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Edwin Maven glanced down at his watch, trying his best to look as casual as possible. It was 12:32, two minutes after he had been scheduled to meet with the owner of a small local business. He was currently standing at the mouth of an alleyway, holding a large briefcase and trying to ignore the shakedown that was happening less than three metres behind him. Edwin’s home city, Svartalfheim, could have easily hoped to match Arcadia in size and prosperity, if only the rampant crime and corruption had been kept in check to even a small degree.
“Where the fuck is our money?” One of the Elven gangsters roared. When his victim, a middle-aged elf, didn't respond, the ringleader launched a vicious knee into his stomach. Edwin didn't let the desperate sputtering behind him distract him as he glanced at his watch again. 12:33. Time to go to work. The cafe Edwin was meeting the business owner at was only a few metres away from the alley, but he wanted to prove a point. A Maven arrived when he wanted to, not when the owner of a local… something… store told him to.
The chime of a small bell rang out as Edwin pushed the door open and walked inside. The amateur businessman took in the scent of coffee and pastries as he noticed his potential business partner sitting in the back, nervously grasping a drink. A scowl briefly crossed Edwin’s face. He hadn't waited. Who did he think he was? The elf took a second to compose himself and straighten his suit as he made his way over to the table, doing his best to look professional.
“Edwin Maven, a pleasure.” The elf said, smiling and extending a hand as he spoke. The man he had come to meet was a human, which had surprised Edwin when he first heard about him. Svartalfheim was predominantly an elven city, and most of the humans you saw were tourists.
“A-Alfred Jackson.” The man responded. He didn't shake Edwin’s hand. “Mr. Maven, I-”
The elf raised his hand to cut him off. Edwin took his seat, placing his briefcase next to his chair, and gestured for the waiter.
“One cappuccino, please.” He said pleasantly. Once the waiter left, the pair sat in silence as they waited for the drink. Every time Alfred would open his mouth to speak, he would receive a glare from Edwin and rethink his decision. After what seemed like an eternity, the cappuccino arrived. The elf thanked the waiter and took a sip, sighing contentedly.
“Okay, now we can get to business.” Edwin said, raising his cup for another sip. “Mr. Jackson, have you thought over the terms of our agreement?”
“I have,” Alfred said, seemingly having gathered up his courage, “and I’m not selling you my business.”
The elf, who had been mid-sip, choked on his drink at the man’s audacity. Edwin doubled over as he tried to clear the hot drink from his throat, coughing noisily. The few patrons in the cafe glanced over at the scene, watching Maven bang his fist against his chest desperately. Alfred was mortified as all eyes were on them, waiting anxiously for the coughing to die down. Eventually, Edwin sat back up. The elf wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and cleared his throat, immediately back to business.
“I'm sorry, I must have misheard. You're not selling me your business?” He placed his briefcase on the table and opened it up, spinning it to face Alfred. When the man looked into the case, he found an obscene amount of money staring back at him. “Come on, one failing business in exchange for early retirement. It's a no-brainer.”
“I've built my business up from nothing.” The man said tensely, slamming the briefcase shut. “Why should I sell it to the son of the elf who chased all my customers away?”
Edwin stared at the man blankly. “What are you talking about? My father had nothing to do with your store flopping.”
It was Alfred’s turn to have a blank stare, equally as baffled as the elf across from him. “What are you talking about? I've been the only home electronics store in the damn city since… ever, but no elves ever shop there! And I know your father had something to do with it!”
‘Oh,’ Edwin thought, ‘that's right, he sells technology.’
The elf cracked a grin at Alfred’s outburst, taking a drink as the man fumed.
“You're exactly right, you are the only place to buy… What did you call it? Home electronics? You know why?” Maven leaned in. “It's because no one wants it. To be more specific, Elves don't want it, and my father had nothing to do with it. Your target audience was always going to be a fraction of the population, you just didn't didn't do your homework before setting up shop.”
Alfred was silent for a long time, struggling with what he was being told.
“Then what do you want with it?” The man asked, trying to keep his composure.
“Hmm? Honestly, I just want the store. The location is nice.” Edwin said matter-of-factly. This wasn't the whole truth, but Alfred didn't need to know the extent of Maven’s intentions. It would probably just turn him off the deal even more. The elf reached over the briefcase and opened it again. “Now, allow me to reiterate...”
Alfred gazed at the money one last time before shaking his head.
“I don't want your money. Good bye, Mr. Maven.” He said as he abruptly stood up and stormed out of the cafe. Edwin, along with everyone else in the cafe, watched him leave.
“That's a shame… That's a damn shame…” He sighed, looking into his cappuccino before finishing it off. “Wait… Did he leave without paying? That bastard…”
“Where the fuck is our money?” One of the Elven gangsters roared. When his victim, a middle-aged elf, didn't respond, the ringleader launched a vicious knee into his stomach. Edwin didn't let the desperate sputtering behind him distract him as he glanced at his watch again. 12:33. Time to go to work. The cafe Edwin was meeting the business owner at was only a few metres away from the alley, but he wanted to prove a point. A Maven arrived when he wanted to, not when the owner of a local… something… store told him to.
The chime of a small bell rang out as Edwin pushed the door open and walked inside. The amateur businessman took in the scent of coffee and pastries as he noticed his potential business partner sitting in the back, nervously grasping a drink. A scowl briefly crossed Edwin’s face. He hadn't waited. Who did he think he was? The elf took a second to compose himself and straighten his suit as he made his way over to the table, doing his best to look professional.
“Edwin Maven, a pleasure.” The elf said, smiling and extending a hand as he spoke. The man he had come to meet was a human, which had surprised Edwin when he first heard about him. Svartalfheim was predominantly an elven city, and most of the humans you saw were tourists.
“A-Alfred Jackson.” The man responded. He didn't shake Edwin’s hand. “Mr. Maven, I-”
The elf raised his hand to cut him off. Edwin took his seat, placing his briefcase next to his chair, and gestured for the waiter.
“One cappuccino, please.” He said pleasantly. Once the waiter left, the pair sat in silence as they waited for the drink. Every time Alfred would open his mouth to speak, he would receive a glare from Edwin and rethink his decision. After what seemed like an eternity, the cappuccino arrived. The elf thanked the waiter and took a sip, sighing contentedly.
“Okay, now we can get to business.” Edwin said, raising his cup for another sip. “Mr. Jackson, have you thought over the terms of our agreement?”
“I have,” Alfred said, seemingly having gathered up his courage, “and I’m not selling you my business.”
The elf, who had been mid-sip, choked on his drink at the man’s audacity. Edwin doubled over as he tried to clear the hot drink from his throat, coughing noisily. The few patrons in the cafe glanced over at the scene, watching Maven bang his fist against his chest desperately. Alfred was mortified as all eyes were on them, waiting anxiously for the coughing to die down. Eventually, Edwin sat back up. The elf wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and cleared his throat, immediately back to business.
“I'm sorry, I must have misheard. You're not selling me your business?” He placed his briefcase on the table and opened it up, spinning it to face Alfred. When the man looked into the case, he found an obscene amount of money staring back at him. “Come on, one failing business in exchange for early retirement. It's a no-brainer.”
“I've built my business up from nothing.” The man said tensely, slamming the briefcase shut. “Why should I sell it to the son of the elf who chased all my customers away?”
Edwin stared at the man blankly. “What are you talking about? My father had nothing to do with your store flopping.”
It was Alfred’s turn to have a blank stare, equally as baffled as the elf across from him. “What are you talking about? I've been the only home electronics store in the damn city since… ever, but no elves ever shop there! And I know your father had something to do with it!”
‘Oh,’ Edwin thought, ‘that's right, he sells technology.’
The elf cracked a grin at Alfred’s outburst, taking a drink as the man fumed.
“You're exactly right, you are the only place to buy… What did you call it? Home electronics? You know why?” Maven leaned in. “It's because no one wants it. To be more specific, Elves don't want it, and my father had nothing to do with it. Your target audience was always going to be a fraction of the population, you just didn't didn't do your homework before setting up shop.”
Alfred was silent for a long time, struggling with what he was being told.
“Then what do you want with it?” The man asked, trying to keep his composure.
“Hmm? Honestly, I just want the store. The location is nice.” Edwin said matter-of-factly. This wasn't the whole truth, but Alfred didn't need to know the extent of Maven’s intentions. It would probably just turn him off the deal even more. The elf reached over the briefcase and opened it again. “Now, allow me to reiterate...”
Alfred gazed at the money one last time before shaking his head.
“I don't want your money. Good bye, Mr. Maven.” He said as he abruptly stood up and stormed out of the cafe. Edwin, along with everyone else in the cafe, watched him leave.
“That's a shame… That's a damn shame…” He sighed, looking into his cappuccino before finishing it off. “Wait… Did he leave without paying? That bastard…”