Raine (Gods of the Fifth Floor #2) - M.V. Ellis Page 0,42

at that point, I knew they would with time.

“And you know that’s all any client wants in the end, right? Basic human psychology. Sure, they want to make their sales targets and all of that bullshit, but that’s not what motivates them, or anyone. As much as we all claim to be team players, what makes ninety-nine percent of the population wet is the opportunity for personal glory and reward. Well, this campaign is going to turn their marketing people into industry rock stars. They’re going to bite their own arms off to get it.”

“Why do I feel a ‘but’ coming on?” There were no flies on Dillon. He spoke less than the rest of us, which meant he saw more.

“There’s no ‘but’. But there is an ‘and’.”

“What and?” Nate was still pissed with me. I guessed it was going to take a while for that to lift. After all, though what he’d said about me was undeniably true, it was unlike him to slip enough to make his feelings known like that. He normally kept his emotions tightly wrapped. He was all about the slick, controlled, charming persona, even if we all knew that something very different than that bubbled dangerously close to the surface.

“And I want her to stay on to see it through beyond this big meeting we have set up.”

“Oh, hell to the no. Are you out of your living fucking mind? This whole situation is already six shades of fucked up, but we were all prepared to grin and step outside the rules that we established for a good fucking reason, for the sake of getting the job done, but now you’re tripping. You said you’ve cracked the brief, so there’s no more need to have her here.”

“I did say we’d cracked it, she and I. But that’s obviously not the end of the story. We still need to get the ads made, and I’m telling you, as brilliant as I know I am, she’s the secret herbs and spices on this brief, and she needs to be here to turn these ads from ideas to reality.”

“Nate’s right. It shouldn’t have gotten this far with her, but it’s certainly not going any further. Enough is enough.”

“I’m the fucking Creative Director. It’s my name on every goddammed ad that leaves this building. My balls and my reputation on the line. Nobody else’s.”

“Oh yes, because everything is all about you. Always. I get that an agency rides on its creative reputation, but do you understand that it’s not about that alone? We could put out great work, which obviously we do, but if the rest of the offering wasn’t A1, then eventually that wouldn’t be enough. It’s because all of the parts of our puzzle are world class that we do so well. Pull out one element, meaning one of us, and that all goes to shit.”

“Whatever.” If that was what they needed to tell themselves to make it out of bed each morning, then so be it.

“No. Not whatever. That’s the way it is. We’re a motherfucking team. We’re all important, not just you. And we’re not going to let you drag us all down for the sake of a random screw. Jesus, what does she have, a fucking platinum-lined pussy?”

“Like I told you before, it’s not about that, it’s about the work.”

“And I’m the Queen of fucking England. Not that I’d ever really believe that from you under any circumstances, but your assertion would be somewhat stronger if you hadn’t already fucked her. And I think I’m right in saying that the three of us will not accept moving forward with this woman on staff beyond the initial period we all agreed to, albeit grudgingly.” Beck looked at the other two, and they nodded, slowly.

“Then we have a major motherfucking problem, as that’s the only way I’m prepared to go ahead.”

Chapter 17

Noa

* * *

I’d almost jumped a mile in the air when Raine’s office door had swung open and the other three executives had stormed out of their daily ‘Confession’ meeting, and stomped past me in a whirlwind of designer tailoring and expensive cologne.

They were possibly the most impressive group of men I’d ever seen in the flesh, at least up close and personal. Their looks and physiques were one thing, as I’d observed before. It was a cliché how over-the-top good-looking they all were, as well as well built, but it wasn’t only that. What stood out just as much as their looks was