Harry's Protégé Ch. 05

"Five hours on something like this – that's amazing. Obviously they eliminated that time-gobbler known as cogitation."

Jenni had been listening to that debate looked a little bored but that was about to change.

Sierra said, "If those legal-beavers paid as much attention to their dicks as they did to their cogitations they could be put out to stud and earn millions for their law firm."

The shriek from Jenni set the other two into unrestrained laughter.

"Sorry, these things just jump into my mind and straight out of my mouth when I'm happy," Sierra confessed.

Laughter wasn't forthcoming when the chairman called Sierra up to his office. Her father looked decidedly grumpy.

"I've had a complaint about you from the principal partner of our law firm."

"Oh did I forget to pay on the way out?"

Ignoring that flippancy, Duncan said: "Peter Fish says it was reported to him you were bumptious and unreasonably demanding and presented his colleagues with an impossible time-frame."

"Oh dear, I upset the comfort zone of Peter and his colleagues. Harry is at home ill but later tonight I'll get his approval to switch to a more responsive law firm geared to meet newspaper needs of the 21st Century."

"I'm sorry darling that will not happen."

"Daddy our charter says that as executive chairman you will not interfere with editorial executive decisions unless in the face of extreme emergencies."

Duncan failed to conceal his surprise. "You've read the charter? You quoted that almost word perfect."

"Of course, you expect that attention to detail from your senior executives don't you?"

"Well yes."

"Either back down daddy or we'll fight tooth and nail – and I'm speaking with confidence about Harry backing me and I already have Frank in my pocket and possibly most of the newsroom."

"Ah yes one of my spies reported you were awesome at lunchtime yesterday and received standing acclamation when you showed your face after saving the day. I must say you are looking great. If you weren't my daughter..."

"Daddy don't be gross. You know Peter Fish's law firm acts for us simply because he plays poker with you and he is one of the few men around who can take you on drink for drink and he also whores with you."

"Sierra!"

"Yes daddy?"

"How do you know such things?"

"I'm a trained newshound daddy remember? Your dirty secrets are safe with me but I wouldn't take it for granted mommy doesn't know about your behavior – she's no bunny who only plays bridge or sits under a hair drier."

"You're speaking with authority Sierra. What's happened to my little girl?"

"Grow up daddy and deal with Peter when you next speak to him, saying he best shake up his team to deal with us expeditiously or find another client to replace the gap when we dump them."

"Expeditiously" is rather a large word for you darling."

"Up yours daddy." Sierra blew him a kiss, knowing his thoughtful gaze was on her back as she left his office.

She couldn't believe how much she was progressing, virtually in every direction. This baffled her but then she thought of Harry; she was taking notice of his counselling and that influence was beginning to work. She realized that his standards, particularly attention to detail, no longer seemed impossible to replicate.

An hour later Sierra took a call from her mother.

"Hi Margo what is it?"

He mother never called unless she wanted something. These days Sierra called her Margo but only when they were alone. It would be far too radical for her father, grandparents and probably half the country to know she did this.

"I want to know if you've heard the rumor about your father?"

"No what rumor?"

"That he's been seen around with other women, usually in the company of Peter Fish."

"That is simply character assassination Margo. That's all. Daddy is probably getting all he can handle from you and he loves you, you know that and I know that. It's fucking defamatory scuttle bug."

"Watch your mouth darling but oh thank heavens I had the brains to call you. You've restored my confidence in myself. I haven't bought you anything recently, have I? Let me take you shopping Saturday."

Sierra squealed knowing mummy liked that happy sound from her daughter.

"Yes, yes – I'll pick you up at 10:00. Wear shorts and a low top and we'll try to pull a couple of guys to take us to lunch."

"Sierra!"

"Just joking, Margo – 10:00 sharp on Saturday – diet so you can scoff a crayfish lunch down at the wharf restaurant. I'm not working this weekend and I'll book."

Sierra tossed down her phone, shaking her head. Her father was unbelievably good at being a scoundrel. He'd figured if Sierra knew about him, Peter Fish and their two under forties blondes then other people may have as well, and that gossip would eventually reach Margo.

So as calmly as a snake, he'd phoned his wife to announce the existence of the rumor and then deceived her saying it simply wasn't true. He probably sugared the call, suggested a night away at their hotel retreat which had that amazing vibrating bed (he'd confided to Sierra about that bed).

Daddy could be rather awesome tactically at time; he was a dirty snake but awesome, Sierra sighed, wondering what sort of rumors existed about her.

Her phone went again, provoking an unladylike oath and the snarl, "Don't people know I have work to do?"

It was Harry.

"Hi Nurse Sierra – I feel much better and was wondering if you and Nurse Jenni would visit me with a jug of martini mix at 6:00 today for an hour, and then climax with a strip."

"A what?"

"Both of you take your clothes off to entertain me – I'm better. But no touching, mind you."

"Harry..."

"Can't handle it, huh? Okay, forget the strip and we'll just do martinis. If I come through an hour of you two doing that okay, I may be back at work tomorrow."

"I'll see you at 6:00," Sierra said primly. "I'll call Jenni."

"Thanks – bye."

It took a great deal to shock Sierra and that had shocked her. She knew immediately the suggested duo-strip, whether jokingly proposed or not, simply would not do. Harry was her passport to respectability and top business status.

She wasn't adverse to the thought of a duo-strip, per se, but in this instance it could progress into three-way sex and that just wasn't on. She had no wish to be portrayed as that kind of person – good God, what sort of impressions did people have of her apart from her playgirl reputation?

She wanted to associate with Harry for his conservative image. She sniffed, approving that wholesome thought as if she were a black-dressed woman sitting with humility on the front pew at church.

Jenni laughed when told about the 'jest' of a double strip. "We should do something to pour the blood through him to cleanse his system and rebuild his sickness-deflated libido."

"What did you say has been deflated?" asked Sierra, sending them into a giggling fit.

Jenni pressed on. "Let's dress provocatively."

"What, tit and leg rig?"

"Exactly," laughed Jenni.

"Okay, but not a word to anyone about this and don't over-do it. We don't want to kill the poor bed-bound critter."

There were other calls to Sierra of course. The mining company's operations manager phoned to demand a retraction or the company would sue for huge damages.

"Don't bother with that expense," Sierra advised. "If your company is guilty it will pay out an enormous amount of money. If the company is exonerated then we have a contingency in our petty cash tin to cover any such claims against us. Good day to you."

Next caller was the mining company's chairman, so angry he became incoherent at times.

He received the same unsympathetic hearing and finally angered Sierra so much she suggested he should resign in disgrace and leave the country, but not until after the courts had dealt with them and then he may not be free to leave. She cut him off, believing he was choking so much he was beyond speaking.

Thirty minutes' later the mining company's chief legal adviser phoned, a very pleasant woman and she and Sierra had a copybook business discussion. The call ended amicably with the woman attorney saying the chairman had instructed her to institute legal proceedings against The Sentinel.

"That's fine, perhaps will meet in court," Sierra said sweetly. "Thanks for you call."

An hour later Guy Bycroft called and immediately slipped into an apologetic voice.

"I'm sorry Ra-ra but our firm's been engaged to institute legal proceedings against your newspaper over yesterday's front page article.

"That's fine. How are you and Michelle?"

"Great – she wants to get married at last, er, to me. I'm in line for a senior's position so she'd decided to do the decent thing. We've been living together five years now."

"Nothing in the womb yet?"

"That's another reason for tying the knot. She thinks it's time to start a family."

The apologetic voice resumed: "Once again I say sorry Ra-ra – I've been appointed to lead the team building the case against you and the newspaper."

"That's okay, someone has to do it and to refuse could have cost you that senior's post."

"Exactly my thinking, though my prognosis is not good."

"What?"

"Just between you and me...but first confirm you have no recording device switched on."

"No definitely not and anyway you've called me on my own phone. Absolute confidentiality is assured."

"The mining company hasn't a leg to stand on – in my opinion your articles were so well-written there's no ambiguity and there was tight control on adjectives which is where many contestable points arise. The conclusions are so soundly presented that, in my view, your entire presentation is incontestable – but contested it will be."

"Thanks Guy you've made my day."

"No problem. I'll be judged internally on our performance rather than the result."

"Right but look – take me to lunch on Monday and I'll explain the efforts we took to ensure our exposé was straight down the middle, aggressive but responsible award winning investigative journalism – though award judging is some moths away. Regards to Michelle and say I'm standby bridesmaid if friends or her sisters baulk on her."

"Ra-ra, that's an amazing offer. She's in such awe of you."

"Cut the crap and get back to earning fees, big brother."

More Coming