Page 43 of Meet Me in Ivy Falls

Pete followed my gaze out the window. ‘I’ve always thought picking this space for an office was a good choice. It’s cool to be able to see Music Row and downtown Nashville from here.’

‘Not to mention we’re close to clients and we don’t have to pay downtown rent,’ I added.

‘I think we’ve really started to build something here. We’ve got some of the best account executives, graphic designers and art directors in town.’

‘That’s because practically everyone around here knows you, Pete.’

‘Yeah, I have pals from Vanderbilt undergrad. Ties to people in the local advertising community.’ He let out a low breath. ‘That still hasn’t helped us get to where we need to be, Beck. Our creative should be tighter. Your accounts division needs to be hungrier.’

‘We’re getting there. Things will be better when we land Brinkley as a client.’

Pete dragged a hand over his cropped black hair. ‘It’s not going to be easy. Teddy Ray Jones is a tough businessman. I heard he made the CEO over at Allied Design cry before he fired the agency.’

‘The CEO and the creative director is what I heard.’

He pointed to a thick cream folder on my desk. ‘That the research?’

‘Yes.’ I handed him the file and couldn’t hide my wince as every muscle in my back screamed.

‘You okay?’ he asked, studying me intently.

‘Yeah. Fine. Might just be lifting things a little too heavy.’ It wasn’t a lie. That damn carpet weighed a ton.

He sank back down into the chair near my desk and flipped through the mounds of intel we’d gathered on Brinkley Food Group. Picture after picture showed the interior of each of their restaurants. Every single one was a rebuild of an old home or historic business.

Torran would’ve loved the way the company sought out ancient, condemned buildings and brought them back to life. It was what made Brinkley stand out in the overcrowded restaurant market, and why I saw it as a great opportunity to bring them into the Rowe and Townsend family. No other major firm could give them the attention they needed, build their brand like we could, which was why I was determined to impress the hotheaded CEO, Teddy Ray Jones, at our pitch meeting in six weeks.

‘Why all the pictures of their storefronts?’ he asked.

‘I’ve been researching how they pick their locations. Think it might be to our advantage to show them we can increase their brand visibility by highlighting all the ways they’re different from the chain restaurants flooding the market.’

‘That’s a good idea. Talk to Marissa about it.’

‘Will do,’ I said, making a mental note to send an email to the VP of Account Services.

Pete leaned forward, hands on his knees. ‘This would be a major score for us, Beck. I don’t think I need to impress upon you how seriously we need it. You have to focus one hundred percent of your time on this pitch. No other distractions or problems. Adding Brinkley to our roster could give us access to a lot of other clients. We need to reel them in and get Teddy Ray to sign on the dotted line.’

‘I promise landing this account is priority one. The pitch will be spot on. In fact, I can picture you and Teddy Ray having beers at a Titans game right now, discussing how Rowe and Townsend is going to help them own the restaurant market.’

‘Now that’s what I like to hear!’ Pete jumped to his feet as the sounds of the office started to come to life. He took two steps toward the door and stopped. ‘You said you were doing errands, but were you also working on your condo this weekend?’

‘Uh,’ I mumbled. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘There are three Band-Aids on your fingertips. I always look like that when I’m working on a project at home.’

Quickly, I slid my hands into my pockets trying not to look guilty. I’d just promised my partner the only thing on my mind was work. That I was determined to bring in a new million-dollar account. Explaining that I’d bought a run-down house in Ivy Falls, or fallen back in deep with my high-school ex, wouldn’t scream I was one hundred percent all in.

‘Oh yeah, you know, always trying to improve the place.’

I hated lying to him but at this point I had no choice. Thankfully, before he could ask another question, my phone rang with a familiar ringtone.

‘That Piper?’ he asked.

‘Yep.’

‘I’ll let you get to it then. Tell her I said hello.’

Once he was out the door, I answered the FaceTime call.