“Are you sure about this?” asked one of my senior men from the back. “It's a risky card to play, especially considering the implications if it backfires.”
“I don't think it's going to backfire,” countered Lilah.
I looked everyone in the eye, individually, as I glanced around the room. Every one of them had contributed to the campaign that was currently being taken out of context and, like Lilah had said, we were a diverse group. That is how I knew her idea would work.
“And, I don't either,” I agreed. “In fact, I think it might just turn this thing around completely. It's a bold, audacious, and an entirely unexpected move. I think it's going to work.”
Murmurs of agreement started to flutter around the room. Eventually, everyone agreed that it would indeed be the boldest course of action to take and likely our best chance of making it through unscathed.
“Good!” I said, charged from the sudden burst of optimism. “It's decided, then. We'll go forward with the 'when men were men' campaign and intensify the message. Let's hit 'em team, let's hit 'em with everything we've got! Get to work.”
Everyone began to file out of the conference room, Lilah being one of the first ones before I could even give her a pat on the back for the bold idea. Another team member stopped me before I could try to catch up with her.
Thirty minutes later, I walked past Lilah's office and considered heading in to speak to her about Savage and the flowers sitting so boldly on her desk, but I wasn’t so sure I wanted to hear about it if she was considering going out with him. I decided against it.
Besides, she had been extremely insistent about keeping things between us professional and, if that was the way she wanted it, that was how it would have to be. I wasn't about to overstep those boundaries, even though I felt the way I did about her.
One of the most senior members of my team almost collided with me as he rounded the corner because I was so lost in my thoughts about Lilah. He glanced over at her office door, seeming to know that she was on my mind.
“She's quite a firecracker, that one,” he said with a knowing half grin.
“That she is,” I replied wistfully.
“She's brought a lot of fresh energy to this company,” he remarked. “Good job on hiring her. You're a good judge of talent and character, Asher. You remind me a lot of your grandfather. He and I were friends for a long time, son. After all, I've been with this company for over three decades now. He'd be real proud of what you've achieved, I can promise you that.
“This little Twitter thing, it'll blow over, trust me. Besides, with that young woman's brilliant strategy, we may even be able to turn it around and work the angle in our favor. Don't worry, son, everything's going to turn out all right. It will always work out the way it should. Life has a way of doing that . . . with everything,” he added as he glanced in at Lilah and then back at me before giving me a reassuring wink and a solid slap on the shoulder.
“I hope so,” I murmured in reply. “I really hope so.”
***
I hadn't be
en able to stop smiling all morning. The entire day, I'd felt as if I'd been walking on air. The taste of victory was sweet, and it lingered delectably on my palate.
Lilah's strategy had totally worked. After a few, carefully-orchestrated magazine articles, several positive blog write-ups, and a brilliant social media strategy, the negative bloggers had been silenced. In fact, the social network had mostly turned against them for taking our words entirely out of context. We had tens of thousands of new followers on social media. Many were even congratulating us openly on how well we had handled the crisis and owned the image.
The success had all been because of Lilah.
Even though she and I had hardly said more than two words to each other over the past few weeks, I had to talk to her. In a strictly professional manner, of course. I called her direct office line.
“Lilah,” I said as she answered, “Could you come to my office please?”
“Sure,” she said. “I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm just finishing something up.”
When she arrived, I found it hard to look her in the eyes. My feelings for her hadn’t waivered, even though I knew there was no point. They burned as intensely as they ever had. Still, I had made a promise to her to keep my affections out of this—strictly professional. I wasn't about to default on that promise.
“You've heard the news, I take it?” I said as she approached my desk.
“I have,” she replied with a smile.
“Well, it's all because of your brilliant strategizing.”
She blushed and it made her even more beautiful. “I can't take all the credit, I mean—”
“Nonsense. It was your idea, and it worked like a charm. Don't be so modest. You had a great idea, it succeeded, and now . . . well, now you get to reap the rewards.”
Her eyes brightened as I said this.