Page 9 of The Christmas Gift

Arthur, his father and CEO, stood at the rear of the room in deep talk with a woman he presumed was the Marketing advisor for the launch. Except for the generous curve of her hips, most of his view was obstructed by his father’s broad frame.

He’d barely taken two steps towards his father when Krista waved. Ditching her companion, she quickly maneuvered around his employees towards him. Cor rarely minded her flirtatious banter, but today, he was in no mood.

He risked a last glance in Arthur’s direction. Since the new line was unchartered territory for the company, he had hoped to get a better sense of their marketing strategy before the meeting began. But none of it mattered if he snubbed Krista before contracts were finalized.

“I missed you in New York two months ago,” Krista said, laying a hand on his upper arm.

“Sorry, I couldn’t make it.” He stepped aside but her grip on his arm tightened.

Krista was the regional merchandise manager for a string of stores in New York. This late in the game, he had to play nice. She would stock their merchandise but there was no guarantee Eros would get the best placement or even the window, if he pissed her off. Windows were prime real estate during the biggest shopping season of the year. Not to mention, New York City was the global center for fashion and prime marketplace to test Eros’s line.

“I had to visit Wheelcaster.”

“I know. Jayce told me you spent a week going over layouts for your new displays.” She stepped closer, washing him in fruity fragrance. He bit his tongue to keep from wrinkling his nose. “I admit to being a tad jealous. You gave him all your time. Had I known, I would have joined you.”

Thank goodness, Jayce didn’t tell Krista they’d wrapped up their business early and he’d opted to spend his last days visiting Heath and his brothers, and their new wives instead of flying to New York.

“Don’t be. It’s a testament to your planning. You didn’t need me weighing in on your floor plans for Eros.” He was laying it on thick, but he admitted, Krista ran her department with precision. She knew her market.

“Less planning, next time, then.” She made more space between them disappear, but not too close to send tongues wagging in the room. Everything she did was a calculated form of art.

“Eh em. Behave you two.”

Cor cringed at his father’s teasing words that couldn’t have come at a worse time. Because when he looked up, he locked eyes with his sexy, straight-laced one-night-stand from Wheelcaster, and by her wide gape, she hadn’t expected to see him either.

“Ivy Collymore,” Arthur said, “I’d like you to meet my son, Corin. But you can call him Cor.”

Her upper lip quivered as she took his outstretched hand. Cor clasped her palm far longer than he’d planned. The first two seconds were to be sure he wasn’t dreaming. The next three, to ensure she was real, and the moments before he let go, when his dick hardened against his pants were to be positive she hadn’t forgotten him.

* * *

Ivy

“Alright folks.”Arthur’s deep voice quieted the room. “If you have no more questions for Miss Collymore, we’ll reconvene on Monday morning. That’s three days to approve the sketches, and take another stab at copy before production.” Arthur nodded towards Jayce and Krista. “I presume you two will still be in town to see what’s going on your shelves?”

“I’m afraid so,” Jayce said, raising a challenging brow. “If it’s not sexy, it can’t get the window.”

“Y'all will get sexy,” Cor assured, answering Jayce’s threat.

It seemed superficial, unlike the friendship she sensed between the two men. She scribbled a note to her copywriter to make several versions of ad copy with varying heat levels for each source of media.

“I am impressed with your presentation, Miss Collymore. Especially your detailed plan to showcase curves as desirable,” Jayce said, drawing her attention.

“Thank you.”

“Perhaps when this project is complete you can tweak some of my marketing to make inclusivity top of mind.”

“I’m flattered.”

“Don’t be, Miss Collymore, you did an excellent job,” Jayce said.

Ivy liked straight shooters. Though the idea of a smaller project after the holidays was enticing, returning to the city she got knocked up in was too soon.

“I agree with Jayce,” Krista chimed in. “They were well put together slides but let’s see how it translates to sales. Your other projects were marketed to diverse clients were run by diverse owners. I checked. This is new territory. Garland enterprise is run by white men—not the market you’re trying to reach.” She nodded to Arthur. “No offense.”

“Your concerns are valid,” Ivy said, “but let me reassure you we’ve done our homework.”

A hush fell over those in the room. The problem wasn’t who ran Garland enterprise, but how the company was managed. All her research showed the company had a good track record. They were involved in their community. The mixture of cultures and ethnicity in the room during the meeting was not an anomaly but engrained on each of the floors she’d passed on the way to the meeting.

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