Doused by ICE

Personal baggage shouldn't interfere with doing business

                         Cassius's POV

"Sir?" Meena called out to me after she rapped twice on my ajar door.

"Yes Meena" I looked up from the financials I'd been reviewing.

I motioned for her to come in.
She opened the door wider and stepped in.

"Your 10 o'clock is here" she announced.

"Send him in" I replied as I tried to tidy my desk.

"Strategy and Planning is on standby" she informed.

"Let them know I'll be right with them"

"Yes Sir"

"Thank you" I said as she left to go obtain my next appointment.

"Sir?" She returned with him.

"Thank you Meena" I smiled.

Meena stepped back to let him in.
I stood to my feet to receive him as he walked up to my desk.
Meena excused herself and closed the door behind her quietly.

"Simon Blake" he introduced as he stretched out his hand for a shake.

"Cassius O'Neil" I shook it firmly once.

"Pleasure to meet you" he greeted.

"Pleasure's all mine" I returned.

"This may come off as random, but your last name, Blake, any relationship with Bryan Blake?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Ah, stand up guy, straight shooter, owns a construction and renovation company in New York and Miami?" Simon Blake offered.

"Yeah!" "You know him?" I enthused.

"We're not related if that's what you're asking. I know him through the man I'm about to introduce you to" Simon Blake clarified.

"Okay now I'm interested" I admitted.

"You should be"

"Please" I motioned for him to sit, then sat as well.

"I found out who bought the building you were interested in" Simon Blake began without preamble.

"Really?" I arched a brow in surprise.

"Yes.
It wasn't intentional though. The previous landlord didn't mention that anyone was interested in the building in any capacity. He's willing to lease to you the two floors you'd originally wanted at a slightly lower price to apologize for the inconvenience his buying the building must have incurred you" Simon Blake continued.

"He doesn't necessarily need to apologize" I pointed out.

"Think about it this way: if Candace wasn't in your employ, she wouldn't have recommended me, and consequently you wouldn't know who your new landlord is, so naturally you'd give up on the building in question and restart the process of finding a building, and that would've been an inconvenience –not to mention a hassle" Simon Blake explained.

"Now that you mention it, it would've been more than an inconvenience, I'll take the slightly lower price" I agreed.

"You should. I figure you have to run this by a team or a department so I brought you other options, just incase the company's pride prevents y'all from going back to a landlord that nearly screwed y'all over –intentional or not" Simon Blake proceeded.

"Company's pride?" I chuckled lightly.

"Humour me.
I found you two other buildings that fit your description. The first one is at the same location as the building you originally wanted, but there's only one floor available. The second is at a different location, but it's just as urban as your original location, it has three floors available for lease, and it's the most cost effective out of all three options" Simon Blake listed as he took out a file from his briefcase.