Celeste Revs Up

Chapter 1

Widow Willow Parker sat at the dinner table with her daughter, biting an expensively maintained finger-nail in frustration.

Celeste had arrived home from New York, half a world away, to be with her mother for her father's funeral. Vincent had died suddenly. Wife, daughter, closest extended family and some friends, were aware he'd suffered the penalty of leaving gonorrhoea untreated. The sexually transmitted bacterial infection finally raged out of control and in distress and sham, Vincente shot himself fatally.

Willow was advised by her law consultants to neither confirm nor deny the specific cause of death, other than to say the root cause was a rampant virus.

"Why," Celeste asked, comforting her mother.

She was told because while people might think they knew the reason behind her husband's sudden deterioration in health, specifics were lacking because Chief Coroner Moodie decided full details of the death would not be disclosed publicly following representations by a deputation of top city officials and politicians submitting that leading socialite Willow DeLuca Parker deserved privacy over the untimely death of her businessman- philanthropist husband.

Willow had complained that people would assume the cause of death was the aids and sighed, nodding when Celeste said that was preferrable to guessing that gonorrhoea was behind Vincent's suicide.

"Back to the present," sniffed Willow. "I don't want your uncles scrapping over the right to head our business empire."

"Why not? There's not a great deal of it left as you and father have given much of it away philanthropically in recent years." Celeste said, spitting a piece of dead dill on to the side of her plate.

Willow corrected that statement, point out the current capital value of what remained was in excess of $110 million, which was not to be sneezed at. Her daughter asked how did voting rights stack up?"

"My shares together with your father's holdings passing on to me intact, mean I'm the majority shareholder. However, should my brothers Stan and Rex and sister Jolene and my sisters-in-law Coral and Cynthia work unitedly with their combined shareholdings to win control from me, I'd need a good half of your shareholding for proxy votes to leave such a bid dead in the water."

"I see, and so what do you suggest, mother?"

"Come back here to live and I'll appoint you CEO to keep any possible family threat to unseat me at dead in the water."

"Dead in the water?"

"Yes, with your voting support, I'll change my title through control of the boardroom from chairman to executive chairman. As CEO you can just swan around. Your divorce in New York is absolute, isn't it?"

"Yes, I'd told you that that we are still waiting for our multi-million-dollar West Village apartment and two rented out apartments to sell."

"My ex-husband's greed knows no bounds. Jasper wants to squeeze every dollar possible out of our matrimonial property sales. We signed off the matrimonial financial agreement, excluding the disposal of those properties, and the signed agreements in the management of selling off those two properties was approved by the court. I'm in no need of that extra money in a hurry, unlike Jasper who wants to bejewel his new love with her much younger pussy."

"Darling, please leave your obnoxious comments for when you are with your girlfriends."

The 36-year-old said, "The truth is mother, I could do with extended time away from New York. The marital split cost me several so-called friends and leaving something of a smear across my name as a result of Jasper taking our decision to slit to splashed around by the gutter media."

"Darling, why not bite the bullet and settle back here, say for three years?"

"Hmm, I'll give some thought to that and let you know. No wait, call a board meeting to pass solutions that your role be expanded to corporate executive chairman and that I be appointed CEO immediately, and mother, don't expect me to be your lapdog."

"Splendid darling. With that settled, I'll go to the funeral tomorrow a much-relieved new widow. Remember, providing you and I vote in the boardroom aligned, we'll have an absolute majority to defeat any bid to win control of the helm. Thank god we're not a public company."

"Anyway, mum, advisers to your siblings and in-laws would point out that any internal power struggle could cause a possible major crisis, by upsetting the confidence of the company's trading partners, leading to a slump in demand for the corporation's building, horticulture, agriculture and roofing manufactured materials, equipment and support services."

"True dear, and I believe that at least initially, any power-seekers would wait see how the new duo performs at the top and the influence, if any, on net profitability."

Celeste said, "And that would take time to show up."

"Exactly."

"Mum, I'm decided to book first-class, which means seats will be available, to return to New York tomorrow night after the funeral to settle my affairs and to supervise the packing of everything that I wish to return to Australia with. I will retain my Long Island hideaway cottage as I shall frequently return to the city that I have come to love."

Five Days later, the X21 Corporation board of directors voted for its chairman Willow Jane Parker to become executive chairman of the corporation and her daughter Celeste Nevina Parker to replace the group's CEO who was taking early retirement.

The business media swooped to interview Celeste, the mystery appointee at only 36 of age to represent mega-company Z21 Corporation, only to find that she was unavailable, being somewhere in New York.

Commentators speculated in print and broadcast articles that that under her control, the corporation was likely to struggle in local and international business deals. They expressed concern that Celeste's business experience was limited apparently to being business manager and chief negotiator in her ex-husband Jasper B. Nephew's freelance film and video production company, Limitless Video Production Ltd.

Meanwhile, the more resolute business journalists attended a media conference to allow Willow Parker to rabbit on about how she and her late husband Vincent Parker established and grew Z21 based on Vincent's founding motto -- 'Unrelenting first-rate efforts without compromise'.

Willow refused to comment on questions relating to media comment that her daughter would be too inexperienced to run a large company as its chief executive. She told those journalists to direct those questions at her daughter when she returned to Sydney late next week.

However, she did say her daughter Celeste 'didn't come down in the last shower'. Some background disclosures she made about her daughter were surprising and even mind-boggling including Celeste's and her ex-husband building a successful business worth several million dollars that they founded in a derelict caravan on the back lawn of husband Jasper Nephew's parental home.

* * *

Willow met her daughter at the airport returning from New York with the news that Celeste was about to be escorted to a room where the media were waiting to grill her.

"You are joking; what's the rush?"

"For you to meet the business media that is in partial frenzy over you."

"You'll have time to attend to you face and hair and put on this black cocktail dress that I bought for you and wear gran's spectacular Mururu diamond necklace that my grandfather, a diamond merchant in South Africa, gave me when I turned forty. I'll give it to you when you turn forty."

"The media will be out to savage you based on your Uncle Roland's business media campaign that you being appointed CEO will lead to the ruination of the corporation because you are too young for the role and lack experience."

"Mum, your brother-m-law has always been an arsehole. I'll deal with him."

"No, just remain calm and collected darling, rubbish his claims but refrain from attacking him personally."

"Sorry mother, I shall respond on my feet to counter-attack as necessary."

"God forbid but then you usually were a little shit to shut down when you had a bee in your bonnet when a child and it only got worse by the time you were fourteen."

"Thanks mother."

Mainly news and business media representatives including a TV crew and three photographers in the small auditorium gasped loudly when Celeste entered the room wearing (with slimming body-hugging restraint not visible) a stylish black cocktail dress, a cute tiny black cocktail hat atop her silver and white tresses and wearing a stunning diamond necklace that appeared to be shouting, 'Look at Me!'

"Everyone, my daughter Celeste, top businesswoman," announced Willow, without introducing herself or using Celeste's surname.

"Hi, everyone, thanks for the welcome. I'm surprised that the media turned out for me because we are not a publicly listed company."

An older woman in a black business suit and short-crop white hair stood and holding a voice recorder said, "Welcome home, Celeste Holmes, editor of Business Heartbeat online magazine.' I'm surprised that your American accent gained from living in the States for 15 years according to your mother, is barely noticeable."

"I had no wish to lose my Aussie heritage. In fact, while living in New York I increased my repertoire of Australian slang and ability to talk in Strine (different emphasis on vowels when speaking English). It continued to be my party piece at even formal dinners and bewildered and even outright confused many Americans, as I present it wrapped around somewhat filthy jokes."

"How disgusting," said another woman standing beside a newspaper photographer.

"But was it?" said Cathie. "An example please Celeste as you look far from being a thoroughly disgusting person."

"We are all adults in this room, so here goes," Celeste giggled, preparing to drop into exaggerated Strine.

"This is the short story of an Aussie wool snagger dropping his gear alongside a billabong to commence a bonzer tussle with the old fella. On the brink of slogging away, and this is defo, he realized a stream of ants was cracking the pace intent on disappearing up his downpipe. 'EUREKA Abandon ship' he cried in panic, attracting a Shelia who was a grazier's daughter who out of boredom bangs like a dunny door in a hurricane. No wucka's (no worries), just water the lawn, she advised. You'll piss them out. I'll then test the old fella to ensure she's right."

Everyone including Willow fell about laughing.

"Right, let's be serious for a moment," Celeste said. "In America I learned that my Uncle Roland Wright has ruthlessly campaigned against me in the daily press and the business media against my appointment to the top management team at Z21 Corporation as its new CEO. I notice he's in this room, a media conference for me. Unless the dirty skunk is rejected from this room, I shall remain mute and you journalists will be denied hearing the truth about me."

Willow spoke to the two airport security officers in the room, pointed out her weaselly brother-in-law who was escorted from the room struggling and mouthing obscenities.

A thin guy holding a notepad and pencil introduced himself as Chip Sullivan of the city's largest morning newspaper.

"Good morning, Mrs Nephew, welcome on your return to Sydney."

"It's Miss Parker, I've returned to my maiden name."

"Acknowledged, Miss Parker. Celeste, your comment please that school records indicate that you rolled along as an average student all through your school years at Sydney State Girls High School at Surry Hills in the Centennial Parklands."

"Guilty, Chip. My beloved grandparents implored me to keep my head down and ears flapping to become clever during my entire time there and I did what I was told. My lack of real sporting abilities meant that I was an ideal supporter, I read women's trashy magazines and paperbacks instead of the classics, I remain tone deaf musically, worked as an usher at school concerts and other grand productions because I lacked any level of performing ability Because I enjoyed digging up facts and finding truth in gossip, I joined the students' newspaper as a reporter from my first year at university."

"At university I completed a BA in Business Studies and then managed to gain a law degree and then headed for America."

"Where you apparently hit the sack upon meeting a street photographer well-versed in cheeky spiel and a disarming smile," called an unidentified journalist.

"Somewhat true," Celeste said. "The guy was a freelance photographer called Jasper Nephew trying out a repaired camera. He was difficult to miss, with a mop of red hair, canary yellow pants, a lime green shirt and nothing on his feet.

"He spoke to me nicely and asked if I would like a coffee. I asked why and he said he wished to take my photo."

"I asked why?"

"He said because I look great and appeared to have a sunny disposition and didn't talk like a regular New Yorker and obviously with a drawly twang in my accent, I was not from England like he was."

"I said, attempting to talk like a tough Sydney dock-worker, 'Fuck off mate and don't point the bloody thing at me. He appeared impressed and took several exposures of me on his film camera and with his calming spiel gradually had me smiling."

"While this encounter was going on including going into the coffee shop, I noticed, the top of his head was level was with my mouth. He'd come to the same conclusion and said I was a tall bitch and he appealed for me to wait for him to come back and reveal some of his magic as a photographer with a developed colour print from the stream of exposures he'd just taken of me."

"I said 'Stream', didn't he mean burst mode? and he asked was I a photographer and I said I'd worked on a university newspaper as a photo-journalist for four years. He handed me 20 bucks to spend on coffee and pizza to keep me occupied. The guy with his cheek was fascinating me and I had nothing else to do that was urgent and so I waited."

"I couldn't believe the studio quality photo was of me, I looked almost beautiful and blurted that I only look that good when I pose in front of my dresser. He said he'd caught me at a moment when I was posing to impress him."

"Come and work for me. I'm setting up in business on my parents' back lawn in our old caravan."

"What else could I say but yes because I believed he was a genius behind his camera and wondered if he knew it. You can sleep in the caravan."

"I had sex with him in the caravan that evening and accepted his offer of being paid $200 a week to drum up photographic business for him, and he'd pay me more as business increased, which it did thanks to my relentless efforts to bring in business."

"Jasper B Nephew began the momentum by launching his registered film and video production company, Limitless Video Production Ltd."

"He was a slave-driver with charm. My initial contribution to drum up business was to suggesting he take a photo of his mother hanging out her washing. I took the print around the neighbourhood the next day and returned to the caravan after nightfall with pre-paid orders from seventeen female neighbours who wanted to look glamorous hanging out the washing just like Martha Nephew managed to do when being photographed."

"Eight months after the launching of Limitless Video Production Ltd, my salary had reached $700 a week and we decided to get married. Jasper decreed that I was now officially the company's director of productions, the title I continued to hold with my duties extended to being business manager and we employed more and more people. We recapitalized and expanded the business until we sold it for $118 million as equal partners eight months ago."

"Jasper doesn't have a clue about business so all along I ran the business and managed its growth until we had captured an estimated 13 percent of all video contracts from New York advertising agencies at the time Jasper and I sold our business and ended our childless marriage. He was insistent on returning to England and I had no wish to leave New York."

"That ends this media meeting folk. Stay and have a couple of drinks on me with my mother hosting you. I'm off to bed as I didn't sleep much during that long, long flight. Pick up a press kit that I prepared in New York when you leave. It contains a hard copy of the story I just related, with a few more facts plus a flash drive containing an electronic copy of that photo Jasper took of me the first day I met him, a press photo of Jasper and I signing for the sale of our business for $118 million, and a photo of Jasper and I having our final kiss before going our separate ways."

Celeste walked from the room ignoring attempts to question her.

One journalist was heard to say sourly, "That woman is formidable and she sure knows how to manipulate the press and still keep onside."

Celeste emailed her mother that she would stay the night at a hotel and would see Willow at the board meeting at 10.30 in the morning.

She added, 'Mum, please arrange for all senior executives to be in the board room for the welcome. No exceptions.'

Chapter 2

At 9.05 next morning, Willow sent details from the Sydney newspapers, TV and radio stations to Celeste obviously purchased on pre-order from a professional news monitoring data and collection and filtering service, everything in television screen length, hard print column cm in length and radio time in seconds of everything broadcast or published from 10.30 am yesterday to 9.00 that morning. The data including images was impressive, exceeding Celeste's expectations.

The splash across page 5 of one newspaper that morning included a large photo of her taken at the media conference and the article heading screamed, 'Hello Jasper, Bye Jasper, Thanks Millions'.

Celeste winced at the callousness of that heading but sighed, thinking that heading alone would ensure that story was lapped up by hundreds of thousands of the readership and that was great, because she wished to make an immediate impact in the city, particularly within the business world.

She was experienced and knew that after initial reportage, newshounds would press for new angles, meaning she would be hounded for exclusive interviews (she had a limit of four in mind) and a publication such as 'Mother and Baby' would probably contract Willow seeking a photo of Willow with Baby Celeste posing for the camera thirty-six years ago and probably seek a quote from Willow that time was running out for her now adult daughter to naturally birth children.

Celeste arrived at Z21 Corporation's at 10.15 and was greeted by the office manager, Sheryl Jones, waiting just inside the foyer and they were whisked by lift to the executive floor and board-room.

Sheryl said, "You have a marvellous sense of PR, Miss Parker. You flew into Australia yesterday and today perhaps half of Sydney knows you be name and something of your exploits."

"Thanks for the compliment Sheryl. You are a senior manager, please call me Celeste."

"Oh, the previous CEO Mr Clarence was Mr to everyone below directors."

Smiling, Celeste said, "You may have noticed that I don't look like Mr Clarence and 1'm probably half his age."

"Wow, I predict that some things won't be the same around here for long, Celeste."

Celeste asked had Sheryl come up through the secretarial or the PA ladder. The answer was 'partly both'.

The express lift stopped at their floor and Celeste held the doors open with a hand held low over the infrared beam.

"Does my department have an overall manager?"

"No. And your department's simply part of admin."

"Would you like to transfer with all entitlements to become the manager of my exclusive department under the admin umbrella?"