One Hand Washes the Other, Part 2

Posted on Sat 28th Jul, 2018 @ 5:29am by Eddie Hunt

1,519 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Oblivion
Location: Orchids & Jazz, Deck 600
Timeline: MD 8, 1430

Previously ...

Sure enough, there was a man whose brown hair was just beginning to turn gray wearing a nice suit, sitting at one of the tables near but not at the outer edge of the overhanging balcony. He was the only guest up there.

Good placement, Damion thought; from that position Hunt could see the entire lower floor, with all entrances and exits, and few people would think to look upward at the two of them. Damion walked over to him. "Mr. Eddie Hunt? I'm Corin Durant," he said and offered his hand.

And now ...

Eddie stood up and put out his hand, "Hello, nice to meet you. Is it okay to call you Corin, or do you prefer it more formal?"

"Corin's fine," Damion said. He shook Hunt's hand and sat down when Hunt retook his seat. "How do you prefer to be called?"

"Eddie is good, or Ed, I'm not too fussed," Eddie said. "Have you been to Orchids and Jazz before?"

Damion smiled. "Yes. Took my girlfriend here once. We shared a dessert the likes of which I have never had in my life, and I had to spend the next week in the station gym working it off--but it was worth it. Between then and now I've had lunch in here a time or two, when it's more casual. The food and the service are top-rate."

"Thanks for that recommendation," Jade said quietly, approaching their table. "I'll try to see that we live up to it. I'm going to suggest our Blue Plate Special for today, deliver it myself and then instruct everyone to give you privacy. For now, the loft is closed except for you two." Jade had no idea what kind of business the two men were discussing, but she did notice it was in an out-of-the-way corner of the loft. Privacy could never hurt, and she didn't need the space for the moment.

"So how about pork medallions in plum sauce, fresh green beans, tiny red potatoes baked with rosemary and garlic, and a loaf of brown bread with butter?" Lantz offered.

Lantz's description of the proposed lunch derailed Damion's puzzlement at her plan to give them so much privacy. What the hell are pork medallions? Damion wondered. He wracked his brain for a moment and at last came up with 'a fancy word for little pieces of meat.' "That sounds good to me; thank you. I've not eaten fresh green beans in a while."

"That will be an absolute pleasure Miss Lantz," Eddie smiled. "After that apple pie the other day, I can only imagine what a main meal will taste like!"

"Excellent, I'll have that out to you in about 20 minutes, and we'll add the same apple pie for dessert." Jade walked away with a sense that the meeting was a simple business meeting of some kind, and not spy work. Our secretive friend has to at least appear to earn a living, she thought.

Damion sipped from his water glass. "So you're taking over the casino," he said to Hunt. "Not a bad investment. Anyone coming to this station for pleasure is bound to have disposable income, what with the Promenade. I suspect you could make quite a good living here. I was surprised the previous owner had closed it."

"Well, that's what I'm certainly hoping. And the inside of the casino was in a good state, so I haven't had to pay as much as I thought I would to sort it out. I'm now just looking at keeping the casino in excellent standards," he paused. "Which is where you come in."

"I'd certainly be interested in working with you," Damion said. "What sort of work do you need done?"

"I will like to put you on a contract, so any repair jobs or handy jobs that come up, you'll be the business that I will come to," Eddie said.

Damion paused to think about that. "How soon do you plan to open your casino, and do you plan to operate it 24/7, or will it have closed hours?"

"Just under two weeks for grand opening, and it will be open all hours."

"Hm." Damion thought a moment. "I am currently my company's only employee. If you needed a lot of work done or 24/7 service right away, I couldn't accommodate you. I'd have to recommend another company that I know does good work. Light or moderate repair work done now, or 24/7 service two weeks from now, though, is a different story, and I do believe I could make a commitment like that then. Would this involve just general maintenance, or looking after the slot machines and roulette wheels, as well? Normally, I'd get their manufacturers to service them, but since you're buying the place, you don't necessarily own the original warranties or service contracts, I'm guessing. Those may have expired by now, at any rate."

Jade arrived, with a humaniform pushing a cart behind her. "Thank you, Daneel." She smiled at her two customers. "Time for a break," she said. "I'll bet you haven't heard a single note, and my musicians are playing beautifully. Relax and enjoy your meals." She stood back, with a nod at Daneel, and he placed the dishes in front of the two men, appropriately.

So Jade was training the AIs to be waitstaff now. All to the good, Damion thought. Daneel placed the dishes in front of them with elegance and precision. Damion nodded at him and smiled. "Beats all hell out of bussing tables, doesn't it?" he said to Daneel in a low voice.

The AI smiled and stepped back. "Is there anything else I can get for you?" he asked the two men.

Jade was pleased with how quickly her people learned new skills. She talked with Daneel more than the others, but they were all in agreement that the more they knew, the more opportunities they'd have. Mostly, she worked with Daneel, and occasionally with Podkayne, and they taught the others. She didn't inquire if it was actual teaching, or a sharing of database. That felt like invasion of privacy.

Eddie had watched as Jade came and spoke to Daneel, "Nothing for me thank you." He awaited Corin to answer back before he talked more business.

"I'm fine with water, thanks," Damion said to Daneel.

Jade and Daneel faded back, taking the cart with them.

Damion had smelled the fresh fragrance of the green beans as Daneel had set his plate down. Unable to restrain himself, he speared one with his fork and bit into it. A smile spread across his face. He couldn't decide whether to die or cry from enjoyment. Real green beans, not replicated, that've been out in the sun, not grown in tunnels. My God ... I never dreamed they could taste like this.

"Well, I can start with just certain times if you can accommodate a day service. I'm sure I can do some fixing at night if needed. I will need just general maintenance, the staff I employ to man the games will have the knowledge to look after the tables. And if anything goes wrong during the day times, or when you get the staff in a couple of weeks, then I will be able to call you out. But I would very much like to work with you, we are both two people just starting out," Eddie said.

"I appreciate that sentiment," Damion said, wrenching his mind away from the exquisite green beans and back to business. "Thank you for being willing to work with my business' current limitations. Let me make a few notes here." He pulled out a mini-PADD from inside his jacket. "What about the hotel? Are you reopening that, too?"

"No need to thank me; I know how tough it can be. The hotel is reopening alongside the casino. Bookings are flying in already for the grand opening and the surrounding days."

"I'll bet they are," Damion said with a nod. "Are you hiring in-house maintenance staff for the hotel?"

"Generally I will have the room cleaners that will look at small maintenance jobs if needed, however if anything major happens, then I can include it in your contract."

"You'll need someone who can do plumbing; I can unclog a pipe, but I'm not formally licensed for that," Damion said. "My expertise is primarily in appliances, and that's the focus of my business until it can expand. I'm licensed for temperature control, mechanical, electrical, and electronics repairs."

"Yeah I can find someone does that. Hopefully I won't have plumbing problems for a while, but I'm sure I can find an emergency plumber if the situation arose. But yeah, your expertise in all those areas will be much needed."

"Then I'm willing and glad to work for you," Damion said. "If you'll send me your requirements, I can draw up a service contract that you or your lawyers can look over. Since yours would be a major account, I can offer you discounted pricing on parts and labor."

"Sounds good to me," Eddie smiled.

 

RSS Feed