No Strings

Chapter 47--Girl Fills the Void

Frank didn't seem all that pleased with my style. He frowned at the composition.

"It's not bad, but it lacks that punch."

"What about it lacks a punch?" I asked.

"I don't think the colors are bold enough," he said.

Paul shook his head, "What's wrong with the colors? They are analogous and caters well to a female audience. This will be good for summer and spring. Plus if you look she didn't have any weird tangencies and it doesn't have the novice problems that many juniors have coming into our company."

He pointed to three points on the board.

"The saturation of the colors is off they are too soft without a focus color. And if you look here," Frank argued as he pointed with his knuckle, "there is a problem with dominant subordinate relationship of the graphic elements."

"That's part of the point, both are supposed to have equal value and she overcomes it with detailed colors here and added detail here, leading the eye in a nice flow around the composition and which gives a clear message," Paul said.

"Then you comment on it," Frank said tapping the presentation board.

I blushed that they were being so argumentative over the mock up I made. I scribbled their comments onto a nearby scrap of paper.

"The composition has a nice sleek appeal. I don't think the asymmetry suits it. The client won't like it. But I'm sure Chad will like it."

"Chad--you know how he is."

"I don't like his style either."

They shifted the board back and forth between them bickering and then said, "Ask Marleen."

"Marleen?" I asked.

Everyone in the company had been trying to help me since I failed the last round. A few of the interns were disgruntled by the favoritism when they wanted to enter the company. I didn't know why they were so passionate, but I appreciated the help.

"She's a woman, isn't she? She'll be able to comment on if it needs something. The writing is pretty good though, did you come up with that yourself?" Paul asked.

I nodded.

"You could be a copy editor to start if this one gets accepted--though I'm not sure why you want to take a pay cut," Paul continued.

"I agree, the writing is pretty good." Frank read the writing again. Somehow the fact that they couldn't agree on the art aspect of the mock up didn't make me feel better. I wasn't fond of the idea of coming up with tag lines for the rest of my life.

"Thanks. Do you guys happen to have the ad copies from last week?" I leaned my elbows on the desk front desk.

"Not done."

"Me neither," Frank said.

"Richard wants them by the end of today. I'm taking your heat."

I wasn't pleased that I had to explain that they weren't done because. One more reason I didn't want to be a secretary forever.

Paul sucked in through his teeth, "I can't get it into you today, sorry. Thanks for taking our heat though."

"Yeah, but tell us when you have another copy. I'll look at it for you," Frank said.

"Me too, so this idiot doesn't give you the wrong ideas."

"When can you get the ad copies in?" I asked.

Paul looked away from me and put the mock up down on the top of the shelf that surrounded the desk.

"I'll get mine in tomorrow," Paul said.

"I think I can get it in by the end of this week."

"I'll tell him, but he's not going to be happy," I said.

"Thanks."

They returned the board to me. Paul saluted and then they went off. The problem was that Marleen wasn't around. She was avoiding Richard after he chose Paul 's work over her work. I wasn't looking forward to telling my boss that Paul and Frank would be late with their ad copies.