A Butterfly with Bite

"All of that is pretty straightforward Jay. Understood and accepted. I didn't expect you to be a complicated guy to live with. Oh my one rule is you don't sleep with anyone else in my home."

Jay grinned and said, "You fun-spoiling bitch" and kissed her. Camilla was aware he hadn't stated he accepted her rule and judged there was no need for him to do that.

Eight days after taking over as editor, Camilla disappeared. No one knew where she was, except Maisie, who was under instruction to tell no one. When she told Al on the phone she didn't know he called her a lying bitch and said she was fired.

"Camilla said if you threatened me I am to say she will take legal action against you even if that embarrass Mr Rank when it gets in the media."

"The media?" Al said, sounding alarm. "Young woman, you are not fired but consider yourself severely cautioned."

Al went in to gripe with Jay who sent people in the room with him out for a five-minute recess.

"Al I want you to have overall responsibility for the magazine but you have to let Camilla run things her way. Now this is absolutely confidential. She's in Boston today with a photographer to interview someone who has given Camilla a whole hour of her time."

"You mean half a day?"

"No an hour. She's interviewing the First Lady Al."

"Jesus! No wait up, the First Lady doesn't do interviews."

"She has actually given one, a bit of a sop for her favorite charity. But this one will be a chat on just about anything. It seems Al that the lady you don't like is a pal of the First Lady's. They'd become friendly at a tennis club of all places and our First Lady suggested Camilla interview her husband who was Senator Who? at the time, That freelance cover story interview drew him out on his political ambitions -- it was probably the first time he'd even been asked by a journalist. Publication of that article is recognized as being responsible for trigging that senator into consideration as a running mate and, as they say, the rest is history."

"Was Camilla really that good?"

"She was and still is Al. Her problem is she gets toey with people who get in her way and over-reacts and her good record gets buried under the crap than flies when she's harangued and even fired. She's been fired from the editorial staff of eight magazines."

"I know, I investigated her for you. All but one of those magazines wanted her back but she gave all seven her line that has become famous: 'When you fuck with Camilla Young and fire her she'd rather cut your throat than return to your asshole magazine'.

"Yeah, when I read that Al I knew I'd found me an editor with the uncompromising passion I was looking for. She'll go cover story with the First Lady. Imagine what that will do for our sales."

As Al was walking out Jay's phone went and he called, "Wait Al, this will be her."

"Who the First Lady?"

"No you idiot."

Jay said only said two words on the phone, "Great" and "Right".

"All she said was it went well and she wants lobster and champagne for dinner tonight to celebrate."

"Is that all?"

"Yes Al. She knows I'm a busy guy. If it had been a bad interview she would have elaborated. Call the others back in."

* * *

The photographer who went to Boston with Camilla also operated a digital movie camera. Jay, Al, Camilla, the director of advertising Pat Inch, and the general manager of promotions and publicity Marilyn Beaumont, viewed a very short clip. It began with a shot of Camilla in a flaming red dress and hair curled looking straight at the camera and saying,

'Hi, I'm Camilla Young, new editor of New York based Passion magazine. I start my reign with an amazing interview with a lady, our First Lady, who took an hour from a busy schedule when in Boston recently to chat to me about her new life. You now see on your screen a photograph of us taken during that interview. Is our First Lady passionate about anything? Well find the answer in my first cover story in Passion magazine on sale from last Monday of this month. Always read Passion, won't you. Good girl.'

Al said in disbelief, "You want authority to spend $400,000 to run that as a spot ad on eight TV stations centered in cities where were have greatest readership saturation?"

"Yes Mr Marks," Marilyn said confidently. "That's just to get the ball rolling. Even if we had a budget of $4 million we would be unlikely to reach 90% of our present readers."

"Al what Marilyn is saying is correct," Pat said. "What I need to tell you is 84% of our advertisers are based in those eight cities."

"Well at least that makes sense, giving us some impact. But I expect to hear more about promotion."

"We are not stretching ourselves on promotion Al, we are diverting all other advertising and promotional budget when this issue hits the streets and homes on a massive subscription drive. We aim to make casual readers commit to 12, 24 or 36 issues, paid for in advance."

"That's good thinking Camilla, I'm with you guys on that. Jay?"

"You're the authority Al. Keep the ball rolling."

Al fixed his eyes on Camilla, expecting trouble. "That clip we've just seen. Where is the chest-beating about our coup, and a screaming over-line about a sensational exclusive?"

"That sort of thing was proposed but I didn't approve it Al. Now you have that information. My decision is to go low key, to surround the First Lady with dignity and our cover will continue that low key theme."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. This goes against the grain."

Camilla said patiently, "You have your markets mixed up Al. You are thinking cheap magazines. The approach for gold-rimmed magazines is laid-back elegance."

"What are we having the edges of pages overprinted in gold?"

"No Al, we don't have to do that. It's all about perception and the richness of content, the overall quality and what achieves that perception is laid-back elegance."

Al snorted. And that spot ad -- it starts semi-formally, becomes formally and you end it very personalized. Let's have just the one style, not three."

"Bug out Al. Your role here is to consider approving a request for additional funding, not to act as an authority on copy-writing."

"I'm warning you Camilla, you foul up on this and your head is mine; you'd be out of here so fast your feet won't hit the ground."

"I'll note that warning on one condition Al," Camilla said, her support team looking decidedly nervous.

"Yeah, what's that?"

"That you agree you are out of here, faster than you feet can touch the ground, if I'm proven right with an immediate increase in sales and advertising bookings."

"What the hell are you lining me up at your level for you insolent..."

Jay snapped, "Can it Al. Our editor makes a good point. Just tell her you're backing her on this one but if it goes wrong you'll chair the post mortem. Now authorize that extra $400,000 this team has requested after due contemplation knowing their asses could be on the line."

"Yeah sure Jay."

"Thanks Al," Camilla smiled. "We expected you to run us through the grill to satisfy yourself we were confident about this campaign and had thought it through thoroughly.

Al's return smile was a little thin but at least it was a smile.

"Oh, before I forget," Camilla said. "We'll land millions of dollars of free publicity in the media right throughout the country on this one. Editors throughout the land will be screaming to their troops, 'How the hell did Passion gain this scoop on interviewing the First Lady who refuses to be interviewed...find out your useless bums and as well get our exclusive interview'. I'll be busy day and night being interviewed. This could be Passion's finest hour."

Al's jaw dropped as he drawled, "Ohmigod,"

* * *

Jay dribbled just above Camille's bared pointy breasts with their almost iridescent pink nipples and the both watch the trickle effect.

"You conducted yourself like a veteran campaign at that tense meeting this afternoon."

"Tension fuels me."

"I have to say I like your style."

"Ditto re your management style. I don't think many bosses would give Al his head like you do and you two play off one another. Nervous people must leave a meeting with you two feeling wrung out."

Jay smiled and clutched his favorite darling. "I like California. Let's fly out and visit you mom and dad when this launch is over."

THE END