On Fire – Daniel 58

[For a quick guide go here: Quick guide.]

[Old back story is here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and read more recent Daniel episodes especially this one.]

[Other back story through in-links.]

[You can now buy me a coffee here!]

Daniel was on fire. Proverbially. Having decided to take the bull by the horns and indeed by anything else that came to hand, he was determined to drive a hard bargain whenever, wherever and however he could. 

“Look, Gordon,” he began, “I really like you - obviously - and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you and that’s why I’m telling you right here and now that Filo’s Bakery have made an offer for seven out of ten shop fronts on the main VR high street in Together…Apart. My boss is screaming at me to take it, but I need you to know what’s happening first.”

It was a game of cat and mouse. There were other offers on the table but it was just a question of how these were presented and to whom and in what order. Filo’s Bakery were in the market, but not quite the part of the market Gordon and his granary bun company were.

“Well,” said Gordon, “It’s good of you to let me know I guess…”

“The market is coming back,” steam-rolled Daniel. “Restrictions have come down, people are going out. They can meet each other online and then in real life. Our people are already working on an interface to smooth the transition from URL to IRL - did you see that on the Post Office Tower? Did you?”

Gordon didn’t really have a chance to say anything.

“So, my friend, I can keep you in business in the front line of the high street for, say a few hundred extra, or we can take you further back - around the corner, back street, that kind of thing - if you want to keep the same price.”

Gordon, being keen to lead the way into the brave new normal of post-pandemic meet, greet and dating, naturally stumped up the additional few hundred. To which Daniel said he’d see if he could make it work and rang off.

He made a cup of tea, rang a couple of confectionary businesses and a make-up chain, creating inroads as he did so. These would be call backs for later.

Gordon called back ten minutes later. As Daniel predicted he’d got a little bit riled.

“I can go higher,” he said. “My boss really wants this for us, so we can do another couple of hundred if that helps.”

Daniel smirked, said it might oil the wheels and rang off again.

He checked his watch. Daisy would be finishing school soon but it wasn’t his turn to pick up. What an amazing phrase that was. 'Wasn’t his turn to pick up'. He hadn’t considered that phrase for over a year and yet now, thanks to Chrissy, it was a reality. Not only that but it meant Daisy wouldn’t be through the door until half six - freshly tea’d and ready to start the journey to bed. Extra hours of work for Daniel, extra money, security, life.

He casually dropped an email in the direction of Filo Bakery and pretty swiftly had the reply he was expecting. Filo was not in the market for any kind of promotional activity at the moment. They were more of an artisan style bakery, trading on word of mouth with unsubstantiated pride in being able to make three different types of sourdough loaf every day. The brand would not be compromised by appearing in some dating VR game.

Interestingly however the make-up company were making curious noises.

“You’re not going to believe this…” began Dan when he called Gordon back.

Gordon cut him off with a sigh. “Look I probably shouldn’t tell you this but I can make your life better if you can keep our deal going,” he said. “For the extra hundreds I’ve offered, right?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Your wife…”

“Ex-wife.”

“At pick up time? She picks up Daisy every now and then?”

“Yes…”

“What if I put in a good word for you? Not just in front of her but in front of Mrs Chistlehurst as well? Impress your ex and Daisy’s teacher at once?”

And so it was that Gordon’s granary bun business maintained their cutting edge profile on one of the country’s leading dating sites. The prime position for delivering bread to the newly emerging population. And so it was too that Gordon told both Chrissy and Daisy’s teacher what a marvellous influence Daisy was on his child. How Daniel was a great dad and a very good friend and that both Daniel and Daisy had been a great help to him and Lexy over the past few weeks. 

Chrissy was impressed. Mrs Chistlehurst had an idea.