“Please,” I said. His partner had been honest with me and I was glad for it, even though I was back here after being told he didn’t want my help.
“I’ve known Easy for years now. We were in the army at the same time, in the same platoon. After discharge, we kept in touch and supported each other while trying to become civilians again.”
“Thank you for your service,” I said because it was polite to say that to service members. Surprising that they were friends though. They came off so different.
“He was… still is gruff and kind of hard to get close to. He’s impatient and he has a bad temper.”
“He’s rude, he doesn’t respect my profession.”
“I… I agree but when we were in the army, people regarded him as a leader. He's loyal and he’s a good man.”
“That’s all very nice but I don’t know what that has to do with me. He doesn’t want my help.” All that loyalty wasn’t coming my way so what was the point? How was I supposed to take Toby’s word that Easton was a ‘good man’ when none of that goodness was reserved for me?
“He wants it, he just doesn’t want to admit it.”
“I’m a stylist. It isn’t my job to convince obstinate men to take my advice and I hope you didn’t call me here today wanting me to do that.”
“You don’t have to convince him of anything, he’s going to cooperate with you.” I looked at Toby Anderson regretting that I had come here today. I didn’t like the way that this meeting was going. I felt like I was just going to waste my time again. Half of my assignment was going to be arguing with his business partner instead of actually rehabilitating his image. I was lucky in the fact that I didn’t need this job, not for the money. I had fuck you money so nobody was ever going to make me take on a client out of desperation. I didn’t need Easton Schultz. What he needed was something else.
He needed a life coach or a therapist or another drill sergeant like he used to have when he was in the Army. I was none of those things. Admittedly, I liked a challenge but I did not like to waste my time. When I took on a challenge, it was because I was confident in my effort being worth the time by the end of it.
“I’m not going to drag this man kicking and screaming into the fashion world. He so big I couldn’t drag him anywhere.” Toby laughed at that.
“You have my word. He is going to cooperate with you. He knows what side his bread is buttered.”
I shook my head. “I am sorry but if what you are trying to do is convince me, it is not working. I don’t believe that working with your partner is going to be a fruitful venture for me, for him, or for you.”
“Well, I am trying to convince you.”
“If you think offering me money is going to do it, I have some bad news.” While I wasn’t working for free, I wasn’t going to be swayed by the promise of more money. I was enjoying my new career and dealing with Easton Schultz was not going to be enjoyable.
“I have the feeling that you would say that. I wouldn’t expect you to deal with Easy without appropriate compensation, but I have something else you might be interested in. I want to turn Easton into a credible professional that our clients will trust. If you can do that, I can get you a feature in a very influential fashion magazine.”
I fought the urge to giggle. Toby Anderson talking about a very influential fashion magazine was just a little funny. I didn’t reckon that he knew exactly the extent of the influence of the influential magazine he was talking about. He was making the offer like it was the best one I was likely to hear in my career, but the fact of the matter was if he was connected to people in the magazine industry, so was I. Very wealthy people tended to all know each other, it was a small club after all. He probably had one in with the editor in chief at Vanity Fair or Vogue. I did not doubt that, but he wasn’t offering me something that I particularly wanted.
“Is that so?”
“I know people at Hearst, Conde Nast, I can get you a feature, not just an interview or little snippet in the back of the thing where no one will see it. It’ll skyrocket your career.” The offer would have meant so much more to me if I was someone who relied on this job for money. This was far from the regular way business dealings were done. He was desperate, as much as he wasn't letting that on.
What did I actually have to lose? I mean I didn’t have anything else I was working on. This would be something to add to my portfolio; my first male client. I would have the pleasure of taming Easton Schultz and it would take up enough time for me to keep busy. If I was working with Easton, I wouldn’t be sniffing around unavailable men. I had been good so far and having something to do, people to meet and professional responsibilities had been helping. It wasn’t like Easton was a target. He was attractive but that was where it ended. He was bossy and he was an asshole and I wasn’t interested.
“Okay.”
Toby looked surprised that I gave in so fast. He likely had more bargaining chips lined up, now I was sad that I wouldn’t be hearing them. “Really?”
“Yeah. Really. I’ll do it.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much. There is actually a charity gala about a month from now that we’re attending. I think that would be a good stage for the debut of his new look.”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
He looked like a five-year-old who had just been granted his biggest Christmas wish. “I want to say that you won’t regret it, but I don’t want Easy to make me into a liar.”
“Well, you can imagine how much confidence that inspires in me.”
“Again, I’m sorry for his glaring personality flaws.”
I laughed. He had many flaws, almost too many to count and I had just signed up to a front-row seat at the Easton Schultz trainwreck. Toby seemed sure that he was going to cooperate though, so maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as all that.