Page 21 of The Deal Maker

Then I try to figure out how he’s already got numbers when I haven’t sent any yet.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Let’s cut to the chase. I should’ve talked to you before offering to sponsor the scavenger hunt for Willow Cove. We just knew that this would be good for business. Any new leads we can get funneling through there is a bonus.”

“Okay. Is there something I need to do for it? Do I need to prepare a presentation here?”

Russ chuckles on the other end of the phone. “You’re fine. I think we’ve got everything figured out. I’ll come into town to award the winners their certificates and hopefully it will kick off several months of good sales.”

“Sounds good. Are you sending any informational posters that we need to share?”

“This is a short event, so probably not.”

“So just run business as usual?” I ask, still confused about why he’d called me then.

“Join the hunt. Make sure to keep the excitement going for it.”

I pause, trying to think through his words. “I’m part of the company doing the sponsorship. Wouldn’t that look bad if I’m in it?”

“Absolutely not. We want to drum up all the excitement possible for it. The whole town is eligible to participate. If anything, it will highlight the kind of hard workers we employ.”

Having the opportunity to get a vacation for free is totally worth it. After growing up as the son of parents married to their work, I need that chance to escape.

I left Willow Cove to go to college up in Charleston and it had been some of the best times of my life. So why come back here when I’m just trying to leave again?

I love this place and all it is. I’ve got a bunch of friends here that would give the shirt off their backs for me if I were ever in need. But I need to venture out occasionally, to see the amazing sights of mountains and lakes and oceans, instead of having nothing to look forward to for the next few decades.

And I worry about my dad’s health. The Bridal Barn is the family’s bread and butter. Without that, they wouldn’t have a chance at retirement.

“This will take away from my work. Which might mean less leads.” It’s a bold statement, but I’m competitive and need something to look forward to, so I’m not just doing all the work for the marketing team while not being compensated for it.

There’s a long pause and I wonder if Russ has to discuss something with the people at Corporate.

“What if we pay you for your photos? Take a bunch during the activities and we’ll put them up on our social media pages. If this works, we could be looking to do events like this at other locations. Think of it as a bonus of sorts. You’ll just need to check in daily.”

Frowning, I say, “What do you mean? It’s not just a one-day event?”

Russ chuckles again and says, “No, son. The scavenger hunt will be over the course of a couple of weeks. That’s something the mayor and Jenny from marketing have worked out. There are incentives for tourists who will be here for a part of the hunt and then prizes for the natives.”

I would love to know all the stipulations now, but I have to remember that I’m not the one organizing this. It’s hard to take a step back and just let things go when I’ve been in the mode of training and helping this section grow over the last couple of weeks.

“Okay, I’ll work on it.”

“Awesome, Duke. We’ve got our eye on you as an up-and-coming salesman. You might be put on the fast track to corporate with all you’re doing.”

I don’t even have enough days and sales under my belt to prove that to them. Maybe that’s just how they talk?

I grin, always grateful for the chance to improve my situation. But I’ve been in business for all of four weeks, so I don’t let that sink too deep. “I would be grateful for something like that.”

“We’ll talk about it up here and let you know. My advice is to take advantage of any online meetings coming up. The board loves to see effort and continual learning. It will also help you see if this is something you want to do long term.”

We end the conversation soon after and my brain is spinning with the opportunities I could be handed if I were put on the management track. That would mean more money that would go toward my future vacations, wherever they may be.

I go through the link the mayor sent and find a sign-up page on the city’s homepage. Pressing submit, I know I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I win this prize.

I’ll prove that I’m a winner.

ELEVEN

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