Page 7 of Negotiation Tactics
Do I? “No, it’s okay. I’ll just demolish them and insist on talking to the commission.”
She chuckles and leaves. I finish going through my notes, feeling a lot more confident than I did before. Devon Holidays just made a mistake, a big one at that, by sending someone other than their commission to meet with me. Because, unlike me, whoever this junior partner might be, they won’t see me coming. They won’t know what hit them, and when I am done with them, they’ll have no choice but to agree to the Union’s demands.
Still, that doesn’t mean that it will be an easy fight, even if my opponent might be inexperienced. It’s never that easy to get what you want when you are up against the kinds of people the Union has to deal with. I remember all the late nights and stressful days in my mom’s life, in that of Mariam and the other members, the nerves expelled. The people we stand up against will do anything to keep their profits. To screw over their workers, to cut corners. It’s all about the money, always, and the human element, the cogs that keep their business running, is right at the bottom of their priorities.
It’s unfair.
A text from my brother, Jaz, that he’s passed his exam pulls me out of my thoughts. I can’t help the smile as I shoot back a quick reply.
Me:GJ. Big bro is proud!
I also attach a dozen random emoji. His acknowledgment is a grinning face and one with rolling eyes.
Needing a quick break before I make my way to the Devon headquarters so my headache can settle, I type out another message.
Me:Call tonight?
Jaz:Can’t. Steve and I are going partyyyyyyyyiiiiing. Maya’s gonna be there. *peach emoji* *eggplant emoji* *fire emoji* *hot pepper emoji*
Me:Don’t get too wasted and remember to use condoms.
Jaz:Yes, mooom. I’ll call you when I wake up tomorrow?
I chuckle, knowing he won’t be up before five p.m. my time.
Me:Idk, I have plans with this hot stud I met online… so you better not sleep through the whole day.
Jaz:I call bullshit. Bet you are still fantasizing about that hookup from a month ago.
Ugh, I regret telling him about that. He won’t drop it. But also, my brother just knows me too well. Both he and his twin, Steve, left two years ago to pursue degrees in psychology and computer science respectively, leaving me and mom here in Portland. It was tough the first year, all our savings going toward tuition and living expenses, but they’ve both started working, so things are a lot more tolerable nowadays.
I shoot back a ‘maybe’and he wishes me good luck with my negotiations, both of us happy to leave the otherto their own thing. As I glance at the old clock above the door, I realize it’s already past four, and unless I leave in the next two minutes, I might be late and miss my chance to wipe the floor with an asshole rich snob.
3
Alistair
I’mstillonthefence about meeting the Union rep. But I want to do this, even if we have a specially appointed commission that handles such matters. I want to prove to my father that I am more capable than he thinks by navigating this ordeal myself and shutting it down before it can get out of hand.
He’s the type who thinks I’d fuck shit up the moment I took over. Yes, we don’t necessarily see eye to eye about things, and he’s definitely still stuck in the past about certain things, but I want to make our business even more successful. It has been my goal since I can remember and it’s what is meant to happen, one way or another.
I just wish he trusted me a little. Sure, maybe I lack ‘real-life’ experience what with being fresh out of a two-year MBA program in London, but I aced all my modules, and besides, since my return, I’ve been heavily involved with the day-to-day of Devon Holidays.
I got this.
Pumping myself up on the inside, I look up from my hickory tie that I’ve been battling with for the past five minutes and meet my blue eyes in the mirror. I am still a bit jetlagged from the last-minute trip to our Korean office, but the three cups of coffee I swallowed are starting to work their magic, so I almost feel human again. As a bonus,the caffeine and adrenaline also help me not think about a certain pair of green eyes that I can’t get out of my head even if I haven’t seen them in more than a month.
It’s a pain in the ass, really. I’ve never been hung on a hookup before. Yes, we had an amazing time—our compatibility was off the charts and so natural—but that was weeks ago. I’ve moved on, he’s moved on. The end.
After I run a hand through my hair and slick it back, I deem myself ready, so I grab my coat from the walk-in closet and head downstairs. Am I thinking about this so much because work has kept me overly busy and I haven’t had the chance to scratch the itch again? But I’ve never had a problem before. One-night stands are just sex, after all.
Yet, I can’t forget that smartass. He visits my late-night fantasies when I find myself with some free time before bed, and while I don’t recall the exact way he looked, those green eyes are imprinted into my memory.
“Ugh, get your shit together, Alistar. Today is a big day. You don’t have time for this. Focus.”
Chasing away the inappropriate moping, I enter the living room. My parents are there already, mom lounging with a cup of tea in hand and dad catching up on football recaps.
“Are you sure about this, son? You have a good team that knows how to handle those union cronies,” my dad says, shifting his attention from the massive TV to me.
