"How does that lead you to think we need to host a Halloween party?" Hunter asked.
"You need to show him what a warm place this is and how similar you guys are," I said. "Show him you come from the same backgrounds and value the same things. It's not a stretch. I know you are good men. You care about the community and each other."
Bronwyn was glaring daggers at me, but her expression changed to sweet as she looked at Garrett. "I can help you plan a party," she said.
I still needed to write that article. I needed to be in that house. "I'm sure you're too busy!" I chirped, giving her a fake smile. "I can help plan the party. After all, I'm just the temp. I can do the office decorations too."
"That seems overkill," Garrett said. "I don't want the office to look like a Halloween store."
"Why do all of you hate Halloween?" I exclaimed. "It's the best holiday ever! There's no weird sentimental flare-ups like with Christmas and Thanksgiving, which are all about repressing your emotions in order to deal with your family. Halloween is pure. It's about spooky fun, cool decorations, and excessive amounts of candy. What's not to love?"
"She makes a convincing argument, Garrett," Mace said.
"A Halloween party isn't going to help us win this company."
"No," I retorted, "but neither is showing Sebastian a bunch of boring graphics."
"We need to show Sebastian that we also have enough space for his employees," Bronwyn interjected. "Parties won't help make him overlook the issue. He's not an idiot."
"Just develop more land in town," I said. Garrett and Mace looked at each other.
Garrett's tone was flat when he spoke. "The city tends to fight us every step of the way."
I had done some coverage of similar development projects during my ill-fated career as a journalist. There was one thing successful developments had in common… "So offer some type of amenity to the community," I said.
"We've already built several parks," Garrett retorted.
"Archer keeps saying he wants a zoo," Mace said.
Garrett's lip curled.
"I meant something they can't say no to, like a job creator," I said hastily before Garrett could start an argument.
"We need a better answer," Hunter said, making notes on his notepad. "The Holbrooks have acres of land out in Connecticut. Especially because of Wes Holbrook's facilities."
"That family has the worst luck," Parker said.
"I don't believe in luck," Garrett sneered. "Luck is for the weak. It's what little minds rely on when they cannot comprehend the intricate web of dealings that must be laid to achieve your goals."
"All right, there, Machiavelli," Mace said. "Before Garrett starts plotting his path to world domination, let’s assign action items."
"Penny will start putting together a tentative party plan and schedule," Hunter said, "and Bronwyn and Adrian can start looking at land options."
I nodded, hoping I didn't look gleeful. Finally, I would be able to start collecting real dirt on the Svenssons.
14
Garrett
Over the next few days, Penny threw herself into planning an itinerary for Sebastian. She also went way overboard on Halloween. Her whole desk was decorated. She had lanterns with little LED lights and pumpkins and other squashes. There was an excessive number of candles, along with garlands constructed of colorful leaves and strands of lights.
"He's making a decision at the end of October, right?" Penny said, perching on the edge of my desk. "So we'll have a Halloween party in early October, at your house. That will be more family friendly. We'll have games and whatnot. I'll need to go over to the house and plan it out."
I felt a rush of happiness at the thought of Penny at the estate. Which was… odd.
"Then I'll have another party that’s more adult." She winked at me. "I'll try to convince the twins to have it at Mimi's house."
"Mimi?"
