Beg for another chance

"I'm sorry Mr. Berridge! I was rude! I'm so sorry!" you plead, your face crumpling as you fight the urge to cry. He looks at you with impassive disinterest, not moving as he watches you. You slowly walk towards him, biting your lip, looking at him from under your fluttering eyelashes.

"I'm so sorry," you repeat. "Please give me another chance. I...I was just...surprised...I shouldn't have said...have been so rude..."

"But the fact remains that you were rude," he says dispassionately. "There are any number of ways to decline an offer without resorting to personal insult."

"I know, and I'm ever so sorry," you say, standing before him contritely.

"Interesting how financial realities can have such an influence on the decisions we make," he says in thoughtful tone.

"So we can discuss it further?" you ask in an apologetic wheedling tone. "We can start over?"

"Certainly we can start over," he says. "But as I said, that original offer is withdrawn. However, we may be able to come to some other terms." He looks at you, his mouth smiling, but no sign of humour in his eyes.

Just naked, predatory hunger.