An Excerpt from THE MADAM by Jacki Simmons

One: The Problem Is…

Jade wondered if the fall from the fifth-floor window would be enough to kill her.

As she glanced across the street and watched the early afternoon sun glint off the Metro-Life building, the wheels of her mind turned faster and faster, hoping she could think her way out of this one. She crossed and uncrossed her legs, aware that he was watching every move she made. This had to be some kind of a joke. Any minute now, Ashton was going to come out and tell her she’d been Punk’d.

She drew her face away from the window and focused on the gun aimed at her head. Reality had sunk in long ago and despite all they had been through, she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Her mind was made of mush and all thoughts had fled her mind except that of her own survival. She figured sprinting to the door was out of the question because a bullet could travel faster than she could. Fear kept her in the seat, hoping that this wouldn’t take a turn for the worse.

Clearing her throat, Jade said, “This was not what I had in mind when you said you wanted to talk.”

“You know, one of the reasons I hired you is because of how you think. You’re hardheaded, Jade. You don’t like to take no for an answer. You do only what benefits you in the end. Well, this is a different type of situation. I need you to do something that will benefit me. I knew this was the only way to get your attention.” The loaded .45 in her face had captured her attention.

Alphonse Stanley, like Jade, was not used to hearing “no.” He had pulled himself up by the bootstraps to become a driving force in the world of entertainment. He and his partner, Tony Vice, had been struggling to book major acts for popular venues. They began to push the envelope in order to get appearances for musicians in places that were unheard of. Stanley and Vice had been one of the first to book a rap artist in Japan. Now, almost thirty years later, Vice having died of cancer nearly ten years earlier, the empire was untouchable.

They dominated the industry, supplying agents for every form of entertainment; literary, sports, music, acting, comedy; it was a one-stop shop for every celebrity looking for an agent. Stanley had purchased the Greenway Building on 32nd Street to house his fleet. Each division had its own floor and about ten agents; Stanley occupied the top floor, along with the sports agents. Jade herself had been with the company’s music division for the past five years and had quite a few celebs under her belt. She was, in fact, the top agent at Stanley and Vice, bringing in more money than the two bottom agents put together. And now that the shit Stanley put up with over the years had piled up and was hitting the fan (too common find wording), he wanted Jade to clean it up.

The office wall behind her was made of glass, reminding everyone that the boss was always watching. Usually, the floor was abuzz with action but not a soul had passed by in the half hour she’d been here. Jade shifted her eyes from the gun to his face and back to the gun. She spoke to the weapon.

“Is this at all necessary? Aren’t you being a little irrational?”

“I'm not being irrational. You need to understand, Jade, that this is strictly business. I take my business very seriously.”

She folded her hands, determined to keep her cool.

“I noticed. You’re threatening to kill me.”

“I didn't threaten you. I gave you a business proposition which will not be turned down.”

His exact words were, “Do it or I’ll kill you.” That surely sounded like a threat to her.

“A business proposition has two ends. Apparently, I have no say in this matter. And why--”

“Questioning my decision is only going to make this harder for the both of us. I need this money. The company needs this money. You're the best agent I have. You're smart, beautiful, business-minded. I can't afford to have you say no, and I can’t afford to have to look for anyone else who can do this.”

Jade sighed and studied her fingernails.

“What happened to downsizing? What’s wrong with that? We can afford to drop the dead weight.”

Stanley appeared to be comfortable with the conversation at hand as he shifted in his seat, the gun still trained on Jade. “That’s where you’re wrong. We can't afford to drop any dead weight. If anyone else leaves and takes their multi-million-dollar wallets with them, we’ll be too far under to dig ourselves out.”

“You want me to perform an illegal service if I value my life. You want me to run a whorehouse.”

“You're putting words in my mouth.”

“Am I?”

“When did you hear the words ‘whorehouse’ leave my lips?”

Was he kidding? This had to be a joke. Jade was tempted to stand up and slap him. The gun made the thought remain only a temptation..

“I can't do that.”

“I didn't ask you whether or not you could do it. I gave you an either or. Either you do or you die.”

“You’re going to kill me if you don't get your way? This is outrageous. Blackmail is above you.”

He laughed, a rumbling sound that rose from deep in his chest. He waved the gun. “I like how you put that. Blackmail. Well, for lack of a better term, yes.”
Jade shook her head and stood to leave, straightening her suit.

The gun followed her. “One more step and I will level you, Jade. Aren’t we supposed to be a team? There’s no ‘I’ in team. I can't do this alone.”

Jade shook her head again, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “Well, there ain’t no ‘we’, either. I’m not doing this.”

“We can drag this out as long as you'd like. But the only way you leave this room is working overtime for me,” he cocked the gun, “or dead. Your choice.”

“You’re threatening to kill me for something I have nothing to do with. I’m not getting my hands tied up in this,” she shouted. “This is your shit, you got yourself into it, and you need to get yourself out!” She turned her back and swung the door open.

Stanley stood up. “I am very serious about this. I can't bail without you.”

She knew he was. Her eyes closed and she bowed her head, biting down on her bottom lip. Silently, Jade laid her cards out on the table. Stanley had no problem killing her. As tempting as the offer was, she wondered if it was worth the risks. Before she opened her eyes she made a fly-by-the-pants decision, regretting it instantly but knowing it would save her life.

Jade took a deep breath before opening her eyes and turning back around to face him. “Would it be too much to ask that you not point that gun at me?”

“Do we have a deal?”

“Would you lower the gun?”

“Do we have a deal?”

The air was thick with silence and neither of them blinked during the battle of wills. He was going to get what he wanted whether she liked it or not. (this sentence is not needed)
“Yes.”

He lowered the gun, not before gesturing with it. “Sit down.”

Jade shut the door and sat back down, crossing her legs again and folding her hands. She felt completely helpless. In any other situation she was behind the desk pointing the figurative gun, making the threats. Now the tables were turned and he had her trapped in a vise grip. She hated not having power.

Stanley kicked his feet up, sliding a cherrywood box closer to himself. He lifted out a cigar and put it under his nose. Producing a cutter from inside his jacket, he clipped the end and lit it. Taking a few deep puffs, he blew the smoke in her direction. She turned her head away and the smoke curled toward the ceiling.

“Now, in your rush to turn me down, we never got to discuss the perks.”

She snorted. “I wasn't sure there were any.”

“For starters, a salary increase.”

“How high?”

“Double; maybe triple, in time.”

She raised an eyebrow. She was already bringing home numbers high in the six-figure bracket; a couple of extra dollars wouldn’t hurt. “And legalities?”

He turned up his face and waved the cigar, the smoke dancing away. “Don't worry about that.”

“I am worried about it.”

“Don't be.”

She exhaled quietly, knowing she would have time to weigh pros and cons later. “Well, then, we need to talk numbers. Exactly how many people need to be involved?”

“Six, maybe seven. If it works out as well as I'm anticipating, you can expand.”

He had the entire thing thought out before she even came in the room. She was a pawn in a chess game he had already figured out how to win. “What's your part in this?”

“They take a third and I take the rest, to be put into the company.” He clasped his hands together and aimed them at her. “You get to live.”

“So let me get this straight. These girls are going to make money on my watch, which you take and use to save yourself from going under?”

“You pick up quick.”

Her head was spinning. She rubbed her temples. This was outrageous. “And that’s all?”

“That’s all.”

It was a long while before she answered. “Fine.”

“Good. And before you go, stop making it sound like I’m doing this for myself. It’s for the best. For everyone. You work here, don’t you? You like what you do, right? So, think of it as taking one for the team.” He batted at an imaginary pitch.

Jade stared at him blankly.

“I'm glad we could work this out. You’ll be hearing from me.” Standing, Stanley waited for Jade to do the same. He stretched his arm out in front of him, indicating her dismissal. He was smiling as if nothing had ever happened.

Jade pulled the door shut behind her. She nodded and smiled casually as she passed her coworkers in the hall, very aware that Stanley was still watching her through the glass walls of his office. At the elevator, she chanced a glance backwards. As she expected, he was watching her. Like fucking Santa Claus. He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. Exiting the building through the downstairs garage, Jade was fuming as she started up her car. She flashed her ID and drove outside, where it was five lights later that her heart finally slowed to a normal pace. Her fingers were shaking as she handled the steering wheel.

She needed to talk to someone who would understand what was going on, and more importantly, help her get herself together. The only way she could turn down the proposition Stanley had made would be to leave the country and disappear. Since she wasn’t planning on giving up her entire life at the drop of a dime, (avoid these type of clichés) she knew that her only option was to go along with this outrageous idea.

Even as the words ran through her brain, Jade was having a hard time convincing herself. Jade had stumbled into something that was much bigger than she. But the go-getter inside her was determined to make it work to her advantage.

*****

The purse skidded across the hall table and hit the floor when it left Jade’s hands. She sucked her teeth and locked her door behind her. She kicked the purse as she walked past, letting her hair down with a flick of her wrist. Kicking off her heels, she shrugged out of her suit jacket and laid it on the table, promising herself to come back for it and the purse later. Right now she needed to think. Quitting smoking five months earlier was a decision that returned to bite her in the ass, now that she needed a cigarette. A relaxing drink was the next best step.

“Baby?”

Jade jumped out of her skin and whirled around, ready to fight. She caught sight of the speaker and her heart fell back into its place.

“What the hell are you doing here? You scared the shit out of me.”

Cameron noticed. He hadn't seen her in over week and this was not the response he was expecting. He saw how tight her body was and immediately responded to his woman’s needs. His big hands made their way to her shoulders. “What happened?”

She didn't skip a beat as she replied, “Long day.”

His fingers worked a kink out of her neck. “Oh yeah? Tell me about it.”

Her eyes opened slowly. Was that a question or a statement? She went with the most vague answer she could find. “I'm just glad I'm home.”

Cameron seemed satisfied as he walked her into the living room. He and Jade had been together for seven years and Jade felt as though he was her soulmate. He was her equivalent, only in the male form. They had been engaged since Christmas and no other man had ever made her happier. Though her schedule as an agent and his as an A-List event planner kept them apart sometimes weeks at a time, they spoke every day.

“You want to talk about it?” He laid her down on the couch and slid her stockings off.

Sure, why not? Let’s see, where do I begin? Well, my boss threatened to kill me today after blackmailing me into helping him get the company out of debt. I have no choice but to do what he says or else you’ll never see me again. Ain’t that something? “Not really,” she answered.

“Stay there. I’ll be right back.” She didn't nod, just watched through half-open eyes as he jogged into the kitchen. He was a good man, a man that didn't deserve the hailstorm of shit that was about to come crashing down on his head. Her eyes were closed when he returned. Something cold touched her hand.

“Chardonnay. Relax.” He put the bottle on the floor next to the couch.

Jade thanked him and lifted the drink to her lips. She didn't open her eyes, only slowly sipped her wine and thought.

He threatened her life. She wasn't able to move past that point, it was stuck in her mind and every time she thought she could let it go, it popped back up. He was serious about this.

Of course, she could go to the police. But she knew the outcome. He wasn't treating this like a game and she didn't expect him to. There were serious decisions to make here, decisions to be weighed out.
One massive pro was the money. It wasn't that she really needed it; her salary gave her plenty of flexibility and comfort, but she was not going to shake a stick at a little more.

If she looked on the bright side of this thing, she’d be rich and she’d be in. Not that she didn't also have status but much like the money, a little more couldn't hurt. For a few minutes, the plan was perfect. As the liquor opened her up and mellowed her out, and Cameron's hands continued to work their magic, her mind wandered into the specifics: namely, the cons.

What he was asking her to do was enough for a lengthy prison sentence. It wasn't her conscience that was bothering her; it was her logic. She saw right through him. He was a moneymaker and he was using her as an amenity. He expected her to keep his clients happy. He didn't care how she did it, only that it gets done. The offer wasn't anything to turn her nose up at but the severance package left much to be desired.

What if the money wasn't what he told her it would be? What if she couldn't build up a client list? Who could she trust beside herself? What if it all fell apart? The biggest “what if” was rubbing her feet at that very moment.

She loved Cameron with all she had. They had been together since the day she graduated college. He wanted her to be his wife, , and he would do anything she asked. She also knew if she did this, she would be putting him through hell, but she didn't have much of a choice. It was either that or he could kiss his woman goodbye.

She knew her man. If she told Cam that she had been threatened, he’d be on the next thing smoking to the police station. She didn't want to hurt him. Yet at the same time, she figured that what he didn't know wouldn’t kill him.

“You sure you don't want to talk about it?”

Jade opened her eyes. He had interrupted her train of thought. “What?”

He pointed at her. “Whatever you're thinking about is tearing up your face.”

Because I'm contemplating life and death, baby. She lifted a hand to her cheek.

“That bad? I must be tired.”

“You look it.”

She playfully kicked him. “Oh thanks. I feel so much better.”

He smiled at her and caught her foot. “You're sexy anyway,” he said, one hand traveling up her leg.

She smiled when he said that. He returned the sentiment and took it as a sign. Jade sat her glass on the floor and lifted her hips. Cam pulled down her skirt and panties in one motion. Flipping her hair over her shoulder she unbuttoned her shirt. He was already undressed by the time she did so. She tossed her clothes on the floor and climbed onto his lap, biting hard on her lip as she lowered herself onto him.
Jade scratched his chest with one hand, the other softly holding the back of his head. Cam held on to her hips as she rose and fell on top of him. “I missed you baby,” he breathed into her ear. “I missed you so much.” He licked her ear then, sending a chill up her spine. Jade moaned softly, biting his neck as gently as she could.

Cameron lifted his hands from her hips and unsnapped her bra. Jade leaned back and slid it off her arms without breaking the rhythm. She kept up the ride as he took one of her small breasts into his mouth. While he massaged and sucked, she continued to moan, digging her nails into his shoulders. Every move they both made turned each other on more and more until both of them were a melted, sweaty mess in the middle of the couch.

Jade climbed off Cam and lay back, panting hard. He was breathing hard as well, legs sticky from their exertion. He looked over at Jade and smiled. She returned the smile. They smiled at each other for a long while.

Some inside joke brought on by their eye contact caused them to both laugh aloud. He reached down and grabbed the bottle of wine. Jade held out her glass for a refill. Just when she needed him, he always delivered. She loved her some Cam.

That was all she wanted, just to forget every other moment. After the day she had, nothing felt better than to clear her mind of everything except her own pleasure.

*****