Charmingly Ruthless

"I'll be otherwise engaged for half an hour. Do that over coffee if you wish Zoë.

Chase entered the office of the features editor. "Rachel, about the new Weekender."

"The answer is no Chase. I'm not interested and this department is already working close to capacity."

"Well you do a great job Rachel so I won't fire you but you can resign if you wish of course. I want you to move out of here into your deputy's office and sit Sue out with your other staff but she'd get an upgraded desk with her name and title attached to the desk. Advise me if you can't manage the problems that arise from this. The coordinator of the weekend -- I can't call her an editor until she is accredited as a journalist -- and her assistant will be based in this office. There will be no other staff on the Weekender -- all departments will be asked to contribute."

"But Chase, you can't..."

"Can't do it? That's bullshit Rachel. My intention was to make you editor with a boost in pay but your attitude has prevented me from doing that. You had forgotten we operate as a team. Your department will be expected to provide a weekly contribution on Fashion -- not the stuff you already run in the newspaper but a feature on fashion conscious personalities in our community and people working in fashion. A two-page spread taking up 60% of that space including headings and illustrations."

"Is that all we have to do."

"Yes."

"We you may expect us to deliver," Rachel said, obviously upset.

Next in line was the chief of reporting staff. "Mary, I was disappointed you joined the trio opposing my intention to introduce the Weekender. It's going ahead and I want you to deal faithfully and expertly with staff issues that may arise during the first three to six months of it bedding in. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Chase."

"Just let everyone know it's my pet project; it was a weekender for another newspaper that won me four national awards as its editor."

With the subbing team busy cleaning up after that afternoon's newspaper and preparing for next day's two editions, Chase learned against the wall just beyond the chief sub-editor's desk and spoke loudly so everyone around the big table could hear.

"Cedric how is your opposition to my project for a weekend magazine going."

"I've just had a call from Rachel. You have left her in tears."

"So, will you cry for me Cedric?"

"If I continue to oppose you it will cost me my job won't it?"

Chase folded her arms under her breasts and now everyone at the table, including the females, had their eyes there. "Tell me Cedric, the truth. Why are you opposed?"

"Because you'll take people away from my table and I lose control."

"But Cedric, I had no intention of doing that. The Weekender will be thirty-six pages and 60% editorial so that reduces to the equivalent of twenty-two tabloid pages. That editorial will be dumped into the For Subbing file in the Weekender's pages on our internal computer network in our new system with the 'new copy' indicator appearing on your screen. We launch in two months so should be finished with computer glitches by then will all sub-editor's fully familiarised with the new system."

"And you're going ahead without a editor, according to Rachel. "That's fucking suicidal. The Weekender will be my pet project Cedric and don't you forget it. I want everyone on this table to have pride in the Weekender. I'll set the standards and by god everyone better give it their best. I want the Weekender to be the flagship insert in our newspaper Cedric. People who let me down will receive a kick in the ass and that includes your harem of women on this table. Do you understand?"

"You look gorgeous when riled Chase. Tell me your thoughts about the launch party."

"Tell me your thought's Cedric. Obviously you've thought beyond pushing the desks back and having in this room."

"You hire the wine and beer bar at the football stadium -- 7:30 to 11:30, taxi chits both ways and it's staff only, no partners."

"Well done Cedric but let's save that for when we win our first national award for best weekend magazine. We'll have our party in this room, starting as soon as the last page leaves this room. Production and pressroom people will be invited to join us as soon as they finish up. I'll bring in caters with a light meal and yes, taxi chits will be available for staff who apply for them and there will be no partners admitted but to the big event to celebrate our award, yes partners will be included. Talk to me sweetly Cedric.

The chief sub with peptic ulcer problems looked round the table and caught sight of nods of approval. "I can dove in your Weekender into our schedule without problems, Miss Editor-in-Chief."

Morrie Wrightson, Chase's deputy, came running in and said, "That femme fatale involved in the near death of our chairman is in your office with Zoë."

"Yes Morrie, I know. Really she is a lovely woman, highly competent with a master's in business administration and huge experience as a coordinator at corporate level. I was about to bring Fran in to meet you and then to ask her to accept the role of coordinator of our 36-page Weekender. I won't declare her editor in the role until we agree she has earned that title. At present she's not an accredited journalist but has had two university textbooks on modern New Zealand literature published which makes her author so I imagine her promotion lies not too far away. Her name is Fran Hogan and please be kind to her everyone as she's sensitive about her predicament. During the forthcoming trial to be faced by Mrs Younger I gather conclusive proof will be presented that Fran was at the home of our chairman at his invitation. They'd met previously in Wellington."

There was a buzz of conversation. Chase winked at Cedric and left the room, the quite agitated Morrie trotting after here.

"Chase!"

She stopped and he said should they be engaging such a women with an adulterous reputation. It could affect adversely on the newspaper.

"Morrie, are you telling me you have never had a bit on the side without Trish's knowledge?"

"Of course I have but..." Morrie stopped mid-stride, appalled at what he'd just said.

"I rest my case. You secret is safe with me Morrie, guaranteed. Please be supportive of Fran as this will be a new career for her."

"Okay, and thanks Chase. Yes, I will help to educate your protégé.

Fran accepted the job offer and after she'd return from HR after she and Chase had agreed on pay and job title Chase called a meeting of editors to formerly introduce Fran. There was interest in the new publication so Chase announced the basic format would have lively stories about motoring, travel, food and drink, theatre, movies, TV, fashion, business, investment, computers, computer games, social scene, teens and retirement. Those sections would be filled mainly with personality interviews.

"So we ape what magazines do."

"Yes, but with emphasis on Walton people and business Irene. To put it bluntly, we aim to win readership but the real motive is to wrap editorial around ads to increase our company's revenues," Chase smiled. Everyone laughed when Irene said, "This is very cynical Chase."

Back in her office, with Fran and Zoë gone to look at desks and other furniture for her new office that would also accommodate Fran's assistant, Chase called Cole.

"I'm calling to apologise," she said. "It's as if I'm avoiding you."

"You were and it's understandable. Like to come over tonight and I'll cook you chicken fried rice with drinks at 7:00."

"Oooh yes. Am I invited to stay the night?"

Recovering from surprise, Cole mimicked her: "Oooh yes."

Ten minutes later Cole called her. "Look, I'll call and pick you up. Let's book into the New Albion and eat at their restaurant that is gaining quite a reputation. There are still signs of Leah in this apartment and I'd like this to symbolise you and I are off to a completely fresh start."

Chase hesitated only momentarily. "You mean a real relationships?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"I agree. Just a moment while I put this caller off."

It was almost a minute before Cole was back. "Great news. That was Judith calling to say I've won the contract and making arrangements for me to take the draft contract already prepared to my lawyer. Judith is in a hurry to get this project underway."

"Oh that's wonderful."

"I also enquired about taking the penthouse on A-block which is closest to the sea but she said it was gone."

"Oh how disappointing for you."

"Perhaps. She has it earmarked for you. Want to go halves in it as an investment?"

"Yes, did she mention discount?"

"Fifteen percent."

"I thought it would be half of that and she would want that apartment, being the premier apartment in her development."

"Well she's decided to take the pick of the ground floor apartments because a garden goes with ground floor units."

Cole cleared his throat. "Chase, I'll get all of Leah's things here packed up and sent off. Will you then move in here with me and move into our investment apartment when it's completed?"

"Cole, how could I not say yes to such a lovely offer?"

"Well?"

"Yes Cole. Hurry over to me darling."

* * *

Six months after moving into their new home, their marriages annulled, Cole and Chase were married in a quiet ceremony in the front garden of Judith's old home. The home had been sold and would be trucked away the following week to make way for the gated community's swimming pool. As the wedding ring was slipped on to Chase's fingers bride and groom looked at the rings Pearson had purchased. It had been Cole's idea. "Thank you for leaving my new bride to me," Pearson whispered, kissing the rings on Chase's fingers.

The bride was four months' pregnant and first to kiss the newly married couple was Fran, editor of the highly successful 'The Weekender' whose own marriage was only six weeks away. The other bridesmaid Pru was five months' pregnant and much to Judith's horror had no plans to marry although was 'madly in love' with her impregnator, an unattached guy six years her junior.

Harold Younger, who was recovering slowly from his severe bashing, gave the bride away. Helen who had been dealt with very leniently by the court and she and Harold were now lived in the penthouse of Block B, purchased with the proceeds from Harold's sale of his law partnership.

Lady in waiting Aimee McCullough was in a bit of a mess. Jackson her husband had recently abandoned her for Aimee's closest friend and Aimee suspected she was pregnant from the last time Jackson had slept with her. She'd missed her period but was too scared to go for a test in case she was found to have cervical cancer. Then she had a lucky break. She was staying with Pru who'd introduced her to an unattached wedding guest, a wealthy widower who bred racehorses near Cambridge. Although almost fifty Angus appeared to be a fatherly type so Aimee gave him the 'come on' and he had sex with her. Aimee thought if she were pregnant Angus would do the right thing and marry her when she divorced Jackson. Angus also appealed because he rutted with passion, very much Aimee's type of man.

THE END