Yeah, no one to blame for me running late today other than me. I am just moving slow today. I think I might have overdone it a little on my bike ride yesterday. But that is something that will just have to work itself out. So, on with the morning writing prompt. Timers at the ready and off we go!
I find this something I will have to think about. I don’t know what business the two are getting into but I suspect Devin is going to leave this project and find another one and problems with Sean will ensue.
Tuesday, April 25th: And what will that cost me?
“And what will that cost me?” he asked. Devin was getting a little tired of everyone adding on their extra costs to his budget. Sean smiled,
“Us,” he said. What will that cost us,” he corrected. “And while it will be an initial expenditure, it will save us in the long run.”
Devin looked down at the two sets of papers in front of him. One was his budget for the project. I it was neatly typed and factored in all of the essential costs in black ink, additional costs that he thought were distinct possibilities in blue ink and additional costs that weren’t essential now but would need to be paid for somewhere down the line in green ink. There were three lines of tallies one that added up only the black one that was black and blue and tone that was black, blue and green.
He suspected their actual budget would come in somewhere between the lines but hopefully not exceed the line that included all three.
Sean’s budget was less organized. Handwritten, he scribbled notes in the margins and had no delineation between essential costs and extraneous ones. To Devin it looked as though as soon as Sean thought of something he wanted, he scrawled it on the page and then made a guess as to what it might cost.
“Where are you getting your cost estimates,” Devin couldn’t resist asking as Sean waxed poetic about how a $2000 office chair would save him chiropractic fees in the future.
“What?” Sean asked. He blinked owlishly as though trying to recover from having his thought train interrupted. Devin had seen the impression too many times for it to be effective.
“Where did you get your figures?” Devin asked.
“Oh,” Sean asked. He pulled his bright smile out.
Devin smiled. “I’m not one of your girlfriends,” he reminded Sean I am a potential business partner.”
Sean’s smile winked out. “Potential?” he asked.
Devin shook the budget Sean gave him in the air. “As in if I don’t get some actual answers I will potentially decide that working with you is a waste of my time.”
Devin had already half decided that, but he chose not to point it out. If Sean hadn’t realized it yet he was an even bigger fool than Devin realized.
Sean snorted. “Of course you’re going to do this,” he said. “You have to.”
Devin kept his thoughts on the matter to himself. “Where did you get your figures?” he asked instead.
“I just got them where they were,” Sean said. “Different places.”
“Right,” Devin said. He knew that at least half of the figures were made up. “Are there any more to add to this?”
“No I think with the executive chairs added that should be it,” he said.
Devin nodded. He gathered all of the papers into a stack and stood up.
“We’re done?” Sean asked hopefully.
“For the moment.”
“As in you approve the budget?”
“As in I am taking your budget and my budget home, going over both and coming up with something that might be feasible.”
“But my budget is feasible,” Sean said.
“I still want to check the numbers,’ Devin said. “And you can forget about your $2000 chairs.”
Sean’s face changed into a stubborn expression. He opened his mouth to protest and Devin lifted a hand.
“I will come up with a budget I am willing to work with. I will include the items from both our lists that I think we need. If you do not agree with me,. We can discuss it, but if you don’t like the budget you can always walk.”
Ten til Midnight 