[Chapter 94: Bringing Someone Else's Wife to New York]
Out of the blue, Orlando got a call from Bill. He felt a pang of guilt, because he was planning to call and talk to the other person's wife.
"I had a fight with her. She was really angry... she's already on the plane, and the pilot told me through the tower it's heading to New York." Bill's voice was heavy. "Look, I don't like to ask, but I hope you can take good care of her. After all... she's pregnant, right?"
"I think New York's a better place for her to raise the kid than Little Rock. There's not much there. Long Island has such a nice environment."
"I'm counting on you. Please take care of her."
Orlando stayed quiet, mulling it over.
Bill explained that he and Hillary hadn't spoken much in the last few days. It wasn't because Hillary was pregnant with someone else's child -- there were things better left unsaid. Orlando couldn't imagine how Bill came to his warped way of thinking, but Bill really didn't care. The real reason for the fight was far messier: Bill had been having an affair with his secretary and her mother! Basically, running a one-on-two situation at the office -- and Hillary caught him.
If it were just that, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. A few years back when Bill first became governor, he'd been caught in similar scandals. Back then, Hillary stood by him in public, saying it was her fault for neglecting him, which drove him to cheat. But this time, Hillary was furious. Not because she had Orlando now, but because...
Orlando thought back to his time in Arkansas. He'd met Bill's female secretary -- a woman with a mature look and clear signs of education. She was well put together, but looked at least 35, maybe 45. Her mother had her young, at 15. So, the secretary's mother was probably at least fifty.
Orlando suddenly recalled that the cleaning lady in Bill's office was the mother of this secretary. In other words, Bill was having an affair with the cleaning lady who was the secretary's mother. Orlando even half-jokingly wondered if every time the old lady came in to clean, Bill was... cleaning her pipes? Maybe Bill had made the move on the mother first, then brought in her daughter as the secretary. Jesus. Bill was really something -- a real-life player who believed women only got more beautiful with age.
Orlando was speechless.
He just told Bill he'd take good care of Hillary -- and the baby. It would take some time before she got to New York. Now he was stuck worrying about where she'd live. She couldn't stay in his Manhattan place, where Daisy occasionally stayed over. While Daisy could probably handle his relations with women in the entertainment industry, but Hillary...
And Hillary was different. Daisy was a widow; Bill was still alive and kicking. While Daisy was staying over, even if they were photographed, it wasn't a big deal, since neither Orlando nor Daisy were married to anyone else. But Hillary? No chance.
There was no time to buy a new place, so for now, Orlando figured she'd have to stay in a hotel. Later, maybe they'd buy a villa on Long Island or another Manhattan apartment. Of course, if she already had somewhere to stay -- hers or Bill's -- that'd be a different story.
---
Before Orlando could even get ready to head to the airport to pick up the mother of his first child, Frank, Seymour, and Mary Bailey showed up looking serious.
"Something's come up." Frank's face was grim. "The war between Sony and Warner has come to a head. Warner's throwing everything they have at Mariah Carey, and in response, Sony Music is targeting Shania."
Orlando only needed one word: "Meeting."
Frank and Mary didn't need to say more; Orlando's power had already filled in the blanks.
In June, Warner launched a serious offensive against Sony Music, also known as Sony Columbia Records, one of the other major players. Others joined the fray, but Sony was smart -- they focused on taking down Warner directly.
After months of wasted time and resources, the battle finally fizzled out. But this last move caught them off guard: it swept over Shania Twain, the new star signed to Orlando Records. If blame had to be assigned, it was Warner's underhanded tactics.
Warner tried every trick on Mariah Carey, aiming to steal her away. Sony countered every move, and the truce came with Warner feeling cheated. Not satisfied, Warner went after Mariah with a vengeance.
Sony Music wouldn't back down.
Meanwhile, Warner had another rising star, Shania Twain -- on par with Mariah in sales and popularity, maybe even ahead. And Orlando Records was caught in the middle, so Sony put all their money on taking down Shania.
...
The Orlando Records' conference room was thick with cigarette smoke, swirling like a storm cloud. Orlando slumped in his leather chair, fingers tapping anxiously on the table. Spread out in front of him was a detailed report in Mary Bailey's neat handwriting -- full analysis of Sony's attack plan. Seymour, Frank, Mary, Diana, and the core PR team sat around, the tension suffocating.
"It's tougher than we thought," Mary said, tracing over the report's highlights.
"Warner's spies tipped us off -- Sony's not just smearing us in tabloids. They're going after radio stations too. They've lined up 'indie' DJs to throw around innuendos like, 'I heard through the grapevine' or 'word on the street is' during late-night and indie slots, suggesting Shania's just a product of powerful backers with a fake persona. They're even setting up call-in shows."
Sure, Shania had some big names behind her rise. But this smear job -- and aren't they just ripping off their own old playbook?
Frank crushed out his cigarette and smirked: "Here in New York, Frankie Crocker's the king of the DJ scene. Warner's had their players here for years, but most DJs know the score. Sony's trying to make waves? Just send them a heads-up, a little 'thank you' to keep quiet, and boom -- they shut it down."
Frankie Crocker was a legend at the influential Bronx Radio. Orlando had made his first radio appearance on that station. Plus, Orlando had a decent rep among New York's black community -- not necessarily admiration, but at least respect. That was enough to control most DJs in the city.
Mary nodded, "New York's covered. The problem's on the West Coast -- independent stations in L.A., San Francisco, and key FM spots in the Midwest swing states. We have zero influence there. Sony's predecessor, Columbia Music, ran strong there for decades. Their DJs are wildcards, not easily bought off. They're trying to paint Shania as a gold digger to play off Mariah's stardom."
Orlando looked at Seymour. "What's Warner's take?"
Seymour said flatly, "Doug Morris said to 'bear with it for now' and 'find another route.'"
"Patience? Screw that!" Orlando slammed the table. "Shania's signed with us, not Warner. How many times do we have to go through this? Warner's not content just having a distribution deal anymore."
Orlando laid it out: at first, Warner only signed a distribution deal with Orlando Records. Nobody saw Orlando as a big deal back then. Just a kid with barely a high school diploma who turned out to be a creative genius and hit producer. So the deal only gave them about 30% profit.
After Orlando's debut album blew up, Doug hinted at wanting to invest in Orlando Records. But Orlando declined, citing Daisy's position.
Then Orlando signed Shania. Her single took off. Warner got jealous. Steve Ross, Time Warner's CEO, approached Orlando with an offer: swap Time Warner shares for a stake in Orlando Records. But the offer wasn't good enough and was refused.
Sony Music was dodging the fight with Warner directly. Instead, they targeted Shania.
And Warner? They might even want Sony to keep fighting Orlando, so when Orlando struggles, Warner can step in, take a stake, or buy Shania's contract.
If Orlando manages it alone, Warner doesn't care -- they save money.
If Orlando can't, and doesn't call Warner, Shania gets blacklisted.
Sure Warner loses, but Orlando loses more. Weakening Orlando Records helps Warner in the long run.
Orlando took a deep breath, looked around the room, and finally turned to Seymour. "What do you think?"
Seymour, with his deep ties to Warner and industry seniority, was the calmest of the group. He also owned 10% of Orlando Records. He was the fourth most anxious person in the room after Shania herself, Mary Bailey as her manager, and Orlando.
Seymour's steady voice cut through the silence: "You're right. Warner's waiting for us to burn. The West Coast network didn't build itself overnight, and Sony's been rooted there for years. Bribing DJs won't do much and could backfire. You can't put out a nearby fire with water from miles away."
The room was silent except for the rising smoke.
Conventional methods were dead ends. Warner's unreliable. Were they going to just watch as Sony ripped into public opinion?
At that moment, Diana, who had been quiet in the corner, stirred. She managed Orlando's day-to-day schedules and tech support but rarely spoke up during meetings.
Nervously twisting her pen, she raised her hand. The chair legs scraped the carpet.
"Boss, everyone... I've got an idea. Not sure if it'll work." Her voice was tense, but eyes were sharp.
"Go ahead." Orlando nodded, encouraging.
He'd hired a top headhunter and found Diana, a smart, grounded assistant from American Express, and he was happy with her so far.
Diana cleared her throat. "My family's in education -- schools, tutoring companies, textbook publishing. They run industry conferences where they lure teachers and school leaders by offering reimbursement. They cover round-trip airfare, luxury hotels, buffets, and even arrange 'educational visits' afterward -- which are really sightseeing or fancy dinners. For people with limited budgets in smaller towns, the chance to travel, learn, and network for free is irresistible. Some even bring their families, and organizers usually don't mind."
She looked at Orlando. "Can we do something like that? Invite the West Coast and Midwest DJs that Sony's targeting to New York under the cover of 'touring top music production facilities' or 'attending a seminar on future music trends'? We pay for their flights, five-star hotels, food, drinks, entertainment. Show them how vibrant New York is, show our strength. Then get them into studios for meet-and-greets with you or other producers..."
"Brilliant, Diana!" Seymour couldn't hide his excitement. "Most West Coast DJs, especially black DJs, are on small local stations, barely making enough and with little exposure. Sony can offer cash and airplay promises, but we offer respect, status, and a new perspective! We'll make them look good to their peers and gain swagger with the ladies!"
Frank grinned, "They come to New York, get spoiled with food and glam, and take it all in. When they go back, Sony's crumbs won't matter -- they'll only remember our generosity and be hyped to play our artists nonstop, bragging about their connections."
Orlando's eyes lit up. He slammed his palm on the table, making the ashtray rattle. "Okay! Let's do it! Diana, that idea's worth fifty grand. I'll get you a bonus."
He whipped around to Mary Bailey and the PR team, voice full of fire.
"Mary, start drafting the most extravagant invitations. Theme: 'Exploring the Future of Music: Orlando Records Elite DJ Exchange'! Location: New York, ASAP! Don't miss any DJs Sony's trying to poach -- invite them all!
Cover all their expenses, and let them bring families -- girlfriends, wives, kids, even other people's wives! As long as they dare bring them, we'll take them."
Orlando's voice boomed, "Get them the best suites, finest restaurants, VIP spots at top clubs! PR team stays glued to them so they get the full Orlando Records experience -- what it means to belong here!"
He gave a fierce smile. "Money? No problem. I'm laying down a road to the West Coast radio market. This fixes the current mess and builds a national distribution network -- with roots on the West Coast."
"Understood!"
Mary and her PR team snapped to attention, their earlier tension replaced by excitement.
This blunt, straightforward 'money diplomacy' felt so much better than playing manipulative games with Sony.
'Humph. If Warner wants to mess around, they'll be the first ones I boot.'
Only Orlando, Frank, and Seymour remained as the others left.
Orlando said coldly, "Let's get to work."
*****
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