REPRESENTED (11 page)

             
“Hello?” Karin looked at the caller i.d. and saw it was Cassie.  Her heart started to beat harder but she calmed herself.

             
“Hi, what happened last night?” Cassie asked.

             
“I think I left that in a message which pretty much explained it” Karin said dryly.  She knew she sounded cold but then she had been a little hurt and as petty as it might be she wouldn’t be treated the way she had been by anyone.  Not even one Ms. Cassie Summers.

             
“Yes, you did, but I’d like to hear it from you myself” Cassie was a little put off by the coldness but having thought about this woman for the past couple of days wasn’t going to let it get to her.  She wanted to get to know her, she wanted to know more.

             
“Basically, I showed up at 6:30 and the bimbo at the desk wouldn’t or couldn’t call back to you.  My name wasn’t on her list so I sat there for quite a while before I left.  That’s it” she said as though explaining it to one of her staff.  No emotion, no additives.

             
“I’m so sorry that happened.  I tried calling today but got cut off.  Could we try again?” she asked hopefully.

             
“It will have to be another time” Karin looked out at the sunset she was watching, God the coast here was beautiful with large boulders lining the beach, she even thought she could make out seals on the available space.

             
“Okay.  How about dinner, would you be interested in going out tonight?” again she was hopeful.

             
“I’m not in Los Angeles anymore” Karin told her and actually felt bad.  She was trying so hard.

             
“Oh” she hesitated “where are you?”

             
“Hearst Castle or thereabouts.”

             
“Where is that?”

             
“The Central Coast, south of Big Sur, near a little town called San Simeon” Karin informed her.

             
“A castle though?  I’ve never heard of that...”

             
Karin wasn’t surprised.  Her own fascination with news and history wasn’t shared by everyone.  She asked “do you remember back in the 70’s hearing about the kidnapping of Patty Hearst?” she knew this might be a relative news item that she might have heard of.

             
“Yes, didn’t she fall in love with her kidnappers or something?  Is it her castle?”

             
“It was her grandfather’s castle.  He built it.  He was a publishing tycoon.  Now it’s owned by the state and used for tours and what not.”

             
“You’re staying there?”

             
Karin chuckled “no, I’m staying near there in a motel on my way to San Francisco.”

             
“I thought you didn’t need to be there until next week?”

             
“I have a few days off, I thought I’d go up and poke around, visit our offices there, see what mischief I might get into until I actually have to work.”

             
“Do you know where you are staying up there?”

             
“No, not really, why?”

             
“I’d like to come up and spend some time with you, maybe make up for our lost evening?”

             
“I thought you were recording a song?”  Karin wasn’t going to let her off the hook too easily.

             
“I am, maybe we will be done soon?” although she knew it probably wouldn’t happen that way.  The guys were almost done with all the instrumental part of the song and she needed to sing her part yet as well as the backup singers.  That could take a long time.

             
“Well, let me know and we will see” Karin cautioned.

             
Cassie wasn’t thrilled with the way this conversation was going.  She wondered if perhaps she had misjudged Karin’s interest or if she had already lost what they had started over something petty.  If that was the case she didn’t want this woman in her life anyway.

             
They chatted for a little while as Karin described the countryside she was in and Cassie had to admit it sounded lovely.  She noted Karin’s voice took on a different timbre when she described it.  It must be her musical training but she loved the sound of it.

              Karin stopped in Carmel to look around.  She had driven through this area before and while no expert she knew quality stores when she saw them.  She lived in New York long enough to know what to look for and found for herself as she bought a couple of new outfits.  She enjoyed the beautiful little seaside town as she drove north towards San Francisco.

             
“Hello?” Cassie was pleased to see Karin calling her for a change.

             
“Hi, I stopped in Carmel and wanted to share its beauty with someone and I thought of you” Karin told her, hoping she hadn’t pissed her off to the point that she was making a fool out of herself for calling so impulsively.

             
“Oh really, I’ve never been there” Cassie said.

             
Karin began to describe the pretty little town as she drove north and pretty soon had to get off as her car drove in and out of range.  She called back when she got settled in San Francisco staying at a nameless hotel up from Pier 39.  She was on a cute little hill that allowed her to see over those buildings around her and a nice view of the bay.  She was in walking distance of several different means of transportation and several different sites she wanted to see.  She got out her walking shoes as she talked to Cassie on the phone and told her the plans she had tentatively made for her two days before she had to report to her offices for work.

             
Karin wasn’t really surprised at the knock on her door that occurred a few of hours later.  She had lain down for a nap and was now finishing some work on her computer when she heard it.  Opening the door she saw a relaxed and beautiful Cassie Summers in jeans and a T-Shirt standing there.  She smiled widely at seeing her.

             
“Why, hello...” she frowned in puzzlement “aren’t you recording a record or something?  Or shouldn’t you be?”

             
Cassie smiled “apparently some of the equipment is down and I get a reprieve for a couple of days or until they call.  I couldn’t think of a thing keeping me in Los Angeles, there are those wonderful commuter flights from there to San Francisco so here I am” she spread her hands showing nothing in them.  “Do you mind if I tag along?”

             
Karin indicated she should enter “where are you staying?”

             
“I’m staying here?” Cassie asked as she turned.

             
Karin froze slightly “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

             
Cassie laughed “I meant, I’m staying here, in the same hotel...”

             
Karin relaxed visibly.  “I have a little bit of work to finish but I’ll be ready in say...half an hour?”

             
“Do you mind if I wait for you here?”

             
Karin shook her head as she put on a pair of glasses and went back to the desk where her lap top was open and waiting.  Cassie sat on the edge of the bed watching as Karin typed furiously.  She was probably one of the fastest typists Cassie had ever seen but she concentrated as she worked.  Cassie admired the planes of her face.  The glasses gave her an ‘important’ look.  Not that the clothes wouldn’t have, she was dressed professionally as always but Cassie wondered what she wore when she dressed ‘casual.’

             
Her phone rang and Karin answered it “hello?” she continued to read what she had typed on her screen.  “No, that won’t work for me, I have to be up in Portland and then Seattle next week” she told her caller.  Cassie watched as she continued to type, read, and talk on the phone effortlessly.  Her multi-tasking abilities were well honed.  “Then schedule Phoenix for the following week, Albuquerque after that and then Texas.  I’ll pick up a car in Phoenix.” She must be speaking to her secretary Cassie thought.  “What?  No, I need to fly to Milwaukee in between, I won’t be in New York for quite a while” she listened for a moment before saying “can you take him for a few days?” she listened again before adding “then slip him another hundred and tell him how ‘appreciative’ I will be!” she sounded exasperated.  “Look, we both know I can’t come back right now, he will have to wait to see me until I get there” she listened again “Okay, I’ll try to fit in a trip to New York somewhere in between!” she sounded agitated now “maybe you should fly him down so I can see him when I want instead of me flying there!” she listened for a moment before laughing “yes, I remember how miserable he was the last time I flew him anywhere” she smiled “thanks again, yes, I got the data.  Do you have the list I emailed just a few minutes ago?” she waited and then “done deal, thank you.”

             
Cassie watched her wondering why she had the image of an ice princess or the cold-hearted bitch that some had talked about her.  She was good at her job, no one could complain about that but crossed it was said she was surgical in her cuts.  Cassie found her fascinating and wondered if perhaps she was a fool to pursue this woman when she was just as busy as herself.  She was beautiful though and funny.  The time they had spent together in Santa Monica had been delightful.  This other side of her was just business.

             
“There!” Karin pressed send and closed her laptop taking off her glasses as she looked up at Cassie.  “I’m caught up!” she smiled.

             
“What did you have to do?”

             
“I finished up a proposal and set my itinerary for the coming weeks.  I have to stay on top of all that or I’d be going to Timbuktu when I should be in St. Louis or something like that!” she laughed “don’t be so sure that hasn’t happened.”

             
“Doesn’t your secretary take care of that for you?”

             
Karin nodded “yes, but I juggle quite a few clients so they aren’t kept waiting I personally take care of certain aspects that others designate to their assistants.  They aren’t called secretaries anymore” she smiled as she looked at the relaxed picture Cassie made sitting on the edge of her bed.

             
“You’re good at what you do?” Cassie grinned as Karin came towards her.

             
“Very good, it’s why I’m so successful” she leaned over the edge of the bed and gathered the clothes she had lain there earlier to go out in.

             
Cassie desperately wanted to kiss her and was leaning towards her when Karin’s cell went off.  Karin walked over still carrying the clothes she had gathered.

             
“Hello?”  She looked out the window with her profile to Cassie.  “No, that’s not possible.  We don’t do that” she listened for a moment “the promo items were shipped last week and confirmed received by you yesterday” she turned to look back at Cassie but Cassie could see that she wasn’t focused on her “I don’t think so ma’am.  We are highly efficient that way” she listened a moment and then “if you don’t want my client in your store that is fine, we complied with our end of the contract, I’m certain that future bookings will not be forthcoming as I certainly don’t want to waste the time and money we have invested in this sort of thing...” she listened for a moment and then “I’m sure it is, yes ma’am, we will see you then...” she grinned “have a good day.”

             
“What was that?” Cassie asked as Karin hung up the phone and stood there a moment looking out.

             
“Oh just a store owner thinking she could get the work for free and then not promote things the way I need them done.  I won’t waste anyone’s time and I don’t suffer fools gladly.  It’s too important and I work too damn hard for my clients to not have everyone on board to do their jobs.  Sometimes they need to be reminded that the world doesn’t revolve around them” she sounded cold but she also sounded extremely professional.  Cassie was impressed.

             
“I’m going to change and then we can go” Karin said as she headed for the bathroom.  The clothes she changed into weren’t that very different from what she was already wearing.  A twill suit with a silk like blouse she put on walking shoes as she came out of the bathroom without any on. 

             
Cassie looked at her and asked “don’t you own any jeans and T-Shirts?”

             
Karin laughed at her “yes, of course I own jeans, but I haven’t been home in weeks and there is no point in wasting space in my luggage for something I rarely wear.”

             
“You live out of your luggage?” Cassie could understand that very well herself.

             
Karin nodded as she stood up and said “let’s go sightseeing!” she sounded enthusiastic and Cassie looked forward to their day.