“Thank you, Mr. Willem.” She smiled sweetly at her coworker and turned her attention to the screen now displaying what she had created. “As Zeke said, Carson Enterprises is in a class all its own. That isn’t new news, but what people don’t realize is the emphasis his company puts on philanthropy and family values. Some people might think that, to be a success, you have to be ruthless in business—and although Pete Carson has that reputation, his business actually shows otherwise. My presentation will highlight that fact. Carson Enterprises is not only a major conglomerate in several facets of the business world, but it is also one of the largest contributors to several charities. Sometimes, the softer side is more appealing…” Lacey went on to describe the campaign she would run—one that emphasized that softer side—if she acquired Carson as the firm’sclient.
At the end of her presentation, the screen went dark; Mr. Willem leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He looked at Zeke on his left, then Lacey on his right. Her nerves spiked. She fervently hoped she hadn’t missed the mark. She knew her approach was a bit unconventional and the complete opposite of Zeke’s, but she was proud of what she’d created.
Mr. Willem cleared his throat. “Impressive… both of you. In fact, your approaches are so different, I’m going to let both of you pitch to him. That is, if he agrees, of course. The client’s needs are always put first, and it’s quite a coup that we were able to obtain one meeting with him. Asking him for two might be stretching it a bit. As you both know, Mr. Vance and I will be promoting one of you to junior partner, so give it your all.” He stood; Zeke and Lacey did the same. “Mr. Carson will be conducting his meeting in ten days. I’ll have my assistant let you know if one or both of you have the meeting. If both do, I’ll request Zeke go first”—he nodded at Zeke—“since you have history with him. If he only wants one, you’ll both need to show Mr. Vance your proposals, and we’ll make an executive decision.” Mr. Willem left the room without another word.
What?This was news to Lacey. “What history?”
Zeke’s lips twisted snidely to the side. “We belong to the same club and have played golf together on occasion. I might have let Willem know we were acquaintances. But your presentation was good.”Good?“And he might like it, if you get a chance to pitch it.” He chuckled under his breath as he gathered his things and strode out of the conference room.
Lacey stood, dumbfounded. She knew Zeke was an egotistical jerk, and she was well aware of the “boys’ club” mentality, but that wasn’t going to stop Lacey from going after what she wanted. She’d worked too hard to throw in the towel because of a couple of rounds of golf. She’d show him.
Back in her office, Lacey paced the floor. Five steps toward thewindow, pivot, five steps toward the door, pivot, and repeat. Her blood boiled at how condescending and self-assured Zeke had been. She always thought he was an arrogant jackass, but he just tipped the scales with snide remarks.
Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. How could she beat him at his own game? One thing she knew for sure was she needed to knock Pete Carson off his feet. From what Drew had told her, Pete wasn’t a bad guy, but he didn’t share much with the public. That was the main reason her campaign showed the softer, more charitable side of the otherwise ruthless businessman.
Her phone vibrated on the desk; she smiled as Drew’s face lit up the small screen. She pressed the green icon. “Hi, I was just thinking about you.”
“I love when that happens.” Drew laughed and Lacey’s temper calmed a bit. “Were you thinking about how much you missed me?”
“No. I was thinking about what you told me about Pete.” He remained silent. Lacey realized how that must have sounded. “But I do miss you, and it’s great to hear your voice.”
“That’s better. How was your meeting?”
She loved that he showed interest in her work. Kevin never had. He would always call her a jingle writer, though she had never once written a jingle. “Zeke is such a jerk.”
“Uh-oh. What happened?”
Lacey went on to tell Drew almost everything, except that Zeke and Pete knew each other. She knew if she told Drew that, he’d want to even the playing field and use his influence, which was the last thing she wanted. “He’s just so arrogant.”
“Sweetheart, I believe in you. If you can knock me off my feet, then I’m sure you’ll do the same with Pete… just don’t go kissing him or you’ll definitely lose the account, because I’ll need to put him in his grave.”
“Trust me, that won’t be necessary.” As if a floodlight had been switched on, Lacey knew exactly what she needed to do. “Drew, I need to take care of something. I’ll call you tonight. Thank you for calling.”
“You’re welcome. I wish I could have helped more.”
“Trust me, you helped me more than you know.”
Carson Enterprises was even intimidating from the outside. Though the thirty-story blue-tinted glass building housed several businesses, it still made her breath lodge in her chest. It didn’t matter that it was less than thirty degrees outside, or that fat, fluffy snowflakes had begun to fall—she was still sweating.
She walked through the revolving door and looked around the marble-lined foyer. Just like outside, people hustled and bustled in and out of the building. She glanced down at her watch; it was just past lunchtime. Was Pete Carson the type who took a lunch? Was he even in the office? Without letting any negative thoughts or impending doubts deter her, she walked to the security desk.
A kind-looking gentleman nodded at her approach. Lacey cleared her throat. “Good afternoon, I’m here to see Pete Carson of Carson Enterprises.”
He tapped a clipboard in front of her. “Sign in, please.” She didn’t hesitate. Getting through him was the first hurdle. After she set the pen down, he handed her a visitor’s badge. “Twenty-sixth floor.”
“Thank you.”
She adjusted her laptop bag and waited for the brass doors to open, hoping all the while she wasn’t making a mistake.
Inside the elevator, Lacey watched the red digital numbers move at a snail’s pace, stopping at what felt like every floor. A man and a woman got on at floor twenty, looking stressed out. They pressed the illuminated number that Lacey had already pushed.
It was just the three of them in the small space. They nodded at her before the man turned his head to the woman. “He’s in a mood today.”
“When isn’t he?” she snapped.
“True, but today seems worse. Let’s hope that changes by the time our three o’clock rolls around.”
The doors slid open on a ding.