Perfect Kiss

New York City, ten years later "I want that woman," demanded the new CEO of Renee Alexander Cosmetics. "She's not available, Mr. Christopher. Believe me, I've tried--"" "Then try harder, damn it!" Zach Christopher rolled up the sleeves of his starched white shirt, then loosened his tie as he glowered at Evan Hawthorne, the head of his advertising department. "You'll have to learn that I don't take no for an answer, Evan. Get back on the horn and be firm this time. Insist on a meeting. Rumor has it Calvin Klein wants to sign her for the latest Obsession campaign, but I intend to have her for Seduction. Do what you have to do, but get her signature on that contract." The young executive cleared his throat. "Sir, she's rejected all of our offers--our verygenerousoffers. And if I might point out, sheisslightly older than the models we've used in the past. I mean, she stilllooksfantastic from what I've heard, but she's been out of circulation for nearly a decade. People won't remember--"" Zach cut him off with a look, exasperated that yet another one of his decisions was being questioned. "People never forget a face like that. The questions behind her disappearance from the public eye will feed their curiosity, their imaginations--andoursales. Her very mystery is an allure, a powerful seduction. Contrary to popular belief around here, I do know what I'm doing," Zach added dryly. "Now, she's obviously holding out for more money. I want you to find out exactly what she wants." Evan shoved the horn-rimmed glasses back up his nose as color tinged his cheeks. "With all due respect, Mr. Christopher, I've called her agent a half dozen times. The response is always the same. She isn't interested in signing an exclusive contract with us or anyone else." Zach sat back in his leather chair and folded his hands behind his head as he eyed the young executive with narrowed eyes. "And you accept that? Well, I don't, by God. Everyone has a price, Evan." I should know, Zach thought with an inward grimace. Why else was he here at his family's cosmetics firm, a company that hadn't been in the big leagues in years? Why else was he occupying an office that was still dominated by William Christopher, his father, a man who had washed his hands of Zach a long time ago? Why else was he sitting behind a desk that, by all rights, should have belonged to his brother, a brother who had died because of Zach? Because Zach's price had been named. Two days after his father had suffered a massive heart attack three months ago, Zach's mother, Kathryn, had lured him from his position as vice president of marketing at a major pharmaceutical conglomerate to take over the reins of the family business. She'd used his guilt, and his innate sense of loyalty to make him do what he had always sworn he would never do. But mostly she'd appealed to his baser side--ambition. The challenge had been irresistible. Propel Renee Alexander Cosmetics back to the top, and both Zach Christopher and the company would become forces to be reckoned with in the business world. Already theWall Street Journalhad written an in-depth, albeit negative, article about Zach, outlining the challenges and pitfalls that lay ahead of the thirty-two-year-old CEO in the cutthroat industry that hid beneath the cloak of beauty and high fashion. The reporter had also hinted at Zach and William Chris-topher's past estrangement, the circumstances surrounding Matthew Christopher's death, and Zach's reluctance, over the years, to join the family firm. Zach had read the article over breakfast that morning and then tossed it in the trash--where it belonged as far as he was concerned. Because the one thing the reporterhadn'tsaid was that Zach Christopher had never yet met a challenge he couldn't handle. One way or another. He lunged forward in his chair now and stared at the series of pictures spreaStevens, Amanda is the author of 'Perfect Kiss ', published 2006 under ISBN 9780373470839 and ISBN 0373470835.