2019-06-19 - Getting To Know You

Christopher will be on the record soon enough, right now he's taking a few moments to settle his mind on the little things. The smell of Not Domino's, for instance. Or, look, it's one of /those/ old games. He should get one of those for the apartment. Or, isn't that the one with the new big-screen version? Maybe one of those.

Jessica rushes in from the outside world, glances around a moment, and then smiles as she sees her old schoolmate...and now filthy rich guy. Though he was always filthy rich compared to her. "Chris, sorry I'm late" she apologises as she makes her way over. "Oops, you probably don't remember me from school, so I should call you Mister Hayes." She offers her hand. "Jessica Flores, Gray Harbor Gazette. Thanks for doing this interview. Would you like to grab a booth?"

Christopher shakes hands, just firmly enough. "Of course I remember you, Miss Flores. Or should I call you Jessica?" If it's a bluff, then it's a good one. "And it's my pleasure. Where would you like to start?" as he walks over to an open seat, waiting for her to take up the other.

"Jessica will be fine" she smiles as she follows him to the booth and seats herself down. "Do you mind if I record this?" Jessica asks as she gets out her phone. "Don't want to make any mistake in the article." She also takes out a notebook PC from her satchel bag to make further notes. "How about we start at the end? How much money did you make from the sale of your company? And why sell it?"

"No, I don't mind." Jessica's a friend, or at least friendly. Not one of those vultures looking to score points off of him. Christopher leans forward slightly as he clasps his hands atop the table. "All the money," he offers, smiling. "So that's one reason. But, beyond that? Someone once said, it's good to do something that you're good at, but it's great to do something that /only/ you are good at. Taking SystemAttic to the next level, there's a fine team in place that's going to do that. Me? I'm looking for that next great thing."

"Not many people would come back to Gray Harbor to find it" Jessica smiles. "Or is this just a stop to see the family before moving on again?" She sucks on her lower lip for a moment. "You don't want to tell me how much exactly?" A teasing wiggle of her eyebrows before she shrugs her own question away. "The readers like numbers, though it is your business, no one elses. And that quote. Is that yours?"

Christopher lowers his voice a moment. "Ask me again off the record," he suggests, before returning to the interview proper. "No, it's not mine, I'd have to look up again whose it was. It just fits. As for coming back here? Honestly, that was more a gut instinct move. But I haven't regretted it yet."

"How long have you been back?" Jessica asks, her light smile signifying she will definitely be asking off the record about the money. "Do we even have houses here that could accommodate a man of your wealth?" she smiles more warmly. "Your parents must be very proud. I remember your father was a used car salesman? You were always very business, even at school. Knew what you wanted and went out and got it. Those fair comments?"

"I'm still looking," Christopher replies, addressing the middle question first. "Been back about a month now. And I certainly tried, at least. Took a little while before I really started firing on all cylinders." Indeed, there's that car metaphor, he probably heard it starting at an early age.

"If the rumors are true, you could probably buy a whole apartment block." Jessica's eyes narrow. "Were you class captain? It's been a while since high school" she laughs, "Sometimes the memory gets a bit rough. So, you're next big thing. Will it be in the computer field again or something else? Social? Military?"

Christopher furrows his brow a moment at the mention of the military, so that's probably a no. "Something social, I imagine. Of course, that's about as specific as 'there's weather in the summer'. Right now I'm just trying to keep my options open, you have to be ready to pick up on an unexpected new direction and roll with it."

At least the military is out - this is a tick for Christopher in Jessica's book. "How do you find these directions?" She seems genuinely interested in how his mind works. How this creation of new directions happens. "Do you have people working for you and researching various aspects? Do you have people checking the internet? Do you even have people?"

"Everyone has people," he replies. "Even the ones who think they don't. I do have a charity foundation down in the Bay Area, I stay in touch with them and help brainstorm new forms of outreach."

"San Francisco Bay or Portland Bay? Just want to make sure we have the right Bay for the article. I don't suppose you've ever thought about buying a local newspaper and taking it national?" It doesn't hurt to ask. Jessica gestures to the pizza bar. "Would you like something to eat or drink?"

Christopher follows Jessica's gaze and inclines his head. "Good thinking." He mulls over the selection on offer as he continues. "San Francisco. And I have now," with a hint of a smile. "Here we are, talking all about me, though. What about you, do you see yourself as more a Woodward or a Bernstein type?"

"I can't be both?" Jessica deadpans in reply. "This is an interview about you, not me" she points out with a laugh. "I might go for the Supreme Pizza, small of course, and a caramel thickshake. What would you like?" She rises, getting ready to order. "My shout."

The mention of the drink draws a wince out of Christopher. "Oh, I remember those. Had two in a row back in grade school, gave myself a stomachache." The things are plenty large enough even for an adult, so no wonder. "I think the barbecue chicken is calling to me. So, what other questions are on your readers' minds?"

"The readers want to know how much money you have and who you are sleeping with" Jessica replies apologetically. "I want to know more interesting things. Like where do your ideas come from? What are you going to use all that money for? Will you be be bringing the wealth back to your home town? What is your philosophy of life. No thickshake for you then." She heads over to the counter to order.

Christopher grins. "Well, I don't want to give away all my secrets. I am bringing some of it back, I don't want to get into specifics, though-- I think the city council wants to take point on that one. Make sure all the right people get handshakes and thank yous, you know how it is."

"Handshakes for the city council? Careful, Mister Hayes, people could construe that as bribes." Jessica half-teases, though she will probably be looking into it. "The readers like specifics. Journalists like specifics. Otherwise we'll speculate." She frowns. "Actually, readers prefer to speculate these days. It's a sad world we live in." Orders done, she is soon back at the booth.

"Oh, no, these handshakes would be during the official press release," Christopher explains, and politely avoids getting into any of his own speculation on the other sort. "Next month at the latest, though, I think." Well, that's something at least.

It is something. A little something, but something. "/We/ know what you meant, but that speculation can get carried away." She switches off her recorder. "So, how much did you get? And do you /really/ remember me from high school?"

Christopher still skips that first question, he didn't promise he /would/ answer it. At least not with other people around. The second one, though: "Remember that one school dance in junior year, the one where George got caught trying to sneak a bottle of rum in?"

"I wasn't really the school dance type" Jessica replies, noting the lack of an answer but not pressing him. "I think I only went to one of them and that was under duress from my parents." Her brow furrows. "Though, yes, I think that was the one where George was caught with the rum. What about it?"

"Yeah, that's what I remember," he continues. "You had that purple dress, I think? Anyway, I knew I hadn't seen you there before. I was about to ask you to dance, but then the thing with George happened, and then Linda did that /other/ thing and, well. Lost track of you after that."

Jessica stares at Christopher, wide-eyed and disbelieving. "You remembered that dress? Seriously?" She doesn't know whether to be amazed or flattered...so she goes with both. A nervous rubbing of the back of her neck. "I probably would have freaked out if you asked me" she laughs softly, blushing a little. "I guess I ran for the hills as soon as everyone was distracted."

There's probably some nostalgia factor at play, surely Christopher has seen a bunch of fancier dresses since then. But everything in high school is so /intense/, because you don't really have a standard of comparison yet. "That would do it," he muses. "Maybe I can make it up to you a little later, though? It's never too late, if you ask me."

"I still don't do dances much" Jessica grins in reply, still unable to shake her blush. "No, it's never too late. You don't know if you don't ask, right?" Their food arrives and she sucks on the straw in her thickshake...and sucks again. "If it takes more than one suck to get to the drink, then it's a good thickness" she explains.

Christopher arches a brow. Now there is something you don't hear every day, at least not in any of the circles he's run in before. "You did turn off the recorder, right?" he murmurs, keeping his voice low.

Jessica glances at her phone before nodding. "Yep, it's off. Did I say something bad?" She can be an innocent soul sometimes. "Did /you/ say something bad?" And she missed it? What kind of journalist is she?

Christopher leans forward, resting his chin in his hands and considering. "Maybe I was just thinking of it the wrong way. Anyway." One hand reaches across the table toward one of hers. "This is me asking. Let's try it later and see where it goes?"

Why is there a hand coming towards her? Intentionally. From a handsome man who can see her clearly. "Umm...sure. We can do that." A nervous pat of his hand - that's what you do, right? "Don't let your pizza get cold."