America 1982-Chapter 347 - 30: The Original Intention of Entering the Television Industry_2
Tommy wasn’t game for the kind of male-female play where the roles of hunter and prey weren’t clear, but that didn’t stop him from admiring the vast array of races and complexions—the skinny and the curvy—on Santa Monica Boulevard after his morning run, a visual treat that put him in good spirits for the start of a new day.
After enjoying the sight of beautiful women working out, Tommy returned home to find Ottelia already up and done with her morning routine, discussing the day’s schedule with her assistant on the porch. Spotting Tommy’s return, she paused the conversation, stood up, and walked over to give him a good morning kiss before letting him go shower.
By the time Tommy had changed and settled at the breakfast table, his meal was ready, Dorothy had placed the newspaper in front of him, and the TV had been turned on to his usual morning news program.
"This morning I have to go to KeyBank’s California branch first for a meet-and-greet with some of California’s outstanding clients, and then I’m off to a lower-class community to deliver a keynote speech on KeyBank’s support for revitalizing their neighborhood," Ottelia said as she sat down next to Tommy and took a sip of her hot milk. "My assistant Erin just confirmed with me about the speech, and there’s a point where it mentions why my boyfriend got into the TV business. Of course, that’s not an important issue, but if someone initiates a conversation about it, asking why you chose to enter the TV industry, what should I say to them?"
Tommy shifted his gaze from the newspaper to Ottelia’s face, puzzled, "Why would that come up in your speech? I mean, who wrote it for you? Fire her, Ottelia. Don’t let your public image be continuously associated with family or relatives. When men in the public eye mention family or relatives, it signifies responsibility. But when women do it, it often diminishes the image of being an independent, working woman."
"So, should I put on a stern face and scold those who talk to me about family and love affairs, saying, ’Hey, watch your tone—I’m an independent woman; I don’t need family, I don’t need love’? Why should I be so hypocritical? I’m a woman, I’ll be a mother in the future, and I will ultimately return to family life," Ottelia mused for a few seconds before countering Tommy’s statement.
Tommy placed a piece of light shrimp onto Ottelia’s plate, "It’s not about being hypocritical; it’s unnecessary. Of course, you need a family and love, but your speechwriting secretary clearly doesn’t understand that you don’t have to share everything with everyone, right? That’s her mistake. You should consider firing her. Of course, you can ignore my opinion, but if she were my speechwriter, apart from dressing up to stand by my side as eye-candy, she wouldn’t need to do anything else because I would never use the garbage speeches she writes."
"Like my job?" Sophia interjected with a smile as she walked in and settled at the breakfast table. "Good morning, Ottelia. Good morning, Tommy." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Just like Ottelia’s assistant, Sophia, too, would join Tommy for breakfast every day at his place and go over some work plans for the day.
"Good morning, you’re certainly different, Sophia!" Ottelia responded seriously to Sophia, then turned to Tommy, trying to use a stern tone to make him realize the gravity of his previous remarks, "Tommy, anyone hearing your words just now would feel hurt, whether it’s about my assistant or Sophia."
"You’re of course different, Sophia," Tommy reassured Ottelia. But after taking a sip of his coffee, he added, "Because you’re simply not pretty enough to be considered eye-candy. However, I have to admit, you might not be a vase, but you’ve become indispensable. Here’s the thing: You could now work as an executive assistant or handle vice-president-level tasks at any company, except for being a lawyer or judge, all thanks to me. I painstakingly taught you how to work, word for word, for the past two years. My only regret is that you never paid me tuition fees. And what’s more regrettable is that, despite earning so much money, you never thought to improve your appearance to look more like a stunning vase."
"Tommy~!" Ottelia frowned, "You should maintain the proper respect for Sophia."
Sophia, used to Tommy’s attitude by now, simply smiled at Ottelia and said, "Ottelia, could you provide me with legal assistance? I want to sue this jerk, Tommy Hawk. He’s been verbally harassing me for years. I want to bankrupt him and ruin his reputation."
"Can you wait until after I marry him and then file the lawsuit? It would be easier for me to win more sympathy from the court as his wife and gain more from our assets during the divorce if he’s the one at fault," Ottelia joked back, knowing Sophia was also joking.
Tommy, assured in his tone, looked at the two women, "You know, if I were the dean of your law school, I definitely wouldn’t let kind-hearted souls like you two graduate. Being kind, emotional, and loving to daydream—traits like yours—are a disgrace to American law schools. You two think you can sue me? It would be harder than me becoming the leader of a Mormon fundamentalist sect, brainwashing all of California’s eligible women into accepting polygamy, and happily marrying me."
