Heat

5

I'd stayed 1 more hour with Marshall, while we ate and talked a lot and I have to admit, I'd been surprised. He was pretty clever and intelligent, charming, funny, he was definitely not what I had expected him to be.
He had also asked me if I'd want to repeat our 'lunch date' again next week, but since I didn't know how the negotiations with the Chinese would turn out and therefore how much work I had, we agreed that I'd send him a text message.

Now sitting in my car on the way back to the office, I was remembering our whole conversation and as always picked it apart and analyzed every word and gesture from him. Marshall was definitely a confident man, pretty content with his life, though somehow I had the feeling that his issues drove him nuts sometimes. Also he was overly proud of his daughters, proud of what he accomplished and happy to be where he was now.

It was admirable.

The whole weekend I'd spent in the living room of my home, sitting crossed legged on the ground, in sweatpants and a simple shirt, while I was surrounded by paperwork. My lap top was constantly hooked to the charger and the printer had to be refilled 5 times. I was working like a maniac to get everything ready for the meeting on Monday, though this wasn't exactly my job. My job was to find the solutions, ordering an army of secretaries to write it down and in the end read over it. But being the control freak that I was, I simply couldn't trust anyone else with it, if I wouldn't do it by myself, I'd pick it apart.

I know, I'm difficult....

„Miss Schreiber, I can't thank you enough...." Duggan said while he was shaking my hand repeatedly after the meeting. „You really managed to convince them, this city owes you a lot."

„It's my job, mayor Duggan. I don't want anyone to owe me anything and we still have a long way to go."

„But you make it a lot easier..." I smiled when he finally released my hand and nodded. „Would you allow me to take you to lunch, I think we deserve to eat in peace now, at least today?!"

Lunch......god damn, I forgot to text Marshall...

„You definitely do, but I have the next meeting to prepare for. Maybe another time, mayor." I declined as politely as possible and he furrowed his eyebrows.

„Another meeting? With who?"

„I managed to get the CEO's of a few car companies to meet with me and I'll try to convince them to invest in opening locations here again." I actually saw his jaw dropping, but rather quickly he regained his composure.

„I don't know what to say, Miss Schreiber, this would be incredible. Think about the people which get jobs back, the poverty level would sink...."

Easy, tiger!!!!

„We should take it slow, Mister Duggan. Getting our hopes up will only crush us if it won't work out." I cutted him off to pull him back to the ground. „These are only pre- negotiations and then we'll build up from there, if both sides can find a common ground." He nodded in understanding but still I could see the hype about my information.

„As I said before, thank you."

„You can thank me the day Detroit is back on stable ground." I stated and then grabbed my briefcase off the conference table to walk out while he followed beside me.

„When will you have the first meeting?"

„Tomorrow, actually this whole week I'll have a meeting each day."

„I can only wish you the best of luck, for all us us." He said sincerely and I nodded with a small smile. „Please inform me about the progress."