Nancy Lavo - A Whirlwind...Makeover

It was hard to give up her own plan, which she believed was a sound one, but ultimately the good of Cue outweighed her need for validation and acceptance. “I think he’s right, Jack,” she said.

Jack turned to study her face and gauge her sincerity. She nodded and smiled her approval. After another long pause Jack said, “Okay, creative people, you’ve heard Colton’s ideas. Flesh them out for me. I want sample print campaigns, radio spots and 30-second television spots. Make them trendy enough to convince Paul Swanson that Cue Communications has not gone the way of the dinosaur.”

Colton had a five-minute head start on Maddie when she headed downstairs for lunch. With her eye once again pressed to the door she’d seen him switch off his office light and head down the hall. Forgoing a delay for the sake of appearances, she darted out to follow him.

She’d have caught up with him if Jack hadn’t caught her.

“Maddie,” he called from his office. “Come in for a second. And close the door.”

She had no choice but to obey. She cast one last longing look at Colton’s retreating back before entering Jack’s office and closing the door behind her. She took the chair across from him at the desk.

Jack’s normally jovial expression was serious. “I want you to tell me honestly what you think of Colton’s ideas for Swanson’s campaign.”

She met his eyes to give him the reassurance he sought. “I liked them. You know they’re not the direction I’d have originally chosen. I’ve never been a big fan of loud music and erratic photography to sell a product. However, all that said, I believe Colton will make them work.”

She sat forward in her chair to continue. “From the little I’ve seen of him, I know he’s a natural. You’ve seen him, Jack. He works a crowd like a seasoned politician. If he brings that same power to an ad campaign, I can’t see how it could lose.”

“He’s good all right, but my gut instinct tells me your strategy is better.”

Maddie thought those were the nicest words she’d ever heard.

Jack said, “This is going to sound crazy, but the fact that I agree with you is why I decided to go with Colton.”

“You’re right. It sounds crazy.”

“Hear me out. Paul Swanson thinks Cue Communications is outdated. Since I’ve had the largest input in his previous campaigns I translate that to mean that I’m outdated. I’ve spent the last year teaching you everything I know. You and I think alike.”

Maddie nodded. “I see what you’re getting at. It’s possible you like my idea because it’s a product of your training.”

“Exactly. I don’t ordinarily second-guess myself. I’ve been in this business a long time and I have developed a certain sense about what works. But I’ve got to tell you, I was rattled when old man Swanson told me we were in danger of losing the account. For the first time, I wondered if I’ve been around too long. If my perspective is stale.”

He suddenly looked older. Grayer. Maddie reached across the desk to take his hand in hers. “My dad always said you were an advertising genius. And he was right. Part of that genius led you to Colton. Instinct told you he had something you wanted for Cue. You were right to go with your instincts. He can give Paul something totally new and different. And new and different just might be the ticket.”

He squeezed her hand with fatherly affection. “Thanks, Maddie.”

“For what?”

“For taking this so well. When I asked you to join the Swanson team I did it because I know your ideas are good and I wanted you to realize it, too. You finally open up and your ideas get shot down. That’s not how I planned it. So thanks, for being a big enough person to consider someone else’s ideas.”

She laughed as she stood. “You know as well as I do that no one has ever accused me of being less than a big person.”

His laughter trailed her down the hall.

Maddie once again selected a green salad for lunch. For variation she went with the diet Italian dressing that strongly resembled water with red and green flecks. Just past the cashier she paused to scan the room for Colton. Her first sweep came up empty. She sighed. With so many people milling around she might never locate him.

About halfway through her second sweep she caught sight of someone waving. Her heart skipped a beat until she realized it wasn’t Colton. It was Dan, the guy she’d shared a table and a piece of pie with on Friday. She balanced her tray in one hand and waved back before continuing her search for Colton. No sign of him.

Maddie glanced back at Dan. He was standing now, waving her over to his table. She hesitated. She didn’t want to commit herself should she suddenly locate Colton. She darted several more fruitless looks around the room.

Finally, good manners propelled her toward Dan. He was kind enough to offer her a seat and, realistically, she might never find Colton. Besides, Dan just might have another piece of pie he was willing to share.

It was slow going through the obstacle course of people and tables. Dan was smiling when at last she reached him. A crinkly eyed smile that made Maddie feel as though she’d stepped into a pool of bright sunlight.

“Hi, Maddie,” he said, pulling out a chair for her. “I figured you might be looking for dining companionship.”

“I had thought…” her voice trailed away as she glanced back over her shoulder.

“Looking for your friend Colton? He’s over there.” Dan pointed to a table four or five down from theirs. “That’s him with his back to us. You might get a glimpse of him if those women standing around him will move.”

No wonder she hadn’t seen him when she came in. Once again he was mobbed with females. She wagged her head ruefully as she sat. “He’s amazing.”

Dan sat across from her and lifted his shoulders in a dismissive shrug. “He doesn’t do a thing for me.”

She met his twinkling eyes and laughed. “I’m really glad to hear it.”

Dan looked down at her tray. “Why do you punish yourself like that?” he asked, pointing to the salad.

She didn’t want to confess she’d planned to sit with Colton and had hoped to fool him into believing she existed on salads. As if anybody would be dumb enough to believe she’d attained her body on lettuce and diet dressing. “I was hoping you’d have a piece of pie you’d want to share,” she improvised.

He lifted a plate with a large wedge of chocolate cream pie. “Looks like today is your lucky day.”

She’d forgotten what a nice smile Dan had. It wasn’t movie-star perfect like Colton’s, of course, but it was nice. Dan had a strong jaw and a generous mouth with straight white teeth. She liked the tiny smile lines bracketing his mouth, testimony to the good humor that seemed to radiate from him. The very best thing about his smile was the way it somehow transferred itself from his lips to his eyes when his mouth turned up in a grin.

He was an attractive man. She’d noticed right away that he was an inch or two taller than she was, a plus in any acquaintance. He had the rangy build of an athlete—more sleek runner than bulky weight lifter. As he had on Friday, Dan wore faded blue jeans and a T-shirt that stretched over a nicely muscled chest.

This was not a man who spent hours in front of the mirror. Dan appeared to be comfortable with himself, which was probably the reason she felt so comfortable with him.

She knew instinctively that Dan was a kind man. A man who saved toppling giants and shared his dessert with hungry strangers. A man who knew how to get people to talk about themselves and possessed the rare willingness to listen to the answers.

Maddie remembered with a guilty start that she’d been so preoccupied with Colton on Friday she hadn’t asked Dan anything about himself. “Tell me about Dan Willis,” she said before popping a forkful of salad into her mouth.