Guild Boss (Ghost Hunters #14)(50)

“I know.”

“The Federation authorities and every smart CEO on Harmony who has a stake in the Underworld will want the best channelers. With sharp marketing and financial backing, Weather Wizards will be the number one choice.”

At long last there was a spark of excitement in Brock’s eyes. “Huh.”

“If we play our cards right, Weather Wizards could ultimately become as powerful as the Guilds.”

Brock sat forward abruptly. “All right. Call the client. Tell him we’ll get Lucy Bell for him.”

Jocelyn did not hesitate. She was on her phone, punching in the number, before Brock finished the sentence.

The client answered immediately. Impatient and eager.

Her fingers tightened around the phone. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was as uneasy as Brock. They were about to take a very big risk. But the payoff would be huge. She infused her words with cool, professional confidence.

“Weather Wizards will make it happen,” she said. “Trust me, Lucy Bell will not be a problem.”

Image was everything.





CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE





“A decorator?” Gabriel looked up from the long string of messages on his phone. “Why in green hell do I need a decorator? This is an office. All it requires are a couple of chairs and a desk. I’ve got those.”

He was sitting behind the desk at that very moment, looking straight at the two chairs on the other side.

“All of the office furniture we are currently using is rented,” Aiden Shore said. He pushed his glasses higher on his nose and stood his ground in the doorway. “It’s functional, but I never intended for any of it to be permanent. I had to get the new headquarters in working order in a hurry. Those were your instructions, sir.”

Aiden was young, earnest, and determined. He had joined the Cadence organization two years earlier. He had the basic ghost hunting talent required to handle dissonance energy in the Underworld, but within the first month he and his instructors had concluded he was incurably claustrophobic. He got panic attacks when he went belowground into the maze of tunnels.

He had been offered a desk job in public relations. In that environment he had thrived, displaying a talent for organizational skills. When Gabriel had been appointed director of the new Illusion Town Guild, he had realized immediately that he was going to need someone like Aiden—an administrative assistant who could run the office.

He knew he had selected the right person for the job when he had approached Aiden’s boss to request permission to recruit the young man. The head of the public relations department had said, Shore is all yours. Drives everyone in my department straight up a wall. He’s always trying to tell people how they can streamline their process and improve the image of the Guild.

Gabriel had been pleased with himself when Aiden had accepted the offer of the new post. It was rapidly becoming apparent, however, that his new assistant was drunk with power.

“What’s the problem with rented furniture?” Gabriel asked.

“It has no style,” Aiden said. “This is not just any business office, Mr. Jones. This is a Guild director’s office. It should send a clear message to everyone who enters the space.”

“We’re not the phone company, Aiden. We don’t deliver messages.”

“I’m talking about the sort of message that enhances our image, sir. The Guilds are changing. This office needs to reflect that. It should also suit the community. The CEO suite should have style and a certain ambience.”

Gabriel studied the interior of his office. He realized he hadn’t taken a close look at it until now. It was a big space on the top floor of a sparkling new six-story building. He had put Aiden in charge of acquiring the building and arranging for the special security upgrades. There was a mag-rez steel garage for the vehicles, state-of-the-art power to handle the latest computers and phones, and direct access to the Underworld via the basement.

As far as he could see, that was all that was needed to fulfill the mission of the Illusion Town Guild.

“What sort of style and ambience did you have in mind?” Gabriel asked. “If you’re talking about making this room look like a casino or a club, forget it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Aiden said.

Gabriel raised his brows, but Aiden did not appear to notice.

“Mr. Jones, you and I both know the Guilds have a serious image problem,” he continued. “The public has forgotten that not only do we have an origin story that is heroic and noble; we perform an invaluable service to the community and the entire Federation of City-States.”

“You’re going to fix our image by calling in a decorator to furnish my office?” Gabriel asked.

“It’s a start, sir.”

“I don’t have time for this kind of stuff. Do whatever you want with the place. You’re in charge.”

“Don’t worry, sir, I’ll take care of everything.” Aiden pulled out his phone. “Now, then, I have a few messages for you.”

“More messages?” Gabriel held up his own phone. “I’ve already got a few hundred.”

Aiden frowned. “You should not waste your time dealing with business correspondence. I’ll take over that account and make sure you only see what you need to see. I’ll be able to handle ninety-five percent of your email and messages. You’ll still have your private account for personal correspondence.”