Wonder of the Waves by Jim Lombardo

Author:Jim Lombardo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2019-06-11T13:47:18+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Two

The Yellow Kittens

It was an unseasonably warm January afternoon as Hannah walked between her parents, gripping each of their hands tightly.

“Be careful, Daddy-o,” the child said, “this is New York City, and they jack up all the prices.”

Hannah stopped with a jerk, bringing the group to a halt. She stood looking straight up in awe at the structure towering high above her.

“Here we are! The Empire State building!” she cried.

The Blakes had an appointment with Kip Becker, CEO of StarPros at one o’clock, and they were running right on time.

“You made it happen, Hannah. Come on, let’s get in there,” urged Monica.

Inside, the lobby of the skyscraper was magnificently adorned with a high gold ceiling and marble walls and floors. A swarm of people were dashing around, heading into and out of a bank of elevators.

Mr. Becker had told the family that his son Ace, an executive with StarPros, would be greeting them in the lobby to escort them up to the company’s suite, but the Blakes didn’t see anyone looking for them. After five minutes of waiting, they decided to head up themselves.

Hannah got onto the tips of her toes and reached up to press “51.” This was fitting as she had handled all of the family’s itinerary and arrangements for their entire trip. She had meticulously researched and planned everything to ensure it was as efficient and economical as possible. They had driven to New Haven, Connecticut, the night before, and stayed at a hotel that Hannah had booked through an online discount site. They had parked their car on the day of the meeting at the Metro-North Railroad garage, and had taken the train straight into Grand Central Station, thereby avoiding the commuter crush. Upon exiting the train station, Hannah had recited the walking route for her parents. “We head southwest on Vanderbilt Avenue toward East 42nd Street for 30 feet. Okay, we turn right here onto East 42nd Street and walk for .2 miles. Now, we just go left onto 5th Avenue and we’re there.”

The elevator door opened at floor 51, and the Blakes exited into a hallway without any signs to guide them.

“Quite the welcoming committee,” Brian said sarcastically.

“It’s this way,” Hannah advised, having studied the floor plans of the Empire State Building carefully beforehand. She had also reviewed every single tidbit of public information she could find on StarPros, including a review of their history, financial situation, and their organizational structure, which currently consisted of a grand total of two employees. Brian and Monica were going to learn a lot more about the company during this meeting than their daughter. As the group approached the end of the hallway, they were met by two giant glass doors, each framed by flashing Broadway lights. One had “Star” written on it, and the other “Pros,” along with the company’s logo of singers and microphone. The doors swung open from the center automatically, and the Blakes proceeded into a beautiful and spacious reception room with luxurious furniture, large indoor plants, and fresh flowers everywhere.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.