Chapter 68.5: Calls to NYC
Mack’s POV—Wednesday night
My phone always seems to ring during dinner. Homie can never eat in peace.
“Yo.”
“Yo, Mack?”
“Sup.” Who the fuck is this?
“Hi, this is Stephanie Plum.”
Yo . . . the Boss Lady. I set the wing down and wipe my fingers. This is gonna be major. She need me to come shank that asshole Mark? I can ride in minutes.
“Yo, Boss Lady, good to hear from you. Please tell me Javi managed to convince you to come back and visit us.”
Laughter. I like the CO. She major, she’s real, and she’s pretty fucking hot. Ain’t a lotta women like her. Makes me respect Ranger even more. The man is a fucking genius.
“I can’t promise. My schedule is about to get tight, but I’m thinking a visit around Christmas. Maybe take my nieces to see the Rockettes and the Christmas tree.”
I’ve never seen the Rockettes. I wonder if Ahmed and Hamid would like that. My boys need to see more than just the hood.
“Sounds good. My boys ain’t never seen the Rockettes. Don’t know if they’ve ever been outside Brooklyn, really. If you come for Christmas, I’ll escort if you let me bring my boys.”
“Done deal. I think I’ll go ahead and start planning then.”
I’m grinning. So the CO will be back around Christmas. I’ll tell Jorge so we can start planning. It may not be our review but we don’t want her to think we slipping anywhere.
“Anyway, I was calling for a different reason. Is this a good time?”
“Sure. Go ahead.” I pop the wings into the microwave and look from some paper. I’ve noticed the big bosses always write stuff down, especially when talking to her.
“This call is about you.” Whoa. I stop in my tracks and wonder if I’m about to be fired. “During my week here, I’ve talked to all the XOs about company and branch needs and your name was mentioned more than once as a good candidate to be a strategist.”
I sit on my couch, stunned. Serious? Somebody besides Javi thinks I’m that major? To be a big boss? Senior branch management?
“I agree with their assessments. I would love to slot you into a strategist role, but I need something to happen first.”
“I’m all ears, boss. Tell me what you need.” This woman believes in me. I’ll do whatever the fuck she wants.
“Well, the biggest thing is I need for you to be comfortable in front of clients. I need you to feel like you can talk to them, and I remember you said you didn’t like to because you sound . . . ”
“Hood. I sound hood.” I’m nodding.
“Yeah. So, what do you think you need in order to feel comfortable in front of clients?”
I sit back and think. Shit, I need an education. I dropped out in 10th grade. Being around Javi and Jorge has shown me that this is the kind of life you can have when you got that paper. I just don’t know how to tell this woman, this brilliant fucking woman, that. I decide to man up. Word is, be honest. She’ll help.
“Yo, Boss, the problem is I ain’t a good student. Never was. I dropped out in 10th grade, so I ain’t even got a high school diploma.”
“GED?”
“Nah.”
“OK. I want you to work on getting your GED and I’d like to see you go for a college degree.” I write that down, even though I’m mentally groaning. “I’m going to tell you something that few people know, Mack. You listening?”
“Yeah, I’m wit you.”
“I nearly flunked out of college.”
I sit up. That’s major. “For real?”
“Yeah. I majored in pool. I hated math. I flunked that twice, so you know the spreadsheets and financial statements in this company are killing me.”
I laugh. Shit, I’m still in shock. I wonder if the CO can hustle.
“But yeah, flunked math, slept in the library and daydreamed through history. I only made it through because my dad said that if I flunked out I couldn’t come home and he wasn’t paying for me to retake anything. I hustled to pay for the classes I flunked.”
Holy shit! The CO hustled? “You know I’m taking you to a pool hall to prove you still got skills, right?”
“Bring it on,” she replies, laughing. “So I understand not wanting to go to school. I really do. But you have an XO and a strategist at your branch that can help you. These men want you to succeed, so ask them for help. Besides, you want to make the point to your boys that education is important, right?”
She’s got me there. I keep telling them not to be Daddy. Don’t be hood. Get that paper. I been telling them stories about Javier and Jorge and I took ’em to meet them so they know that it can be done. You can leave the hood and be somebody. Music and drugs ain’t the only way out. “Yeah, you got me there.”
“OK, so prove it. I want to give you opportunities in the company. The lack of a degree isn’t holding you back, but I need you polished and prepared. The company has partial tuition reimbursement, so we’ll help pay for the degree. You get the GED and let Javi and Jorge find the right major for you. Something you can excel in and let them help you. I’m ready to place you in leadership if you can prove to me you’re willing to hustle for it.”
That’s what she needs to see? I can do that. “You got it, Boss.”
“Great. Anything I need to know about NYC?”
“I got five shanks waiting for some use. They needed?”
Giggles. “Nah. It’s cool. I promise. I knew he’d do it and I was prepared. Tell the men to stand down.”
Aight. As long as she’s cool. “Aight, Boss, but don’t forget, we ready to ride when you need us.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Goodnight, Mack.”
“Night, Boss.” Click.
I stare at the phone. That was the oddest, realest call ever. I dial Thomas.
“Yo.”
“Yo.” Homie’s in a club. I can hear the bass.
“Need to rap.”
“Aight. Two.” I wait. “Sup.”
“You ain’t gonna believe the call I just got off.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. The Boss Lady called.”
Silence. “Ms. Plum?”
“Yeah. Homie, you ain’t gonna believe what she told me.”
“We need to ride?”
“Nah, she said she’s cool there. She said she knew he’d do that shit.”
“OK. Then what happened?”
“She said that the XOs was suggesting I might be a good strategist. She want me to get that paper, a degree, man.”
Thomas is silent on the other end. Thomas got his high school and an AA but no farther. “For real?”
“Yeah. You know the company will pay for me to get the degree?”
“Yeah. Partial tuition reimbursement. She seriously called you and said that?”
“Yeah.” The line goes quiet. I think Thomas is as shocked as I was.
“Yo, McKinley.” I can’t believe homie just did that. He knows I hate my name. “If the CO is suggesting it, there’s probably a bigger plan in place she wants you to be a part of. Go get a GED workbook and get on that. Talk to Javi and Jorge. They got Ivy degrees. They should be able to help you find the right college. With your background, I’d suggest a business major.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. And she told me to talk to Javi and Jorge.”
“I know this is gonna sound funny, but the degree is a long range plan. You need to feel comfortable in front of clients now. Sounds like you need some training.”
“Training?”
“Yeah. Like finishing school stuff.”
“What the fuck?” I ain’t a girl.
“Yeah. Like classes that teach all the business etiquette stuff, which fork to use, which glass to drink from. How to present business cards. How to dress, walk, and speak. That stuff.”
Oh. Yeah, he’s right. “Half the branch needs that.”
“So float that up to Javi, especially since y’all got that business investigations group. They may need to go out to dinner with clients. Don’t wanna look hood, so get everyone trained. Make that a branch thing.”
I’m nodding and writing this down. This is all good stuff. “OK, I’ll ask Javi about that.”
The line is quiet, then, “OK, I’m asking you to pretend to be a strategist for a moment. Consider everything you know about what’s going on in the company and determine why you think the CO called you out the blue with that.”
I sit back and think. There’s lots of shit going on right now. Men being moved all over the place and new branches . . . holy shit. New branches. They need strategists. “Well, OK, so here’s what I’m thinking. You said Diego is probably gonna go to San Antonio as the XO, which means Miami will be down a strategist. San Antonio doesn’t have a strategist and neither does Charlotte. So, there’s three positions open with no candidates ready to move. So, maybe she’s looking at moving me to one of the three?”
“That would be my guess. So, what’s your next move?”
Shit. I’m grinning. Three open spots and the Boss Lady is calling me to get ready. “I’m talking to Jorge tomorrow about these business etiquette classes. He used to work Manhattan; he should know where to find someone to teach this. That’s a start.” I check the time. 8 p.m. I start looking for my shoes. “I’m headed out now to get a GED book. Stop by the office and check on the requirements to take it and get me a game plan. If Ms. Plum is looking for a few good men, I’mma be one.”
Thomas laughs. “She got a good man, according to rumor. She needs a few good strategists. Thing you need to keep in mind: if you make it, it means you’ll report to Lester too.”
SHIT! That homie scares me.
Thomas laughs. “Yeah man, you said that out loud.”
I’m still trying to locate my balls. Reporting to Lester? Jesus Christ! I could never slip. “Man, I don’t know—”
“Don’t do that, Mack. Don’t start questioning yourself, cuz. Look, again, talk to Jorge. He already reports to Les. He could tell you what it’s like.”
I feel myself calming down. Yeah, he’s right. Jorge left for the strategist week looking scared and came back happy as hell. Musta been good.
“Aight. I see what you mean. Gotta go. Got to get my GED on. Deuces.” Click.
Jorge’s POV
My phone always seems to ring during dinner. I put the wings down and wipe my fingers.
“Yo!” I can’t believe that’s my new hello.
“Yo! Jorge?”
“Ms. Plum?” I hear a growl and smile. “Hi, Steph.”
“Thanks. You have a moment?”
“Sure. What do you need?” I reach for my folio and flip to a new page.
“Two things. One, I’m headed to Boston at the end of August and I would like you to accompany me.”
I blink. Huh? “Sure. I’ve never done a management review but I know what they’re supposed to be based on. What do you need me to do?”
“I want you to go through Boston’s client services offerings with a fine-tooth comb.”
I write a note. “Am I looking for anything in particular?”
A sigh. “Get comfy, Jorge. Let me tell you what they’ve been up to.” I stretch out on my couch and wait. “Hal ran a psyop on Boston while Maria was there. He got Maria to drop bits of disinformation about my plans and the state of the company on Boston in order to make them panic and get more information on what they were doing. Maria passed everything back to me. You know that Atlanta and Trenton have been offering Hospitality services, right?”
“Yes.” Javi wants in on that and I’ve told him to hold back. We’re making more money with the investigations stuff than we can really handle. Ram asked for permission to poach in NYC territory and I agreed. Better RangeMan get the money than someone else, even if NYC isn’t the branch personally providing the services.
“Well, before I offered it to Trenton, I offered it to Boston. Mark declined it, but once Maria let it be known that Trenton and Atlanta were about to knock him from number one, he went after contracts for it without my knowledge or approval.”
Holy shit. The man must be insane. I’d never be so stupid. Javi would never be so stupid. “His Core Team couldn’t pull him back? I mean, I’d never allow Javi to do something so foolish. He wouldn’t be able to get me to cosign that for all the tea in China.”
Another sigh. “Which is why Rod and Pat are in the shit with me. Senior management has already failed the review, so you don’t have to review them, but you’re doing an amazing job in client services and as a strategist. I need someone sharp to go through all their contracts and all their offerings and tell me what they’re up to while I review everything else. Also, you’ve never seen the Boston office and, until recently, they were the most well-run, efficient office in the company. I want you to see that. Finally, Boston and Trenton are the closest offices to you. You need to get to know the men in Boston and this is a perfect opportunity.”
I’m writing notes and smiling. Ms. Plum is a brilliant woman and if I’m pleasing her, then I’m happy. Lester is happy with my work. I’m happy.
“I know that you have your daughter on weekends, right?”
“Right.” Again, how does she know that?
“OK. So I’d like to leave after you pass your daughter back to her mother. I don’t want to take any time from you there.
RangeMan brotherhood is a wonderful thing. Never before have I worked in a company that has made it so blatantly clear that family comes first. Makes it so easy to continue to be loyal.
“My visitation ends Sunday nights at 5p.m., so if you want to meet at the NYC office at 6p.m., I’ll be there.”
“OK. Well, it takes four hours to get to the Boston offices from the NYC offices, so I’ll drive to NYC and meet you by 6p.m. and we’ll drive on to Boston.”
Hmm … that’s lost productivity time. “Can I make a suggestion?”
“Shoot.”
“Let’s take the train.”
“Huh?”
“Amtrak. I know people don’t give it a lot of love, but I love Amtrak. You can take the train from Trenton to Penn Station and I’ll catch you at Penn Station and we ride into Boston. That way, neither of us has to drive, the train serves food, and we’ll have an internet connection the entire way.”
There’s silence on the other end, then, “That’s why you’re the strategist. That’s a brilliant idea. I like trains. I used to take one to Newark everyday when I worked as a buyer.”
I’m already looking at the schedules on my computer. “How long do you want to stay?”
“Ten days, leaving Wednesday or Thursday.”
“OK, yeah the schedules work out perfectly. Even business class all the way is $400 for the both of us. We’d pay that much in gas.”
Laughter. “Not quite that much, but yeah, good call. OK, Amtrak it is.”
“Great! Ever had a Krispy Kreme?”
“A what?”
I grin. “The world’s best doughnut. A calorie bomb. A diet nightmare. Since it’s just you and me, I’ll sneak you one. The only Krispy Kreme outlet in all of New York City just happens to be in Penn Station on the Amtrak Level.”
“Jorge, you are hyping this doughnut up to mythic proportions. Can it live up to it?”
I grin. “Stephanie Plum, this doughnut is so good I can only eat them once a year. They’ve ruined me for all other doughnuts. I’ve heard you’re a connoisseur. Bakery shop as a teenager, right?”
“Yeah. Jorge, I’m already intrigued.”
I write a note to get Ms. Plum half a dozen and call Ella to make sure it’s counted in her diet.
“OK, second thing I called about. Business etiquette classes for NYC.”
“I’m already ahead of you there. A client wanted to meet with the team we sent to Nevada, to discuss what they saw, but the report was so comprehensive that they decided they didn’t need it. I talked to Javi about that and I’m scoping out companies that can come teach that class to our guys. I’m not ashamed of the men I work with but I don’t want anyone putting them down.”
“That’s wonderful,” Steph says quietly. “That’s exactly what I hoped for. I’m calling about a particular person. Mack.”
“Mack?”
“Yeah. More than one XO here thinks he might be a good man to be a strategist. We have more branches coming up than we have people ready to slot into the roles. I don’t want to take anything away from NYC, but I need men.”
I’m quiet. Mack is outstanding and I’d hate to lose him. He understands the streets like no one else and he’s quick to uphold my authority, and Javi’s, within his group– actually, across the entire branch. The men know that to question me will lead to painful time on the mats with Mack so they’re learning to follow until I get some mat skills. I appreciate having a second in command like him.
“I gotta admit, I’ll hate to lose him, but if I’m fair then I have to admit that he’s really taken charge of the street stuff. Now that he understands the math, I can’t keep the men from passing up info. And Mack is quick to uphold my authority, not just within Client Services but within the branch as a whole. The men know that I’m shit on the mats right now, but they won’t step to me because it’s curtains if Mack hears about it and he always hears about it.”
I hear Steph laugh on the other side. “The Hector effect. I completely understand and I’m glad to hear it. So yes, I asked him what would make him comfortable in front of clients and he confessed he doesn’t have a high school diploma. I encouraged him to get a GED and start college, but I couldn’t think of a polite way to suggest some etiquette training. I’m leaving that on you. Help him get comfortable, even if it’s just taking him with you on business lunches and dinners and letting him watch what happens. So he starts to understand and gets comfortable with the idea. You’re already doing that with the guys he introduced you to from the athletic league, right?”
I nod and write notes. I like it and, although I’m not sure how I’m going to bring this up with Mack, I love that she left the man his pride. “Yeah. I can do that. I mean, I didn’t think about it until just now, but we have two branches that need strategists.”
“Exactly. San Antonio will probably be more active stuff and Charlotte will be more a mini-NYC or mini-Atlanta. There are a lot of financial services companies there. I want him to decide where he’s comfortable, if I decide to offer him a position.”
“OK. I’ll prep for both of these requests. Anything else?”
“Nope. I think that covers it. Thanks, Jorge.”
“Thank you, Steph.” Click.
I’m in my office at 0800. Mack is waiting for me.
“Yo, Jorge, need to rap to you, man.”
“Talk to me,” I whisper quietly. “You need to talk to me.”
Mack looks confused, then red. “Right. I need to talk to you, sir.”
I smile and allow him to precede me into my office. I close the door. “I got a call from Ms. Plum last night too, man. Congratulations. I also think you’d be a great strategist.”
Mack smiles. “For real?” I nod. “Thanks. So, she tell you I want to work on getting that paper?” He stops, rethinks the sentence. “I want to work on getting my high school diploma and start on a college degree.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, she told me.” I motion to a chair. “I had an idea a few days ago that I think will benefit you more in the short term, but I think you would enjoy business classes and maybe even criminal justice. We’ll look into it, but let’s rap short term.” I sit and motion for him to take a seat. He grins. “We had a client who wanted to meet with our business investigations team at the end of the investigation. Thankfully, we packaged the information so well that it was unnecessary, but I’ve been looking into getting an etiquette consultant here to do some classes for the branch. Are you interested?”
Mack looks thrilled, although he’s hiding it pretty well. “Man, are you kidding? That’s what I was gonna suggest to you. That would be major!”
I laugh. “Great. I want to be clear: I’m not ashamed of any of the men I work with, but I’ll be damned if someone puts you guys down. I know that Javi considers it part of his job to ensure that we have everything needed to do our jobs, and I’ve told him that I consider this a new function of these new jobs. So, if I can get the consultant here, you want to be part of the classes?”
Mack looks solemn. “Jorge, I was willing to pay for this myself, just to make sure I got this training. You schedule it and I’ll be here.”
“Good.” I write some notes. “Second thing I need to discuss with you. Ms. Plum wants me to accompany her to Boston for 10 days at the end of the month.” Mack nods. “Since you’re my second in command, it means you’ll have point in the office again. I’m telling you so you can prepare.”
“OK. Anything I need to know?”
“I’ll go through the calendar with you so you’re ready. I think we’ll have three teams coming back with their investigation results, so you may end up in front of clients.” I look up at Mack, who looks nervous. “Like I said, I think you would be an excellent strategist. I’m still trying to learn everything about the job, but I’m suggesting a trade.” Mack leans forward. “You teach me that street work, I’ll show you the high finance stuff. I suck with the street work and we both know it.”
“Yeah, I can’t see you sharpening shanks for nothing.”
“Don’t be so quick to think that. I spent my childhood in Tremont.” I open my desk drawer and pull a letter opener and a box cutter. Mack looks shocked. “My parents didn’t play about guns but I didn’t survive by chance. Javi has a letter opener in his desk too, and in his personal car. My first thought when I learned about Shane was that he wouldn’t survive me in a dark alley.”
Mack sits back, eyebrow raised. “Nice. I been underestimating you.”
“Most do. Don’t let the smooth taste fool you.”
Mack looks at me closely and laughs. “Seriously? King Cobra?”
We look at each other and laugh. He extends his hand and we shake.
“Don’t let the smooth taste fool you.”
A/N: Don’t ask me how I know about that Krispy Kreme outlet. Let’s just say it was the loudest, happiest scream this southern girl has ever screamed in public.
Also, if you don’t understand the ‘King Cobra’ reference: King Cobra is a malt liquor, highly popular in the 80s, especially in minority neighborhoods. The tag line was: ‘Don’t let the smooth taste fool you’ and it immediately became a hit catchphrase, a cool way of saying ‘Don’t fall for outward appearances’. So, Jorge was reminding Mack not to fall for outward appearances where he and Javi were concerned. They grew up in the hood. They might not know how to take men down on the mats, but they know how to strike to kill in the streets.
