“Bet you didn’t know that the delegation was pissed off, threatened to fly back to South America, taking with them our shot at a multimillion-dollar account. Leland had to call in some big favors, do some swift, creative diplomacy.”

“No! What happened?”

“He called some of our airline and hotel clients and arranged to send the delegation to the casinos on Paradise Island in the Bahamas to keep them happy while he waited for you.”

“I had no idea.”

“He went out on a limb for you.” Bonner nodded to Jeff’s work on his monitor. “This is the concept you developed in Cleveland that Leland fell in love with, the one that got you here?”

“It is.”

“And it’s all yours?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s your idea.”

“Yes, well, the concept came out of a brainstorming session in Cleveland, but I ran with it, took it further and developed it. So yes, it’s my idea.”

Bonner shook his head slowly. “I don’t quite grasp it, but Leland seemed impressed enough to bring you down here.” He sucked air through his teeth, gazed out at the view. “These days, we just don’t do this sort of thing, move people around anymore. When I started with the group here, we had over one hundred and fifty people in this office. Now we’re down to—what, forty-five, fifty? And we’re fighting to stay alive, to understand what’s happening to advertising and marketing.” Bonner turned to him. “Guess what I’m trying to say is Leland’s put his ass on the line for you, Jeff. Don’t let him down.”

“I appreciate what’s at stake here.”

A soft knock at the door sounded.

“Sorry to interrupt, but Leland sent me,” Nick Martinez said, “to check the updates for translation.”

“Go ahead, Nick. I’m done here.” Bonner moved to leave. “Good luck, Jeff.”

Martinez came over to Jeff’s monitor. After Bonner’s departure, he said softly, “Don’t worry about Fred.”

“You heard?”

“Enough,” Martinez said. “Fred Bonner’s a dinosaur, thinks he’s in Mad Men. He started in the business long before the digital age—before cell phones, if you can believe it.”

“I got a sense of that from his hair,” Jeff joked.

“He looks like a Wall Street villain,” Martinez said. “Look, Leland’s smart, he’s adapting to the evolution of the industry. He sees how the New York, LA, London and Paris offices are adapting to change, that we need perspectives like yours. When Leland saw your work, he feared we would lose you to some other ad or tech company in California. That’s why he went after you. I heard him say there’s a lot of unharnessed talent in that Cleveland office.”

“A lot of problems, too,” Jeff murmured to himself.

“Sorry?”

“I’ve seen the changes, too. It’s moving fast,” Jeff spoke up, smiling.

“Yes. So, speaking of changes…”