Catt Chasing (6 page)
Authors: Shana Burton
Chapter 9
Francine bumped into Catt inside the elevator the next morning. “I guess you're headed to the big mystery meeting too, huh?” she asked.
“I think we've all been summoned,” replied Catt. “Whatever is going down must be pretty major. Jamal and Oni have been hard at work on it for weeks.”
“Well, you know Oni,” hinted Francine. “No doubt she's been mixing a little play with all that work.”
Catt followed Francine into the conference room, where they were met by Oni, Jamal, and the cadre of cosmetic chemists.
“Is everybody here?” began Oni, rising from her seat at the head of the conference table.
Jamal looked around, then positioned himself at her side. “It looks like everyone is here and accounted for.”
“Great, let's get down to business, shall we?” Oni turned to address the group. “As all of you know by now, Telegenic has taken a hit lately. Our sales are down, the competition is killing us, and we're struggling for business during a time when most people are more concerned about putting food on the table than they are about the new lipstick colors we've added for spring.
“Telegenic is in desperate need of a new image and a reason to get our customers excited again, which is why we hired Mr. Ford here. I'm sure by now all of you have had the pleasure of meeting him.”
Jamal nodded.
Three of the women responded with flirtatious smiles.
Catt rolled her eyes.
“We're in the process of rolling out our new fragrances for fall, but before we officially launch, we would like to get a campaign going to generate a stir. By the time it's released in October, we want these fragrances to fly off the shelf.”
“Who's our target?” asked Francine, taking notes.
Jamal spoke up. “Women, of course, professional, thirty-plus.”
“Are we going for something fun, something sexyâwhat?” asked another.
“All of the above. The head honchos are giving us carte blanche on this. All they want is a product that's going to knock the consumers off their feet.”
Francine looked up from her note taking. “Do we have a name for it?”
Oni turned to Jamal. “Mr. Ford, do you want to answer this one?”
He cleared his throat and addressed the room. “Oni and I have been working with the marketing department, tossing around ideas for a few days now. We wanted the name to convey passion and sensuality without being overtly sexual. Of course, it had to be something original and something that could draw our buyers to the counter, and that's when we came up with it.” He paused, milking the suspense as much as he could. “We want to call this line Allure. The name alone evokes magnetism, sex appeal, intrigue.”
Oni jumped in. “And we're going all out hereâperfume, makeup, lotion. We're rolling out the fragrances first, which, Catt, you and Jamal will be in charge of. Telegenic wants to have the first of it on the shelves by October, in time for Christmas.”
“Is that going to give us enough time for data testing and research?” asked Catt.
“It's going to have to,” explained Oni. “Telegenic's sales have taken a dive for the past two quarters. Unless we do something major, the problem is only going to get worse. We've got to get people talking about us again. More important, we've got to get them to the cash registerâthe sooner, the better. Your department is the heart and soul of this company. We can't afford to fail here.”
Jamal spoke again. “In an effort to do some out-of-box promoting, Oni and I have decided to hit all of our major markets from here to New York on a promotional blitz for the new products,” he revealed. “Over the next three weeks, we'll be setting up shop in Cleveland, Chicago, Baltimore, New York, Milwaukee, and Memphis, just to name a few. We'll be housed in the cities' major shopping districts giving out samples, surveying the customers, and really getting out there to connect with our buyers. We don't want them to feel like they're buying from a company. We want them to feel like they're shopping with friends, like they've had some input in the products we're putting out there.”
“Obviously, this is a massive undertaking, but it's what we feel we have to do to get out of the red,” said Oni. “And we're open to good ideas. If you have some suggestions, we encourage you to share them. We need the creativity and brainpower of everyone seated here because the bottom line is, whatever happens from this point on affects all of us.”
After some initial hesitancy, various people began to raise their hands and put in their two cents. Some of the ideas were gems; some made Oni regret asking them to offer suggestions.
Jamal glanced over at Catt. “You're being mighty quiet over there, Miss Cason. Do you have any suggestions?”
Catt lifted her eyes. “I'll let you know when I come up with something brilliant.”
Oni faced the group again. “Look, no one said that we had to get this done all in one day. I only intended for this to be a brainstorming session, and we've already gotten some great ideas out of it. Let's just go to lunch and pick this up again around two.”
As they adjourned and began filing out, Catt picked up Oni's list and began skimming through it, mentally checking off the ideas that she liked most.
“Didn't you hear her say break for lunch?” asked Jamal over Catt's shoulder.
Catt jumped. “Why are you always sneaking up on me like that?”
“Why are you always so jumpy and tense? Do I make you nervous?”
“Yes, the same way murderers do when I'm alone on a dark street.”
He feigned being shot in the heart. “That was cold!”
“It's a cold world,” she snarled, dropping her pen and notebook into her bag.
Jamal's expression changed. “I want you to do me a favor.”
Catt zipped her bag. “Don't worry. I already have. My father is a pastor. I took the liberty of asking him to add you to this week's prayer list. Now that I see you'll be gone for three weeks, it appears that my prayers have been answered.”
“Yes, I'll be gone for three weeks. While I'm gone, I want you to try to get laid or get high or do whatever it takes to make you less of a pill by the time I get back.”
She bristled at the suggestion. “You're not the easiest person to get along with either, Jamal. I know you've got these women hanging on to your every word, but they're not stuck down there in the lab with you. They don't know what's beyond the good looks and nice body.”
He chuckled a bit. “At least that's some progress.”
“What?”
“Hearing you acknowledge that you've noticed these good looks and this nice body. I was worried that you might be a lesbian.”
Catt resented the notion. “What's the exact date you'll be leaving? This tour of yours can't come soon enough for me!”
“I'll be gone in a week. Try to find a way to live without me.”
“Living without you isn't the problem. It's living
with
youâ
that's
keeping me near the cross.”
with
youâ
that's
keeping me near the cross.”
Jamal gave up. “Enjoy your lunch, Miss Cason.”
Catt watched his retreating figure exit out the door. His leaving would be a welcomed relief and a blessing in disguise, she told herself. It was almost convincing enough to get her to believe that she wouldn't miss him.
Chapter 10
Oni rose from her desk and closed the door after summoning both Jamal and Catt to her office promptly at 10:00 in the morning. “Please have a seat.”
Three days before Oni and Jamal were set to depart, Catt and Jamal both received a cryptic e-mail from Oni requesting their presence.
The two coworkers sat down in the two Riviera wood chairs in front of Oni's massive oak desk. Like everything else in the office, the chairs were sleek, elegant, and inspired envy, just like Oni.
“There's been a change of plans,” announced Oni, drumming her fingers on the desk. “With everything that's going on, there's no way I can afford to take off for three weeks. I can't go on the road with you, Jamal.”
His mouth fell open. “What?”
Oni flipped through her calendar. “Drea had her baby last night, four weeks early. This means that Chad is taking on some of her immediate responsibilities, and I've got to catch the slack for him. I just found out that I've got to take his meeting with some of our people out in California next week. Plus, we just had another chemist quit on top of everything else that's going on. It's impossible for me to get away right now.”
“But everything is already set!” he protested in an almost whiny tone. “We've secured venues, set everything up with the marketing team, and already sent out press releases. To cancel it at the last minute like this would be a huge mistake, Oniâa mistake that Telegenic can't afford to make right now.”
Catt backed him up. “Jamal's right, Oni. The company has been planning this for weeks. It'll ruin our credibility if we back out now.”
Oni nodded and clasped her hands together. “I know. I totally agree with you, and I'm glad to know that you feel so strongly about it, Catt. It really helps to know that you're on board with supporting this project.”
“Of course, I am. I want to see Telegenic thrive, just like everyone else.” She eyed Jamal curiously. Had he told Oni something that would make her question Catt's loyalty to the company?
“So then it's settled,” concluded Jamal, relieved. “We're still going to go out and do this promotional tour as planned.”
“Yes and no.” Oni eased from behind her desk and stood in front of them. “Jamal, I never said I was canceling the tour; I just said I couldn't go with you,” she clarified.
Jamal adjusted his position in the chair, visibly distressed. “Oni, I mean, I'll do my best, but it's a pretty big job for one person to take on . . .”
Oni propped up against her desk. “It is. That's why I asked Catt to meet with us today.”
“What does all this have to do with me?” asked Catt as the pieces started to fall into place, much to her dismay. “No, you don't meanâ”
Realizing the implication, Jamal was just as distraught as Catt was. “Oni, I know you don't want Catt and me toâ”
“The two of you carrying out the tour together makes perfect sense!” reasoned Oni. “You already work together and have camaraderie with each other. You know the product better than anyone else in the office, and you can be working on other projects in between promoting the new line. It's perfect.”
“Oni, you and I already had a set plan,” pointed out Jamal. “We've been putting this whole thing together since I started here. Catt barely knows what's going on!”
“So you'll brief her and bring her up to speed,” directed Oni.
“The tour kicks off Thursday. I can't get ready to leave for three weeks in three days,” Catt bemoaned.
“Sure you can. In fact, I'm giving you the rest of the week off to start packing and getting things in order. I also want you to use this time to review the products and the marketing strategy. The company can not afford to have either of you screw this up.”
Jamal stood up, pleading with her to reconsider. “But, Oni, think aboutâ”
Oni cleared her throat and stared him down, enunciating slowly. “Perhaps I didn't make myself clear,” said Oni in an inflection that meant it was going to be her way or the highway. “I'm not going on the tour. I have too many obligations here to take that kind of time off. You, on the other hand, Jamal, will go on as scheduled. Catt will be joining you. I will check in with the two of you every day and fly in for a couple of stops when I can. All of the arrangements have already been made for you. Catt, all you have to do is give your plants to the neighbors to water and toss some clothes in a suitcase.”
They both stood silently, lips pressed together and refusing to say anything to defy Oni. As cool as she was, she was still their boss.
“Are there any questions or concerns?” she asked. “Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Catt inched up her hand. “I just need a copy of the itinerary to look over and to give to my dad. I don't want him to be worried and wondering where I am.”
“No problem. You can get all of that from Michelle. Anything else?”
Jamal shook his head. Catt looked down at the patterns in the tile.
“Cheer up, you two!” She slapped Jamal on the arm. “You're about to go on the adventure of a lifetime, not to the electric chair!”
Catt raised her eyes. “Is that an option?”
“No,” replied Oni. She pulled Catt off to the side, out of earshot from Jamal. “This is a great opportunity for you. You're due for some fun in your life. This is a business trip, but no one said it had to be
all
business . . .”
all
business . . .”
Catt wrinkled her nose. “What are you trying to say?”
Oni cut her eyes to Jamal. “I'm trying to say that you're going to be alone out on the open road with a very attractive, very eligible man for the next few weeks. I would make the most it. Heck, I had planned to if I didn't have to cancel at the last minute.”
“If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to encourage me to hit the sheets with Jamal!” replied Catt in a stern whisper.
“I'm not telling you to do that. I'm telling you to live a little and enjoy yourself. Jamal is the kind of guy who's great for that sort of thing.”
“Oni, did you pray before making this decision?” Oni groaned loudly. “I'm serious! How do we know it's the Lord's will for me to go out on the road for three weeks with a man I hardly even know?”
“It's
the company's
will! And it's
your
will to stay gainfully employed, which could be in serious jeopardy if we don't see a spike in sales real soon. Please don't turn this into some religious event, Catt. Just say you'll go.”
the company's
will! And it's
your
will to stay gainfully employed, which could be in serious jeopardy if we don't see a spike in sales real soon. Please don't turn this into some religious event, Catt. Just say you'll go.”
Catt relented. “Okay, okay! You win. It's not like I have much choice in the matter anyway.”
“You don't, but you could've been a real witch about having to go. I'm glad you chose not to be. And I really do want you and Jamal to have some fun while you're out there on the road. This trip doesn't have to be a grudge.”
Catt shook her head. “The last thing I need is to be mixing business and pleasure with a player like Jamal.”
“Suit yourself. Either way, you're going on this trip. You might as well make it one to remember.”
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