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Sage didn’t have a chance to ask Erica anything else before Mr. Mowrey himself entered her office.

“I hope you’re ready, Sage. This is your moment to shine.”

Sage exchanged worried glances with Erica. She was supposed to leave in less than thirty minutes for Ricky’s party.

“Mr. Mowrey,” Sage called after him. “I…I, of course. I’ll be with you momentarily.”

He paused, seeming to sense the panic in her voice. “Is there a problem?”

“No…” She wanted to explain what Troy had done, but not when the client was in the other room and everyone was waiting for her. Nor did she feel she could mention she had an important children’s party she planned to attend.

Once Mr. Mowrey had left, Erica, who had stood frozen during the exchange, gave Sage a sympathetic look. “What are you going to do?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Sage whispered. She couldn’t disappoint Ricky, and she couldn’t ignore the agency’s biggest client, especially when the fate of her promotion hung in the balance. Sage and her team had been working on this project for several weeks.

The original presentation wasn’t due until mid-January. She was grateful that all the marketing aspects had already been put in place. All that was lacking was a tagline, something they’d brainstormed several times, to no avail. Nothing her team suggested felt right. She’d searched endlessly for a catchy slogan that would stick in the consumer’s mind, and came up blank.

“Should I stay?” Erica asked. “I can let Lisa know…”

“No. You go,” Sage insisted. “Tell Ricky I’ll get to the party as quick as I can.”

Erica left, and Sage collected what she had available for the presentation. Her nerves were at a fever pitch, torn between what was most important—this promotion or Ricky’s party.

“I heard,” Ethan said, arriving in her office. “Troy did this.”

“He set me up.”

Ethan’s face was tight with concern. “Are you ready?”

She didn’t know and shrugged, feeling overwhelmed.

“Isn’t Ricky’s party this afternoon?” Ethan asked.

Sage nodded. “I sent Erica off and will arrive when I can. There’s no help for it. It isn’t like I can ignore the presentation.”

“Would you like for me to go in your place? I’m sure Ricky will understand when I explain the circumstances to him.”

That Ethan would volunteer touched her heart. “I appreciate the offer, but Ricky is expecting me.” She couldn’t help remembering how eager and excited he was that morning when she dropped him off.

“You’ve got this, Sage,” Ethan said, and then, because he sensed she needed it, he hugged her close and then steered her toward the conference room. “Go get ’em, Sage, and don’t take any prisoners.”

His confidence helped. With her head held high, Sage grabbed what she needed and left her office.

Chapter Sixteen

Sage was the last one to enter the conference room. The only chair available was at the far end of the table. Everyone looked up. Dirk Williams, the head of marketing for the Hudson Group, frowned as if to convey his disapproval that she was tardy.

“Now that we’re all here—welcome.” Mr. Mowrey turned to greet the group of six who’d arrived for the presentation. “I understand you’ve already met Troy Whitehall.”

“We have,” Dirk Williams said. “Troy was the one who suggested we get a head start on this campaign. We discussed it in-house and agreed. The launch date will remain as originally scheduled, though. As you can imagine, we’re excited to hear what you’ve come up with for this product.”

Stanley Mowrey looked pointedly across the table and smiled at Troy as though giving his approval to the change in plans. “Yes, Troy and I discussed the change and I approved.”

It didn’t escape Sage that no one had bothered to tell her. Mowrey must have assumed she was already in the know. No doubt Troy had a hand in that.

“I apologize for my late arrival,” Sage said. “If it isn’t a problem, I’d like to give my team’s presentation first.” The sooner she was finished, the faster she could leave.

Dirk Williams looked to Stanley Mowrey for approval. “It was my understanding Troy’s team had requested to be first.”