Read Online Perfect Partners by Jayne Ann Krentz - Free Book Online

here,” Joel said smoothly. “She'll have enough on her hands just getting the feel of the place.”
    “Sure. Monday morning, then. I'll talk to your secretary.”
    Joel hung up the phone and sat fiddling with a pen for a few minutes. He was normally much more decisive about things than he had been on the matter of this new ad campaign. The trouble was that while he knew what he wanted to accomplish, he was unsure of how to reach the goal.
    During the past ten years he had built up Thornquist Gear using traditional approaches in the marketplace. He understood the kind of people who lived in the Pacific Northwest. His family had lived in Washington for three generations. Joel knew instinctively how to target the basic market.
    With the new campaign he would be taking some chances. The idea was to appeal to people who had no more than a nodding acquaintance with the wonders of the magnificent countryside that surrounded them.
    With the influx of enthusiastic new residents into Oregon and Washington, a whole new market was taking shape for companies such as Thornquist Gear. The way Joel saw it, that new market, which had yet to be firmly targeted and defined, was basically composed of people who liked the idea of being northwesterners but who did not know quite how to go about it. Joel intended to teach them with a new line called Pack Up and Go camping equipment.
    But he was not yet absolutely certain how to grab the attention of that new market. His small marketing department had come up with several ideas, but Joel had not felt solid about any of them. Now time was running out, and he had to make some decisions soon.
    He got up and moved restlessly back to the window. Too many firecrackers in the air. Charlie's death, the impending arrival of Letty Thornquist, the new ad campaign, the carefully planned slaughter of Copeland Marine Industries—it all added up to a volatile situation.
    The buzz of the intercom caught his attention. “Arthur Bigley is here, sir.”
    “Send him in, Mrs. Sedgewick.”
    The door opened. A very nervous looking young man with close-cropped curly brown hair and wire-rimmed glasses walked into the office.
    “You wanted to brief me on my new position, Mr. Blackstone?” Arthur adjusted his tie with anxious fingers.
    Joel leaned back in his chair. “Sit down, Bigley. You'll be working for Ms. Thornquist when she arrives tomorrow.”
    “Yes, sir.” Bigley sat down. “I'm very excited about that, sir. This is a wonderful promotion for me, sir, and I'm very grateful.”
    Joel smiled grimly. “I'm glad to hear it. Now, then, the most important thing you need to know in your new position is that I do not want Ms. Thornquist bothered by routine matters. Is that clear?”
    “I guess so, sir.” Arthur looked skeptical. “Uh, how exactly do I keep her from being bothered by them?”
    “You keep Mrs. Sedgewick informed of everything that happens in Ms. Thornquist's office. Mrs. Sedgewick will keep me informed. I'll monitor the situation and step in when I'm needed. That's how the chain of command works, Bigley. Do you think you can follow those simple instructions?”
    “Yes, sir. Definitely, sir.”
    “Excellent. I want to know everything that goes on in the president's office. You'll check with this office before putting through any calls to Ms. Thornquist, and you'll notify me of all visitors. You will be advised as to how to handle such matters.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Mrs. Sedgewick will give you further instruction about your day-to-day office routine. You may go now.”
    “Yes, sir.” Arthur shot to his feet and turned to leave.
    The toe of his shoe caught on the edge of the carpet, and he lost his balance. His arm swept out, groping for something to keep him from falling. He grabbed the arm of the chair, and it toppled over.
    “I think you'll do very well for Ms. Thornquist,” Joel said as Arthur Bigley picked himself up off the carpet and darted from the room.

4
     
    T wo weeks later