Olivia skimmed through her email, jotting down notes on her “To do” list, which was growing at an alarming pace with every scratch of the pen. A week had passed and there had been no word on the Vixen account, which meant she couldn’t start any new projects. She’d be in limbo until the contract was awarded, one way or the other. And while she hated waiting for client feedback on a pitch, this lull was truly the calm before the storm. If PBA got the Vixen contract, there would be a flurry of activity to get the campaign off the ground. Knowing that, she was using her down time to catch up on other projects and help out where the team needed her.
She was in the zone, reading story boards for the new Mama’s Muffins commercial for the zillionth time and daydreaming about a nice long soak in the tub, when her phone rang. She scribbled a note to Jack and grabbed the handset.
“Olivia Masterson.”
“Ms. Masterson? It’s Gabby. Mr. Pritchard wants to see you as soon as possible.”
Olivia’s heart hammered in her chest. She hadn’t heard anything from Jonathan since the Vixen pitch. Come to think of it, she hadn’t heard anything from Cole in a couple of days either. This was very good news, or very, very bad news.
She let out a deep breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Sure, Gabby. Tell him I’ll be right there.”
Olivia hung up the phone and sank into her chair. Her limbs felt like Jell-O. She wondered if she should swing by Cole’s office for a quick check-in. Maybe he knew what this was about.
No, she told herself firmly. If Jonathan had asked for her, then he wanted to see her. She’d take her licks on her own like a grown-up.
She rose from her desk and smoothed her gray skirt. She’d bought this suit specifically for the Vixen pitch; it had just the right combination of sexy and sophisticated. That’s what Cole had said, anyway. She took one more deep breath and walked purposefully toward Jonathan’s office. Gabby waved her right in with a smile.
That was a good sign, right? Gabby wouldn’t be smiling if she knew Olivia was about to get fired. Olivia stopped to steel herself once more, staring at the heavy door. Somehow, meetings in Jonathan’s office just never went quite the way she was hoping.
Squaring her shoulders, she straightened her back and strode into his office.
She felt herself relax when she saw it was just Jonathan waiting for her. She’d kind of expected Cole would be there too, but she was oddly relieved that he wasn’t. Jonathan rose from his desk chair and came around from behind the huge cherry desk.
“Have a seat.” Jonathan waved her toward the overstuffed leather chair. Olivia’s pulse was racing, her heartbeat thumping in her ears like a too-loud disco. She sat down, perched right at the edge of the chair.
“I have some news for you, Olivia,” he began. He was positively beaming. That had to be good. “We’ve signed the Vixen account. Natalia Rodriguez told me herself that it was due to your excellent pitch.”
Olivia felt every muscle in her body relax at once. The tension she’d been storing up all week literally melted away. She sank back a little into the deep, soft chair. “That’s fantastic news, Jonathan. Have you told Cole? He should be here. He was a big part of our team.”
Jonathan smiled at her. He was really looking pleased with himself today, but Olivia couldn’t blame him. Vixen was a huge account.
“Cole knows. And that actually brings me to the real reason I’ve asked you here.” He folded his incredibly well-manicured hands in his lap, resting them on the soft gray silk of the suit that Olivia didn’t doubt had cost more than her first car. He was now positively grinning. “I’d like to make you a partner in PBA.”
Olivia’s stomach lurched. “I’m sorry, what?”
Jonathan continued, smiling as nonchalantly, as if he were describing what he’d eaten for breakfast that day. “Cole pointed out to me that I had been unfair to you by making him partner when I’d essentially promised it to you. He also pointed out that—”
“Excuse me, did you say Cole talked to you about this?” Olivia could hear herself slip into Ice Queen mode. She sat straight up in the chair, any thought of relaxation pushed out of her mind by what Jonathan was saying.