Tough Sell (Tough Love Book 1) Page 7

  Allie continued to read about Walker and Birkeland while Dorothy went through all the reasons she was sure she couldn’t succeed.

  “I’ve never won a slam, I won’t be able to ask Kathy for help and our company doesn’t even want this contract. There is no way this is going to work.” It was all too much work. She would love spending days working closely with the very hot Edward, especially now that it was clear she was actually very unattached at the moment, but the prospect of facing her boss and the whole team, giving a presentation that she was sure she couldn’t do well at, and then being let go. It was more than she thought she could stand.

  “Is that the way you really feel?” Allie looked at her over the top of her phone.

  No. There was a little voice in her that answered Allie with a toe shuffling, no. But instead, and without really knowing why, Dorothy lifted her chin and said, “Yes.”

  “Really?” Allie drew the word out and Dorothy looked at her and nodded. Her friend had a hint of a smile on her face. “What’s this guy Ed like?”

  Ed. How could she describe him? “He’s hot, for one thing,” Dorothy answered. Allie perked up even further. Dorothy could see her practically wrapping up her smile and putting it away.

  “What else?”

  “He’s pretty forthright. I don’t think he cares what anyone thinks of him.” She told her about the incident with the receptionist.

  “Sounds like a jerk to me,” Allie said. “Or like he was really worried about not getting the meeting with Adam.”

  “Could be that.” Dorothy thought some more. “He was really nice to me.”

  “In what way?”

  “Well, you know, he treated me like I was, I don’t know, important.” Dorothy warmed to the idea. “I think that’s it. He’s a hot guy, he has this fantastic company that could do so much good and it was an important meeting, but he made sure he included me. At the start, I wasn’t saying anything but he, you know, moved his chair so that he could see me and Adam, and he noticed all the stuff I had prepared for the meeting, everything. And he was really into my suggestions. I could tell.” She stopped abruptly. She had been so excited about working on the project. She needed to come back to reality, to the real world, where she was actually a delusional pain in the ass to everyone she knew. She slumped back onto the couch.

  “Am I a burden to you, Allie?” Dorothy asked.

  “What?” Allie’s voice went up an octave. She looked offended. “I do not put up with freeloaders, Dot. You of all people know me better than that. When have I ever held back from kicking ass and taking names?”

  She had insulted her. “Well …” Dorothy felt her first genuine smile in hours come over her face. “I think I might have heard you call the wrecking ball ‘Sir’ once … or was that some other woman in your room?”

  Allie flushed and then her eyes kinda glazed over. “I’d say fucking anything to that man if he asked,” she muttered. Dorothy could almost see Allie shake herself. “But that’s not the point. You’re my friend and I love you. If you don’t want to do this campaign …”

  “I want to! But I can’t. I don’t have it,” Dorothy countered.

  “Fine, whatever, can’t, won’t. You still have to call this guy and tell him it’s not happening. And you should do it—tonight.” Allie looked firm. “I’m a business owner. I would want to know right away. There are people counting on this man and he needs to know.”

  Dorothy didn’t know how many people worked for Ed but he definitely employed several people and they most likely had families counting on their paychecks. Allie’s catering company employed several people and Dot knew she cared about them like family. Did Ed feel that way about his employees? Dorothy’s father was a business man. There was no time, day or night, that he didn’t want to hear about things that were important to the business. He’d scolded her many times for not letting him know about problems soon enough.

  “You’re right, he should know. I’ll call him tomorrow and tell him.”

  “It has to be tonight, Dot. Tomorrow is Thursday and that only gives him one day to change his plans and find another agency to meet with him on Friday and get things moving. He might be able to salvage things if you tell him tonight.”

  Allie wouldn’t take no for an answer. She hustled Dorothy into the bathroom and directed her to get cleaned up. According to Allie, an in person meeting was a must, it had to be now. No messing around. Dorothy brushed her teeth and combed her hair more to keep Allie quiet than because she agreed. Her friend had a serious bug up her butt about this. Dorothy thought Allie was crazy. It was night. The man was probably asleep. She imagined him opening his door, his hair messed up as he braced a forearm above his head against the doorjamb. The guy was so hot. This was not a good idea. She could still feel the effect of the wine and the two beers. She could feel the effect of the thought of meeting Ed tonight too. The bathroom door opened and Allie stuck her head in.

  “Call this guy and see if he can meet tonight.” Allie plopped Dorothy’s cell phone into her hand. Maybe if Dorothy called Ed, that would satisfy Allie. For sure there was no way Ed would agree to meet at this hour.

  “You’ll feel better once that is over,” she pronounced. “You’re gonna look Mr. Hot Superman in the eye and tell him you don’t have what it takes to help him.”

  Beyond Ed’s window, the last of the daylight was long gone. He had watched it go while he worked on some bills that needed paying and the payroll for the week. As of now, they didn’t have a company to send out the checks. To save money, Ed did the paychecks himself and used direct deposit to get the funds to the bank accounts of all the people who worked for them.

  In Norway, there was just a small shop making some of the more specialized components, with ten people there including Gunnar. There was also a manufacturing site in Warwick, NY if you could believe it. He still couldn’t get over their good luck in picking up the building and contents when a medical equipment manufacturer had gone belly-up. It was a full tool and die shop with modern 3-D printing capabilities and all the software. They had picked it up for thirty percent of what it would have cost new, along with several employees who returned when Ed and Gunnar re-opened the place.

  The machine shop’s full staff of employees had been so damn happy when they learned the place was going to be reopened and re-purposed. The day they hired back the displaced workers was stuck in Ed’s mind forever. Bill, a burly man with a Harley and a pale, blond ponytail, had sat through the interview with his arms folded across his massive chest, his face impassive. The wave of antagonism rolling off the guy had almost convinced Ed not to hire him back, but the previous interviewees had all said Bill was critical to the processes and the most creative of the group.

  At the end of the interview, Ed had looked over the notes on his legal pad, looked back at the hostile Viking of a man before him, and stood. Bill dropped his arms and lifted his bulk from the chair, back ramrod straight. “Appreciate the interview,” he growled as he offered Ed the shovel that passed for a hand. It was clear the man thought he was not being hired.

  “No problem,” Ed replied. “I assume you can start tomorrow?” he asked, and watched in embarrassed amazement as the man’s stoic expression crumbled before him. The corners of Bill’s mouth jammed down to halt the slight tremor there and the man’s eyes brightened suspiciously. Ed pretended to search for the employment papers in his desk. By the time he magically found them, right where they always were, Bill had composed himself. The big shovel of a hand came at him again and clasped his, pumping his arm up and down.

  “Man, I can’t believe it! I really didn’t think you would hire me … I mean look at you.” Bill grinned widely. “Look at me!” He pumped his fist in the air. “Martha is going to be so damn happy when I tell her, you can’t know, you can’t know, man. Thank you, thank you so much!”

  The day had gone like that, some men more expressive than others, but it was clear, to them, the company was out to save the world and it
had started with them. When he and Gunnar had finally shut off the lights and locked the door behind them, Gunnar had let out a tremendous “Hell Yeah!” They were both riding the rush of hope and enthusiasm and at that moment, everything they dreamed of doing seemed right at the tips of their fingers.

  In his little, overly hot, apartment in New York, Ed rubbed his hands across his face. It had all been so exciting, but now? Now it was straight up terrifying. He didn’t think he could manage telling Bill and the others that their dream was over.

  Beside him, his phone started to vibrate. He glanced at the clock on his computer, nine thirty. Telemarketers were getting bolder every day. Irritated he swiped the screen and barked a curt, “Hello.”

  “Hello?” came a hesitant, soft voice.

  “Yeah. Hello.”

  “Mr. Walker? This is Dorothy from Cogent Digital Partners.”

  Ed sat back in surprise. “Hi. Yes. What can I do for you?”

  “Um.” She sounded hesitant. “I really need to speak with you in person.” His pulse jumped, was everything OK? She didn’t sound OK.

  “Uh, OK. I’m free in the late morning tomorrow. Do you want me to come down to the office?” He cleared his throat. “What’s this about anyway? Are you still at work? It’s pretty late.” He forced himself to stop.

  “I really can’t wait until tomorrow and I don’t want to do this over the phone.” She hesitated. “Look, I don’t want this to be a big dramatic thing but I would like to speak with you in person, off the books so to speak. Are you able to step out tonight? Can I meet you somewhere halfway? You live in the city, right?” She finally stopped long enough for him to get a word in. His mind was racing … what could be going on here?

  “This is Dorothy, of the blue shoes, from the meeting this morning, correct?” he asked.

  “Yes, of course. Who else would it be?”

  “Look, you can see where this call seems a little unusual to me, right?” he asked. Inside, his stomach had turned to lead. Was this bad news about the campaign? Or … a horrible thought dawned on him. What if she had recognized him? What if she knew about the video and was luring him out in public to expose him to friends or people she knew? What if a whole group of people were with her now, waiting to mock and humiliate him? He felt himself break out in a sweat. She hadn’t seemed like that kind of a person. He had to be wrong about that.

  “What is it you need to talk to me about?”

  “No, Allie says I have to do this in person,” came the cryptic reply. In the background he heard a woman with a throaty rasp say, “You do.”

  “Dorothy, I’m sorry, but I’m not going to meet you. You have to tell me over the phone or I can stop by your office in the morning.”

  “No,” she squawked. “Um, no. It can’t wait.”

  In the background Ed could hear murmuring. It was as he expected. Somehow, the pretty woman he’d been fantasizing about on the way home had figured out he had been the young man in the video, insultingly dubbed The Pool Boy by social media a decade ago. He felt defeated. Was the damn video going to continue wrecking his life until he finally went senile and was rocking out his last years in a nursing home? Over the phone, he heard Dorothy tell someone she was sorry, but she had to do this over the phone. Well, maybe he was wrong. He waited.

  “Ed?”

  “No more Mr. Walker?”

  “Mr. Walker, look, we aren’t going to be working together. I’m calling to let you know that after you left today Adam told me that CDP has no intention of taking your campaign on.”

  He was stunned. The phone call, the message, it was surreal. “You’re kidding me? Even if I come up with all that money, they still won’t do the work?” He couldn’t fathom it.

  Dorothy’s voice became agitated and if he wasn’t mistaken, she sounded a little, well, slurry. “Look, it’s not up to me. It might be because of me, but it’s not up to me. You see I can’t do this thing. And hey, if it were up to me, of course we, they, would do the campaign, I mean, I love you.”

  Ed felt his brow lift in amazement. “What?”

  “No, I mean, I love your company, not you. Well, you’re nice enough. But the company, that’s lovely. Oh shit.” She took a deep breath and more murmuring went on.

  “Dorothy?”

  “Yes, Ed?”

  Her voice was breathy as she came back to the phone and he felt his dick tighten. Must be the shock of her saying she loved him. “Who are you talking to?”

  “My roommate. She told me we should do this in person when I said I couldn’t do your campaign.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Adam told me they weren’t taking your account and I begged him to let me do it and he said yes but then he only gave me three days to get it done and I can’t do it, so I’m sure to lose my job. I told Allie that it was over. That’s when she told me to call you up and tell you in person.”

  What the heck? Was this woman drunk? Was she nuts? “Put Allie on the phone.” He couldn’t believe he was going there.

  After getting the whole story from the mysterious Allie, Ed was no longer worried about a conspiracy. He was absolutely batshit with worry that this woman, Dorothy, was about to put the whole campaign in the crapper. He couldn’t let that happen. It would take weeks to get an appointment with another agency and Gunnar was right, CDP was the right agency for them.

  “Put Dorothy back on,” he said. “Dorothy, I’ll meet you. Anywhere you want to meet and we can talk about this, OK? I don’t want to finish this on the phone.”

  “Now you want to meet?”

  “Yes, yes. Allie was right, we should do this in person. Please. Please Dorothy. Just tell me where to meet you.” She named a place he’d never heard of and he agreed to it. From what Allie had said, if Dorothy didn’t get it in her head to take on this campaign, his chance with CDP was over. Damn Adam. The more he thought about it, the more he was sure that his treatment of the receptionist was probably the nail in his coffin. But why? Why in the world would a green company like Cogent not want to promote his company? It didn’t make sense. He shoved on sneakers and pulled on an oxford shirt, which he left untucked over his jeans and grabbed his wallet. He hurried out the door; he absolutely had to convince Dorothy that she could do this campaign.

  Fifteen minutes later he was in front of Kenny’s Place, a club that catered to millennials. The place had three floors, one band and a DJ and unless you were in the foyer or on landing, there was no way you could hear yourself think, never mind have a conversation. It was exactly the kind of place that brought out the worst in him.

  He walked through the crowded club, from one floor to the next, suffering through the loss of his personal space. Suppressing the urge to confront each person that inadvertently bumped into him chafed on his patience and combined with the stress he was under, it made him angry and anxious.

  Ed found her on the second floor. Dorothy was standing at the edge of the dance floor of all things, swaying to the music. She had her blue shoes back on and a little black skirt, short enough that he was sure every guy in the place was waiting for her drop something and bend over. She had a plain white button down shirt on through which you could tell her bra was bright blue, like her shoes. Fuck me, he thought. Why did she have to be so pretty? And if she thought this was a good place to meet, what did that say about her ability to market his company?

  His thoughts were cut short as she noticed him, waved, and began picking her way toward him.

  As she drew near, they were both jostled by a stumbling pair of young men trying to stagger toward the bar, laughing and pushing each other. Dorothy fell against him and he held her to him instinctively.

  “Fuckers,” he growled, glaring at the retreating pair. He looked down at Dorothy, struggling to keep his eyes on her face when what he really wanted to do was catch a better look at the tops of her breasts, jiggling above that blue lace, all visible in the V of her blouse. Focus you idiot, he thought. He needed to save his company more th
an he needed to get laid and that was saying something. “Are you OK?” he asked.

  “Sure, it was just a bump. I’m only meeting you ’cause Allie insisted. I told you everything on the phone.” Her blue-green eyes blinked up at him.

  “Yeah, about that. We can’t do this here. I’m not comfortable in crowds and besides, we can’t hear ourselves think.” He stepped back, reached down and took her hand. “Stay with me.”

  “But Ed, this is the only place halfway that I know.” Her feet stopped moving and she stopped, swaying a little atop her high heels. “Look, maybe we could just dance a little.” Her voice wavered, brow puckering into a little frown line. For a moment, the music stopped and he could hear her better. “I really can’t take any more today. It’s been a bad day for me.”

  This was incredible. It was a bad day for her? “Really?” he asked. “Because it’s been a peachy day for me. The top environmentally friendly ad agency rejected both our company and our money today and tonight I had to tell my best friend and business partner that I failed, so like, maybe he’ll be out of a job soon, and tomorrow, I’m looking forward to doing the same for fifteen of the hardest working tool and die men I know. Heck, maybe they’ll have their little kids on their laps while I’m doing it just like Gunnar did. Hell, maybe their wives’ll be there crying too. How’s that for a bad day? So, what the hell happened to you, little girl? Break a nail maybe?” He scowled and she stood there and took it. Somehow that made him angrier. “Huh? Cat got your tongue?”

  For a moment, he thought she might cry but she surprised him. Instead, she stepped up to him, toe to toe and as the music started up again, she shouted over it. “Look, I know I let you down but I didn’t come here to be abused. I’m tired. I am way too buzzed to be out of the apartment and about as sad as I can be. I’m sorry things didn’t go your way, buddy, but I’m outta here.” She twisted her hand free of his grip, placed her hands on his chest and gave him a little shove so she could shoulder past him and marched her little blue shoes toward the stairs. It took him about ten seconds to realize he needed to follow her.