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His steel eyes met hers. “I know all of this. Go on.”
“Right, well…” Lacey took a deep breath and started her digitalpresentation. “You are the face of this company.” Lacey pressed a button on a handheld remote. Pictures of Pete Carson and his employees working with various communities began to flash on the screen. Families enjoying baseball games, underprivileged children watching Broadway productions, Pete dressed in worn jeans, a T-shirt, and work boots, digging holes for trees at a suburban park. She had to admit he looked rather sexy in that last picture.
Pete’s expression remained stoic, but at least Lacey still held his attention; her confidence grew as she continued her presentation. “No one knows this side of you… or your company. There’s a lot to be said for charitable work, and although I realize some people like to keep that private, it’s my belief that sharing bits and pieces along with the strengths of your business provides a clearer picture of your company… and of you. It creates a sense of family, and I don’t know what your thoughts are on that subject, but if you can’t trust family, then who can you trust?” Lacey went on and on, clicking through the presentation, and before she knew it, Pete flashed her a smile.
Chapter 22
“Impressive, Ms. Winters.” Pete seemed to have loosened up since Lacey had first walked into his office. “Is there more?”
Elation washed over Lacey. This was the second impulsive thing she had done over the past few weeks; she would just have to wait and see if this one would pan out just as well as the other had.
“Actually, I do have more.” Lacey reached into her briefcase and pulled out a small version of the vision board she’d created. “I took it upon myself to research various charities that seem to be overlooked. Several of your entities directly correlate with a few of them. She went on, giving him example after example before handing him her proposal.
“This is an interesting take. There are reasons I don’t put myself in the limelight. For one, I prefer my charitable work to be just that, not for the benefit of my company.”
“Yes, I understand, but as you can see here…” Lacey pointed to a photo of him reading to kids at a children’s hospital. “It shows you’re not just a stiff man in a suit… no offense.”
Pete chuckled. “None taken.”
“Mr. Carson, I know this is a bit outside the box, and I’m not an accountant by any stretch of the imagination, but for the amount of money and time that you donate, I’m surprised you haven’t set up a nonprofit organization. An NPO run by someone with your status could do a lot for so many—even more good than you’re doing now.”
Lacey realized she may have been a bit too forthcoming. When she took a shaky breath, Pete’s fingers were steepled in front of his mouth, and creases had formed on his forehead. Dread washed over her; had she crossed a line, suggesting such a thing to a man of his status? Lacey tried to remain calm. A samba of nerves danced through her body, and she prayed she didn’t start to break into a sweat. She even did her best not to force down an audible swallow that was tickling the back of her throat.
“And for my current advertising needs?”
Clearing her throat, with her chin tilted ever so slightly in an attempt to remain as confident as she was when she’d first entered the building, she continued. She might just have the ace in the hole with her next suggestion… or at least that was what she hoped. “Naturally, we’d continue to shine a light on all Carson Enterprises can do for a struggling company once taken under its wing. Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s one company that Carson hasn’t been able to acquire as a client.”Please don’t let me be wrong,she thought, or her ace would turn out to be a dud. “One that I believe would be a large feather in your hat… Faulkner Aerospace. The leading manufacturer of private planes. You’re actually a proud owner of one of their fleet, correct?” An image of Drew flying them popped into Lacey’s head. She still couldn’t believe he’d done that.
A prideful gleam shimmered in Pete’s eyes. “Yes, you’ve done your homework.”
“Thank you; it’s my job.”
“So how do you propose your strategy will help me acquire them?”
Lacey stood, closed her laptop, and tucked it in her bag. She hoisted the strap over her shoulder, slung her coat over her arm, and looked him straight in the eyes. “Hire Willem and Vance with me as the executive assigned to your account, and I’ll show you.” Pete’s eyebrows arched. “It wouldn’t be in my best interest to lay all my cards on the table, now would it?”
He chuckled and shook her hand. “I like you, Lacey.” She handed him her business card. “I’ll be sure to contact you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Carson. And I appreciate you taking this impromptu meeting.”
“Believe me, it was my pleasure and probably the best decision I’ve made this week.”
Lacey couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s Monday.” Pete joined in; she had to admit that he wasn’t as bad as she’d thought he was. “Thanks again.”
“You know what?” Pete stood and walked over to her. “Do you have time to pitch my senior staff?”
“Now?”
“No better time than the present, right?”
She nodded as her words were tossed back at her. “Right. Lead the way.”
Feeling a bit more comfortable the second time around, Lacey presented the same pitch to Carson Enterprises’ senior staff. They had a few logistical questions that she couldn’t answer: who would be running the NPO since the staff was already stretched a bit thin? How would the NPO affect their tax bracket? And how would recipients be selected?
Not being an employee of Carson Enterprises, Lacey was unsure how to answer. However, she didn’t let that deter her confidence. She rolled her shoulders back and took a calming breath. “Seeing as Carson Enterprises is one of the most successful businesses in the country, I’m confident all of these answers can be easily addressed.”
Pete and another gentleman, David who was the chief operating officer, started batting around ideas, making Lacey feel a bit more secure in her statement.
David addressed Lacey, “How do you foresee our ad placement? Your concept is fresh, which I like, but I’m concerned about our budget.”
