
set new records in retailing.”

    
Now,
Sharon
pointedly fixed her gaze squarely on
Allison. “Bringing our advertising and marketing in house will give us the
advantage of maintaining a singular, guiding approach to campaign designs. I
will bring to each artist the same commitment to excellence that has been the
hallmark of my career, the standard to which others will wish to achieve, and
the trademark that has just earned me the honor of being nominated for the
AIM
Rookie of the Year Award, even though
I’m no rookie in this business. You all know the value of my fifteen-year track
record of success, one that I now offer as a feature of my association with
Star Records. Thank you for the opportunity to become a critical component of
our future accomplishments. Victory is not merely at hand; our triumph has
already begun!”

    
Everyone present suddenly burst into applause, unanimous in their outpouring of
approval. One by one, they began to stand while they clapped, and when the wiry
man sitting next to her shot to his feet, Allison stood, too. Unfortunately, in
his rush to jump up, the man’s arm brushed haphazardly against the corner of
his manila folder and swept the folder over the edge of the table. Papers flew
out at Allison’s feet. She immediately stooped to pick up the folder, while the
man awkwardly tried to assist.
When she reached for several
pages that had scattered beyond his reach, she could not help but see some of
the information.
One document particularly caught her eye: Investment
Summary of Rizzo Corp. As she lifted the page, her eyes scanned down the
document and she saw the figure “$1, 275,000 51% share” inked into a blank
beside the words “Capital Investment.”

    
“Here you are,” she quickly said to the man, before she had actually gathered
up the loose papers. She turned her back to him as she was picked up the last
few documents. That gave her three fleeting seconds more to glance at the Rizzo
document and confirm that she was not imagining what she saw before she swept
the paper into a stack with the others. Then she stood and said, “It’s a little
crowded in here today, isn’t it?” She smiled and handed the folder and papers
back to him.

    
Over the applause, the Secretary loudly announced to the group, “That concludes
the public portion of today’s meeting. Board Members, please adjourn to the
private conference room on the second floor for our Annual Review.”

    
Allison was practically overwhelmed by the impact of the startling revelations
she had just witnessed.
Not only am I going to be shoved
out of any future advertising contracts, what with Sharon taking advertising
and marketing “in house,” a euphemism I interpret to really mean “into her
clutches,” but that Italian family has clearly infiltrated Star Records and
made a major investment in the company, no doubt to secure their stranglehold
on all operations!

    
The Secretary strained to make eye contact with Allison and waved at her. “Miss
Webster! May I see you for a moment before you leave?”

    
The room began to clear and a path opened for Allison to approach her. “You
wanted to see me?”

 
   “I have your invitation here,” she replied, reaching into her
satchel.

    
“My invitation?”

    
She extended an envelope to Allison.
“To the
AIM
Awards.”

    
Allison was puzzled, but took the envelope. “Why would you have my invitation?”

    
“Miss Eaton handed it to me today before the meeting.”

    
“Was it sent to her by mistake?”

    
“Oh no.
She brought it from B&B.”

    
“But why—”

    
“Maybe you haven’t heard,” the Secretary smiled. “Miss Eaton’s company just
merged with B&B.”

    
“Oh?”

    
“I’ll see you at the awards.
By the way, congratulations on
your nomination!”

    
“Thank you.”

    
If a truck had collided with her, Allison could not have felt more stricken.
She left the conference room and made a beeline to the elevator with the aim of
distancing herself from the place as quickly as possible. Too much in shock to
even voice pleasantries to anyone she passed, she needed space and time to
digest the full impact of the scandalous disclosures she had just
absorbed. 

    
Tears welled up in her eyes, as she fished around in her purse and withdrew
Agent Wilkins’ business card. 

    
“Guido Rizzo is romancing
Binnie
Barnes,” Karen
announced.

    
Allison had just opened their apartment door. The television was blaring again,
and Karen was lounging on the couch. Allison looked at her, stunned again for
the sixth time in one morning. Her mind still reeled from having witnessed
Sharon Eaton publicly acknowledging her promotion to the office of Vice
President of Sales and Marketing at Star Records. She was still in shock over
hearing that their advertising decisions would now be dictated exclusively by
Sharon
through some kind of cozy in-house
agency arrangement. She had not yet gotten over being astonished about the
Secretary telling her that
Sharon
had also maneuvered to merge her
start-up
Memphis
agency with the town’s venerable
marketing institution, B&B. She remained astounded over seeing the
Investment Summary of Rizzo Corp. document with its $1,275,000 investment
figure that apparently bought them a 51% controlling interest in Star Records.
Now, this news about Guido Rizzo romancing the owner of B&B came as the
final blow in a morning that had been characterized by her dodging one land
mine after another.

    
“Where have you been?” Karen asked. “You look like a lost puppy on a street
corner!”

    
“I’ve been to the Star Records Board of Directors Meeting. I could use some
good
news for a change.”

    
“Well, my news is good, that is if you’re
Binnie
Barnes. She’s in Seventh Heaven, but you look like you’ve been through Hell.”

    
Allison set down her purse and pulled off her scarf. “Is it that obvious?”

    
“Don’t tell me—let me guess—they announced that
Mahalia
Jackson and Ella Fitzgerald are recording a duet of “Rock Around the Clock?”

    
“Worse. Sharon Eaton has virtually taken over Star Records. She’s the new VP of
Sales. She’s cutting off all contracts with outside agencies, which will leave
me high and dry. She’s merged her own agency with B&B. And I would have
made Nancy Drew proud today, when I surreptitiously spied documents that
verified that the Rizzo family recently bought a controlling interest in Star
Records!”

    
Karen flipped off the television. “That explains a lot of things! What are you
going to do next—work for the FBI as an industrial spy?”

    
Allison ignored Karen’s quip. “
Sharon
’s unfathomable nomination for Rookie of
the Year now seems understandable. From what you just informed me, Guido Rizzo
is romancing
Binnie
Barnes.
Binnie
,
who owns B&B—the official sponsor of the
AIM
Awards—just happens to be on the award
nominating committee. B&B is now at least partly owned by Sharon, who
probably used her clout to leverage
Binnie
and the
others on the nominating committee to nominate her, and she also now works
full-time for Star Records. Star Records’ controlling investor just happens to
be Rizzo Corp. They all make for a cozy set of bedfellows!
Marshall
told me she’d stop at nothing to get
what she wanted, and he was right! And both Sharon and the Rizzo family are
being investigated by the FBI for racketeering crimes!”

    
“Yes,
Sharon
seems to be a busy bee,” Karen agreed,
“but does she have a date tonight with a handsome young singer who’s making his
network TV debut on
The Ed Sullivan Show
?”

    
Allison’s jaw dropped and she finally had to sit down. She looked at Karen in
disbelief.

    
Karen said, “See? You needed some good news and now you have good news. In
fact, you have
great
news! Dad called. He confirmed the
booking!
A three-minute time slot.
The segment will be
broadcast live from WHMM-TV here in
Memphis
on Sunday at
7:00 p.m.
, the same Sunday night as the
AIM
Awards! What’s more, our photo mural is
ready and looks great!”

    
Karen ran to her bedroom, but she immediately returned gently dragging a
life-size cardboard cutout blow-up of the entire band. The image showed the
sensational quartette in full performance with what appeared to be three
teenage girls in the foreground gleefully enjoying them. The girls were
actually Allison in the three shots Karen had taken and painstakingly merged
into a composite with the other photo of the band.

    
Karen asked proudly, “What do you think?”

    
For the second time in twenty-four hours, tears began to well up in Allison’s
eyes.    

    
“Are you kidding?  It’s marvelous! I’m so excited! Can you imagine how
he’s going to respond to this? You’re a genius!”

    
“Oh, it’s just a matter of knowing when to snap the button.”

    
“You’re being uncharacteristically modest.”

    
“I’m just a photographer who’s had a lot of experience and likes what she does.
Besides, you were there to push me into giving just a little bit more than
usual. And, you won’t have to wait long to see how he responded. He came by. He
brought you this.” Karen handed Allison a note in an envelope.

    
“What’s that?”

    
“Open it.”

    
Allison opened the note. She read, “Come with me to dinner tonight. I’ll pick
you up at eight. Let’s celebrate tonight by dining at Suzette’s!” The note was
signed with a hand-drawn guitar. Now, for the third time in twenty-four hours,
her eyes began to fill with tears.

    
She glowed when she revealed to Karen, “He wants to take me to Suzette’s
tonight at eight! I’ve never been there. It’s one of
Memphis
’ most romantic restaurants!”

    
Karen said, “I know Suzette’s. It’s the kind of place a guy will take you when
he’s going to propose. He already saw the mural, but I didn’t tell him about
Daddy’s surprise. I saved that one for you. You should both have a lot to talk
about tonight!”

    
Allison looked lovingly at the life-size image of him on the mural and said, “I
could just kiss him!”

    
“Something tells me you already have.”

    
“I’d be lying to you if I said we hadn’t kissed,” Allison admitted. “Well, we
did more than kiss.”

    
“It’s nice with someone you love, isn’t it?”

    
Allison wanted to make sure that Karen did not get the wrong impression. “We
didn’t sleep together, Karen. I find him more attractive and exciting than any
man I’ve ever known. He’s handsome. He’s intelligent. He’s attentive. And soon
he’ll be successful. Why did this have to happen to me?”

    
“If word gets out that he’s going to be at WHMM-TV, there’ll be seven hundred
other girls asking ‘Why
isn’t
this happening to me?’ I don’t get it.
You should be overjoyed. What you’re describing to me—isn’t that what every
woman’s looking for?
A meaningful relationship with an
attractive man who adores her?”

    
Allison wiped the tears from her eyes. “You’re right. I should start getting
ready. What time is it?”

    
“
One
o’clock
. You’ve
got seven hours to get ready. Now, about those other seven hundred girls . . .
don’t you think we’d all be better off if the station wasn’t stampeded the
night he and the band do their segment?”