Page 68 of Meet Me in Ivy Falls

‘So far so good, but there can always be hiccups. Right now we are shooting for it to be done right after Fourth of July.’

‘My audition in New York isn’t until next week. And I have some time before I start at the restaurant. Do you think we can talk over dinner about some ways I can help? Paint or something?’

I glanced at Beck and he gave me an enthusiastic nod.

‘We can always use an extra set of hands,’ I said.

Piper bounced on her toes and pulled Beck down onto the grass as she talked a mile a minute about all the things she loved about the kitchen.

Watching the two of them connect over their shared memories sent a wave of pride over me. Saving this house was not only a spark of hope for the town, but it was reviving a dream for the two of them who deserved something good after all their years of pain.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

BECK

A Time For Work And A Time For Play.

‘Let’s hear it again.’

I paced around the conference room as the sounds of a country melody echoed off the walls. Last week, I’d given Sienna, one of the newest members of our creative team, permission to go to Music Row and record a jingle for the Brinkley Food pitch. The sharp twang at the beginning sounded a little too loud to my ears, but I let the music continue. As Sienna’s lyrics about mouthwatering ribs swelled into the chorus about crispy fries and tangy barbecue sauce, the entire room buzzed with excitement.

When the final note played, the room exploded into applause.

‘Great work, everyone. I think Teddy Ray is going to love it. Now where are we at with the media plan?’

The room went painfully silent. My team leads averted their eyes to the paperwork spread out across the conference table.

‘Please tell me someone has thought about how we’re going to introduce the jingle into the market. Picked stations? Contacted media reps about cost?’

The head account executive, Marissa, clutched at the pink scarf tied around her neck. ‘We wanted to make sure you liked the song first before we proceeded.’

My arms and chest started to ache. Stress always made my scars burn with pain.

‘Okay. What about the point of sale examples? The tent cards and miniature menus we were going to put in the peanut stands on all the tables?’

‘Uh, well, they’re still in the prototype stage,’ Karl, the creative director, answered like he’d rather be in any other meeting than this one.

‘And why is that? You’ve had four weeks to work on it!’

I’d never been the type of boss to raise my voice, but the clock was ticking on this pitch and we weren’t anywhere near prepared – which was in large part my fault. I’d been so wrapped up in Torran, the house, Piper’s surprise visit, that I’d been ignoring the one thing I should have been paying attention to.

‘We have other clients, Beck. Pauly’s Pet Supply needed banners for their new store openings. Rainbow Paints is introducing their spring color line and wanted new brochures.’ Karl’s voice faded on his final words.

With losing two accounts so close together we couldn’t afford to hire new staff, which pushed everyone to capacity. Most of the art and accounts department were already coming in early, skipping lunch and staying way past sundown.

The silence in the room was deafening. I’d promised Pete my best work, and I wasn’t about to let him down. Teddy Ray was known for being tough and outspoken during pitches. He’d smell blood in the water if we went in unprepared.

I walked to the white board covering one side of the wall. After popping off the cap of a dry erase marker, I said, ‘Okay, let’s start from the beginning. Karl, tell me what you need and I’ll get you extra help.’

Karl sat up straighter in his chair and started his long list. I may have been distracted, but my focus was laser sharp now. From this point on, things would run smoothly even if it meant sleeping at the office until the day of the final pitch.

I worked through lunch and dinner outlining every detail of our presentation. My sources in the ad community told me there were three other agencies pitching the account. My old firm in Atlanta, as well as two out of Knoxville.

Both those companies had twice the number of billable accounts as Rowe and Townsend, not to mention huge leverage when it came to media buying. At every other agency, Brinkley would be just another company on a huge roster of clients. With us, they’d get the highest priority. I planned on capitalizing on that aspect in our pitch, but we needed something more.

A quick knock pulled me from my thoughts. Pete stood in the doorway with Bogie slobbering near his feet. ‘You still working at it?’

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing at my tired eyes. ‘Yep. I’ll be done in about an hour as soon as I tie up a few loose ends on the Brinkley pitch.’