The version of Maddy that hurried down the hall of the Pitman Strategies & Solutions agency scarcely resembled the young woman who created floral arrangements at the family flower shop three years ago. This was Madison Taylor 2.0 wearing a black power casual suit, and a low ponytail, looking the part of a young ad agency woman living the fast-paced Manhattan lifestyle.

Clutching her laptop, she trotted around the corner to a cubicle where she startled a young woman with an ultra-messy bun feverishly working on a web page design.

"Haley! Let's go."

"You scared the living—"

Maddy tapped her wrist.

Haley went wide-eyed when she checked the time. "Crap!"

They bolted toward the conference room and, to their horror, spotted their boss, the icy Kendall Pitman standing at the head of the table, arms crossed. Pitman, the agency's CEO, oozed success, sporting an extreme Karen haircut and dressed head-to-toe in expensive designer couture. Her heart-stopping scowl could crack granite.

"Armor up," Maddy whispered to Haley. "She can smell fear."

When they entered, Kendall's steely eyes followed them to their seats.

Leopold, a pale young man wearing a hipster beard and man bun sat beside Sophie, who kept her eyes glued to her laptop.

Haley's voice squeaked. "I was designing—"

Pitman snarled. "I don't give a damn if you were giving the Queen of England a pedicure."

Haley shrunk in her chair. 

Setting her laptop on the table, Maddy said, "I reviewed the Davenport proposal again and I noticed—"

The intercom buzzed. The receptionist, Desiree's voice announced, "The Davenport team is here, Ms. Pitman. Shall I send them back?"

Kendall straightened her jacket. "I'll come up to meet them." On her way out the door, she shot dagger eyes at Haley.

"Is your resume up to date?" Leopold goaded Haley. "You know, there are phone apps that could do your job."

"Oh, Leopold," she said. "You have such a big head for such a small mind."

Sophie whispered, "When's the last time The Pitbull went out front to meet a client?"

"Davenport is the biggest piece of business she's ever pitched," Maddy responded. "She hugely wants this one." Catching a glance through the glass wall, she whispered, "Here they come."

Everyone pretended to be busy.

Two men and a woman trailed Kendall into the room. All eyes went to a handsome man in a tailored suit. He was the kind of man accustomed to the attention of women and to other men distancing themselves from him to avoid comparison.

Kendall announced, "Representing Davenport Pharmaceuticals, I'd like to introduce Mr. James Coughlin, Vice President of Operations..."

Coughlin, a man with a receding hairline, which made his face look a little too big, nodded. She continued with her introduction. "Ms. Shira Parker...

The woman with the dangling earrings offered a tight, plastic smile reminiscent of a doll's face but not a sweet doll, a really scary doll.

"And Davenport's Global Sales Manager, Mister George Spiros."

His roguish smile spread slightly lopsided on his handsome face. "Nice to meet everybody," he said with a cool air of confidence.

Haley and Sophie stared in awe. This guy was super gorgeous and his eyes locked on Maddy.

As the Davenport team members took their seats, Kendall began. "Welcome to Pitman Strategies and Solutions. We—"

Ms. Parker cut her off. "Let me be frank with you, Ms. Pitman. Your lack of experience in the pharma space concerns me."

Nobody ever dared interrupt Kendall Pitman, and her facial expression confirmed it.

"We're not launching a new fragrance or a fresh line of sneakers," Shira took a stern tone. "We're introducing a breakthrough pharmaceutical product, Vinzublia."

"I'm well aware of the distinction." Kendall reigned in her temper, her eyes looking crazy like she was ready to go on a killing spree.

Shira referred to her tablet. "Are you? I see product differentiation in your pitch. I see trends in patient access and treatment, but nothing on competitors' response to our market entry with Vinzublia."

Maddy scanned the room during the long, painful silence that followed, her team members' eyes glued to the table. Leopold anxiously twisted his beard. Kendall cleared her throat nervously.

After reviewing a file on her laptop, Maddy took the initiative. "Ms. Parker, perhaps I haven't provided the most recently updated draft. Let me share this with you."

In unison, seven heads turned toward Maddy.

Shira raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"

"That's our girl on Digital Integration," Kendall said, glaring at Maddy.

"Madison Taylor. Digital Copywriter." She sent the document to Shira. "As you'll see on page thirty-two, I've done a cross-platform analysis. I mean we've done a cross-platform analysis that takes those issues into account."

Kendall watched Maddy closely, preparing to intervene, the veins in her neck swelling.

"If you look at the graphs on the following pages, you'll find evaluations of the competitive landscape."

Shira scanned the updated report and nodded with approval. 

Maddy glanced up from her laptop to find George smiling a flirtatious grin.

Following a painful two-hour review session, during which Shira read aloud each line of copy, questioned every comma, period, and em dash, and bitterly critiqued the design of every presentation page, mercifully, the Pitman team was dismissed.

Maddy huddled with Haley at her cubicle. "Did you see The Pitbull when that woman unleashed her claws?"

"I almost suffocated in that room. Those two egos sucked up every molecule of oxygen."

Maddy shook her head. "ME-OW!"

"McKenzie?" George walked up from behind.

"Me?" She turned on her heels. "I'm Madison. Madison Taylor." She could feel her cheeks burning.

"I'm Haley Swanson."

No question. George was interested in Maddy. "Nice job back there in the lion's den."

In unison, Maddy and Haley purred, "Thanks."

"I look forward to working with you."

"Yeah," said Maddy. "Working. Together."

He flashed a smile at Maddy then headed for the elevator.

Haley whispered, "Smooth, Maddy. Super smooth."

"He looks like a GQ model and smells like a freshly-cut lawn." Maddy followed him with her eyes.

"That's how you country bumpkins describe a hot guy?"

Maddy puffed out her chest, hands on her hips. "So you see this. And you think she's a typical squeaky clean small-town girl."

"Pretty much."

"Well, there's a lot more going on here than you would believe. A lot of super freaky stuff."

"You can't pull that off."

Maddy deflated.

Still ogling George, Haley said, "Put it on ice, girlfriend. He's probably got a wife. Maybe kids."

"He wasn't wearing a ring."

Haley rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna pretend I didn't just hear you say that."

They watched George step into the elevator with Coughlin and Shira.

"So what if he's married?" Haley bit her lower lip. "I'd take him for a gallop around the corral."

A text tone from Maddy's phone snapped her out of her trance. "It's The Pitbull." She grinned.

"Why are you smiling? She's gonna find a way to blame you for saving her bacon."

"Oh, Haley," Maddy sighed. "This city has made you so cynical."

When Maddy arrived outside Kendall's office, the door was open. She knocked and entered, crossing the colorful Persian rug toward her boss's desk.

Kendall tapped a silver letter opener against the desktop. "So, what was that half-assed stunt you pulled in the meeting?"

Maddy's smile dropped.

"Don't you ever give anything to a client that I have not approved."

Maddy stuttered, "I-I sent you the revised file. I thought—"

"--What you think is of no interest to me whatsoever. This agency functions because of what I think." She narrowed her fiery eyes. "If you ever step over me again, you'll find yourself out on the street peddling dried-up flower bouquets to dried-up old men out on some hooker corner in Times Square."

"Wow. That's oddly specific."

"And, by the way, your job title is Digital Integration."

"I'm a writer. Digital Copywriter."

"Digital Integration sounds better. That's your job title. So own it."

Maddy sighed.

"I've reserved the loft at the Bellevue for Saturday the twenty-third, to celebrate the Vinzublia launch. Tell Haley I want to see some fresh concepts for invitations ASAP."

Maddy nodded.

"Not that I approve of your childish tactics, but you likely helped us secure the Davenport account."

A half-smile crept across Maddy's face.

"You're not waiting for me to present you with a bouquet of roses, are you?" Pitman huffed.

"Never crossed my mind."

"Then let me get some work done."

Maddy went straight from her boss' office to Haley's cubicle. 

"So?" Haley leaned back in her chair.

"She almost said thank you."

"In the meanest way possible."

"Speaking of mean." Maddy glanced over her shoulder then lowered her voice. "I heard she had three cats and they all ran away. So she gave up on cats and switched to fish."

"Because they can't run away?"

"That and she doesn't have to pet them."