For The Love Of Chéri (CHAPTERS 1-112 REWRITTEN)

Chapter 22 : Indecent Proposal

Lennon got in the lift and went to the upper floor. He followed the directions he was given to the room of the meeting.

He walked into a room that was very dimly lit and saw a tall and rather good-looking Spanish man.

This was Javier. He was a young man and likely only a few years younger than Lennon. He was of athletic build with tanned skin and short dark brown curly hair cut into a neat fade. Behind him were several Spanish men, all wearing imposing black jackets and seemed to be some kind of security.

"Please sit, Lennon." Javier said, in a warm and friendly tone. He spoke with a Spanish accent, but his English was crystal clear and he lacked the slightly squeaky overtone of a Spaniard speaking English.

"Sure. Hey! I saw you yesterday. You passed us in the hall. You were walking behind that weird steampunk bondage guy." Lennon said.

"Haha! yes, but back to why we are here. Is there anything in particular that you'd prefer doing, mister Adamski?" Javier asked.

"Please, call me Lennon. And I ain't really bothered what I do. I'm happy to do anything. I'm a qualified teacher and I'm mechanically minded so could work on maintenance, anything really."

Javier nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment, "Are you politically minded, Lennon?"

"Well, I'm aware of what's happening in the world if that's what you mean." Lennon answered.

"Hmmm, I see." Javier said, pausing a moment, "Look, Lennon. I've been asked to introduce someone to you, who would like to put a proposition to you and see what you think." Javier said as he turned to another security team member, "Diego, can you bring in Kenzo?"

Lennon smiled, "Sure. Go for it." He said as he shrugged.

Javier turned around and signalled to one of the men behind him, who went to the door and let in a tall muscular, Asian looking man with tattoos down one half of his face. The sides of his head were shaved and he only had a strip of long hair on top, pulled back to a ponytail. He entered the room holding two silver briefcases. Lennon felt he looked like a stereotypical triad.

"Hello." Lennon said as he looked up, somewhat surprised.

Kenzo was silent. He just placed one of the metal briefcases on the table and placed the other by his feet. He then opened the metal briefcase on the table, "Behold, Lennon. Two hundred and fifty thousand American dollars in cash. Your preferred currency, I'm sure." he said with a strong Hong Kong accent.

Lennon's eyes widened as he looked at the neat piles of hundred dollar notes wrapped in stacks of a thousand.

"Lennon, the deal is this. Leave tonight, now, no questions asked, and with no further contact and you can have all this." Kenzo said.

Lennon was lost for words as his eyes involuntarily scanned all the money, "Let me get this straight. You want me out of here, and if I leave, I get two hundred and fifty thousand dollars?" Lennon asked.

Kenzo looked behind himself at his security detail, "Oh he is smart, isn't he?" while smiling.

"How do I know something ain't gonna 'happen to me' if I accept?" Lennon asked.

"Nothing happens to you. You just leave here immediately, and never come back." Kenzo said.

Lennon looked up at Javier, "Just like that?"

"Just like that. Literally, take the money and run." Javier repeated.

Lennon smiled back and breathed out a nervous laugh as he shrugged, "I'll take it..."