greeting.
“Call me Jake.” He said as he closed the distance between them and shook her hand reminding himself how warm, soft and inviting it was, just like yesterday.
“Okay then, thank you Jake.” She took her seat again as he sat down on the sofa across from her with just a small coffee table between them. “I hope you don’t mind but I bought you a little gift. I hope you like it.” Victoria picked up the paper shopping bag from the floor and put it on the coffee table pushing it across towards Jake.
Jake looked at Victoria and took the expensive looking paper bag. He liked this, he was always given plenty of presents from strangers but he was much more excited about this one.
“You make me feel bad. I don’t have a present for you.” He joked as he took out the large bottle from inside the bag. “Oh my, this is a nice present. Thank you.” Jake turned the large bottle in his hands and read the label – Havana Club Maximo Extra.
“I hear it’s a good one, and I remembered you said you like dark rum.”
“How thoughtful, that’s very kind of you. This is, in fact, one of my favourite rums, have you ever tried it?”
Victoria smiled and shook her head. No, not at over a thousand pounds a bottle she had not tried it – something with that price tag did not go on her weekly shopping list!
“I suggest we give it a try then.” Jake said standing up and walking to the cabinet by the window taking out two glasses. “Are you going to join us Andrea?” He asked his personal assistant who was now closing her laptop and pulling her bag out of the big desk drawer.
“No thanks Jake. I’m finished now so I’m off for the night. Don’t forget you have the press conference at ten o’clock in the morning, and I booked the table you requested for lunch tomorrow.”
“Thanks. Have a good night.” Jake said as Andrea walked out the door and he turned his attention back to Victoria. “So it’s just the two of us then.”
Victoria looked up in dismay, no she couldn’t be drinking rum with Jake - for one thing it was only just after six o’clock in the evening, and secondly she needed to keep a clear head to try and persuade him to let Ben Churchill’s company do a marketing pitch for his business.
“No I couldn’t possibly, but thank you anyway.”
“Oh yes you can, if you want to that is. I will put a splash more coke in yours for you. Regular or diet?” Jake said obviously not about to take “no” for an answer.
Victoria sighed, the sound of her boss’s words rang through her head, “do anything you have to”. One little drink wouldn’t hurt and she could sip it slowly as she talked. “Okay, diet please.”
Jake smiled and opened his new bottle of rum, courtesy of Victoria, and poured two rum and cokes dropping a large ice cube into each glass. He walked back over to his chair, handed Victoria a glass and said “Cheers. Salud.”
“Cheers.” Victoria clinked his glass and took a sip letting the warm sweet liquid slide down her throat - wow that was strong.
“Nice. Very nice, thank you.” Jake said raising his glass to hers one more time and then downed the remaining liquid putting his empty glass down on the table. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees and looked serious now. “So, I have been in business for long enough to know that someone doesn’t come knocking at my door with a gift without wanting something. So since you already said this is about business, what can I do for you Victoria?”
Victoria put her glass down on the table and looked at him seriously. “Jake. I could dress this up for you but I don’t think you really want that. I think you like people to get straight to the point so here it is.”
Jake nodded, he had been wondering all day what brought Victoria here if it wasn’t the idea of a very expensive dinner which she had already made perfectly clear
“Call me Jake.” He said as he closed the distance between them and shook her hand reminding himself how warm, soft and inviting it was, just like yesterday.
“Okay then, thank you Jake.” She took her seat again as he sat down on the sofa across from her with just a small coffee table between them. “I hope you don’t mind but I bought you a little gift. I hope you like it.” Victoria picked up the paper shopping bag from the floor and put it on the coffee table pushing it across towards Jake.
Jake looked at Victoria and took the expensive looking paper bag. He liked this, he was always given plenty of presents from strangers but he was much more excited about this one.
“You make me feel bad. I don’t have a present for you.” He joked as he took out the large bottle from inside the bag. “Oh my, this is a nice present. Thank you.” Jake turned the large bottle in his hands and read the label – Havana Club Maximo Extra.
“I hear it’s a good one, and I remembered you said you like dark rum.”
“How thoughtful, that’s very kind of you. This is, in fact, one of my favourite rums, have you ever tried it?”
Victoria smiled and shook her head. No, not at over a thousand pounds a bottle she had not tried it – something with that price tag did not go on her weekly shopping list!
“I suggest we give it a try then.” Jake said standing up and walking to the cabinet by the window taking out two glasses. “Are you going to join us Andrea?” He asked his personal assistant who was now closing her laptop and pulling her bag out of the big desk drawer.
“No thanks Jake. I’m finished now so I’m off for the night. Don’t forget you have the press conference at ten o’clock in the morning, and I booked the table you requested for lunch tomorrow.”
“Thanks. Have a good night.” Jake said as Andrea walked out the door and he turned his attention back to Victoria. “So it’s just the two of us then.”
Victoria looked up in dismay, no she couldn’t be drinking rum with Jake - for one thing it was only just after six o’clock in the evening, and secondly she needed to keep a clear head to try and persuade him to let Ben Churchill’s company do a marketing pitch for his business.
“No I couldn’t possibly, but thank you anyway.”
“Oh yes you can, if you want to that is. I will put a splash more coke in yours for you. Regular or diet?” Jake said obviously not about to take “no” for an answer.
Victoria sighed, the sound of her boss’s words rang through her head, “do anything you have to”. One little drink wouldn’t hurt and she could sip it slowly as she talked. “Okay, diet please.”
Jake smiled and opened his new bottle of rum, courtesy of Victoria, and poured two rum and cokes dropping a large ice cube into each glass. He walked back over to his chair, handed Victoria a glass and said “Cheers. Salud.”
“Cheers.” Victoria clinked his glass and took a sip letting the warm sweet liquid slide down her throat - wow that was strong.
“Nice. Very nice, thank you.” Jake said raising his glass to hers one more time and then downed the remaining liquid putting his empty glass down on the table. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees and looked serious now. “So, I have been in business for long enough to know that someone doesn’t come knocking at my door with a gift without wanting something. So since you already said this is about business, what can I do for you Victoria?”
Victoria put her glass down on the table and looked at him seriously. “Jake. I could dress this up for you but I don’t think you really want that. I think you like people to get straight to the point so here it is.”
Jake nodded, he had been wondering all day what brought Victoria here if it wasn’t the idea of a very expensive dinner which she had already made perfectly clear
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