Feels Like Falling - Kristy Woodson Harvey Page 0,90

rate sheet. You can come over to ClickMarket and choose a lower percentage bracket. But the influencers you are going to be working with are not going to be those fabulous micro-influencers with rabid followings and gorgeous branding. Creating those brands costs them money, and there is no way they are going to promote Glitter—as much as they all love you—for seven percent when they can promote Neiman Marcus for ten. They won’t do it.”

“But those other affiliate companies don’t offer Neiman Marcus,” Heather said.

Trey smiled at her. “Enough said.”

We all laughed.

“Look,” Heather continued, “I won’t lie to you. Your site is the most user-friendly, and I see the benefits. I really do. But we’re talking three percent of a massive amount of sales. That’s significant.”

I’d had spreadsheets made up of what we predicted Glitter’s sales would be with ClickMarket over our main competitor, but I realized now that they didn’t matter. I prided myself on being excellent at reading people, and my gut told me that all Heather wanted was to feel like she had made a deal, plain and simple. I could give her that.

I did some quick math in my head before I said, “Look, Heather, it’s top secret, but we’re rolling out an ad partner program next month that is going to blow your mind. All the best influencers with the most proven sales records. You’re going to want to be a part of that. I’ll give you a three-month exclusive during which I’ll waive all my commission.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Exclusive as in…?”

I smiled. “Exclusive as in you will be our only client in the ad partner program for three months.”

It was a big move, a huge thing to give her. But I knew it would be worth it. Every blogger in the country would be clamoring for a spot, and other competing companies would line up to sign up for the program once they knew Glitter was our first exclusive customer. It was genius, if I did say so myself.

I glanced at Trey. He looked impressed.

Heather smiled, and I knew I had won. “Ms. Howard, you have made me an offer I simply cannot refuse.” She reached her hand out over the Bloody Marys, and I shook it.

“Trey will draw up the contract and get it over to you tonight.”

We had already drawn up the contract. It didn’t work 100 percent of the time, but it was the best way I knew of to put the deal out in the universe before we went in to negotiate it. And I had to admit that Trey was the best partner out there. He knew when to jump in, when to lighten the mood, when to be serious. I texted him under the table: You’re getting a promotion.

He texted back: But I want to work with you.

Duh.

We smiled at each other.

“Now that that unpleasantness is over,” Heather said, “please tell me there’s an exciting new man in your life.”

I laughed, and I was so relieved to have sealed this deal that the laugh almost felt genuine. It almost didn’t break my heart that I’d had a new man in my life and I had pushed him away. Almost.

When Heather left, Trey and I each breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Barfed all night and still pulled it out,” he said. “So, about that promotion…”

“Oh, that was just something I said in the moment. Moment’s over,” I joked.

He elbowed me gently.

“No,” I said. “New title. More money. All that jazz. I’ll get you details, but you have been my go-to for years and you deserve it.”

“But who will plan your cocktail parties? And make your matcha lattes the way you like them? And hide Quinn’s e-mails? And put Greg on hold for egregious amounts of time to piss him off?”

I laughed. “Obviously you’ll have to find and train your replacement.”

He grinned. “Obviously.”

He held his glass up and I clinked it with mine. “To moving up in every sense of the word,” he said.

“Onward and upward,” I responded.

And, for the first time in a long time, I meant it.

diana: warning sign

For the past two days, I had been feeling confident. When I told Gray that I was meeting Frank’s mother, she’d said, “Diana, you are a strong, beautiful, smart woman and you are deserving of everything wonderful that life has to offer. No one can take that away from you.”

When I hadn’t look convinced, she had motioned for me to follow her into her bedroom. She opened the