She had her laptop on the counter already.
“This Sazerac is the best in town, and I’ve tried quite a few. I thought they were joking with all these signs”—she pointed to the certificates hanging on the shelves behind the bar—“but it is.”
I smiled at her. “My brother is a perfectionist.”
“Everyone in your family is a perfectionist, huh?”
“Yes, we are. Both sets of grandparents and my parents live by the motto ‘If you start doing something, you’d better do it right.’ And they’ve instilled it in all six of us too.”
I motioned to the bartender. I didn’t even need to tell himwhat I wanted. He pushed a Sazerac in front of me. It was going to be my only drink tonight; I wanted to have my head completely clear when I returned home.
“So, hit me with the pitch,” I said after taking a sip.
“Oh yeah.” She rolled her shoulders back, pushing her drink away and opening her laptop.
I could practically see her sliding into professional mode. Unfortunately, I was taller than her, and I could also see her cleavage perfectly from where I was sitting. I took a deep breath and forced myself to look at the screen.
No flirting, no hitting on her, nothing at all.
I was going to treat it as a business meeting because that was what it was.
Over the next twenty minutes, she patiently explained every slide. Once she was done, she turned to me. She’d licked off some of her lipstick, but her lips were as tempting as ever—natural and plump and hard to resist.
“Do you have any questions?” she asked.
I had a million of them. Was she seeing someone? Was she available? Did she have plans later on?
I drew in a sharp breath. None of that was my concern. I truly had to leave my man-whoring days behind me.
I cleared my throat. “Yes. Why do you want to work with us?”
“Because all the companies under the umbrella of The Orleans Conglomerate are excelling in their respective industry. It’s fantastic the way you’re able to not only live up to the family name and the legacy but also improve and expand. My agency would love to be part of that journey, helping you obtain new customers and adding to the longevity of your family name.”
I tilted closer. “That sounds like a rehearsed answer. Why do youreallywant to work with us?”
She laughed softly. “My personal reason is pretty much the same. I just love all of your businesses. My mom and dad used to take me to your bakeries every Sunday morning growing up.”She was being genuine, I could tell. “They’re part of the DNA of this city and what makes it thrive. It would be an honor for me to work on your campaigns in any capacity. My favorite commercial of yours dates back to when I was a kid. This guy loses his dog and searches for him everywhere. In the end, he finds it at one of your bakeries because he buys bread there every day, and the dog knew where to go.”
“You have an excellent memory. It’s one of my favorites too.”
Her eyes were wistful, as if she was remembering a moment of her childhood. And that’s what mattered.
“I want to create something that truly touches people,” Piper went on. She really was passionate about this.
My mind was made up.
“Tell Josh that MarketingPros is hired.”
She smiled from ear to ear. “Really? That’s wonderful!” She clasped her hands together, interlacing her fingers. “You won’t be sorry. I have even more ideas for the team than the ones I’ve shown you.”
That gave me pause, so I asked, “Will you be our point of contact?”
“Yes, of course. You’ll be my account,” she replied proudly. “I’d come to your office or wherever it suits you. We’d work very closely until I have a better idea of what exactly it is that you want and need.”
That was a bit problematic. If I saw her too often, it would be harder to ignore how fucking beautiful she was. But maybe that would be a good exercise for me. I had to snap out of the habit of noticing women, period. Though, since bringing Charlotte home, Piper was the only one who’d caught my attention.
Chad’s celibacy idea sounded better by the minute.
“Our own marketing team will be working closest with you, although I want to be involved too. It’s been a while since we had a really effective commercial.”
