Chapter Thirty-Five
“The news is so goo”
Kacie arrived at the executive suite on the top floor at 9:45 AM. She had on a new black suit, a new blue blouse, new $600 Ferragamo heels that her auntie had surely gotten a deal on before gifting them, and her mother’s special-occasion beaded clutch bag. On the other side of the door marked Executive was a round reception desk staffed by two women with headsets, one gray-haired and black, the other Asian and a little older than she was. Each had a slim computer. The current program on TKN was playing at low volume on a wall-mounted flatscreen TV; it was a rerun of Hammer Chef Singaporean Justin Chiang making char kway teow, stir-fried rice cake strips, which Kacie had already seen twice. There were some cushioned chairs in TKN logo colors and a coffee table with a selection of neatly stacked TKN cookbooks. One wrinkled copy of USA Today was the only thing out of order.
“He’s expecting you,” said the gray-haired receptionist. She gestured at a corridor that began to the left of the desk. “Straight back, take a left, end of the hall. The door should be open.”
Kacie followed the directions. The Ferragamo shoes were pinching the crap out of her feet. Her heart was beating fiercely. I don’t need anything, she told herself. It’s okay. I’ll be fine if this meeting turns out to be a waste. It’s okay.
She mentally rehearsed her thank-you speech, extended her hand into the empty hallway in front of her.
The door was indeed open. Lou Morton and Herschel Singer were sitting at a small side table with closed folders in front of them. Gray sunlight came through two catacorner windows behind Morton’s right-angled black desk. A wheeled tray table held a coffee pot, several Poland Spring bottles, an ice bucket, glasses, and a bottle of vodka with a loose cap.
Morton gestured to the tray of drinks and an empty chair between him and Herschel. “Chef Lee, welcome. Pour yourself whatever you’d like and join us.”
Kacie made herself a weak vodka and water, sipped, and sat. Her heart was still racing; she almost heaved up the small sip of liquor.
Morton said, “This contract is a little more complicated, so you’ll need an agent and probably a lawyer. Herschel has your copy. Do you have an agent?”
“A what?”
“A theatrical agent. Make sure you get into AFTRA also. Herschel, you’ll fill her in on that.”
Kacie didn’t know where all this was coming from. “Why do I need an agent?”
“Usually they do the tough part of this type of negotiation, between Lou and the talent I mean, so we can all stay cordial,” Herschel explained. “Here. This is Terry Bigelow’s card. He’s Nina Lestrade’s agent.” Herschel put a card on top of the folder and slid them over to Kacie; she quickly lifted her drink to make space, and, since she was holding it, gulped the remaining contents without even feeling it. The casting director continued, “Terry represents a lot of our TV personalities.”
There it was — now the vodka was sending some fireworks up into her sinuses. Kacie coughed and put her hand on her sternum. “Are we doing this backwards? I don’t know what we’re talking about.”
“Whoops,” said Morton. “Oooo-kay. We’re talking about Hammer Chef Teen. Teenagers competing in their own preferred cuisine styles to become the best in the world in their age group.”
Kacie didn’t see what that had to do with her. Did Morton not understand how old she was? “I’m not a teenager. I’ve been to culinary school. I can’t compete on a show like that.”
“No,” said Herschel, “but you can host it.”
Kacie’s heart skipped a beat. “Host… it?”
“Co-host, actually,” said Morton. “We’ll put someone seasoned on the show with you, make it a team. And Shelley will direct. That works for you?”
“Yeah, but…”
“We think your quick wit and youthful look will appeal to kids,’ said Morton.
Kacie had never thought any such thing possible. “You’re sure? It sounds like a great opportunity.”
“Here’s our read. Teenagers, kids in general, aspire to be the next age step up. Elementary school kids want to be like middle school kids, middle school kids want to be like high school kids, and high school kids want to be twenty-somethings. You’re the next step up from high school.”
“But I wasn’t popular in high school. I made food and sold it at games and stuff, so everyone knew who I was, but it was mostly a joke. I was the school freak.”
“Many celebrities start out as the school freak,” said Herschel. “You become a role model for young people when you show the strength to stick with something that works for you when others don’t have the imagination or the guts. That’s why we let people speak their minds at this network.”
“People achieve excellence when they feel they have some ownership of what they are doing,” said Morton. “A team is strong when everyone respectfully speaks up with their best. Ultimately the buck stops with me at TKN, and when a decision has to be made at the end, I make it, but first I listen to questions and alternative views. I want to be the leader here because of how I perform in my role. I want to inspire you because I let you inspire me. Does that make sense?”
“That’s his speech,” said Herschel. “Did you like it?”
“Yeah, I did. Yeah, it makes sense. That’s what I’d want to do, too.” Kacie felt like she was floating. She wasn’t sure if she should have more liquor or she should have had less.
“So, what questions do you have?”
“Uh… This does pay, right?”
Morton said, “Your salary won’t be in the millions, but if you’re successful at building a fan base with the platform we provide, you’ll get endorsements, personal appearances, magazine covers, cookbooks, and of course, guest appearances on other shows. Get yourself a business manager to work with your agent. I expect you’ll earn a tidy income with proper management.”
“Do I have to give up my restaurant?”
“Of course not, but you’ll have to divide your time. I’m sure any of our Hammer Chefs can advise you about that, or Madame Queen. If I were you I’d go upscale eventually, but that’s up to you.”
There had been a time, even just weeks ago, when career would have been the only thing Kacie thought about. That had changed, and there was something else she had to ask also. But how could she ask it? Well, there was no way to delay. “Do you have anything for Toby? Chef Brutus, do you…?”
“We’re working with Chef Winfrey on a possible project,” said Morton. “He might appear there on occasion. But this meeting is about you. It’s your talent and potential we want to develop today. You are exceptional.”
“Yeah, but so is he.”
Herschel said, “Give him the information for your agent and leave it there. He needs a professional advocate.”
“But…”
“Sweetie, you can help your man better by helping yourself first. Toby would tell you to look out for yourself, wouldn’t he?”
“Of course, but if he was here, he’d be asking about me. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Okay, okay,” said Morton. “We’ll offer him two guest shots on your show, and one on Hammer Chef Challenge. Now let’s move on. Get set up with an agent and we’ll meet again midweek with Shelley and the writing staff. By then we should have a handle on who might be your cohost.”
Kacie felt as if her soul was draining out of her body. Was this what success felt like? Or were they somehow using her? Maybe if she cooked, it would stabilize her. “You want to eat?” she asked the two men. “I could make us something.”
“It’s too early,” said the executive. “We’re having lunch by Hammer Chef Thai about 1:00, if you want to sit in. Come back around 12:30, conference room.”
“Yeah, yeah. Sounds great.”
Herschel followed her out the door. “Listen, Kacie,” he said. “We need to keep this deal quiet. No press releases, no reporters, no sharing it with blabbermouths. Nothing in social media. If we get the wrong kind of attention, or some of our concepts go into development elsewhere, it could be a serious obstacle. Okay?”
“Okay.”
∞∞∞
Out in the waiting room by the secretaries, Kacie felt her knees buckling and sagged into a chair. She fumbled her phone out of her clutch, dropped it on the floor. Typed the lock code wrong three times. Finally got into the messaging app. Whom to message first?
Kacie: Dad, they offered me my own show.
He didn’t answer. He might be in a meeting or commuting.
Kacie: Don’t tell anyone. That could mess it up.
Who was next?
Kacie: Toby, the news is so goo OMG.
Kacie: good
Toby: I cant wait to hear. Stuck in line at this office. Not even sure if theyll help me.
How would he feel knowing she was getting her own show and he was not? Would jealousy come between them?
But her career was her future.
But Toby was her man. He was her future, too. No job was better than Toby.
But he’d be happy for her. Of course he would.
Kacie: Its so good promise you wont be jealous.
Toby: No you deserve the world.
Kacie: I got my own show. Hammer Chef Teen.
Delay
Toby: Hot damn.
Kacie: I asked them to do something for you.
Long delay.
Toby: You didn’t have to do that.
Long delay. Then a ding.
Dad: Call your mother.
∞∞∞
Things were a whirl after that. Kacie had a hard time persuading her mother not to spread the news all the way to the relatives in Seoul. She had an even harder time getting Jinwoo to understand not to tell his mother and not to count her out of the future of the restaurant. She couldn’t get Terry Bigelow on the phone, so she called Madame Queen, who placed her own call and got the agent to contact her. Jinwoo went along to the meeting with the agent to advocate for Kacie and behaved very well.