“Absolutely.”
“Thank you.” He clapped her on the shoulder, then retreated into the theater.
She had no idea where to find that particular switch—or any switch other than the ones Thomas had already shown her. Due to the nature of the meeting, there were no crew members in the building to enlighten her. She followed Mr. Destiny into the theater.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, attempting to appear confident. She double-checked the control box to see if there were any extra light controls she hadn’t noticed before.
There weren’t.
She traced the edge of the stage and examined the sides of the proscenium arch. No luck. Where else could they be?
The velvet curtain loomed before her. She climbed onto the edge of the stage and pushed past it.
The floor beneath her was not like a normal stage. Instead, it was a series of platforms containing the mechanical elements of the show, with dangerous gaps in between. She concentrated on placing her feet squarely on one platform after another.
A movement in the shadows startled her.
What was that?
She turned, but carefully, making sure she didn’t slip.
It was Thomas.
With one finger to his lips, and one hand reaching out to implore silence, he straightened to his full height on a platform just a few steps away.
“What are you doing here?” she hissed.
He stepped quietly across the platforms and onto hers.
It seemed very small for two people to share.
“You were waiting for the meeting, weren’t you?” she said, taking care to keep her voice low.
“I had to know what they were going to do,” he whispered.
“‘They’? You know I’m one of ‘them,’ right? What am I supposed to do with you? They’re waiting for me to fix the lights right now.” Even in a whisper, she managed to spit the last two words with force.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to get you involved.”
“I should fire you right now.”
“Please don’t. Not when we’re having this much fun,” he said.
The absurdity of the situation tipped her panic into an unstoppable rush of hysterics. She pressed her lips together to stifle the laughter that bubbled up from deep inside.
Thomas looked at her as if she’d lost her mind, which only made it worse.
When he caught on, and his shoulders began shaking with silent laughter, Vanessa lost it completely.
They clutched at each other as much for balance as to bury the sound of their mirth, her head on his shoulder, and his on hers.
When they regained control, they looked at each other with eyes streaming with tears of laughter. “Just tell me where the front of house light switch is, will you?” whispered Vanessa.
“There isn’t one,” he whispered in her ear.
“What? Are you kidding? All this for nothing?”
“I wouldn’t call it nothing,” he said. He winked at her and stepped back into the shadows.
Vanessa carefully picked her way to the front of the stage, pushed aside the curtain, and closed it hurriedly behind her. She climbed down from the edge of the stage and landed safely on solid ground.
Only then did she notice that while she’d been behind the curtain, the theater had filled up.
Mr. Destiny waited just a few feet away, talking to a well-dressed woman Vanessa didn’t recognize.
“Mr. Destiny,” Vanessa said, a little out of breath. “There isn’t a separate switch for the lights. They’re either all on, or all off.”
“Fine,” he said, checking his watch. “Let’s get started.”
Vanessa took a seat.
Mr. Destiny stepped forward. “Thank you for coming, everyone. You all know the situation we face here at Destiny Park. I want to introduce someone who will be helping us stay union-free.”
The unknown woman walked to his side.
“This is Amy Aldrich from Tradimus Labor Consultants. Amy, take it away.” He retreated to the side of the theater.
The consultant stood before the assembled supervisors. The house lights created strange patterns of light, highlighting the sleek chignon of her chestnut hair while casting shadows under her cheekbones. “Thank you.” She paused, as if gathering her thoughts, then relieved the tension with one dramatic statement.
“You are at war,” she said. “You stand on the front line of a conflict for the very soul of Destiny Park. Nothing—absolutely nothing—is more important than your role in keeping Destiny Park union-free.”
She paced across the front of the theater, deliberately making eye contact with manager after manager. “If you fail, you and your crew will suffer forever after, separated from one another, the precious relationship that bound you together torn to shreds.”
Good grief. It took a physical effort for Vanessa not to roll her eyes.
The consultant continued. “What is a union, anyway?”
Vanessa knew better than to volunteer an answer.
Others did not.
The consultant pointed to one of the raised hands.
The selected manager piped up, “An organization for workers.”
“Accurate, but not in the truest sense. A union, ladies and gentlemen, is a business. And what does a business need to do?”
Someone called out “Make money!”
The consultant smiled for the first time. “Now we are at the core of the apple,” she said. “A union is a business that needs to make money. And how do they make money? Do they make and sell a product? Do they create an amusement park for the enjoyment of all?” She let the last statement hang in the air.
“No, my friends, they do not. The only way a union can make money is to take it from hard-working employees like yours. And what do your hard-working employees get for their dollar?” She raised empty palms to the crowd. “Nothing but a wall. A wall between them and management. No longer can they work things out with you like the adults that they are. Instead, a union controls how they deal with you. No longer can they be promoted on the basis of merit; instead, lazy employees who have been here longer get promoted ahead of bright and eager employees who turn in the best performance. This is a war against the hard work that you do and the hard work your employees do.”
Vanessa snuck a covert look around to see how the other managers were reacting.
Some appeared inspired; others, bored.
“I can see,” the consultant said, “that some of you are afraid. Afraid you won’t know what to say, or what to do. I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to be afraid. You can’t deliver threats, but I will teach you how to turn up the pressure without breaking the law. You can’t interrogate, but I’ll teach you how to get information without asking questions. We will supply everything to say, everything to do, to give you the power to save your crew members from the union.”