father asked, strolling into the room with all the casual ease of a man who owned the floors, walls
and ceilings. At last everyone fell away from Jack Stillman end headed toward the table, scrupulously avoiding the chair
opposite Alex, reserved for her father, of course.
"No," she said somewhat thickly, walking around the table. "Allow me to introduce Mr. St.—"
"Jack Stillman," her father cut in, pumping the visitor's hand, his broad face creasing in a grin reserved only for the most
privileged. "Jack the Attack."
Alex wanted to heave.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tremont," Jack said, looking duly humbled.
"Aren't you in top form," her father said. "Nice suit, son. One of ours, I do believe."
Jack nodded and smoothed the sleeve of his charcoal-gray suit. "Your private label."
She'd been so distracted by the change in his appearance, she hadn't noticed he was wearing one of the most expensive suits
they carried. Brownnoser.
"Nice tie, too," her father continued with an appraising nod.
Over his crisply starched white shirt, Jack was sporting a tie identical to the gray and navy barber-poke striped one she'd
fingered earlier this morning, one in the line her father had scoffed at, but suddenly thought was "nice."
Her father turned to the assembled group and beamed while clapping Jack on the back. "He wears our clothes. The man is
talented and smart."
They obliged with a round of laughter while Alex fumed. As far as she was concerned, the man was a fraud, and his
presentation would undoubtedly reflect his ineptitude. After all, clothes did not make the man.
"Shall we start the meeting?" she asked over the din, irritated when Jack sat next to her father. Darn it, she should have
separated them, she realized too late. Luckily Tess arrived with the presentation easel, so Alex directed her to set it up on her
end of the room. Her secretary loitered, casting sideways glances at Jack Stillman until Alex cleared her throat meaningfully.
Once the door closed, Alex took a deep breath. "Okay, everyone, let's get this over wi—" She stopped abruptly, feeling a
flush creep up her neck as surprised looks darted her way. Alex hesitated, half afraid her father would jump to his feet and
assume control of the meeting. But his face was remarkably placid.
"I mean, let's begin," she amended smoothly. "As you know, Tremont Enterprises is looking for a new advertising agency to
take the company into the millennium." Pausing for effect, she tried to inject just the right amount of doubt into her tone. "Mr.
Jack Stillman of the Stillman & Sons Agency is here today to convince us that his small, family-owned business can handle an
account the size of Tremont's."
At the tightening of his jaw, she saw her veiled barb had hit home. "Mr. Stillman, perhaps you can tell us more about yourself
and your company." As she took her seat, Alex gave him a tight smile that said she would reveal him at the earliest
convenience for the con man he was. "After all," she added, "not everyone was treated to the, um, enlightening reception I
received yesterday."
His smile was sublime as he stood and launched into a brief background of his family business, including his and his
brother's degrees from UK, and the recent addition of a large regional natural food manufacturer to their client list. Distinctly
unimpressed, Alex was hiding a yawn behind her hand when he looked her way. "But I'm glad you brought up your visit to my
office, Ms. Tremont, because it dovetails perfectly into my presentation for today."
She realized he was waiting for a response, so she obliged with as little interest as possible. "Oh?"
Jack's mouth twitched as his gaze bore into her. "You see … my plan worked perfectly."
As his words sunk in, Alex sobered with a sense of impending doom. "What plan would that be?"
He stroked his chin thoughtfully as he walked around her father's chair. She caught a glint of silver in his hair when he
stepped through a
and ceilings. At last everyone fell away from Jack Stillman end headed toward the table, scrupulously avoiding the chair
opposite Alex, reserved for her father, of course.
"No," she said somewhat thickly, walking around the table. "Allow me to introduce Mr. St.—"
"Jack Stillman," her father cut in, pumping the visitor's hand, his broad face creasing in a grin reserved only for the most
privileged. "Jack the Attack."
Alex wanted to heave.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tremont," Jack said, looking duly humbled.
"Aren't you in top form," her father said. "Nice suit, son. One of ours, I do believe."
Jack nodded and smoothed the sleeve of his charcoal-gray suit. "Your private label."
She'd been so distracted by the change in his appearance, she hadn't noticed he was wearing one of the most expensive suits
they carried. Brownnoser.
"Nice tie, too," her father continued with an appraising nod.
Over his crisply starched white shirt, Jack was sporting a tie identical to the gray and navy barber-poke striped one she'd
fingered earlier this morning, one in the line her father had scoffed at, but suddenly thought was "nice."
Her father turned to the assembled group and beamed while clapping Jack on the back. "He wears our clothes. The man is
talented and smart."
They obliged with a round of laughter while Alex fumed. As far as she was concerned, the man was a fraud, and his
presentation would undoubtedly reflect his ineptitude. After all, clothes did not make the man.
"Shall we start the meeting?" she asked over the din, irritated when Jack sat next to her father. Darn it, she should have
separated them, she realized too late. Luckily Tess arrived with the presentation easel, so Alex directed her to set it up on her
end of the room. Her secretary loitered, casting sideways glances at Jack Stillman until Alex cleared her throat meaningfully.
Once the door closed, Alex took a deep breath. "Okay, everyone, let's get this over wi—" She stopped abruptly, feeling a
flush creep up her neck as surprised looks darted her way. Alex hesitated, half afraid her father would jump to his feet and
assume control of the meeting. But his face was remarkably placid.
"I mean, let's begin," she amended smoothly. "As you know, Tremont Enterprises is looking for a new advertising agency to
take the company into the millennium." Pausing for effect, she tried to inject just the right amount of doubt into her tone. "Mr.
Jack Stillman of the Stillman & Sons Agency is here today to convince us that his small, family-owned business can handle an
account the size of Tremont's."
At the tightening of his jaw, she saw her veiled barb had hit home. "Mr. Stillman, perhaps you can tell us more about yourself
and your company." As she took her seat, Alex gave him a tight smile that said she would reveal him at the earliest
convenience for the con man he was. "After all," she added, "not everyone was treated to the, um, enlightening reception I
received yesterday."
His smile was sublime as he stood and launched into a brief background of his family business, including his and his
brother's degrees from UK, and the recent addition of a large regional natural food manufacturer to their client list. Distinctly
unimpressed, Alex was hiding a yawn behind her hand when he looked her way. "But I'm glad you brought up your visit to my
office, Ms. Tremont, because it dovetails perfectly into my presentation for today."
She realized he was waiting for a response, so she obliged with as little interest as possible. "Oh?"
Jack's mouth twitched as his gaze bore into her. "You see … my plan worked perfectly."
As his words sunk in, Alex sobered with a sense of impending doom. "What plan would that be?"
He stroked his chin thoughtfully as he walked around her father's chair. She caught a glint of silver in his hair when he
stepped through a
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