Just Another Damn Love Story (16 page)

*****

Kimberly knocked on her boss’s door.

“In!”  Laquisha shouted.

Kimberly pushed open the door and stepped inside.  “You wanted to see me??”

Laquisha nodded.  “Yeah.  Good work on landing the Vespasian ad.  I knew that you could do it.  I also got a phone call from Pinault-Printemps-Redoute while you were out.  They want to take out an advertisement with you.  Apparently your little trip to New Orleans paid off quite well.”

“Pinault-Printemps-Redoute?”  Kimberly asked, confused.

“You don’t even know who you’re selling too?”  Laquisha asked.  “Gucci!  It’s Gucci’s parent company!”

Sterling
!  It had to be Sterling, Kimberly thought.  He was at it again.

“That’s two big ones in a row,”  Laquisha told her.  “I can’t help but to say congratulations.  This helps me solve a dilemma that I was facing.  I was wondering who to send to The Magic Show as the lead ad executive, but now that decision is easy.”

Kimberly couldn’t help the smile that came across her face.

“I’m sending you to the Magic Show as the head of our Advertising Department,”  Laquisha told her.  “Consider it a trial.  You do well, and I’ll consider you for the permanent position of Advertising Manager.”

Kimberly bounced up and down in her heels.  “Oh, Laquisha!  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!”

Laquisha waved her off.  “This is contingent on you continuing to bring in the type of clients you brought in this week.”

“I won’t let you down, Laquisha!”  Kim said excitedly.  “I promise!”

“Go to the Magic Show and get my money!”

Kimberly nodded.  “Do the others know yet?”

Laquisha shook her head.  “They’re your team now, you tell them.”

Kimberly nodded.  It was the promotion that she had always dreamed of.  She was now management, and surely her mother couldn’t call her job a ‘dead end’ one now!  She couldn’t wait to tell her.  And Sterling!  She would call him as soon as she got back to her office.  She was Advertising Manager at Mocha.  You go girl, she told herself.

Chapter Twenty

The New York School For The Gifted And Talented was quickly becoming the premiere private academy on the East Coast.  It was challenging old stalwarts like Exeter and Groton, particularly amongst New York's metropolitan residents.  It was a lot closer, and the academics were on par or even better than those age old institutions.  The New York Academy For The Gifted And Talented focused more on mathematics, science, and engineering than the traditional prep schools.  If Groton and Exeter were the Harvard and Yale of prep schools, then NY Gifted and Talented was their MIT and Caltech equivalent.  Students were encouraged to design their own software programs during the second semester of their freshman year.  For engineering classes, they were taught to build their own computers, and then design a bridge, an airplane, or a building on that same operating system.  They were taught to build and maintain entire networks by the end of the first semester of their junior year, and by the end of their senior year, were familiar with lasers, nanotechnology, biomedical science, and robotics. 

NY Gifted and Talented was a school with a curriculum designed to produce doctors, scientist, and engineers, and it did so in impressive numbers.  All of its students graduated, all of them went to college, with ninety percent of them going to Ivy League colleges.  The remainder went to Oxford, Cambridge, United States Military Academies, Caltech, and Stanford.  East Coast parents were taking notice.

The campus for Gifted and Talented was a sprawling two hundred acre beauty that was part nature preserve, part prep school campus.  The school not only had its own bio science dome, but its own hanger, as well as a retired Boeing 707 for its engineering and aeronautical studies department.  It also had its own group of elite scientist and doctors as teachers. 

It was no secret that New York Gifted and Talented only hired Ph Ds.  It was a sore point amongst many in the teaching profession.  The teacher’s union was particularly pissed, feeling that since the majority of its members lacked Ph Ds, that they were being looked upon as being inferior.  The truth of the matter, was that they
were
looked upon that way by the school.  NY Gifted and Talented’s base pay for a teacher was over one hundred thousand dollars a year.  This enabled them to pull in top flight staff, and also enabled them to charge parents a ludicrous amount for tuition.  Fifty thousand dollars a year, plus books, plus uniforms, was the price of admission.  Sterling paid this, and much more.  In fact, Sterling’s generosity was the reason that everyone was gathered at the school’s convocation center on this day.

“It is in giving to the next generation, where we find our greatest service to humanity,”  the Headmaster said, speaking to the crowded auditorium.  He adjusted his microphone, and peered out over the clapping crowd of wealthy and educated parents and faculty.  “No gift is greater, no gift more precious, no gift more sacred, than the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next.”

Again, the crowd clapped.

“We are gathered here today, to celebrate the passing of knowledge, in the form of a library,”  the Headmaster continued.  “A library that will serve this institution, and generations of future leaders, scientists, and medical doctors for many years to come.”

Again those gathered applauded.

“The Sterling Barrington Williams III Library and Research Learning Center will be a five hundred thousand square foot monolith, dedicated to higher education,” the Headmaster declared.  “It will house not only our school’s expanding collection of books and papers, but also our growing collection of original artwork, and our new computer learning center.  It will also house our new bio-science laboratory.  Today is a momentous occasion indeed.  One that we have been looking forward to, since breaking ground on construction more than two years ago.”

More applause.

“It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you, the man who made today possible,”  the Headmaster continued.  “Mr. Sterling Williams!”

Sterling rose from his seat on the stage and walked to the microphone, where he shook hands with the Headmaster.  The crowd’s applause was thunderous.  The Headmaster stepped from in front of the microphone podium, and motioned for Sterling to take over.

“Thank you,”  Sterling told the crowd, as he stepped in front of the microphone.  “It is with great pleasure that I present to you, the Sterling Barrington Williams Library and Research Learning Center.  It is my sincerest hope that this center will serve to enrich the minds of many generations of future leaders.  From this center, my greatest hopes spring.  Perhaps the seeds of a cure for cancer, or diabetes, or Alzheimer's disease will be planted in a young mind.  From this center, perhaps the cure for spinal bifida, cerebral palsy, or many other chronic and debilitating diseases will be realized.  Hope springs eternal, as a result of our faith in our young people.  May this center be the well head for our hopes and dreams.”

The Headmaster handed Sterling a giant pair of scissors, and the two of them turned toward a giant red ribbon that was tied to the building’s double glass entrance doors.

A Catholic priest stepped forward and made the sign of the cross.  “May the Lord bless this learning center, and all of the young men that it serves.  May they go forward and do the Lord’s work.  May His Grace, and goodness, and mercy guide them, and follow them all the days of their lives.”

The Headmaster waved his hand toward the ribbon, giving Sterling the signal to cut it.  Sterling lifted the massive scissors and cut the giant ribbon to thunderous applause.

“And may I present, the center’s namesake, and my inspiration,”  Sterling told the crowd.  “My son, the love of my life, my hope, my dream, everything that was ever good, and pure, and decent about me.  My son, Sterling Barrington Williams III!”

The audience applauded wildly as Third made his way up to the podium and hugged his dad.

“And now, a tour of our new library and learning center!”  the Headmaster said proudly.  He waved his hand toward the entrance, inviting the attendees inside.

“Sterling!  Sterling!”

Sterling turned in the direction from which the voice came.  It was Brittany’s boyfriend.

“David, right?”  Sterling asked.

“Yeah!”  David said, shaking Sterling’s hand.  “Wow, nice library!”

“Thanks.”

“Must have set you back a pretty penny,”  David told him.

“It did,”  Sterling said, running his hand over Third’s waves.  “But it was worth it.”

“I had no idea that you were
the
Sterling Barrington Williams, CEO of Vespasian International,”  David told him.  “I mean, Kim said you worked for Vespasian, but I had no idea that you were the CEO, Chairman, and majority shareholder.  I don't want to sound like an asshole, but I always imagined Sterling Williams to be some old, rich, White guy. This is crazy! I’m impressed!”

“What brings you here today?”  Sterling asked.

“I teach a couple of classes here,”  David told him.

“You’re a physician.”

“And they pay me very well to teach an anatomy and biology class here,”  David told him.  “I had no idea that Third was your son.  He’s a very bright student.  One of my best.”

“Thank you.”

“Wow, I just can’t
believe
this,”  David said again.  “
You’re
Sterling Williams!”

“Yes, I am…”

David leaned in.  “What does it feel like to be around all of those supermodels?”

Sterling laughed heartily.  “My job is not like that.  There’s nothing glamorous about running Vespasian.  It’s just like any other CEO job.  Endless meetings, a telephone glued to your ear, too many nights in hotels, and too much paperwork.”

“C’mon, Sterling, you can’t fool me!”  David said nudging him.  “I see the way all you clothing gurus are surrounded by gorgeous models all the time.  You guys are the luckiest guys in the world.  All the models, the Italian suits, the Ferraris, the fashion shows, the champagne, the exotic locations.  That’s the way to live.”

Sterling laughed.  “It’s not all glitz and glamor, let me just say that.”

David turned toward the building.  “Well, let me just say this, you’ve put your money to good use with this library.  My new office is going to be located here.”

“Well, then I expect you to give a sizable donation to help fill the library with books.”

“The dean has already hit me up for fifty grand,”  David smiled.

“Sterling!”

Sterling turned.  It was Wilson.

“Great speech!”  Wilson told him.  “Hey, Third, how you doing, my man?”

“Good!”  Third said, hi-fiving Wilson.

“Wilson, this is David,”  Sterling said, introducing the two.

“Good to meet you,”  Wilson said, exchanging handshakes.

“My pleasure,”  David told him.

“Sterling, I just talked to Italy,”  Wilson told him.  “Gianna and Amerigo have already left for Vegas.  They’ve sent all the clothes ahead by private carrier, and I've talked to Ford.  We’ve got the models that we requested.”

“Great,”  Sterling told him.  “Did they give you a peak at what we’re debuting this fall?”

“No,”  Wilson huffed.  “They were under orders
not
to show anyone.”

“Good.  I want everyone surprised.  Our fall lineup is going to take the fashion world by storm.”

“And you’re not even going to give me a hint?”  Wilson asked.

Sterling shook his head slowly.  “Let’s just say, we’re going to blow everyone out of the water.  They are all going in one direction, and our new look is going to take us in a completely different direction.”

“I guess that’s good news. Now for the bad news,”  Wilson smiled.  “You have to get out of here tomorrow morning.”

“What?”

“The only flight the girls could get at this time.”

“I need a private jet,”  Sterling said.  “I knew that I should have commissioned one a long time ago.”

“We’ll take care of that this year,” Wilson told him.   “With the new lines, you’ll really need one now.  But in the meantime, you need to get packed and get ready to get out of here.”

“Can I at least tour the building that I paid an arm and a leg for?”  Sterling asked with a smile.

Wilson waved his arm toward the building in dramatic fashion and bowed slightly.  “Your building, your highness.”

“Thank you,”  Sterling smiled.  He and Third walked into the building to began their tour.

Chapter Twenty One

The Magic Show was the premiere trade event for the international fashion industry.  It was a place where over 20,000 product lines were displayed, and where some of the world’s biggest fashion trends emerged.  It was at Magic where Tommy Hilfiger first embraced the hip hop style, introducing oversized sweatshirts and baggy jeans.  It was where Ralph Lauren introduced his iconic Polo Shirt, and where the world was first introduce to the bell bottomed jean.  The Magic Show brought together international fashion giants, small boutique fashion houses, trade suppliers, distributors, designers, models, retailers, buyers, and numerous other industry insiders.  It was the place where Hollywood and high fashion met to decide the new trends in the fashion world.

One of the most anticipated parts of Magic, were the fashion shows.  It was in the main hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, where tomorrow’s trends were put on display.  It was here, where industry insiders could make or break a designer’s hard work for the year.  A couple of nods from the right people could launch a designer or a new line into the stratosphere, while a couple of frowns or pursed lips could sink them into the abyss. 

“There’s my boyfriend!”  Kim said, walking up behind Sterling.

Sterling turned and hugged her.  “We’re up next.”

Kim could feel the tension in his body.  “Nervous?”

“A little,”  Sterling told her.  “This could make or break our season.  We’re going for a whole new look, and introducing a whole new line.  This is going to be called The Vespasian Ivy
Collezione
.”