Page 13 of King of Players

“Well?” He gestured with both hands. “One of our platforms is… empowering women as a minority in the workplace—”

“Hollywood is swarming with women—”

“Whose darker stories are yet to be told,” he insisted. “We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg here, and… I’m sure you understand that your… reputation…”

“You mean, the rumors about me.”

He shrugged, turning his lips upside down. “Rumors have to come from somewhere, Mr. Niles.”

“Yes. The minds of people who’d like to see me suffer.”

“And why is that?”

“Why don’t all people donate as much as they can afford, sir? Why does a teenage boy vandalize a bench in the park? Why does a drunken man piss on someone’s flower bed?” Chad shrugged. “I’m not responsible for people’s urges to take the beauty out of something beautiful, Mr.— ”

“Darwins.”

“Darwins. What I’m trying to do here is not only good for your foundation, but it’s good for society. They need to learn to get their heads out of the tabloid box and see people for who they really are—human beings who make mistakes sometimes, and do good at others. It’s not black and white, Mr. Darwins.” Pausing, he sat back, interlinking his fingers as a faint smile took over his face. “Half of the people in this room are old enough to have committed at least one thing they’re ashamed to admit. Am I right?” His eyes fiercely pierced through those staring back at him without shame. “Or am I in the presence of holy prophets and saints?”

At that point, I knew he was about to start alienating their senior minds. “Mr. Niles, nobody—

“No, no.” He stood up, grabbing his phone. “I’m done. One last thing you need to know; I’m pledging a monthly allowance out of my own pocket to this foundation, whether you want me in or not. But I’ll be damned if I didn’t let Zoya here sing its praises in the media with every full moon.”

“Mr. Niles!” I pleaded.

“Ms. Bradley.” His eyes regarded me with utter seriousness. “I have to admit that I knew nothing of you and your foundation until the party. And I spent the rest of the night researching what you do and how I can help. It’s impressive—noble, even. But nothing comes without a price, and if a little goodwill is what I want to get out of this… well, you can’t stop me.”

How was I supposed to turn down an offer like that? But more importantly, how could I persuade him to sit back down until we voted? “Mr. Niles, I apologize if anything that was said here today has offended you in any way,” I quickly said. “Please, sit down.” As I turned to the board members, I saw that Chad was still standing. “We’ve been doing things a certain way while my grandmother was alive. But times are changing, and I have to admit that resistance to change is as much my vice as it is yours. With that said, I’m certain that none of you can deny—deep down—the value that Mr. Niles’ participation would add. So, please. Let’s take the vote now. I trust your judgment.” And then I raised my hand. “All in agreement to Mr. Niles joining… please raise your hand.”

A part of me wanted the vote to come out negative. One side of my brain was livid at Chad and his attempt to benefit from what we were doing. His target felt like it was somehow tainting my purpose—polluting it. But the other part of me, the rational side, knew that a foundation like ours was never going to thrive and grow without some celebrity endorsement, something my grandmother had never even considered.

While I watched the hands rise—including Darwins’, much to my surprise—I knew that reality had won the race. A new era was presenting itself, one where marketing would take the upper hand in leading our mission. Perhaps it was time I accepted that even people like Chadwick Niles had merit, even if I didn’t agree with their methods.

“Well, I guess that’s settled,” I said, lowering my hand and turning to look at Chad’s face. His expression remained neutral, a harsh reminder that he was an actor and could conceal his true emotions better than most of us. Zoya, however, didn’t invest in hiding her excitement. Immediately, she pulled out her tablet device and launched something. “Fabulous. Ms. Bradley, I am now emailing Tina a request to put me in touch with your PR division. I’m copying you, of course.”

“Uh—I’m the PR department,” I quickly said. “We don’t have one per se.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yes. Everything that’s to be communicated regarding this matter has to go through me.”

“Perfect.” She dropped the device back into her purse and extended her hand to shake mine. “Then you’ll be receiving a meeting invitation from me later today.”

“Looking forward to it.” I turned to Chad, who was now standing by the door with his manager, looking at something on his phone. “Mr. Niles. Thank you very much. We’re excited about this partnership.”

“Yeah.” He held the door knob and twisted it, and looking away, he said, “Thanks for your time. Have a fruitful meeting.”

And just like that, the three of them walked out, and the door was closed shut. As I took my seat at the head of the table, I placed my open palms flat on the table, pushing my chair forward and adjusting my position. “Alright… now that that’s out of the way. Let’s begin our meeting.”

The eyes on me held one accusation—one I knew all too well.

And I wished I could swear that Chadwick Niles and I were not what they thought.

six

The Chronicles of Openness

Chad

---