Lily about had a heart attack on the spot.
So she knew who the CEO of Exerton was.
Good, she’ll REALLY enjoy this, then.
Klaus was appropriately chastened, too. “M-Mr. Westerholtz – h-hello,” he stammered.
“I’ve got you both on speakerphone, hope you don’t mind, but my hands are occupied at the moment,” I lied, and winked again at Lily.
Westerholtz wasn’t fazed in the least. “No problem. Klaus, I want you to give Mr. – ”
Oh shit –
“Connor,” I interrupted forcefully, just as he was about to say my real last name. “Just call me Connor, Dave.”
Westerholtz was quite pleased at our new-found familiarity. “Sure, Connor. I want you to give Connor any help he needs, Klaus – anything he asks for. Understood?”
As expected, Klaus whined like a little bitch. “Well, Dave, I – ”
“Mr. WESTERholtz,” Dave interrupted.
Niiiiiiice.
Good one, Dave.
I looked over at Lily. She looked like she was taking this waaaay too seriously, so I gave her a fake OH MY GOD, NO HE DIDN’T! face.
She seemed to like that, and had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
Klaus went on whining. “Yes, Mr. Westerholtz, sir, you see, I’m actually out of the office – ”
“Then go BACK to the office, Klaus. Whatever Mr. – ”
Dammit –
“Connor,” I reminded Westerholtz.
“Right – whatever Connor needs, you make sure he gets it. Is that clear?”
There was a long silence on Klaus’s end.
“Of course,” he finally said, when what he really meant was Fuck the both of you.
The best way to needle someone with that mindset is to be as upbeat as possible.
“Fantastic!” I said. “Well, Dave, I know it’s late there in New York, so I don’t want to keep you too long, but thanks for your help.”
“It’s my pleasure, Mr. – ”
“Connor, Dave, it’s Connor!” I said, and forced myself to laugh like we were all just the best o’ pals.
Westerholtz took it all at face value – which he should not have. Not as the CEO of a competing company with the option of a buyout on the table.
As a CEO, your first priority is to protect the company at all costs – within the bounds of the law, of course, and taking into account your duty to your shareholders, your employees, and your customers. And that meant distrusting everybody outside of the company – especially anyone who might not have the company’s best interests at heart.
Like me.
As bad as he was, Klaus was much lower on the totem pole than Westerholtz, and his fuck-ups weren’t going to sink the company.
Westerholtz’s just might.
Like on Monday morning.
“You got it, Connor. It was a real pleasure talking to you this afternoon, and I’m looking forward to working together in the future!”
“Absolutely, Dave,” I said, with the slightest twinge of guilt. If I found what I was looking for tonight, Westerholtz would probably never speak to me again.
I enjoy taking down ruthless competitors. What I don’t enjoy is hurting people who are basically good-natured at heart.
But some good-natured people bumble their way into positions that are way over their heads. That’s not my fault. Business at Westerholtz’s and my level is a cutthroat affair. You don’t walk around in our world with your chin up and your guard down.
Besides, there’s that quote: a man is judged by the quality of his enemies. And I had a feeling, after this was all over, I’d be looking over my shoulder for Westerholtz for the rest of my life.
“Take care!” I finished up, wanting to get off this phone call.
“You too!”
Klaus tried kissing ass one last time.“Goodbye, Mr. Wester– ”
But Westerholtz hung up on him.
Too bad, Klaus.
I was about to say something to my new butt-boy when Lily suddenly raised her finger tentatively, like she was back in first grade.
“Hold on one sec, Klaus – don’t go anywhere!” I said, and put him on mute. Then I gave her my full attention. “What’s up?”
“If you want him to come in, you’ve got to be nice and ask him,” she whispered. She’d just seen me put the phone on hold, though I figured it was her boss’s psychological hold over her that made her so timid. Or maybe she didn’t trust me entirely… which, if it was the case, impressed me even more. “I know what Mr. Westerholtz said, but if you order Klaus around, he’ll turn it into a… a pissing contest.”
I grinned. She said ‘pissing contest’ like a sixty year-old nun.
Plus, she’d just given me the best ammunition possible. And the path to the perfect endgame.