The Pitch: City Love 2 (11 page)

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

While it wasn’t exactly the way I would have chosen to articulate it, Scarlett’s statement mirrored my own frustrations.

“What a load of shit,” she said, continuing her rant, her dark eyes flaring dangerously over the top of her schooner of Guinness. “Fifteen years is nothing. It’s ridiculous.”

I remained silent, while my other girlfriends looked on with varying degrees of sympathy and amusement. We were sitting at our favorite noodle bar in the city, after I’d requested a last minute dinner with them. I’d spent the entire work day in a sort of vague fuzz, earning me a series of concerned looks from my staff. I had to snap out of it. The pitch was tomorrow. If I didn’t figure out a way to clear my head and regain my composure I was worried I’d ruin all our hard work.

“I think the fact he has children is a big part of it,” I stated numbly.

Cate reached over and squeezed my arm. “It’s not like he rejected you, not really. He has feelings for you but doesn’t feel as if he should act on them. It’s kind of romantic.”

Scarlett groaned into her beer, while the rest of us ignored her.

“That’s what I don’t get,” I said. “If he feels so strongly about me then why can’t he even consider a relationship?”

“And I’m guessing you didn’t fill him on your situation about having kids?” Christa asked quietly.

“No.” I traced my finger absentmindedly through the condensation on the outside of my glass of wine. “He didn’t exactly give me the chance.”

We fell silent. My girlfriends knew the realities I faced when it came to having kids. I’d accepted my situation long ago, but we didn’t speak about it much. Endometriosis had played havoc with my body since I’d been in my early twenties. I’d had four surgeries to ablate the damage it had done to my reproductive system and I was permanently on birth control to restrict the growth of the disease. Having children wasn’t completely out of the question but the chances were so slim I’d face an extremely hard road in order to conceive.

“It’s actually kind of convenient he already has kids,” Cate said.

Christa leaned over and gave Cate a brief hug. “Our perpetual silver lining girl.”

“She’s right, though,” I commented. “I doubt I’ll be able to make any man a father.”

“Then you bloody well corner the bastard and tell him how it is,” Scarlett stated.

Cate and Christa suppressed their laughter while I continued to trace my finger along the outside of my wine glass. “I actually think it’s more than that,” I said. “For all his success, it’s like all he can see are his failings – as a husband and as a father. I think he’s scared to go there again.”

“You can kind of understand that though, can’t you Maddy?” Cate asked. “From what you’ve told me, he only gets to see his boys every other weekend. That must hurt.”

I nodded. “I get that.” Then I sighed. “I can’t force him into having a relationship with me. The more immediate problem on my mind is keeping my shit together when I’m around him.” I sent them a look of desperation. “The pitch is tomorrow.”

“Maddy.” Christa looked at me, her big blue eyes earnest. “How long have I known you?”

I quickly did the math in my head. “Twenty-two years.”

“Exactly. Apart from your family, I know you better than anyone. And I know, without a doubt, that you are the Queen of Cool.”

I gave her a dubious look.

“I’m not being stupid,” she continued. “I am in awe of your poise and confidence. I still remember when your relationship with Chris was disintegrating. Your whole world was falling down around you and yet there you were, starting Grounded Marketing. Inside, you were hurting, but on the outside, no one would have known. Certainly not the clients you were winning or the staff you were hiring.”

“So what you’re saying is that I’m a good actor?”

“You weren’t acting,” Scarlett interrupted. “You were kicking ass. Christa’s right. You have an amazing ability to compartmentalize and do what needs to be done.”

I sat back in my chair and took a long sip of wine. A compliment from Scarlett was a rare thing. “So what you’re telling me is that I need to go out and kick some ass?”

“Exactly!” Cate cried. “You’ve worked so hard on this pitch. Don’t let your personal life ruin it.”

“But Paul will be there,” I said.

“Fuck him,” Scarlett replied eloquently. “Keep it professional. Don’t engage with him on that level tomorrow. You’ve told us he admires you for your business acumen, so show him how it’s done.”

I studied my friends in silence for a while. My own personal cheer squad, I thought. “Thanks. I appreciate the support,” I told them. “And you’re right. Tomorrow isn’t personal, it’s business.”

*

A week later, I wondered what I’d been worried about.

The pitch had gone smoothly. Paul had been there, but kept a respectful distance for the duration of the presentation. As we’d exited the boardroom, he’d simply said well done, then slipped away to return to his office.

And I hadn’t heard from him since.

I assumed this meant our mentoring relationship had come to an end. Or more accurately, my ill-judged kiss had sealed our fate.

In the past week I’d gone from anger, frustration, and doubt to acceptance. After some reflection – assisted helpfully by my wine cabinet – I’d come to the conclusion that I was wasting my time. What point was there in chasing a man who didn’t want to be in a relationship with me, no matter how attracted I was to him? I wasn’t about to degrade myself. He’d suggested I deserved better. And maybe I did.

My desk phone rang loudly, bringing me back to the present, and I picked it up.

“Maddy, I have Mia from the bank on the line for you,” my mother said calmly.

“Holy shit,” I said, then winced because my mother considered swearing poor taste. “Did she say what it was regarding?”

“Just that she hoped to speak to you personally.”

I didn’t say anything. This must be it. They’d made their decision and Mia was calling me to announce the news. I honestly had no idea which way it was going to go.

“Can I put her through?” my mother asked gently.

“Of course! Sorry. I’m ready,” I said, then took a deep breath while I waited for Mia to come on the line.

“Madeleine?” came a booming female voice. “You need to take a seat.”

I smiled at Mia’s direct tone. The woman was a contradiction. She was absolutely tiny and dressed in tightly fitted suits that accentuated her femininity. Yet with her shoulder length, untamed loose auburn curls and a deep voice to be reckoned with, she was an absolute powerhouse. And I loved her. It was so refreshing to deal with another woman who wasn’t afraid to say what she thought. Mia genuinely seemed prepared to piss off a few people along the way if required. I could imagine her sitting in her office, her freckled brow furrowed in concentration as she spoke to me over the phone.

“I’m sitting down,” I confirmed, which was good because otherwise my legs would have been shaking.

“You’re in,” she said, matter-of-fact. “I didn’t give the board a choice. I want you to work with us and inject some life into the bullshit bureaucracy around this joint.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it so I could bite down on my tongue. Hard. If I hadn’t, I’d have been squealing like a girl. “That’s fantastic news,” I managed.

“Good. I’m glad you feel that way, because I’m going to be totally honest with you, Madeleine. You think you have a full-time job now, just wait until you have us as a client.”

I didn’t quite know how to take that, so I remained silent. Mia didn’t seem to notice.

“I need you and your team to come in next week so we can sit down and talk about the mechanics of how this is all going to work. I’d suggest the team you bring be dedicated exclusively to us – you need to make sure they’re happy with that.”

It also meant I’d need to hire some new staff, and quickly, I realized. I’d have to fill the gaps in the rest of the business if I was moving some of my star performers onto this account. “I appreciate that,” I told Mia, “and I can assure you that we’ll put together a winning team exclusively for you.”

“And we want Paul Neilsen.”

I sat back in my seat, forcing the hand that was holding the receiver to remain steady. “You want Paul?”

“Yes,” she confirmed. “I realize that technically he doesn’t work for you, but we’ve been having some internal discussions here at the bank. We’ve decided to extend the account to include a media component which NTRtain can satisfy. I’m happy to discuss the particulars with him, but it would be a requirement that he personally have visibility of this account. He’d need to work closely with you and your team to ensure seamless delivery of the agreed objectives.”

“But Paul’s involvement in the pitch wasn’t intended to represent NTRtain,” I said carefully. “He’s been doing some consulting work for me, which is how he came to be involved.” I wasn’t about to call it mentoring because it made me sound inexperienced.

“It doesn’t matter,” Mia said impatiently. “You obviously work well together and I’ve been at management for ages to try a new media agency. From what I’ve heard around town, and based on the research we’ve conducted, Paul’s company is one of the best.”

“Yes. Yes, it is,” I agreed reluctantly.

“Is there a problem, Madeleine?”

“No,” I said quickly. “No problem. I’m sure Paul will be thrilled.” Lies, all lies, I thought, but I wasn’t about to jeopardize Grounded Marketing’s biggest account ever.

“Great. I’m excited about this, Madeleine. We’re going to show the competition how it can be done.”

“Excellent. My thoughts exactly,” I said. “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss or I can put you back through to Julia so she can set up a meeting time with you?”

“Sounds perfect. I’m looking forward to kicking this off next week.”

“Me too. I’m just transferring you to Julia now.”

I spoke to my mother quickly and told her what needed to be arranged, then hung up the phone.

Oh. My. God. Grounded Marketing had just won its first major Australian brand account. The revenue it would bring was going to treble our business.

And I was going to be working on it with Paul.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I dropped my head into my hands. It was obvious he wanted nothing to do with me, and I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the concept either. But what else was I supposed to do? Grounded Marketing needed this account. It would be a major win for NTRtain as well. That’s if Paul agreed, I realized. I felt myself pale. He was perfectly within his rights to say no to Mia. Then where would that leave me? The situation was bad enough without it disintegrating into me having to beg.

“Are you alright?” My mother stood in the doorway to my office watching me carefully.

“A little numb,” I admitted, which was true. I attempted to smile. “But over the moon. Absolutely blown away.”

“I’m so proud of you.” Her face was a study in motherly pride.

I stood up from my desk and crossed the office to give her a tight hug. “I couldn’t do it without you.”

“Oh, yes you could. I just make it a little easier, that’s all.” She looked up at me and when I saw the tears filling her eyes, I forced myself to swallow the lump in my own throat.

I stepped back, my hands still on her shoulders. “Can you gather the team in the boardroom? I want to announce the good news.”

“Of course.” My mother gave my arms a squeeze, then left the office to round up the staff.

I strode to the floor-to-ceiling windows and stared out at the view of Darling Harbour, my head spinning. I watched the tourists scattered like ants in the distance, and started to tick off all the items in my head that I’d need to organize to get the account underway.

Suddenly Christa rushed into my office and squealed, her blond curls bouncing up and down. “Is it true?”

I smiled at her while she continued to jump on the spot. “It’s true. We got it.”

She clapped her hands together and then gave me a tight hug. “This is awesome. I’m so excited for you.”

I hugged her back, my own excitement mixed with apprehension. As if sensing my muddle of emotions, Christa eased herself out of the embrace and looked at me.

“You’re happy, right?”

“Very. But it’s going to be huge and I’m just trying to get my head around it.”

Christa waved a hand. “You’ll be fine. Don’t doubt yourself now.”

“Thanks. I’m sure I’ll be okay once it sinks in. Except there’s one small issue I wasn’t expecting.”

“What issue?”

“They want Paul and NTRtain Media on the account with us. Working closely together, were Mia’s exact words.”

Christa’s brow furrowed while she digested my news. “That’s an interesting development.”

“Mmm.”

“Have you told Paul yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“Do you think he’ll be happy about it?”

“I’ve got no idea.”

“He wouldn’t say no, would he?” she asked.

“I honestly don’t know.”

Christa pouted. “He’d be mad to turn down the account. He’ll just need to get over it. Or finally grow a pair and worship his goddess, if you know what I mean.”

“Christa!” She was the only one I’d told about the goddess reference.

“Well, seriously. He thinks you’re a goddess, Maddy. He wants to do more than work with you.”

“Clearly not. He had his chance and he walked away.”

“Because he cares about you,” Christa said, her expression sympathetic.

“And he hasn’t spoken to me since the pitch. Actions speak louder than words, my friend.”

“And his actions suggest he’s holding back.”

“So working with him closely would be
so
much fun.”

Christa shrugged. “You never know. This could be fate.”

I looked at her darkly. “You know I don’t believe in fate.”

“I know. How about you just go with it and see what happens?” she suggested.

“Do I have a choice?”

Pathetic. I was pathetic.

I ran a business that employed twenty staff, soon to be twenty-five staff. My company had just won a major Australian banking client. And I couldn’t make a bloody phone call.

I increased my pace, hoping my long legs might be able to stride away the nervous energy. I’d chosen to walk home from the office – something I kept promising myself I should do more often. Aside from the obvious benefits of the exercise, the views from the Harbour Bridge were amazing. I flicked my gaze toward water. An impressive cruise ship sat docked in the Quay and the arches of the Opera House shone brightly in the sunset. On the other side of the path, cars sped past relentlessly and the steady rhythm of a train echoed loudly over the noise of the traffic.

I still hadn’t called Paul to announce the news of the pitch. I had to do it tonight or it would be extremely unprofessional of me. He needed time to gather his thoughts and get his team prepared for the meeting next week. Provided he agreed to the account, of course.

I promised myself I would call him when I got near my apartment, but decided to take a slight detour for a bottle of wine and groceries. By the time I reached my street I was laden with bags and unable to make a phone call. Oh well. I continued walking toward home, procrastination still going strong.

Upstairs I dumped the bags on the kitchen counter and placed the white wine in the fridge. It was almost summer so I was sweaty after my walk and decided to take a shower. After dressing comfortably in a light shift dress, I stole a glance at the clock on my bedside table.

“Shit.” It was just after seven o’clock.
Time to pull it together, Maddy.

I grabbed my phone and called Paul before I could stop myself. Maybe it would go to message bank?

“Madeleine?”

Shit. “Hi, it’s me.” I closed my eyes. Well, yes, stupid, he obviously already knew that. “I heard from Mia today,” I rushed on.

“And?”

“We got it.”

I heard him exhale. “Congratulations. That’s fantastic news.”

“It is. Except congratulations are in order for you too.”

“It was your win, not mine. You deserve the credit.”

I ignored his compliment, determined to get it over with. “They want you on the account.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“They want you on the account,” I repeated, leaving no room for confusion. “They’ve reviewed their objectives internally and they want NTRtain Media to provide the media component of the account. You’ll have to discuss the details with Mia personally.”

There was a long stretch of silence at the other end. I was perversely pleased that I wasn’t the only one who’d been thrown by the news.

“I’ll talk to Mia tomorrow,” Paul said finally.

And say what, I wondered. “That would be great. Let me know what you decide.” How I managed to sound so blasé about the whole thing, I had no idea. If he rejected Mia’s offer, it could spell disaster for Grounded Marketing.

“What I decide?”

“Yes. I appreciate this offer is unexpected and you’ll need to carefully consider what they put on the on the table.”

“Madeleine.”

I closed my eyes. Him saying my name brought back the memory of the other night and the feeling of being pressed against him, his lips on mine. “Yes?” I managed.

“There’s nothing to decide.”

“Oh?” My stomach twisted itself into a tight knot.

“We’ll agree to the account.”

“You will?”

“Yes.” Paul sounded perplexed. “What did you think I’d say?”

“I … Can you give me a sec,” I said, and went to the fridge. I grabbed the bottle of wine and quickly poured myself a glass, then took a grateful sip.

“Are you alright?”

“Fine.” Better now, after a mouthful of wine.

“What did you think I’d say?” he asked again.

“I wasn’t sure,” I answered truthfully.

There was another long pause. “The account will be a big win for us too,” he said.

“I’m glad.” And I was. “Mia suggested you’ll need to put together a team to work on their account. She stressed that you’d be required to maintain visibility of everything,” I told him.

“That will be fine.”

Thank God. I wasn’t going to have to beg. “I’m glad your time mentoring me has had some positive returns,” I said, trying to sound bright.

“I didn’t do it for the business,” Paul said, his voice soft.

“I know,” I replied stiffly. “My mother will be in contact with the details of the meeting with the bank next week.”

“Alright.”

There was an awkward silence.

“I’ll see you next week then,” Paul finally said.

Dammit. My determination to keep the phone call purely business disintegrated in the face of my gratitude. Annoyed as I was with the situation, I was extremely grateful for his involvement.

“Paul?”

“Yes.”

“We couldn’t have won the pitch without you.” There. I’d said it. It was the way I felt and I was truly thankful despite our personal differences.

“Yes, you could. You just needed someone on your side to believe in you.”

I placed my glass of wine on the dining table, not sure why my hand was shaking. “What do you mean?” It wasn’t true. I had plenty of people who believed in me. My parents, Christa and the girls, and my staff.

“It’s lonely at the top and you don’t have a business partner.”

“No, I don’t. But I wouldn’t say I’m lonely – ”

“You’re tougher than I was. But it’s about to get tougher, I assure you.”

“Thanks for the reality check,” I replied icily. He didn’t need to point out the obvious. Beneath my veneer of excitement I was absolutely terrified, but no one knew that. I intended to keep it that way.

“I’m your mentor. I don’t say things because they’re nice. You’re in for some changes in the coming months. If I can make life easier for you because I’ve been through it myself, then I’ll point things out to you.”

So he was my mentor again, was he? Indignation bubbled furiously in my chest, but I took a deep breath and forced myself to bite my tongue. Beneath my defiance there was a stronger emotion, which scared me more than the new account.

It was relief.

“Are you still there?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me on this account?” he asked.

“I do,” I said firmly.

“Alright. Then you should be honest with me.”

I cleared my throat. “Honest, like you’ve been honest with me?”

“Madeleine.”

We both fell silent.

“We need to put that aspect of things aside if we’re going to work together,” he said finally.

That
aspect?
“I’m aware of that, Paul.”

I heard him sigh. “I’m on your side, you know.”

“I know,” I relented. “And you’re right. It can be lonely sometimes. That’s me being honest and mature, by the way.”

If it was possible, I sensed him smiling into the phone. “I appreciate that.”

“Alright, I’ll see you next week for our meeting.”

“Madeleine?”

I clenched my jaw. I really wished he would stop saying that. I resisted yelling,
It’s Maddy
, down the phone at him. “Yes?”

“Congratulations. Grounded Marketing is a big player now. I’ll see you next week.”

I stared at my phone for a long moment after he’d hung up. I knew Paul’s parting statement had been complimentary. Then why did I feel so ill at ease?