“I’m sorry,” Terese said. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be doing it. It’s just reflex. I know Colleen and the crew are still in the studio working, and I suppose I feel guilty being out here enjoying myself.”
“Should I ask how the campaign is going?” Jack asked.
“It’s going fine,” Terese said. “In fact, I got nervous today and called my contact over at National Health and had lunch with her. When I told her about the new campaign she was so excited she begged me to allow her to leak it to her CEO. She called back this afternoon to say that he liked it so much that he’s thinking of upping the advertising budget by another twenty percent.”
Jack made a mental calculation of what a twenty percent increase meant. It was millions, and it made him ill since he knew the money would essentially be coming from patient-care funds. But not wishing to spoil their evening, he did not let Terese know his thoughts. Instead, he congratulated her.
“Thank you,” she said.
“It hardly sounds like you had a bad day,” Jack commented.
“Well, hearing that the client likes the concept is just the beginning,” Terese said. “Now there is the reality of actually putting the presentation together and then actually doing the campaign itself. You have no idea of the problems that arise making a thirty-second TV spot.”
Terese took a sip of her wine. As she set her glass back on the table she again glanced at her watch.
“Terese!” Jack said with mock anger. “You did it again!”
“You’re right!” Terese said, slapping a hand to her forehead. “What am I going to do with myself. I’m an impossible workaholic. I admit it. But wait! I do know what I can do. I can take the damn thing off!” She unbuckled her wristwatch and slipped it into her purse. “How’s that?” she asked.
“Much better,” Jack said.
“The trouble is this dude is probably thinking he’s some kind of superman or something,” Twin said. “He’s probably saying those brothers don’t know what the hell they are doing. I mean, it’s all pissing me off. You know what I’m saying?”
“So why don’t you do this yourself?” Phil asked.
“Why me?” Dots of perspiration stood out like cabochon diamonds along his hairline.
Twin was draped over the steering wheel of his Cadillac. Slowly he turned his head to regard his heir apparent in the half-light of the car’s interior. Headlights of the passing vehicles alternately illuminated Phil’s face.
“Be cool,” Twin warned. “You know I can’t walk in there. The doc would recognize me right off and the game would be over. The element of surprise is important.”
“But I was there in the doc’s apartment too,” Phil complained.
“But the mother wasn’t looking you in the eye,” Twin said. “Nor did you tag him with a sucker punch. He won’t remember you. Trust me.”
“But why me,” Phil whined. “BJ wanted to do it, especially after things got screwed up in the drugstore. He wants another chance.”
“After the drugstore the doc might recognize BJ,” Twin said. “Besides, it’s an opportunity for you. Some of the brothers have been complaining that you’ve never done anything like this and that you shouldn’t be next in line in the gang. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
“But I’m not good at this stuff,” Phil complained. “I’ve never shot anyone.”
“Hey, it’s easy,” Twin said. “First time maybe you wonder, but it’s easy. Pop! It’s over. In a way it’s kinda a letdown, because you get yourself all keyed up.”
“I’m keyed up, all right,” Phil admitted.
“Relax, kid,” Twin said. “All you have to do is walk in there and not say a word to anyone. Keep the gun in your pocket and don’t take it out until you are standing right in front of the doc. Then draw it out and pop! Then get your black ass outta there and away we go. It’s that easy.”
“What if the doc runs?” Phil asked.
“He won’t run,” Twin said. “He’ll be so surprised he won’t lift a finger. If a dude thinks he might be knocked off he has a chance, but if it comes out of the blue like a sucker punch, there’s no way. Nobody moves. I’ve seen it done ten times.”