accomplishments, thoughtful in the questions he asked, and tactful in the answers he gave when asked to comment on the issues facing the board.
Brady earned me big brownie points, Ally thought. Just in time, too, considering it’s been almost a month since I gave Ellis my proposal. “By the way, Ellis, how did Mr. Bracknell respond to my prospectus on the pie shop?”
Ellis hesitated, then shrugged. “Sorry, old girl. You’ll get an answer by May. By then we’ll have better cash flow and we may be looking for something different to do with it.”
She tried not to show her disappointment.
“How did the two of you meet again?” Ellis sounded innocent enough, but she knew him too well. Every question was a probe. Every declaration had an ulterior motive. Everyone was his stepping-stone to Mr. Bracknell’s side.
Just then, Brady looked over at her and waved.
Ellis raised a brow.
Ignoring it, Ally smiled innocently. “His son is in my daughter’s playgroup. He sold AStealAtThisPrice.com in order to be a stay-at-home father.”
“How noble.” Ellis shrugged. “I’m sure he finds hanging in the park with all you yummy mommies an added benefit.”
Before Ally could retort, Mr. Bracknell beckoned her over.
Ally waved back, then murmured, “You’re behind the times, Ellis. All the best business contacts are made on the playground. You should go sometime with your family. Oh sorry, I forgot you’re not married! Too bad because just hanging out might seem a bit pervy.” She paused, as if a thought just came to her. “Hey, there’s an idea for you. Why not just rent a kid?’”
From the look on his face, she could tell he was actually thinking that through.
***
“Ah, here’s our little star now!” The way Laurence Bracknell put his arm around Ally’s shoulders and squeezed her, you would have thought she was his long lost daughter. “Your ears must be burning from all the praise.”
Ally blushed. “It’s always great to be appreciated.”
“You’ve done the corporation a great service, convincing Brady to join us.”
Brady laughed. “It didn’t take much arm-twisting. Your portfolio speaks for itself.”
“You and Ally know better than anyone—consumers are a fickle bunch. Capturing their attention and keeping it isn’t easy. The knowledge you bring to the board is invaluable.”
“You’ve got a great head start with Ms. Thornton. Where she leads, I follow. She’s a genius at sniffing out trends.”
Better make hay while the sun is shining, Ally thought. She smiled brightly. “My pie shop concept is a great example. It’s going to be the next big dessert craze.”
Laurence’s face went blank. “Really? A pie shop? What a unique concept. Too bad I hadn’t heard of it before now.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “On the QT, just this morning Bracknell purchased Toppers, the cupcake chain. It was Ellis’s lead.”
Ellis? Ally fumed. Why that lying son of a bitch! Laurence never even saw my proposal!
“The due diligence shows he’s was right about it. Very successful, and lots of growth on the horizon,” Laurence continued. “That young man keeps his ear to the ground! He was the one who brought Foot Fetish to our attention.” Noting her dismay, Laurence patted her shoulder. “That’s not to say your pie idea isn’t a good one. But catching a wave means doing more than dipping your toe in the water every now and then. You’ve got to get in the deep end and swim with the rest of us sharks. Whenever you’re ready to come back full time, you let me know.”
***
“Did you hear what he said?” Ally’s third martini made her both morose and tipsy. “Titan of industry Laurence Bracknell called me a guppy ! Me, whose company produced nineteen percent of his total net income in the third quarter!” To make her point, she thrust her martini glass at Brady’s chest.
The old me would be putting the moves on her, now that her defenses are down, Brady
Brady earned me big brownie points, Ally thought. Just in time, too, considering it’s been almost a month since I gave Ellis my proposal. “By the way, Ellis, how did Mr. Bracknell respond to my prospectus on the pie shop?”
Ellis hesitated, then shrugged. “Sorry, old girl. You’ll get an answer by May. By then we’ll have better cash flow and we may be looking for something different to do with it.”
She tried not to show her disappointment.
“How did the two of you meet again?” Ellis sounded innocent enough, but she knew him too well. Every question was a probe. Every declaration had an ulterior motive. Everyone was his stepping-stone to Mr. Bracknell’s side.
Just then, Brady looked over at her and waved.
Ellis raised a brow.
Ignoring it, Ally smiled innocently. “His son is in my daughter’s playgroup. He sold AStealAtThisPrice.com in order to be a stay-at-home father.”
“How noble.” Ellis shrugged. “I’m sure he finds hanging in the park with all you yummy mommies an added benefit.”
Before Ally could retort, Mr. Bracknell beckoned her over.
Ally waved back, then murmured, “You’re behind the times, Ellis. All the best business contacts are made on the playground. You should go sometime with your family. Oh sorry, I forgot you’re not married! Too bad because just hanging out might seem a bit pervy.” She paused, as if a thought just came to her. “Hey, there’s an idea for you. Why not just rent a kid?’”
From the look on his face, she could tell he was actually thinking that through.
***
“Ah, here’s our little star now!” The way Laurence Bracknell put his arm around Ally’s shoulders and squeezed her, you would have thought she was his long lost daughter. “Your ears must be burning from all the praise.”
Ally blushed. “It’s always great to be appreciated.”
“You’ve done the corporation a great service, convincing Brady to join us.”
Brady laughed. “It didn’t take much arm-twisting. Your portfolio speaks for itself.”
“You and Ally know better than anyone—consumers are a fickle bunch. Capturing their attention and keeping it isn’t easy. The knowledge you bring to the board is invaluable.”
“You’ve got a great head start with Ms. Thornton. Where she leads, I follow. She’s a genius at sniffing out trends.”
Better make hay while the sun is shining, Ally thought. She smiled brightly. “My pie shop concept is a great example. It’s going to be the next big dessert craze.”
Laurence’s face went blank. “Really? A pie shop? What a unique concept. Too bad I hadn’t heard of it before now.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “On the QT, just this morning Bracknell purchased Toppers, the cupcake chain. It was Ellis’s lead.”
Ellis? Ally fumed. Why that lying son of a bitch! Laurence never even saw my proposal!
“The due diligence shows he’s was right about it. Very successful, and lots of growth on the horizon,” Laurence continued. “That young man keeps his ear to the ground! He was the one who brought Foot Fetish to our attention.” Noting her dismay, Laurence patted her shoulder. “That’s not to say your pie idea isn’t a good one. But catching a wave means doing more than dipping your toe in the water every now and then. You’ve got to get in the deep end and swim with the rest of us sharks. Whenever you’re ready to come back full time, you let me know.”
***
“Did you hear what he said?” Ally’s third martini made her both morose and tipsy. “Titan of industry Laurence Bracknell called me a guppy ! Me, whose company produced nineteen percent of his total net income in the third quarter!” To make her point, she thrust her martini glass at Brady’s chest.
The old me would be putting the moves on her, now that her defenses are down, Brady
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