Extortion

Prudence

The New York Continental Executive Hotel Madison Avenue, Monday May 20th 8:30pm
Tanya Smart found business trips with Prudence Sternwood stressful. Firstly there is her sleep apnea. Prudence keeps a spare sleep apnea breathing apparatus in the office for business trips. Tanya always sent it in advance by courier in fear that the airline would lose it.

Secondly her health. At five foot three and three hundred pounds Prudence is morbidly obese. Tanya worries constantly about how she would get around the hotel. Prudence huffed and puffed with little physical exertion. Tanya always contacts the hotel in advance and ensure that they have operational elevators. Also that her room not only be to a high standard but close to the elevators and any meeting rooms where possible. She would continuously ring the hotel leading up to the business trip to ensure these conditions could be met.

Thirdly eating out. For business lunches or dinners, advance planning to ensure that there is adequate space, she didn't want her boss having the humiliation of not having enough room. Same with business presentations or seminars, ensure that there is seating on stage for her. These things constantly worried her, she often thought about leaving but Prudence liked her and paid her well very well, so well that she won't get the salary else where for personal assistant. As well as this Prudence put her on management courses and other courses. Prudence liked her and didn't want to lose her so remunerated her so well that it would be impossible for her to leave.

At floor 2, the elevator door opens, Five foot nine slender Tanya is first out of the lift dressed in a red blazer and Navy skirt. All luggage brought ahead by the hotels express concierge service. She sees a sign saying rooms 212 - 242 with a right arrow "Ah 212 is just here" much to her delight, she can't get Prudence a room any closer. In her hand her own room key cards and those of Prudence. She places a room key card into the card slot and the door unlocks.

"Cool" states Arabelle half playing attention while she types on her smartphone. Arabelle is Prudences 18 year old daughter, five foot six dressed in a black two piece trouser suit. She splits her summer interning between both her parents businesses.

Prudence slowly waddles behind, panting with each step. Pain shoots up from her ankles right up to her lower back. As per most days she dressed in a tailored 2 piece black business suit, carrying only her handbag. Tomorrow she appears on a national tv business breakfast show.

Tanya's stomach churns with butterflies as she enters the room, worrying that the sleep apnea device won't be there but she's hit with instant relief when she sees it to the right side of the queen sized bed. Instantly she inspects it that it's all there "Prudence would you rather this on the other side of the bed?" she asks.

Prudence enters and takes a deep shallow breath, her poor physical condition meant she huffed and puffed with physical exertion "It is fine" she gasps.

Arabelle pulls back a cushioned chair and sits at a circular table and continues typing on her smartphone. Prudence stares across at her in dismay on how much time she spends on her phone.

Tanya makes her way to a large white laminated wardrobe opens the doors until she finds two suit bags. Prudence always brought an extra suit on business "you must plan for the unplanned she would say". She opens up the suit bag, it consists of a black trouser suit plus two blouses, a white and emerald green one. She carefully removes the clothes and hangs them up. The second The suit bag contains a two piece white trouser suit "Oh this suit is gorgeous Prudence, ideal for the interview tomorrow!"

"That's because I selected it" states Arabelle taking a glance up from her phone "otherwise she'd wear one of her dull ones."

Tanya laughs nervously as she opens up Prudence's black samsonite suitcase and commences placing her carefully folded garments into the wardrobe. Next she removes her toiletry bag and places it in the adjoining ensuite.

Prudence rubs her lower chin with plump right hand thumb and index finger as she watches Tanya close up her now empty suitcase of all clothing, toiletries and work items.

Next Tanya grabs Prudence's laptop bag, opens it and places it on the table beside Arabelle "You should be all set now Prudence, I've organised sandwichs and refreshments for nine in here for our meeting!"

Arabelle suddenly comes alive "what meeting!"

Tanya ignores her "Is the air con and everything alright for you Prudence, do you want me to adjust it.?"

Prudence adjusts her glasses on her nose "No thank you, perhaps you can have them call you when the sandwiches are coming, I'm sure you have to prepare your room as does Arabelle!"

"Oh Yes!" declares Tanya matter of factly, "I'm only down the hall, I'll be back for nine, I've left the ensuite light on for you, if you need anything before nine, please call me, it's not long anyways"

Tanya brisky walks out of the bedroom "What does that wound up hen mean by a meeting at nine, we could have met now" moans Arabelle.

Prudence took a gaspy sigh and rolled her eyes upwards "You've been lost in your phone, we're meeting at nine here, we'll eat and go over plans for tomorrow."

"Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum" groans Arabelle, "we've already met, fucking hell its late in the evening"

Prudence took a short shallow breath, she didn't have the energy for an argument with Arabelle "welcome to my world of running a business, you'll know all about it when your running it!"

Arabelle extended out her left hand, two of my New York Uni mates are coming to meet me here, what I am I going to do!!

"Please" pleaded Prudence "I really don't have the energy and I'm too busy for an argument now, this is a business trip, your friends will have to wait"

Arabelle purses her lips "Oh so I can't have a life,just because your all business, business business doesn't mean I have to be"

Prudence's head begins to throb "Like it or not, right now your a businesswoman!! she gasps in anger "Remember this business, pays for your University, your Prius, Your vacations, your cloths, your sports membership and that precious cell phone" She takes another shallow breath trying to draw as much air from her lungs as possible "Your friends will have to wait until after the meeting, it will only be thirty to forty five minutes"

"Fine!" barks Arabelle as she stands up "just because you don't have any friends doesn't mean I shouldn't!"

"Arabelle" screeches Prudence who was momentarily frozen in silence at the remark "That is hurtful and untrue!" her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach, she adjusts her glasses on her nose. "I have sacrificed so much of myself to make this work and made sure that you were never wanting for anything. You have no idea how lucky you are!"

Prudence struggles at times to understand Arabelle. A smart girl, getting a great education, getting great business experience, yet she doesn't share the same work ethic as her or Donald. A work ethic they got off their parents yet failed to pass on. They argued a lot, sometimes about business other times about Prudence's worklife balance, even getting Arabelle to put on a suit for the office, the arguments exhaust her.

Arabelle became consumed with regret. Her mothers lips pursed tightly, with her eyebrows crunched into a frown, however her brown eyes illuminated sadness. When she looked at her mother, she worries that she is looking at her older self and often wonders if your boyfriend Zach would love her. She hates herself for thinking that way. She loves her mum but she fears inheriting her poor thyroid and metabolism system, she works out a lot. "Mum, I'm sorry, I didn't meant that!"
Prudence slaps the back of her left hand into the palm of her right hand "Look Arabelle" she gasps "Please understand this, you're in a very unique position in that you work in businesses owned by your parents that some day will be yours!!. Your father and I don't require you to wear suits to the office because we're old fuddy duddies." Prudence draws breath with a hollow sounding gasp "The truth is we're planting the seeds for your business career. The people you work with here someday will report to you, the clients you meet will sometime negotiate with you, so the impression you make now if done correctly will see you right. My parents were the best mentors I ever had and I am just trying to relay that back to you. Business will demand a lot of your time and energy but its rewarding, so please understand our reasoning."

Prudence grew up with one older sister Rosamund. Her parents ran a chain of restaurants guesthouses and catering businesses. She received her business acumen from them. Every Sunday night, her mother and father laid out their business attire for the week. Everything was prepared right down to cufflinks and socks. Herself and her sister, would prepare their school and non school clothing for the week ahead. Her mother would inspect everyones even their fathers. She was a stickler for his ties, "a businessman's tie must match the occasion and be properly presented" she would say. Not only would her father have one tie selected per day but a spare tie always close at hand.

Her parents were very busy businesspeople, in order to succeed with a demanding business and family everything had to be planned. Even as children if they had to go to one of the restaurants or guest houses while her parents worked, they were told to select two toys each to bring and mum and dad would select one surprise one. Each time Prudence and her sister done this, they earned extra pocket money so buy in wasn't an issue.

They thought her how success in work starts with pride in yourself. Both her parents would never go into a location or business meeting without a crisp clean suit on. If they were working from home, suits remained on all day. Her father would take his time tying a tie, he would say "A businessman's tie is like your resume, a tie is part of what sells you and your business. Every morning her mother would reinspect his tie. Her mother would always tighten and adjust it more. Same with Prudence and her sister as school children if their tie wasn't properly tied they were made start again. Her parents never done casual, the only time she would see them not suited is Christmas day where her father would be without a tie and her mother in an evening dress. Even vacation time, when leisure time was over, the business attire went on for dinner or the evening entertainment.

Prudence learned so much from her parents, she often wondered what she would be without them. She was expected to go into the business with her older sister, whom studied Hotel and Catering Management at the prestigeous Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland. Rosamund managed several five star hotels in Europe before returning and taking an active role in the management of the family business. In Prudence's last year in High School, she beat off competition to be awarded a Banking scholorship with North America International bank, the bank was affiliated at the time with Harvard University and only the best qualified for this scholarship. This allowed her to travel with the bank, get paid for it and study with the esteemed Harvard. They first celebrated this achievement and secondly her mother brought her out to buy a collection of business attire. The words of her mother in the car journey still rang in her ears "Your first impression in the bank Prudence is your initial imprint. Your business suit is not a dull piece of uncomfortable clothing, its an investment. We are privileged we can put on a suit and get well paid for it". She hated casual Friday another trait from her parents. When she first told her father about dress down Friday, he nearly choked "There is no dress down Friday in business, the bank may say there is but there isn't. You are judged on your work Monday to Friday and what you do a Friday is as important as each day that preceded it. You want to prepared for if a client drops in unexpectedly and your presentation must always be ready. Your colleagues may come in wearing faded jeans and slippers on a Friday but not you Prudence, no daughter of mine that's worked hard to reach the level you did will succumb to such shoddiness."

When she started in the bank, there wasn't many women in the industry her mother warned her "you're going to be dealing with men that will view you as a threat and not treat you as an equal, your father and I are here to talk so do talk to us".

Prudence stares at herself on a wall mirror. She barely recognises herself. Her sunken brown eyes are almost invisible behind thick circular gold frame rimmed glasses. Prudence flattened her palms and joined her fingers together and gentry rubbed them to the sides of her deep furrowed brow directing some stray fringe hairs back into position on her dyed dark brown shoulder length hair.

She removed her glasses which leaves everything in a blur and gently massages her tired sore eyes and chubby flush cheeks. The glasses are placed back on her hawk shaped nose and once again everything is visible.

At fifty three she could of passed for more. She rubs her double chin with her soft left palm. She is sure it dropped some more. An expanding double chin is least of her worries. Her latest worry is the painful twinges she can barely endure from pressure on her knee joints. Her doctor warns it could be an onslaught of arthritis or gout. She is unsure which is the lesser of all evils.

Prudence is not a tall woman, She is five foot three. For that height she should weigh no more than one hundred and forty one pounds however; she tipped the scales at three hundred pounds.

She is a wealthy businesswoman and banker. She is owner and Chief Executive Officer of PD Sternwood Financial Services and Investments. Her parents gave their Businesses to Prudence and her sister. Rosamund owned fifty percent of that business, her husband Donald owned twenty five percent and Prudence the same.