Cyberpink

Chapter 6

DROP ELEVEN

Hector spent all morning on the phone. He was new in this business, and he didn’t manage to get through to anyone, really. For hours he was kept on hold, the stupid, inane music piercing his skull. Even worse, some owners used chatbots, which were even stupider than a stupid person speaking through a tin can and string.

After a couple of hours of wanting to pull his hair off, he admitted defeat.

“I can’t even get a conversation with these guys, let alone discuss a business deal,” he muttered to himself, holding his head. His desk was a mess of notes and names and phone numbers, both on paper and on the veil. He didn’t know these people, and the ones he did know were not a good indication of what the others were really like.

He admitted that he needed to schmooze a bit more in the owner’s lounge. Go to parties. Talk to people.

Blergh.

He called Hondros.

“Yes, my friend!” the fat bastard said when he picked up.

Hector sighed. You don’t choose your friends, not really. “I, uh… need those two girls you mentioned.”

“Really? Excellent! I’ll send the contracts over right away. Their owners told me they have them ready to go, but definitely not tonight…” he trailed off, innuendo rolling off his fat tongue.

“Yeah, no problem. We need them the day after tomorrow, to start training. Is that doable?” Hector said, his eyes following the pedestrians in the street.

“For you, Hector, everything is doable!” Hondros said cheerfully. “Now, there are some clauses, and I expect you to deliver them back in the pristine condition I’m giving them, m’kay?”

“Yeah, whatever. We both know I’ve got no choice. Make the deal and have them come at HPP tomorrow night, so they can rest up. Pickle wants to start training them early.”

“Interesting… Well, as soon as you sign the contracts, we have a deal!” Hondros said.

Hector felt a bitter taste in his mouth, as if someone had suddenly dripped pickle juice in it. “Yes, Yianni. And thank you for the quick turnaround.”

It paid to be polite in your business deals, that lesson was the one he’d learnt early. Even if you might have said some nasty things beforehand, when you’re sitting on the business table you learn to push all that aside.

Like a cat. Just shove it all off the table, let them fall to pieces. He laughed at his own stupid joke. Gods, he was tired.