And the relief was gone. She looked at each one of us, starting from the left and going right, a small triumphant smile on her face at everyone’s surprise and anxiety. I, however was more prepared then I was last night, and pasted an unconcerned and somewhat bored expression on my own face. This got a raised eyebrow and a surprised look from Sarah. I was not the same girl as last night, thanks to June, and if Sarah wanted to play hard ball, then so be it. I let my own eyebrow raise and felt a smile form on my lips. She understood the challenge, tilted her head a bit to the side and I saw a twinkle form in her eye, and in that moment, my old Sarah was back, and hope was rekindled in my heart. The moment quickly passed, but the hope still remained. She wasn’t dead like I had feared, just buried beneath mounds of cynicism and contempt. This meeting all of the sudden became that much more important.
“What…what do you mean you can’t sign the contract? Everything is as we agreed over the phone,” stuttered Billy. Poor guy. I really didn’t envy him his position right now.
“After looking over your offer, we decided not to accept it.”
“What’s the meaning of this? You already agreed. You can’t back out now.” This came from Rev. Thomas. It appears somebody gathered their wits about them.
“A verbal agreement in this case is not binding. You’re tying our hands too much with the products we’re not allowed to sell. Plus, we’ve had a chance to look at the ‘prime real estate’ you’re offering, and frankly, it’s a joke. A patch of pasture in the middle of nowhere where the closest business we’ll get is with a bunch of sheep. The business is on the waterfront, and the only way we’ll accept this offer is if we get a plot there.”
“That’s out of the question,” I stated. This got another raised eyebrow, and not just from Sarah this time.
“Excuse me?” was Sarah’s reply.
“I don’t believe I stuttered, but I’ll rephrase it so you might better understand. The waterfront has been established as a protected wildlife area, and where that area ends is already taken up by other small businesses. There is no room on the waterfront to put you. The land that we are offering you has not been a home to sheep for quite some time, and the amount of business in that area will increase as we expand. You will be the center of the expansion, so you’re fears have no merit.” I was being quite rude at this point, and undoubtedly I was channeling some of my anger from last night, but I really didn’t care.
Sarah stared at me for a minute, the twinkle gone and a sour expression on her face again. I didn’t care. I had seen my old friend for a minute, and I had a plan to get her back. Now, it was time for a game of chess.
“You are basing your facts on supposition and theory, and therefore your statement has no merit. Our studies have shown that we’d be much more successful on the waterfront, and the products that we sell are just as good if not better then what those small businesses sell. It would be better for you as a city to take out some of those businesses and put us there instead.”
Now she was treading on personal territory. Bad move. “Those small businesses are the main source of income for the city. The natural waterfront provides great hiking trails and animal watching for tourists, and the businesses provide great souvenirs and dining experiences for the whole family to enjoy. Having a giant retail store in the area would detract from the overall feel and enjoyment that those tourists experience, and therefore decrease sales.”
“The store can be built to the same scale as the smaller businesses so that the ‘enjoyment’ is not lost. Plus we’d offer one stop shopping with both food and souvenirs. That would give them more time to enjoy the ‘natural waterfront’ that you’re so proud of.”
I huffed at this. “Like people are going to buy your cheap souvenirs that are most likely made in China. The items we offer are hand-crafted here, and are therefore part of the experience. We offer quality products that cannot be replaced by your stuff.”
“If you are so sure of the quality of your products, then why put a clause in the contract saying we can’t sell similar items? The fact is is that the average consumer couldn’t care less where it was made, as long as it’s cheap and it looks good.”
Oooo, my king’s in trouble here. Going to need to move fast. “The clause is there in order to bring the smaller businesses to the table. Without that clause, they would never agree to this meeting. They are the real reason you are here, as they will be paying for your building cost, not us. Think of it as your way of saying ‘thank you.’”
Her sour expression became one of annoyance. She didn’t have a comeback for that. My king is safe again. Her look turns to one of victory though, and she sees her escape route. “Well, if the smaller businesses are so important, maybe they can help with your expansion. Oh wait. That’s what we’re here to help with. It seems that without us, you remain the same small, insignificant little town that you are.”
Everyone bristled at this. “Are you implying that if we don’t agree to your demands that you’ll walk?” Asked Billy angrily. He was born and raised here, so had great pride in this “insignificant little town” as she put it.
“I am implying this, yes Billy.”
The rest of the council turned to me at this, as did everyone from the Samson Company. It was more then evident that Sarah and I were the negotiators in this, so everything was being left up to me. What Sarah didn’t know was that she was walking into my trap.
“The answer is still no.”
A look of surprise crossed her face, before it was masked. She shuffled the papers in front of her and went to stand. “Well then, I guess there’s nothing more to talk about.”
“Actually, there is.” Time for the final move. “You see, you’re operating under the theory that we need you for expansion, when in fact we don’t. There are other businesses that we could go with, but you were the first that we chose, out of respect for your own desire to expand.”
“That’s a lie. I know for a fact that you haven’t contacted any other businesses.”
“I never said that we had. You see, we wanted to go with the Samson Company because it represents the ideals that we as a city agree with. You are looking to expand, as do we. Your respect and treatment of your employees is excellent, and since we will be providing your labor force, that’s an extra bonus for us. You were willing to negotiate under terms that most of the larger businesses would have laughed at. You were the best choice, but not the only one.”
“Well, perhaps you’d like to go with one of your other businesses then?” sneered Sarah. Apparently my compliments of her company didn’t do any good. Okay, plan B then.
“Here’s the other fact that you seem to ignore” I continued, ignoring her own comment. “You need us as much as we need you.”
“What do you mean by that?” one of the other company representatives asked. They do talk, amazing. Sarah’s expression had become guarded, so I knew I was on the right track.
“What I mean is that you have no where left to go. That’s the only reason you agreed to meet with us. We are the last stop for you before you can compete with the larger retail stores. Our tourist draw and own expansion project with make you enough money so that you can expand into the larger cities. Yes, our facts are based on theories, but these are theories that I researched heavily. There is no reason why we can’t expand, with you at the center of it.”
Sarah was sitting with her hands clasped in front of her, a contemplative look on her face. She was trapped, and knew it. She wasn’t going down without a fight, which was just fine by me.
“We still can’t agree to this contract. Our own research indicates what you are offering is just not enough.”
Almost there. “Then I have a proposition for you.”
“What would that be?”
Checkmate. “One month. You stay here, as lead negotiator, for a month. If by that time I cannot convince you that the deal we are offering is good enough, then we will renegotiate the contract, and I’ll offer up my own store as one to be torn down for you. If, however, I can convince you, then you sign the contract as it is. What do you say?” I was taking a big gamble here. I didn’t really know how I could convince her, and no matter what I did, she could still say it wasn’t good enough. However, it was a chance I was willing to take.
She thought about my offer, a slightly confused look on her face. I had been holding all of the cards, but with my suggestion, I had given her all of the control. She really had nothing to lose, and everyone knew that.
“Very well. I’ll give you one month to convince me. I’ll have my assistant contact you with more details later.”
"Done," was all I said as I got up to shake her hand. I watched as she and the rest of the Samson delegates left. As she got to the door, she turned her head one last time to look at me. Once again, in that glance, I caught a glimpse of my friend, and then she was gone. My love for her had let her go twice already. This time, I was going to fight to keep her around.