“The Persuader.”
“No thanks, Carol. We just had breakfast.”
“You let me know if you need any little thing.”
Max rolled his eyes. “C’mon, Eddie. Let me show you the rest.” Might as well get it all out in the open. The rest of the office was stylish but not nearly as impressive as the entrance.
“How many offices?” Eddie asked as they entered the hallway.
“Six. But I might be able to expand into the next office suite. Right now, though, this is fine. I have my office, Jane’s, one for each AE and the media buyer, and a conference room.”
“Who’s Jane?”
The woman in question swung out of her office just then. “Oh, Max…”
Max made introductions, feeling unaccountably uneasy. What, was he afraid Jane would fall for his brother? That was ridiculous.
“Well, hello there.” Eddie flashed his trademark lady-killer smile, and Jane smiled back briefly and exchanged hurried pleasantries, but her attention returned immediately to Max.
“Max, I need to talk to you. Soon.”
Uh-oh. That didn’t sound good. “Is there a problem?”
“Yes, but-” she glanced at Eddie and smiled again, but it didn’t reach her eyes “-it can wait.”
“I trust your judgment. You handle it however you see fit.”
“Buzz me when you’re free.” She slipped back into her office and shut the door.
Max’s uneasiness grew, but he tried not to show it in front of Eddie. They went into his office, and he showed Eddie some of the agency’s best work-Jane’s work, mostly.
“This is good stuff. Who’s your creative director? And where are the copywriters?”
“You’re looking at him. For now, Jane and I handle all creative.”
Eddie laughed. “You always did have a flair for that kind of thing. I can sell the hell out of anything, but I was never a concept man like you. So you’re doing okay? Making money?”
Max had no reason to lie. Eddie had no power over him. “Haven’t turned a profit yet, but I can see light at the end of the tunnel.”
“Are you able to pay your people well?”
Max shook his head. “I’m paying them peanuts. Every one of them is taking a gamble on me and on the future of the Remington Agency.”
“Jane’s going to get stolen, you know,” Eddie said. “Once her work starts getting national exposure, the headhunters will come calling.”
“She’ll stay,” he said with more confidence than he felt. If she did get a better offer from some big agency, he didn’t want to hold her back. “She likes working here and she likes Port Clara.”
“Money talks, bro. If you want to keep her, and you can’t pay her what she’s worth, you should offer something else. Ownership incentive, maybe.”
Max’s first reflexive instinct was to balk at the idea. The Remington Agency was his and his alone. He’d hated accepting money from her, and he intended to pay it back at the first opportunity.
But then he reconsidered. Jane was already functioning as a partner. Their experience with Coastal Bank had taught him to trust her input in all matters, not just the artistic side.
Remington & Selwyn. That sounded nice. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good.” But suddenly Eddie looked uncomfortable. He got up and closed Max’s office door, and Max braced himself.
“Okay, so here’s the deal. How would you like to be able to pay your people what they’re worth, including yourself? How would you like to have a mammoth expense account? How would you like to expand into those offices now instead of later, hire the help you need, have any business resource at your disposal? How would you like a few national accounts thrown your way?”
Max had to laugh. Now he knew what was coming, and it wasn’t the move he’d expected. “Don’t tell me. Remington Industries wants to invest in the Remington Agency…in return for complete control.”
“They want to buy you outright,” Eddie said, sounding regretful. “You cannot imagine how it’s gotten under Dad’s skin, the fact you left and thumbed your nose at the company. At first he figured you’d fall flat on your face because you had no business sense. Then he thought you’d simply give up because you wouldn’t be able to earn what you were used to.”
“And now what’s he saying?”
“Not much. He just handed me a blank check and told me to buy you out.”
“A blank check, huh?”
“I only told you that because I know you’d never accept. I see it in your face and hear it in your voice. This agency is your baby, and you wouldn’t give up any portion of control, not for any amount of money. Am I right?”
“You’re right.” If this offer had come last week, Remington Industries might have acquired itself a new subsidiary. But not today. “Dad needs to lighten up. He still has you.”
“Huh, not for long.”
“Excuse me?”
“I made you the offer and you turned it down. I’ve done my duty for the family corporation. But I came down here for another reason. Any chance you’d give your brother a job?”
Chapter Fifteen
“What?” Okay, now Max was sure he’d dropped down a rabbit hole. Was this some new ploy?
“Just give me a sales job. Straight commission is fine. I have contacts. I can get you some great accounts.”
Max didn’t doubt that was true, but…“Why, Eddie?”
“The situation at the company has become intolerable. Your contribution to the marketing department was grossly undervalued, and nobody seems to be able to take up the slack. Things are in chaos-and I’ve become the whipping boy in your absence. I think Dad figured if he bought you out, then pulled the plug, you’d be forced to come back.
“I can’t work in that kind of atmosphere anymore,” Eddie concluded. “I like it here. This place feels good.”
“But you’re gonna be a vice president someday,” Max argued. “You’d be giving up literally millions of dollars. What does Rhonda say? What about the kids?”
“The kids’ college funds are taken care of. As for Rhonda, she wants out of New York. She doesn’t need much, never did. She would love it here.”
Max could hardly believe his good fortune. Eddie was one of the best salespeople Max had ever met, in any industry. “When can you start?”
They worked out a few details and shook hands on it, after which Max was eager to share the news. Jane was the first person he wanted to tell. But when he checked her office, it was empty.
He checked the break room; she wasn’t there, either. Maybe she was talking to Carol. But when he entered the reception room he didn’t see Jane. Just Carol, looking fidgety and worried.
“Oh, there you are.”
“Where’s Jane?”
“She wanted to wait for you to get out of your meeting, but in the end she couldn’t. She made some excuse…in fact, I think she said something about packing. If you two are taking another business trip, you might want to let me know.”
Packing? That didn’t sound good.
“Did I not tell you?” Eddie said. “It’s too late.”
Max’s blood pounded in his ears. It couldn’t be. She wouldn’t accept another job. Of course she had to think about what was best for herself and Kaylee, but…no. He wouldn’t jump to conclusions until he’d talked to her.
“She didn’t look happy,” Carol said. “You didn’t do something to upset her, did you?”
