There was such confidence and intensity as he spoke that Lexi knew he was focused and ready for this. He was used to getting what he went after.
This was who Vincent Drake was, the man he had become over the last ten years. His anger when he didn’t get a client made much more sense to Lexi now because she understood that he took each loss personally. When he put his heart and soul into a project and placed himself out there for these clients and they rejected him, it hurt. How could it not?
“You love your job, don’t you?” Lexi asked.
“I do. I won’t lie; there are days that suck, and there are people who suck that make me want to scream.” They exchanged a glance and both said “Tony” at the same time. “But to be able to be creative and innovative every day; it’s exhilarating.” The car glided to a stop in front of what appeared to be a recently remodeled three-story, brick warehouse with a door covered in black, wrought iron bars. The only bit of flair was the ornate detail of a letter S in the center of iron bars.
“Sixteen Reservation Drive. This is the place,” Lexi confirmed.
Vincent opened the trunk and carefully removed the boards from the back of the car. “This looks like an interesting part of town.” His eyes scanned the other buildings nearby. Different types of art galleries and design companies littered the street. “Cool architecture.”
Lexi nodded her head in agreement as they walked down the sidewalk to Julian’s door. “I’ve been to some of these galleries. The openings they throw are extravagant. There are also a number of musicians that live down at the end of block so there’s always music playing as you walk around and window shop.” Her eyes twinkled as she talked. “There’s a shop around the corner that has the most beautiful pieces of blown glass. They’re spectacular.”
“I’ve lived here for years and never knew all of this was down here. I’ll have to stop in that gallery sometime. Elizabeth loves unique pieces.” He rang the bell twice and waited for someone to answer.
Christina flung open the door, her long, coppery hair rolling over her shoulders in big waves. “Lexi!” She threw her arms around Lexi’s neck and pulled her in the door. “Oh, sorry. Hello, Vincent. I didn’t forget about you.”
“Good afternoon, Christina.” Vincent extended his hand to her, and Christina released her grasp on Lexi and pulled Vincent into a tight hug.
She stepped back and smiled. “Listen, we only have a minute so let me be brief. I adore you guys, but I’m not stupid either, I’ve done my research.
Your campaigns are great, financially successful for the clients, and innovative. The people who work with you adore you, and unless my research is mistaken, you have the highest percentage rate of repeat clients on the west coast. I want Julian to go with Hunter, but it’s his call, not mine. So, I’m going to give you a little advice, and if you’re the smart man that I believe you to be, you’ll take it to heart.
“First, lose the formal ‘Good afternoon’ thing.” Christina imitated his posture and cadence from a moment ago. “Talk to Julian like you would a friend. He prefers that to being terribly formal. Don’t kiss his ass; don’t play him. Tell him straight up why you are the group to go with and what you think you can do for him that no one else can.”
Vincent remained silent and listened to Christina’s laundry list. Lexi stood beside him, nodding her head in agreement.
“Last but not least, no matter what he says or does, stick to your guns. Show him you have confidence in your idea and your capabilities.” Christina turned her attention to Lexi. “Can he pull this off?”
Lexi playfully shrugged her shoulders and glanced over at Vincent. Instead of launching into a long-winded explanation as to why he was the man for the job, he winked, and Lexi’s face lit up with a quiet confidence. “Julian doesn’t stand a chance.”
“Perfect!” Christina clapped her hands together and pulled them inside. “Let me show you around while we wait for Julian.”
The interior of the converted warehouse was spectacular. Honey colored hardwood floors and high ceilings made the space feel enormous.
Christina led them through the rooms, giving them a sneak peek at the newest line. Seeing the designs and sketches all over the wall made Lexi smile to herself, remembering the mess Vincent’s office had been the night before.
“Remind you of anything?” Vincent whispered in her ear, his chest pressing lightly against her back.
“Yeah, Julian is as big of a slob as you when he’s working.”
“Maybe the two of you can bond over your lack of organizational skills.” Christina added, overhearing their conversation. “Do you know how many times I’ve cleaned this room top to bottom only to have him come back and complain?” She turned to Lexi with a look of exasperation. “Men!”
“I think you two were separated at birth,” Vincent teased.
“Zip it, Vincent,” they said in unison.
He threw up his hands in surrender and wisely kept his mouth shut as Christina linked arms with Lexi and led her into Julian’s office. The walls of his office were lined with hundreds of albums. At first it appeared to be wallpaper, but each cover rested on a clear plexiglass shelf and was covered in plastic. From floor to ceiling, the amazing collection was on display. Lexi pointed to one of the walls and mouthed “He’s going to love our idea,” then turned her attention back to Christina, who was pointing out Julian’s more treasured albums, which were framed and hung along the hallway to the conference room.
As Christina continued the tour, Lexi tried to pay attention to what she said, but she was distracted by Vincent. She felt his eyes on her, watching her every move as they wandered through the apartment, but whenever she looked in his direction, his eyes quickly flicked away. To make his odd behavior more confusing, his demeanor completely changed the moment they stepped into the conference room.
“The two of you can get your things settled in here, and I’ll go see what’s taking His Royal Highness and company so long.”
“Thank you, Christina,” Lexi said as she began rummaging through her bag, pulling out different pieces of the presentation. She glanced over at Vincent when he didn’t say anything and found him standing across the room, his mouth drawn into a tight line. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he said shortly, striding over to the long conference table and getting his laptop hooked up to the projector.