The steak house is full as is it's bar area. The bar was packed young executives (suits) courting / working their way up the cooperate food chain. It was furnished very contemporary and trendy. There is a plasma tv with CNN Headline playing on it behind the bar.
You look a bit out of place, not being in suit. But no one seems to notice you at all. Ten minutes till your meeting, you glance around the room. You realize you have no idea what Mr. Ess looks like.
Jack takes a look around and sees an empty table for four located against the far wall of the restaurant. Seating himself, regardless of the “please wait to be seated sign” he begins pressing buttons on his camera. “Let’s see here.” He mutters under his breath as he turns on the LCD screen… “Holy, shit!” He says out loud…Loud enough to entertain/interrupt the tables surrounding him. “Sorry.” He says to the button down, douche bag that glares at him from across the aisle.
He looks down at the LCD display on the camera and sees that the Memory Stick has 1,880 pictures. “Damn.” “I have got to stop doing that.” He thinks to himself as he un-shoulders his messenger bag, throws it onto the table and reaches in pulling out a plastic package with a new Memory Stick and begins tearing away at the package with his teeth. “Grrrrrr…….” He emotes as he tears at the package and looks up to see the same douche bag looking at him with his jaw slung open. “Can’t wait for the waiter to get here…I am starving!” Jack said with a laugh although, the vibe that the man in the suit was giving off was anything but amusement.
“Jeez…some people have no sense of humor.” He thought to himself. “Or maybe I am the one that’s not laughing.” “Or maybe I just perceive him to not be laughing.” “Of course.” Jack popped out the old Memory Stick put it in his bag and places the new one in the slot. Waits for the screen to reload and presses the button to start recording video and places the camera on top of his messenger bag pointing at the chair opposite him.
Jack pushes the chair away from the table, leans back placing his hands behind his head and starts to look around the room.
"Mr. Soren?" a man in a three piece ask as he sits down. "You where easy to spot, no many people sporting that caliber of photographic equipment in here. I am Mr. Ess" he smiles politely.
Mr. Ess is wear a black three piece suit that fits fit like it was tailored today. He is clean shaven, with his dark hair kept short. Besides a very crisp and neat appearance, he is very average. About six foot tall, brown eyes, height weight proportional.
Mr. Ess laughs as he shakes hands firmly with Jack. As he seats himself, another walks up and joins them at the table.
An absolutely stunning Asian woman wearing business attire, with pale skin, black hair, and very dark eyes. She seats herself between Mr. Ess and Jack.
"Mr. Soren, I'd like you to meet my associate - Miss Tse." He pronounces it like 'see.' "She and I have been placed in charge of overseeing the filling of the PVS position."
Miss Tse smiles charmingly at Jack as she gracefully slides her slender form into the chair. She extends a delicate hand across the table to Jacobi, who notices a diamond-adorned gold bracelet around her dainty wrist. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Soren. Jack." She smiles sweetly "I especially enjoyed the recordings you left with us."
The waitress comes around, a bouncy older woman - looking to be in her late fifties, early sixties. Her nametag simply reads 'Kay.' She speaks very quickly as she passes out wrapped silverware and menus.
"Hi guys, welcome to Taste of Brazil. My name is Kay, I'll be serving you tonight. Tonight the specials are our seasoned beef medallions with mushroom gravy, and the chicken Alfredo. Happy hour is all night with two-for-one domestic drafts and wells. Can I get you folks something to drink?"
She pulls a notepad from the back waistband of her pants. Her big waitress smile locked on Jack. She obviously expects him to answer her first. Pressure's on.
"Uhhh..." is Jack's reply to the waitress as he extends his hand out to grasp Miss Tse's slender hand.
Jack leans over to look at the suit clad douche bag from before and smiles.
Changing facial expressions from an ear to ear grin to one of professionalism and decorum, Jack turns to face the waitress (still hand and hand with Miss Tse).
"If you don't mind could you come back in one moment. My aprty has just arrived I we will need a moment to get settled in an paruse the menu." "I am sure the lady would love some water or a glass of wine perhaps? That is, of course, if you are not still working?"
Jack turns to look at Miss Tse and then to Mr. Ess.
Miss Tse orders a water and Mr. Ess orders a rum and diet coke and Kay bounces off to help other people while Jack decides what he wants to drink.
Mr. Ess looks across the table at Jacobi, still smiling that condescending job interviewer smile. "So let's cut to the chase, Jack. Have you brought a portfolio of your work that we can look over?"
Jack reaches in his messanger bag and start unloading stacks of journals, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks of photos as well as a card reader with a digital display. Then reaches back into his bag a scoops out a handfull of memory sticks, dumping them out on the table, picking one up and placing it in the card reader.
"It's not much to start with but it is only a small sample. I can bring you more of course if you need it. This is only from the last 5 days after all..."
Jack hands the card reader over to Mr. Ess with a big smile as he looks at the pile of books and scraps of paper he has covered the table with and looks up at the two seated acrosss from him with eager anticipation.
"Well? What do you think? I told you I was detailed."
Mr. Ess and Miss Tse look over the photos, every so often commenting to each other quietly on the quality of the photos.
Jack can only sit there and watch nervously while his work is judged.
After a little while has passed, and Kay has returned to get Jack's order, the duo pass the card reader back to Jacobi.
Miss Tse says "You take good photos. We're pleased with what we see. Now, then. Tell us more about yourself, Jack. Why should we choose you as our photographer?"
Meanwhile, Kay returns with Jack's drink and Mr. Ess orders them an appetizer of fried plantains and a plate of Brazillian BBQ for himself, and he even goes ahead and orders one for Jack. Miss Tse orders a salad.
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