Trouble And Money #04
Okay, this is difficult. My target is likable, funny, and friendly, but Maggie, who is sitting next to me, is very friendly. This is a problem.
Wilson Teller Solutions - A Software Company
Have you ever worked with a bunch of nerds? A gaggle of them are in the break room off to the side, having energy drinks, coffee, and mushroom coffee, and they are knee-slapping about something all of them saw on Twitch last night. You know, going spazzy.
I want to understand, but I don’t. That might be a world I could never beam down into. Who the hell drinks boiled mushroom powder?
The mood in the office is upbeat. Wilson Teller offers software solutions for companies that have unique problems that they can solve.
Over in a corner, a handful of Teller employees are sitting and talking about Sports, another Netflix price increase, and the cost of eggs. These people are in this world, and my man Taveon sits there with them.
I look Maggie in the eye, try not to look anywhere else, and ask if “I can join them?”
Maggie smiles at me and says, “Welcome aboard, Conrad.”
She pulls out the chair next to her and pats it, and like a good dog, I sit right in it.
I say “Hello” to everyone, and they nod or say hi.
“What are we all bitchin’ about this morning?”
They all laugh, and Maggie says, “The price of eggs has been a hot topic.”
“Man, you are not kidding. I crack an egg on top of my dog’s dry food, and he loves it, but now I give him a bill with that egg; he’s still figuring out how to tip 15% or better.”
That gets a good laugh, and I hope it adds to my cred as a non-nerd.
Taveon, my mark, asks me, “What kind of pooch do you have?”
“This is Gator; I got him out of the shelter. He was about a year old, and until I have a DNA profile on him, I don’t know what he is.” He’s short, all brown, and very smart.”
At that point, I pulled up a photo on my phone and passed it around.
I received many oohs and ahhs, and Taveon (my mark) asked me, “Why did you name him Gator?”
“That’s the name he came with.” “Someone abandoned him.”
“I have a Dog too. Her name is Winnie.” My mom named her.
“Why did she name her Winnie?”
“Because she poohed all over the carpet.” “My mom was having none of that.” “She ended up at my house.”
Everyone cracked up.
Looking for issues when you like your mark is hard, but I have a job to do.
I’m going to get to know Taveon better. I like him.
But there is another problem. The old maxims about mixing pleasure and business in the workplace are true for many reasons, but people continue to ignore them.
I like Maggie. She smells great, and her green eyes tell truths as she looks at me.
She wants a slice of Connie.
Trouble And Money is published Monday through Friday. It is a free serial fiction detective story with characters you will love. Read the adventures of Conrad Grange as he solves cases and contends with a harsh world.