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"As you all know," Bryce began without preamble or small talk; that wasn't his style after all. "Raven Marketing has been experiencing some difficulty maintaining its position as an industry leader."
He paused to let those words sink in before continuing with more information about current market trends and demands from clients that had yet again shifted focus, just when they thought they had gotten it right.
“It looks like my private life has become a cause of concern for the brand of the company. The board has impressed upon me the importance of –” Bryce paused to make air quotes “– cleaning up my act. Whatever that means.” It was practically a grumble, almost like he didn’t mean for the rest of us to hear that last part. A few people around the table let out a slightly hesitant, almost nervous chuckle.
“Apparently, I’ve been giving off the impression that I’m unstable and unreliable because I like to have a good time during my free time,” he continued. The way he put it was an understatement. Everyone knew that he was a playboy that loved to party, and when he played, he went all the way. As a brand manager, that was a cause for concern. But I hadn’t actually known that it was starting to affect the company and its reputation. It was understandable it would catch up eventually, though. He was the face of the company and what he did mattered. A lot.
I cleared my throat, trying to break me of my own stupid spell of staring at him just a little too long. The divot in his neck that showed in his open collar was suddenly the most sensuous thing I could think of. I cleared my throat again, trying to regain mental footing.
Bryce looked in my direction, so I felt compelled to speak.
"What do you need from us?" I was hoping to steer the conversation back on track and get to a more productive place.
Bryce leaned forward in his seat and fixed me with a stare.
"I need your help," he said simply.
"Our help?" I repeated dumbly, feeling like there was much more going on here than Bryce was letting on. He nodded once in confirmation before sitting back again.
"I want ideas for how we can rebrand me as someone other than a party animal," he explained calmly. "We've been brainstorming internally, but we haven’t gotten anywhere. I figured since we're a marketing company, someone's got to have at least one good idea.”
There were murmurs around the table and everyone looked at each other nervously, unsure of where to begin or what exactly they were being asked to do.
"Maybe instead of hiding who you are all together," someone offered hesitantly after an awkward pause between us all. Apparently bravery when criticizing the boss’ personal life wasn't this group’s strong suit. "…you could leverage the relatable qualities of your persona through a couple of campaigns tied directly to your personal values.”
Trepidation was written all over his face; the fear that his word choice wouldn’t sound intelligent in front of the boss. Let's face it. Executive meetings were like playing in the playground. Seeing who the popular kid was while also trying not to look stupid yourself. “We find causes that matter to both you and our target audience alike, and build on that.”
Bryce’s eyes widened slightly.
“That’s actually smart.” He sat back in his chair thoughtfully. “Tying whatever cause it is into company projects and partnering with other leaders and organizations will shift the narrative and give people new reasons to think of me when they hear my name.”
Bryce seemed genuinely impressed by the suggestion, and a small smile played at the corners of his lips. The person who offered the suggestion sat back in nervous relief, his chair squeaking as if quietly applauding his courage to speak up.
The murmur of agreement around the table grew louder. It was clear that someone had finally hit on something that could work for Bryce's rebranding efforts.
"Let's start gathering ideas then," Bryce said decisively, taking charge again after a momentary lapse in control. "We’ll schedule a follow-up meeting soon to make decisions and put together a plan and timeline."
As we all filed out of the conference room, I found myself lagging behind intentionally just so I could get one last look at Bryce before he disappeared from view. I knew it was unprofessional and probably inappropriate, but I couldn't help myself. There was just something about him that drew me in like no other man ever had before.
I also knew I needed to gather the courage to pitch an idea to Bryce. Despite my boss-attitude and confidence in applying for the position, all that swagger seemed to disappear when I was face-to-face with Bryce.
But I was just as qualified to solve the problem.
And I had an idea. A good idea.
I just wasn’t sure Bryce would like it.
Chapter 2
Bryce
Maybeitwasironicthat after my meeting, I was taking the rest of the day for a casual Monday round of golf with a few buddies. It would include our usual shenanigans and debauchery and of course, but now I had to be discreet about the whole thing.
I may have done whatever I wanted to do, but I wasn’t stupid enough to want to cost my company millions just for a little fun with my idiot friends.
“Sorry, can we all hang on for a second?” A woman’s voice, cool and husky but still clear as a bell, stopped everyone from exiting the boardroom.
I was more than a little annoyed because I didn't want to be late for my tee time. But slowly, everyone looked back at the woman who held the confident voice.
