Chapter Twenty-five
West Club shortfall
The door behind him opens as Wray’s buzzes in a visitor. Bakman nods, makes a note on a pad on his desk about his stopping place, and a key stroke hides the spacecraft blueprint. Another key stroke and West Club numbers fill the screen.
"Morning," a deep female voice greets him from the doorway.
Without looking away from the screen filled with numbers Bakman replies, "Come in Morgana." When he looks around Bakman sees wild bushy maroon hair decorated with green stripes and his eyes travels down to her round face covered today with a lime green make-up. Stares at her round body wearing a bright lime green tunic with white, yellow, and maroon two-inch dots. Duffy grins broadly.
Morgana walks up smiling too until her eyes take in the page with numbers about the West Club. "They are losing money . . . every one of them."
Bakman nods his head in agreement and looks again at the bottom figure. "The total seems to be just less than a million a month. Is that what you get, Morgana?"
"Yeah,” she replies with a nodding head and a sad expression on her face. “Average is $927,000 roughly, not counting the opening two months. We made good money then. It was something new. People are funny that way. Flock like hungry animals to a new feed trough. Don’t give a thought about the old."
"So, I've noticed. Think we can trim down our losses more toward breaking even. Trim and slim down and raise prices."
"Bakman, lower prices means poorer service. Higher prices and more people won't come to West Club. The result will be fewer workers, poorer service, and fewer customers. You’ve see that in businesses before the bank locks their doors. We could put in more mechanicals, but that drives others away too. People are only too happy to let mechanicals do their work but they won’t party with them."
"Could we watch our purchases more? Buy only in large orders, bid large lot orders like some discount corporations do, but that requires a large distribution center and that costs too."
"Duffy, do we want to go that way with a short lifespan business . . . even if it's successful. Right now how much is a smokescreen worth to you and Harry."
Bakman looks at Morgana and a new thought races through his head. Morgana believes we’re ready to close all the West Club and she is out of a job. Knowing Morgana as he did, Bakman knew she came in today promising herself she would not beg or plead her case. She thinks we still need the West Club, but the decision was ours to make—not hers.
"Harry and I talked about that this morning. I'll give you his answer," and Bakman hands Morgana a check signed by Harry for twelve million dollars.
Morgana looked at the check, at Harry's signature, and her eyes mist over. A tear slips down through her pale green make-up leaving a streak and a husky voice manages to speak.
"Tell Harry, we'll make it last a year. I promise."
"Morgana," Bakman said bending over for twelve books in a box. Smiling Bakman pushes the box across the desk in front of her adding, "Add one of them and a million from the check to income every month as false profits and make it last a while."
With misty eyes gleaming, Morgana laid the check on top of the books.
"Harry and I need this until the project is completed whatever the cost. We hoped in 3230, but the government always has delays. Harry now believes they won’t be ready until 3233. If Harry runs out of money and if all the books are all gone, I'll pick up the tab until we don't need it anymore."
"I was worried I was a poor manager."
"Don't you ever think that? Morgana, have you got any ideas how to put a little life back into our sagging business."
"The only thing I could think of was a free night. Our slowest night at the gate is Wednesday. I thought about letting people in free on Wednesday. Our slowest dance days are Monday and Tuesday nights. I thought I would alternate months of free dancing on Monday and the next month free on Tuesday. The games section is slow on Thursday for some reason. There is a lot going on that night. Thought about a buy one and get one free game on Thursday. Any high score on a game for the night gets a free night at any area of choice, except food. I don't want to have a free food night because that area is too small and the price of food would skyrocket. Did think of a monthly door drawing for food? Winner and one friend or one family meaning Mom, Dad, and the children get in free and have free food—all they can eat every night for a month. Any of these things should get us talked about and maybe bring in some more business. Should I try any of these?"
“Try them all. We won't know what effect any of them will have unless we try them. If something works, keep doing it. If it does not work, let it die. Promise your upper staff bonuses for new ideas to increase foot traffic, say a hundred thousand per.” Bakman slides across the desk another book adding, “This is to pay for those ideas . . . Okay."
Morgana put the book on top of her check, starts to lift her box of books to leave.
Bakman put his hand on the top book to stop her.
Morgana looked confused for she was sure the meeting was over.
From beside his chair Bakman's other hand brings up another book. "Morgana, you've carried the load on this. I appreciate that. Harry does too. Both of us want you to take Varn and the kids for a week in Atlantic City that they will never forget.”
His finger taps the book and slides it across the counter toward her, “This money is yours, a bonus to spend, save, throw it away, or burn it. Harry and I think you deserve a break—a ten day vacation. Varn's in your office with the kids, ready and waiting. Harry chartered a special flight to Atlantic City for you, a hotel suite paid for ten days, and a chartered private return flight. All of it booked and paid. Everything except hotel meals is already paid. Wray has all the tickets. Now . . . lovely West Club Lady, you get out of this building just as soon as you get all those free dates ordered out to the regional managers, forget about West Club, deposit Harry’s check, cash your book, and leave the box of books with Wray. He will have the box delivered to your office the day you get back. Take a good sized wad of local money out of the bank to make it look like you bought the tickets, hotel room, and took gambling money. You can start putting it back slowly next week if you want to. Now, our dear Lady of West Club you are to be out of this old collection of buildings named New Dallas, as they say on those old western screens, before noon. Plane takes off at 11:21."
"But . . ."
"No argument. Harry said to give you this," and Bakman rushes around the desk, sweeps her up in his arms, and kisses Morgana on her pale lime green cheek. Then, while her eyes fill and drip tears Bakman lifts the box of books and put her book on top.
"When you get back, Dee wants to hear all about it. Also, she wants to know how to have babies and still look good."
His hands turns her around, puts the box of books in her chubby arms, and as Morgana walks away in that waddle of hers toward the doorway Bakman’s hand reaches out and down and pats a well-placed maroon dot.