REPRESENTED (37 page)

             
Early the next morning Karin drained her fish tanks until they were barely full having pulled the plants from one of the tanks and put them in a pail full of water from the tank.  Some fish were mixed with them but the majority of them were still in the tanks.  The boys carefully put the tanks in the back of Alex’s truck and packed them well so they wouldn’t move around in the trip north on the freeways.  They loaded the last few things and this and that including two very disgruntled cats in separate kennels and giving their mother and Cassie a hug said goodbye.  They would stop by Caleb’s apartment and take the mattresses from his room and the futon up to his place before Alex set off for his long trip north to his house.  Karin had made sure he had someone to help him unpack the U-Haul when he got home especially the heavy furniture as well as the fish tanks which really were a two person operation.

             
Karin looked around her now bare house.  Everything was practically in her living room and garage now in boxes or sitting there waiting to be moved out.  There was nothing in the closets or bedrooms upstairs.  Cassie had packed up the bathroom items in a box which now sat down in the living room.  Karin had repeatedly checked each room and closets to be sure nothing was missed.  The only thing upstairs was the large amount of plants in front of her south facing window; she didn’t want to move them until she had to.  There was nothing downstairs anymore they had gotten it all.

             
As she looked around one last time Cassie came and put her arms around her from behind and asked “sad?”

             
Karin smiled as she hugged her arm closer as she answered “yes and no, it was time.”

             
“Now will you move in with me?” Cassie asked hopefully.

             
Karin smiled again “I don’t know, I need to get back to work” she said and sighed.  She worked a lot and there would be no need to come back to Milwaukee unless she visited her son and perhaps her brother’s family.  She didn’t want to decide yet what to do with all her stuff.  The boys had taken theirs and it was finally out, everything left was her’s to do with and she didn’t need to make a decision yet.  She hadn’t told her brother she was packing up but then they only really communicated through Christmas cards these days.  She was okay with that.  It wasn’t really any business of his anyway.

             
Cassie wanted to sigh loudly.  This brilliant, beautiful, and stubborn woman was so hard to pin down.  She wanted to it to be settled, she wanted her to visit Nashville more often but she had to admit as much as she worked on each coast a house in California, especially Los Angeles wasn’t a bad idea.  She’d have to ask about the tax benefits of another house from the brilliant team of accountants that now worked for her from Karin.

             
Besides their suitcases Karin carried one of the many pots of ‘Sword Plant’ that she wanted for her apartment in New York.  She was heading east while Cassie was heading back to Nashville and a series of singing engagements that Karin had arranged for her including a charity event that would culminate in a huge Thanksgiving Gala.  Cassie hoped Karin would be there for her this time.  She wanted to go out in public with her by her side.

              There was a huge Christmas party for clients of Kreske Public Relations in the weeks prior.  It included Kwanza, Hanukah, and the Solstice.  Cassie was invited and intended to come.  It was being held in a huge ballroom and Karin’s clients and teams would be well represented as well as the firm’s other team leader’s and executives, client’s, potential clients, and employees were flying in from Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and all their other satellite offices throughout the country.  It was a good chance to smooze with the right people, to be noticed, to realize who was who in the company and show the clients they were well represented in the firm of Kreske Public Relations.  Not everyone could attend of course but those that could, would.  For some clients this was the only time they would actually meet the movers and shakers who controlled their careers and destinies besides their handler’s, agents, or promoters.

             
Cassie arrived with Chet and Alex.  She had insisted someone from the band come and they had both taken the opportunity to bring their wives to New York right before Christmas for shopping.  They all looked fine in their tuxedos and gowns.  Cassie had chosen a gray blue gown that barely draped over her toned body and made her look incredibly sexy.  Three inch heels assured she wouldn’t be making large strides that gave away her ranch upbringing and made her look tomboyish.  There was nothing masculine about this woman though to those who saw her in her beautiful gown.  She was a star and they knew it as they took her in.  Chet and Alex headed to the bar with their wives and Cassie began to make the rounds talking to a few of Karin’s team she recognized and she had worked with time and again.

             
“Ah Ms. Summers” a cool voice said to her and she looked up into the eyes of Elliott Kreske.  He looked debonair in his tuxedo.

             
Cassie smiled and shook his hand saying “please, call me Cassie.”

             
Elliott smiled.  He was pleased that she was part of his corral of important clients.  The last sixteen months had been very profitable for his firm.  Cassie’s success had netted them many important clients and the entertainment division had really taken off.  He had known applying the right pressure to Karin Myers would be good thing.  It had also allowed them to hire some of the best in the industry to handle them.  Kreske was flying high and he knew it.  He couldn’t help but be in a good mood as he looked around the gathering of well-respected and influential people.  A few had been invited in the hopes that they would sign with Kreske just because of who they had in their stable already.

             
“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked cordially looking down at how fetching she looked in her gray blue gown.  It really was a shame she was gay he thought as he admired how it draped on her body.

             
“Yes, I am,” she answered distractedly “is Karin going to be here?”  She had given herself away with that simple question.

             
He smiled; it was obvious that Cassie was very smitten with Karin.  He didn’t mind if that ‘personal’ touch was what she needed and he had heard Karin was very ‘personal’ and very good at her job.  He knew that from the reports and profits he garnered.  He had known for years she was a top notch employee.  “She had a meeting before the gala with a new client but I’m sure she will be here” he informed her before being distracted by another client who was honored to meet the head of Kreske’s in person.

             
Cassie tried to keep herself busy while she waited for Karin to arrive.  She had been to hundreds of parties without Karin whose career was as busy as her own but for some reason she had really wanted to be here with Karin at this one.  It was in New York after all, she had changed at Karin’s apartment now that she had a key, but it still didn’t mean they were living together.  Karin’s boxes and furniture were still in that house in Milwaukee and it bothered her no end her lack of commitment to move in with her.

              “Mr. Schwarz I assure you Kreske Public Relations can handle all your needs” Karin said.  She was uncomfortable since she was wearing the gown she would wear for the Gala for this meeting instead of the practical business suits she normally wore.  There would be no time to change later after this meeting and she wasn’t going to change in the limo she had waiting downstairs.

             
“I’m not sure” he hesitated for the umpteenth time “I’m used to having an agent, a manager, someone I can talk to.  He handles my contracts, my promotions; the bookings are all handled at the publishers.”

             
Karin smiled, she was good at this “in this day and age a promoter does all of that and more.  With the digital age we help sell your books through the internet in conjunction with your publishers.  By bringing it to our group you get a better service than just one person handling each and every step you have a team effort.  Your publisher contacted us to get you to sign with us because they felt we could do a bigger and broader job for you.  Your editor will still be supplied through the publishing house but they have us to do the promotions, the websites, and the bookings now.  We are a complete agency.”  She knew he was old school and it took longer to convince some of these older author’s but it really was in his best interest for the development of his works to sign with an agency these days.  It was a big world out there and their results were phenomenal, you couldn’t argue with success like they had shown time and again.  “I will give you my personal cell, any time you have questions I will be there for you.  My team will handle it all for us and make sure you are satisfied.  If you aren’t, you call me, and I’ll handle it for you” she knew he needed that personal touch she was good at as many clients would tell anyone.

             
He looked at her gown and thought what a beautiful woman, not at all the cold and calculating bitch he had heard in literary circles.  Why Nina Lall’s sales had been through the roof since she had signed with Kreske’s and she raved at how well Karin and her teams had handled her books.  The days of one agent dealing with the publishers was past.  He was an old fool.  If one person could be good, a team under them could only be better.  “I’ll sign” he sighed as she passed him the contracts she had been trying to get him to sign for an hour.  She glanced at her Piaget watch and saw she was late to the Gala.  It gave her an idea. 

             
“Mr. Schwarz, are you busy this evening?” she waited until his signature was finished as she knew she would startle him.  He looked up in surprise.

             
“No, no I’m not” he shook his head.  She was a beautiful woman.  Was she coming on to him now that he had signed her contracts?

             
“We are having a Gala here in New York for all our clients,” she had explained that earlier when she arrived in her gown.  “Why don’t you escort me and meet some of the people you’ll be working with, who will be working for you?” she smiled pleasantly.  It never hurt to show them others who had been wise enough to avail themselves of their services.

             
He smiled in delight.  He had wondered why she had shown up at his apartment in a gown but had been too polite to ask, but she had smoothly explained and now having invited him, he was flattered.  Having signed the papers she tucked them in her briefcase and waited for him to wash up and change into a suit.  She was pleased to see he looked debonair in his dark suit.  He certainly would fit in despite the lack of a tux.  He gentlemanly helped her on with her coat and escorted her down to her waiting limo.  They chatted as the limo drove them rapidly across the city towards the hall that had been rented for the occasion.  He told her about his new book and how it was coming and she made some astute observations that surprised him.

             
“You
have
read my work!” he smiled flattered.

             
She nodded her pretty head of hair that was down for the party “of course, I told you we were prepared to work for you and I don’t lie.”

             
Karin made a pretty sight walking in on the arm of Elmer Schwartz.  He looked proud to be there.  Elliott was thrilled to hear that the contracts were signed and he led Elmer off to introduce him around.  This was a real literary coup.

             
“Thank God your here” Cassie smiled as she came up and tucked her arm in Karin’s and handed her a champagne flute.

             
“Hi there, how was your flight?” Karin smiled in return.

             
Cassie had seen her almost immediately as she entered the ballroom that was rented for the party, but then she had been watching the doors anxiously for a while now.  As Karin came through the ornate double doors the lights from the chandeliers bounced off her maroon gown, Cassie thought her heart had stopped.  She had never seen Karin look more beautiful.  It was apparent other’s thought the same as they admired the beautiful brunette. 
She’s mine!
Cassie thought gleefully as she grabbed a flute and headed towards her.  She saw her hand off her escort to Elliott Kreske just before she arrived.  “It was fine as always” she laughed, she still couldn’t get used to owning her own plane, much less a small airline and fleet of them.  Karin’s teams and management were amazing.

             
“Get into the apartment all right?” she smiled admiring how toned Cassie looked in her own gown.

             
She nodded “Carl made sure to hand me ‘my’ keys as he told me” she grinned, it was a big step but not really.  “I think D.O.G. and C.A.T. were surprised though.”

             
Karin smiled, she was pleased to see her girlfriend but she knew this was a party that she needed to work and she had to introduce Cassie to some influential people who would be thrilled to meet the singer.  They were soon parted as parties tended to keep you moving if you worked them right.  Karin worked her parties, especially a party such as this.  This was business, this was her job, and this was what made her life work.