Agency

In Which Vibrations are Reset

still Monday, a little later

Berry cleared out his inbox, flagging items that needed responding to later, trashing those that didn't. He checked his calendar to ensure the internal creative presentation was still happening and, noting that it was, slipped some mints into his suit jacket pocket.

The introduction of the new Director this morning had been unexpected. The Accounts team had known something was afoot, rumours of a new top position being created to strengthen ties to London, but they'd all assumed Fraser would be promoted to the big boss role. The sudden appearance of this British woman from HO had sent ripples of panic through ranks. Since the meeting, quiet chats were being had at desks; worried looks darted across rooms and people were keeping their heads down, generally acting like children who'd been sent to their room but weren't quite sure why.

Berry gathered his account notes and headed for "The Hammer" — a meeting room that featured wall-sized mural renderings of nearby Hamilton, a working-class steel-town.

Shanti Jones, who had been called Chantelle originally but changed her name to better reflect her karmically open state of mind, was already in the room waving a small jar around. She was the project manager assigned to this account and a bit of a flake in Berry's opinion. Her desk, whenever he walked by, was cluttered with crystals and vials of essential oils. A lump of Himalayan rock salt was plugged in under her desk to "maintain optimum salinity" in her words.

"Hi Shanti," he said tiredly as he sat down.

"Wait!" she said in alarm. "I haven't smudged that one yet."

Berry looked at her. "The chair? What do you mean 'smudge'?"

She shook her jar at him and motioned for him to get up. "You know I like to reset the vibrations of a room before we start meetings. You don't know what might have happened in here before we came in. Don't want it affecting our progress." She proceeded to wave her jar — which he could see now contained an unlit scented candle — around his chair.

"Doesn't it have to be lit?" he asked.

Shanti cocked her head at him. "Fire regulations, Berry. Lit candles or burning sage (which really would be preferable) are strictly not allowed. Agency policy."

He nodded as if she were making any sense at all.

"That should do it," she said finally, capping her candle and sitting down immediately beside him, despite there being six other empty seats around the table. "So, what do you make of this Allegra woman? Strong yellow aura. Pretty impressive lady, am I right?"

Impressive. Berry considered that word in relation to the woman he'd watched introduce herself this morning with an inspirational speech that bore some unsubtle resemblances to Churchill's first Prime Ministerial speech. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs—Victory in spite of all terror—Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is. no. survival.

"I'd choose the word 'ominous,'" he replied. "There are going to be cuts, you know. Deep cuts."

Shanti instinctively touched her candle again and looked away.

David entered the room, carrying three large foam core boards. He stood them up against the wall. Margot and Martin trailed in behind him and rolled their seats well back from the table.

"Is Niall coming?" Berry asked. Not that an Executive Creative Director would normally bother with an internal presentation, but since Berry had seen him in this morning's meeting, he knew he was on site and, well, this was pain meds.

David pursed his lips and said, "Niall has given this work his blessing, not to worry."

Berry shrugged and started the meeting.

"Okay, folks. We've all read the brief. Looking for a tie here between Atrabax, leader in the back pain space, with Mother's Day. The client wants memorable, meaningful, meme-able creative to send out into the market via social and outdoor ads this spring, leading into a seasonal display change. The RFP document is due this Friday by 9 am — I'm working on that — and they've asked for a fast-follow in-person presentation of our creative thinking the week after."

"That's seven days from now," Shanti interjected, consulting her Gantt chart.

"Yes. Thanks, Shanti. Excellent calendaring. So... let's see where we're at." With that, Berry waved it over to David to start the show.

***

Margot tried to catch Martin's eye while David stood there and presented their weekend work as his own. Not that he came out and said it was his. It was more how he managed to avoid saying it was theirs.

Martin was engrossed in his phone, his thumb idly flicking upward, upward, upward. She knocked her knee against his, making him look up.

She made her eyes wide in a silent can you believe this shit? Martin shrugged and returned his attention to his phone. As far as Martin was concerned, as long as Berry didn't have any course-changing feedback, they were done for the day. Even if it was only lunchtime.

***

When David had concluded his presentation and Berry had offered no feedback outside of some praise aimed awkwardly at Margot, the group gathered its things and made its way out of the room.