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Dan woke up to the annoying sound of the alarm clock sitting on the night table next to his bed. He reached up and turned it off. Dan checked the clock. It was 7:30 a.m. He swung his legs out of bed and sat up. Oh, what a terrible hangover he had. Dan felt his head spin. The last thing he remembered was having a drink with his college friends. He had no idea how he had gotten home. Why had he agreed to meet with them at the bar the night before, when he had to make a compelling presentation at work today? There was a promotion coming up, and he stood a good chance of getting it if he played his cards right. Now he wasn’t sure anymore.
I hope I didn’t blow my chance.
For the past three years, Danny Collins, or "Dan," was a brilliant account executive at a New York–based advertising firm. He knew he couldn’t afford to mess up. Dan had been working hard to get that coveted promotion, as he planned to propose to his girlfriend, Tessie. He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
He put two Alka-Seltzer tabs in a glass of water and drank it while it was fizzing, a hangover cure he swore by. Dan stepped into the bathroom and took a quick shower. He got dressed and bolted into the kitchen for a quick bite of breakfast—cold pizza and soda he found in the refrigerator. Dan struggled to fit the door key into the lock until he closed it. Oh, how he wished his headache would go away. He dropped his briefcase on the ground and sat on the pavement for a moment to rest.
"Taxi!" he shouted, raising his hand as a fleet of yellow cabs rolled past. Almost at once, a cab stopped. Dan opened the door, threw his bag in, and got into the cab.
"Take me to Fifth Avenue at the Plaza, and please hurry," he said.
The driver pressed the accelerator, and the taxi took off. There was no traffic, and Dan arrived at work a few minutes before eight. He had hardly sat down at his desk when he got a call from Bradley Moore, the chief executive of Tate’s Advertising Agency, to come into his office. Dan sighed as he entered Mr. Moore’s room.
"Sir?" he asked.
"Are you ready for your presentation?" Mr. Moore asked.
"Yes, sir," Dan answered as he adjusted his tie and combed his hair with his fingers.
"Good, then make sure you are clear on your point."
"Yes, sir. I’ll do my best," Dan said, feeling uneasy.
Suddenly, Mr. Moore sniffed. He smelled the pungent reek of alcohol on Dan’s breath.
"For goodness’ sake. Why don’t you drink coffee and sober up?"
"I’m sorry, sir. I had a visit from my college buddies last night, and I couldn’t refuse their invitation to meet up for a drink."
"I need not emphasize how important this presentation is. I don’t mind you socializing with your friends, but you need to prioritize things and do them in their order of importance. If you screw this up, you will return to being a sales rep. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir. I understand," Dan answered.
Henry, an ambitious advertising assistant, passed Mr. Moore’s office and overheard their conversation. A wicked smile crossed his face, seeing it as his chance to get even with Dan. They’d been friends since Dan worked as a sales representative at Tate's Advertising Agency. They used to go to lunch together and hang out at a bar to play pool after work. However, when Dan was promoted to account executive instead of him, Henry resented it and considered Dan his mortal enemy. They’d been feuding since Mr. Moore assigned Dan to handle Harmony Food, a million-dollar account their company was trying to land. Henry thought Mr. Moore would give him a shot at it, because he had ten years of seniority with the firm. He perceived Dan’s popularity as a direct threat to him. Henry was angry and vengeful, and he wanted to get even. He sounded bitter, but in his mind, Dan sabotaged him, maybe by talking about him with the management behind his back. It would have been a tough thing to prove, but he was determined to ruin Dan, no matter what it took. Henry wanted him fired. He didn’t enjoy playing second fiddle to anyone, especially to someone like Dan.
Henry was heading to the mailroom when he passed Dan’s office and spotted his briefcase on top of his desk. He looked around, trying to focus on his surroundings. Seeing no one, he stepped inside Dan’s office and knocked the briefcase off the table onto the floor. He looked around again. There was no one in sight. He went down on one knee to tie his shoes, all the while opening the bag and taking a few pages from it. He rolled them up and put them in his inside coat pocket, before placing the briefcase back on top of the desk. Henry had a sly smile on his face as he left Dan’s office.
***
IT WAS 9:00 AM. DAN was standing in front of Harmony Foods’ president, Melvin Harmony, and James Gardner, Harmony’s senior vice president of marketing. Mr. Moore was also in attendance. Dan was nervously biting his lips and sweating from his hands as he began his presentation.
Oh, that dreadful alcohol.
He'd consumed at least ten cups of coffee. Now that Dan was sober, he had been going to the bathroom more frequently. He was uneasy. He prayed he wouldn't have to use the restroom again soon.
Dan opened his briefcase and took out the papers he had prepared for his speech, but they were in disarray. Pages were missing. Dan looked around and noticed everyone was waiting for him to say something. He got worried when he couldn’t remember what he had written.
"Well, Dan, we don’t have all day. You may begin your presentation right now," Mr. Moore insisted.
Dan clenched his hands and inhaled deeply. Before speaking, he pulled a large handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the perspiration from his forehead.
"Yes, sir. Right now, sir," he stated.
What the heck, I’ll just wing it.
Throughout his presentation, Dan relied on a large poster board mounted on an easel as a visual aid.
"Smartphones, smart TVs, tablets, video games, and laptop computers, to mention a few technologies, have ushered in a new era. The days of children playing outside and being free to roam are long gone. For many years, it was customary for families to sit down, eat together, and converse. Those were the good old days, as time has passed. We need to figure out how to revive the practice of family dinners where families may laugh, share food, and chat about their lives. Consider this: A typical family, with Dad watching football on TV and the kids playing computer games in their room, It’s dinnertime! shouts Mom from the kitchen. The family turns off the TV and video games and rushes to the table to eat delicious meals while talking and listening to one another. Mealtime feels like home. Introducing Harmony Food, the family’s best-kept secret."
Everyone sat silently for a time after Dan finished speaking. Mr. Harmony then rose up and extended his hand to shake Dan’s.
"I believe it has possibilities. We like the concept. With a few revisions, it will be perfect for the Thanksgiving ad. It’s fantastic."
"Thank you, sir," Dan said, relief coursing through him.
"We’d want to see the finished work,” Mr. Harmony said. “Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. We’ll meet again in two weeks. Dan, I expect you to oversee and supervise the entire project."
Mr. Harmony then addressed Mr. Moore. "He's a promising young man. You should be proud of him."
"Yes, we are proud of him." Mr. Moore agreed with a nod.
Dan couldn’t believe it. He thought he had blown his chance for promotion. He had a hangover, but still pulled it off.
"Good job, Dan," Mr. Moore said as Mr. Harmony left, patting him on the shoulder, "but maybe this time, while you’re working on the project, ease off on the liquor, okay? We have work to do."
"Thank you, sir. I promise it won’t happen again."
When Henry found out Dan had secured Harmony’s account despite ruining his presentation, he tightened his jaw. He was enraged. Dan couldn’t advance in the company because he would not allow it. He’d worked much too hard to be beaten by a mere salesperson. Henry was keeping a careful watch on Dan. Everything hinges on time. When he had his opportunity, he would strike again when Dan was least expecting it.
***
TESSIE MET HER AUNT Tilly and uncle Dusty Bonaventura for lunch at a coffee shop near her school. She was not related to any of them, yet she addressed them as uncle and auntie out of respect. Dusty was her mother’s employer in Italy for many years. Tessie was in the United States on a Bonaventura Foundation scholarship. This was the day she planned to introduce her boyfriend, Dan, to them. They had been dating for two years and were ready to take their relationship to the next level.
They ordered their drinks once the waitress seated them at the table. Tessie commented when the server had departed. "I know what you’re thinking, Uncle Dusty, and you don’t have to be concerned. We will not marry right away. I assured Mamma that we would wait till I was situated first."
"That’s great news. You’re still young," Dusty said. "So, where is Dan?"
The server interrupted their conversation when she served the drinks. Tessie sipped some pineapple juice.
"He should be here soon," she answered. "Dan has been working hard. He has a new client, and he wants to impress his boss to get a promotion. However, he told me he would settle for a pay raise."
"That is wonderful. Dan is a driven individual. Where does he work? What does he do?" Dusty persisted in his inquiries.
"Uncle Dusty, calm down. He’s a cool guy. You have nothing to worry about," Tessie laughed.
Dan entered the coffee shop a few moments later. Tessie smiled as Dan approached their table.
"Aunt Tilly, Uncle Dusty, I’d like you to meet Dan, my boyfriend."
"It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir and ma’am. Tessie has told me a lot about you," Dan said.
"What’s with the formality? Simply call us Tilly and Dusty," Tilly said.
"I am delighted to meet you, Tilly and Dusty," Dan said as he embraced them quickly.
"Should we place our order now? I’m hungry," Tessie stated as she picked up the menu.
Dusty waved his hand to get the server’s attention. She came over and took their orders. They all ordered the lunch special of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, with sides of creamed corn, string beans, and homemade bread with butter.
"So, Dan, what do you do for a living?" Dusty asked.
Tessie almost choked while sipping on her pineapple juice. "I’m sorry, Dan. Uncle Dusty is protective of me."
"Oh, it’s OK. My father is the same way," Dan laughed. "I work as an account executive at Tate’s Advertising Agency. Harmony Food is a new account I secured this morning. Have you heard of them? Mr. Harmony, the company’s president, liked my presentation, which I’m now refining. I’ve been working extra hard on this account. I hope my boss, Bradley Moore, will notice my talents and reward me with a promotion or salary boost."
Dusty continued to nod his head. Dan’s sincerity, calm manner, and friendly smile impressed him. When their food arrived, they concentrated on eating. They ate with a little banter between mouthfuls, and Dusty sometimes peeked over at Tessie and Dan, flashing them a smile when they caught him gazing at them.
Dan worked continuously for the next two weeks. He wanted to impress Mr. Harmony and Mr. Moore to get promoted to vice president of advertising. If it happened, he could propose to Tessie and marry her. They’d been dating for a while, and he wanted to start a family soon after her graduation.
Dan’s efforts paid off. Mr. Harmony was so impressed with Dan’s presentation that he offered him a job leading his advertising team in Paris, but Dan declined. He stated he was not yet ready to move. He was waiting for the right moment to propose to his girlfriend. Besides, he was confident Mr. Moore would offer him the coveted promotion immediately.
"Bring her as well, I’m sure she’ll love living in Paris," Mr. Harmony stated.
"Thank you, Mr. Harmony, but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline your offer. Perhaps another time?"
"If you change your mind, Dan, let me know. I could use someone like you. The position comes with hefty bonuses and competitive pay. Just don’t wait too long, okay?" Mr. Harmony said as he handed him his business card.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Harmony. Let me take care of my future family first. I’ve been preparing and rehearsing my proposal for a long time."
"Wishing you the best of luck, Dan. I wish you well."
Unbeknownst to them, Henry was trudging down the corridor when he overheard them conversing. He came to a halt, crouching behind a wall to listen in. Henry had heard everything, and he was furious. It had always been his dream to move to Paris, have a wonderful career, and start a family. Why did Dan seem to have so much luck? Henry had no choice but to intervene. He had to devise a strategy. He deserved all the good things in life, not Dan. Henry needed to get rid of him once and for all, since he was ruining everything for him.
Henry paced around his office all afternoon, trying to come up with ways to discredit Dan, but he couldn’t think of any. He stared out the window, waiting for the magical answer to materialize in his head. He walked over to the water cooler to get a drink when he heard April, Mr. Moore’s secretary, on the phone with their boss. As usual, he did what he always did: spying.
"Yes, sir. You want me to order lunch at Ray’s Bistro? Set it up at your office? Yes, sir. I got it. Oh, and a bouquet, too? Yes, sir. Everything will be ready when you arrive tomorrow," the secretary stated, as she scribbled on a piece of paper.
"Is Mr. Moore coming in today with a new client?" Henry asked when he saw the secretary hanging up the phone.
"Mr. Moore will be here tomorrow," April said. "He’s coming directly from the airport with a client for a new perfume account."
Henry nodded.
A new client? This is my moment to shine.
