Business Lessons

Part 3

Say Hello to the New Boss…

By Nick Maro

Boredom had washed over both David and Pizzazz as they waited in the airport terminal. Hiroki Bayushi's plane was due to arrive at any moment. Pizzazz studied a business workbook she borrowed from Jerrica. David sat in a seat with his eyes closed. Pizzazz wasn't sure if her brother was asleep or meditating. It was hard to tell the two apart.

The announcement that the plane was going to land sounded over the intercom. Slowly, David opened his eyes. He wiped the hair from his face and straightened his tie. It was the first time Pizzazz had ever seen her brother dressed up. It seemed odd and out of place for him. She always saw her twin in jeans and t-shirts. Today she was seeing the business side of David.

David stood off to the side and waited as the plane taxied up to the terminal. Pizzazz smoothed out her skirt as she joined her brother. For his sake she was making an effort to look presentable. David gave a quick smile in thanks to his sister. After about five minutes of waiting, the doors from the ramp way to the plane opened.

The people who exited all looked exhausted from their flight. David and Pizzazz were both surprised and elated to see Kyoko walk out the door. She spotted the twins and waved excitedly. They returned the wave and she rushed over to them. Kyoko hugged David and shocked him by picking him up in a tight hug. "So what are you doing in a monkey suit anyway?"

Kyoko put David down when she heard a deep cough behind her. Hiroki smiled at his daughter kindly and then at David. "I think he's dressed up for my sake. Take off that tie, David. You look like you're wearing a noose to your execution."

Pizzazz giggled quietly as she watched her brother remove his tie. Right then she saw the familiar look her brother always had. David hugged Kyoko again and shook Hiroki's hand. He grasped Pizzazz by the arm and smiled proudly. "Hiroki, this is my twin sister Phyllis. I've discovered that she and I share a lot of the same qualities our father had in business."

"Hello, Mr. Bayushi. It's an honor to finally meet you." Pizzazz bowed slightly.

"It's great to finally meet the mysterious sister that David had always dreamed about." He shook Pizzazz's hand then wrapped an arm around David and Kyoko's shoulders. "But let us get to the baggage claim. I want to get to the hotel and rest. Damn I hate jet lag."

"Hiroki, I took the liberty to rent the condo that Pulsar was using while they were here. I figured that way Kyoko would have no trouble getting around and could help show you around." David pulled out two sets of keys and handed a set to both Kyoko and Hiroki. "I still have to rent out a pair of cars. But I figure we can do that later."

Kyoko picked up her bags then found her father's. Hiroki checked the locks on his. They were still fastened. "Thank you, David. The cars can wait until later. I want you and Phyllis to stay away from Kevin Ross though. That is until the time comes to announce my taking over. I was also thinking that perhaps you should replace all of the executives that he hired as a precaution."

"I agree. We don't want any sympathizers when he goes." Pizzazz helped Hiroki with his luggage. David gave her a confused look. She held up the handbook she was studying and shrugged. "Personally I'm all for a complete reorganizing and reassignment of the executives. Maybe put a few of the ones who Kevin didn't hire over at Misfits Music. We have a basic staff but no one really in charge."

"I thought you were keeping Misfits Music separate from Gabor Industries." David opened the door for Kyoko and was rewarded with a playful kiss on his cheek.

Pizzazz got into the driver's side of the car. She merged onto the highway and headed towards the condo. "I am. I'll just rehire them as Misfits Music employees." She looked at Hiroki in the mirror. "Would it be too much of a hassle to get some business advice from you for my music company? I have no clue of what I'm doing."

"Oh that was tactful, Phyllis."

Hiroki chuckled deeply. "It's okay David. I'd be happy to help out, Phyllis. I'll even help Jerrica out." He gave her a quick wink. "David told me about it on the phone the other day. It's no problem." He glanced at Kyoko who was asleep with her head against the window. Hiroki leaned in his corner and closed his eyes. He drifted into a light sleep not feeling the trip to his new temporary home until David and Pizzazz woke him a half hour later.

Stretching as she entered the mansion Jerrica flipped on the hallway light. She yawned and tossed her purse on the chair by the door. She wasn't sure how late it was but she was exhausted. The whole day she and Rio interviewed people for Starlight Music. Out of the hundreds they interviewed they had only found a handful that had potential.

Jerrica smacked her forehead as she made her way to the kitchen to make herself a quick dinner. She'd forgotten to check her messages at her office. David said he'd call when he got an answer from Hiroki if he'd help her with the company or not. She picked up the phone and called Pizzazz's cell phone. She didn't want to wake everyone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Phyllis, it's your darling sister with a question." Jerrica started making herself a sandwich.

"Kimber?" Pizzazz said confused after a brief pause.

Jerrica let out a quiet laugh. "I was just wondering if David had asked Hiroki if he'd help out. I forgot to check my messages at the office."

It was Pizzazz's turn to laugh. "Damn, Jer. You're sounding like an adult with all that back at the office talk." She laughed when Jerrica did. "Actually, I did ask him before David could. Hiroki said it wouldn't be a problem. By the way, Kyoko came with him. She might be able to help somewhat while we do our thing with Kevin Ross."

"Sounds good to me." Jerrica carefully cut her sandwich in half. "So you're going through with getting rid of him, huh? Do you have more evidence than just the video tape?"

Pizzazz broke into a big grin. "Yeah, I'm meeting up with these cousins tomorrow. They work as security consultants for Stinger's Sound. They're the ones who installed all of the cameras. But they put in one other bonus that only they know about: Microphones. They're giving me proof tomorrow that will allow me to fire Kevin and his lackeys." She let out a small giggle.

Jerrica poured herself a glass of iced tea. "Well, good luck. I mean it. I'm heading to bed. I have another day of crap interviews. And thanks for asking how that nightmare went. Tell Hiroki to give me a call on my cell when he's ready to help out. Tell Kyoko too. Night, Phyl." Pizzazz said her good night and Jerrica hung up the phone.

After eating, Jerrica put her glass and dish in the sink. One of the Starlight Girls would clean them. She headed down the hall from the kitchen to the stairs when she saw someone in the living room. Shana sat in a chair in the dark staring at a picture of her father. Jerrica quietly walked into the room.

"Hey, Shan, what's wrong?" Jerrica asked in a soft whisper.

Shana looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry Jerrica, just my real father's birthday today. He would've been forty-five. I just miss my parents on their birthdays." She set the picture up so Jerrica could see it. "I skipped class to visit his grave. I swear I can still hear his voice at times."

Jerrica knelt on one knee next to her friend. "I know the feeling. I can hear dad all the time. People, who mean that much to us, stay with us in our hearts. You were so young when your parents died. They must be special if you can still hear them." She gave Shana a sisterly hug. "Besides, I know your father and mother would be proud of you. You're training to be a cop just like your dad and grandfather."

"Yeah, I know." Shana put her head down and smiled. "And you're becoming a singer just like your mother." She put a hand over her mouth to hide her yawn. Jerrica began to yawn as well. "Okay. I've got an early criminology class and you have crappy interviews as you called it. So I'm going to bed." Jerrica put her arm around her old friend and they went up the stairs together.

The club was loud and dimly lit. Pizzazz recognized the band as the Limp Lizards from the Battle of the Bands. She swore under her breath after realizing that by now the Misfits should be doing gigs at clubs. Out of the corner of her eye she saw David give her a questioning look. She shook her head and smiled.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, both David and Pizzazz were sick of waiting. David paid their tab and started to leave the club. A young blonde woman grabbed Pizzazz's upper arm. A woman with purple hair sat next to her. The blonde pointed towards the rear exit. The twins nodded and started walking to the rear of the club.

Pizzazz and David stepped out into the dimly lit alleyway. They saw the two women near the exit to the right. They quickly walked up to them. Pizzazz flashed a friendly smile. "I take it you're the ones who slipped that tape in with the rest. So, what's going on?"

"Why is your brother here? I thought we said you were to come alone," the purple haired one asked with suspicion in her voice.

"David is here as protection. He insisted on coming with just in case this was a trick to prevent me from going after Kevin Ross."

The blonde stepped forward and handed Pizzazz a sealed envelope. She held onto the envelope when Pizzazz grabbed it. "I want your word that if anything happens to us you'll take the responsibility. That's our only condition. Is it a deal?"

David and Pizzazz exchanged looks. Pizzazz nodded. "It's a deal, if you get fired or whatever you have a job with us. But for safety's sake, maybe you should get out of town for a week or so. Visit family or something. Deal?"

The two women nodded and the blonde let go of the envelope. "My name is Vivian Montgomery and this is my cousin Constance Montgomery. I prefer to go by Video and Connie here—"

"Hey! I told you not to call me that!" She made her point by shoving Video slightly. "I go by the name Clash, nice to meet you both." Clash shook both of the twin's hands. "You better be serious about keeping your word about watching out for us. I don't feel like losing the best job I ever had by doing the right thing."

"Don't worry about it, Clash. I'm giving my word and I always keep it." David gave her a kind grin then looked around. "But right now I'm thinking we should get the hell outta here. Not that standing in an alleyway isn't suspicious or anything, but it just doesn't look good."

A police car pulled up and rang its siren once. The spotlight on the passenger side shined on the four people. They each held a hand in front of their faces. A familiar female voice came across the external speaker. "All right you four, what are you doing back here?"

Pizzazz smirked as she recognized the voice. "Hey copper! I got a dozen donuts fer ya if you just keep going." She began laughing by herself. Video and Clash looked at her as if she was mad.

The light turned off and the officer in the passenger side got out. She was laughing as well. David smiled as he saw Shana walking towards them. She pointed at Pizzazz. "You just watch that smart mouth of yours, missy. Otherwise I'm running you in for tormenting an officer. But seriously, what's going on?"

"Shana, I'd like to introduce Video and Clash. Two brave young women who just gave me evidence that I could use to get rid of Kevin." Pizzazz smiled and introduced Shana to the two cousins. "David was just saying we should get going. We have to head to the condo see Hiroki with this envelope. We're going to be busy for the next few weeks but we'll get together for dinner sometime."

"Okay, but you guys behave. I may only be a student on patrol but I can still give you warnings." Shana giggled and hugged her foster sister. She headed back to the squad car while the four others left the alleyway.

The Arctic winds blew snow and ice around the cloaked figure. He slowly pushed his way across the snow field. Memories of home drifted through his mind. Vowing to return he felt himself fill with renewed energy. He lifted the spoils of his hunt higher on his back. He had decided that once he returned to his village that he would announce he was leaving to return to his true home for awhile.

Looking at her watch for the tenth time in as many minutes Pizzazz began to pace nervously. She and David were waiting in the office of Eric Raymond. "C'mon Eric, hurry up. We still have to pick up Hiroki and get to the main office."

The sound of a toilet flushing came from beyond the door. Eric stepped out putting his sports jacket back on. He looked at Pizzazz with a worried look. "Listen, I'm not a business lawyer. I have no idea why you're taking me with on this. Kevin already knows that I'm a personal lawyer not a business attorney."

"Well, guess what Eric. This is personal. You've seen the tapes and files I got. Ross has been stealing from company and the works of my father Emmett Benton. If anything I just want you there in case he tries something against me. You're my legal protection." Pizzazz smiled at David. "He's my personal protection."

"Hiroki knows business law," David said quietly. "He studied it while in school here in the States. It's one of the reasons why I wanted him to become the senior CEO of Gabor industries. The man knows his craft. How do you think he rose so quickly in Japan?" David walked to the door to the lobby and set his hand on the handle.

Eric sighed and picked up his briefcase. Pizzazz walked with him to the door as her twin opened it. Together they walked to Pizzazz's van. She chose to drive her old van to send a message to Kevin. That she won't change no matter what and that she'll rebel against everything he stood for. She even wore her stage outfit from the Battle of the Bands.

Hiroki was picked up on the way to the head office of Gabor Industries. He approved of Pizzazz's psychology tactic. On the way to office Hiroki gave everyone pointers in how to run a business and a little on business law. Pizzazz tried her best to put on her best poker face as she drove into the parking lot. She pulled into her personal parking space.

David hopped out of the van and held the door for the rest. He quickly caught up to them as they passed the receptionist. Pizzazz went to the private elevator and got on. Hiroki, David and Eric joined her. They left the car when it reached the floor that the meeting was being held. Pizzazz told Hiroki and Eric to wait until they were called in. She quickly doubled checked her evidence before dramatically opening the doors to the meeting room.

Upon opening the doors the room fell into a disturbed silence. Kevin spun around to yell at the intruder but then smiled. "Phyllis. How nice of you and your brother to join us. I didn't think you were interested in the business side. What do we owe this pleasure?"

"Well Kevin, how nice of you to ask." Pizzazz walked to the head of the table and smiled wickedly. "I've got something here that I want you to see." She snapped her fingers and David put in the video tape of Kevin paying Minx to stage the attack. The tape went on to show Kevin accepting the disk from the cloaked woman who stole the data on the hologram technology. The woman again was revealed as Minx.

The tape ended and Kevin looked at Pizzazz and David with pure rage. "Those tapes are fakes! You can't possibly believe that I would do that to you. Besides, there are no hidden cameras or microphones in any office in this building!"

Pizzazz walked up to Kevin and handed him a small stack of papers. "That wasn't taken in your office here. It was taken at your office at Stinger's Sound. I have more stacks of surveillance of you going in and out of Stinger's Sound." She turned to walk away but then stopped and turned around again. "Those papers I gave you are termination papers. You're fired. But you'll find that there's more evidence in those documents."

"I'll sue!"

"And I'll have you arrested for industrial espionage. You're being fired for stealing from my company. As far as I see it working as the senior CEO for Stinger's Sound is in conflict of interest with my owning Misfit's Music." Pizzazz stuck her finger in Kevin's face. "Now I want you out of your office by the time I leave this building." She turned and looked at the other executives. She called out a short list of names and told them to stand. "You're gone too. You aided Kevin Ross to covering everything up. That makes you untrustworthy. However, unlike Kevin, your severance package will stand. Now leave."

The executives, who had just been fired, left slowly. Kevin walked past Pizzazz and then stopped. He leaned in close and whispered with deadly venom. "You'll regret this, Gabor. You've made a dangerous enemy today. I will make you pay for this."

Pizzazz turned around and looked Kevin straight in the eye without blinking. "Fuck you, Kevin. You used me, you used my brother, and you used my company. But worst of all is that you used my father's memory for your own ends. I know it was you who told the judges at the Battle of the Bands to have Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits disqualified. You paid them off." She smirked. "You got sloppy and left a paper trail."

Kevin pulled his hand back and slapped Pizzazz across the face. Pizzazz's head jerked to the side and she went momentarily weak in the knees. She felt the corner of her mouth and felt blood. Licking her lips she straightened up and held her hand up at David for him to stop. "You know, you're a class act, Kevin. But you're lucky I was told to never fight."

Snorting heavily Kevin turned his back on Pizzazz and began to walk away. He turned back around when he felt Pizzazz tap his shoulder. He turned as Pizzazz threw a punch with all of her strength. Kevin fell to the ground from the strike and shock. Pizzazz crouched next to him with an innocent grin. "Oops. Damn that selective memory. I forgot I'm a lady and that ladies don't fight."

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer. That was assault and battery." Kevin scrambled to get on his feet.

David grabbed Kevin by his arms and yanked him up. He slammed Kevin into the meeting room door several times. "I think not. I have a whole room full of witnesses that say it was self-defense. Now, you and I, we're going to take a nice little walk to your office. It's time for a little late spring cleaning." He slammed Kevin into the door again while turning the door handle. He gave Hiroki and Eric a nod to go in.

Standing in the doorway, Hiroki watched Pizzazz take a napkin from an executive and wipe the blood from her mouth. She waved both men in and smiled a thank you to the executive. Pizzazz walked up to them and brought them to the head of the table. She gave a quick introduction to the people at the table.

"Thank you, Phyllis," Hiroki said politely. He then turned and addressed the board of executives. "Ladies and Gentlemen of Gabor Industries, as you now know I'm taking over as senior CEO. I promise you this that there will be changes. I want to make Gabor Industries a company that your children would be proud of."

Hiroki talked and explained his plan for Gabor Industries while Pizzazz left the room. She sat in the main lobby of the building and smiled to herself. She felt as if she had done her father's memory proud and that she learned few valuable business lessons.

The sound of the power drills stopped in the Starlight House. Techrat took a step back and looked at his work in the living room. The remote projector for Synergy was mounted in the corner. It looked like a normal security camera and acted as one as well. Rio was helping him install the cameras around the house.

Jerrica wanted the cameras so that the girls could get help from Synergy whenever they needed. It also would help Mrs. Bailey watch the girls when she was out at the store and the Holograms were performing. She felt that getting Synergy was a blessing and was glad that she could share it with the foster children that she raised.

"Hey Rio, how's it going on your end?" Techrat lightly jogged into the kitchen.

Rio finished making a final check on his camera. "I'm done, Techrat. Let's get Jerrica and test them out."

The two men took a final look around the house with pride before Rio opened Jerrica's office door. "Hey, we're finished. Want to give it the inaugural test run?" He smiled sweetly at Jerrica and held his hand out.

Jerrica took his hand and returned his smile. "Actually yes, I think I would like that." She gave Techrat a friendly hug. "Thank you for taking time out to do this. It means a lot to me."

"Not a problem. Since Pizzazz fired Kevin and a handful of suits I have some free time. Also don't worry about the plans that Minx stole. They weren't the final plans and they don't have any plans for a portable transmitter. Although a prototype necklace was stolen. But it's useless without a working hologram system." Techrat shrugged and waited as they entered the living room.

"Well, that's somewhat reassuring. Cross your fingers boys." Jerrica touched her starburst shaped earrings out of habit. "Showtime Synergy." Pink and faded purple light came out of the camera lens and formed a semi-solid image of Synergy. Jerrica smiled wide at Rio and Techrat. "Great work guys!" They went to each of the rooms and tested each camera. There were no malfunctions.

It was a week after the firing of Kevin Ross. Hiroki had sent over a business specialist for both Misfits Music and Starlight Music. The two companies were now operating by putting out publicity and having agents began booking each band in clubs across the city. Pizzazz's dream of becoming a rock star was beginning to come true.

Pizzazz had called all of the Misfits into the living room at the Gabor Manor. She wore a giddy, childlike grin. She waited until they were all sitting. "I have great news. Next week we have our first club gig. It's at a bar called Murphy's. The best part is that they're paying us to play! But we have to pay for our own drinks. But hell, we're going to be performing. Now we should practice almost non-stop until the gig." She waited a moment. "Well, let's get moving!"

The Misfits all scrambled to get their instruments and began tuning them up. Pizzazz was mentally making a set list for the show. She was almost finished by the time they started practicing. She knew that this was the start of the road to fame.

TO BE CONTINUED IN THE PRINCESS AND THE ROCKSTAR PART 1