It was eight in the morning when Brandon settled in his office. His cell phone and email kept popping up reminders of the meeting he was to have at nine with Halal Establishments. He asked Watson to ensure that the conference room number three was set for the meeting. By quarter to nine, Bran was already seated in the conference room awaiting his guests. Seated around the round shaped table were also a few senior executives of the company. It was well known that one thing the top boss despised most was tardiness and so all employees ensured that they were where they were needed ten minutes before the actual time. It was part of the company's culture.
A few minutes later, the door to the conference room was opened to his visitors. One of the secretaries came in followed by two men-one a short round man dressed in an all-white suit and the other man dressed in an all-brown suit, but only a bit taller than the latter. Bran, who was dressed in an all-black suit, stood up to greet his guests with brief handshakes. The contrast between the dressed men was very conspicuous.
"Mr. Ahmed Nassir, feel welcome at BESMA Group of companies. I am Mr. Brandon Joseph, CEO, and I am accompanied by Mr. Watson Paul, my PA, Ms. Margret Jane, the company's top executive secretary, Mrs. Gladys Isaac, our Chief Financial Officer and Mr. Leonard Theo, the company's assistant GM." Bran introduced his members on the table one by one to his guests. As he did so, members mentioned waved at the guests to assist in clarity, who nodded in confirmation. Maggie immediately stood up to distribute the proposal by Halal establishments round the table.
"It is very nice to meet you Mr. Joseph. We have heard so much about you and the prosperity of your company. As you had mentioned before, I am Mr. Ahmed Nassir, Managing Director to Halal Establishments. This one here beside me is my PA, Mr. Said Abdul. We sincerely appreciate taking your time to consider our proposal. As you may be away, my organization deals with wholesale and distribution of packaged and fresh food products and produce. If we can all turn to page five please, we can all see that we have acres of land in the area countryside of Toyu where we organically and inorganically plant our food products which we then transport to our main firm here in BB City for manufacturing those to be processed. In page ten, you can see our firm's branches all over the country and we plan to expand it to the near future, with your help.
In the last few pages of the proposal, you find our financial statements showing our business is doing healthy financially. Now, our proposal to BESMA Group is a partnership. Your company is well known far across the country's borders and we ask that you partner with us to grow even farther. We ask that within you transport and touring business, you allow us sell some of our products to the clients seeking your services. Profits shall be distributed at a fifty-fifty percent per annum. The products shall contain both ours and your company's logo and brand."
As he went on, Bran kept an attentive ear while constantly looking at the proposal's hard copy. Maggie was busy taking minutes for the meeting, Watson, the assistant GM and the CFO were busy scribbling their own notes in their diaries. The meeting went on for the better part of the morning and by the time it was coming to an end, noon was already approaching. Nassir was quite fluent in his presentation, rarely stuttered and very lively. He kept his introduction short and straight to the point. It is as if he knew was Bran appreciated in presentations. Watson was quite impressed with this too. His mind suddenly moved to the interview scheduled for tomorrow. There was one thing he forgot to do.
"I have heard your proposal and it is quite interesting and very smart. As discussed, please supervise the amendments as requested and send it back to us for final review. As soon as we receive your final draft, we shall give you feedback before end of the same week. As for now, you must be famished sitting in the office for the whole morning. Please, allow me to take you out for lunch." Bran requested his guests.
At Blue View Hotel.
Natasha was staring deeply in to her screen as if she was studying for her last term in high school. She did not seem to notice someone else join her and help her look at the screen before her from behind.
"What are you doing Tasha? BESMA Group? Wait, isn't that the biggest company…" Sasha stopped talking as she observed Natasha quickly close the search page on the screen. "Isn't that behavior saved only our bosses?" Sasha asked her friend. She noticed Natasha fight to avoid eye contact as she struggled to gain composure. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time Tasha?"
Natasha looked at her friend in awe. She was surprised that her friend found her to be a trouble maker. Though, it was indeed true. Sasha had saved her from personal and work problems many times than she could count. One time, Natasha had asked for the keys to one of the presidential suites in the hotel with the excused that one of the clients had called and said he had left something of his in the room but was not sure. She took the chance to shower in the suite then forgot herself as soon as she lay on the bed. Only when the hotel manager was going round inspecting the room did he find the girl cozy in the bed dead asleep. She was given her first and last warning after being made to clean the room again and her salary for the month was cut in half, which was barely enough to support her for the month. That is when Sasha came in and supported her until she made it to the end of the month. Ever since, she had been grateful to her one dear best friend.
She pulled Sasha hand forcing her to slightly bend to her. She then looked round to ensure no one was listening then whispered in her friend's ear, "Sassy, I am only telling you this because you have been my best friend for two years now. I got an interview tomorrow the GM position at BESMA Group of companies. And I don't know if I should go." Sasha let out a scream of joy before Natasha covered her mouth lest she attracted any attention. "Please quiet down. Geez!" Natasha warned her friend. Sasha nodded in agreement to show restraint.
"Gosh girl! Why did you not tell me? When did his happen? Did you apply for the position without telling me? I am offended by that. Why do you not want to go? Don't be foolish. People would kill for that position!" Sasha mumbled on and on until Natasha could take no more and asked her to let her explain. She then explained to Sasha the events of the day and that she was not sure whether the guy was a conman because such an opportunity was too good to be true. Sasha only convinced her to go and even volunteered to help her pick the dress for the interview. Before they could get any farther, their supervisor was already headed towards them.
"I see we are having a meeting?" She asked the two girls sarcastically.
"No Ma'am!" The two girls replied in unison as each quickly went back to their works. Sasha worked in the cleaning division which was at the back end of the hotel so she quickly disappeared via the side door next to the reception area leaving Natasha and the supervisor.
"What were we discussing?" Mrs. Mary asked her subordinate.
"Nothing Ma'am. She… she was just asking if I had received the cleaning detergents." Natasha lied avoiding eye contact with her supervisor. Mary knew she was lying, of course, she was used to it already. "Get back to work!" She ordered as she went through the same door Sasha had gone through and disappeared. Mary always terrified Natasha. She had a mean demeanor about her, always cold, strict, never smiling, always backing orders and hardly ever spoke more than ten words to anyone. There was a rumor that though she had the title of a married woman, she was unmarried as no one had ever seen her husband. People believed she had faked her marital status and the inability to get married is what made her a very bitter woman. She was in her mid-forties and therefore it constantly dawned on her that her dream may not come true and thus she took her frustrations out on everyone.
While Natasha was busy engulfed in her boss' situation, her cell phone vibrated bringing her back to reality. It was a text notification. "9:00 A.M Sharp. Don't be late." She read the text out loud and wondered whom it might be from. She looked at her cellphone time. "13:30 P.M." So of course it was not for that day. Unless. 'How did he get my number?' She asked herself. 'What is going on here?' She asked herself even more frightened.
Watson had just parked out at Justice Law Firm and was following his boss in to the building when he felt his phone vibrate. A text notification. 'It must be her.' He thought to himself and smiled. As soon as they got off the elevator in to the seventh floor, he took out his phone and read the message. "How did you get my number? Who are you people?" He smiled and put back his phone in his pocket after typing a short reply. Bran simply ignored his PA and walked to the end of the corridor, to the last office.
"Mr. Bran, you did not have to come. I could have come to your office instead. Please, sit." Jacob welcomed his friend.
"No problem Jack. I needed to get out of my office either way." Said Brandon taking a seat next to the desk. Watson sat down on the sofa next to the door.
"Well, can I get you anything? Non-alcoholic, that is?" Asked Jacob. He remembered how much trouble he had gotten his friend out of back then when Bran was a full-time drank. They were both successful age-mates in their careers. They were best friends even.
"Not at all friend. I have just had lunch. And I put my past behind me. You know that." Bran answered, trying to calm down his left hand. Jacob reached in to his top most right desk drawer and fished out a bar of chocolate and handed it to his friend. Watson watched with a smile. 'Jacob is indeed a good friend. He even did my work for me. Very nice.' He thought to himself as he watched Brandon open the bar of chocolate and begin to eat it. This was the other addiction that could fight the major one.
"The piece of land you were asking about belongs to a particular wealthy family in DD City. The Michaels. It stretches out for five hundred acres and thus they are unwilling to sell it. But as you said in your previous meeting, everyone has a price and at the right price, you can get even the most unsellable item. And I found out what the Michael's price is."