Chapter Seven - Rush

I don't have much time to settle into the suite, all I do is put my suitcase on the bed while I rummage through it to find my makeup and my hairbrush for one last tidy up before the meeting. I also take out my laptop and take the time to check one last time that it has all the information I need.

Forty-five minutes later, there's a knock on the door. I open it and see my boss.

Apparently, he's in a hurry today. He prepped for the flight that ironically doesn't take orders from him and left at its scheduled time, and now he's here in front of me ready to go, as if we didn't already have a few minutes to spare. But thank the good Lord, I'm ready too, I'd hate for him to have any reason to complain.

" Are you ready? "Asks me, closing one of the buttons on the sleeve of his jacket. Needless to say, he's impeccable, isn't he? Everything only gets better with the black paste deposited on the floor beside you. Adam easily intimidates anyone and wouldn't even need the expensive suit, frown and briefcase that clearly indicates how important he is.

"Yes sir. I'll get my bag. I say and go to the bed where I left her. I take it together with the suite card and we leave.

We walked in silence towards the elevator. It's almost one in the afternoon so there's a reasonable movement in the hotel corridor. We shared the elevator with a few other people who appeared to be tourists. They seemed to be all together. Two of the five boys had a camera hanging around their necks by a cord and were happily chatting away. One of them is not intimidated by the large male figure next to me who could be my boyfriend perhaps? And he looks blatantly at me. I lower my head and shake my head as I hear Adam clearing his throat as if he wants to draw the boy's attention away.

"Ich muss öfter nach Kalifornien kommen. "Mutters the boy and I have no idea what he's saying but Adam seems to have understood given his disgruntled eye roll. Which only makes the group of friends lower their heads to chuckle.

In the next instant, the elevator opens on the ground floor and we all descend. The group walks one way, Adam and I go the opposite way.

"What did he say?. "I ask. Trying to keep up with my boss's hurried pace.

"As?. "He pretends to be ignorant but it's obvious he knew what it was about.

"The kind boy in the elevator. "I'll explain. "Was it German?

"Yes, it was German. "He just says.

"Can you tell me what he said? "I ask.

"Why? Do you think he was singing Miss?. "Question stopping walking. We are at the entrance to the hotel. He takes his cell phone out of his pocket and types a message to someone.

"Surely he was singing to me. " I say as if that situation amuses me. Nothing like getting a man's attention and leaving another apparently uncomfortable in the same situation without making any effort. My ego was loving it.

"Yeah, he was. " Adam says without taking his eyes off the phone. In the next instant, he puts it back in his pocket and we wait for who knows what.

"Okay, no need to say. " I shrug knowing full well that he wouldn't. "We are staying at the same hotel, we can meet later. "I say.

"Wouldn't it be better if they spoke the same language? "Adam says with all the possible sarcasm loaded in his voice.

"I don't want to meet him to talk. "It's just what I say, a few bad words that had the power to shut up my boss. I wanted to stop right then, he was literally speechless, a few more seconds of silence and I would have made fun of him. Only the son of a bitch was lucky. A black car pulls up right in front of us bringing it back on track and then I realize that's what we've been waiting for standing there.

We got in the vehicle and it took us less than ten minutes to reach the construction site of the restaurant that has been giving the company problems.

It was lunch time so the large space under construction was empty but I imagine the workers are right next door in the space made for them, having lunch.

Adam smiles and looks admiringly at that large space of construction in progress. I honestly don't know what he admires as all I see is a pile of materials, lots of dirt, scaffolding and bricks.

"I can see that you really love what you do. "I comment while he still admires the space.

"For sure. I can already imagine the finished restaurant, several people arriving for dinner and new people wanting to know which company was responsible for the creation and development of the plant. "He says.

"That's if Mr. Raul agrees to continue with our services. " I remember.

"I'm pretty confident he'll accept. " Guarantee me.

A car, also in black, approaches and Adam knows right away that he is our customer. We walk to the car and a tall white guy gets out, he goes around and opens the back door of the vehicle and Mr. Raul, a man about six feet tall, black and in his fifties. He has gray hair and a beard which makes him extremely charming.

We shake hands and head to the space where I mentioned earlier that the workers would be and indeed they were. After a quick general bow, we walked, Mr. Vasquez, Mr. Winters and I to a separate room in the back where it's just us. That's where we met last time and Mr. Raul preferred that it be again. It is a fairly large room, there is a large table and windows that give a view of the work. Most strategic place impossible.

Mr. Raul starts by saying everything that Adam and I already had in mind, about the recurring problems that are discouraging and make him want to stop the contract. I do my thing, just jotting down some information on my laptop while both gentlemen talk. Mr. Winters remains calm though, he knows he's in control. We have everything we need at hand, but of course, knowing that everything can run away from our hands like water escaping through our fingers.

"I understand that the problems that have been arising are discouraging, but we already have an average of sixty percent of the work done. It would be even more disheartening for you, in my view, if you had to terminate your contract and sign with another company. I know that money is not a problem for you, but considering all the bureaucracy involved in terminating the contract that is already in progress, it would cause more headaches, not to mention the fines. "Adam says and only those arguments would have made me change my mind.

"Yes, but as you said, these are recurring problems. I would like to have my restaurant ready as soon as possible and seeing how things are going, I have already calculated a few weeks delay for the finished work to be delivered to me. "Mr. Raul hits beautifully.

"If you give us one more chance, I promise we will deliver the restaurant ready on the agreed date. "Mr. Winters proposes and Mr. Raul seems to think about it.

I'm quick and soon I open a highly realistic image that I had separated of how the finished hotel will look, already with the painting done and the decorations. Adam gives a discreet half smile at my efficiency and I know that was just what we needed to convince Mr. Vasquez.

"Here, we got this image of how your restaurant will look when it is delivered. "I hand the laptop to Adam who zooms in on the image and turns the screen to Mr. Raul who smiles analyzing.

"All good. I will give your company another vote of confidence, but let it be clear that it will be the last. And that I want the work delivered on the day that was agreed before the unforeseen events. "Mr. Raul was giving an ultimatum, take it or leave it.

"I guarantee you won't regret it and thank you once again for trusting our work. " My boss thanks you.

A few more minutes of talking and points agreed, and the meeting comes to an end. About ten minutes later, Adam and I are pulling up to where the car that brought us is parked. Mr. Raul had already left. I looked at my watch on my wrist and it read 2:42 pm I was starving and as a reminder, my unobtrusive stomach rumbles. It was obvious that Adam would listen, he was beside me as this time I gave in and sat in the front seat of his car.

"I was waiting for the right moment to ask her to have lunch with me and it seems that her stomach decided to express itself. "He scoffs which makes me angry and a little embarrassed.

"I'm not having lunch with you, I'm having lunch at the hotel. "I deny putting the seat belt in the car.

"Do you prefer room service to a fancy restaurant? "He looks confused.

"I refused for the company itself. "I clarify smiling but without any trace of humor. Then he laughs.

"If you come to lunch with me, I'll tell you what the guy in the elevator said. "Proposes, the son of a bitch was the devil himself on earth. He knew how to negotiate like nobody else.

"Okay, if you insist. "I shrug pretending that from the beginning I didn't want to accept that invitation and spend a few more minutes next to him.