I think about the money that Tina gave me already. I can afford to not have to work for the rest of the year if that’s what I want, but I’m not going to be able to count on Tina to fund the rest of my life. I wouldn’t want to, anyway. She’s my friend, not my bank. I want to know that I’m earning all of the money I make from being good at my job.
And here is Malcolm, a man with a lot of money and power, offering me a similar deal that’s longer term. I wouldn’t have to worry about finding new clients when Tina’s money runs out, or stress about needing to meet deadlines or whether I’ll be able to pay rent next month. I want to jump at this chance and take it. I would be stupid not to. Still, something holds me back.
As weird as it is, maybe I enjoy the stress of meeting deadlines. I was looking forward to putting myself out there and meeting new people. I want to know that I’m able to do it all on my own without any handouts, but an offer like this is hard to resist.
“I want you to think about it,” he says. “Don’t feel rushed. We can talk about it more later.”
As we talk a bit more about the ideas he has for his events, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. I look across the room and notice Tina and Ryan sitting by the bar. I should have known that this is the type of place where the two of them might go for a casual drink after work. They’re too far away to have heard any of my conversation with Malcolm. Their backs are facing me, but Tina has her head turned to look at me over her shoulder. She frowns and mouths something that I can’t quite make out. I frown back and shrug. She picks up her phone and points to it, then types something out. A moment later, my phone buzzes.
“Excuse me,” I say to Malcolm. I pull out my phone to see what’s so important.
Tina
Does Oliver know you’re on a date with another man?
Priscilla
It’s a business meeting, not a date.
Tina
Business meeting??? You have other clients?
“Something the matter?” Malcolm asks.
I realize that I’m frowning, so I try to put on a neutral expression. I shake my head. “Everything is fine,” I say. “My other client had a question, that’s all. I’m all yours now.”
I tuck my phone into my handbag and try to ignore Tina waving at me from across the bar. I can hear a faint buzz as she sends several more messages, but I don’t pick up my phone this time. I pull my focus back to Malcolm. I cross my legs, and my foot bumps his under the table.
“Oh. I’m so sorry.” I pull my foot away from his. He chuckles, and bumps his shoe into mine.
I smile politely, but I’m caught off guard. For a second, I wonder if he’s trying to hit on me. Maybe that’s why Tina thinks it looks like I’m on a date. I shake the thought out of my head. This man is all business. That’s the only reason he invited me here.
My thoughts wander to the hug he gave me on our way in. I hope I’m not misreading the intent of this meeting. My body feels hot. I sip on my margarita to cool myself down. My head feels light as the alcohol starts to hit me. Maybe I shouldn’t be drinking when I can’t even tell whether the person sitting across from me thinks this is a date. I push my drink aside so that I won’t feel tempted to keep sipping on it.
“So, tell me, Priscilla,” Malcolm says, leaning back. He rests one arm over the back of his seat, and with the other one, he holds his martini up to his lips. “What do you do when you’re not planning events for other people?”
I clear my throat. The immediate thoughts that come to my mind make me sound like I have no life: I watch a lot of Netflix, drink wine with my best friend, and think about all of the events I can plan for other people… which probably isn’t the answer he wants to hear.
I decide to just go with it. I’m not here to tell him all about my life. I’m here for business, and I want to make sure it stays that way. “My work pretty much is my life,” I admit. “I know that sounds kind of lame, but I think it’s true what they say about doing something you love and it won’t feel like work.”
He nods. “Absolutely. Great answer.”
I smile. “And you?”
“I’m the same way,” he says, continuing to nod like he’s excited about finding something in common between us. “There are no off hours when you do what I do.”
I wonder what he would have thought if I had a whole list of things I like to do when I’m not working. Maybe I like to go camping, or ice skating, or maybe I run marathons. I wonder if an answer like that would have been off-putting to him, or if he would have still nodded enthusiastically and said he likes to do the same exact thing.
We continue talking a while longer. Some of the topics stray from the reason we’re here—discussing the charity events he wants me to plan—but we always circle back to business. I’m feeling good about this. The more that I think about it, the better an exclusive deal with ANY-Time sounds. I could sign a contract for a couple of years, build up my portfolio, and decide from there if I want to continue on with Malcolm or find other clients.
“Do you want to get out of here?” Malcolm asks.
I peek at my phone to see what time it is. We’ve been here for almost two hours, but that’s not what catches my eye. It’s the long list of text messages from Tina filling up my screen.
“Oh. Yeah,” I say, distracted. “I guess it is pretty late. I better get home.”
I slip my phone into my bag and look back up at him. He smiles, but his brow is wrinkled. “Right,” he says. “Let’s meet up at my office next week. We can talk specifics then.”
