Liam
I'm at the office a little late considering the night I've just had.
Claire was fucking sensational and it's gonna be hard not to think of her all day long. Her body, the way she moaned…Fuck, if I think all of the details now, I could get hard just sitting right here on my chair.
Trish has my morning espresso waiting on my desk. I know I need to get working. Our presentation for Velvet Luxe has a long way to go. I’m not supposed to be personally in charge of it because I have people for that. But it's such an important client that I still need to oversee this project.
This company is right up there in the ranks of Victoria's Secret and if I can manage to win them over, it will mean even more money for this firm. And it will show everybody that no one can touch us. We stay on the top.
Evan comes in as soon as he's made aware that I'm here.
"You're late," he says.
"So, what's it to you?"
"Long night?" he questions me.
I don’t know where he’s going with this, but I don’t like the intrusion into my private life. What I do with my time is my business.
"Maybe."
"With Claire?"
"Maybe."
"Come on, I saw you with her all night. Did you get her drunk enough to spill on her ideas for the campaign?"
His tone is starting to piss me off. I don't know why Evan suddenly cares so much about ruining Claire. He’s not even personally on this campaign.
"I don't get you Evan. You've never cared about my personal life before, so what's changed?"
He looks at me trying to judge my reaction. His job hangs in the balance. Yes, we're friends, but if he gets in my way too much I will not hesitate to fire him.
"We need her, Liam. She notoriously has one of the most creative companies in the business. And she's about to fail miserably. We can capitalize on this. She'll need our help anyway."
"Oh yeah," I say to him from across my desk. "And what if she gets the client, huh? What then?"
"That's why we need to see her ideas beforehand. It's crucial to our success. We cannot, under any circumstance, let her win Velvet Luxe. It's such a big client that it could be our undoing."
I look at him and realize with reluctance that he's right. We are the biggest ad company in town, but if Claire gets this client, the money will be so staggering that she’d become an actual threat.
Right now, Epica is a small company, leagues from us. But given the funding and boost it needs, they could skyrocket to the top because they actually have the backbone a good ad agency needs and that is creative talent.
I drink my espresso and savor the caffeine high. Suddenly, I feel torn between two worlds. I care about Claire, but not enough to put my business in jeopardy.
"You're right Evan. Of course, you're right. I keep minimizing the importance of this campaign but we can't let her get it."
"Yes, Liam. Finally, you see. I've been researching her and watching her grow for months. She may not have a single idea on how to properly run a business, but she has that creative edge. I think she's our biggest threat for this project, more than any of the other competition."
I think on it a minute. I had no idea Claire's little firm was gaining that kind of traction. Not a good sign from a competition.
"We have to eliminate the threat. She can't win this client," I tell Evan.
"So," he says. "All I'm saying is that if you're going to be fucking her anyway, why not try to uncover some of her secrets? When you're at her place or her office, just try to see if there's any clue as to the direction she's going to go in for the campaign. This way we'll see it coming and we can eradicate the problem before it starts."
I hate the idea of spying on Claire, but I’ll do anything to maintain my position as the top agency in Manhattan. I didn't work this hard for this long only to lose it to some woman I barely know.
The image of her beautiful face flashes across my mind. Her sweet sensitivity is something I want to protect and yet I know what I have to do.
"I knew I hired you for a reason, Evan. I hate to do this to Claire but we must gain every advantage that we can. This client is too important. Am I right?"
"Yes," Evan says. "I'll work on the logistics of what it will look like to buy her company and fold it into Dignity Creative. Who knows, maybe when it's all over, Epica could become a new division of this firm that I could head. I think I'm ready for the responsibility."
The fact that Evan is mentioning himself as a forerunner to take over Epica has me on alert. I know he's always been self-serving but give me a break. He can’t make his motives right now any more obvious.
"That's something we can think about, Evan, if Claire doesn't want the position herself. Besides, I like you on the business end of things. I hate to say it, but I'm not sure you're creative enough to head Epica if we obtain it. Your strength lies in the corporate environment. But let's consider that when the time comes, alright?"
He looks forlorn and I hate to bust his bubble but there's no way I'm giving him Epica. Likely, it will remain Claire's little project within the realms of Dignity Creative. I’d hate to acquire a company only to let it crash down. That’s not good business.
Who knows, maybe Claire will one day thank me for hatching this plan because when she loses the campaign, she'll lose everything. When that happens, I can help her stay afloat. Granted, her autonomy will be gone but that's kind of the point.
I want Claire operating under my thumb. I want her where I can see her and where I can control her. The idea makes my blood heated. I think it's time Evan find something else to do besides bothering me with his own aspirations.
"Okay Evan, I'll talk to you later."
It's his signal to leave and he takes it.
He's a good VP and his ideas maintain the company in good standing, covering for pitfalls that could have serious consequences. But sometimes I think he cares more about his own upward mobility than he does about this company.
I need to have a VP with honor and with a sense of investment in this firm. Not someone who will do anything to personally get ahead. I do like his idea of making sure Claire doesn't succeed, but I make a mental note to no trust Evan entirely.
Once he's gone, I have peace in the penthouse at last. I drink my coffee and look out over the stunning view of New York. I love this city. It's always alive and that motivates me to be alive with it. The pulse and pace of the streets match my own insatiable desire to succeed and to work hard.
I put Claire at the back of my mind and work on directing my people to create the most intriguing and awe-inspiring lingerie campaign the world has ever seen. Those Victoria's Secret angels have nothing on me.
Ideas are bursting forth and I think I know exactly how to frame these to propel Velvet Luxe to that next level. This is the beauty of the ads I do for companies, I don’t just make the product, I make the client itself.
This is what I'm good at...making companies ascend past even their own dreams.
My dreams for them are bigger and better, and that's why any company who's lucky enough to work with me always does well.
I didn't become a billionaire without this personal sense of ambition. I know I'm good. Just like I know Claire will be happier once she's safely under my corporate wing.