Page 15 of Besties
He led us through the restaurant, and I suddenly felt very underdressed. There were men in power suits, women in elegant dresses, and here I was, in a slightly wrinkled blue Oxford shirt. I brushed a hand over the front of it, trying to make it look less out of place.
“You look fine, just leave it.”
When we got to the table, I slid into the chair, hunched over so no one could see.
“Seriously, Max. You look good. And if you notice, my clothes aren’t that much different.”
And they weren’t, but Richie’s attitude drew the focus from what he was wearing. He was a big man, and he commanded your attention.
As soon as we were seated, a waiter approached us, pad in hand. “Good evening, gentlemen. Can I get you something to drink before you order?”
“Yes. We’re celebrating tonight, so I’d like to start us off with a bottle of champagne. I saw on your website you had Krug, ‘Clos du Mesnil’ Brut - 97 WS Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Champagne. Is that available this evening?”
Whatever Richie was speaking, it wasn’t something I’d ever heard. About the only thing I understood was champagne.
“We do, and that’s an excellent choice. What are you celebrating, if I may ask?”
Richie glanced over at me. “I’m hoping to close a business deal tonight and get this man to work for me.”
“Very good, sir. I wish you both luck.” He handed Richie a red, leather-bound menu, then handed another to me. “My name is Simon, and I’ll be back in a few minutes with your beverage and to see if you’d like appetizers.”
As he strode away, I opened the menu and gawped at the prices.
“Richie….”
“Order what you’d like. I’m thinking about the filet mignon.”
He wasn’t really here. This whole thing was a dream. It had to be. None of this could be real. Or maybe this whole mess with Jesse had just pushed me into a psychotic break. It could happen, right?
“So what are you having?”
“I don’t know.”
He chuckled. “How about if I order for both of us?”
Unable to make sense of the words, I closed my menu and handed it to him. “Sure.”
When Simon returned, Richie started listing appetizers he wanted us to try, then ordered the filet for himself and roasted chicken for me. Simon jotted it down, then opened the bottle of champagne and poured a glass for each of us. After he left, Richie folded his hands on the table.
“Okay, now we can talk. Last night I spoke with my people, and they all agree that you would be perfect in the role of sales director. You have the skills we want, and you’ve got untapped potential. And the best part, you wouldn’t work in an office. Most of the things you’d need to do could be taken care of from your place. Occasionally you would need to travel, but that’s all covered by us.”
“Who isus? How can you afford all this?”
Richie puffed up his chest, his pride obvious. “Us is Ryland Global. We’re a cutting-edge software firm that custom creates curriculum for students who need a more specialized learning environment. From those who have challenges, such as dyslexia, to those who learn at accelerated rates, we meet with them, their parents, teachers, etc., and map out a plan that will give them the attention they need. My lawyers said we needed to incorporate, hence the name. Our software is Teaching Time Tools, or just Teaching Time. Makes it a lot easier to talk to people and not sound uppity.”
My head was spinning. “I thought you just had a startup?” I took a sip of my drink. It was light, fruity, and the bubbles tickled my nose.
“That was twelve years ago.” He grinned at me. “Those were the very lean days, as I begged, borrowed, and pleaded for funds. If there had been a KickStarter back then, I’d have been on it. I’d been told my ideas were sound, but too many companies stepped away, stating I was too young to lead such a project. The bulk of our funds came from grassroots efforts. Me and a few others went out, held town hall meetings, and sat down with parents of students who needed our help. Some of them desperately. They listened. Some asked if we’d be willing to back up our claims, so we had their kids come in and we showed what our plans could do for them.”
Finishing his glass of champagne, Richie reached for the bottle and put a little more in mine, then in his. He drank a bit, then leaned in close.
“Thanks to all that, today we’re the second-largest provider of educational tools in the country, and we’re expanding our base to be worldwide. We expect that to happen in the next five to seven years as we open branches in other countries. We have offices being built now in South America and Canada, and by next year, we hope to break ground on four in Europe.”
“Are you saying you’re rich?”
He snorted. “Hardly. I don’t draw much of a salary. I wanted to show the people who trusted us that we were worthy of it. So, most everything I earn gets rolled back into the business. I don’t need much, and what I do is mostly provided by the company. In terms of wealth, my place is about half the size of your old one, but I’m not home very often. The company pays for my apartment, and I have quite the generous expense account. Need to keep the shareholders happy, you know.”
He topped off our glasses of champagne, this time filling them completely and almost draining the bottle.
