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“Well, since Regina may be leaving, I thought you might consider coming to work for PWE Multicultural.”
Adrienne didn’t show her excitement. “What about Sally?”
He shook his head. “I’m not talking about a secretarial job, Adrienne. I’m negotiating with a woman named Mallory Guest. If all goes well, she’ll be the creative director for PWE Multicultural. She’ll need a secretary and a talent manager. I figure you for the latter position.”
“I don’t know what a creative director or a talent manager does,” Adrienne admitted.
Lloyd looked at Adrienne. “A creative director supervises the artistic side of an advertising campaign,” he said slowly. “Mallory understands television and radio production as well as what makes an effective print ad. Do you follow me so far?”
Adrienne nodded. “Yes.”
“So,” Lloyd continued, “Mallory will supervise all the writers, producers, and artists who work on the ads and commercials.”
“Where would I fit in?”
“A talent manager is in charge of the actors, singers, dancers, and models. You’ll deal with their agents, set up auditions, make sure they get paid properly, and a host of other things that I don’t really know about. Mallory will explain how she wants you to handle the job.” Lloyd leaned back in his chair. “You interested?”
A new job meant a pay raise and a chance to get out of debt. “Very, very interested, but why are you offering me the job? I’m sure there are other people who are far more qualified.”
“Let’s just say that I owe you a favor.”
Lloyd winked at her as if they shared a secret, and then his eyes fell on a book that was sticking up out of her tote bag. He pulled it out.
“What are you reading?”
“After the Garden, by Doris Jean Austin.”
He leaned back against the sofa, his long legs stretched out in front of him. “What is it about?”
“It’s about this young, innocent girl who has been sheltered by her grandmother after her parents died. Her grandma wants her to be a teacher, but she falls in love with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks and ruins her life completely.”
He read the book jacket in silence.
Adrienne asked, “Do you like the story?”
Lloyd rubbed his eyes as he handed her back the book. “I feel sorry for the grandmother. It’s hard letting go of a dream.” Adrienne noticed the note of strain that came into his voice.
Adrienne took the book from him. “I know all about that scene,” she replied. “My mother was real mad when I left college to join an all-girl singing group.”
She told Lloyd that instead of praising the singing gift God had granted her, her mama had said, “All singers and actresses have to sleep with lots of men to get famous. You weren’t raised like that.”
“I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t finish school, Adrienne. What did your father say?” Lloyd asked.
Adrienne’s chuckle was bitter. “Daddy seemed bewildered. He said, ‘You mean I worked like a dog all those years for nothin’?’” She did a gruff imitation of a man’s baritone.
Lloyd’s expression was unreadable.
Adrienne continued. “I thought the music industry would welcome me with open arms.”
“Because you’re gorgeous?” Lloyd asked softly.
“No. Because I was voted ‘most talented’ and ‘most beautiful’ in my high school yearbook,” Adrienne laughed. “I was still riding high on that. It all seems so naive now.”
Lloyd shrugged. “Sure, it was. Still, it must have been exciting.”
“It was in the beginning,” Adrienne admitted. “We called ourselves Starship. There was me, a woman named Lisa, and her cousin, Shawna.”
“Did you have a manager?”
