Tentyrian Legacy (21 page)

A drink was shoved in my hand immediately,
and she gave me a hug. Even in her heels, Laura was still a good
six inches shorter than me.

“Jesus, Ari, did you just step off the
runway?” she exclaimed.

“Ha, well apparently you just did too!” I
said. Laura gave me a little twirl so I could get the full effect
of the Tahari dress.

“I was a little worried it was too disco. But
I couldn’t say no!”

“You look wonderful” I assured. Laura grabbed
my hand, just like she did when we were children, and found us a
lounge settee.

“I can’t tell you how great it is to you see
you, Ari! It’s been forever!” she said.

“I know. It’s been at least eight years since
we’ve actually seen each other in person.”

“And really, a brief sighting at the New
Canaan Starbucks doesn’t count. Did you know when we were little I
came by your house, like once a week, to see if you could come over
to play?”

“What? No, I had no idea!” I was genuinely
surprised. The only thing I wanted more than to get out of my house
as a child was to have a friend like Laura.

“Yeah, that housekeeper of yours was a real
gem.”

“Ah yes, Irena. I haven’t seen or spoken to
her in . . . well, a long time.”

“Really? But she still works for your
parents. At least I think she does. I still see her car every now
and again when I’m home for the holidays.”

“Yep, she probably still does. But I don’t
have a relationship with my parents anymore, so I can’t really
confirm or deny.” Laura looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I took
a big gulp of my martini. I rarely drink, but the U’Luvka vodka
went down like water.

“I know, it’s sad,” I replied, “but you know
what my parents are like.”

“From what I remember, they seemed cold . . .
and a little stingy on the desserts at their holiday party. Plus
you were always in that house. What did they do, keep you locked in
your room all the time?”

“Not quite. My parents didn’t know what to do
with me growing up. I had some health issues, and the best way they
knew to deal with that was to keep me isolated. Although they did
attempt to stick me in Silver Hill.”

“No way! Seriously?”

“Yep.”

“Well at least you could have hung out with
Mariah Carey.”

“Ha, possibly. But I didn’t belong there.
That incident was really the beginning of the end for us.”

“I’m sorry, that really sucks,” Laura said
sympathetically. She waved to the waiter, who practically panted
around us as she directed for another round.

“It mostly comes down to my mother. She is
manipulative, and my dad supports it. I realized it wasn’t
something I wanted in my life anymore. So after I graduated
college, I stopped speaking to them.”

“Good for you! But it still must be
hard.”

“One of my proudest moments was about two
years ago when I wrote them a check in full for the apartment they
gave me.”

“Wow, really? You actually own your
apartment? You’re in your twenties, Ari.”

“I got a good jump start after college, and
I’ve been working pretty hard. I almost refused the apartment after
my parents gave it to me. But I sucked up my pride. I knew there
was going to be a day when I’d write that check and consider myself
paid in full.”

“So now that you are ‘paid in full,’ how does
it feel?”

“I’m still trying to figure that out. But I
know right now—I feel pretty great!” I said with a tipsy
giggle.

“Excuse me, ladies,” interrupted a lawyer
type with his tie loosened. “My friends and I were admiring you,
and we wanted to know if we could buy you a drink?”

Before I could say anything, Laura smoothly
replied, “Sorry, girls’ night tonight.” He attempted to segue into
getting our phone numbers but left empty handed. Four martinis and
several rebuffed men later, Laura and I were sure we were the best
friends we never had. She lamented about her lack of luck in love
and the string of boyfriends she’d had. We discussed work,
shopping, life in general, and closed the bar down that night.

Since that evening two years ago, we’ve been
best friends. Speaking of which, tonight is Bachelor night, and
Laura will be expecting a full recap on the interview when she
comes over. I should make a chocolate soufflé—the perfect
complement to red wine and terrible television . . . “We are so
pleased you agreed to meet with us today,” says Allison as she
directs me to the elevator she waves her key card in front off.
Funny, she doesn’t look pleased at all, but I suspect she looks
like that all the time.

“I know I took some convincing, but I think
this could make for an exciting opportunity,” I say genuinely.
Hopefully, the rest of the group is a bit more chipper.

“As I stated in my e-mail, today, you will
meet with Robert Murdock. He is one of our three managing
partners,” says Allison. After our ascent, the elevator doors slide
open to a marble reception area. A silver graphic lion on the white
Carrara marble wall above the reception desk silently greets me. So
this is Leo Capital. The offices are modern and sleek, with a
minimalist vibe, unlike the old-school boys club I’m used to.

The floor, overall, looks like a solid mix of
both men and women working amongst the open layout of desks and LCD
computer monitors. It’s a good sign; too much testosterone can be
difficult to work with. Around the outer edges of the main floor
are the executive suites and conference rooms. Allison parks me in
one overlooking Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center once
stood, still a stagnant construction site. It’s hard to believe
that even after nine years, construction has barely moved forward.
There is a knock on the glass door, and an older gentleman with
slicked-back silver hair walks in.

“Arianna Parker! Or should I say number
fourteen?” he greets me warmly, referring to my ranking in the Town
& Country article.

“And you must be Robert,” I reply. We shake
hands. It’s a very firm shake but not one meant to intimidate.

“Welcome to Leo. We’ve been trying to get you
in here for months. I’ve heard from Allison it hasn’t been an easy
task.” We take a seat side by side in leather swivel chairs at the
head of the conference table.

“I needed some time to think about it. I
hadn’t yet digested a potential move from Crest,” I say.

“Well, we are certainly glad you are here, as
is Mr. Vasilliadis himself.” That comes as a surprise to me, for
the elusive founder himself to take note of my recruitment. I’m
good at my job, but really? I hold my skepticism to myself. If they
want to woo me, then woo away. “I’m not going to waste our time,
Arianna, and have you take me through your resume and skill set,”
Robert says, looking at me intently. “Instead I want to spell out
our proposition for you. If you join us at Leo, you will become the
fourth managing partner. I think that sets some kind of record in
the industry when it comes to your age. Over the last ten years,
we’ve only had three MPs. The base salary is $500,000, and you know
how bonuses go. You will also receive a ten percent stake in the
company, which is practically unheard of.” He pauses to gauge my
reaction. I have my poker face on, but really I’m in shock.

“However, there is a catch,” he continues.
“In fact, the catch is two-fold. First, this offer is only good
until midnight. Second, we want you to visit a company we are
thinking of investing in, in Georgia. We want a verbal analysis,
and we also want it tonight.”

“Excuse me?” I ask, confused. “You want me to
visit a company in Georgia and provide you with an analysis this
evening? It’s already 10:15 in the morning. I’ll never be able to
get a flight on such short notice. And I am due back at my office
at twelve.”

“I apologize for the short notice. The
company jet will take you. It is already fueled and prepped on the
tarmac. If you take the helicopter now, you should be able to take
off by eleven and be in Suwanee by two. This is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Arianna. Your meetings should not
be a concern.”

“With all due respect, this is not what I was
expecting. I haven’t even met the rest of the team. And you want me
to hop on a plane. Right now.” I never have been one for
spontaneity; maybe it’s because I live such a methodical life. The
last spontaneous thing I did was splurge on Jo Malone shampoo. But
I think most would agree this was taking things to a whole
different level.

“I understand your concern,” Robert tries to
reassure me. “You will have the opportunity to meet the rest of the
team when you return. We are having a party this evening to
celebrate our second quarter earnings. Mr. Vasilliadis wanted me to
extend an invitation to you. The entire Leo group will be
there.”

“So you also expect me to go to Georgia and
come back in time for this party, which I’m just hearing about?” I
ask, even more confused.

“Yes, the plane will take off from Mathis
Airport around 6:00 p.m. I think it’s fair to say you can make it
back to the City by 9:30. You may miss the dinner, but we’ll ensure
there is something for you on the plane. The party is at the Four
Seasons. Allison will give you the itinerary and ensure you are
where you need to be.” Robert looks at his watch impatiently.
“Arianna, if this is something you are interested in doing, you are
going to have to take a leap of faith. We are asking you to do this
because we think you are capable. If you aren’t, then that’s a
different story. The helicopter is ready.”

I look at Robert in disbelief. This is the
strangest interview process I’ve ever heard of, much less
experienced. But my interest is piqued . . . The compensation is
unheard of. And of course I’m capable! Laura is always telling me I
need to live a little . . .

“Okay, I will go. Do you have any debriefing
documents on the company and the management team?” I ask.

Robert smiles proudly, clearly thinking he
has won some victory. “Yes, of course. Allison will provide you
with everything you need.” On cue, she arrives. Robert shakes my
hand and says he hopes to see me this evening. Allison ushers me
out of the conference room, hands me a thick manila folder, and
takes me once again to the elevator. She hits H on the keypad and
swipes her card in front of the screen.

“Everything you need is in that file,” says
Allison pointedly. “It includes a full itinerary, including travel
logistics, contact numbers, as well as the bios and financials on
Apex Pharmaceuticals.”

“Great, at least I know what company I am
going to,” I say sarcastically as I shove the file folder into my
laptop case. Allison gives me a reproachful look. Whatever, she can
scorn me. It’s not like I’m desperate for a job. I have one right
now, thank you very much. As soon as I get to the airport, I’ll
need to tell Sarah my secretary to clear my calendar for the day.
Guess this will be my first sick day, ever.

The doors open onto the roof. I clutch my
purse and laptop case tightly. My hair whips around my face as I
teeter slightly on my heels. The wind is blowing hard, and the
helicopter propellers are still spinning. It’s too loud to speak,
but a man who looks like a security guard with an earpiece takes my
elbow and walks me to the helicopter door and helps me inside. The
door shuts, and the propeller above me begins to spin faster. We
lift off.

The view of the City is undeniably
breathtaking. It looks like a children’s toy set with play cars,
boats, and skyscrapers. It shines perfectly from so far up. No
grime or cussing cabbies. But the reality is that grime and those
crazy taxi drivers make New York real to me. There is no other
place I would rather live. Last New Year’s, I took Laura and Raad
to Paris. Laura and I annoyed him with our shopping, but he put up
with it. Fortunately, he brought plenty of reading material—lots of
medical journals that would make my eyes bleed if I attempted to
read them. We saw all of the sights, from the Eiffel Tower to the
Arc de Triomphe, and dedicated an entire day to the Louvre. But the
City of Lights just can’t compare to my Big Apple. Wait till Raad
and Laura hear about this adventure . . .

We touch down at Islip Airport a short
fifteen minutes later. An escort in the form of another nameless
security guard retrieves me from the helicopter and walks me to the
awaiting Gulfstream GIV-SP. At least that’s what I’m told the plane
is by the friendly flight attendant, Diana. I settle into a beige
leather seat of the twelve-passenger plane and am offered my choice
of refreshments.

I take a sparkling water and bowl of fresh
fruit from Diana and power up my laptop. I make a quick call to
Sarah, telling her that I’m not feeling well and that my meetings
need be cancelled ASAP. I also remember to leave Laura a message
that we’ll have to reschedule Bachelor night; something important
has come up but I promise I’ll give her the dish tomorrow. The
pilot indicates we are right on schedule, and I realize I only have
about two hours and forty-five minutes to learn everything I can
about Apex Pharmaceuticals. Let the digging begin.