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Elaine held up her hand for silence. “I’m not through. When Alyssa made that statement, Rashker went wild. She stood up and screamed at Alyssa in front of everyone.”
I was surprised. “What exactly did she say?”
“She yelled, “Who the hell do you think you are?”
There was a gasp from Dallas. “Oh my God, poor Alyssa.”
“No shit,” agreed Paul.
“Alyssa,” continued Elaine, “just sat there like a pillar of concrete. My contact over there told me that she seemed literally incapable of movement or speech. The woman told Alyssa point-blank that she better not ever pull a stunt like that again . . . that there was no such thing as black editing or white editing . . . that Alyssa better hope the book earned out its advance or she was going to be pounding the sidewalk looking for some more black editing to do.”
“Get the fuck outta here!” Paul exclaimed in disbelief. “Even if that’s what she was thinking, I can’t believe Marlena Rashker would be stupid enough to say it in front of a room full of witnesses.”
There was a general murmur of agreement.
“This is really bad,” said Joe, “but there is a silver lining to this cloud.”
We all wanted to know what on earth it was.
Joe steepled his fingers and what he said next made perfect sense. “Alyssa Kraft is the only member of the Black Pack who is guaranteed a job for the next hundred years. She won’t be downsized, outsized, or anything else. This stupid woman, whoever she is, just opened the company up to a gigantic racial discrimination lawsuit and the powers that be over there are going to make sure that our Alyssa is kept very happy.”
“Apparently Alyssa didn’t share your optimism,” Elaine finished triumphantly. “She quit her job the next morning.”
“Does anyone have her home phone number?” I asked. “This is terrible. We’ve all got to do something.”
“Like what?” asked Elaine. “She is a grown woman who decided that she would prefer to work elsewhere. She wasn’t fired. I say we all stay out of it.”
“I agree,” Joe said.
“Me, too,” Dallas chimed in. “The last thing I need is a bunch of angry white people breathing down my neck.”
Paul said nothing, and by the look on his face I knew that he agreed with Dallas.
Elaine cleared her throat. “There is one other thing.”
A leopard just cannot change its spots. I knew what was coming.
“There is no way Davina Coolidge is going to sign with them after what happened, so I wouldn’t be stabbing Alyssa in the back if I took a trip to D.C. and met with her, would I?”
“What time does your flight leave, Elaine?” I asked softly.
“I’m taking the shuttle first thing Monday morning.” Elaine looked around at our angry faces and her expression became defiant. “Look, this is a business. That is what I learned at Harvard.”
Even though it was still early, none of us was in the mood to party any longer. Paul tapped a fork on his glass and shouted, “Okay, folks. On that note, I must take my leave. What is my share of the bill?”
I stood up, too. “Yes, it has been interesting. Good night.”
The atmosphere was tense and I knew that the rest of the group would break up before I was halfway home.
We all air-kissed and waved good-bye. I kept a fake smile on my face until Paul and I were out on the sidewalk, and then my emotions got the better of me. Tears slid down my face. “Jesus, what a night! Victor might be taken and now Alyssa is unemployed.”
Paul gave me a handkerchief. “Jackie, I hope you don’t get mad at me for what I’m about to say, but I’m your best friend and it’s time I came out with it.”
Paul and I had bonded instantly at a book party a few years before and quickly become almost inseparable. We shared our secrets, dreams, and problems. He had my back and I most definitely had his.
“Just say what you have to say,” I sniffled.
“Okay.” He took a deep breath and held my chin up so we were staring into each other’s eyes. “I don’t know how or why it happened, but you are obsessed with Victor Bell and you need professional help.”
