The gang just looked so attractive, John thought as he looked across the bar-with the back drop of the city beyond. But more than anything, the fun, 'vacation spot' feel of the decor was relaxing.
Blythe
'Oh, don't worry, we have people covering in case Bernie calls. They'll shut off your PC too.'
John
'Oh great. Funny...first there's lot's of supervision at the agency, then there's none.'
Blythe
'No we're just good at surviving the agency.'
John sips his salted margarita.
David to John
'You have salt on your lip.'
John
'Back off, salt lick boy.'
David laughs, winks and gestures with his eyes towards Stacey. He leans in and whispers in her ear. Stacey tries to compose herself as if her drink went up her nose. The over-sized, red, blue and light green drinks-plus the yellow Coronas with green limes, sparkle in the late afternoon sunlight-streaming through the windows.People don't look this good. In his hometown bar, John thinks. There is a picture of John Wayne, an American Eagle-all on wood paneling. Men with bellies that enter a room before the rest of their body do, sit on black stools with studs. These are working guys who fished for a living or fixed boats and cars. The people at Rio were willowy...looking like they were less apt to hold their ground in a wind storm. So it was not surprising that topics and conversation spilled as casually as an over-filled margarita.
John to Tony
'So spill it. How do you survive Bernie.'
Tony
'Do your job. Someone said you live down the shore?'
John sips his drink.
John
'Yeah.'
Tony
'Then you know how to tread water. Bernie wins...always. Keep pleasing clients...getting business.'
John
'Writing is really my thing...the rest of living...not so much.'
Tony takes a big sip of his blue margarita.
Tony
"...and if you take an account from the Bernard Stein Agency....that's big. Bernie hates Bernie.'
John
'Yeah, what's up with that?'
Tony
'Stein came from Sutton Place. Our Bernie from Brooklyn. He became a traffic person, getting ads to magizines and newspapers, then assistant account executive, then a great sales person who just took over our agency by threatening to leave it...and take his accounts with him. So the owner sold it to him. Now he gets a piece of everything. And in New York, everyone has their own deal...they're on 100% commission and get billed back for pitches. In the branch offices, no one is on just commission. New York is tough. And Bernie respects tough. So don't wimp out'
John
"Sounds like he's in control of everything...'
Tony
'Well, we don;t have to stay...we're not slaves.'
John
'Not in this life...'
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