“Director,” Mark said, savoring the sound of it. It was one step below vice president.
“Just land the damned account, before you start ordering new business cards,” Roger said, again with his harsh laugh. “Like I said—we’re watching you.”
With that, Roger left the office, leaving a stunned Simone and Mark in his wake.
Mark took a minute to process Roger’s statement…and offer. It was everything he’d ever wanted. Since he’d gotten his MBA, since he’d joined the company, he’d wanted to prove himself. He’d worked long hours, and taken a lot of flack from people who hadn’t thought he was up to the task. How many conferences had he flown out to, no matter how small? How many drunken distributors had he smooth-talked, even as he’d avoided their blatant advances? It had been years of uphill battle, but finally, at long frickin’ last, it looked as if it was about to pay off.
“Holy crap,” Mark finally said. “I guess he started reading my reports, huh?”
Simone shook her head. “He really didn’t like you, either. He was mad when you challenged him at that one meeting. I thought he’d bury you, for sure.”
“Well, you’ve been standing up for me since day one,” Mark said, grateful for her loyalty.
“I didn’t know they were thinking of looking for another director,” she replied, looking shell shocked.
It occurred to Mark—Simone was a director. Which meant that, if he got promoted, he’d be at her level. Obviously this wasn’t something she was prepared for. “We’d still be working together,” he said, wondering if that helped or not.
“Oh, I’m taken aback at the speed, but I’ve always said…you’re smart, and you just needed a chance.”
To his surprise, she stood up and shut the door, looking at him intently. Oh, lord, now what? “Uh, Simone…?”
“I have to ask,” she said, leaning against his desk. His entire body tensed, and he leaned away from her, rolling his chair back slightly. “Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“There’s a rumor floating around,” she said, her voice conspiratorial, “that you slept with the enemy.”
He would not have been more shocked if she had simply slapped him. “What? Where did you hear that?”
“Oh, don’t worry—I didn’t hear it from somebody at Trimera,” she said. “And Roger certainly doesn’t know, and I’m not spreading it. But word on the street is, you and that Sophie woman got pretty cozy in San Francisco.”
Mark felt his body flush with anger and embarrassment. He knew he should issue a quick denial, but found his lips couldn’t form the words.
She sat back down in the chair, laughing. “I knew it. I knew it! Didn’t I tell you she looked interested in you, back at that first conference?”
Mark couldn’t remember, so he sat silent, seething. Who had seen them? Who was spreading the rumor? And how far had it gone?
“I knew that you were sharp,” she said, and her tone of admiration made him feel dirty.
“Now wait a minute,” Mark said sternly. “I didn’t sleep with Sophie for any kind of advantage. Damn it, I didn’t get any information from her! I didn’t do anything with her that helped me win that presentation!”
He immediately realized that he’d confirmed the rumor.
“I didn’t say you did,” she replied innocently, still looking amused. “But you went after Diva Nation like an attack dog in San Francisco. Even if you weren’t involved with her, that was a thing of beauty. But knowing that you could actually sleep with her, and still manage to pull off the presentation…” Her knowing grin was broad.
Mark was shaken. “It was just business,” he justified.
“That’s it exactly. You were able to handle your business, no matter what you were doing in your personal life.” She shook her head. “Lots of people thought you were superficial—handsome, charming, and not that smart. But not me. I knew that you had plenty of ambition—and the right sort of brilliance to capitalize on what you had. And like I said, you’ve got the killer instinct. You won’t let anything get in your way.”
“I’ve got ethics.”
“Of course you do,” she demurred. Somehow, that didn’t make him feel better. “Still, I’d cool it with Sophie, if I were you. I understand what you’re up to, but other people—like Roger—might not.”
“He might pull me off the account?” Again, like a punch in the stomach. Not that it mattered, since Sophie was already out of the picture.
“No, Roger won’t care how you got the account,” she said. “But if he thinks you slept with somebody to get it, he’ll lose his respect for you.” She shot him a quick, gimlet grin. “Besides, Roger’s boss is a woman and he might start getting scared that you’ll sleep with her, and try to get his job.”
“That’s not funny, Simone,” Mark said darkly.
“Oh, relax.” Simone was obviously tickled by the whole situation. “I’m just saying, keep it quiet.”
“Getting involved with Sophie was never about the business,” Mark said. “And I need you to keep it quiet, too.”
“Of course,” she repeated. “Mum’s the word.”
With a wink, she left his office. He did not feel comforted. Simone was now worried about her own position in the company. He knew that she’d seen him as a protégé, of sorts…but she’d expected to be promoted because of that, not to see him start to catch up with her. Now that she was armed with the information that he’d slept with Sophie, it was a matter of time before she saw a use for that information.
He rubbed at his temples. Here he was, on the brink of getting everything he’d wanted professionally—and he was seen, and admired, for being a bloodthirsty shark in order to get it. He was already losing Sophie in his pursuit of the account. Now, he felt perilously close to losing his soul, as well.
There has to be a better solution, he thought grimly. There has to be another way.
Suddenly, an answer pierced his thoughts.
If someone had told Simone about him and Sophie, then the news must have filtered back. Did Sophie know? And did she think that he spread the rumor?
He grabbed his cell phone, started to dial her number…then stopped himself. If she didn’t know, how much worse would it be if he told her? Would he be helping her? And would she blame him for convincing her all those months ago to sleep with him in the first place?
He sat, paralyzed. His already untenable situation was getting worse by the minute.
I have to figure out some way for us both to come out winners. That way, he could have the promotion, have the respect he’d been working toward all his life—and keep the one woman who meant more to him than anyone he’d ever cared about, ever.
He closed his eyes.
He was good. When it came to business, he was very damned good. But as good as he was, he had absolutely no idea how he was going to pull this off without some kind of miracle.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE THE NERVE those people have,” Sophie’s mom said, her face grim. “We’ve got better products is the bottom line. How do they think they can win?”
“Trimera has all the advantages of a big company behind it,” Sophie replied, her own tone subdued. “They’re going to offer all kinds of concessions that we can’t. Price breaks, incentives, the whole nine yards.” She sighed, trying to make sure her mother understood. “One of the main reasons we’re trying to land this account is to make Diva Nation profitable enough for you to have a solid retirement, Mom. If we tried to match Trimera’s incentives, we wouldn’t make any money at all.”
Her mother looked heartbroken—and angry. “I can’t believe this. They got rid of me once, and now they’re doing it again!”
“Mom, you’re not helping,” Sophie pointed out. “If I were them, that’s how I’d attack. I wasn’t thinking strategically in San Francisco.”
“I don’t know what you were thinking in San Francisco,” her mother said, sounding bewildered and hurt. “Honestly, Sophie! To just…just sit there and let them do that to us!”
Sophie let the insult slide—mostly because she agreed with her mother. She didn’t know what she’d been thinking in San Francisco. And, consequently, she’d allowed herself to get blindsided.
It’s not going to happen again.
Lydia walked in. “I tweaked the packaging,” she said, showing the small cardboard mock-ups. “Now, they still incorporate our design sense, but they’re closer to what Marion & Co. already has, so they’ve got the corporate branding thing.” Lydia grinned humorlessly. “So now we’re ripping off Trimera’s idea.”
Sophie nodded. “Don’t worry about them ripping us off. I think I’ve got some ways to combat that. The bottom line is, in New York, all we’ll have is our product and our innovation. We’re going to have to push that.”
“Don’t you worry,” her mother said. “We’ll show them.”