Chapter 2

Kate Sorensen sat in the twenty-seventh row of an otherwise empty Las Vegas showroom and edited news release drafts on her tablet while occasionally glancing at the rehearsal.

“Two, three, four...” A choreographer in green slacks and baggy T-shirt shouted at the handful of dancers aligned across the stage. “Kristy, you’ve gotta get your sea legs, honey. This stage sloshes around all the time.”

Behind the dancers were huge brass dials, switches, and controls designed to look like the bridge of a Navy ship. The broad, nautically themed stage floated in an enormous Plexiglas water tank spanning the front of the theater. As the dancers marched left, the deck dipped to one side. Waves splashed the stage. Kate could almost feel the rolling of a ship. Couple the undulating movement with flickering lights, ocean sounds, and a fine sea spray and the audience might need Dramamine. Would the dancers?

Obviously more work was necessary before the show would become flagship entertainment for the SS Las Vegas Hotel/Casino. Kate looked down at her work and then wrinkled her nose. Something smelled like rotting seaweed. It certainly wasn’t her perfume. That came from Saks. Did this mean the show was a stinker?

When her cell phone whined inside her suit pocket, she reached for it, expecting to hear the voice of her secretary. She brushed her long blond hair away from her ear. “Max, what a surprise. How are things in Nostalgia City?”

“First, congratulations. Saw all the publicity you got for your hotel’s anniversary. Tie-in to naval history was clever.”

“You have to find a new approach every time, stuff to catch the imagination.”

“You do that pretty well--come up with great ideas.”

“Hope so. In a few days, we’re launching a new extravaganza. Ha, no pun intended. I’m going over the stories my staff has written. So far I don’t see many new ideas.”

“You’ll make it come together. You usually do.”

“Why all the flattery, Max? You must be in a good mood.” The founder and CEO of the giant retro resort was not the kind of person to call for idle chitchat, especially at work. “Everything going well there in Arizona?”

“Doing okay. Attendance is up.”

Kate leaned to one side to get comfortable. Her long legs sometimes made her feel cramped sitting in one-size-fits-all theater seats. “I read that the Indian casino and your excursion train through the reservation are behind schedule.”

“A little. We’ll work it out. So, you still like it there in Vegas?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Would you be interested in joining us here?”

“Go to work for you? You’ve got a public relations VP.”

“As of now.”

“Move to Flagstaff?”

“Why don’t you come out here for a couple of days and we’ll talk.”

Go back to work for Max? Several thoughts fought for attention in Kate’s head. Although it paid well, Kate’s job as communication director for the SS Las Vegas Hotel, “The Cruise Ship of the Strip,” was becoming routine. Bruce, her boyfriend, roommate, and possibly future husband, might throw a tantrum if she asked him to move to Arizona. And Max could be a tyrant to work for. He interfered. On the other hand, the innovative billionaire had enthusiasm and a stomach for risks. Working for him was never dull.

“Come for a visit,” Max said. “I’ll send the corporate jet.”

“I don’t mind flying commercial. Let me think. Call you tomorrow.”

As Kate put away her phone, Mario Danova slipped into the seat next to her. His expensive suit and capped-teeth smile said “show biz.”

“Looks like it’ll be a great show, eh, Kate?”

“Yeah. It really rocks. Hope no one gets seasick.”

“Seasick?” Danova’s nametag read, Executive Vice President -- Entertainment. “Oh, you’re kidding, huh. Think you can get us on the Today Show? We really need to rev up our publicity machine.”

“Sure, Mario. The campaign’s on track. We’ll make sure everyone knows about the show.”

“Okay, but we need to get moving. Jack Stegman wants plenty of interviews. He’s the star. You’ll headline him, right?”

“I will.”

“And he wants you to retouch his publicity photos.”

“We did that already.”

“Did you? He said the shots make him look like Wayne Newton. You’ll fix them, right?”

Maybe Max wouldn’t be too difficult to work for at that. Promoting a theme park could be an interesting change after ten years of hyping Las Vegas casinos. But Max always said he would never offer a job to someone who had quit working for him. Why had he changed his mind?