“I wish you to rob a bank.”

“I would LOVE to rob a bank. I have not done that it is a classic.”

“…Mr. Sharkey suggests that we speak.”

“We are in fact doing that now.”

“I should like to meet in person. I will wear a gray suit Mr. Price. I am of ordinary height. I am told I appear intense.”

“That’s nice for you I guess, are you—I mean do you also put that on Tinder because—”

“Mr. Price. You should now tell me how I will recognize you.”

“We are in touch Mr.—”

“…”

“We are in touch Mr. Client we are now talking as men do. I figured I’d book a table and like they would bring you over and I’d do like a cool thing with one hand, ‘please do sit Mr. Client,’ right, and then we’d just make our deal. But now I sense that is not where you were going with this.”

“It is not.”

“You’re thinking all yellow chalk and Gauloises I guess, and that is fine but I have to tell you sign and countersign for a meeting where you are in phone contact with the principal, that is kind of more obvious than actually just calling out a person’s name to the maître is all. Like I could wear a flower and carry a copy of, I don’t know, like Butterfly Sex Quarterly? There is a place down the street which sells really fucking outré magazines, there is one for people who collect only model trains made in India before partition. Can you believe that is a thing? So I can absolutely do that but if I do that and someone is there, let us say doing a vice bust or whatever, doing something that is in no way like what we are doing, they will pay close fucking attention Mr. Client, and that is not to our advantage at all. And that is before we discuss the other diners Mr. Client, they also might be the kinds of person who watch for that shit who are even a little bit attracted to it that would depend on where we meet. I was going to pick that sports club on the marina. I’m guessing you can do that.”

“…I can.”

“Yeah what I thought so—”

“That will be fine. Until then Mr. Price.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Are you still there Mr. Price?”

“…Yes?”

“Why?”

“I honestly have no idea it just seemed rude to put down the phone.”

(Click.)

—