Mr X
429 Words
"Mr X, Rupert, I am asking you most sincerely to invest in our project, and to enjoy the profits. The financial profits, I'm not offering any other gains." I said seriously and looked him straight in the eyes. To that he responded with a warm smile and gently patted me on my hand.
"My dear, I've overstepped. Please, tell me why do you think it will be a good idea to destroy the community center?" he asked. It's time for my elevator speech. Here it goes:
"Destroy? God forbid! No, no, no. We'll just renovate the building, it is in a dire state after all. So we'll restore it, and we'll add ten more floors to it. In that neighborhood, there is an urging need for more housing. You know if it's planned right density does not mean overpopulation. We can use city hall's help to convert the parking spaces into an outside sitting area for the pub, that way we can use the yard for a children's play ground." To that he exploded with laughter. What am I doing wrong? I continued unsure -"We can even keep the old plant..."
"Ahhh the plant." he said and he shook a finger at me. I could sense I lost the pitch. f**k! That building cost us a fortune. What did I do wrong? He's not seriously expecting me to offer myself?!
"Sir, even the most pessimistic projections show a 8% return of investment, the positive ones show 15%. The are no risk free investments, but this is as solid as it gets. We're both business people. Please, tell me what am I missing?"
At that exact moment a butler came and whispered into his ear. "Aaah, yes.Tell him to wait for me outside my office, I need to show something to Ms Shay first." and with that the servant hurried away. His staff really is walking on eggshells around him. I was starting to share the feeling. As if reading my mind he looked me up and down as if sizing me up and at the end he said: "The answer to your question is in my office." Did he just read my thoughts?? Charles always says I have a very expressive face. I've always thought I'm animated to make up for my rigid straight figure. So sometimes my husband knows exactly what I am thinking, I always lose poker to him. But he has know me for half a decade, while I've spoken to Mr X for barely fifteen minutes.
-"He did say he's been watching you. Could it be he's been spying on you?!"
- Writer
