Consent by Ari Mendelson

Author:Ari Mendelson [Mendelson, Ari]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-11T23:00:00+00:00

Section 2

Suburban Home, Two Years Before Election Day

ARNOLD NGUYEN WASN'T used to evenings in which his house was quiet enough to hear background music such as the string quartet that was playing softly on the stereo. Felicia had taken the children to see her mother, so that he could have this meeting with Jonathan Hall and Shanice Andrews.

“I’m going to call it the Hall Media Group,” Hall said.

“That’s a good name for a journalism outfit,” Nguyen replied.

“It was Shanice’s idea,” Hall said, putting his arm around her again.

“That must be our guest,” Nguyen replied when the doorbell chimed. He got up to answer it. A moment later he returned with an older woman.

Trailed by the diaphanous linen of her vivid blue slip dress, Olga glided like a swan into the parlor. In contrast to the solid blue of her dress, the silk shawl wrapped around her shoulders was a riot of blue, turquoise and violet. Her effortless movement made Hall wonder where a woman approaching seventy got all that energy. The silver curls that cascaded down to her shoulders were flecked with an auburn highlight here and there. Standing next to her, Nguyen looked rather drab in comparison.

“Do you know who this is?” asked Arnold.

Hall looked at Shanice

“Wait, you’re, you’re Olga Galanis, aren’t you? You own Erato Cosmetics.”

Olga smiled. “Yes, I am,” she said, with just a hint of a Greek accent. She took Shanice by the shoulders and looked at her, “You’re even more beautiful than I thought you would be.”

Shanice gave Arnie a puzzled glance.

“Arnie showed me your video,” Olga explained, “He also showed me the picture of you on your website.”

Shanice blushed and looked at her shoes.

“Do you mind if I tell you how well you made yourself up? Cosmetics are my business. I always notice.”

“Thank you.”

“I should hire you to model for me. Have you tried our Aegean Paradise line yet?”

“Not yet.”

“I’ll send you some.”

Olga hugged Shanice as Hall, his hands firmly thrust into the pockets of his new suit, wondered what to do. Olga soon turned her attention to him.

“You must be Jonathan Hall.”

“Yes,” he said.

When Olga hugged him, Hall noticed a hint of her exotic floral perfume.

“You’re a lucky man to have a woman like this in your life,” Olga said, gesturing to Shanice after she released Hall from the hug.

Hall tried not to blush.

“Oh, relax. Nothing to worry about. I just wanted to talk to you to get to know you before I made a contribution,” Olga said.

“Contribution?” Hall said, “We didn’t come here to ask you for anything. We didn’t even know you’d be here.”

“I know you didn’t. I asked Arnie not to tell you I’d be here. I wanted it to be a surprise. That way you couldn’t prepare to impress me. You’d just be yourselves.”

Hall and Shanice looked at each other and shrugged.

“Why don’t we all sit back down,” Arnie said, gesturing to the sofa and easy chairs that surrounded the coffee table. Hall and Shanice resumed their spot on the sofa as Arnie and Olga took the chairs.

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