The Billionaire's Fake Fiancee - Lauren Wood Page 0,3
and kids and all. He has a more relevant understanding of the market and what families are looking for.”
I wanted to argue that you didn’t need to be a parent to do a good job on the account … if you were actually good at your job. I didn’t have a beard to shave, but I could still market the hell out of mens’ razor and skincare products. Just like Chuck sometimes took on accounts for womens clothing or cosmetics. But leave it to Greg to find any excuse to shame me for not having offspring of my own and use it to shut me out.
But the two immediately began a rapid fire of ideas and meetings and timelines. They were particularly skilled at conversation that was so jam packed it was impossible for me to interject, and I was almost positive they did it on purpose.
I had sunk so far down into my seat by the end of it, I could have easily slid right out onto the floor. But then Greg said something that made me perk up in a heartbeat.
He walked over, patting Chuck on the shoulder. “This could be huge for us if we land it. So let's really wow them. And if you manage to land us this account, I think it’s safe to say that would seal the deal for you on that Vice President position that I’ve been trying to fill.”
I wanted to cry. I had been working my ass off harder than ever in hopes of getting that promotion. And now it was all slipping through my fingers … over some project I hadn’t even been given a chance at.
I swallowed down any hint of tears and watched Greg as he strolled out of the room. “You two keep up the good work.”
Ignoring Chuck’s smug stare, I jumped up from my seat and went running after Greg. “Um, Greg? Actually … I was hoping I might talk to you for just a moment. You left before I really had a chance to …”
“Yes, Kate?” He stopped in the middle of the open floor office. All the surrounding copywriters and editors stared at us, waiting to see what they might eavesdrop on. “What is it?”
“Could I speak to you in private? I won’t take much of your time.” I tried to act calm and professional, but I knew my eyes were wide and desperate.
“Alright, but make it quick,” he huffed, leading me into his office.
I shut the door behind us just to make sure no one could go squabbling back to Chuck about what I was going to propose.
“I’ll be straight with you,” I said curtly. “I’m disappointed that the deciding factor of the Vice President position is based on a project I’m not working on. May I ask who the contenders for the promotion currently are?”
“Well, you and Chuck. Of course. You’re my only two top executive team members.” He plopped down behind his desk and glared at me with a bored expression.
“That’s what I thought,” I nodded. “So then … what might I need to do to still be in consideration for the position? Regardless of Chuck’s performance on this account you’re handing over to him.”
He laughed under his breath. “Look. Kate. I’d be more than happy to give you both a stab at Nesters and promote whoever came up with the best pitch. But the fact of the matter is, these clients are going to want someone who can speak from personal experience. That’s just how they are. Sometimes getting ahead is about more than just work ethic and performance. There’s a level of politics and personal things that come into play, as much as I hate to admit it.”
I clenched my fists, biting my tongue to keep from pointing out that it was his present behavior and decision making that made things that way … even if he did try to claim it wasn’t.
“But there’s testing groups. And surveys. And a number of other tactics we use for products we have no personal experience with,” I defended.
He threw his hands in the air. “Give it up, Kate. I’ve talked to the CEO of the company, and I know what they’re looking for. They want someone with kids of their own on this account, and that’s that. There’s nothing I can do. Don’t worry about the VP position. You’re working your way up. It takes time. I’m sure another promotion opportunity will come along soon. Now, if you’ll excuse me … we both have a lot of work to do.”
Sure, there’d be other