We sit around a flimsy card table located in the basement of F's house. Piled high on top of the table are stacks upon stacks of green backs, wads of 100 dollar bills. We made a large withdrawal tonight, for the sole purpose of investing it into our business with expectations of accumulating a drastic increase in revenue. It has been a rough few years for our business, but this investment should prove to be the turning point that will take all of our hard work and manufacture it into profit. There are four of us still awake, though we began our evening and made the transaction with six. We are dressed to impress, with top of the line custom tailored suits that any Italian playboy would envy. The suits are tan, and we wear matching beige rimmed glasses fitted with a dark brown tinted glass. We all use pseudo names; having grown up together as the best of friends we concurrently developed nicknames, which stuck throughout our lives. I am called Z, and the others sitting around the room, clockwise, are called X, Q, and V. F and B both left the night earlier than anticipated, as they had intended. F is upstairs inside his house, sleeping on the living room sofa. B left us rather hastily tonight, on our way back from the transaction. He called me and told me that he was going to head home, which is towards the ocean. We all drove our own cars tonight, for exactly that reason. The rest of us, we talk about upcoming events and the future of our business.
“This will be well worth it my friends,” Q starts off the conversation, his face beaming and warm, his eyes unwavering and cold. “We have worked hard to get to where we are today, we should be proud of the work we have done. We started out with little experience, little money - “
“Don't forget little patience,” V chimes in, twisting his finger around in his well groomed beard.
“Yes of course, less than little patience. But we prevailed, even during those long winter nights when we shared the same studio apartment, when it felt nearly impossible to manage leading the lives that we want, that we deserve. We have struggled for nearly all our lives brothers, but this investment will be what is needed to satisfy our hunger for happiness, for a better world.” Q looks around at us, eyes permanently frostbit. His eyes fall on me.
“You have talked to the company again today Z, yes?” he inquires.
“This is correct Q,” I reply. “As you know, the investment will immediately impact our business sites, as soon as the company receives our investment. All of our work will payoff in large sums, profit for us all.” I look back at him with equally hard eyes, a smile painted on my face.
“Good, good. Then we have succeeded, we will speak of business no more. The money will be placed in the marked briefcases upstairs and placed in the designated spot, but that is for later. For now, a toast.” Q raises a glass that sits in front of him high into the air, and we mimic the movement.
“To the One, who we owe it all to. To my brothers seated around me, to my brothers sleeping; you are my family, once and forever. Drink, and be proud of who you are and what you have accomplished.” Tipping the glass towards his throat, Q finishes the warm liquid in one gulp. We follow in suit, paying little heed to the slight burn that comes with such a drink.
“Alright, let us enjoy the rest of our evening. We shall play a game of questions, to challenge wit and knowledge.” Q knows that we have already agreed on this game to play. “There can be only one winner, but none are losers. I will begin with the first question; V, what is the nation's number one television show currently running?”
V thinks hard, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “Is it, uuhhmm, Sex and the City?”
“It is not,” Q replies.
Click.
V looks at me, trying to come up with a good question. “What state is known as "The Sunshine State"?”
Hmm. There are many states that have good weather, lots of sunshine. I think, but can only narrow it down. “Is it California?” I ask.
“It is not,” V replies.
Click.
It is my turn to ask a question. “Who is the most important person in this country?” It is X's turn to respond.
