$20 STORY

So, this is a $20 story ... and the $20 I am speaking about is the bill in this picture ...

Tonight was supposed to be a relaxing night. No plans at all. I was planning to spend some extra hours in the office trying to have some work done and nothing else. Everything changed when R***N, our account manager, called me and told me that our beloved customers were in town ... so he suggested to go out to have a beer with them. I can't refuse this type of proposals.

We headed to the TAP HOUSE GRILL in BELLEVUE, WA. I was expecting to see just a couple of guys ... but actually the gang was bigger ... almost a dozen of them. At that point I understood that they were looking for somebody (us) to pay for their dinner. I knew only a couple of them ... in particular I was happy to see T**D a former colleague from LA. Beer was good. Dinner was not special ... almost mediocre. Of course R***N had to pay for the dinner ... you know CUSTOMER RULES ... :( ... but he got a $120 discount (the cost of the appetizers, I believe) by the restaurant because they bring the main courses in different times ... again ... CUSTOMER RULES ... :)

We stayed there some more time ... we were having a good time and we were speaking about everything ... but mostly business related discussions ... at a certain point (after too many beers, probably) T**D ... started asking me if I will work again with him also in SAN FRANCISCO ... but because at this point I don't know what I am going to do ... I kinda didn't answer ... or I did answer in a vague way. Anyways ... L**N a lady project manager started pushing me ... and in a funny way she start telling me that I have to make T**D happy and BLABLABLA and I need to work on this project. The conversation was a mix between funny (for the beers we drunk) and serious (for the topic). I don't know how but she ended up pulling out her wallet and she told me that she was going to pay me if I was going to tell her the truth. I show her my right hand palm ... I smiled ... and she put this bunch of $20 bills in my hand. I close my hand. I put the money in the back pocket of my jeans. And I did answer her that ... "Yes I am planning to work on the project. And thanks for the money". T**D pulled out $1 bill and he asked me where. I got also this $1 bill and I answer him that "Most likely I will have a national position, but I am not 100% sure. But $1 is really a good buy for that information".

At this point L**N realized what she did and she couldn't believe she gave me all her money. So she wanted them back. I laughed and I refused to give her back the money. My excuse was that I didn't ask for them. Everybody saw that. It was a business decision. She decided to give me the money. The scene was hilarious. L**N was almost mad ... she realized she game me almost $200. R***N, our account manager, was almost embarrassed. He couldn't believe it. T**D and the rest of the gang were laughing like crazy.

The situation continued for few minutes. I almost managed to convince her ... I told her "If you think about it, this is a great story to tell to your girlfriends ... basically you just paid $200 for an Italian guy who gave you some fun during a lonely night in SEATTLE ... that isn't that bad ... :)" You should have seen her face ... :O

After 5 minutes of negotiations I put my hand in my pocket and I pulled out the first bill I found ... it was a $20 bill ... the one in the picture. I gave it to her. L**N wasn't happy about that. She claimed she had to catch a taxi in the SAN FRANCISCO tomorrow and she needed cash ... she wanted back her 200 bucks. At a certain point ... she asked for a paper signed by me, or better by R***N, that she gave me this money she could expense them to her company ... an other 5 minutes negotiations and I ended up giving the $1 to T**D and the rest of the money to L**N ... I don't how but out of the blue I had the last moment bright idea and I ask her back my $20, which were actually not mine, but hers, ... and of course ... she was so happy she recovered $160 that she gave me back the $20 bill ... without thinking that actually the $20 were hers ... :)

The night continued pretty smooth ... some more beers and a safe drive back home ... oooopppss ... to the hotel ... more I think about it more I am convinced that these $20 were well deserved ... tomorrow R***N and I will have the first round of beers paid by the customer ... :D