No Strings__ - By Janelle Denison Page 0,56

visual pictures of the resort, the island, the romantic aspects and her fun, sexy flash mob concept that conveyed personality and attitude, she explained the marketing strategies she had in mind, how she could boost their consumer visibility, and finished off her presentation with a memorable hook that would leave Edward wanting more.

“This campaign is all about finding love in paradise,” she said, and realized that she’d just discovered her tagline for the St. Raphael Resort. Even she was proof that it was possible, considering she’d fallen in love with Aiden, and she latched on to the slogan.

“Find Love in Paradise,” she said again as the slide show ended, this time giving the words more meaning and emotion, which was easy to do, since they came from her heart. “That’s what your guests can expect when they arrive at St. Raphael.”

Edward nodded thoughtfully. “I like it. It’s very current and contemporary, but still stays true to the St. Raphael goal of making sure that everyone finds love...in paradise,” he said, as if testing the slogan she’d come up with. He smiled, his eyes alight with enthusiasm, and she knew she’d definitely captivated him with her ideas.

She plugged in Aiden’s flash drive and switched out her slide show for his, and continued the presentation with seamless ease. “The flash mob concept is certainly more modern, but Aiden has taken a more traditional approach with his campaign. Guests are still exposed to many romantic elements, but the one thing you could use as a draw is Hattie, your island matchmaker.”

He frowned in confusion. “Hattie? She’s just an old woman who enjoys tending to her exotic flowers and visiting with the guests.”

The man had no idea just how valuable Hattie was to him, and the resort, and Chloe planned to enlighten him. “Oh, she’s much more than that, Mr. Luca. She comes from a long line of matchmakers, and she’s an untapped source that could elevate this resort’s reputation. Take a look at this interview Aiden did with Hattie, and imagine the element of fantasy, romance and magic she could add to your campaign and advertising.”

She clicked the play button, and the interview streamed onto the computer. Edward watched the video with interest, and she could tell by the surprised look on his face that he was seeing Hattie’s potential, and all the ways they could utilize her as a draw to the island and resort.

As soon as the interview ended, she wrapped up the presentation with her closing statement. “Who else in this industry has an island matchmaker? Someone who intuitively knows if two people belong together and has a very high success rate of pairing up compatible couples, and uses an exotic flower to predict a couple’s fate? No one. And that gives you, and the St. Raphael resort, a competitive edge.”

He nodded in agreement. “It certainly does.”

She exhaled a deep breath, knowing she’d given her absolute best, to both campaigns. “So, there you go...an exciting, fun flash mob, or a traditional matchmaker. The choice is yours.”

“Both concepts are unique and innovative,” he said, making Chloe smile by his choice of words, which were music to her ears. “You’ve made it very difficult to choose just one.”

“Then I’ve done my job well,” she said as she powered down her laptop. She knew Edward wouldn’t give her an answer before she left, but she was confident that she’d engaged and captivated him more than the Metro boys had.

Now it was just a matter of which campaign Edward liked better...hers, or Aiden’s?

11

AIDEN HAD BEEN home from the airport for a few hours and had just finished his last load of laundry when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the display, surprised to see his boss’s cell number, especially since it was Sunday evening and Aiden was due back in the office in the morning.

He connected the call and answered. “Hey, Perry.”

“Aiden,” the older man said. “I just got a call from Edward Luca, the VP of the St. Raphael Resort. He told me that you had to leave the island early this morning. Is everything okay?”

Aiden inwardly cringed. Perry sounded more concerned than upset that he’d taken an earlier flight out, instead of the scheduled afternoon one, but Aiden wasn’t about to tell his boss the real reason why. “I had everything I needed for my campaign, and I had a family situation that needed my attention.” The little white lie was better than the truth...that he’d fallen in love with Chloe