downloaded the Tinder thing, time to give it a go he supposed. This really wasn't his style he thought as he searched his laptop for a picture of himself to use. Finally he settled on one from the company Christmas party, where he must have been laughing at a joke. Then he settled in to answer the profile questions. Stupid Leo, where was he when you needed him?
"So, tell me again. I don't get it. Someone is trying to buy out a one woman cleaning business?"
"Yes, and as your accountant I have to suggest you at least take the offer seriously. What is your long-term plan? Clean until you can't clean anymore?"
"Jerry, I'm barely thirty..."
"Thirty-two," Jerry interrupted.
Cyndi glanced up, "Right, thrity-two, thank you for the reminder," she rolled her eyes at him "but it's not like I'm sixty-five and peering down the barrel of retirement."
"No, you're right, you're not. It's just, what's your plan? If you take this offer, you can sell out of the business, have a nice little nest egg for yourself and, I don't know, go work for some nice company for the next 20 years and then retire."
"Jerry! Have you not been paying attention? I'm a corporate refugee. I don't want to work for some nice company, or a horrible one either. In fact, by definition I think they're all horrible. So...no. The answer is no."
"But..."
"And another thing, why does anyone even want to consider buying a modestly successful cleaning company run by one woman and her cat?"
"Your cat?"
"Yes, my cat, she's got a very important job, she's on the board."
"Really?"
"No, not really, she's a cat."
"Oh, ok, because I was wondering..."
"Yes, Jerry, I know you were. I haven't actually got a cat. You're very literal, has anyone ever mentioned that? Forget it, can we continue looking over the books here, I have an appointment."
"An appointment," he arched one eyebrow,"it's after 6 in the evening, what appointment?"
"A date, with Gooch."
"What's a Gooch?"
"Oh my God, she's my best friend, can we just continue here?"
"Right, well actually I think we're done, although I have to tell you they were quite insistent about the acquisition and I don't think they'll go away."
"Why, why does anyone want to by my little tiny company in this great big city? I'm nothing, really, what do they want? The car? Is that it, is he a collector?"
"No," he laughed " I know you love that thing, but I'm certain it's not the car. if I had to guess, I'd say he was buying up a whole lot of little services like yours in order to keep them off the streets. I'm guessing he's coming in with his own big company and he wants to create a need. Cleaning is a very lucrative business you know, it can't be outsourced overseas, robots probably won't be doing it. I'm guessing he's clearing the decks so he can own the market."
Cyndi sat back as though she'd been punched. Really, someone was trying to buy her business? But...it was hers. She couldn't imagine anyone else owning it. On the other hand...
"What's the offer?"
Jerry slid a piece of paper toward her, and she glanced at it.
That was a big number. Not big enough to retire forever, but it would give her some breathing room. On the other hand...she just couldn't. "Ok, no, but thanks."
"Really because that's not a bad offer, do you mean no, or no for now?"
"Why? I mean why can't I mean no, just plain old no?"
"I don't know, you might change your mind is all."
"Well, it's not enough to retire on, so I'd still have to work. I'm not going to work for someone else, so I'd need another business, and this is the one I'd start. So, no."
"Just think about it, you'd be ok for a while, then, yes you'd have to work, but," he ran his hands through what was left of his hair "you'd have a certain measure of freedom if you invested this and, well isn't that what you want? Some freedom?"
"Yes. No. I don't know. Wait! I have freedom. I don't think this is what I want," she said waving the paper at him
"I'm
"So, tell me again. I don't get it. Someone is trying to buy out a one woman cleaning business?"
"Yes, and as your accountant I have to suggest you at least take the offer seriously. What is your long-term plan? Clean until you can't clean anymore?"
"Jerry, I'm barely thirty..."
"Thirty-two," Jerry interrupted.
Cyndi glanced up, "Right, thrity-two, thank you for the reminder," she rolled her eyes at him "but it's not like I'm sixty-five and peering down the barrel of retirement."
"No, you're right, you're not. It's just, what's your plan? If you take this offer, you can sell out of the business, have a nice little nest egg for yourself and, I don't know, go work for some nice company for the next 20 years and then retire."
"Jerry! Have you not been paying attention? I'm a corporate refugee. I don't want to work for some nice company, or a horrible one either. In fact, by definition I think they're all horrible. So...no. The answer is no."
"But..."
"And another thing, why does anyone even want to consider buying a modestly successful cleaning company run by one woman and her cat?"
"Your cat?"
"Yes, my cat, she's got a very important job, she's on the board."
"Really?"
"No, not really, she's a cat."
"Oh, ok, because I was wondering..."
"Yes, Jerry, I know you were. I haven't actually got a cat. You're very literal, has anyone ever mentioned that? Forget it, can we continue looking over the books here, I have an appointment."
"An appointment," he arched one eyebrow,"it's after 6 in the evening, what appointment?"
"A date, with Gooch."
"What's a Gooch?"
"Oh my God, she's my best friend, can we just continue here?"
"Right, well actually I think we're done, although I have to tell you they were quite insistent about the acquisition and I don't think they'll go away."
"Why, why does anyone want to by my little tiny company in this great big city? I'm nothing, really, what do they want? The car? Is that it, is he a collector?"
"No," he laughed " I know you love that thing, but I'm certain it's not the car. if I had to guess, I'd say he was buying up a whole lot of little services like yours in order to keep them off the streets. I'm guessing he's coming in with his own big company and he wants to create a need. Cleaning is a very lucrative business you know, it can't be outsourced overseas, robots probably won't be doing it. I'm guessing he's clearing the decks so he can own the market."
Cyndi sat back as though she'd been punched. Really, someone was trying to buy her business? But...it was hers. She couldn't imagine anyone else owning it. On the other hand...
"What's the offer?"
Jerry slid a piece of paper toward her, and she glanced at it.
That was a big number. Not big enough to retire forever, but it would give her some breathing room. On the other hand...she just couldn't. "Ok, no, but thanks."
"Really because that's not a bad offer, do you mean no, or no for now?"
"Why? I mean why can't I mean no, just plain old no?"
"I don't know, you might change your mind is all."
"Well, it's not enough to retire on, so I'd still have to work. I'm not going to work for someone else, so I'd need another business, and this is the one I'd start. So, no."
"Just think about it, you'd be ok for a while, then, yes you'd have to work, but," he ran his hands through what was left of his hair "you'd have a certain measure of freedom if you invested this and, well isn't that what you want? Some freedom?"
"Yes. No. I don't know. Wait! I have freedom. I don't think this is what I want," she said waving the paper at him
"I'm
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