though, she never lost. And that laugh was infectious. She was the embodiment of class. A woman who turned heads well into her sixties.
“Well,” Nick said, “we are starting to work on the new UPS spot today, and we should have some copy by next week for review.”
“Good, at least that’s encouraging,” Bongero answered as everyone silently prayed they were not part of the morning’s inquisition. “Anything else?”
Jerry decided to get out of the dog house and chimed in with some new ideas the staff had been throwing around for the Kristen Foundation over at St. Theresa’s. But it just wasn’t his day.
“So how’s that supposed to make us any money?” Bongero ask. Nick didn’t miss a beat helping Jerry out of another web of humiliation. It was a game with Bongero—them against him. “It’s not all about the money, sir,” he said calmly, “it’s about helping
kids at St. Theresa’s.”
Bongero was not fazed. “The last I checked, we do not get paid by children. Now, if the fine folks at UPS want to hire us to do a campaign for St. Theresa’s, that’s great. I’m all ears. But not on my dime. We’re all here to sell ads, ladies and gentlemen, not give them away.” He turned to deliver his last command directly at Nick. “So, Mr. Harris, do me a favor. You and Lamont focus on keeping the lights on, okay?”
“You know, sir,” Nick continued, “St. Theresa’s is a legendary hospital for children. Helping them would build up good will.”
Bongero sat still, not even looking up from the papers stacked in front of him, although it was evident he was gritting his teeth and could explode at any moment. “I am not interested in good will, Mr. Harris! Especially for a hospital that everyone already does free stuff for. And even when they do pay for anything, they always pay below rack rate because it’s for the children!”
Nick took offense to Bongero’s tone and dug in. Plus, he loved badgering the old goat. “They are doing a tremendous amount of cancer research.”
“Enough, Mr. Harris.” His jaw stiffened, then he turned his attention to the others in the room. “Anyone else?”
From across the table, Judy Owens, who’d joined the firm ten years ago with Nick and Jerry during the company’s expansion, decided it was time to break the tension.