Chapter 2 LOUIS

The loud click of my keyboard filled my boring office as I sent out my morning emails. I changed the tab to my calendar. Around ten o'clock in bright red was "Mr.Watts." “Grant!” I yelled as I continued typing on my computer. A young man of approximately twenty-five years of age with straight brown hair and round glasses that made him look like a middle-aged man. student who walked into my office a few seconds later. "Yes, Louis?" he asked before catching his breath. We've been good friends for years, so he was the only person in this office who referred to me by my first name. To everyone else, he was Mr. Freud. "Did you send those interns the numbers for your presentation today with Mr. Watts?" I asked turning my eyes to Grant. There was a time when the only sound in the office was the flick of Grant's finger as he ran across his tablet. "Yes, Louis," I answered as he walked towards me. “I sent it last week, and it says they read it five minutes after they got it. See?” She turned her tablet over so he could see the email he'd sent. I scanned it and everything was as he said she said. —Good.— I went back to my computer and began to consult the schedules of my employees to the day. "Are you worried they won't do well?" Grant asked as he began to serve me a coffee from the coffee machine in my office that was always running. "Oh no," I replied, taking the mug as he handed it to me, "it's just a status report meeting." with a low level investor. This is to introduce you to investor meetings, so if you can't do this, you can't do anything and you were both our top two candidates. Grant nodded from side to side. "I guess you're right," he replied. —But this is their first big presentation here at the company, so they might be nervous. "They shouldn't be." They've done presentations before in college and probably in high school before that. What makes this one different? It was hard but true, that's the way it is although it always is. Newer employees get nervous at their first company introduction when in reality they shouldn't be and end up making a fool of themselves. —Louis, the fact that you don't get nervous doesn't mean that others aren't. Just don't be too hard on them, they're unpaid interns, after all, we're lucky to have them. Grant was right as usual. Usually he went out of his way to be my conscience and keep me a bit empathetic. That's when a jolt came from my computer. The alarm set ten minutes earlier my meeting was starting. "Well," I said, standing up, "I guess I should go to the meeting now. What room is he in? “Conference room 384A,” Grant replied as he walked with his head down, looking at his tablet. "Thank you," I reply as I head down the hallway and into the elevator. When I entered the elevator, the inmates were already waiting in the elevator. A young woman with her curly red hair tied up in a bun held a tablet close to her chest. Even from the elevator entrance, I could see that she was sweating in drops. The other inmate, a young man with black hair, was frantically typing something on her tablet. She could only hope that he didn't panic ending the presentation. "Good morning, Mr. Freud!" exclaimed the girl. "Good morning," I replied, taking my place in the elevator with Grant. "I hope you two are prepared for your presentation today." "Of course!" replied the other before letting out a nervous laugh. "Why don't you have it ready?" They didn't have it fully prepared; It was obvious. I narrowed my eyes, looking at the couple, hoping I could get them to confess (rather than shame) themselves at the meeting. "I don't know why you wouldn't have it ready." I have let you know that this presentation it will make or break your position in this company, and I hope you take it seriously. The man gave a nervous giggle while the woman gave me a slight smile. The elevator finally reached the third floor and we emerged into a corridor full of meeting rooms. My black shoes clicked against the hardwood floor as we made our way to the meeting. When Grant opened the door, Mr. Watts was waiting inside. He was an older man in his fifties, with silver hair that was balding slightly. The chubby man stood up, walking towards me with a wide smile. Hit it!” he exclaimed, holding out a hand for me to shake. "I didn't know you'd be attending this meeting!" I gave him a small smile. "I'm just supervising the two of you giving the presentation," I replied. "I hope you don't mind." -Of course not! In fact, I'm really glad you're here! I was going to ask someone to relay the message, but since you're here, I can tell you myself. I tilted my head slightly, interested in what he had to say. He was one of our most stable investors, not having changed a thing in the last five years, so anything he had to say must be important. —Because my company is earning mined money from another of our investments, We have decided to invest more in your company! That is, of course, if our state remains stable. within your company.” I gave him a bigger but forced smile. Of course, this was the project I put the interns on. If this meeting goes wrong, we'll lose your investment. "Thank you very much," I replied. I turned to the pair of interns who, having set up the presentation, they seemed even more terrified. I gave them a little nod and that's when it all went downhill...