Stephanie Doyle - One Final Step

“I have a tux on. I suppose that makes me ready.”

Madeleine recalled the pictures of Michael in the paper from the last event. The black tuxedo had fit him flawlessly. It should have made him look elegant and sophisticated. Instead it made him look powerful and edgy. Like someone had harnessed all this raw energy and shoved it into a suit. The camera loved him.

And his date. The camera loved both of them.

“You’re picking up Charlene at her hotel.”

“Yeah, yeah. She’s staying at the same place you are. You want to come down for a drink before the event?”

It was offered so casually. A drink before the event. A glass of wine at the bar where she could meet Charlene Merritt and ask her if George Clooney was as handsome in person as he was on film. She could go over the event schedule again with Michael. She could update him on her trip back to Philadelphia to see Ben.

She could see Michael and talk with him.

“No, thank you.”

“It’s just a drink, Madeleine.”

She hated the way he said her name. He added this extra oomph to the last syllable, dragging it out so that it sounded like Mad-e-lane. She thought to correct him, but didn’t see the point since he would keep on saying it his way no matter what. She wasn’t sure at what point she’d even given him permission to use her first name. He probably imagined it was acceptable since she could call him Michael.

In fact, he was the only client she’d been on a first-name basis with in five years. Any contact she had with the representatives from the political action committees or lobbying firms had always been brief and very formal. Michael had already gone beyond that.

“You’ll be with Charlene. There could be photographers.”

“So?”

For a very intelligent man there were times she knew he played thick deliberately. “Michael.” It was all she needed to say.

“Right. I know. No cameras. I thought we could catch up. You’ve been gone for two days.”

“Anything happening I should be aware of?”

“No. Just this event tonight. Then we’re scheduled to leave for Los Angeles, right?”

“Yes. I picked up some more clothes from my place on my trip back. I’m all set.”

They were going to L.A. so Michael could attend a larger charity event hosted by a famous film director. The party was private but there would be paparazzi littering the entrance. Michael was sure to be photographed again. The media would begin to put the pieces of her puzzle together as environmental event after environmental event featured Michael Langdon.

It was convenient he was interested in Charlene. As a star on the rise she was also attracting a lot of attention. The two of them together at the L.A. party would officially launch speculation about a relationship.

From a public-relations point of view, she was thrilled. More than thrilled. Charlene was not only stunning, but also considered one of Hollywood’s good girls. Michael looked good next to her, and more importantly, people thought better of him because he was with her.

“You’ll be taking Charlene again? To Drearson’s party.”

“Maybe. I don’t know.”

Madeleine was about to say something, then stopped. His relationship with the woman was none of her business. She only needed to focus on the image and she sensed forcing the woman on him was the surest way for him to call it off. There was nothing he’d said directly to her, but she had the sense that his interest in Charlene was superficial at best.

Subtly, on the plane ride out to L.A., she would convince him another photo opportunity with the actress would be ideal. What man wouldn’t want to be seen in Charlene’s company? There had once been rumors that linked her with Clooney but apparently she had turned him down. It seemed to Madeleine any man would be prancing like a peacock with Charlene at his side.

Only Madeleine hadn’t once seen Michael prance. And when the pictures were released of them from the Solarcomp event, Charlene had been holding on to his arm and looking up at his face, but Michael had looked…disinterested.

She shook her head. It was a random picture. Anything could have been happening in that moment to distract him.

Madeleine needed to be more focused on what came next. Michael needed to start talking about his ideas, and she needed someone there to write them down. It was her reason for accompanying him to L.A. She still had some media contacts out there, and a host of people it wouldn’t hurt her to reconnect with. If she could work some of her old connections in L.A. and New York, she might be able to get him featured on a prime-time news show.

“Was there anything else?” she asked.

“No. I guess I can’t think of anything. You sure you’re going to be fine? In your room all night? I mean, do you ever leave it? Ever?”

“Of course I do. However, I also don’t mind staying in. It’s why I demand a suite when I do this work. It gives me more than enough room to stretch out.”

She was stretched out on the couch now, with her shoeless feet resting on a pillow. While on the phone with a client.

Shameless hussy, she thought.

“I’m not sure. I think you spend a lot of time by yourself. I thought maybe when we get back I could show you some of Detroit. The good and the bad. Might give you a better sense of who I am.”

Spending time with Michael. Getting to know Michael more.

Both very dangerous things. Madeleine wasn’t an idiot. Michael was intelligent, passionate, interesting and completely charismatic. There was a reason women all over the world flocked to him. Spending time in his sphere on a social level was bound to lead to her liking him.

Heck, she already did like him. She liked his energy and his direction. She liked the way he thought about how she might be lonely sitting in her hotel room.

He was a good man. She sensed it about him. Spending more time with him? It would do nothing but lead to trouble.

“We’ll see when we get back.” It was an easy out and would generate the least amount of resistance. She wasn’t sure what Michael’s intent was with all these invitations. Were they purely harmless or something more? Either way she needed to keep him at arm’s length if only for a little while. This job wouldn’t last too much longer. As long as she kept dancing out of his reach, she should be able to accomplish his goal and move on unscathed.

“Okay. How about you check me out? See if this monkey suit looks okay.”

Madeleine accepted the FaceTime request on her phone and a blip later she could see Michael standing in what appeared to be a very large closet holding his phone out so she could get the full effect.

It was as she thought. He looked utterly handsome, if a little restrained. She bet the first thing he would do when he got home from this evening would be to remove the jacket and tie and unbutton his cuffs and roll up his sleeves and relax.

Unless, of course, Charlene was with him. She hadn’t considered that possibility. She didn’t know why. The woman was obviously interested in him to have come all this way. Of course it made sense he would bring her home at the end of the evening. He had probably already done so on their two previous dates.

That thought made her irritated, but she wasn’t willing to admit why.

“You look very nice.”

“Nice? That’s the best you can do? I spent a couple of grand on this suit.”

“How about dashing?”

He smirked and she had to be careful not to roll her eyes since she knew he could see her, too.

See her, too! She was still lying on the couch with her shoes off. Instantly she sat up and while she held the phone steady on her face, she moved her feet around until she found one pump and slipped her foot into it.