Chapter 108

Beth put her arm around Phil’s waist as the elevator door closed.

“I’m proud of the way you handled that,” she told him. “You’ve acted today exactly as you should have. You were firm but you were also compassionate. I’m sorry to say that I would probably have acted far differently. I probably would have commiserated with Greg Hansen and fired Gus Karl without even talking to him.

“I suppose I’m more familiar with the travails of a corporate executive than I am with a young computer programmer. After listening to Gus, I understand his actions a little better. I’m going to review our policies on exempt employees and I’m going to ensure that no one is being dragged in on a Saturday for something stupid without being compensated. I’m also going to advise the headquarters staff that if someone calls in a tech guy on the weekend, they had better be able to justify it to me on Monday morning.”

“I’m sure Rob will appreciate that,” Phil said as they reached the first floor and exited.

“I think it’s time to bring Rob to headquarters,” Beth noted. “He was dead on about what happened with Gus Karl. I’ve also found him to be a good judge of character.”

“You leave Rob where he is,” Phil said. “He’s only a phone call away and he’s doing great work over there. It took him two days to put together that little program that solved this. If you stick him at HQ he’ll be bored silly in a day and looking for a new job in two.”

Beth chuckled as she tossed the car keys to her son.

“You drive, Mr. Chauffeur,” she said. “Let’s take Greg Hansen’s advice and spend today at the beach. We’ll visit the studio tomorrow and hopefully take the Hansens out to dinner on Wednesday. That will give Hailey four days to put together everything for us to turn over to the prosecutors before we leave.”

Beth regretted her decision to give Phil the keys as he weaved in and out of freeway traffic around Los Angeles.

“I’m only keeping up with traffic,” he noted when his mother grabbed the dashboard for the sixth time. “If I slow down, the people behind us will run over top of us.”

Beth glanced behind her and saw that even though her son was going about 10 miles faster than she would have liked there was a line of cars behind him. Still, she was relieved when they pulled up in front of the hotel. The valet met them out front and the pair headed upstairs.

“I’m going to call Hailey and see how things are going,” Phil mentioned.

“That’s funny,” his mother replied. “I was going to call Hailey to see how things are going. After all, I am officially the boss.”

“Oh, sure,” Phil said sheepishly. “But I wasn’t going to really talk to her about the office. I’m sure she has everything under control there. Everyone seemed a little, I don’t know, edgy this weekend when I called. When I called last night, I was pretty sure I heard Scott and Lisa in the background. I’m just a little worried that something has happened and they’re trying to deal with it on their own.”

“Let them,” Beth suggested, motioning for Phil to sit down opposite her. “One thing your father and I learned early on is that we couldn’t protect you from everything. Do you remember the fight you got into in first grade?”

“Vaguely,” Phil replied.

“Well, I remember it vividly,” Beth told him. “I was ready to charge down to the school and to demand that the kid be suspended. Hell, I was ready to fight the kid’s mother if it came to that. David sat me down and talked sense into me. He said that you were going to have other fights. You were going to break out a neighbor’s window with a baseball. You were going to get a speeding ticket and you were going to get your heart broken. Those are all parts of growing up and that how you responded to those things – without our input – would let us know what we still needed to teach you. And you know what? He was right. You did all those things and you’re better for having done them. You took responsibility for when you broke Mrs. Marsden’s window. You accepted your punishment when you got in a fight or a speeding ticket. You rebounded pretty well when you got your heart broken.

“So instead of racing off like my hair was on fire, we sat down and talked to you about fighting and about trying to get along with other people. That’s when I found out that the school principal had already taken appropriate action and that the kid’s mother was in complete agreement with the punishment. If this involved the company, Hailey would have called us – or Bonnie would have. I know you’re willing to step in front of anything that might hurt your friends but you have to let them grow up, too. Standing up for yourself is a big part of being an adult. You saw that with Scott and Lisa. Yes, you gave them a safety net and you’ve done the same for the others. If Hailey needs your help, she knows you’re there. But I think a big part of Hailey needs to know that she can stand on her own, too.

“Do you understand?”

Phil listened intently to his mother’s words and then pondered them for a long moment.

“It makes sense,” Phil admitted. “I grew up a lot because I knew that you and Dad wouldn’t always step in to make sure I came out on top. OK. I’ll stay out of whatever they’ve got going on. I’d still like to talk to her though. I sort of miss her.”

Bonnie waited for the elevator doors to close before she arose and knocked on Hailey’s door. The young woman looked up and smiled when Bonnie opened the door.

“What was that about?” Bonnie asked. She had hit the intercom button as soon as Deirdre started to badmouth Phil or Hailey. Phil and Hailey had been good to Bonnie. They always treated her with respect and courtesy. Hailey had spent most of the previous summer at Bonnie’s elbow, learning what the older woman might have to teach. Bonnie genuinely liked Hailey and she had liked Philip since a week after she’d left him to walk home from baseball practice six years earlier.

“I think it ties into something else,” Hailey answered. “Her niece has been sniffing around all week. She has tried to worm her way into our group of friends. We invited her over to the apartment last night so we could explain the facts of life to her. Apparently we didn’t do it very well if DeeDee is still looking around.”

“What facts of life?” Bonnie wondered.

Hailey gave a slight shrug.

“We know about Alexa’s parents and how DeeDee’s family made their money,” Hailey told her. “There are some people who question whether Alexa belongs to her father or her mother’s boyfriend. There are some other things but those are the biggies.”

“Lord, Girl,” Bonnie said. “That would be enough for me.”

“You’d think,” Hailey agreed. “I mean, her dad is a lobbyist in D.C. The fact that his wife has been nailing the pool boy for 25 years would probably cut him off at the knees. The same is true with her grandparents. I’m sure if I told Beth that DeeDee was trying something the whole family would be living in a trailer park in a week.”

“She might not go that far,” Bonnie said with a laugh.

“She’s done it before for less than this,” Hailey related. She didn’t tell Bonnie about Tonya Stanton but the older woman knew instinctually that she was hearing the truth.

“Well, it’s obvious that DeeDee thinks she can recruit me to her cause,” Bonnie said after a moment. “How should I play this?”

“I’m not sure you should be involved,” Hailey answered almost immediately.

Bonnie stared at the younger woman.

“It’s not that I don’t have absolute trust in you,” Hailey added when she understood that her reluctance had been misconstrued. “It’s more along the lines of worrying about what will happen if DeeDee succeeds. I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”

“That’s total crap,” Bonnie said angrily. “If Deirdre Coleman-Jennings makes some sort of play and succeeds, I’d be out anyway. I would never work for that stuck-up bitch. My fate is tied to stopping her just as surely as yours is. No, that’s not right. My fate is tied to it more than yours. You’re 20 years old and could take on the world if you needed to. I’m 45 and this is the only real job I’ve ever had. No one else would hire me if I’m let go here. I’m in, Hailey. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

Hailey smiled at Bonnie and nodded.

“I think you might be the only person who is smart enough to figure out what DeeDee has planned,” she replied. “We tossed it around and none of us think she’d actually be willing to make a run at Beth. I mean, like I said, that would be career suicide. That leaves trying to tangle with Phil...”

“Which would be no different than taking on Beth,” Bonnie interrupted.

“Exactly,” Hailey agreed. “Which means she must have some idea to bring me down. That really wouldn’t accomplish anything. I mean, you’ve seen that Phil is going to be capable of stepping in when Beth retires. I’m just an accessory, really.”

“That’s also crap,” Bonnie cut in again. “First off all, losing you would weaken Phil’s position – not only because of his personal feelings for you but because of what you bring to the company. You showed last summer that you have all the tools be at the top of the food chain here. When you add Phil into the mix, well, I don’t think any of our companies are going to worry too much about the future. You and he are a perfect mix of daring and caution. You two play off each beautifully. He can be blunt and harsh because you are charming and supportive. He’s a bottom-line guy and you’re a big-picture girl. Barton would be fine with either of you at the top but together it’s going to be something to behold. I’ll get DeeDee to bring me into her circle and then we’ll crush her. I’m in, Hailey.”

The studio was nothing like Phil imagined. A studio executive met them at the gate and provided a personal escort through the myriad lots and sound stages that made up Lambswool Productions. Phil had never read the books that the movie, “Kismet,” was based upon so he had no idea of what to expect.

“We’re going to take a short detour so you can see some of our television productions, if you don’t mind,” the man said. His name was Clark Withers and he was an executive vice president (one of several at Lambswool, which seemed to give the title to just about anyone, Phil thought). “They’re running a bit behind on the big stage.”

“It’s not unusual,” he added hastily. “This always happens the first day of shooting. Nothing to worry about.”

Phil and Beth walked together and saw several celebrities pass by.

“Ah man!” Phil muttered. “That was Randi Raver. I should have gotten her autograph for Hailey!”

“I’ll have an autographed picture for you before the end of the tour,” Withers said immediately. “Would she like one of the whole cast?”

“Cast of what?” Phil wondered. He only knew Randi Raver because Hailey had every album on her iPhone.

“‘Iconoclast’,” Withers answered. “She’s one of the stars of our biggest network hit.”

Phil shrugged.

“I don’t watch much television,” he said. “But, sure, I mean, if isn’t a problem. Don’t go to any trouble.”

“For the Warner family, nothing is trouble,” Withers said with assurance. “I can probably even arrange for Randi to stop by for a visit next time she’s East. I’ll take you to meet her right now. They’re on a really tight schedule but I’m sure they’ll stop for you.”

Beth exchanged a look with her son and elbowed him in the ribs lightly. The studio was coming forward with its hand out again.

“I don’t think that would be necessary,” Phil said. “My girlfriend is just a big fan of her music.”

Still, Withers redirected the pair to a new soundstage where a sign with the words “authorized crew only” emblazoned on the door. He stopped suddenly and turned.

“Uh, I guess we really can’t go in,” he said. “I would guess they’re shooting a nude scene for the show. I’m really sorry. I know you would love Randi. She’s really one of our most talented actors. She’s one of the rare breed whose real persona is actually nicer than the face she presents to the public.”

“Really, it’s fine,” Phil said. “I’m a bit surprised she’d do a show with nudity. I mean, I always thought she was like a TeenTV type.”

Withers explained the concept of “Iconoclast” and how Randi was expanding her range not only on stage but in her music.

“I’m sure Hailey will enjoy that,” Phil said as Withers led them to another studio where a TV show was being filmed. Again, neither Phil nor Beth recognized the show but it was interesting to see how a 22-minute situation comedy took 14 hours to film.

Finally they made their way to the set of “Kismet” which was being filmed on a lot at the back of the studio. Courtney Hollings saw them and offered a small wave. She was dressed in a long, flowing gown with her brown hair in ringlets that cascaded down her back.

“So the scene we’re shooting today is the one outside of the church,” Withers told them.

Again, Phil offered a shrug and glanced at his mother. She offered a blank stare in return.