Page 38 of Collin: Episodes 7-9
“You’re focusing local. But you’re still the managing owner of the other companies.”
“Yes.” Mr. Reevesworth glanced at his phone. “At least for a couple years.” He opened something and frowned.
“What, sir?”
“Ash sent me the footage. I know the guy. His name is Otto Barker. He’s a lawyer.”
“He said the same thing that guy said at the lunch last week, about how I better be looking for a new job. Not the exact same thing, but the implication was pretty similar. You think it’s related?”
Mr. Reevesworth drummed his fingers against the desk. “I should really keep a private investigator on staff. Anyway, look him up. Call his law firm, He works at something Smith and Sons; I can’t quite remember. Tell them he can see me for five minutes at one thirty today directly outside the mayor’s office. Let’s not have him here again.”
“Won’t that annoy the mayor, sir?”
Mr. Reevesworth smirked. “Precisely. On the day I’m offering the mayor a significant amount of money and investment for a pet project.”
Etiquette lessons took place in the conference room. Collin enjoyed the two hours. It was like active class with no notes, but it did have homework. His instructor came with a list of books and basic information he was supposed to have passing familiarity with in the next twelve months. They were starting with sports. Evidently, knowing the names of all the major city leagues for football and baseball was important, and he was going to have to understand basic golf references. The instructor had come with flashcards and video presentations. But she also had an ample supply of stories and told them in a quick, humorous fashion, illustrating why Collin should want to know these things. Half of the things he was supposed to memorize were embedded in the stories, making them easy to remember.
Collin relayed what he’d learned to his master as they walked to Mr. Reevesworth’s lunch meeting with the mayor. And then Mr. Reevesworth shared about his morning.
Warmth flooded Collin’s chest; his master was telling him things he didn’t need to know simply because he wanted to tell him.
A wondrous smile played on Collin’s lips as he flushed and listened.
Lunch was informal. There was a rectangle table set for six, three to a side, in a private room. The mayor greeted Mr. Reevesworth with a handshake. She was shorter than him by more than twelve inches, even in her heeled boots, but she didn’t seem the least bit intimidated.
“It’s been too long, Richard.”
“Agreed, Ananya,” Mr. Reevesworth pressed her hand with both of his own. “Please allow me to introduce my assistant today. Collin, this is Mayor Kapoor; Ananya, this is Collin.”
The mayor extended her hand. Collin shook it, keeping it short and professional. Whether he managed not to blush, he wasn’t sure.
“Good to meet you, Collin.” The mayor shot Mr. Reevesworth a look. “So, Richard, what is interesting about this young man? You only bring interesting people.”
Mr. Reevesworth chuckled. “You know me too well. I found Collin at a symposium at the university a while back. I like his work around aquaponics and local economies.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Curious indeed. That’s not an industry we have around here.”
Her assistant, a tall man with almost white-blond hair approached. “Ma’am, lunch is ready to be served.”
“Thank you, Jonathan. Jonathan, this is Collin. He does research into aquaponics.”
Jonathan regarded Collin with pale blue eyes for a moment and extended his hand. “Ma’am, I’m not sure how much research he can do. He doesn’t have gills.”
Mayor Kapoor laughed with her mouth opened and eyes crinkled up. “Jonathan.”
Jonathan’s lips twitched. He cast his boss an indulgent look and turned back to Collin. “I’m sure you can hold your breath.”
Collin grinned. “Long enough, yes.”
They sat at the table; a city counselor and another assistant joined them. Jonathan and Collin mostly kept their peace, rising to pour more coffee and seltzer at points. The way Jonathan knew his boss’s wants, handing her hot sauce before she even thought of it and handling her chair, struck Collin deeply. He filed it away for later.
The conversation was fascinating and mostly focused on a proposed extension and expansion of the intercity trains.
Shirley, a brunette with blue eye makeup at the end of the table, gestured with her fork above her Greek salad. “The alderman in that ward is absolutely against it. He can’t not be. We put a train through there with his permission, and the voters will have him out. They might even have you out, ma’am.” She nodded at Mayor Kapoor.
The mayor thinned her lips. “It’s a risk. One I’m willing to make if we have a chance of actually getting the project finished.”
“They don’t want to be developed.”
