CHAPTER 52

CHAPTER 52

THAT BLUE FOLDER. SHE'S NOT HOLDING THAT FOLDER WHEN SHE GOT OUT OF THE CAR.
WHAT DOES THAT ALL MEAN?

MY MIND IS GETTING CRAZY AND MY SUSPICION IS GETTING BIGGER NOW THAT I SAW THAT BLUE FOLDER AGAIN.

"IS THAT MAN'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FALSIFIED SIGNATURE?" I ASKED MYSELF.
MY MIND IS GETTING CRAZY AS YOU CAN SEE. I DON'T LIKE SUSPECTING PEOPLE ESPECIALLY WHEN SOMEONE INVOLVES LOOKS NICE AND BEING NICE TO ME. I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES APPEARANCE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT DECISIVE BUT I'M JUST NOT BEING TOO JUDGMENTAL.

THEN MY PHONE RINGS. IT'S JEAN.

"WHERE ARE YOU? WE'RE LATE FOR TODAY’S MEETING." JEAN SAID CALMLY.

"I'M SORRY JEAN. I'M IN THE PARKING LOT RIGHT. I'LL BE THERE IN TEN MINUTES." I REPLIED AS I GOT MY BAG AND RAN TOWARDS THE DOOR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

"TAKE YOUR IPAD WITH YOU. LET'S NOT GO TO THE OFFICE. WE ARE NEEDED IN THE MEETING. THEY ALREADY DID WITH THE PRESENTATION."SHE SAID. "I'M HERE AT THE LOBBY." SHE ADDED.

"I THOUGHT YOU'RE ALREADY THERE BECAUSE I TOLD HALF AN HOUR AGO. I'M REALLY SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE LATE." I APOLOGIZED AS I CONTINUE TO RAN AND TURN OFF THE PHONE.

YOU DIDN'T EVEN SAY GOOD BYE. GOOD MANNERS, LOVE.

WHEN I REACHED THE LOBBY'S ELEVATOR, SHE'S STANDING AND WAITING. WE TOOK THE ELEVATOR AND GO TO THE SECOND TO THE LAST FLOOR.
I WAS SO TIRED BECAUSE OF THAT RUNNING. IT'S LIKE I'M RUNNING FOR MY DEAR LIFE.

"WHY THIS ELEVATOR DOESN'T DIRECTLY GO UP TO THE LAST FLOOR SO IT WILL BE EASY?" SHE ASKED BUT I THINK SHE'S ASKING HERSELF.

"FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, I THINK." I REPLIED

EMERSON POV

I WAS ABOUT TO ASK THE PRESENTER WHEN THE DOOR OPENED AND JEAN AND LOVE CAME IN.

"IT SEEMS THAT YOU'RE LATE." I SAID IN A TONE THAT A BOSS WOULD SAY.

"WE'RE VERY SORRY SIR. WE WERE DISCUSSING THINGS IN THE OFFICE AND TRYING TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS ON OUR OWN. WE BOTH DIDN'T LOOK AT THE CLOCK." JEAN SAID.

"IS THAT TRUE, MS. GILBERT?" I ASKED LOVE WHO LOOKS SO F*CKING GORGEOUS. SHE'S WEARING A PAIR OF WHITE PANTS AND WHITE BLAZER WITH TURQUOISE BLOUSE AND IN HEELS. I JUST CAN'T HELP BUT STARE AT HER, ESPECIALLY WHEN I KNOW THAT SHE JUST WENT TO JEMS COMPANY BECAUSE SHE'S HIS EMPLOYEE AFTER ALL.

"YES SIR." SHE SAID SMILING. THAT SMILE.
I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING BUT JUST SIGNED THEM TO TAKE THEIR SEATS AT MY RIGHT SIDE SINCE I'M AT THE CENTER OF THIS U SHAPED TABLE.

"SORRY FOR THAT." I SAID TO EVERYONE AND THEY ALL NODDED.

"DOES ALL YOUR EMPLOYEES LATE?" MR. GROOP SAID. HE'S THE BOSS OF THE PERSON PRESENTING IN FRONT. MR. GROOP IS THE LA GRACIAS EXTERNAL VICE PRESIDENT.

"EXCUSE ME?" I SAID. THIS MAN IS STARTING TO GET IN MY NERVES.
"ARE YOU SURE THAT ALL YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE NOT ALWAYS LATE?" HE REPEATED.
I SMILED. "YES."

LOOKING BACK AT THE PRESENTER "GOING BACK. ARE YOU SURE THAT, THAT WOULD BE PROFITABLE AS YOU ARE SAYING?" I ASK THE PRESENTER. I FORGOT HIS NAME, ANYWAY. BUT HE'S GROOP'S ASSISTANT AND I DON'T KNOW WHY HE'S THE ONE PRESENTING INSTEAD OF THAT BASTARD.

"YES." THE MAN SAID. TOO CONFIDENT HUH?

"HOW SURE?" I ASK.

"I THINK 90% SIR." HE REPLIED.

THEN I LOOKED AT HIM AND TILTED MY HEAD. "YOU THINK?" I ASKED IN THE MOST ANNOYING TONE.

HE LOOKS UNSURE. "Y-YES." HE REPLIED AS HE FORMULATES WORDS IN HIS HEAD. HE IS DEFINITELY PREPARING FOR MY NEXT QUESTION.

I NODDED. "WHAT'S YOUR BASIS?" I ASKED.

HE PAUSED FOR A MINUTE AND THINK.

THAT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA, BUDDY.

"IT’S AN ASSUMPTION SIR SINCE OUR COMPANY INCREASED UP TO 90% LAST QUARTER." THE MAN REPLIED.

"AN ASSUMPTION?" I ASKED HIM. "WHY IS THAT ONLY AN ASSUMPTION? ARE WE TAKING CLASSES RIGHT NOW FOR YOU TO GUESS?" I ADDED. "IS THIS EVEN A BUSINESS PLAN?" THIS TIME I LOOK AT MR. GROOP WHO LOOKS LIKE HE'S NOW FIDGETING.

"IT’S JUST AN ASSUMPTION BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL NOT TESTED." MR. GROOP SAID.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TEST IT?" I ASKED.

"BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A RISK?" HE REPLIED.

I CHUCKLED. "SINCE THE ONE'S PRESENTING IS YOUR ASSISTANT, MR. GROOP, LET ME ASK MY CFO'S ASSISTANT." I SAID AS I LOOKED AT LOVE WHO LOOKED SHOCKED BECAUSE OF WHAT I SAID.

"MS. GILBERT..." I STARTED.

"YES, MR. TRIUMPH." SHE SAID.

"WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAYBE AND YES?" I ASKED HER.

SHE PAUSED FOR A SECOND AND SAID "IF YOU ARE NOT SURE OF WHAT TO ANSWER OR DOESN'T KNOW IT ALL YOU'LL SAY MAYBE. IT’S JUST LIKE AN ASSUMPTION. WHEN YOU SAY YES AND IN A VERY WELL TONE, THEN YOU'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE OF IT OR YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING." SHE REPLIED.

I NODDED. "HOW ABOUT WHY DO WE NEED TO TEST THE PROBABILITY OF YOUR BUSINESS?"

SHE SMILED AGAIN. "FOR ME, THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE SHOULD DO IF WE'LL BE CREATING A BUSINESS PLAN. THAT WOULD BE THE BASIS ON HOW WELL OUR BUSINESS WILL BE IN THE FUTURE. YOU WON'T NEED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS JUST TO TEST IT. YOU ONLY NEED PAPERS, PEN AND YOUR ABILITY TO CREATE QUESTIONS THAT WOULD BE LIKELY TO BE HELPFUL ON THE BUSINESS YOU'RE ABOUT TO CREATE. ALL YOU NEED IS TO HAVE A SURVEY AND ANALYZE EVERYTHING ON IT AND THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE RIGHT PERCENTAGE ON HOW WELL YOUR COMPANY WILL BE IN THE FUTURE. ALSO, WE NEED TO BE RISKIER IF WE WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL." SHE STATED CONFIDENTLY. OF COURSE SHE KNOWS IT. SHE'S A CHIEF FINANCING OFFICER, ANYWAY.
I GRINNED AND I SAW HER BLUSHING ALL THE WAY. WHEN I LOOKED AGAIN, SHE LOOKED AWAY AND FOCUSES ON HER IPAD.

LOOKING AT GROOP, "HOW ABOUT YOU MR. GROOP?" I ASKED.

"WHAT ABOUT ME?" HE SAID.

"ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE THAT COMPETENT TO BE IN THAT POSITION?" I ASKED, SMIRKING.

THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM SILENCED. IT'S LIKE YOU CAN HEAR THE SOUND OF A DROPPED NEEDLE. EVERYONE GOT SHOCKED AND LOOKED AT MR. GROOP'S FACE THAT'S STARTING TO BE RED.

THAT'S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU'LL ASK ME IF ALL MY EMPLOYEES ARE ALWAYS LATE.

THEN HE SMILED. "YES OF COURSE." HE REPLIED.

I SMILED. "LETTING YOUR ASSISTANT PRESENT A MILLION DOLLAR DEAL, IS THAT WHAT YOU CALL YOURSELF AS COMPETENT? YOUR ASSISTANT HAS MORE COURAGE THAN YOU. DON'T YOU THINK, YOU SHOULD BE SWITCHING POSITIONS?" I REPLIED FIRMLY.
I SAW HIM LOOKED AT HIS ASSISTANT AND EYED AT HIM. SHOOKING MY HEAD, MY OTHER EXECUTIVES APOLOGIZED TO ME AND ALL I DID WAS TO SAY "IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT."

THEN AFTER SAYING IT, I STOOD UP, BUTTONED MY SUIT AND SAID. "I THINK THERE WILL BE NO DEAL AT ALL, MR. GROOP." I STATED. AS I WALKED OUT, MY OTHER EXECUTIVES ARE STARTING TO GO OUT AS WELL.

I PAUSED. "MS. MCCLAIRE?" I SAID TO JEAN.

"YES, MR. TRIUMPH?" SHE SAID.

"COME TO MY OFFICE, BOTH OF YOU." I SAID TO JEAN AND LOVE.