Nick thought back to all the times he’d looked for his father in the stands at football games and soccer matches, only to find his grandfather there instead. Remembered all the times his grandfather had been there to help him with his homework when his mom and dad had been missing in action. Hell, his grandfather had been the only one to show up for his high school graduation.
Saving the agency from his father was the least Nick could do to pay him back. Especially since it was the only thing his grandfather had ever asked him to do.
Nick sighed. It was going to take a long time to undo the damage his dad had done. He was going to have to take it one step at a time. First he’d get Goddess back. Then he’d reward himself with a night out with Jessie.
Ever since he’d held her in his arms at the wedding he’d wanted to see more of her. The sound of her laugh was embedded in his brain, tinkling to life at the most inappropriate of times—like when he was out with one of the never-ending stream of society women his mother kept fixing him up with.
He wondered what his mother would say if she saw him with Jessie? Probably something terrible.
There was no way Jessie would win approval from anyone in his family. From what Mark had told him, he knew she didn’t have the family ties or social standing that would make her a real person in their eyes. She was a nobody from somewhere in Michigan.
And he already knew what happened when he fell for a “nobody.” He got hurt and she got paid to go away.
No need to go through that again. Much better to keep things light. Flings were all he allowed himself—and something told him Jessie operated the same way.
“Nick?”
Nick blinked and realized Bob was staring back at him.
“What?”
“We’re here.”
“Here?”
“Yes. At the site of your hot meeting?”
“Oh. Right,” he said, shaking his head to clear it of thoughts of the redhead. “Thanks.”
“You want me to wait?”
“No. I don’t know how long this will take. Go home to your wife. I’ll catch a cab home.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks,” Bob said with a grin. “For the record, I’m looking forward to the day you’re in charge.”
“Me too, Bob. Me too.”
With that, he stepped out and headed into the sleek glass building.
Nick waved at the blond-haired receptionist as he strode through the marble foyer.
“Hey, Joan. Are they in the usual spot?”
“They are, indeed,” she said. “But don’t you have time to chat for a minute?”
“Sorry, babe,” he said, giving her his sexiest grin. “Maybe next time.”
“All right—fine. But I’ll hold you to it!”
He saluted and kept moving through the twelve-foot doors. She was cute, but if he ever had to listen to another one of her stories about Fred, her adorable cat, he might just poke his eyes out.
Still, he’d do whatever he had to to remain a favorite here. Perception was king in advertising, after all.
He looked down at his watch. Seven minutes past three. Crap. That meant the meeting had started without him. Still, it wouldn’t do to look as if he was in a hurry.
He stopped, took a deep breath, and opened the door, already preparing his apology.
But when he saw what or rather who was inside the sleek conference room, the words died in his throat.
“Jessie? What are you doing here?”
The redhead looked up from the computer screen she’d been sharing with the elegant gray-haired woman who was his client, a confused look on her face.
“Working. What are you doing here, Nick?”
“The same.”
Quickly, their client intervened. “I see you two already know each other?” she said. “How convenient.”
“Well,” Nick said, mind whirling. “We’ve met—but only socially.”
“I didn’t even know Nick was in advertising,” Jessie added.
“Oh. Well, you’re about to get to know each other a lot better,” Phyllis said. “Nick—Jessie’s company is our new digital partner. I set up this meeting so we could discuss what our strategy will be moving forward.”
With that, the pieces of the puzzle clicked. Jessie was in charge of the agency he’d been hoping to dissuade Goddess Cosmetics from using. Suddenly his resolution to do whatever it took to win back every scrap of the Goddess business, even if it meant destroying the other agency, was no longer a challenge he was looking forward to. Instead it was a problem he’d rather avoid.
Still, business had to come first.
Putting his dreams of having a hot affair with Jessie on the back burner, he took his seat at the table.
“Yes. About that … While I’m sure Jessie and her company have plenty of experience in the digital landscape, I don’t think it’s necessary to direct as much of your marketing budget online as she is recommending,” he said, launching into his carefully prepared spiel.
“Let me stop you right there, Nick,” Phyllis broke in. “My decision to rely on Roar is not up for discussion. We had Jessie’s people do a thorough analysis of the performance of our advertising campaigns over the last few years, and we have decided that something needs to change. The materials your company has delivered are quite frankly stale, and certainly aren’t getting the results we need.”
“How can you say our work is stale? The last campaign we did for you won awards from three different competitions!” Nick said, doing his best not look at the redheaded beauty sitting next to his client.
As long as he didn’t have to speak to Jessie he could pretend she was just a troublesome competitor, and not a woman he’d like to see naked.
Phyllis sighed and fiddled with her pen. “Yes, yes, that’s true. But you used the same old tired tactics. TV, radio, magazine ads … We don’t care what the advertising community thinks. We care what our customers think. And you’re not reaching them. To do that you’ve got to be on the internet. You’ve got to speak to them on those virtual networks—like Jessie, here, does.”
Jessie cleared her throat and glanced up for the first time since he’d sat down, discomfort shining in her blue eyes. “The term is social networks, Phyl,” she said. “And, yes, you do have to be there. Our research tells us—”
“I don’t care what your research says,” Nick broke in. “My agency has been handling Goddess’ advertising for fifty-six years. I think we know what your customers want, Phyllis.”
“You’re wrong,” Jessie said.
Pushing a button on her laptop, she got out of her chair and went to stand where she could point at the chart that had appeared on the projector screen.
“See this red line?” she asked, looking directly at him, challenge vibrating in every line of her body.
“Of course I do,” he answered, trying not to notice how well