A story of power, money, and deception.

THE PRESIDENTIAL HOTEL, NEW YORK CITY

Lorraine walked around the dining room table and made sure that the place settings were perfect, as waiters and waitresses placed food warmers onto the buffet table in preparation of the dinner that was about to take place.

As she finished her inspection, she heard the doorbell of the suite ring and stepped out into the living room, noticing that Troy had already opened the door and ushered in her guests.

"Ms. Keeling," she said, walking up to the woman who stepped into the room. "I’m Lorraine Biddinger. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. May i call you Jennifer?"

"That would be fine," Jennifer replied with a smile.

The two women shook hands, then Lorraine turned to the older gentleman that stepped into the room. "And you must be Howard Durant. And this is my assistant, Troy Banner. May I take your coats?"

Once the coats were hung in the closet, Troy took drink orders and started to make them as the others sat down in the living room.

"Misses Biddinger," Jennifer said. "I was a little surprised to get your invitation to dinner."

"In all honesty, I would have scheduled an appointment with you at your studio, but my schedule for this trip to New York was completely full. The only time I had to spare in order to meet you was during dinner," Lorraine answered.

"May I inquire as to why you wanted to meet me?" Jennifer asked.

"I attended the showing of your fall collection during fashion week, and decided that I wanted to have it," Lorraine replied. "Particularly the dress you are wearing right now."

"I see," Jennifer replied, looking down at the lapis blue evening gown she was wearing, the finale piece to her fall collection.

"I don’t mean to sound rude, or insulting," Jennifer said as she looked back up at Lorraine. "But, what do you know of me and my design style?"

Lorraine smiled back at her. "Trust me, dear, that is neither rude nor insulting. In fact, it is quite a smart question to ask of someone when inquiring about your designs.

"Your design studio is called JAKs Fashion, and is named after the nickname given to you by a friend during high school. That nickname is based upon the initials of your name, Jennifer Alexandra Keeling. You went to the New School of Fashion, where you graduated the top of your class, and struggled to make a name for yourself and your design studio. JAKs Fashion is now a recognizable force in design for young, active women around the world.

"I also know that your fall collection was not well received, and that Cassandra Michaels gave a rather scathing review of your collection. I also know that if a designer receives such a review, more than likely they are packing up their studio and leaving town."

Jennifer nodded. "Cassandra can be a real bitch sometimes," she said.

"But Cassandra knows what she’s talking about," Lorraine replied. "I know Cassandra personally. She’s a close friend. But I also know how to truly read what she’s saying. Most people read what she says and take it for what they see, not for what they read into it.

"Those people are usually the buyers for the department stores, and those designers not willing to look deeper. And you, at this moment, are suffering the nearsightedness of the department store buyers."

"And that would be?" Jennifer asked, as she took a sip of her wine.

"That what Cassandra was saying is not that the collection itself was bad, but that it was not something associated with JAKs Fashion," Lorraine replied.

"Could you explain that a little more?" Jennifer asked.

"If that collection had been done by Armani, Chanel, or Dior, it would have been just as good as it really is," Lorraine said. "But, the designs we done by you, under the JAKs label. JAKs, as I said, is considered young, hip, almost trendy without going into fad. It’s aimed at 20- and 30-something’s. What you delivered for your fall collection was very mature, very regal and very elegant. But that’s not what people expect of JAKs," Lorraine explained.

"It wasn’t the designs themselves that Cassandra was railing against. It was the label that presented them," Lorraine continued. "Everyone was expecting the next big thing from JAKs that was going to be young and hip, that all the little starlets in Hollywood would be wearing and all their teenaged fans would be emulating.

"What they got instead was a very modern, mature, and beautiful collection that didn’t fit their expectations. And because of this, you are being punished by the buyers. Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor, nobody is going to buy that collection as it sits right now. It’s too old for them, and I mean that it is aimed at the 40 to 50-something women, not the demographic you usually design for."

"How could you possibly know I haven’t sold the collection yet?" Jennifer asked.

"What Cassandra Michaels wrote," Lorraine replied. "And that you just admitted it to me. Which is why I asked you hear. I want your fall collection in the boutique stores inside each of my Presidential Hotels. I want it exclusively, to keep the rest of the stores from getting their hands on them. But there is a condition."

"And that condition is?" Jennifer asked.

"That it not have the JAKs Fashion label associated with the collection."

"Then what I am supposed to call it?" Jennifer asked. "JAKs is the name of my designs."

"Jennifer Keeling," Lorraine replied. "By putting your more mature designs into my hotels, together we make you as big as Vera Wang. As big as Donna Karan. And I can guarantee you that I can get one of your Jennifer Keeling designs onto the red carpet at the Oscars."

Jennifer looked over at Howard. "What do you think?" she asked him.

"She’s right," he replied. "It wasn’t the designs that were the problem, it was the name on the designs. But how can you guarantee that one of her designs will be at the Oscars?" he asked Lorraine.

"I happen to know that Elizabeth Kincaide is a huge fan of your JAKs Fashion line, and would love to be in something designed by you on the red carpet," Lorraine replied.

"How do you know that?" Jennifer asked.

"She’s my daughter," Lorraine replied. "And if I were to tell her that you could design her a dress for the red carpet, she would be thrilled. In fact, she wanted that dress you are wearing the moment she saw it."

"It’s a lot to consider," Jennifer replied.

"We can continue the discussion over dinner," Lorraine said as she stood up.

She was about to lead the group into the dining room when her cell phone rang. "Go ahead, I will be right with you," she said as she picked up the phone and looked at the number.

"Hi Anthony," she said as she answered the phone.

"How is New York?" he asked her.

"Productive so far," she replied. "And I am hoping that this dinner you are interrupting will be even more productive."

"Oh, sorry. Didn’t realize you were having a meeting. I am calling because I have to be at the White House tomorrow and wondered if you would be able to join me."

"Why do you have to be at the White House?" Lorraine asked.

"I’m not sure. All I really know is that the President asked me to be there in the morning to discuss my political career," Anthony replied.

"I’m sorry, honey, but I have to be at the lawyers office until 1:00. If it were in the afternoon, I might possibly be able to be there, but not in the morning. I will be signing my life away trying to get the Kessler deal done, and quite possibly this deal I am working on now for the Presidential Hotels," Lorraine explained. "I plan to fly back to Denver as soon as I am done. Will you be home tomorrow night?"

"I’m not sure," Anthony replied. "Depends upon what happens tomorrow. I cleared my schedule Friday just in case."

"Tell you what," Lorraine said. "You call me after you meet with Roger and let me know if you have to stay in Washington. If you do, I will fly down there rather than Denver and we can make a date of it. I will get my schedule for Friday cleared as well."

She heard Anthony laughing on the other end of the line. "What’s so funny?" she asked.

"Only you would have the guts to call the President of the United States by his first name," he answered.

"Oh please," Lorraine said. "Roger has been a friend for how many years now? Anyway, tell him I said hello and send him my love. I need to go now. My guests are waiting. Call me after your meeting and we’ll decide whether or not to get together in Washington."

After saying their goodbyes, Lorraine walked into the dining room, where she tried to convince Jennifer Keeling to go into business with her.