believed what he was saying. A flush of emotion overcame her and for a moment she feared she would tear up. She swallowed it and took a breath.
“While I appreciate the sentiment, Mr. Langdon…”
“Michael. Please say my name.”
His tone took her off guard. Not annoyed. Not angry. Merely insistent.
“Michael.” The name came out of her mouth sounding like a sigh. “I don’t think you understand the magnitude of what happened. Trust me when I tell you being seen with the former president’s mistress will not gain you any public-relations points. If anything it will make you more of a joke.”
“So you slept with your boss. It’s not the first time that’s ever happened. It’s not like you’re Jezebel.”
According to her father she was. In fact it was the last word he’d ever said to her.
“It doesn’t matter. You need to trust me. My presence will not help you. My advice can. You wanted to know where to start?”
“Yes.”
“Then we start with the people who gave you your image in the first place. You’ll need to use the media—only this time on your terms. You’ll need to identify several well-known charities you can link your name with.”
“I already have a charity.”
Madeleine knew he donated generously to a jobs program that helped inmates transition when they left prison. “Yes, but we’ll need something more high profile. I know it sounds self-serving and the idea of charity is to be selfless, but in this case we have no choice. I’m thinking environmental causes. Attaching yourself to the green movement will seem to give you purpose when you present your idea to the people you want to partner with. It raises the stakes on the whole project.”
Michael stood and paced a little behind his desk while Madeleine used her computer to call up events that might be newsworthy.
“There, in two days. And bonus—it’s local. There is a charity being hosted by Solarcomp. They are the group that promotes…”
“I know who they are.”
“For five thousand dollars a plate you can attend, for twenty thousand a plate you can sit at a table with the former vice president who believes solar energy is the key to our clean-energy future.”
Michael stopped his pacing and faced her. “I’m not opposed to the environmental causes.”
“That’s good. Few people are.”
“I meant… I want you to know…you…that I’m not launching this car for purely altruistic reasons. I’m a businessman. I have what I believe is a good idea. I want to make money from it. If in the end it saves people money and helps the environment that’s gravy, but it’s not what I’m about.”
Madeleine looked at him. “Why do you think it’s important I should know that?”
“I don’t want to be a fraud to you. I don’t want you to think I’m something I’m not.”
Madeleine considered that. “I think you’re a businessman, in need of a new reputation. I think your cause is worthy and I’ve already accepted the position. You don’t have to prove anything to me, Mr.…”
“Don’t do it.”
“Michael. You don’t have anything to prove to me, Michael.”
“Of course I don’t. I wanted you to know the score. That’s all.”
“Okay. Well, let’s talk about Solarcomp’s Night of Lights event. According to the website I can still get you two seats at the five-thousand-dollar level. Given the attendees it should definitely garner some media attention. Plus, the former vice president has a new book coming out. We need to talk about your escort.”
“Escort? That’s an old-fashioned word.”
“Your date.”
“That can’t be you? Right?”
Madeleine felt a zing of reaction whiz through her body. She wasn’t sure if it was fear, revulsion at the idea of being seen at an event or something else she wasn’t going to put a name to.
She met his eyes and searched them for meaning. When he looked back at her directly she could see his intentions. He wasn’t asking her on a date. He was simply reiterating his point that he thought it was a good idea to be seen with her.
He was wrong.
“Michael, do you trust me to do my job?”
“Of course. You wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
“Then please don’t ever ask me something like that again. I’ve told you I’m poison. I mean this not in a self-deprecating way, but in the cold, hard fact way.”
“Maybe I want a beautiful woman on my arm.”
“Do an internet search on your name, then click the images page. I’m sure you’ll find you always have a beautiful woman on your arm.”
He dug his hands into his pants pockets and said nothing.
“We need to talk about who she will be.”
“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not really involved with anyone right now.”
“Do you have any ideas of who you might call? Anyone who could be available on short notice?”
He met her eyes steadily. “There are a few who would come on short notice. Why does it matter?”
“Because one of the things we want to try to countermand is your playboy image. A different girl every week, every event, every red carpet, lends itself to that. If you could possibly settle on one…”
Michael’s jaw dropped. “You want me to start a relationship with a woman because it would be good for my reputation?”
Madeleine inwardly sighed. She was working with an amateur. Which meant she needed patience. Amateurs didn’t understand that everything counted. Every word, every action, every picture printed in the media, was its own story. To create an image one had to be in control of every element of his life. What he said, what he ate, who he saw publicly. Politicians knew this. To a certain extent so did the Hollywood elite, although their cultivated image was often more radical than a politician’s.
She had to admit she was a little stunned by how quickly and easily it all came back. After years of researching and writing position papers, here she was, doing what she knew how to do best. It was thrilling and daunting considering who she had to work with. But to have a challenge, a real challenge in her life, she could feel the adrenaline pulsing beneath her skin.
“Of course not. I want you to consider if there is a woman in your life who you are more partial to than others. Being seen with the same woman at multiple events implies a relationship even if there truly isn’t one. It shows stability, maturity and lends itself to the new image we want to cultivate for you, that you are
