Will looked at what he’d written, checked his list to make sure none of it was offensive, then motioned to Savannah to come to his desk. “Would you take a look at this before I send it?”

She headed toward his desk and looked over his shoulder. “What is it?”

“An email and the fact sheets about the new client I’m asking the other agency to consider.”

“By other agency you mean the young lady I saw talking to you at the pool.”

“Correct. The one with—”

“Careful...”

“The... one with all the great ads on her website.”

“Very nice.”

He pointed at the laptop. “Anyway, check it out. Make sure I haven’t ticked her off in any way.”

“Okay, let me read what you’ve got.” She turned his laptop toward her and read.

Ms. Callahan,

Nice chatting with you again at the health club. As promised, here’s some information about the new client I mentioned. I’ve attached a fact sheet for their campaign along with some background on the company and what sort of ads they’re looking for. I checked out your work on your website and the style you used in the spots I saw at the ad club might be a good fit. But you know your strengths better than I.

I’d appreciate it if you’d take a look and let me know if this interests you. If so, let me know what you’d charge for copy and storyboards for three spots. Since Skylar is so talented, I’d like her to do the artwork if you choose to proceed.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for your valuable time and consideration.

-Will Prescott

Savannah stood up and nodded. “Damn, Will, that’s beyond professional. And polite. I’m impressed.”

“It was a lot easier knowing she’s not available.”

“It shouldn’t matter, but whatever works for you at this point.”

“To be honest, I was feeling a little... inadequate... after seeing her with that perfect guy in the restaurant. I can’t compete with that.”

“Will, stop it. You are not inadequate and don’t ever need to feel sorry for yourself.”

“But—”

“Will, there will always be people who are better looking, smarter, richer, whatever. No one is perfect. You are unique, and once I peel back those layers to reveal your heart, women will see you in a different light and you’ll be able to compete with any guy. That’s a stupid term anyway. If the woman is the right one for you, then you won’t be competing with anyone. And if you feel like you are competing with another guy, the woman isn’t right for you. You don’t want a woman who is on the fence.”

He slowly nodded. “I suppose.”

“You know, I’ve been trying to get that God’s gift to women trait out of you, how come you have no confidence when it comes to Rory?”

“I’m just being realistic.”

“No, you’re not. But eventually you will learn to stop looking at every woman you find attractive as a possible date. We’ll get there. Rory is a professional woman who is about to be a colleague who happens to be attractive. See her for her talent and her mind, not how she looks.”

“You’re right, Savannah. So the email is good to go?”

“Absolutely.”

“When do I follow up with a call?”

“You don’t.”

“Huh?”

“I know if you did that you’d find some way to say something suggestive. There doesn’t need to be even a hint of romantic interest in this situation. Just put a line in there that you need an answer by end of business Friday. That’s plenty of time and if she doesn’t get back to you, then we can move on. But don’t be pushy. Let it be her decision. And don’t feel hurt if she doesn’t respond at all. This needs to be strictly business and that will put her more at ease when considering this.”

“You’re the boss.”

“And don’t you forget it. Now add that one line, send it and let’s work on our current project.”

***

SKYLAR SAW THE EMAIL from Will Prescott in the company inbox and called Rory. “Hey, we got something from Napoleon. Come check it out.”

Rory headed in her direction. “What is it?”

She pointed at the computer monitor. “Email. Haven’t opened it yet. But it has a few attachments. Knowing him, one is probably a picture of himself shirtless.”

“Hell, after what we saw at the health club, I wouldn’t complain about that.”

“I’m just saying that I’ll bet there’s some sort of cheesy proposition in here somewhere.”

Rory pointed at the screen. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense. Open it.”

Skylar clicked on the email and saw the note along with a few attachments. They both began to read. “Well, that’s certainly very professional. Not what I expected.”

“Yeah, he called me Ms. Callahan. Open the attachments.”

“Stand back and brace yourself.” Skylar clicked on the attachments. Everything they needed to work up a campaign for a client was there. “Huh, how about that. Seems pretty standard to me. Also looks like it might be a fun project. And it appears he actually went to our site and is familiar with our work. I think we ought to grab it. You did say we could use the business.”

“Yeah, it’s right up our alley.” Rory started to walk away.

“Soooo... you want me to write back and tell him we’ll take it?”

“Nope. Make him wait till Friday afternoon. Then hit him with a big number. By then he’ll be desperate and have to hire us.”

“I dunno, Rory. If we don’t respond till the last minute he might think we’re blowing him off and move on to someone else. Besides, this was actually very professional. You might have put the fear of God in him the two times you talked. He obviously knows you don’t put up with any crap.”

“Fine, get back to him today. Wait a couple hours and tell him we’ll do it. But let me come up with a decent number first.”

“Don’t forget to add the combat pay, Rory. At some point we may actually have to work in the same room with him.” She started to laugh.

“What?”

“Maybe we could work with him at the pool.”

***

“HEY, WILL!”

Will poked his head into Savannah’s office. “What’s up?”

“The woman at the other agency is interested in taking the gig. But...”

“But... what?” He walked into the office and moved behind her.

Savannah pointed at the laptop screen. “She sure aint cheap.”

He looked at the figure and slowly nodded. “Well, that’s a lot more than I wanted to spend but still within the budget. But hey, you get what you pay for and she does good work. We’ll still make a small profit and hopefully develop a relationship with another agency for the future.”

“By relationship you mean...”

“Business relationship.”

“Uh-huh. So you’d have no interest in any other kind of relationship with this woman?”

“Even if I was, I think I already turned her off by hitting her with most of the stuff on your list, and she’s not on the market. Plus, as you instructed, I am looking at her as a colleague.”

“So you’re not even gonna try?”

He shrugged. “Why bother? Besides, it’s obvious she can’t stand me.”

“Good. You’re learning. You’ll treat her like a business partner rather than a prospective date.”

“Trust me, Savannah, one thing I can tell about this woman... she really has no interest in me. So you won’t have to worry about me hitting her with any cheap lines.”

“Promise?”

“Well, we’re going to the ad club luncheon on Friday, and she’ll probably be there. You did say I might not be ready to go out in public without you.”

“Okay. But don’t make me give you a strong tug on the leash. And speaking of dining engagements, you’re coming with me to dinner tonight. My grandmother is in town.”

“Your grandmother wants to meet me?”

“It’s the other way around. I want you to meet my grandmother. Actually, I already discussed your problems with her, and, lucky for you, she’s willing to help.”

Will furrowed his brow. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“Tonight you’re going to charm school, Will.”

“Charm school? Isn’t that something from the fifties for women?”

“Well, this is the modern version for men. Call it Savannah’s school for men behaving badly. And you desperately need it. My granny is extremely well versed in etiquette, and since she comes from another generation she’s going to teach you some old school things that will make you really stand out as a gentleman. So yeah, it’s charm school.”

“So, you’re going to make me charming?”

“Absolutely. When granny gets through with you, your manners will be impressive.”

He smiled and shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re calling in reinforcements.”

She patted him on the cheek. “Trust me, you need it. I can only do so much so I called in the expert.”

“Is there something I need to do to prepare for this... dinner?”

“Bring a pad. You’ll be taking notes.” She handed him a slip of paper. “Meet us at the restaurant at seven. Do not be late.”

***

WILL SIPPED A GLASS of water and kept an eye on the restaurant door. He looked at his watch and noted it was five minutes till seven. There was no way he was going to be late and face the wrath of Savannah.

He had to admit that hiring her was a good move, and not just because she was incredibly talented and a hard worker. She had become a good friend, the first platonic friendship he’d ever had with a beautiful woman. It was obvious she actually cared about him, wanted to make him a better person.

And he finally had to admit he needed to change. After burning every bridge on Madison Avenue and going nowhere in the relationship department, there was no point in waiting. Dealing with Rory Callahan on a professional level would be tough considering his attraction to her. But it would be a good learning experience.

As for charm school, he had no idea what to expect from Savannah’s grandmother.

The door to the restaurant opened. He saw Savannah and a slim, attractive woman in her sixties enter the place. Savannah spoke briefly to the hostess, looked around, spotted him and headed in his direction with her grandmother. He smiled as they arrived at his table. “Hi there.”

“Will, this is my grandmother, Mrs. Dale.” Savannah turned to her grandmother, a petite woman with salt-and-pepper hair and gray eyes. “Granny, this is Will. And you already see the problem.”

The woman nodded. “Yes.” She turned to him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, William. But are you forgetting something, young man?”

“Uh... welcome to The Big Apple?”

She rolled her eyes as she turned to Savannah. “I may have to stay in New York a bit longer, my dear.” She looked at Will. “When a lady arrives at your table, you not only stand up to greet her, you pull out her chair and help her get comfortable.”

“Oh, sorry.” He got up, moved around the table and seated the two women, then headed back to his chair.

Savannah pointed at the pad next to his plate. “Write it down. Now.”

He laughed a bit, picked up a pen and made a note. “I guess charm school is in session. Thank you for agreeing to help me, Mrs. Dale.”

Mrs. Dale smiled at him. “Well, at least you were on time.” She turned to her granddaughter. “But you were right about his appearance.”

Will looked down at his outfit. “This is a brand new suit. Is my necktie screwed up or something?”

Mrs. Dale laughed. “No, William, your attire is impeccable.”

“So, Savannah told you I was a good dresser.”

“Yes, and you are. But she also said you were much too cute to be a repellent to women.”

Savannah began to blush, her freckles catching fire. “Granny!”

He widened his eyes as he turned to Savannah. “Oh, really?”

She shook her head and exhaled. “It’s a totally objective observation. Along with everything else I told her.”

“Good to know. That... you can be objective.”

Savannah looked around the restaurant. “Where’s the damn waiter?”

***

THE WAITER TOOK THEIR orders and headed toward the kitchen. Savannah slid her chair back and stood up. “I’m going to the ladies room. Time for your next lesson, Will.”

Will’s face tightened as he put up his hands. “Whoa, hold on. I’m not going with you.”

“No. But there’s something you need to do before I leave.”

He shrugged. “Give you something to read?”

Mrs. Dale turned to him. “William, when a lady gets up from the table, you also stand up.”

“But I already stood up when you guys got here.”

“It’s what an old fashioned gentleman does. C’mon, on your feet until she leaves.”

“Okay.” He stood up and Savannah left the table. “Can I sit down now?”

“Yes, of course.”

He took his seat and waited till Savannah was out of earshot. “So, your granddaughter thinks I’m cute, huh?”

“She simply said you were an attractive man who needed a visit to my charm school.”

“Is she—”

“No, she is not attracted to you in a romantic sense. Besides, you’re her boss. She simply thinks you’re a nice looking fellow who needs help.”

“You’ve done this before?”

Granny took a sip of her wine. “Oh, yes. I’ve been turning rogues into well behaved suitors for a long time.”

“She said I’m a rogue?”

“Sorry, poor choice of words on my part. She said you had a heart of gold buried beneath layers of social ineptitude.”

He couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “I guess being blunt runs in your family.”

“Ah, yes. The Dales have never been known to hold anything back. But without that trait, what I’m about to teach you would not be as effective.”

“I guess not. So, did she go into much detail?”

“Oh, quite. Don’t worry, this whole process won’t hurt a bit. You might actually enjoy it. But it will take a lot of work on your part to break these old habits and create new ones. The first thing you must do is admit to yourself that what you’ve been doing hasn’t worked, in both your personal and professional life.”

“I’ve already reached that point, Mrs. Dale. I know I need to change a great deal. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes. Because what I’ve been doing hasn’t worked at all as far as dealing with women. Hasn’t worked with men either. Except for Savannah, I pretty much turn everyone off.”

“That’s about to end. And when we’re done, William, you won’t even remember your old ways. We’ll have everything so ingrained in you that you’ll be a gentleman on auto-pilot.”

He looked up and saw Savannah walking back to the table. She got to her chair and stood in front of it but did not sit. “Well, what now?”

Mrs. Dale pointed to the ceiling. “Up you go.”

“Again?”

“When a lady arrives, you stand.”

“So, when she leaves I stand and when she arrives I stand?”

“Correct.”

“Every single time?”

“Yes. If she gets up ten times, you get up ten times. It’s what a gentleman does out of respect for the lady.”

Will stood up and Savannah took her seat. “Geez, this is like going to Mass. I’m up, I’m down, I’m up, I’m down. I don’t suppose I have to kneel, do I?”

Savannah laughed. “Only when you offer a woman an engagement ring.”

“And that’s just one knee,” added Mrs. Dale.

A waiter returned with their appetizer, a plate of stuffed mushrooms, which he placed in the center of the table. Will immediately grabbed his fork and was about to spear one when Mrs. Dale shook her head and wagged her finger. “Eh, eh, eh.”

He stopped, his fork hanging in mid-air. “What did I do now?”

“Ladies first. Always. You will patiently wait until all the women have been served, then you may proceed with your appetizer.”

“And I’m taking the biggest mushroom,” said Savannah.

***

WILL HELD THE DOOR for the two women as they left the restaurant. “At least I know about this part. And that I should walk you to the car to make sure you’re safe. Even though I know Savannah could kick any man’s ass.”

Savannah turned to him and shook her head. “Very funny. But true.”

He started to walk toward the parking lot, then realized the women weren’t walking with him. He turned around and found them standing there. “Okay, now what?”

“You were on the wrong side of the sidewalk,” said Mrs. Dale.

“There’s a wrong side? You gotta be kidding me.”

She nodded. “Come back here, young man.” She pointed to the part of the sidewalk closest to the street. “A man always walks on the outside of the sidewalk, protecting the woman from being splashed should there be water or slush in the street.”

“Seriously?”

She pointed at the sidewalk again. “Your side.” She swung her arm to the inside of the sidewalk. “Our side.”

He shrugged. “Well, okay. I never heard that one before.”

“Old school, remember?” said Savannah. “Then you offer the woman your arm and escort her to the car.”

“There are two of you. I’d have to be in the middle and then one of you would be on the wrong side.”

“Pretend I’m your date.”

“Well, sure. I mean, since you think I’m cute.”

Savannah rolled her eyes and turned to her grandmother. “Thanks a lot, granny. He’ll never let me forget that.” He extended his elbow and she took it. “Now we may proceed to the parking lot.” They all started to walk.

“You seriously think this is going to make a woman think twice about me?”

“It’s chivalrous,” said Mrs. Dale. “While we women wish to be thought of as equals, we do like to be treated special by the men in our lives.”

“I can take care of myself,” said Savannah, “but I like it when a man remembers I’m still a woman.”

They reached the car and Will extended his hand. “I assume I need the keys in order to open the doors for you.”

Mrs. Dale smiled. “Very good, William. You’re starting to get the idea.”

He took the keys from Savannah. “So, is there some rule as to who gets in the car first?”

“Age before beauty,” said Mrs. Dale.

He opened the passenger door and she got in. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Dale. I really appreciate this.”

She looked up at him. “Happy to help, young man. Savannah will let me know if you need further instruction.”

“I’m sure she will. Good night.” He closed the door and moved around to the driver’s side, then opened the door for Savannah. “Well, I sure learned a lot.”

“Just make sure you review your notes on a regular basis.” She leaned down and gave him a hug. “You’re going to be fine.”

“I’m beginning to think you’re right. Good night. See you tomorrow.”

“’Night, Will.”

He closed the door and waited until she started the car and drove away. He headed back to his own car noting another couple leaving the restaurant. The woman was closest to the street as they headed down the sidewalk. And all of a sudden, it looked wrong somehow. “He’s on the wrong side. I’m starting to get it.”