THE MOMENT
The sheer gall was staggering to Theodore. The pale woman, named Dana Sharp, stood in his office with ice cold blue eyes, wearing a white suit, and trying to pretend she hadn't completely insulted him. He hoped she would come back after disappearing just as their meeting began the previous day, just so he could give her a piece of his mind. The appointment had been set a month in advance and was reconfirmed several times. She even showed up to meet him, then quickly vanished due to an 'unexpected emergency'.
He thanked the universe for that small miracle. He'd never heard of Sharp Development and only did the briefest of research as the appointment neared. But, the fact that she found it acceptable to leave before the meeting really got going bothered him. He spent the rest of the time trying to find out more about her company, and overall he came away unimpressed. It was a company that only existed on paper as far as he could tell; and, they hadn't been around for very long at all. Theodore headed one of the lead logistics firms in the country, and he expected she wanted to try and expand her operations. Instead, she waltzed into his office a full 24 hours after she disappeared with no formal apology, and she was interested in discussing the purchase of his company. It felt like a slap in the face, and he was glad he had time to find out more about Sharp Development.
"Ms. Sharp...," Theodore shook his head but sported a broad grin. "I'm thrilled to tell you that Theo-Logic Solutions is not for sale," he paused for a moment to watch her expression change; except, it didn't. She maintained the polite smile she had since the day before. He was disappointed; but, mildly impressed at her self-control. It had to be eating her up inside, and she showed no signs of discontent at all. He changed his plan part-way through and decided to rub it in her face.
"Not to you, anyway," He chuckled. "I'm not opposed to it, and of course, the Board of Directors is easy to sway with enough capital. But, it's the principle of the matter. If you don't hesitate to disrespect me, how can I be sure you won't disrespect my company?"
Her expression never wavered; but, he did notice her fiddle with something in her fingers. He kept himself from staring; but, she definitely distracted herself with something while he was talking. It was yet another instance of disrespect.
"You're not even listening to me right now," he chuckled and stared into her eyes. "The way I see it, you're not good enough to take over my company," he added. It was time to really hammer the point for her. "No amount of money could ever change that. You have nothing of value that you could offer me, and you have no leverage that could sway me. There will be no negotiations here," he said.
"I apologize," Ms. Sharp gave a curt nod; but, her smile still remained. "I had no idea your ego was so fragile that it could be upset by an unexpected emergency," she said. Theodore had just enough time to register the insult; but, she continued. "I don't feel the need to explain my sudden emergency yesterday; however, I would like to point out that the universe is much bigger than you imagine. Things happen, and plans fail all the time. It's how a person responds to those changes that define their character...," she exhaled with a smirk and an air of humor. "... and, now I've seen how poorly you respond to changes. That's not gonna make your day any better," she shook her head.
It wasn't anything like the reaction he was hoping for. She was still smug, and it was completely unfounded. Mentally, he doubled down on his decision. She was unfit to lead; entirely small-minded and ignorant of other possibilities. Still, he would be the professional that she was incapable of being.
"Well, thank you for the life advice I guess," Theodore smiled, then stood from his desk as he made a gesture toward the door. "Since there's no deal to be made, I have some other work to be attending to," he said.
"Mr. Campbell, I had every intention of including you in my plans going forward," Ms. Sharp replied, without standing. "I assure you, I would not have cut our meeting short yesterday if it was something that could have waited. It couldn't, and, it seems, neither could you," her smile grew broader, and sharper with more teeth. "Maybe you'll learn to be more adaptable at your next job," she added.
"Well, I guess we'll see when retirement comes around...," Theodore shook his head with a chuckle. His patience was about to run out; then, the phone rang. Ms. Sharp finally stood and took a step toward the door as the phone rang again. She reached it on the third ring, and Theodore was convinced she was on her way out enough to answer the phone. It had to be for him, it came through on a direct line, not through his secretary.
"Hello?" he answered. "Hey, how's it going?" he relaxed and smiled upon hearing the familiar voice on the other end. His gaze drifted up and he was surprised to see Ms. Sharp gone. He hadn't heard the door open or close; but, he was alone. He was glad for that, because within a few words his expression changed again.
"FIRED!? What do you mean new owners? I'M THE OWNER!" he yelled. The voice came back apologetic and tried to explain the situation. He collapsed into his chair as he tried to process it. "..the Board sold to Sharp Development...?"