The questions

Sometimes you ask questions you know the answer is not going to be satisfying.

The heat was unbearable. It seems that the asphalt was soft under foot. I wondered why do I continue to do this. One of those questions.

I was running early, as the traffic in from the airport was unusually light. The appointment was not one where showing up early was going to win me any points, no one appreciates the overly aggressive salesman. I was about to make the first contact with a purchaser who could make my year.

As I slowed my walk down the street I noticed a little coffee shop. 

Not one of those chain places that are the same everywhere in the country but a real coffee shop that looked like it had been there forever. I decided a cool drink in an air-conditioned bistro was just the thing to loose a half hour before my appointment.

As I stopped in, the place was almost empty. I seated myself at what one could only call the bar. I sat down and ordered an ice tea. As the drink was served I noticed this beautiful blond sitting one seat down. She had that certain presence that she knew who she was and was proud of it.

Her hair was spun gold and she had a tan that clearly was not from a bottle or tanning booth. Her eyes were invitingly large, with that almond shape that invites questions. Her nose was, well somehow the word pert seemed to pop into my mind and as it did I realized that I was staring and also noticed that she was staring back.

Her smile was genuine and warmed me in a way that the heat of the day had not.

“I would apologize for staring, however you are such a lovely woman and this has been a long hot day and somehow seeing you sitting there, I forgot all about it.”

“Now that is an original line and thank you. I also apologize for staring, but I have had a day of listening and while the day is not done, I think I am and well I am sorry but I was just letting my mind take me away from it all.”

We fell into a very comfortable conversation that was far too short for all of what I wanted to ask and say, but just right for connecting. I had to apologize and depart or I would now find myself offending the new client with my lateness rather than my early arrival. As I thanked her for a lovely break in a very long day I wanted to ask for her number but knew she would not be the kind of woman to just hand out a number to a stranger at a coffee house.

I now hurried down the street to make the appointment however I could not get that smile out of my mind. Time to focus and get into the pitch mode, but my how she captured my mind.

The office was just around the corner and as I entered the building I was directed to the elevators and the 14th floor. 

The receptionist was polite and showed me directly into a conference room so that I could plug in the laptop and prepare for the inevitable power point presentation. I was surprised when a couple of new names appeared and indicated that I should go ahead and begin the presentation. So into the sales pitch I leapt.

It went better than I could imagine, our product and their need could not have been better matched, and what was even better these people had done their homework and new what was needed and who it was they were going to deal with to obtain what they wanted.

I finished with a true sense that things could not have gone any better.

They asked if I could give them a few minutes and left me alone to take down the computer and presentation and wait that wait that seems to go on forever. I knew that no matter how good I felt in the presentation, the close was always something that you could never predict. But this sale had such potential for my carrier and what we could do for this company could easily change their financial position enough to make the up coming IPO more than a success.

“Congratulations………”

I turned to see a surprised look in those deep blue almond shaped eyes. I am sure she saw the same surprise in my eyes.

“Let me introduce myself, I am Marty Williams, the President of this little shop.”

“I hope you don’t think that I was trying to make a sale with our conversation earlier. I would not want you to think I was being insincere.”

“Not at all, I did not know you and you clearly did not know me. I doubt if either of us would have been nearly as engaging if we had been doing the marketing dance. Your proposal was well received by my staff and they suggested I come in and speak with you directly as we want to move forward with some speed and hope that you are willing to give us the remainder of your time this week to get the details all worked out and contracts signed.“

We relaxed into our comfortable conversation level again and just as we sat down the others joined us and the next several hours were spent in getting the fine points all settled out. I was able to email the proposal back to headquarters and get confirmation of the deal and with great handshakes all around, at 10 pm we were all done in and ready to end for the night.

As I was about to head out, Marty caught my arm and apologized for the late night and the drive to finish the deal. “I hope you will be able help us move this program forward this week. I would like to have our deal done before the weekend.” 

I assured her that I would be there till the ink was dry and the deal was done, and she thanked me and was out the door as I was saying good night to the others.

That evening I could not get her smile, and that incredible body out of my mind. She was clearly younger than I, but her competency and intellect were as developed as anyone I had ever met and I was unable to sleep that night with her smile tattooed on the back of my eye lids.