blade.
Tomlin was strikingly handsome for a man in his late sixties. Impeccably groomed in a striped shirt with white collar and cuffs, gold Cartier cuff links and matching watch, woven silk tie, Palm Springs tan. He watched them with cold lizard eyes as they seated themselves.
Trent knew the man expected some form of the corporate duel. As in, Tomlin’s boss had ordered this. So do what the head office demanded. And Trent knew before Gayle had spoken that it would get him nowhere with this man.
So Trent’s first words were, “Tell me what you want.”
Tomlin had the upper-class Brit’s ability to dress every word with scorn. “Pardon me?”
“I don’t owe your division manager anything. When I made my pitch to the board, he didn’t utter a word. What he said behind my back is anyone’s guess, and quite frankly, I don’t care.”
The man even blinked slowly. “This signifies precisely what to me?”
“The most vital component of this entire plan is advertising. Success of my project is dependent upon getting it right. My future is in your hands.”
Tomlin steepled his fingers. “Go on.”
“I don’t even know enough to tell you what I need. I have some ideas. But they are unrefined. Incomplete. Just like me.”
Tomlin’s languid gaze took in Trent’s dress. “You took the words straight from my lips.”
He took no offense. Why should he? Edlyn’s remarks had been far worse. Instead, he found himself liking the man. No doubt a dangerous sentiment, but true nonetheless. “I have Barry Mundrose’s ear. For how long, I couldn’t say. But today, that’s how it is. So I’m asking. What would it take for you to become my ally?”
Colin Tomlin took his time. Trent could almost see the mental gears grinding. Trying to see whether it was even worth making the effort to change his mind about this one. Then the LA director’s gaze swiveled to Gayle. He started to speak. Then thought better of it. Instead, he turned his chair around to face the window and the pale LA sky. “There is one item.”
“Name it.”
“The entertainment industry’s fastest growing component is electronic gaming. Which also happens to be our advertising division’s weakest segment. I have identified an ideal target. They are open to being acquired. The price they are asking is acceptable.”
Trent finished for him, “Your New York director turned you down.”
“He really is becoming rather tiresome. He says there are two perfectly valid reasons for refusing my proposal. First, the company is based in Austin, not LA. Austin is where they should be, as it’s home to a growing proportion of the e-games industry. And second, they have a division that produces games of their own. Quite good ones, actually. But that takes us out of the advertising and promotion business into production. And Mundrose already has an e-games company. The fact that they have not produced a hit in almost four years has somehow managed to escape the man’s attention.”
Trent rose from his chair and started pacing. He had always thought better on his feet. He spun several ideas through tight mental trajectories, until he found one that might just work. Maybe.
Trent had no idea how long it was before he returned to his seat. Colin Tomlin was still studying the blank LA canvas beyond his window when Trent asked, “What if I said I needed an e-game production company that could drop everything they were working on and focus their entire corporate attention on my project?”
Tomlin glanced at him. “Is that actually the case?”
“Two hours from now, I meet with Stone Denning,” Trent replied. “If he accepts my proposal, then everything moves into high gear.”
“Including a new electronic game.”
“Right. We’d need a preliminary concept for an advertising blitz that I can take over and show him.”
Tomlin mulled that over. “You require visuals for a new ad campaign in two hours?”
“Yes. Is that even possible?”
“Do you
Tomlin was strikingly handsome for a man in his late sixties. Impeccably groomed in a striped shirt with white collar and cuffs, gold Cartier cuff links and matching watch, woven silk tie, Palm Springs tan. He watched them with cold lizard eyes as they seated themselves.
Trent knew the man expected some form of the corporate duel. As in, Tomlin’s boss had ordered this. So do what the head office demanded. And Trent knew before Gayle had spoken that it would get him nowhere with this man.
So Trent’s first words were, “Tell me what you want.”
Tomlin had the upper-class Brit’s ability to dress every word with scorn. “Pardon me?”
“I don’t owe your division manager anything. When I made my pitch to the board, he didn’t utter a word. What he said behind my back is anyone’s guess, and quite frankly, I don’t care.”
The man even blinked slowly. “This signifies precisely what to me?”
“The most vital component of this entire plan is advertising. Success of my project is dependent upon getting it right. My future is in your hands.”
Tomlin steepled his fingers. “Go on.”
“I don’t even know enough to tell you what I need. I have some ideas. But they are unrefined. Incomplete. Just like me.”
Tomlin’s languid gaze took in Trent’s dress. “You took the words straight from my lips.”
He took no offense. Why should he? Edlyn’s remarks had been far worse. Instead, he found himself liking the man. No doubt a dangerous sentiment, but true nonetheless. “I have Barry Mundrose’s ear. For how long, I couldn’t say. But today, that’s how it is. So I’m asking. What would it take for you to become my ally?”
Colin Tomlin took his time. Trent could almost see the mental gears grinding. Trying to see whether it was even worth making the effort to change his mind about this one. Then the LA director’s gaze swiveled to Gayle. He started to speak. Then thought better of it. Instead, he turned his chair around to face the window and the pale LA sky. “There is one item.”
“Name it.”
“The entertainment industry’s fastest growing component is electronic gaming. Which also happens to be our advertising division’s weakest segment. I have identified an ideal target. They are open to being acquired. The price they are asking is acceptable.”
Trent finished for him, “Your New York director turned you down.”
“He really is becoming rather tiresome. He says there are two perfectly valid reasons for refusing my proposal. First, the company is based in Austin, not LA. Austin is where they should be, as it’s home to a growing proportion of the e-games industry. And second, they have a division that produces games of their own. Quite good ones, actually. But that takes us out of the advertising and promotion business into production. And Mundrose already has an e-games company. The fact that they have not produced a hit in almost four years has somehow managed to escape the man’s attention.”
Trent rose from his chair and started pacing. He had always thought better on his feet. He spun several ideas through tight mental trajectories, until he found one that might just work. Maybe.
Trent had no idea how long it was before he returned to his seat. Colin Tomlin was still studying the blank LA canvas beyond his window when Trent asked, “What if I said I needed an e-game production company that could drop everything they were working on and focus their entire corporate attention on my project?”
Tomlin glanced at him. “Is that actually the case?”
“Two hours from now, I meet with Stone Denning,” Trent replied. “If he accepts my proposal, then everything moves into high gear.”
“Including a new electronic game.”
“Right. We’d need a preliminary concept for an advertising blitz that I can take over and show him.”
Tomlin mulled that over. “You require visuals for a new ad campaign in two hours?”
“Yes. Is that even possible?”
“Do you
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