Before Lou can keep the ball in the air, Mr. Whiny-kins goes and spoils everything. “Oh for God’s sake, Roger,” he declares, “he’s here about 755!”
Nevertheless, I try to keep the fun going by feigning shock. I give a dramatic gasp and then turn to Jared. “Is that true, Jare-bro? Is 755 still on the market?” I glance at my tabloid. “Oh, was that the building your lawyers were doing shady things with, and now no one’ll touch it? Dude... Another tough break.”
“Oh, fuck you, Roger,” Jared finally snaps.
“Ah-ah, young man,” comes a rebuking voice from down the table. It’s Ellen, wagging a finger at Jared. “We don’t use that kind of language in these meetings.” Ellen stares Jared down a moment, then her eyes flit to me.Good?they ask.
Good,I tell her with a sly wink.
To Jared, I give a shrug. “I’ll be honest, man, I’m not even sure I’m really interested in 755 anymore.” I watch Jared’s eyes go wide. God, this is fun. “I mean, the way things are going forme, it feels like we could do a deal on just about any building in Manhattan. Isn’t that right, Lou?”
“That’sright, Roger,” Lou agrees. “But Mr. Barron has come all the way to see us, maybe you should show him your proposal for 755. Since he’s here already.”
“Oh, all right. Since he’s here.” I hop out of my seat. “OK, Gerald, do you have the details of my proposal?”
“I do,” Gerald says magnanimously. He opens his briefcase and pulls out a legal-sized manila folder jammed with papers. Gerald fishes inside the folder, then removes a piece of paper the size of a post-it note. He gives it to me.
I put it down in front of Jared. “What the f–” he stops himself, aware of Ellen’s warning stare. He starts again, “What is this?”
“That’s my proposal.”
“It’s blank.”
I stare at it.Oops.“Flip it over,” I tell him.
Jared flips it over.
He reads the number I had Gerald write down. As far as real estate in mid-town Manhattan goes, it’s a small number.Miniscule. Under the number, in Gerald’s precise, tight handwriting, is written:
No terms. No conditions.
Under that, in my chicken-scratch, it says:
Also, go away. I never want to see you involved in NYC real estate again.
I let Jared take all that in, his face pale. Finally, I ask, “All that sit OK with you, Jare’? Bro?”
He can’t even speak. His situation is such that he’s in no position to negotiate. He knows it. I know it.
Jared just nods. Done deal.
I clap my hands once, like a dealer finishing up his stint at the blackjack table. “Lou, Gerald, my dear board, I’ll leave the final piece of all this to you. See ya, Jare’.”
Slapping Jared on the shoulder, I again enjoy feeling him flinch.
The second I get back to my office, I’m on my cell.
“Hi, sweetie,” Natalie says when she answers. I never thought I’d enjoy being called a pet name like ‘sweetie’. But then, I never thought I’d have a woman like Natalie in my life, either.
“Hello, gorgeous,” I say back, grinning like an idiot. Still. Even after a year with her.
“How’d everything go at the meeting?” she asks.
“What do you call it when you not only make your business a ton of money, but also get to rub shit in the face of someone you loathe?”
“A good day at the office?” she offers.
“Then I’m havingthat,” I say.