Beneath These Scars

chapter four

By noon the next day, Jan was a mess.

This was it. This was the one meeting that would determine how his stay in Hillford began. He lost this and Franc & Co would have won a battle they didn't even know they were fighting. He won this and he would be one metaphorical step closer to everything he wanted in life.

Jan took in a sharp breath, one that felt as though he had inhaled smoke, and forced himself to not give in to the anxiety welling up inside him. Not just because he had a meeting in minutes but because breaking down was never an option with him. Not then and definitely not now.

His intercom buzzed, jarring him back to reality. "Someone is here for you, sir. Should I bring him in?"

"Of course."

He rose casually from his desk as his secretary, Reese led the MD of The Gavin Group, Franc & CO's biggest client, into his office. They both exchanged handshakes and pleasantries as Jan offered him a seat.

Bryan Maxwell looked impressed as he took in the mosaic paintings hanging on a section of Jan's wall. They were a series of mundane, forgotten objects painted in such precise detail they looked like photographs.

"A local artist. Vancouver," said Jan when he caught Maxwell's gaze.

"They're lovely," Maxwell murmured. "Must have been one talented fellow."

"I couldn't agree more," Jan replied. "Would you like anything? A drink, perhaps?"

"Would be a bad idea to mix business with pleasure," he muttered.

Jan caught the undertone in his voice and offered a paper-thin smile. "Then let's get right down to it. I assume my email was self explanatory as well as satisfactory?"

"Yes, we got the what. I'm here to find out the why. Why should we do business with you?"

"With all due respect, Mr Maxwell, you would not be here if you did not know the answer to that question."

The man frowned. "Was that some sort of business pitch? I wasn't impressed."

"Our reputation precedes us, Mr. Maxwell and as you're well aware, our success rates are in high double digits."

"In your other branches, sure, but here in Hillford? This branch is relatively new."

Jan waved a hand in dismissal. "Minor detail. I intend to make this branch as successful as all the others. It's a matter of willpower and your help of course."

"We're not very familiar with your methods of doing business, though.

"You don't need to be," Jan replied. "They're legal, get the job done and that's all that matters."

Maxwell crossed and uncrossed his legs. "Just stating it plainly, Mr Manchester, we do not see ourselves changing hands anytime soon. We're quite satisfied with the current way things are run."

"Why settle for mediocrity, though?" Jan asked with a raised brow. "I assumed that a company as big as Gavin Group would be aiming for the best and that's exactly what Blue Sun is. We're the best and we're offering you the best."