Free That New York Minute by Abby Gaines Page A

got one. Yes, Garrett did say much the same as she had…but his disinterested manner fell away and he delivered a briefing that made Brightwater sound like the most exciting opportunity since…well, since that Lexus campaign the world loved so much.
    Was he genuinely that excited about Brightwater? Because although she’d given her own team a comprehensive briefing, she wasn’t sure if she’d left them with the kind of fervor she saw on his people’s faces.
    “Questions?” Garrett asked when he’d finished. “Anyone got any research areas they’d particularly like to cover? I want something from each of you.”
    He folded his arms and waited. Having said his piece, that wall of impatient aloofness was back in place.
    It was as though he’d switched off a light.
    The discussion limped along. A team member would present a decent suggestion for a research area, clearly wanting the approval of the man who’d just inspired them all, and Garrett would barely nod his head before moving on. Other, less-smart ideas, he simply shot down.
    Rachel had never seen such a glaring lack of engagement. How could he have got so far in his career without paying the least attention to the emotional needs of others?
    Rachel believed people gave more when they were encouraged, rather than intimidated. Paul Crane, the partner responsible for HR at KBC, had mentioned in an email supporting her plan to mentor Garret that Garrett’s team had the highest staff turnover. And yet…Garrett was the one with the reputation for pulling together brilliant pitches, while she was stuck on “tame.”
    How did he ever get a girlfriend? Maybe getting the girl wouldn’t be a problem, Rachel conceded—he probably charmed them with the kind of meaningless garbage he’d spouted with their client at the Brightwater meeting. If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be, Cindy/Tammy/Jodie? But keeping the girl might be more— She pulled her thoughts up smartly. What did she care about Garrett’s seduction techniques?
    “Any thoughts, Alice?” Garrett asked one of the artists, midway through a discussion of field trips to various Brightwater colleges. Rachel was a step ahead of him there—two of her team members were out at Brightwater campuses today. By lunchtime they would be emailing photos.
    Alice made an inarticulate sound, then managed a faint, “No.” She was a bright young thing—and Jonathan Key’s goddaughter, which had got her the job here—but painfully shy.
    “You can’t keep doing this,” Garrett told her. “The rest of the team can’t be expected to carry you. You have two minutes to come up with an idea.”
    Rachel could practically see Alice’s mind going blank. Poor girl.
    “Garrett,” she warned.
    “Not a peep,” he reminded her.
    As if she would sit by and let Alice get shredded. She leaned in to him so the staff wouldn’t hear, garnering a whiff of that pine-and-citrus scent of his. “If you start displaying some people skills, I promise I’ll shut up.”
    He made an exasperated sound. “Alice,” he said in a playing-nice voice, “you need to contribute more if you want to keep working at KBC.”
    Oh, boy. This was his idea of people skills? Threatening Alice with the boot? Rachel should be delighted—his incompetence was her best chance at winning the partnership—but Alice had turned white and looked as if she might faint or burst into tears. Or both. She would probably be the next casualty on Garrett’s staff turnover list. A fate she didn’t deserve, since she was a nice person and a talented artist.
    Garrett wasn’t done yet. “I’d like to hear your ideas as to what you can offer this firm,” he added.
    “Is that part of the two minutes?” Alice squeaked.
    “No,” he said with exaggerated patience that was every bit as intimidating as his ultimatum. “Forget the two minutes. Right now I want some halfway decent suggestions about other research areas.” He glanced around the table.