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Black Night

Norris Coates doesn't want the piece of the pie, he wants the recipe.

By Skyler SaundersPublished about a year ago Updated about a year ago 5 min read
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Black Night
Photo by Taylor Grote on Unsplash

Lights illuminated the stage. Uproarious applause abounded. The woman with a waist like a pencil and dark features walked to her mark. She wore a green dress and gold jewelry to match her black diamond skin. Her hair had been in locks with some flecks of gray.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is our hundredth episode of the Bella Lingus Tonight show!”

More contagious, outrageous applause.

“I’ve come a long way. It took me two minutes longer to get to my marker than in previous years. Forget these heels, I’ll opt for sneakers for the two hundredth show.” Light laughter.

“But it’s great to be here with my band The Shiftless Mannequins!”

The avant garde show featured a band that played no music and just stood still.

“Alright. They’re talking about whatin the news? Everybody’s talking about it. Norris Coates is planning to buy NBS. He might have the pockets for it but if I had the money, I’d go pay my lawyer fees from being divorced from my dog.”

A few laughs and a whoo! came from the crowd.

“That’s right. I’m an unmarried powerful black woman but I still have to pay puppy support.” Applause and laughter followed.

“Anyway there’s some great guests here. Joselyn McAcron is here.”

Applause. “And Todd Banks is here.” More applause. “Meet back here in two minutes. A minute fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven….”

At the studios at RBC, Ready Broadcasting Company, Arlen McFadden prepared for his monologue. He looked over the script and made some adjustments. McFadden was brown skinned which complimented his gray flannel suit and yellow tie. He wore a platinum watch and sported a fade. He got up from his chair and walked over to the teleprompter operator. He handed the script to a female page.

“Type this.”

With the command received, the woman punched in the edited script. He straightened out his jacket. His letter from his six-year-old daughter he patted in his breast pocket. Music filled the auditorium and a voice of God called out the name. It was a gospel choir that announced his appearance every show.

“Present and accounted for, this is the Arlen Mcfadden show. And here is your host…Arlen McFadden!”

He launched right into the monologue. “Yes, Norris Coates is planning to buy National Broadcasting System. If he could just slide one hundred billion dollars under my door, we’ll be alright.” Applause, hoots, and laughter.

Another woman, busty, slightly freckled with pecan skin, worked the night scene at FHN, First Hosts Network. Her blue and gray attire looked all the more appealing when she opened her mouth and exposed ivory white teeth.

“So you’ve all heard. The deal is on the table for Delaware native and actor and producer Norris Coates to buy NBS. If the deal goes through, there’s a lot of hungry and needy in the streets that would love to get that money. Hell, I’m rich and I’d still want that money!”

“TV off,” Norris Coates commanded. He looked at the stock markets in Asia before they opened in Manhattan. His face showed no gray hairs and he wore cornrows and a beard. He snickered to himself.

His wife came downstairs and sat beside him in their luxury apartment. Kristen cozied up to him actually. She was eggshell white sapphire eyes. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back. She was twenty-six to his thirty-seven.

“You’re a bigger TV star than you are a movie star, now,” Kristen said.

“Now, you sound like my agent. Don’t they get it? I’m not here to buy the network, I’m here to buy the parent company that owns the network. MegaGlobal is a multinational corporation that sells books, has multiple channels, has a line of high broadband communications networks, and…” Kristen stopped him. “You don’t have to tell me, I’m a media consultant, remember?”

Coates grinned. “Of course, darling,” He pecked at her mouth and neck. She kissed his forehead. “I’m going in for a meeting with the execs later this morning.”

Later that morning: Coates entered the offices of UltraGlobal and donned an all black suit with gray shoes. He looked at the monitor and watched the men and women file into the room. They all sat down and looked directly at him. The President of the board, Nata Groening, smiled.

“Mr. Coates…the board has brought down a resolution. It states that you can in fact purchase UltraGlobal. However, that will come with its own set of strings.”

“Strings like what?” Coates asked.

“We’re talking about three billion shares of stock in the company that you are to donate to a charity that you don’t like.”

“What? Who stipulated this?”

“Again the board speaketh,” Nata sighed.

“No, I will not go with that plan,” Coates said.

“It’s the only way for you to complete the deal.”

“No, I will not do that.”

“Then we have no agreement. You go back to making your movies. We’ll be glad to back them and be the parent company of the company that owns your company,” Nata said dryly.

“I knew this would happen, so I called my lawyers and…” Two men in thousand dollar suits walked through the doors.

“Your board cannot affect this contract beyond signing off on it,” Wenton Wiles stepped to Nata. He was slightly shorter than average and had a neat goatee. He was reddish brown in color. The other man, Tyus McDean was taller and bronze-skinned. Together they were Wiles and McDean Business Attorneys.

Nata was taken aback. She had a look of awe and disgust twisted on her face.

“What you’re going to do is allow this man his proper due. He’s giving more than the asking price to buy this company. He’s shown nothing but reason in the face of mockery and derision. Our client deserves to have this company.”

Coates swiveled in his chair and stretched and put his hands behind his head. “Do we have a deal, Miss Groening?”

She canted her chin and breathed in some air.

“Yes,” it sounded like an affirmative and a surrender all in one.

Coates used his stylus to sign the deal and shook hands and stood for pictures with Miss Groening who faked a smile.

Once Coates returned to his estate, he found his wife fully dressed in a deep purple dress that looked like it had been sculpted on her.

“It’s all over the news baby, you won!”

Celebrations had to be in order.

Young AdultShort Story
1

About the Creator

Skyler Saunders

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PayPal: paypal.me/SkylerSaunders

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