Chapter 39 Showtime
Showtime
Morgan took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, pinned a professional smile on her face, and strode through the doors of Front Range Hotel downtown.
The monthly meeting for Denver financial planners had always been a fixture on her calendar.
Time to network, catch up with colleagues, and update each other on movements within the industry.
But since her firing, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to attend.
Hadn’t wanted the pitying glances, and couldn’t face the outright snubs she was sure would come her way.
But now, bolstered by Heidi’s cheerleading and her success in getting a place at DU, she’d reached the “fuck ’em” attitude.
She was still registered; she was still a financial member of the association.
Now was the time to show her face, show she wasn’t cowed. That one mistake need not end a career.
She tugged her suit jacket into place, glanced down to ensure her pantyhose was unmarked, and smoothed the slim skirt over her hips.
Heidi had told her she looked professional and smart, and Morgan had practiced a calm, nonreactive face in the mirror.
The hard questions would surely come her way, but she was ready for them.
The meeting took place in a private room off the bar in one of Denver’s most upmarket hotels.
When she’d worked at Mattingley, she’d often caught up with colleagues for dinner before the meeting.
This time, with no one to dine with, she’d arrived twenty minutes before the meeting started.
Time to have a glass of wine and gauge her reception.
Time enough to chat to anyone friendly. Not too long that she would be standing by herself against the wall as her colleagues snubbed her.
The first people she saw were two of her ex-colleagues from Mattingley. Her stride hitched, but she forced herself to continue to the bar, standing a discreet distance away, giving them a nod and a smile before focusing on the bartender to order a glass of pinot noir.
The two men moved closer. “Good to see you, Morgan,” Lazlo said. His teeth flashed in his tan face. “You’ve been missed around the office. Where are you working now?”
She’d rehearsed this option. “I took some much-needed time off—some travel, caught up with family—and now that I’m back on the job market, I’m considering a couple of offers.”
Lazlo’s face froze for a moment before he offered a slight smile. “Good for you. None of us get enough time off in this industry. What offers are you considering?”
“I’m sure you understand that I can’t discuss them.” She took a sip of wine and regarded him for a moment over the rim of the glass.
“Of course,” he said after a beat.
“How are things at Mattingley?”
“Busy.” He launched into an account of the long hours and extra accounts he’d taken on before he finished with, “I don’t know if you heard, but Javid, who took over your accounts, has left. We’re recruiting, but in the meantime, your old portfolio is being divided between the senior advisors.”
“I saw the position advertised, of course.” She smiled. “That’s a lot of extra work for you all.”
“We can handle it.” Lazlo pushed a hand through his thick, dark hair and drained his wine. He signaled the bartender for another.
“I’m glad,” Morgan said. She turned and nodded in the direction of the other side of the room. “If you’ll excuse me…”
She walked away, losing herself in the knot of people.
Thank heavens for Heidi’s roleplay on how to handle ex-colleagues.
She examined her feelings about the encounter.
She’d expected to feel possessive about her accounts, especially the clients she’d nurtured over the years, but there was nothing.
She simply didn’t care. When it came down to it, clients moved on, and as long as their wealth was building, they barely noticed who handled their accounts.
And the extra work and stress Lazlo seemed to be under? She certainly didn’t miss that.
She noticed Jerry Grogan standing beside one of the tables with the hors d’oeuvres. He was shoveling them into his mouth as if he hadn’t eaten all day—and he probably hadn’t. She went across. “Hi, Jerry. How are things with you?”
“Morgan!” He did a double take. “You’re looking well.”
“Yes, the time I took for myself before jumping back into the fray was a good idea. I’m glad I didn’t follow up on your lead with Murray Price.”
Jerry beckoned her closer and leaned in so no one could hear. “Rumor has it he’s already fallen foul of the attorney general and the Division of Securities. You did well to avoid that trap.” He straightened. “Are you working now?”
She repeated her line about weighing up a couple of offers.
“Good for you.” He glanced to either side.
“Have you heard of Sally Acuna? She’s moved here from California.
Sold her firm there for a fortune, and the noncompete clause meant she had to move out of state to start a new agency.
She targets women investors and employs mostly female staff.
Word is, she’s looking for premises around Denver.
She’s apparently fantastic to work for—prioritizes family and work-life balance.
” He scowled. “Not like most of the dollar chasers around here. That’s her at the table by the wall.
She’s low-key, isn’t announcing herself, but you might want to have a chat. ”
Morgan looked over to where a curvy Latina with salt-and-pepper hair was watching the room with a slight smile on her face. No one was talking to her; indeed, a couple of suits held a loud conversation immediately to one side of her without acknowledging her in any way.
She looked back at Jerry. “Thanks. I’ll go and have a chat with her.”
“Good luck.”
Morgan moved away and leaned against the bar for a moment, watching Sally in the mirror.
What was the best approach? The suits finished their conversation, and the space around Sally opened up again.
What would Heidi do? The answer was obvious.
Heidi would be herself: direct, unapologetic, no pretense.
Morgan wandered across the room to where Sally sat. “Hello, Sally. We’ve never met, but I know who you are. Welcome to Denver.”
Sally inclined her head. “Then you have the advantage, as I’m afraid I don’t know you. I’m happy for that to change, though. Please, sit if you’d like.”
Morgan sat and extended her hand. “Morgan Favola.”
Sally’s grip was strong but brief. “Sally Acuna. But you already know that. This is my first time at one of these meetings. I like to sit back and watch for a while. Observe.”
“And what have you observed?”
Sally turned dark-brown eyes on her. “The usual cliques, although most people seem to be at least on nodding terms. What about you? Are you new here? You seem to know relatively few people too.”
“It’s my first time back in a few months. I’ve been on a career break.”
“Ah,” Sally said. “That would do it. I notice there’s a disproportionate number of men here tonight. This being an evening meeting, I suspect many of our female colleagues are at home getting dinner and putting the kids to bed.”
“But not you. Or me.”
“My husband is very evolved. He’s dealing with the kids alone tonight. It’ll be my turn later in the week when he goes to the Chamber of Commerce meeting. The rest of the time, we share. What about you?”
“No partner, no kids,” Morgan said. “Although I’m working on the first.”
Sally’s smile flashed. “I’m glad. I hope they’re a good one.”
“What brings you to Denver?” Morgan asked. “No. Scrap that. I know—or at least, someone mentioned you’ve moved here to set up business after relocating from California.”
“Thank you for not pretending,” Sally said with an infectious smile. “Your source is right. I’m scouting for premises and looking to hang my shingle out. Tell me, if you were me, where would you look?”
It was a test, Morgan realized. She would bet her Altima that Sally already had a good idea of where she wanted to be. She wanted to see how much Morgan knew about her business model.
“The standard answer would be downtown or the upper part of Broadway,” she said.
“That’s where a lot of financial firms are located.
But with your focus on female clients, I would consider more suburban locations.
Somewhere busy, but not downtown where parking is tight.
Somewhere with good access to the Regional Transportation District. ”
“Downtown is well served by the RTD,” Sally said.
“Still, it’s difficult to get there with a couple of kids in tow.
And while many financial companies are in LoDo, they’re not your target clients.
The average woman—and man—on the street is.
And for them, getting there at lunchtime or during a break in the day is easier if it’s not to downtown.
I’d suggest somewhere relatively central still… Say Sloane’s Lake or Cherry Creek.”
Sally smiled slightly. “We’re about to close on a house in Congress Park. I’ve actually been looking at premises in Cherry Creek or Glendale.”
“Great areas,” Morgan said. “I’m in West Washington Park, and I love it there. It has a very strong local community.” Not that she’d participated much, but that was slowly changing.
“Are you returning to the same firm after your career break?”
Morgan took a deep breath. This question was inevitable, and, for most people, not a spiky one. No evasions. No half-truths. “No. I was with Mattingley, but I was fired. I took a break to regroup, and I’m now ready to start afresh with a different firm.”
Sally’s eyes sharpened, but she leaned back in her chair with a slight smile. “Why were you fired? Were they restructuring?”
She knows. Sally had probably known since Morgan had given her name.
This was a test. She lifted her chin and met Sally’s eyes.
“I made a mistake—a major one. The only mistake after seven years of exemplary performance. Advisor of the year a couple of times. The client—one of Mattingley’s largest—demanded I be fired or she’d take her business elsewhere. So they fired me.”
“Why did you screw up?”
Again, not what did you screw up. “It was the last transaction before I left in the evening after an eleven-hour day. I was tired. I should have used better judgment and left the transaction until the morning.”
“I’m surprised there’s not more errors due to fatigue in our industry,” Sally said. “Thank you for being honest with me.”
“You knew, didn’t you?” Morgan held her gaze.
“I did, yes. I was curious to see how you’d spin it.
I appreciate that you related it without trying to hide the facts.
” She stood. “I should circulate. Try and insert myself into some of these cliques and conversations.” She fished in her purse and held out a business card.
“I’d very much like to talk more with you, Morgan.
I’ll be hiring soon. Would you consider meeting me for coffee in the next few days? ”
“I’d like that very much.” Morgan took the card and pulled out one of her own—the plain business card with her qualifications and contact details that Heidi had suggested she have printed—and handed it to Sally.
Sally took it, studied it, then slipped it in her bag. “You’ll be hearing from me.” She turned and walked in the direction of the bar, toward where a group Morgan knew to be senior partners of their respective firms were talking.
Wow. Morgan suppressed a smile. That had gone even better than she’d hoped.
Sally seemed direct and fair—and, best of all, willing to consider Morgan.
She couldn’t wait to get home and tell Heidi all about the meeting.
But it wouldn’t look good if she left now.
Sally would be watching to see how she’d interact with people who had shunned her.
Morgan set back her shoulders and headed for a group of people she’d often chat with at these events. Be confident. Be bold. Act as if you have every right to be here—because you have.
Between Heidi’s suggestions and the chat with Sally, the evening had taken a massive turn for the better.