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Sam crossed his arms at his chest. “But we’re not partners anymore.”
“Zimmerman is aware of our current rapport or lack thereof, so to convince us, he’s willing to pay one-third extra on our fees. I say this is a golden opportunity for both of us.”
Sam leaned back in his chair with a sigh, debating on the offer for a minute.
“I know you’re brilliant, Sam, and you know I’m good for it. So if you’re in, I’m in.”
Out of the blue, Sam turned to me. “What do you think?”
Till then, I had chosen to sit quietly. I wasn’t a CEO of a company like them. It wasn’t my job to make decisions like that and honestly, I had no idea why I was requested to sit through this weirdly uncomfortable meeting.
“I think it would be stupid to pass on a big client like Zimmerman.” I offered my two-cents.
“And wouldyoulike to be a part of this collaboration?”
That question loosely translated to ‘would you like to be part of this gnarly collaboration professionally while personally involved with both of us?’
“Absolutely.” Couldn’t let any men get in the way of my career, right? Working on a project like Zimmerman’s was the opportunity of a lifetime.
“If I may add,” Joe interjected. “Lucy will be the only Creative Director on the team. My current director just resigned, hence why I asked Lucy to join this meeting too. She must know she’ll be working a full load by herself.”
He requested my presence yet Joe couldn’t even address me directly?
“Well, with Lucille on the team, most of the creative decisions will be an easy yes. She never missed a deadline eitherandwithout any extra long hours. She’s extraordinary.” Sam smiled proudly at me. A move meant to get on Joe’s nerves. And it did. Joe’s poker face cracked with a mild but noticeable snicker at Sam.
“I know she is.” Joe directed at Sam. “If I didn’t know Lucy and her infinite creative capabilities, it would have been a tougher decision to even consider working with you.”
My stand between these two men was about to get even more awkward, wasn’t it? Should I back out of this?
Sam crossed his arms on the desk. “If we’re going to do this, this time around, we need to decide who’s at the helm. A fifty-fifty call did not work well for us in the past.”
“I agree. Considering I already had some time to think about this, I got a proposition. How about since your team is stronger on the creative hand, I’ll be the managing lead.”
“So a 100% your say about all the major decisions?”
“And you’d have a 100% of Lucy.”
“What?” I nearly pulled a neck muscle at the surprising reference to my name.
Joe faced me squarely for the first time since we’d been sitting across from each other. “I meant Sam would still have the upper hand because your side will mould the most important part of this project. You, Lucy, you’re the one who’s going to brighten up our partnership with all your colours.”
“That she will.” Sam chimed in.
Oh, dear. Look at them, both looking at me with those smiles.
Working with these two men was not going to be an easy task. A vibrant project indeed.
“Thank you.” I humbly accepted their compliments.
Joe stood up from his chair and offered a handshake to Sam once again. “So, temporary partners then?”
Sam looked between Joe and me. Somehow even with Sam doing his utmost to hide his honest opinion about this collaboration, I could perceive he wasn’t entirely convinced. The wrinkles of his glabella were a dead giveaway. For what reason exactly, I had no idea. Still, he accepted.
Sam stood up to seal the deal by accepting Joe’s shake. “Just one project.”
“Very well, then.” Joe collected his tablet and phone from the table. “I’ll inform Zimmerman and set up a meeting.”
“Perfect.” Sam went around the conference table to open the door for Joe. “Good day to you, Parker.”
