Pirate's Gold (13 page)

“Thank God for small favors.” Maren leaned her head against the back of the chair and ran her fingers through her hair thoughtfully. “Let's hope the final takes were okay. I'd hate to be the one to have to call Mitzi and explain that we had to do it all over again.”

“Amen,” Jan agreed, with a frown. “You've never been too crazy about her, have you?”

A fleeting image of Mitzi draped over Kyle's arm near a swimming pool flashed through Maren's mind. “Are you kidding?” Maren replied lightly. “I've got every record she ever released.”

“You're hedging,” Jan accused.

“And you're right. I really don't have any problem with Mitzi. She's a good client, and she has a tremendous talent for picking the right songs to complement her style.”

“But,” Jan coaxed.

“I could do without the prima donna routine.”

“You and me both.” Jan stubbed out her cigarette and slowly pulled herself out of the chair. The color drained from her face as she straightened.

“Are you all right?” Maren asked with genuine concern. She noticed the expression of pain on Jan's tired features.

Jan offered her boss a tentative smile, hoping to ease Maren's mind. “As well as can be expected.”

“I assume that means you've seen a doctor.”

Jan's nervous smile broadened, but there was a catch in her throat when she tried to speak. “I went this morning. It's official: I'm going to have a baby early in November.”

“Jan! That's wonderful!” Maren exclaimed, expressing her heartfelt enthusiasm. “Have you told Jacob yet?”

Jan took in a deep breath. “No,” she admitted reluctantly, “but I will, tonight or later in the week. He's been pretty moody lately, so I think I'd better wait until just the right moment before I spring it on him.”

“You might be surprised by his reaction.”

“I doubt it,” Jan confided, pursing her lips together in order to hold back the tears burning behind her eyes. Visibly straightening her shoulders, she managed to slip her poise back into place by turning the conversation away from Jake and the baby. “So tell me, how did you manage to get Mr. Sterling to sign those contracts?”

“Careful negotiation,” Maren joked, hoping to lighten the somber mood that had settled on Jan's slim shoulders.

“Negotiation?”

“That's right. It seems that Sterling Recording Company is very interested in buying out Festival Productions. Kyle wants me to sell my interest to him and continue to run the operation from the recording company. It would be an easy way for Sterling Records to start producing their videos in-house.”

Jan looked as if she'd been struck. “But surely you're not considering his offer—”

“It might be the answer to our problems,” Maren stated. Why was Jan so distressed? The poor girl actually looked as if she were frightened of something. Maren noticed the trembling of Jan's lower lip and the widening of her dark eyes.

“But you've worked so hard to make it on your own!” Jan protested vehemently. “Are you going to give up all your freedom, your artistic license, all this…” With her arm she made a sweeping gesture to encompass the furnishings of the office.

“I'm considering it,” Maren stated evenly, trying to understand Jan's uncharacteristic paranoia.

“Why?”

“First of all, I wouldn't be giving up that much; I'll have everything I want written into the contract of sale, and secondly, Festival needs a more secure future. How much longer can we survive living from contract to contract?”

“But things have just started to turn around! I know for a fact that J. D. Price will have no one but you handle his videos. Even Joey Righteous thinks you're divine, and that's a mighty big compliment from someone who considers himself a deity.”

Maren tried to placate the anxious secretary “Jan, what's wrong? Nothing is going to change—at least, not significantly. Everyone in production will still work under me. It's just that Sterling Records will be my employer. We'll all be a lot more secure, and that includes the record company. Kyle feels that he needs tighter control on the videos.”

Jan's entire body tensed. “Why?” she whispered, looking as if she expected the roof to collapse.

“Videos are big business. They've turned the recording industry slump around. Sterling Records wants to cash in on them now, while they're hot. No matter what
I
do, Kyle Sterling is determined to produce the videos in-house. I'm just lucky that he wants to work with me instead of edge me out of the business.”

Jan leaned against the wall, and her brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Don't you think that's exactly what he's doing?”

Maren smiled, trying to hide the doubts forming in her own mind. “No, I think he's sincere.”

“Then why didn't he sign
all
the contracts?”

“I didn't press him, I guess.”

Jan's expression hardened. “That doesn't sound like you. What's happened to you, Maren? You've never let a man push you around before.”

“I don't think I'm being pushed, Jan.” It was Jan's tone of voice more than her accusation that made Maren uneasy.

“Don't tell me that you've started to fall for the guy…” When Maren didn't immediately respond, Jan rolled her eyes expressively toward the ceiling. “Don't do it, Maren. Don't let that guy get to you. He has a reputation as long as my arm for using women. Don't you remember what a field day the press had covering his divorce from Sterling Rose? And then, what about all the women and men he stepped on to get where he is today! Even Mitzi Danner didn't get away from him unscathed.”

“Look, Jan,” Maren interjected, hoping to quell the tide of anger welling within the secretary. “I told you I was considering his proposal to buy out my interest in Festival. Until I see a firm offer in writing, I won't make up my mind.”

“It sounds as if you already have,” Jan stated weakly.

“For the time being, nothing's changed,” Maren assured the young woman. “And I just wanted to let you know what was going on. I didn't mean to upset you. You don't have to worry about your job.”

“How can you be so sure of that?” Jan charged. “What do you know about Sterling Recording Company and the way it handles its employees. Kyle Sterling has a reputation for being a very shrewd and ruthless businessman. He'll step on anyone who gets in his way. There're just no two ways about it, the man's an A1 bastard!”

Maren stood her ground. Her blue eyes were determined; her soft voice was calm. “I've heard about his reputation, Jan. I haven't gotten where I have by hiding my head in the sand. But I've also met the man, and I think he's going to play fair with me.”

“How do you know that? You're talking about everyone who's involved with Festival. All of our futures are at stake!”

“And I won't let anyone, including Kyle Sterling, pull a fast one on me. If you don't trust me, certainly you can rely on Elise Conrad, Festival's attorney. Everything will be reviewed by her office before I make a final decision. Don't worry,” Maren urged with an indulgent smile. “Everything's going to work out very well.”

“Since when did you become an optimist? Since meeting Kyle Sterling?” Jan asked, still visibly shaken. “What exactly happened between the two of you?”

“Not much,” Maren evaded. “We met and talked business and got to know a little more about each other.”

“Oh, Maren,” Jan sighed, seeing through Maren's words. Jan hesitated in the doorway and stared at the floor before raising her dark eyes to meet Maren's questioning gaze. “What you do with your personal life is none of my business,” she began uneasily, “but I just hope you're careful. I'd hate to see you become another one of Kyle Sterling's conquests. From what I understand, he'll destroy anyone or anything he considers a threat.” The secretary attempted a smile and failed miserably. “Don't get into anything you might regret later,” she advised.

“Such as enter a relationship with Kyle Sterling?”

“Such as getting involved with the wrong man.” Without another word, Jan left Maren's office, leaving her employer to wonder if Jan was offering advice from her own experience. But why the absolute hatred of Kyle? From the look on Jan's face, Maren could tell that Jan's relationship with Jacob Green hadn't improved. Perhaps that was the cause of Jan's distress. If her situation with Green was insecure, the pressure of the pregnancy coupled with a change in job status might account for the young woman's concern about the sale of Festival. But it didn't explain Jan's angry remarks about Kyle.

Maren tried to shake the uncomfortable feeling enveloping her and concentrate on the storyboards for the Mirage videos. The theme tying the separate cuts of the album together was taking shape in her mind, and she worked furiously on her sketches for the rest of the day, pausing only during lunch to discuss her idea with Ted Bensen, who was in charge of the production crew.

It was nearly five when she received the call from Kyle.

“Kyle Sterling's on line one,” Jan announced with audible reluctance.

“Thanks,” Maren replied before pressing the lighted button on the telephone.

“Maren?” Kyle's rich voice called to her before she had a chance to answer. The sound of her name reminded her of the night she had lain in his arms. The moon had cast its silvery glow over the sea before resting in Kyle's gaze. He had lain over her, whispering words of love into her ears. Her heart hammered mercilessly in her rib cage.

“I was beginning to think I wouldn't hear from you.” Her tone was light and carefree and disguised the misgivings that had plagued her. Jan's warning echoed in her ears:
“He'll destroy anyone he considers a threat.”

“I've been busy,” was the abrupt reply. “But I did manage to call my attorney. He promises that you'll have an offer for Festival within the week.”

“And I assume that you want an immediate response.”

“As quickly as possible.” There was a moment of hesitation. “You can get hold of me here. I doubt that I'll be in the office for a couple of weeks.”

“What about the other contracts—there were a few you didn't bother to sign.”

“You can bring them with you, with the sales agreement.”

“You expect me to bring them to La Jolla?” she asked incredulously.

“If you want them signed. I won't be back in L.A. for a while.”

“I'll have to have my attorney look over the sales contract,” Maren stated, slightly unnerved by his totally businesslike tone.

“I realize that. Call me when you've made your decision.”

With his final words, he hung up the phone, and Maren was left with the disturbing feeling that Jan's warnings were about to come true.

O
NE WEEK STRETCHED
into two and Maren had had barely a moment to herself. The days at the office were a whirlwind of paperwork, meetings and production schedules. Maren drove herself at a furious pace until late each night. Somehow she managed to keep up with the bookkeeping, correspondence and client relationships, along with creating a complete set of storyboards for each of the five cuts on the Mirage album. J. D. Price had tentatively approved her story lines and had only offered a few bits of advice about changing a couple of action sequences. The next man to tackle was Kyle. As far as Maren knew he was still in La Jolla.

The short nights crept by at a snail's pace. Though Maren felt dead on her feet by the end of each day, she was unable to fall asleep promptly when she finally crawled under the covers and collapsed in a weary heap. Thoughts of Kyle crowded her tired mind, and her body ached for his gentle touch. Memories flooded her senses when she thought of the one night she had spent with him, and she wondered if she would ever feel the warmth and power of his arms around her again. Or had that one solitary night meant nothing to him?

Thursday morning the ringing of the phone jarred her out of her restless sleep. Muttering angrily to herself, she reached for the telephone and knocked the receiver on the floor before summoning enough dexterity to grasp the slippery instrument. “Hello?” she mumbled ungraciously into the phone.

“Maren?” Kyle asked. “I realize that it's early—”

“I guess.” Maren smiled and yawned. It felt good to wake up to the sound of his voice. “What time is it?” She forced her gaze to focus on the digital display of the clock radio near the phone. “Six o'clock!” She rubbed her hand over her eyes before raking her fingers through the tangled strands of her hair. “No one in his right mind calls at this hour,” she accused with a sigh.

“It was now or never. I doubt that I'll be near a phone for the rest of the day and I wanted you to know that I'll be in L.A. late this afternoon.” There was a weighty pause in the conversation. “I was hoping that we could meet to discuss the Mirage videos and my offer on Festival. You have made a decision, I assume.”

“Not until Elise Conrad approves,” Maren hedged.

“Has she seen the offer?” Kyle's voice had become strained. Maren could hear it in the sharpness of his words.

“I sent it to her on Monday.”

“Good. Then maybe we can tie all the ends together tomorrow before I have to return to La Jolla.”

“I doubt if it will be that easy,” Maren replied.

“I don't have much time.”

Maren's lips pulled into a frown. Why was he pushing so hard? Was he afraid she might back out of the sale? Was it
that
important to Sterling Records? “This is a big decision for me, you know.”

There was an exasperated sigh on the other end of the connection. “I understand that, Maren, but I'm caught between a rock and a hard spot. The sooner this sale is complete, the better for everyone involved, including you. Right now, I can't afford not to produce the videos at Sterling Records. If you're not going to accept my offer, or at the very least negotiate a deal, then I'll have to hire someone else to establish Sterling videos on the market. As I said before, I don't have a hell of a lot of time to waste while your attorney nitpicks through each clause of the contract.”

“You don't like the idea of attorneys being involved in this, do you?” Maren charged.

“I've dealt with quite a few in my time—”

“And obviously been burned,” Maren interjected angrily before managing to regain control of her temper. Kyle Sterling was too important a client to infuriate, and regardless of her conflicting emotions toward the man, she had to remain rational and calm. “Look, Kyle,” she said more calmly, “I'll see what I can do. I'll call Elise this morning and find out what she thinks about the offer.”

“I'd appreciate it, “he responded curtly. “Can you meet me at my office?”

Maren mentally reviewed her schedule. “I think so. What time?”

“How about four?”

“I think that will work out. I want to bring along the storyboards for the Mirage videos: It's time we put ‘Yesterday's Heart' into production.”

“I'll see you then.” He paused for a moment, as if he might have something more to add. Maren waited while her heart pounded in anticipation. If only he could let her know that what they shared together was more than just a night of passion…. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” Maren whispered as she heard him sever the fragile connection. A dull pain twisted in her heart. She set down the phone and leaned back into the pillow. What had she expected, anyway? Maren knew that Kyle's primary interest in her was Festival Productions; he'd admitted as much. She also realized that he was attracted to her and probably, in his own sophisticated way, cared for her. But the love she felt for him could never possibly be returned. It just wasn't possible, no matter how desperately she wanted to believe that he loved her. “No sense in deluding yourself,” she mumbled miserably as she tossed back the covers and compressed her lips into a line of disgust. Knowing that falling back to sleep was completely out of the question, Maren reached for her robe and decided to go into the office early. There were still a few details she had to straighten out on the first Mirage video, and she wanted everything in perfect order when she met with Kyle later in the day.

 

T
HE PARKING LOT
was usually empty. This morning was an exception. The warm morning sunlight reflected brightly off the sleek imported sports car parked in front of the building housing Festival Productions.

Maren parked her car and approached the building. As she neared the silver import, Jacob Green extracted himself from the vehicle. He was a slim man of medium build with perfectly combed sandy-colored hair and an equally manicured smile. Maren knew that Jake had to be pushing fifty, but he managed to keep himself fit and looked a good ten years younger than his age.

“Hi Maren,” Jacob greeted, falling into stride with her as she headed up the concrete steps.

Maren forced an uneasy smile onto her face. “Good morning.” After unlocking the glass door, Maren stepped inside the building. Jacob Green was quick to follow her, and Maren felt an uneasy sensation take hold of her.

“If you're looking for Jan,” Maren said, picking up the newspaper that had been forced through the mail slot near the door, “she's not here yet.” Certainly Jacob knew of Jan's whereabouts, Maren thought; Jan was living with him.

“Actually,” Jacob replied smoothly, “I wanted to see you.”

“Oh?” Maren lifted her eyes from the front page of the
Los Angeles Times,
and started up the stairs. “What's up?”

“I thought you and I could discuss our contract on Festival,” Jake suggested.

Maren was instantly wary, and her back stiffened. “Is there a problem?”

“Not yet.” His words were cryptic, and they made her uneasy. It took every ounce of civility within her to hang on to her poise.

“Good. Why don't you wait for me in my office,” Maren suggested as she mounted the stairs. Jacob was only a couple of steps behind her, and she had the uncanny feeling that he was eyeing her hips as she climbed the stairs. “I'll get us each a cup of coffee.”

“Great!” They reached the second floor and Jake started toward Maren's office. “Don't forget the sugar.” He disappeared into the other room.

“Wouldn't dream of it,” Maren mumbled to herself. There was just something about the man that made her anxious and unnerved. It didn't help matters to know how unhappy Jan had been recently. Jan had never mentioned telling Jacob about the baby, and Maren had never pried. It was evident that something was eating at the poor girl, but the one time Maren had commented on that fact, Jan had told her nicely but firmly that it was really none of her concern. Rebuffed and slightly embarrassed, Maren hadn't mentioned the situation again.

“Here you go,” Maren announced, setting a cup of coffee along with several sugar cubes next to Jake's chair. “Now tell me, what is it you want to discuss?”

Maren took a seat behind the desk, feeling more comfortable with the large piece of furniture separating her from Jacob. The barrier, however frail, gave her some sense of strength. Jacob stirred his sugar into his coffee and took a long swallow. When he looked up at Maren he hoped his smile seemed sincere.

“You always could make a great cup of coffee,” he stated with a slippery grin.

“And you've been known to beat around the bush. I'm really very busy today, Jake. In fact, I've got a nine-o'clock appointment. So why don't you tell me what it is that's bothering you about the contract?”

“It's no big deal, really,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. Maren could tell by the way he avoided meeting her gaze that he was lying. Whatever it was, it was very important to Jacob Green. Something was up. Something big. “I was hoping that you could make the May
and June
payments on the fifteenth.”

Maren regarded him silently for a moment. She would like nothing better than to pay him his money and send him packing. Dealing with him had always been difficult. Her blue eyes narrowed as she considered the possibilities. Finally she shook her head. “I'm sorry, Jake, but I just can't swing it. If I remember correctly, the June payment escalates by another thousand dollars. There's just no way I can stretch my budget right now, at least not until I get some cash from the April billings, and they just went out.”

Jacob's friendly smile faded, and he set his cup on the table. “Can't you work something out, Maren? I'm really strapped right now.” He stood from the chair and pushed his hands into his back pockets as he faced her.

Maren managed to conceal her surprise. She had always assumed that Jacob was well-heeled. Not only had he received a large amount of cash when she had purchased Festival, but she paid him monthly on the contract. The last she had heard he was working at Sentinel Studios. Where could his money be going?

“I just can't handle a larger payment this month.”

Jacob's eyes traveled around the room, noting the few but expensive pieces of furniture. From what he could discern, Maren's operation was doing well—very well—and the gossip in the industry indicated that her services as a producer of videotapes were in considerable demand. He changed his tactics.

“Jan tells me you might be selling the business.”

The hackles on Maren's neck rose. She had expected her secretary to hold her tongue. But that might not have been possible, considering Jacob's link to Festival. “That's right,” Maren conceded unwillingly. “I'm considering the possibility. Nothing more.”

“Jan seemed to think it was all wrapped up.” Once again Jacob took a seat. He felt as if he had unwittingly gained the advantage in the discussion. Lines of worry creased Maren's normally smooth forehead.

“I'm still thinking about it,” Maren hedged. As far as she was concerned, what she did with Festival Productions was none of Jacob Green's concern as long as she paid him off.

“You still owe me about eighty thousand dollars,” Green pointed out with a bitter smile.

“I realize that.”

“I just wanted to remind you that the contract is nontransferable. I want my share in cold hard cash.”

“And that's what you'll get,” Maren assured him. “If and when I decide to sell.”

“Damn it all, I never thought that videos would take off the way they did,” Green admitted with a trace of disgust. “If I had, you can bet I never would have sold this operation to you!”

“When I bought Festival, you were concentrating mainly on commercials,” Maren observed. “I don't think you had even thought of doing videos.”

“Yeah, well, maybe that's true. But you can bet that I would have changed course once I'd figured out how hot those videos would become. They're a goddamn gold mine!”

“I told you that before you sold the business to me,” Maren pointed out. “You didn't listen.”

Jacob waved off her words with the back of his hand. “How was I to know they weren't going to be some overnight flash-in-the-pan fad that was here today and gone tomorrow. Son of a bitch!”

Jan entered Maren's office, and her dark brown eyes took in the scene before her. Maren was surprised and grateful for Jan's arrival. “Jacob?” Jan asked uneasily, her thin lips pulling into a tight smile. “What're you doing here?” Her liquid brown eyes accused Jacob of something Maren couldn't understand. It was probably another lovers' quarrel and none of Maren's business, she decided, trying to find an excuse to leave the two of them alone.

Jacob was immediately defensive. “I was just havin' a chat with Maren, babe,” Jake replied with an uncomfortable grin. He rubbed the back of his neck after setting his coffee cup aside. “You know,” he cajoled, seeing Jan's obvious distress, “it's about that time again. The rent's due, so to speak.” A flush of scarlet crawled up Jan's neck, disguising her wan pallor.