The Carrot and the Stick Read Online Free PDF Page A

finish up here,’ he said quietly. ‘Jim will show you where.’
    Ten minutes later Beth stood in the lift and pressed the button for the top floor.
    Once there, she found Kearns’ secretary, Mrs Woods, who rose from her desk, a desk almost as big as Beth’s office. ‘How nice to see you again, Miss Forrester,’ she said with a practiced smile. ‘T.J. is waiting for you.’
    She opened double doors opposite the lift and ushered Beth inside. Across an acre of sumptuous carpeting, Kearns rose from his mahogany desk and approached his visitor. ‘No interruptions, please,’ he said to Mrs Woods, who was already quietly closing the doors.
    He again formally offered his hand to Beth. ‘The wunderkind of Cross, Carstairs and Denton,’ he said flatteringly. ‘Come and sit close to me. This place is so big it has drafts.’
    He led her across the office to a comfortable easy chair, in front of and to one side of his desk. It gave Beth a chance to size him up properly. She was not fooled by his benign resemblance to Santa Claus in expensive tailoring. She knew he was a self-made man who could be and frequently was tough and ruthless.
    â€˜I hope I am not holding you up,’ he said. ‘I wanted a quiet word with you alone.’
    â€˜Not at all,’ Beth said. ‘I am at your service.’ A voice inside her head was repeating like a mantra: be bold, face him like an equal. ‘What can I do for you?’ she asked.
    â€˜It is more a question of what I can do for you. Or rather, what I cannot do for you.’
    Beth suddenly felt cold.
    â€˜You have been a very good negotiator,’ Kearns went on. ‘I think it is only fair to be honest with you now.’
    For some reason Beth’s confidence flowed away, and her voice became croaky. ‘I don’t think I want to hear this,’ she said.
    Kearns gave her a rueful smile. ‘It was between you and AdWise. There’s hardly anything between you but, on balance, AdWise offers the better deal. The official announcement will not be made until tomorrow but I thought, since you are here, I should tell you now in person.’
    Beth was angry. ‘So what have I been doing for the last hour and a half then?
    â€˜Don’t be annoyed with me,’ Kearns said mildly. ‘This is business. I wanted to give you every chance. And you did well... very well.’
    It was the kindness of his tone that did it. All the tensions of the last twenty-four hours seemed to catch up with her at once. She tried to stop herself, but tears began to flow and deep sobs shook her body. How pathetic, she scolded herself. How unprofessional... how bloody unprofessional. But still she cried.
    Kearns seemed momentarily at a loss, and then he crossed the room and sat awkwardly on the arm of Beth’s chair, putting one arm around her shoulders. She could smell talcum powder and an expensive aftershave lotion.
    He patted her back. ‘There, there,’ he cooed, and her sobs slowly subsided.
    Beth reached into her handbag for her make-up mirror as Kearns returned to his desk. ‘God, I look a mess,’ she said, looking into her compact.
    â€˜Not at all,’ Kearns said. ‘You are a beautiful girl. A very beautiful girl. And very clever too.’
    â€˜Not clever enough, it seems,’ she said quietly.
    â€˜Not at all,’ Kearns repeated with hearty jocularity. ‘You’re the future of the industry. The world, this world, is your oyster. It’s only a small setback.’
    Her tears welled again. ‘No it’s not,’ she wailed. ‘It’s the end of the world.’ How she hated herself at that moment. Not only had she not got the contract, but she was wailing like a baby in front of one of the most powerful men she knew. What on earth must he think?
    Kearns suddenly seemed a little bored. ‘It’s not that bad,’ he said dismissively.
    She pulled