"How much?" "10 grand," I replied simply. "10 grand?! No fucking way," he pulled out a cigarette and placed it in between his chapped lips. He patted down his pockets searching for a lighter but couldn't seem to find one. I reached in my pocket and tossed him mine. "Look, it's 10 grand or I'm walking away right now. So is it deal or not?" I asked as he took a drag of the cigarette. "Fine. 10 grand it is," he reached for his back pocket again and pulled out a checkbook. "Uh-uh, I need cash." I halted his actions. "Now you're asking for too much," he shook his head, "Why do you need cash?!" "Checks have strings attached, I can't have any connections to you once this is over, cash is clean and simple. So do we have a deal or not?"