Wendy Pt. 04

"I'll call room service," Mary said, reaching for the phone.

"Bring a coffee for yourself, too, Shirelle," Wendy said when she and Mary arrived at work in the morning. "We'll need you for this meeting."

"Sure thing," Shirelle said.

"Well, I do have to say that this office has never been graced by so much beauty," Jonathan said when he saw the three of them sitting in front of his desk. "What do you have for us today, Wendy."

"I wanted to explain to Shirelle what we're going to do and see if she has any ideas about it," Wendy replied, smiling at the surprise on Shirelle's face when she heard that she was to coordinate the employee evaluation program.

"You have to be careful asking about their personal or private lives," Shirelle warned. "There're all sorts of legal landmines in that, discrimination not the least of them. I'd suggest asking each person if they mind being asked about their personal lives, including telling them what you're interested in and why. If they know that, they'll be more inclined to go along. But no matter what, you have to make it very clear that there are no negative ramifications in not wanting to participate in that aspect of the evaluation."

"That's what I was looking for," Wendy said, smiling. "Mary will give you the names and phone numbers for each of the department heads. I want you to contact them and explain what we're doing and ask if they have any suggestions so that we can formulate the program."

"Not a problem," Shirelle said, smiling. "Thank you."

"You're the best person here for the job," Wendy said, smiling. "Mary, I'd like you to call Fred and see if he needs any help with anything now that we've made a deal with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Do what you can to help him."

"Okay," Mary agreed.

"I need to speak to Jonathan for a minute," she said, waiting until Shirelle and Mary left.

"What's up?" Jonathan asked, and Wendy explained about Tony and the artwork and her need to take the afternoon off.

"I am just flabbergasted and overwhelmed," she said. "That artwork alone is worth half of the value of the entire building."

"You're not alone," Jonathan said, sitting back in his chair. "Wow! I'll just reiterate what I told you before, you cannot do any better than having Tony and Sara as friends. Clearly, their generosity knows no bounds. Personally, I feel that his trust in you is not misplaced. You're an extraordinary young woman and I'm really glad that other people are realizing that fact."

"Thanks," Wendy said, sighing. "I just had to talk to someone who might understand. Mary's too...well, Mary. Everything's either a laugh or an orgasm with her," she said, laughing.

"I don't know a thing about art and have never really been interested, but I'd love to bring Vera by to see it when it's ready," Jonathan said.

"Of course," Wendy said. "There's no such thing as either of you ever not being welcome, no matter the reason or the time of day."

"Does that include a quickie on the way to drop off the laundry," Jonathan asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"Especially then," Wendy laughed.

"A Mr. Reynolds from Hospitalio Recruitment called while you were in with Jonathan," Mary informed Wendy when she returned to her office. "He asked if you'd give him a call. Here's the number," she said, tearing off a piece of paper and handing it to her.

"Mr. Reynolds, this is Wendy Rose at Clandestine Group, returning your call," she said when he picked up after she was transferred.

"Ms. Rose, thank you for returning my call," Mr. Reynolds said. "I've got a couple of names for you that I think you might want to consider. I could give you two or three more names, but I feel as though that would be wasting your time."

"I appreciate that," Wendy said. "What can you tell me about them?"

"One of them is French, Didier Clousseau," Mr. Reynolds replied. "He has been considered one of the top chefs in the world for over a decade. He has opened restaurants three times around the world and each time achieved a Michelin star within three years."

"He sounds perfect," Wendy said.

"The other is Italian, Gianni Antinori," Mr. Reynolds continued. "He, too, has been considered one of the world's top chefs for almost 20 years. He is famous for his energy. He has 2 Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy, one in Rome, the other in Milan."

"Also wonderful," Wendy said.

"Either of the two would be able to do what you want to do," Mr. Reynolds said. "It's really just down to the issue of personal chemistry, which one would you feel more comfortable working with. I suggest personal interviews with each of them before making a decision."

"They are aware of what it is that we're attempting to do?" Wendy asked.

"Only hypothetically," Mr. Reynolds replied. "No specifics. We wouldn't want to give you names that aren't interested. They have both indicated that they'd be very receptive to the position."

"Can you arrange these interviews?" Wendy asked. "Fly them here first class and we'll give them suites at Destinations. Whatever compensation is necessary for their time is also acceptable."

"Yes, we can make those arrangements," Mr. Reynolds replied. "I assume that you'd like them to take place as soon as possible?"

"You assume correctly," Wendy replied, smiling.

"I'll be in touch, then," Mr. Reynolds said.

"Thank you," Wendy said. "I look forward to hearing from you."

Wendy had just finished the lunch that she ordered from room service when the front desk let her know that Henry and the security system installers had arrived. After showing the security system installers to the box where all of the fuses were, she asked Henry where he wanted to start.

"That third bedroom, I think," he replied. "Save the best for last."

"What would that be?" Wendy asked.

"Your bedroom," Henry replied, smiling at her. "Those three photos blow all of the rest of this stuff out of the water, if you don't mind my saying so."

"Thank you," Wendy said, feeling her face getting hot.

Going to the third bedroom, Henry set up a device on a tripod which he explained would accurately measure via a small laser pointer where he should place things.

"How tall are you?" he asked.

"Six feet even," Wendy replied.

"Nice," Henry said, smiling. "Tall is sexy."

"Why?" Wendy asked.

"It's just how I see it," Henry replied. "Tall women turn me on more than short ones."

"I meant why do you need to know how tall I am?" Wendy asked, her cheeks flushed.

"Oh, so that each picture is hung at the perfect viewing position for someone six feet tall," Henry replied.

Wendy watched as he made his measurements for the first painting, then drilled two holes in the wall, one high, one low, using a small, hand-held vacuum to suck up the dust that was created before it could float downwards.

"This is the upper hanger unit," Henry explained as he attached it to the wall. "It has a sensor that will activate if there is a lessening of tension on it. It's powered by Bluetooth and keeps charged from the leaking electromagnetic radiation from your home's electrical system. It never needs recharging or any batteries replaced. This is the lower hangar unit," he explained as he attached it to the lower hole. "It works the same way."

He then turned the painting face down on the bed and carefully attached two pieces of metal to the back of the frame.

"These pieces are what hold the painting to the wall," he explained, manipulating it until Wendy heard a faint click before stepping back, then using a spirit level to check the frame. "Anyone tries to move this painting, it will set off the alarm, which will automatically call the police. "If you ever want or need to move a painting, you need to get in touch with us to do it for you."

"I'm all set," the security system installer said, sticking his head into the room. "Everything is tied into the police. This is the code you'll need to input if you want to turn the system off for any reason. If you are going to turn it off, you need to notify the police first. Their number is also on that slip of paper. The first time you enter the system, it will give you the opportunity to change the code. I strongly suggest that you do so. If you're going to keep a copy of the code in the house, please do not keep it anywhere obvious, like your bedroom or this utility closet. Any questions?"

"No," Wendy replied. "That seems clear enough."

"If you ever have any questions or problems, just call us, 24/7," he said, handing her a business card. "Right now, the system is off while he's working hanging pieces. You should activate it when he leaves," he said.

"I will," Wendy said. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, ma'am," he said, smiling as he turned to leave.

"I'll leave you to your work," Wendy said.

"Not a problem," Henry said. "I'm sure you've got better things to do than watch me hang paintings. I could do this in my sleep, so don't you worry about anything. I've got this."

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Wendy asked.

"Some water would be nice," Henry replied. "Thanks."

Wendy went to the kitchen and returned with a liter of cold Fiji water. The refrigerator had been stocked with it when she moved in. She had been surprised to find the water delicious, because by definition, water didn't have a flavor. Curiosity as ever compelling her, she had looked Fiji water up and discovered that it came from an underground aquifer in Fiji, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, whose water had fallen as rain 1,500 years ago, before the industrial revolution. That made it amongst the purest of waters on the planet.

Going to the office/library, Wendy sat in the chair behind the teak desk, enjoying the smell of the wood-paneled walls and the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, with just a couple of holes where the two paintings would be hung, the Gainsborough on the wall across from her to replace the boring pastural scene currently occupying the space, and the Turner, a storms-tossed ocean scene with clouds lit up by the lightning to her right, the first thing that she'd see when she entered the room. On impulse she pulled her phone out and called Phil.

"Phil, this is Wendy," she said. "How's it going?"

"Great," Phil replied. "This transition has actually been almost trouble free."

"Are we ready to roll out the FreshBooks training videos?" she asked.

"No reason not to," Phil replied. "Both systems are live and running in parallel. We've only had a few anomalies that were easy fixes. Confidence is high," he said, laughing.

"Great," Wendy said. "I need a computer system for my home. I want exactly what I have at work and I want to be able to securely network to our servers so that I can work from here."

"That's easy," Phil said. "Give me a couple of days."

"Thank you," Wendy said, hanging up, a big smile on her face.

Wendy was sitting with her back to the desk, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window when Henry entered.

"I can do another room first if I'm disturbing you," he said.

"No, no, please go ahead," Wendy said. "That piece is so awful, I had to turn my back on it," she laughed.

"It is pretty cheesy," Henry laughed.

Wendy went to the kitchen and poured herself the last of a bottle of sauvignon blanc, then sat on one of the stools at the center island lost in thought. She had just taken a sip of the wine, when she was struck with an idea and went to get her laptop, returning to the kitchen and doing an internet search. Finding what she wanted, she dialed the phone number on her phone, smiling.

"Wines of the world!" a cheery voice answered.

"Hello. I'm Wendy Rose," she said. "I live at Destinations and wanted to find out about getting a wine cooler. You seem to be the consensus choice as the best people to talk to in this town. I'm newly arrived and am trying to get my home set up."

"I'm Dan Hughes, Ms. Rose," he said.

"Please, just Wendy," she said.

"As you like," Dan said. "Why kind of a wine cooler are you looking for?"

"Gosh, I have no idea," Wendy replied. "I was hoping that you could help me with that."

"Well, how often do you drink wine?" Dan asked.

"Most evenings," Wendy replied.

"Do you drink predominately white wines or red wines?" Dan asked.

"Mostly white, and champagne, but sometimes red wine is nice," Wendy replied.

"How many people in your household drink these wines?" Dan asked.

"Just two of us," Wendy replied, "but sometimes we have friends over for dinner and they're all serious wine people. That's why I want to get a wine cooler, so that I can have nice wines for them when they come over."

"Well, to be honest, I'd have to see the space that you have for a wine cooler," Dan said. "That will be the number one determining or limiting factor."

"Okay," Wendy said. "It seems that your shop isn't very far from here. Could you come now?"

"You live at Destinations?" Dan asked.

"Yes, the penthouse," Wendy replied, smiling at the thought of being able to say something so ridiculous.

"The penthouse," Dan said. "I didn't realize that Destinations was turning into a condominium."

"Oh, they're not," Wendy said. "They're just converting some of the suites. I'm the first buyer."

"Well, I'll be," Dan said. "I never heard a thing. I'd be happy to come over. It will take me 15-20 minutes."

"I'll let reception know that you're coming," Wendy said. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," Dan said.

Wendy was excited as she waited for Dan. She had never felt so in control of her life. And being able to just wish for something, then make it happen, she thought that she would float away with happiness. She forced herself to calm down as she waited for the elevator to arrive, having been alerted by the front desk that Dan had arrived and was on his way up.

"Hello," Wendy said when the elevator doors opened and she saw a rumpled, overweight man with thinning hair and thick glasses in his 40s. "Please, come in."

"Thanks," Dan said, looking around as he entered. "Nice," he said, smiling. "So, where do you want to put the wine cooler?" he asked.

"In the kitchen, right?" Wendy asked. "Where else would I put it?"

"People put them in every room of the house," Dan replied. "Everyone's different, though the kitchen is the most common spot. Why don't we look there and see what the situation is?"

"Sure," Wendy said, leading the way.

"You've got plenty of room," Dan said immediately. "And it wouldn't look bad or out of place, not the one I've got in mind. It's called an EdgeStar 310. It has a multi-temperature cabinet with 4 individually programmable temperature zones. It has a capacity of 310 bottles."

"Why multi-temperature?" Wendy asked.

"You don't want to keep your red wines at the same temperature as your white wines," Dan replied. "You'd want your champagne colder than your white wines. That's what's so nice about this particular unit."

"310 bottles sounds like a lot," Wendy said.

"You don't have to fill it," Dan offered. "That's the maximum capacity. And wine kept in the unit will not go bad."

"Is it expensive?" Wendy asked.

"I guess that's relative," Dan replied. "They don't make them anymore, so they're very hard to find. I happen to have 2 of them. They're priced at $5,000."

"That's not so much," Wendy said. "I thought that it would be a lot more."

"It's essentially a refrigerator, two in this case, that is designed to hold the maximum number of wine bottles," Dan said. "You could easily spend $25,000 on a EuroCave, but the EdgeStar is a far better value. I still don't understand why they stopped making them."

"Do you deliver and then install?" Wendy asked.

"Included in the price," Dan assured her.

"How about the wine?" Wendy asked.

"The wine?" Dan asked, blinking.

"Yes," Wendy replied. "Could you also stock it for me?"

"Well, sure, but I'd need to know what wines that you like, what your budget is, things like that," Dan replied.

"I don't really know, other than Krug champagne," Wendy laughed. "My boss loves the stuff, so I've had it a few times. It's really delicious."

"It should be," Dan laughed. "It's one of the best champagnes in the world. What else have you had that you remember."

"I have a list here," Wendy said opening drawers. "I just had a dinner party and the chef left me a menu of what we had. Here it is," she said, holding it up.

"This was your dinner?" Dan asked, staring at her slack-jawed.

"Yes," Wendy replied. "It was just delicious."

"I should think so," Dan said, looking at the menu again. "Wow. Some of these wines are thousands of dollars a bottle."

"Really!?" Wendy gasped. "I had no idea. Well, they were good, I can tell you that."

"Stocking 310 bottles at this level of quality would cost you some half a million dollars," Dan said, staring at her.

"Well, that would be ridiculous, of course," Wendy said.

"Every bottle doesn't need to be world-class," Dan offered. "You can drink plenty of really good wines and not have to pay more than a couple of hundred dollars for any of them. Most of them would be under $100."

"What if I just get some of them that are this good and the rest like you say?" Wendy asked.

"Then I could easily do it for less than $100,000," Dan replied. "And it would be a quality collection. Anything that you didn't like, I'd trade out for you. As you pointed out when you called me, we have a good reputation and we have it for a reason."

"Okay, I'll do it," Wendy said, her heart racing with excitement.

"Really!? Just like that?" Dan asked.

"Yes," Wendy laughed. "Why not?"

"If you don't mind, how would you like to pay for this?" Dan asked. "I'd need a deposit, at least $50,000."

"Credit card," Wendy replied, knowing that she didn't have enough money in her account yet.

"Great," Dan said, laughing. "Wonderful. It should always be this easy."

"I agree," Wendy said, laughing with him. "What's next?" she asked.

"Well, I'd need you to come by the shop to pay the deposit, then I'll have the unit and some of the wine delivered the next day and the rest of the wine as I get it," Dan replied. "There's a lot of it that I'm going to order that I don't have in stock."

"That sounds perfect," Wendy said. "I'm glad you came by."

"So am I," Dan replied, laughing. "If you don't mind my asking, who is your boss? What do you do?"

"My boss is Jonathan Hooks, the CEO of the Clandestine Group, who owns this building," Wendy replied. "I'm the COO."

"COO!" Dan said, his eyes widening. "You're pretty young, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Wendy laughed. "Luckily, they don't hold that against me."

"Wendy, this has been a pleasure," Dan said. "I look forward to getting to know you better."

When Dan left, Wendy went to check on the progress Henry was making and was delighted to find that he had hung all of the pieces in the dining room and was now working on the living room.

"How do you like it so far?" Henry asked, coming into the dining room and watching her as she slowly moved around the room, stopping in front of each painting and admiring it.

"It's just amazing," Wendy replied, smiling. "It's like my own personal art gallery."

"These are some great pieces, that's for sure," Henry said. "One thing that I'd suggest, though, is that you invest in some track lighting just for the artworks. The lighting you've got is okay, but it doesn't really make the pieces pop, if you know what I mean. Some high-quality LED lighting of about 5700º would really make a big difference."

"Is that something that you can do?" Wendy asked.

"Sure," Henry replied. "It wouldn't be that expensive either, just a few thousand dollars."

"I'd like it, then," Wendy said. "If Tony's going to loan me these pieces, the least I can do is to display them properly."

"I'll order it tomorrow," Henry said. "Shouldn't take but 2-3 days to get it, then a day to install."