The Art of the Hustle (Complete)

Chapter Forty-Nine

"I'm doing really well, Charles, it's so good to see you." 

"What brings you by?" 

"I just wanted to catch up with some people. Are you still managing the old team?" 

"Yeah, I'm still managing a few of the old crew. Tami is still there, and Grace... did you ever work with Mark?" 

"No, I'm not sure that I did. How about Eduardo, is he still there?" I asked. 

"No, he left a few years ago. He was transferred to one of the branches." 

"I don't suppose you know which one?" 

"I think it was the downtown branch on West Georgia." 

"Oh really, that's close to where I live, maybe I'll pop by and say hello." 

"How about George Foster, is he still around?" 

"Yeah, George is still here." 

After we exchanged pleasantries, I revealed the real reason why I was there. 

"Charles, let me ask you something. What if an opportunity came your way that allowed you to be a part of something revolutionary, something you could be proud of, would you do it?"  

"I don't know, it depends on what it is." 

"The truth is Charles, I'm putting together a team for my new company and I want you to be a part of it. I'm offering you the chance of a lifetime to be a part of something special. Of course, I will compensate you appropriately. Would you like to hear more?" 

"You know, it sounds tempting, but I'm too old to start changing careers now. Perhaps if you came to me ten years ago, I would consider it. But I'll be retiring next year, so I think I'll just stay put." 

"Okay, no problem, I totally understand. Now that I'm back in town, we should stay in touch." 

"Yeah, that would be good." 

"Hey, do you think you could drop off these letters to Tami and George for me, please?" I handed him two fancy envelopes. 

"Sure, no problem." 

"And here, take my card."  

"Unity Inc.," he read. "What's this?" 

"Let's get together for a drink sometime and I'll tell you all about it." 

*** 

A little after noon, I received a call from an unknown number on my cell phone. 

"Hello?" 

"Trevor, this is George Foster." 

"Mr. Foster, I'm so glad you called me back, how are you?" 

"I'm doing well. I received your letter and it was very flattering, thank you." 

"Well, it's all true." 

"Thank you." 

"So what else do you think of the letter?" 

"I have to say, you obviously put a lot of time and effort into this, and I'm definitely interested in hearing more about this opportunity." 

"Wonderful. I'm so glad to hear that. Why don't you come down to Ace Restaurant after work, do you know where that is?" 

"Yes I do, I can be there around seven o'clock." 

"Okay, great. Just tell the hostess you're meeting with me and she will bring you to my table." 

*** 

George showed up a little after seven and introduced himself to the hostess. 

"Right this way, sir," April said, as she escorted Mr. Foster up to the second level.  

"Hey, George, you made it, thank you so much for coming," I said, as I stood up to greet my guest with a warm handshake. 

"Trevor, how's it going?" 

"I'm doing really well, how's everything with you?" 

"Things are going well. My wife and I just had our second baby last month, so I'm a little sleep deprived." 

"Aren't we all?" 

"Yeah, well, it's worth it. We are really excited to welcome the new edition into our family." 

"Congratulations. I'm happy to hear things are going well for you."  

George looked around and said, "Wow, this is a nice place, huh? Have you eaten here before?" 

"Of course, I own it." 

"Really? Wow, good for you." 

I had two servers scheduled to do nothing but take care of us the entire night. I had them bring us our best wine and had the chefs prepare one-of-a-kind dishes that were not a part of the menu. For the most part, we kept the conversation light during dinner, catching up, small talk - the usual. Then he asked me, "So I'm interested in hearing more about your business." 

"Well, I have met a lot of really bright people throughout my life, each possessing their own unique set of talents and attributes. I'm in the process of selecting among those individuals to put together an all-star team, utilizing their natural talents for the success of my company. Your natural talents combined with your knowledge of the banking industry would be a huge asset to our operation. Together, I intend to revolutionize the world of commerce." 

"Sounds exciting, I can't wait to hear more." 

After a long-winded sales pitch, I had George completely on board. I reached into my briefcase and pulled out a thick folder with my company logo on it.  

"I have prepared this specifically for you, George," I said, as I handed him the folder. "Inside, you will find a more in-depth description of what was discussed tonight. It will also outline the job description, the pay and benefits, and a contract. I want you to take this home, read it over carefully, discuss it with you wife, and get back to me by Monday morning with your decision. I know that doesn't give you a lot of time, and this is probably a lot to take in right now, but I can assure you that you will be well taken care of. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call anytime, day or night." 

"Thank you, I'll look this over as soon as possible and get back to you." 

"I want to thank you again for meeting with me tonight, George. I hope I didn't take up too much of your time." 

"No not at all, it was my pleasure." 

"I hope you enjoyed your meal, which is on the house by the way." 

"Thank you so much. The food was excellent." 

"You're welcome. It was good to see you, George. I'll look forward to hearing from you on Monday."