Shake her hand

“You have what I need?” you ask.

“I think so,” she replies.

You shake her hand.

“Tell me what you have,” you say.

“I know that Martha has come on pretty hard to some of my younger girls and my prospect,” Alex says, picking up your glass of whiskey. “But that does you no good, kid. I assume you want your witnesses to talk to someone at the school? Not the police?”

“Right,” you say.

“Even so, a Free Gurl? Not very credible.”

You nod. She’s right.

“But I know one person. A bartender. I’m sure she’s seen Martha do things that would support your story. Nothing damning. Just a little extra help.”

“That would be perfect,” you say.

“OK. I’ll talk to her. If she wants something in return, I will handle it. It’s me you owe, not her. And here’s what I want from you, kid.” Alex sighs, then finishes the whiskey. “I know you can’t make the final call on a real deal because you aren’t in charge. But you said that you’re in charge this weekend.”

“I am,” you say confidently.

“I have a meeting tonight. Here. With someone important. I need a full house,” Alex tells you, lowering her voice.

You have no trouble keeping up with her. Appearances are everything. When Alex’s business associate comes here, Alex wants her to see a thriving bar full of people.

“What do I have to do? You know that CCL is home with their families. I can’t bring you twenty bodies to fill the place,” you say.

“Yes, you can. Wet T-shirt contest, starring CCL. I have half the gay women in Gurlberg in here every night. Give me a couple of nubile college girls and a bidding war for some lap dances, and I’ll have them all. So. How many can you get me?”

“Excuse me?”

“How many CCL girls?”

Right. You can’t pretend that you don’t understand. She’s not dealing with you as an individual. She’s dealing with you as the representative of CCL, and she wants an answer.

Tell her that there are four of you?

Or tell her that there’s only you?