Now Town; HEAT Headquarters
Elsie Kettner, the daughter of business tycoon Montgomery Kettner, sat in a makeup chair, her artist talking animatedly to her. This used to cause unnecessary anxiety for Megan when she modeled.
Her grandmother, Helen, had scheduled headshots for all the girls to be present. With the end of the year approaching, it was time to update their portfolios with fresh cuts. As the modeling coordinator, this task had fallen to Megan, but it proved harder than she had anticipated. Getting so many girls in one place was nearly impossible. Especially with the likes of Cree Summers ignoring her texts.
She spots Cree’s bestie, Care, alone at one end of the space. The girl is deep in her phone, no doubt looking through her instagram trying to keep it pristine. It’s not the first time she’s caught the girl so fixated on the pictures of her own body.
But Care is older than she is, so Megan doesn’t know how she would take it.
A photographer shows up through the same doors she had earlier and a few of the girls go to surround him, hoping to get their headshots done and over with so they can return to their perfectly curated lives. Megan takes this as the perfect time to have the conversation with Care while the other models were distracted.
“Megan.” Care greets as she approaches.
“How are you doing today, Care?”
She catches the brunette, eyeing the girls and the photographer beyond Megan. “I’ve had better days, but I’m fine. I should go make sure I’m picture perfect, you know?”
Megan can sense she’s trying to get away from the attention. “Can we have a moment, first?”
Care spins around, cautiously. “If we must.”
“I just want to check-in with you. We haven’t really spoken since Cree came back to town. Before that we had a good vibe going, don’t you think?”
She cranks her neck. “What are you saying?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to see how you’ve been doing. If there was anything that I could do to make things easier for you. I know that you’ve been very particular with your photoshoots lately.”
This gets Care to straighten her stance.
“I just want you to know that you’re a great model, you don’t need to scrutinize over everything.”
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.” Care snips.
Elsie’s loud boisterous laugh erupts and startles the two girls, at this point the photographer is starting to get the girls lined up and already has one of the younger girls sat on a stool.
“I should get over there.” Care admits.
“Wait.” Megan stops her, she positions herself between Care and the rest of the models. “Look, I know that modeling comes with certain stigmas, okay? If you’re struggling with anything I just want to let you know that I am always here for you.”
“Megan we’ve never been friends.”
“You don’t have the best friend group if I’m being honest.” Megan spits back, immediately regretting the words.
Care opens her mouth to respond, but lets out a strained gasp instead.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
But by this point, Care, has had enough. She tries to move past Megan but the blonde doesn’t let her pass. The conversation is getting away from Megan, she knows this. But she feels that if she can break through to Care she might be able to save her.
So she does her best to salvage the conversation. “Look, Care, I just wanted to come over her and make sure that you were okay. Ever since Cree came back to town you’ve not been yourself.”
“That’s not for you to say.”
“Do you know that Cree has been sleeping with Reid?”
This halts Care in her tracks. Her eyes are clearly glossy by this point and is trying her best to keep from crying. “I want you to stay away from me!”
“Care!”
The word echoes throughout the room. Megan is now experiencing a new kind of silence that sinks into her being. Everyone is now looking at the two of them.
Care is huffing in frustration. “I can’t believe you think coming over here to tell me about Cree and Reid was something a friend would do."
“I— I wasn’t trying to upset you.”
Wiping away tears, Care opens her mouth. “Too late, asshole.”
“What’s going on over here?” Natalie Marlowe approaches the two of them. If she didn’t feel like crap before, Megan feels even worse now because there’s a look in Natalie’s eyes that Megan has never seen before.
“I look a mess,” Care says, “It’s all your fault!”
“Why don’t you head back to hair and makeup.” Natalie directs to Care, and then turns back to Megan. “Let’s have a walk?”
“I’m fine.” Megan replies.
“What’s that?”
Natalie turns her head back to the models. “Not everyone is wanting to be saved. Some people only feel like themselves when they’re drowning.”
“I wasn’t —.”
“Let’s go take that walk, shall we?” Natalie says, directing Megan away from the girls and the photoshoot altogether.
Now Town; Thurlow Industries
He knew calling the meeting without James Thurlow was bad business, even if he killed the pitch. It was something that Bentley would’ve pulled in college. His thought process was panicked and unprofessional.
So once the intern was finished with the walkthrough, he excused himself and left his next in-charge to finish the meeting.
“Bentley, I didn’t have a meeting scheduled.” James Thurlow says as the younger man stands in his doorway.
The words feel more like a stack of dominoes being gently aligned, and Bentley waited for them to fall over. However, James doesn’t do this. Instead, he invites the younger man to come into his office so they can speak privately. He can feel his nerves creeping in.
“I was hoping that I could have a few words with you.”
“Of course.”
------
Bentley Wilkinson is standing in her brother’s office and the two seem to be having an exchange of some sorts. It’s not unusual, as Bentley has been working hard on the next phase of the Go Green Initiatives compatibility with SRQ’s own green energy projects, but his stance seems more timid.
“Are you paying attention?” Isabelle asks, a marketing assistant at her side with the last three months worth of marketing assessments pulled up on a second iPad. She turns to see them both looking at her. The assistant puts her head down with a smirk, that only means Shannon must’ve been distracted longer than she initially thought.
Shannon nods her head. “I’m sorry, I just saw your nephew at my brother’s doorway.”
Isabelle takes a deep breath and looks in their direction, but by this point, James Thurlow has closed the door to his office. “My nephew has made a few rash decisions lately.”
“Nothing too serious, I hope?”
“As intelligent as my nephew is when it comes to tech, he is very green in the likes of the corporate world.” Isabelle admits.
The words are brisk, by it’s to be expected from Isabelle. So she steals one last look at the office door and then turns her full attention back to the project at hand. “Have we gone over the statistics for the last three marketing pushes?”
The assistant moves her index finger along the iPad and then hands it over to Shannon who quickly studies the screen. “Thurlow Industries is strong in customer loyalty, the ease of advertising through local channels has helped to create an honest narrative,” the assistant says, “even with the corporate landscape changing in favor of smaller and more intimate businesses, we have been able to hold up partnerships and maintain a buy power outside of the country.”
“That’s all great,” Shannon replies, “but how do we keep our customer loyalty through a merger with a company that is known as a corporate juggernaut? SRQ doesn’t rate high with trust from small communities, and environmental groups don’t see longevity for their energy efficiency projects. How do we convince our customers to trust that we are doing right by them by merging with SRQ?”
“Have we even spoken with their marketing team?” Isabelle asks, directing the question to the assistant.
The younger girl, petite, blonde, shakes her head. “They’ve been more evasive as of late. I did get a message through to a team member with lower access. She would like to eventually schedule a meeting to get everyone on board after the merger.”
“Which could be never.” The words drip in pessimism as they leave Shannon’s mouth. She turns back to her brother’s door. There’s no-one in this world she wants to disappoint more than James. “We need to get our hands on their projections for Marketing, and we need to do it quickly. If we are going to maintain our buying power we can’t lose the customer loyalty narrative.”
“I will see what I can do!” The marketing assistant says, and leaves the two women alone in the room.
“As true as that is, we are living in a new reality.” Shannon places the iPad down on the nearest table and shakes her head, a small chuckle slips from her lips. “Corporations aren’t playing by the same rules that they once had, and with news outlets reconstructing their own narratives it’s become harder to weather the storms. Transparency is the only thing we truly have and I’m not getting it from SRQ.”
“They have to, in time.”
Shannon shrugs. “I’m just hoping that we have that.”
“What aren’t you telling me, Shan?”
Her phone lights up with a text message that interrupts the two of them. Both women stare down at the phone, yet it is Shannon who grabs it first.
“Is it Jon?”
Shannon shakes her head. It’s a text message from Noah Collier, asking to meet up soon. She tries to keep a smile on her face, but all she feels is dread.
------
“You do?” Bentley perks up.
“I suppose I haven’t been forth coming with things as far as the merger goes, especially with the corporate side of the company. I don’t think you ever had anything to worry about. But I do understand how it caused you to spiral like that. So I do apologize.”
“I should be the one apologizing, sir.”
James shrugs. “Tell me, Bentley, what can I do for you throughout the process with the merger?”
Bentley stands up straight. He can hear his mother’s voice in the back of his head telling him to tread lightly. To be grateful for what he has and to make sure he doesn’t take too much.
“I’m not looking for you to do anymore than you already have.”
“Then why did you hold a secret meeting behind my back if you don’t want more from me during the merger?” James asks. “You do know that you can ask anything of me. Not because of my friendship with your father, but because of the amount of work you have done for this company.”
Bentley clears his throat. “You gave me the ability to do so.”
“I’m also giving you the ability to help yourself and your team out.”
The words echo in the chambers of his mind where his mother’s voice housed earlier. He thinks about his team and how long it took for Bentley to assemble them. How much hard work that not only he — but his team had put into each and every project for Thurlow Industries.
“My mother hated that.” James snickers.
This gets a chuckle from Bentley as well. “I feel as much a part of this company as anyone else. I would like it to remain that way. I would hope that after the merger that my team stay intact.”
“I have already promised you that.”
“I just need to hear it once more.”
James takes a deep breath and holds out his hand. “After the merger I will see that your team continues the work they have started. I will make sure you are able to work on which ever project is needed to keep our hold on the environmental fronts.”
There’s a pause between the two of them. Bentley looks up from where the two of their hands meet. “Do you think that SRQ Industries would hinder our progress?”
“I think having a trustful team in place would be the best thing for us once we finish the merger.” The two of them let their hands fall to the side. Before James nods towards the door. “How about you gather your team and let them know what I have told you. Make sure that everyone understands how much we value trust amongst our people.”
“I will do, sir.”
Now Town; Stone Creek General Hospital
“Momma, I was fine. I was with Jane.”
“That’s another thing,” Daphne replies. She opens the doors to the courtyard and takes in the refreshing breeze of the sequoia mountains that has made its way into the valley.
The courtyard is gorgeous, it was a donation from the Wilkinson family after Penelope had died. All though it was small, it held a few of her favorite rose bushes and a couple of stone benches.
Daphne finds a seat nearest the center of the courtyard. “I don’t like that you’re endangering your younger cousin.”
“She’s the one that came to me with the information.”
Greta shrugs, turns to face away from her mother for a moment and then turns and fires back. “I’m tired of being pushed aside in my career. It has taken me so long to get to where I am.”
“And we are all proud of you.” Daphne assures.
“I can’t do much with everyone being proud of me. That’s not paying the bills for the building.” The breeze gives her a shiver, but she didn’t bring a jacket to shield her from it. “It would have given me more understanding if I knew who uncle Corey was working for.”
“How so?”
“At least I would know who he betrayed his family for.”
Daphne, who had raised a shy child, now harbors a new fear. While she acknowledges Greta’s smarts, she finds her daughter’s carelessness unsettling. It’s as if with every stage in her daughter’s life breaths new characteristics that she has to adjust to.
“I’m being serious, momma,” Greta speaks. “I can’t forgive him until I know for sure what he plans to do with that building. I’ll do my best to keep Jane out of everything, but if she comes at me again —.”
“You will send her straight home.” Daphne warns.
Looking at her watch, Daphne jumps up. “I have a patient to attend to in about twenty minutes. Let’s head back inside before we catch a cold.”
Before Daphne can respond the duo have a run-in with Gillian Sutton and her little family unit. For Greta, it’s not the easiest reunion as the two of them have never truly be friends. But in a public space she also knows to be cordial.
“Oh, my,” Gillian speaks first. “It’s funny to be running into you right now. I have a business proposition for you.”
“You do?” Greta and Damien say in unison.
Gillian looks between the two of them. “Okay choir kids, simmer down. But yes, I was speaking with my aunt Patsy a few days ago and she’s having a few problems with one of her commercial units. This is more a private matter, actually… let’s set up a meeting.”
“That’s ominous.”
“It’s business.” Gillian snips back. “Take the offer. It’ll do you some good to be in business with the rightful Sutton’s.”
“Honey.” Daphne urges.
Greta meets Gillian eye-to-eye. “Sure. Let’s set up a meeting for later in the week.”
“Splendid.” Gillian beams. “You won’t regret it!”
------
Her mind keeps thinking about how close of a call it was in the hospital room. How Dizzy Roberts was able to pin point their conception date to a weekend when Charlie was out of town.
Kirsten just hoped he didn’t catch on.
The smell of Adrian’s cologne wafts through the sterile hospital air, his taste finds its way back to her lips as they move through the corridors. That weekend was the weekend that her father, and Caitlyn, kept Eric. So she sent Adrian a text to meet her at the Langford Willow Inn. They had sex two times before he had to go back home to his family.
The guilt rises within her.
“Hey, Kirsten,” Charlie says, she shakes from her thoughts and turns to her smiling husband, “I was thinking that maybe I should take the day off and we can spend time together?”
She pulls on a smile. “That would be nice. But, I have to get to the cafe soon.”
Charlie shifts his posture. “Can’t Adrian handle the place?”
His name causes her heart to sink. Her mind tries to take her back to the weekend they conceived the child that Kirsten is carrying, but she shakes the thought. “He has a family, too, Charlie. I can’t keep relying on him to handle the cafe every time I have a crisis —.”
“Or good news to tell your children.” Charlie smirks.
The thought hadn’t crossed her mind. Well, it had, but she was hoping that it would happen much later. “Charlie,” she starts, solemnly. “I don’t think we should be having this conversation with the children yet.”
Charlie stops in the middle of the hospital hallways, and in doing so, causes Kirsten to do the same thing.
She turns towards her husband and in a lower hum of air she says, “Because, what if the baby doesn’t make it? Dizzy said at my age this is a far more risky pregnancy than the last two.”
Charlie moves closer to his wife. “We are going to do everything in our power to make sure that nothing bad happens to our child.”
“It’s not always up to us.”
“That’s why it’s best to have a support system surrounding you as soon as possible. So that if the worse does happen, you still have your family to comfort you.” Charlie says, there’s a twinkle in his eye that soothes Kirsten’s worries.
She nods. “Fine. I can call Adrian and see if he can take care of the cafe for the day. But I don’t want to tell the kids just yet. Especially with the baby shower for Emmet and Iris coming up. How about we hold this one secret until after the baby shower? Then we can tell them about our little miracle.”
“I don’t like keeping a secret from the kids like this.”
Kirsten puts a hand on his shoulder. “It’s not entirely a secret, just think about it as a prolonged future conversation. I just want to have a few more days of peace before everyone’s attention is on me.”
“That’s my wife. Love’s the trophies but none of the attention.” Charlie replies, he nods in agreement.
On Concrete Shelves
Revisited
Next Time, On Concrete Shelves…
- The baby shower honoring both Emmet and Iris is underway and a few people are feeling the pressure that this event brings. Can Charlie keep his promise to his wife and keep their secret for a more opportune time?
- Jane Wilkinson has an encounter in the ER with the man who once saved her life, but is this chance encounter with Jacks Hannigan just another one off or could there be more between the two — especially as his friendship with her father, Corey, has been strained through the years.
- A duo moves further along with their plans to try and regain power within Sutton Corporations, while another player wakes up from their slumber and finally picks a side…
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