“It’s all about attention to detail.” My dad squeezes my shoulder. “You always know exactly what our clients want.”
I know that Trent Morrison stops at that café regularly to get a large green tea brewed at precisely one hundred and seventy-five degrees.
He’s documented it enough times on social media that anyone who follows his account would think he’s getting paid to promote their product.
I turn back to my dad. “I’ve got to get back to my office, but I’ll see you at the meeting.”
His gaze volleys between Mitchell and me. I know that look. He’s contemplating not only his future but my jerk of a stepbrother’s and mine too.
That’s why I need to shine at this meeting. It’s a chance to show my dad that I’m the best choice when he appoints a new CEO.
Chapter 13
Jeremy
“Today?” I glance down at the watch on my wrist. “You booked that meeting for today?”
Trent Morrison, the Brand Manager for Rizon, gives me a curt nod. “You said to set it up as soon as possible. I reached out to David last week and he blocked out two hours at three o’clock today.”
“As in forty-five minutes from now?”
I know he can hear the irritation in my voice. I don’t fucking care. I’ve had one issue after another thrown at me since I got to my office this morning. Having to abandon the fires that are already burning so I can trek across town to sit down with David Faye and his team isn’t part of my plan.
“You can’t reschedule?” I ask with a brisk brush of my hand in the air. “I’m up to my neck in bullshit today. Make it another day this week.”
“No can do,” he says cheerfully. “Faye is booked up solid for the next six weeks. You don’t want to know what I had to do to get this meeting.”
He’s right. I don’t want to know. I did tell him in no uncertain terms to get us some time over at Faye’s office and he delivered that.
It’s impressive given the tight time frame I gave him to make it happen.
I brought Trent on board a year ago when our last Brand Manager jumped ship and took on a prominent role at Estey Vodka. They’re our biggest competitor and slowly but surely they’ve been plucking away all of my valued employees, leaving me with no choice but to replace them with new hires.
Trent claims his strong suit is social media engagement. He’s offered no proof of that yet and with the vanilla vodka launch looming, I want more hands on deck, which is why I told him to call David Faye.
David’s name is gold in New York advertising. My first choice was Rocco’s brother, Nash. He’s done good work for me in the past but he just landed a high-profile tech client. He’s focused on the promotional campaign for the worldwide launch of a new smartphone and doesn’t have time to devote to Rizon.
My plan to build an in-house marketing team hasn’t happened yet. I make a mental note to put that at the top of my priority list once our new vodka hits the market.
“I can handle it on my own.” Trent makes himself at home by taking a seat in one of the chairs on the opposite side of my desk. “Send me over there by myself and I’ll come back with a kick ass advertising plan in place.”
Tension tightens my shoulders. “That’s not an option.”
His head pops up. There’s no surprise in his expression. He knows that I lack confidence in his abilities. I remind him often enough.
“You don’t need to be there, Jeremy,” he stresses as he adjusts the collar of his light blue suit jacket. Combined with his curly blond hair and freshly shaved jaw he looks like he just stepped off a college campus.
He’s my age, but you’d never know that by looking at him.
“This launch is huge.” He spreads his arms apart to reinforce his point. “We can’t skip this meeting and if you’re too tied down with other stuff, I’ll take the lead.”
“There’s no way in hell I’m sending you over there on your own.” I lean back in my chair. “I need to be there.”
I also need to meet with my lead attorney in ten minutes. I told him to get his ass down to my office for two-thirty sharp. I can’t blow him off.
I stand as a signal for Trent to leave. “I’ll meet you there.”
“We can ride over together in the company car.”