LET'S JUST SAY T WOULDN'T BE HERE IF ANYTHING HAD TURNED UP (MOST BROKERING FIRMS DON'T HAVE FOXES AROUND TLLLET YOU GET BACK TOIT WHILE T THINK OVER THE PROPOSAL.
UGHTEOOT pLAWS I Sean, MISTER BLACKCLAW? YES, OF ‘COURSE. (GOD DAMN I.) ; J) rue rane care oF rr Qu ay ‘THIS AFTERNOON GOT DOUBLE BOOKED. T NEED ‘YOU TO KILL AN HOUR OR TWO WITH ROGER. LOOK, IT'S JUST UNTIL T CAN [RETURN TO NEGOTIATE HIS CONTRACT TERMS. TIM JUST AN INTERN. WHAT DO YOU WANT ME To Doz TDON'T KNOW, MAKE HIM SOME COFFEE OR SOMETHING. JUST KEEP HIM HERE UNTIL GET BACK.
OF COURSE. TLL ‘SEE WHAT T CANDO, MISTER LIGHTFOOT. SLY BASTARD...) WL WHY DONT YOU. ‘SURPRISE ME? DOES LUCAS USUALLY HAVE YOU MAKE COFFEE FOR HIS CLIENTS WHEN HE `GETS CALLED AWAY`2 YOU KNOW, BUTTER ME UP SET THE MOOD TO SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE.
Y ‘THAT'S FLATTERING, REALLY, BUTTM JUST = AFILING INTERN. LUCAS ASKED ME TO ATTEND TO. = ‘YOU WHILE HE HANDLES AN... Te THAT AIN'T WHAT YOURE HERE FOR... -AMENTLL JUST BE ON MY WAY. DON'T SUPPOSE T COULD CONVINCE YOU TO STAYZ
THAT'S A LITTLE MORE LUKE I, FILING CLERK. GET ME NICE AND SLICK, ‘THEN T WANT YOUR CUTE [ASS OUT OF THOSE SLACKS. [AND UP ON THAT DESK.
“THE HELL ARE YOU. Yo- YOU SURE HELL “TALYIN' ABOUT? BE OKAY WITH TH YOU MEAN HE DOESN'T KNOW YOURE GIVING TAIL OUT TOCLIENTS? oa YOURE NOT GOING TO TELL. HIM ABOUT THIS, ARE YOU TAINTT GOTTA TELL HIM NOTHIN.
HUFF T THINK HE SAID AN HOUR, BUT ITTAKES AT LEAST THAT LONG JUST~ YOU ARENT DONE, ARE YOU?
| if iy i
EVERY SMOLDERING ANOTHER CLOSED DEAL FOR LUCAS. IT SEEMED LIKE NOTHING COULD GO WRONG.
MISTER LIGHTFOOT ‘THANKS YOU FOR ‘YOUR BUSINESS. ‘OUR COUNTER-OFFER IS ON ‘THE TABLE IN FRONT OF YOU. [LUCAS SHOULD BE BACK SOON TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THE MERGER.
MISTER BRAUN! DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO REVIEW ‘THE REVISED MERGER AGREEMENT? sa 0 ‘YOUVE GOT QUITE A BUSINESS, PARTNER. VERY PERSUASIVE.
TQUESST DID SAY THAT. AND, IN RETROSPECT, T ‘SEE HOW IT COULD BE MISINTERPRETED. ‘LTHINK WE NEED. ‘TOTALK ABOUT. DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT T ‘SAID TO YOU THE LAST TIME. WE SPOKE IN PRIVATE? IT'S NOT THE DRY CLEANING, IS 1 ‘YOU SAID THAT IF T™M GOING TO HELP, T SHOULD START USING MY MOUTH RATHER THAN MY ASS. NOT THAT T HAD MUCH OF A ‘CHOICE WITH THIS ONE, IF I'M BEING PERFECTLY HONEST.
LS 7 = WaaDNT SANE Ia em WAS A PROBLEM. HAD TO HAVE BEEN AT LEAST-- LOOK... KNOW HOW ‘THE WORLD WORKS. WHEN A CLIENT SEES A FOX IN AN. ENTRY LEVEL POSITION AT A BROKERING FIRM, OR ANY OFFICE FOR THAT MATTER, ‘THEY HAVE CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS. ‘THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT T WANT TO FIX. ‘YOU DON'T WANT T0 BE AFILING CLERK FOREVER, DO You2
‘OUR CLIENTS HAVE BEEN MORE THAN SATISFIED WITH YOUR ENTHUSIASM, BUT FOR THE POSITION TID LIKE TO OFFER YOU, TLL NEED TO KNOW YOURE READY. AF YOUD JUST TOLD ME ‘THIS FROM THE START. NOU COULDVE. ‘SAVED ME ALOT OF... WELL UH. WASN'T SURE IF YOUD, BE A GOOD FIT ‘TS HERE FINE?
‘YOU HAVE A LOT OF ‘TALENT, JAYDEN, T KNOWYOU DO... AWHICH .. 1§ WHY T THINK ‘THIS WILL BE THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU. ‘TWO OF MY MOST IMPORTANT CLIENTS WILL. BBE DISCUSSING JOINT VENTURE DETAILS OVER 'AMIXER TOMORROW AFTERNOON. A MIXER `TD VERY MUCH LIKE YOU TO ATTEND. THATS NOT WHAT T MEANT AT ALLL vee WHAT .. T CANT EVEN JOKE AROUND WITH MY OWN BOSS?
THAT tS, IFT CAN GET YOU AN INVITATION. 4. TD GO MYSELF, BUT I'M GETTING TOO OLD FOR THESE TYPES OF SOCIAL EVENTS. TTHING HAVING YOU THERE WILL ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH. WELL THAT'S DIFFERENT. I'VE ONLY EVER MET WITH CLIENTS HERE AT THE OFFICE. ITS DIFFERENT. AND BY THAT, I MEAN ‘YOU'LL BE RUBBING ELBOWS WITH THE [BUSINESS OWNERS, NOTHING MORE. =a THINK ABOUT IT, OKAY YOU CAN GIVE me YOUR THOUGHTS INTHE MORNING.
[AND WERENT YOU WEARING A DRESS _ WEREN'T YOU PLAYING THAT ‘SHIRT WHEN YOU LEFT THIS MORNING? WHEN T LEFT THIS MORNING? HAHA! SAY NO MORE, ‘SAY NO MORE...
‘YOU MEAN THAT COLD, LEFTOVER PIZZAZ [AND SPEAKING OF HOT, ‘THE PIZZA GUY SHOULD BE HERE ANY MINUTE... LIKE YOUVE BEEN PLAYING. VIDEO GAMES ALL DAY
AND T BET YOURE [AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. DONT SUPPOSE YOUD LIKE TO ... STEP INSIDE FOR A FEW MINUTES? UHHH, NO THANKS. THATLL BE. TEN BUCKS. TELL ME. TS IT TRUE. ae WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT - PIZZA DELIVERY BOYS? 2 TIVE SEEN AFEW, WELL, YOU KNOW...
DOES THAT EVER WORK? ‘SOUNDED LIKE ALOAD OF— ‘DON'T TALK TO ME
=a— SHH. WHAT YOU, CCOME ON, ANDY, YOURE A TRUST FUND KID. YOU HAVENT |WORKED A DAY IN YOUR LIFE AND YOU PROBABLY NEVER WILL. a NOTING HATEAED THE OE THN VE CAME TOTAL WHET WAS WT SOWER aS exPLANING HOW Y SHOUT BE So Wl BETR TE, CT? A EST HE | roo azo wc LENT, EEN ewe MIERETED BIT VEN SH rut Tse PEON THE PAPER, ‘YEAH? WHAT HAPPENED? TIWINK IT'S ALITTLE, T CANT TELL IF HE'S JEALOUS, \ BIT OF BOTH. OR IF HE JUST WANTS ME TO BE A PROFESSIONAL. ‘JUST AN OFFICE FOX PLEASE. T DONT ‘THINK YOUD DO ANY BETTER IN MY POSITION. ses
HE WANTS ME TO GO TO SOME MIKER TOMORROW, ‘TOO. NO DEALS, NO CONTRACTS, JUST SCHMOOZE WITH ‘ACOUPLE OF HIS CLIENTS WHILE THEY TALK SHOP ‘SOUNDS EASY! SHOW UP, MAKE. FRIENDS, THEN GET OUT OF THERE. WITHOUT LETTING LUKE DOWN. ‘TY FEELS LIKE IT'S SOME KIND OF TEST. FOR WHAT, T DON'T KNOW. HE'S KIND, OF SENDING MIXED SIGNALS. ‘TT COULD BE ATEST. EITHER WAY, YOULL HAVE TO PROVE YOU CAN DO ‘THINGS HIS WAY. T HEARD HE GOT BURNED BY ‘SOMEONE WHO WASN'T READY TO GET SERIOUS. ANYWAY, WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME. [ABOUT THIS BIG HUNK OF BEEF YOU GOT TO PLAY WITH TODA DONT KNOW ‘THE DETAILS. i N REALLY? HE NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING LIKE ‘THAT TO ME. T WONDER WHAT HAPPENED.
INAFEW MOMENTS IM. (OH! T THINK T KNOW | WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
T.MAY HAVE ADDED ‘TWAT LAST BIT. ONLY `CUZ T KNOW HOW YOU LIKE TT.
AND T KNOW HOW. YOUUKE tT! . NO. 1T'S/A GOOD THING WE DIDNT, DID YOUTWo..2 UKE WOULD'VE BEEN PISSED. GIVE ME A FEW MINUTES. TLL HUFES ... FEELS LIKE. TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THAT COUGAR SNHe STORYTIME IS OVER. FROM A FEW WEEKS AGO. MAYBE NEXT TIME. ‘YOU'RE TIRED, AND THE LAST ‘THING T WANNA DO IS KEEP YOU UP BEFORE YOUR BIG DAY.
SHOULD TAKE A ‘SHOWER BEFORE THIS, DRIPS EVERYWHERE. ‘T-THOUGHT YOU SAID. WHAT T DO ISN'T WORK? NEVER COULD FIGURE OUT WHY YOU WEAR THESE, YOU DONT WAVE TO TELL ME TWICE. ‘TL MEAN IT! YOU BETTER BE INBED BY THE TIME TIM CLEANED UP.
(TLL see You TOMORROW. ) a
FARMER JIM FINDS OUT YOU BEEN 'SLACKIN, AINTT NO MOUNA SWEET GONNA GET YOU OUT OF IT. RECKON THAT'S WHAT ‘YOU SAID LAST TIME. A MINUTE IN ‘THE SHADE NEVER: HURT NOBODY. MAYBE HE WAS UST SWEET ON ME. ‘S/POSE T DID. WAY YOU TALK, MUSTA BEEN MIGHTY SWEET.
X ELL, TEVENPULL SOME 0° YOURS FROM TIME TO TIME. AIN'T THAT WHY ‘YOU HIRED MEZ
TM MAKING YOU AND OUR CLIENTS...
DONT TeLL ME YOURE JEALOUS. TEYOU REALLY WANTED ME, __ YOUD HAVE BENT ME OVER THAT | | K. | _ Desk oF YOURS TODAY WHEN \ crema] Yee: | Roreesien Ce Ne WAIT AROUND FOREVER JP YOUR MIND. e NG nA } : Re | : mUATNRO uy
DING DONG! DING DONG! ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? NICE TO SEE YOU ‘WHAT'S WRONG? TS. TOO, LUKE! MIND EVERYTHING OKAY’? IF T.COME INE YES. T MEAN, NO. OF COURSE, COME IN. ‘WHAT? ... OH! YEAH EVERYTHING IS FINE, T JUST HEARD ABOUT THAT MIKER AYDEN IS GOING TO... eae oD `eon = = so Sy eZ T'S NOT LIKE CLERK WAGES, PAY ENOUGH FOR HIM TO LIVE. (ON HIS OWN. NOT IN THIS CITY.
[BUT I DON'T SEE HIM WORKING AS A CLERK FOR MUCH LONGER, EITHER. [REALLY WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED? KNOW, T JUST... [BETWEEN YOU AND ME, JAY SEEMS MORE INTERESTED IN YOU THAN THIS JOB. a + WELL, I NEED TO 4 KNOW SOMETHING FIRST. THENT GUESS. WE NEED TO HAVE ALITTLE TALK.