Mr. Park Lane (The Mister)

I was five minutes early and Eric wouldn’t be here yet. He liked to be fashionably late.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Luca.” The blonde hostess tilted her head as she greeted me. “Your guest is already seated. Can I show you to your table?”

Hairs at the back of my neck stood up despite now being in the warm. I stared at her, processing what she’d said. Why was Eric early? That never happened.

The hostess showed me to a table in the corner, where Eric was seated in his crisp white shirt, his sleeves rolled up and his suit jacket draped casually on the back of his chair. Not only was he early—he’d been here long enough already to settle in.

“Good to see you,” I said, shaking Eric’s manicured hand and then taking a seat.

“Joshua. I’m having the sweetbreads and then the steak. What about you?” Eric’s English was almost perfect, but his French accent was always evident in a restaurant. Perhaps because he was usually a relaxed diner, chatting with the wait staff about menu options. He liked to discuss wine with the sommelier. Not today. Today, Eric had already ordered, and his French accent was nowhere to be heard.

“Excellent choices, Eric. I’ll have the same.” I wasn’t going to waste time looking at the menu when I could be focusing on what Eric was here to tell me. Because he definitely had something to say.

“We haven’t had lunch for a while,” he said. “Things have been busy back at Head Office.”

“If you’re going to be busy, no better place that Paris.”

Luca Brands specialized in helping luxury brands, and the biggest luxury brand business was GCVB. We were responsible for the branding and marketing for all thirty brands the GCVB group owned, which ranged from skincare and perfume, to champagne and eleven of the top design houses. GCVB wasn’t just Luca Brands’ biggest client—they contributed around forty percent of our revenue.

“How long have we worked together now?” He took a sip of the wine the sommelier had placed in front of him. “Six or seven years?”

“Seven years next month.” I leaned back, stretching out my legs, trying to give off the impression that this was just an ordinary lunch between us. But we both knew it wasn’t.

“And I like your work. You know I do.” He didn’t have to add the “but” for me to hear it.

“I’m pleased. Your business is our business.”

He wasn’t listening. He was acting like he was too interested in the bread basket between us. More likely he was focused on what he was going to say next. “Yes, yes. And in all that time, Luca Brands has never wanted to expand outside the luxury space?”

I took a breath in, considering whether to answer the question. “What makes you ask?”

His gaze lifted to mine and revealed one of his mischievous grins—the kind that said, I know something you don’t know.

“Well,” he said, drawing out the word. “You know how GCVB like to buy new companies?”

Since Luca Brands started working with GCVB, they had done acquisition after acquisition. After each new company had been brought into the group, Eric would force a pitch process for all brand and marketing agencies in the new group along with Luca Brands. Whoever won the pitch was appointed exclusively across the newly enlarged group. We’d comfortably won each pitch. So far.

“As you know, GCVB dominate in luxury brands. Recently we’ve felt that we’ve acquired every business we were interested in the space. So . . .”

He was enjoying this. I couldn’t tell whether or not he was just excited about the new acquisition or he enjoyed trying to make me squirm.

“So we’re dipping our toe into pharmaceuticals.”

It was like he’d dropped a turd on the table. His revelation was both unexpected and unwelcome. “Really?” It seemed like a stretch of strategy, not to mention an industry Luca Brands had absolutely no experience in.

“Yes. High margins. Growth sector. At first glance, it looks like it wouldn’t be a natural industry for us to expand into, but our shareholders want growth and the CEO has a background in pharma. It makes sense.” Eric popped a hunk of bread into his mouth and chewed. When he swallowed, he asked, “So what is Luca Brands experience in the pharma industry?”

Eric could be a dick. He knew we didn’t have pharma experience. Luca Brands was a specialist agency and we kept our edge by not having too many competing priorities. “You want one brand and marketing agency to cover the newly enlarged group? Or will you keep specialists in each division?” I wanted to cut to the chase.

“So many agencies cover all industries these days.”

“That’s true,” I replied. “But we’re not a one-size-fits-no-one kind of agency. We’re specialized. Focused. And we’re the best at what we do.”

Eric nodded vigorously as he cut into his sweetbreads. “I’ve always appreciated your work. Which is why I’m inviting you to pitch for the enlarged group, despite Luca Brands’ lack of experience.”