Yes master, p.19
Yes, Master, page 19
“Small talk has never been my strong suit!” I replied.
I glanced over at Jack, and he nodded for me to get started. Tommy may as well not even been in the room. He was sitting at the far end of the table, looking down at a notepad as he doodled. He didn't even acknowledge my arrival, which was fine with me as I really had nothing to say to the man. I focused all of my attention on making certain that Sven and Asher had a detailed understanding of the benefits my software could provide them. That portion of the meeting took about two hours. In that time, I was able to run through an extensive demonstration of my artificial intelligence software, including the royalties calculator, which was the main aspect that Sven and Asher were interested in knowing more about.
“What systems do you have in place to ensure the royalties charges are up-to-date and accurate?” Sven asked toward the end of the presentation.
“The companies that allow their products to be used within the program will take responsibility for keeping us updated on any royalties changes. I built a private messaging system for them to use to inform us of changes. That way, there can be no claims of ‘we sent you the changes, it’s not our fault you didn’t get them.’ They have to send royalties information through the program for it to be valid. That process would be included in the contract the companies will sign, allowing us to use their game code.”
Sven and Asher exchanged glances, and Sven nodded.
“Is there anything you haven't thought of?” Sven asked humorously.
“Not that I know of!” I laughed.
I was about to let that portion of the meeting end when an idea I’d had, long ago when I was writing the program, came back to me. I looked over at Jack to try to read his impression of how I was doing so far before deciding to talk to him about it. He was chuckling a little at Sven, so I decided to give it a shot.
“Excuse me just a moment, Sven, Asher,” I told them. “I’m going to have reception bring you some refreshments real quick. Do you mind if I step out for a moment? All this chit chat has me needing some more coffee!”
“Coffee sounds good, yes, take your time,” Asher agreed. I cleared my throat to get Jack’s attention. He looked up at me, and I nodded my head toward the door to tell him to go with me. He caught my meaning, excused himself, and followed me out the door. I pulled him aside in the hallway and looked back at the conference room to make sure the door was closed.
“What is it, Bennett?” he asked curiously.
“I had a concept develop clear back when I was writing the software for this, and I think it might help get Sven and Asher even closer to a buying decision. I did not want to present it before speaking with you,” I told him quickly. He raised an eyebrow at me.
“What's the concept?”
“It's pretty simple,” I started. “Our players are having custom code auto-populated while they play established games with this current software. I want to take all that code, sort it, piece it together, and use it to create whole new games. Those games would be able to be marketed to very specific audiences because the audience itself basically created it a little at a time.”
I watched Jack's face and hoped that I had explained my idea clearly enough so that he understood my concept. After he'd wrapped his head around the idea, he looked at me and started nodding.
“So, it’s like data mining our own code as it is created for specific user demographics?” he asked for clarification.
“Yes, exactly. Down the line, it would give us a bigger foothold in the gaming industry overall,” I added.
“Bring it up, just make it very clear that it is a concept in development. Then ask if they have input on the idea. People loved being asked their opinions on things!” he said without hesitation.
“Great! Thank you!” I replied. I hadn't expected to have as much fun as I was during the presentation, and being able to go off track a little made the experience even more enjoyable. Jack returned to the conference room ahead of me while I stopped by the reception desk to order out for drinks. I returned to the meeting with even more enthusiasm than I’d had before.
“Our drinks are on the way! I’d like to ask your opinion on an additional concept that may become available in association with the software you are looking at today. Do you mind?” I asked as I re-entered.
Both Sven and Asher’s faces lit up. Jack had been right. They were all ears when it came to being asked for their input.
After the technical presentation was complete, Sven and Asher asked if they could participate in a beta test. The next four hours consisted of the three of us, plus Jack, playing multiple video games. Then, my software combined each person's favorite aspects of the games we played into one game and added original, custom code to make a completely new game and a one-hundred percent personalized experience. At the end of our gaming session, I pulled the data showing how much we owed in royalties to which gaming brands and showed them to the group. It was easy to tell that they were impressed. After that, Sven and Asher wanted to speak with Jack about some business terms. I was not needed for that part of the negotiations, so Jack walked me back to my desk.
“Two things, Bennett,” he started. “First, don't ever let me catch you staying quiet about a piece of your tech ever again. I won't ask your reasons for not ratting Tommy out, but do not let anybody put you in that situation in the future. Secondly, I want you to know how extremely fortunate I feel to have you on this team. I've seen business presentations, most of them I end up yawning through, but what you did in there today, that felt more like entertainment than business. You really know how to sell your stuff!”
Jack offered me his hand to shake.
“You have no worries about me letting somebody pirate my software again. A temporary lapse of judgment, to say the least. I appreciate your evaluation of my presentation. That was a lot more fun than I've had in a while! I know you have salesmen that learn our products and then pitch them, so I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to make the presentation myself,” I replied, shaking his hand.
“Don't be thanking me for that,” Jack said, feigning irritation. “I'm gonna have to be honest with you and tell you the only reason you were able to do that presentation is that you are the only one that knows the software. That's the type of thing that happens when somebody else tries to pass your software off as their own! I hate to admit it because I've never really thought programmers had a sales bone in their bodies, but you have talent for days in both areas.”
“Ha! Hopefully, this wasn't just a one-off!” I joked with him. “I'm looking forward to hearing about the conclusion of your meeting.”
“I'll let you know as soon as I get wrapped up,” Jack said. He glanced up at the clock on the wall and then back to me. His face got suddenly serious. “I know it's been a long day for you, Bennett, but I have a favor to ask. Jenny ended up leaving early because her kid got sick. We had a delivery request come in at the last minute. It would be a three-stop starting with Ellen and Bill Baker. They need documents delivered to their accountant, and I need documents delivered to the district attorney’s office. Can you run the route one more time?” Jenny was Jack's secretary and the one who normally did his personal business deliveries.
“I don't have my bike with me, so I would have to bill for cab fare, but I'm more than willing to take care of it,” I answered him.
“I appreciate it. I'll get you the envelope I need taken right away. Then I have to get back to the meeting, and I will see you in my office bright and early tomorrow morning!” Jack slapped me on the back and smiled. He walked down the hall to his office and returned a moment later with a plain manila envelope. “Here you go,” he said as he handed it to me.
“This isn't addressed to anybody,” I commented.
“My correspondence with the DA’s office is never labeled. Jenny always takes care of it, so it hasn't been an issue before. When you take it in there, just let them know that it's from me, and they will get it where it needs to go,” Jack instructed.
“You've got it, boss!” I replied. Jack laughed and headed back to his meeting. I pulled out my phone and called the number on the card Glen the cab driver had given me. The phone rang three times, and then I heard his voice on the other end of the line.
“This is Glen,” he answered.
“Hey Glen, it's Bennett from this morning. Are you still on the clock?” I asked.
“I was fixing to check out for the evening, but we have flex hours here. What do you need?”
“I have a last-minute, three-stop delivery I need to take care of, and I need a driver to get it done. You interested?” I figured my chance of him being available was about fifty-fifty.
“Yeah, I'll take time out for that!” Glen replied happily.
“Perfect! Pick me up at the same office you dropped me off at this morning. I'll be outside the front door,” I instructed him.
“I'm five minutes away,” he told me and then disconnected the line.
20
Glenn had me picked up and driven to Bill and Ellen Baker’s house in under fifteen minutes. Ellen was standing on her front porch, waiting for me when we pulled up. I climbed out of the car and made my way to the porch.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Baker,” I greeted her. Ellen was a short five-foot, four-inches tall, and had a full head of bright white hair. She had a large hooknose and old, plain brown eyes.
“Hi there, Bennett. Don't you look snazzy today!” she complimented me.
“Hi, Mrs. Baker. Thank you!” I replied. I noticed she already had an envelope in her hands. “Is that what I am taking with me today?”
“Yes. I really appreciate the last minute delivery, Bennett. Some business came up that requires immediate attention, and Bill is out with the car,” Ellen explained.
“It’s not a problem, really. Where is this going?” I glanced at the unlabelled envelope she handed me.
“Harris Tax Services,” Ellen said. “Are you familiar with where they're at?” My heart skipped a beat at the thought of going back and possibly seeing Lottie again.
“Yes, I'm very familiar with them. I was just there yesterday, in fact,” I answered.
“It's very important that these papers get there before closing tonight,” Ellen replied bluntly. She had always been nice enough when I had done deliveries for her in the past, but I would never describe her as a warm, fuzzy, grandma type.
“I assure you they will get there during business hours today, Mrs. Baker,” I told her.
“Good. Thank you, Bennett,” she said dismissively. She turned and walked inside her house without a second look my way. I returned to the car, and Glenn and I started our trip to the District Attorney’s office, which was on the way to Harris Tax Services.
“She seemed like she was in a hurry from the looks of it,” Glenn observed.
“She’s not one for small talk, that's for sure,” I laughed.
“Some people have the gift of gab, others do not, isn't that right?” he laughed. I was about to agree with him when he reached forward and turned the radio volume up. The dial was set to an AM talk radio station, and the deejays were discussing that week's suggested investment advice.
“Do you play in the market?” I asked Glen.
“I would love to, but to tell you the truth, I wouldn't know if I was betting on a stallion or a miniature pony when it comes to picking stocks!” he started. “I do keep hearing about stocks coming available for innovative vehicle creations. You know, fully electric cars, self-driving vehicles, solar cars, that type of thing. It sounds pretty good, and I have been thinking about looking further into it. Are you into stocks?”
“I haven't broken into the stock market yet, no,” I replied. “I think if I heard about something like that, I would start looking into the companies that supply the parts to make the vehicles, especially if one company would be supplying more than one vehicle manufacturer with the same type of parts.”
“Why’s that?” Glenn asked, curiosity in his voice.
“Well, parts are used to build original units, but they are also used to fix existing vehicles. On top of that, if a company is supplying more than one manufacturer with parts, then if for some reason the manufacturer of the car goes down, the parts company still has other contracts to fulfill,” I explained. Glen started nodding his head as he listened.
“I think you should go on this radio show and explain things like that. I've been listening to those guys for months and barely know what they're saying half the time. You just made more sense in mere seconds,” he laughed.
“Well, I'm glad I could clear something up for you,” I laughed with him. I had never really considered playing the stock market before, but my financial situation was about to change now that I was moving back to programming. I was thinking about how it might be a good idea to start educating myself further when Glen and I pulled up to the DA’s office.
“Here we are,” Glenn informed me.
“I'll only be a minute,” I let him know as I hopped out of the car. I rushed up the courthouse steps and into the main lobby. I checked the directory to find which office I needed to go to. After a quick trip through security, I was directed to an office on the second floor. When I arrived, the lobby doors were open, so I walked directly up to a reception desk. A young woman with a tightly tied bun and oversized glasses looked up and smiled politely.
“How may I help you?” she asked me in a strong southern accent.
“I have a delivery for the District Attorney from 14Tech,” I told her. She nodded, and without saying a word, she picked up her phone and pushed a big blue button. After a moment, she started nodding her head continuously, said ‘yes, sir,’ and hung up the phone. She turned her attention back to me and smiled.
“It will be just one moment, and he'll be out to get that from you,” she informed me. She gestured towards a nearby chair, so I went and sat down.
I got a slightly uneasy feeling because I had no idea who the ‘he’ she was referring to was. In fact, Jack hadn't exactly been clear about where the envelope was supposed to go either. However, Jack had said that this was the process Jenny had in place when she made the deliveries, and Jenny was an excellent secretary, so who was I to question the process?
“You don't look like a pretty blonde?” a tall man in a black suit said as he walked towards me, hand outstretched. I stood up and shook the man's hand, having no idea who he was.
“Yeah, it was windy out one day, and I just could not handle it blowing in my face any longer, so the hair had to go,” I replied to his joke about me not being Jenny. The man smiled easily and gave a chuckle.
“Hi, I’m Assistant District Attorney, Steve Plantill,” he introduced himself.
“Bennett Anders, 14Tech,” I replied. “Good to meet you, Mr. Plantill. This is for you.” I held out the envelope I had tucked under my arm.
“I appreciate you bringing this over for Jenny. Please tell Jack that I hope Jenny’s kid feels better real soon,” he told me.
“I will be sure to do that, thank you,” I said. Mr. Plantill was very straight-to-the-point, but unlike Mrs. Baker, he was polite at the same time. He nodded his head and turned to go back where he came from.
I got back to the car as quickly as possible. It had been quite the eventful day, and I was looking forward to dropping Mrs. Baker's paperwork off at Harris Tax Services and then making my way home as soon as possible.
“The people on your routes don't like to chit chat much, do they?” Glen joked as we drove to our last stop.
“Not on this one, at least,” I replied. “The people on my regular route, however, some of them have become like family. There is a little restaurant that I delivered to that has the best burgers in the city and won't let me leave without one!”
“Best burgers in the city? You must be talking about Karen’s Diner!” Glen responded.
“You know Karen’s?” I was shocked. Very few people I had met seemed to know that her diner existed. I had always considered it one of those ‘best-kept secret’ type of places.
“Hell yeah, I know Karen’s! That woman has made it so that I cannot order a cheeseburger anywhere else in this city because hers are so good!” he said, pretending to be irritated.
“I'm with you on that!” I agreed. We started to compare different restaurants in the city that weren't popular but still had great food. By the time we reached Harris Tax Service, I had three new restaurants I was planning to try out, and Glen had two.
“Last stop, Mr. Bennett,” Glen said as we pulled up.
“Hopefully, this one is as quick as the last! I'm looking forward to home!” I told him as I got out of the car.
I walked up to the door of the suite and paused for a split second. I wondered if Lottie would be there again. Chatting with Glen had kept my mind off of thinking about her on the way over, but now it was possible I was going to be face to face with her again. If so, hopefully, I would be able to speak a bit easier than the last time. I took a deep breath, opened the door, and headed towards the reception desk.
A young gentleman wearing a white button-down shirt and brown slacks sat behind the desk. I recognized him as Lottie’s little brother, Matt. He looked up at me and flashed a professional smile.
“How can I help you today?” he asked. It was clear he didn't recognize me. I wasn't surprised in the least. He graduated a couple of years after Lottie and me, so we didn't really spend time with the same people, other than Lottie.
“I have a delivery from Bill and Ellen Baker,” I told him.
“Is that Bennett?” I heard a voice call from behind the partition in the office. A few seconds later, Lottie strolled around the corner and up to the desk. “I thought I recognized your voice! Two times in two days, this must be my lucky week!” she said warmly.
“Hi, Lottie. The luck is all mine! How are you doing today?” My heart was beating out of my chest, but at least this time, while speaking to her, I could breathe.
“Matt, I’ve got this,” she told her brother, politely dismissing him. She turned back to me. “You mean, have I been subjected to dealing with Blake today?” she said with a wink. She blushed a little, and I could tell she was trying to pass off embarrassment she had felt the last time I had been there.
