Free The Company We Keep by Mary Monroe Page B

stretched out on a lumpy, three-legged couch in a trailer in a plaid flannel shirt and bibbed overalls drinking generic beer. The Armani suit he wore today was the same shade of pale blue as his eyes. He was slightly married to his fourth wife. According to the office gossip, he was trawling for wife number five.
    Right after Nicole passed out the meeting agenda, Victor mumbled something to her and she slunk back out of the room. A few minutes later she returned with a spiral notepad and a large mug of coffee and handed it to Victor. He cleared his throat and looked at Nicole as if he were seeing her for the first time. She responded with a smile, but that didn’t soften him. His lips were already thin, almost to the point of being nonexistent. They were now pressed together so tightly, had it not been for the line that divided his lips it would have looked as if he had no mouth. But that anatomical feature didn’t fool anybody. Victor’s lips hid a tongue that could be as sharp as a serpent’s tooth.
    Nicole gave Teri a conspiratorial look before she took a seat across from her.
    “I can tell from the happy faces before me that you are all justdelighted to be here with me. Right?” Victor began, looking at Teri as if she were the only other person in the room.
    “ Hell no. I can think of at least a dozen other places I’d rather be,” she said sharply. Victor pretended that he didn’t hear all the snickers going around the table. Teri didn’t even look up from her notes.
    “Now that we are all back on earth, let’s get down to business,” Victor continued, looking around the room. Within seconds there was a forced smile on every face.
    Safety was always the first item on the agenda. It consisted of five minutes of dos and don’ts and a report on work-related injuries, if any. After a few more remarks, most of them unnecessary, Teri took the floor. Other than Victor, she was the only one who stood up when giving a presentation. All eyes were on her again as she flipped through her notes and cleared her throat.
    “Teri, please proceed and be brief ,” Victor instructed. He slid the arm of his suit jacket up so he could see his watch. “I’d like to be out of this room by Easter.”
    “Let’s get down to business now. Trevor Powell’s first single from his new CD has just been released,” Teri began, with her voice full of confidence and authority. There were several sheets of paper stapled together and clutched in her hand. She glanced at the first page, shook her head, and then casually flipped to another page, perusing it slowly and thoroughly. “Yes…hmm…oh! Here we go. I’m going to cut to the chase. If anyone is interested in reading my full report, let Nicole know and she will make you a copy.” She paused, then cleared her throat some more. “The reviews have all been good, so far. And, even more important, the numbers are good. Very good. I’ll be getting the team to focus on the up-and-coming release of his next CD.” Teri gave a triumphant smile. But that smile faded as soon as Victor opened his mealy mouth.
    “Thank you, Teri. That’s a start, I guess,” he muttered.
    A start? What the hell was wrong with this damn man?
    “I think it’s a very good start, sir,” Teri insisted, looking around the room for support. Nicole was the only one to respond.
    “I agree,” Nicole offered. “Thanks to Teri, Trevor was recentlyfeatured on the covers of two music magazines. And mentioned in Jet and Ebony .”
    “I don’t read Jet or Ebony, and other than you, I don’t know anyone else who does, either,” Victor snapped, glaring at Nicole.
    “Trevor’s fans read those publications. They are the most prominent publications in the African American community and have been for decades,” Teri said, her hand on her hip. “And for your information, I have a lot of non–African American associates who read those publications as well. I think it’ll do us all a lot of good if we stay