Campaign for Love (31 page)

 

 

"Thank you for coming, my dear, and thank you, Quentin, for bringing
her. You two certainly dress up a party."

 

 

"Yes," added Martha, "It was delightful to have you both. I hope
you'll
come again soon. We're not usually this formal, but it's easier to
hire
help for special occasions now that we're getting on in years."

 

 

"Everything was lovely, and we would certainly enjoy coming again,
and
seeing you socially again," Suzanna said warmly.

 

 

"Happy New Year!" said Cyrus.

 

 

"And many more for all of us," said Quentin.

 

 

They headed to the car, and Cyrus walked a way down the drive with
them. "Will you call me at the office during the week, Quentin? I'd
like to talk some more business with you."

 

 

"Of course," said Quentin. "Maybe we could have lunch later in the
week?"

 

 

"Fine. I'll let you know what slots I have free when I look at my
calendar."

 

 

He helped Suzy into the car, and with a final goodnight, they left
the
rest of the revelers and started back to the city.

 

 

 

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

 

 

When Suzanna got to her office on Tuesday morning after her fabulous
New Year's weekend at the Reeds and at Quentin's apartment, Sharon
said, "I took a message for you and left on your desk. Nathan Elder
would like to see you in his office as soon as you get in."

 

 

Suzanna thanked her and went to put her coat away, trying not to
feel
alarmed. She had gone home the night before to pick up her mail and
get
a change of clothes.

 

 

Quentin hadn't come in yet, and his cell phone kept going to voice
mail, so there was no way of telling him about the message.

 

 

For some reason, she felt a bit uneasy about it, and wished he was
there with her.

 

 

She left word with Sharon to tell Quentin about her summons to
Elder's
office as soon as he arrived, and headed up with a dire feeling of
dread, though she could not have explained why.

 

 

Suzanna had never before had any reason before to go up to the
'ivory
tower' as the employees referred to the VIP floor, so she was ready
to
start looking for signs when she got off.

 

 

As it happened, she didn't have far to look. Elder's office was
almost
directly opposite the elevator. Suzanna took a deep breath, knocked
at
the door and walked in.

 

 

The receptionist looked up from her desk and said, "Yes? What can I
do
for you? Oh! Excuse me. You're Ms. Sills, the Femme Fatale, aren't
you?"

 

 

"In name only, for the ad campaign," Suzanne joked lightly. "I
believe
Mr. Elder wants to see me."

 

 

"Yes, he does. He's waiting for you. Go right in."

 

 

Suzanna opened the door and entered, clutching her small pad and pen
nervously. She was wearing a simple beige shirt-waist dress with a
multi-stripe ascot in autumnal colors, business-like and sensible,
not
designed to excite or entice.

 

 

Yet, when she walked in, the eager gleam in Elder's eye, the
alacrity
with which he jumped from his chair, and the effusive way he greeted
her as he took her hand, almost brought back the nervousness she had
felt back in the days before Quentin.

 

 

"Ms. Sills!" he exclaimed in an oily voice, obviously meant to be
ingratiating. "I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to make your
acquaintance. Naturally, I've admired and been impressed by your
work,
as I'm sure Quentin Pierce must have told you. Do sit down."

 

 

He held a chair for her, and although he didn't actually touch her,
she
felt herself flinch involuntarily. She smiled slightly and said,
"Thank
you, yes, Mr. Pierce did tell me that you liked my work. But what
can I
do for you now?"

 

 

"It's what I can do for you, actually. It occurs to me that you
deserve
a promotion as well as a raise. I've spoken with Mr. Rubin about it
and
he approves. I've also had a sign made for your desk."

 

 

He opened a drawer and took out a walnut plaque with 'Suzanna Sills,
Junior Exec.' printed in gold letters.

 

 

Suzanna was dumfounded. "You can't be serious. The raise is one
thing.
I think I have earned that. But I've been with you only four months.
I
think I need at least another year as Mr. Pierce's assistant before
I'm
ready to tackle a Junior Executive position. I'm just not ready."

 

 

"Nonsense, Ms. Sills. In the four months you've been here, you have
secured for us two big accounts, Imperial Foods and Femme Fatale
Cosmetics, and the phone has been practically ringing off the hook
since for people who want us to produce the same magical successes
for
them as you did this holiday season."

 

 

"Mr. Elder, the only reason I was able to secure those accounts was
that Mr. Pierce had already laid the groundwork. I'm just not ready
to
be on my own. I'm more the creative side, if you see what I mean,
than
the wheeling and dealing side."

 

 

His brows knit. "False modesty, I am sure."

 

 

"No, really, I mean it. Mr. Pierce manages the clients so I can keep
producing. It's a well-balanced team and I would hate to break it
up.
Kind though your offer is, I'd like to take a rain check, but if I
can't, well, I'm happy as I am. Very grateful for all the
opportunities
you've given me, of course, and flattered at the offer, but I'm
afraid
I would have to respectfully decline at this time."

 

 

"Ms. Sills, I'd like you to think this over very carefully. With my
backing, there's no telling how far you could go. I'm sure you like
your office. You could keep it. Mr. Pierce's office is large enough
so
that we could build a cubicle in one corner for his new assistant.

 

 

"Wouldn't that be terribly expensive?" asked Suzy, trying to wriggle
off the hook gracefully.

 

 

"Not compared to the raise we're planning on giving you."

 

 

He mentioned a sum that was music to her ears, but also
astronomical.

 

 

"Really, that's incredibly generous—"

 

 

"You're worth it. You've already brought in so much with Femme
Fatale,
it's actually peanuts."

 

 

She stared at him. "May I have time to think about this?" she asked.

 

 

"I don't see what there is to think about, so I'll give you two
weeks
to clear your desk, and for Quentin to find someone else. I'm sure
you'll make the right decision."

 

 

"Supposing I decide against it?" Suzanna asked, wanting to know the
worst.

 

 

He smirked. "I don't think you'll do that. It wouldn't be wise, and
you
seem like a smart girl. I'm sure you'll find that your career comes
first, unless of course, you've formed some kind of, er, personal
liaison with Quentin Pierce?"

 

 

"Nothing like that," lied Suzanna with as much sincerity as she
could
muster. "I work hard. I certainly don't sleep my way to the top."

 

 

"Good, because office affairs are always a bad idea, as I'm sure you
know," he said with a leer.

 

 

"I'll certainly keep that in mind, Mr. Elder. May I go back to work
now?"

 

 

"Of course. I'll expect to see you here in two weeks ready, for your
new er, duties."

 

 

Suzanna rose on trembling legs, thanked him with as much grace as
she
could muster, and fled from the office, shivering as she fled.

 

 

 

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

 

 

Once outside Mr. Elder's office, Suzanna finally felt as though she
could breathe again. She should have been delighted at the
incredible
offer. Instead, she was devastated.

 

 

For the first time since starting to work there, she felt under real
threat, and had no idea what to do to protect herself.

 

 

Elder was the serpent in Paradise. He had been Sondra the
porcupine's
sponsor, she was sure of it. She would have to ask Quentin, and what
he
would say about all of this, she had no idea. She hoped he would not
overreact to the come-on, and do something they would all regret.

 

 

All the way down the elevator, she tried to calm herself, so that he
would not see how shaken she had been.

 

 

As luck would have it, she ran into Brad Sherman just as she was
coming
off the elevator on her floor.

 

 

"Suzy," he said without preamble, "you're just the person I want to
see. May I come into your office for a few minutes?"

 

 

"Of course."

 

 

Quentin was seated at the large table, obviously waiting for her,
and
could not quite conceal his surprise at seeing Suzanna walk in with
Brad. He was even more surprised when she asked him to leave because
she needed a private word with Brad.

 

 

But he did as he had been asked, and closed his office door behind
him,
none too gently.

 

 

Brad perched himself on the edge of the sofa and said, "I know that
Mr.
Elder sent for you this morning and I have a pretty good idea why.
Please don't be insulted. You're too good for this."

 

 

"For what?"

 

 

"I'm going to say it straight out. He's an old pervert, and the last
thing in the world you want is to get into his clutches. Listen, I
know
someone must have told you about Sondra, the last girl who worked
here."

 

 

"The porcupine."

 

 

Brad blushed. "I was one of the--well, you know. That is how I
discovered Elder's interest in her. He is a notorious old chaser.
I'm
amazed in this much more canny day and age, that no one has ever
prosecuted him. I suppose good jobs are hard to come by, and women
make
compromises. Compromises just like I did. It worked for me for a
while.
I got moved up the ladder, but Sondra dropped me soon enough when
someone more interesting and challenging came along."

 

 

"Oh, Brad, I'm sorry."

 

 

He shrugged. "I've managed to do enough to save my own skin since,
but
I'm certainly not a star like you. Anyway, I want to know what he
has
offered you, because no matter what it is, it's not enough."

 

 

"Thousands more as a raise, and a Junior Executive position."

 

 

Brad let out a low whistle. "You must have really wowed him then.
But
you are good, as Femme Fatale and Imperial have shown. And all the
other accounts, I have to admit. I was so jealous, I couldn't help
but
steal your ideas. Please don't hate me. I needed a boost up after
the
long dry spell I went through after Sondra dumped me."

 

 

"I already knew. You don't have to apologize or explain."

 

 

He looked more than a little surprised. "You knew all along?"

 

 

"Yes, pretty much from the first."

 

 

His eyes widened. "From the first? And yet you still let me--"

 

 

"I want to create, not manage temperamental accounts. Don't worry
about
it. You did great with all of them, so no harm done."

 

 

He blew out a long whistle. "Wow, you really are one in a million.
Talent, brains, beauty, and compassion to top it all off. I had no
idea. I'm sorry. I thought you were a ball buster or another
porcupine
doing what you had to in order to get ahead. I can see I was really
wrong about you now. You never ratted me out to Quentin the way most
others would have done. You did me some huge favors when you had no
reason to, even when you were the new girl and everything could have
been riding on the success or otherwise of those campaigns."

 

 

"It was a calculated risk, but like I said, there was no real harm
done
to anyone, and it really helped us all. I might never have got to go
so
far with Imperial Foods and Femme Fatale otherwise."

 

 

"Well, like I said, I know I owe you, and so now I'm trying to do
you a
little favor in return. Take my word for it. Don't take the offer,
Suzanna, no matter what he promises, and get out of here as soon as
you
can. Freelance if you have to, but don't let people like Elder pull
your strings."

 

 

She nodded. "I have to make a decision, as he calls it, within two
weeks, so that gives me time to plan my future," she said with a
smile,
now letting her sensible side take over and push the panicked one
away.
"He's so arrogant, he's probably convinced I'm going to jump at his
proposition with both hands. But just remember, he has a partner.
Won't
Mr. Rubin be surprised to find me leaving?"

 

 

Brad nodded. "I can see you are one smart cookie. But if there's
anything you need...."

 

 

She patted him on the shoulder. "I think I can sort this myself. I
just
need a bit more time to think. This is like a lightning bolt from
the
blue. I had no idea. But thanks for coming to warn me."

 

 

"The first thing to do is to have Quentin call Craig Rubin and tell
him
he doesn't want you replaced. I think Rubin will listen. Elder has
overlooked one fact. The client is always right, and Imperial Foods
and
Femme Fatale Cosmetics have both requested you and Quentin as a
permanent team. They are two of the biggest accounts we have, and
although he doesn't act it, of the two, Rubin has more clout because
he
has more money invested in the company. That will keep you where you
are for a time, and get you the raise too, I hope."