"You DARE me to turn you down?" I asked, laughing. "What makes you think you've got what it takes to be a Talent Associates Rep?"
"Only 200 million in annual contract revenues for a list of 35 of the most attractive clients in athletics and entertainment," she replied calmly, her red nails tracing the line where her breasts threatened to overflow her blouse.
I stood there and pondered her list of assets. Lana Morganthal was a bombshell in every surgically and chemically enhanced way possible. Curves compounded into curves. She was very attractive.
She had become a widow the night before when her husband Larry had died suddenly while ringside at a championship boxing bout in Las Vegas. Gorgeous, smart, talented, young and a widow. In another life, she would make some Greek shipping magnate the perfect mid-life crisis mate. Instead she was contemplating working for me.
Her recently deceased husband was my former mentor at Talent Associates. When he had left, I was his hand-picked successor. Even though Larry's death was sudden, it was also expected. Overdue in fact. He was considerably older than his fourth wife, and he had been in and out of hospitals and clinics for almost two decades. Their marriage was more an alliance of business partners. Lana was more than attractive, her most compelling asset was her shrewd mind and keen business sense. She used all of the weapons she had at her disposal to attract and retain clients, including her ample sexuality. Once she got her foot or her tits in the door, her clients found that they had zealous representation from Larry and Lana. They didn't have many clients, but they did have quality clients.
"I guess I can take you on as an intern....." I eyed her for a reaction.
"I might be interested," she responded coyly. "If I get to work late hours with you in a mentor-pupil relationship where you take a little extra time to teach me the ropes. Personally." She moved across the marble floor of foyer and rested her palm on my arm, slowly walking those long red nails up my sleeve, game to continue the charade. I broke first.
"Seriously, Talent Associates would be honored to have you come aboard. We will be glad to create a division just for you to head. How about Vice-president of Cross Market Operations with an instant partnership? You can stay in Las Vegas if you'd like, or move to LA, New York, Miami, Bern, or Melbourne. You keep your current book, we will bill you for the appropriate support, and the new business you generate will be prorated at the partnership rate. We'll help you staff up, certainly."
"That's too generous, David," she protested weakly, clearly pleased.
"We want you and we will do anything to get you," I said as straightforward and honestly as possible.
"Anything?" she asked again, clearly playing the coquette again.
"Anything at all," I replied, not inflecting any innuendo.
"I will think about your offer until after the funeral. Then we can talk more." She brought us back to the real reason I was in Las Vegas. Larry Morganthal was dead. "There is one thing that you can do to show you are earnest."
"Name it."
"Convince your sister to be my assistant." Until now I had overlooked Becky's presence in Lana's suite high above the Las Vegas Strip. She had come with me to Las Vegas only because I couldn't manage to fly her home first. She looked business sexy in her custom gray suit with sheer cream blouse and white bustierre. Even in the presence of Lana, Becky could make a few men turn their heads and take note. She didn't need chemicals and plastics to look gorgeous.
"Becky isn't in the business Lana. She and I were having dinner in Seattle last night when I got the news."
"If I am not mistaken, David, Becky is looking for a reason to change her locale. I am going to guess that she is either recently divorced or in the process of getting divorced. Am I right?" she asked Becky. Becky slowly nodded.
"Then this is the perfect time to start a new project. We can support each other, since we each lost someone close to us. What do you say, Becky? Want to give it a go?"
Becky gave it a long thought and then declined. "I am honored, Mrs. Morganthal, I really am. But I don't know the first thing about David's business. My girls are in college or just starting and this might not be the best time for me to be starting something new."
"This is the perfect time. You are really and empty nester now. Experience is over rated. When I started working for Larry, I didn't know a contract from a contact. Now look at me. I'll make you a deal, you work with me for say.....thirty days. If you don't like it, we part as friends. If you do, I'll pay you what the top assistant at TA makes and put a down payment on your new house here in Las Vegas. It's the cheapest airport in the country to fly in an out of, and I imagine we will have unlimited use of a corporate jet anyway. Seeing your daughters will be easy."
Becky looked at me and I gave her the 'It's your choice' look in return.
"OK, then. I accept."
"Good, that's settled. I do have a few things I'd like to discuss with you right away. I am sure David will excuse us while we talk girl talk, won't you David?" She didn't wait for my answer. I was becoming superfluous to her world for the moment. She took Becky by the hand and led her deeper into the suite, leaving me to fend for myself. I took the opportunity to call the office and relay the good news. I also put some operations into motion.
The next four days were busy for me and my staff. We took the charge arranging for the sports and entertainment worlds to collide for this monumental occasion of remembrance. You will notice I didn't say somber, Larry wasn't like that. Becky and Lana were nearly inseperable. On the first day Becky's girls and my wife and two youngest daughters joined us. We buried Larry that day, according to Jewish custom. His burial ceremony was private and traditional, with a rabbi calling the shots. Then we went to work putting together his public funeral.
On the second day a handful of my best assistants and my top assistant, Janet, arrived. The business took up residence in a suite down the hall and my and Becky's family took a suite adjacent to Lana's. The MGM installed multiple phone lines, fax and computer services, and staffed us with a team of secretaries and a concierge. The concierge was particularly helpful at arranging air travel, ground transportation, lodging, dining and floral requirements. This would be more a event than a funeral.
On the third day everyone in show business and everyone in professional sports descended on Las Vegas for the biggest event of the decade. All the major networks, including the news and sports channels would be represented. The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Sports Illustrated, the London Times, and the BBC were also on site. Every hotel in town was booked to capacity. The really high rollers, the megastars and mega athletes stayed in private residences, either their own or owned by friends of friends.
The commissioners of football and baseball spoke at the memorial, as well as several clients, the player's union chiefs, and Larry's rabbi. We had to turn down requests made by politicians and talking heads to speak. The dais was already overflowing. Nobody wanted to miss this platinum opportunity to be the center of the known universe. The memorial took seven hours with three intermissions. Bob Costas, Al Michaels, and Chris Berman hosted. No one left early.
The entire event was held at the MGM Grand Pavilion, the same place Larry had passed away. It no longer looked like a boxing venue, it looked like a cathedral, complete with a choir balcony, twin pulpits, and seating for several thousand on plush chairs. A lot of this was just show for the guests.
During the process I noticed a few surreptitious glances between Becky and Lana, almost like a conspiracy was underfoot. I also received a few looks of passion from Becky and once I imagined a look of lust in Lana's eyes. Wishful thinking, I thought to myself.
We spent a good deal of time together, Becky's family and mine. All of our evenings were spent together, enjoying the fantastic dining and superb entertainment that Las Vegas had to offer. My wife Karen and my sister Becky were friends before Karen and I met. They were still friends as well as sisters-in-law. It only felt a little strange that I had just spent an evening of passion with my sister, but I loved them both so much it was only a little strange. Karen and I were having great sex in Vegas. The change in venue was beneficial to our mutual attraction and sex drive. We had sex in the shower, standing. We had sex in the bed. We had sex overlooking the Strip. It was like our first years all over again. Twice Becky and I had hot quick liaisons as well.
The first liaison that my sister and I shared was on the third day. Karen had taken all of the girls, both Becky's and ours, shopping and sightseeing. Becky and I were down the hall in the company suite working. When I needed some paperwork from one of the files in our personal suite, Becky offered to get them for me. She left to retrieve them. A few minutes later she called me and asked me to come help her find them. I went down the hall to our gigantic penthouse suite atop the hotel. When I entered the rooms and rounded the corner, there stood my sister in a white lace baby doll nightie.