“If Kathryn saw you now, do you think you’d still have a job?”

Frederick was standing in the foyer of Renford Properties. In front of him sat a petite, brunette woman behind a small desk. She was filing her nails and hadn’t seen Frederick as he had walked in. Too immersed in her own self-image, she’d apparently not heard the loud echoes of his footsteps on the polished floor. She looked up at him, and look startled. Frederick could see that see was looking for an excuse. An excuse she didn’t have. He slid his card onto her desk. It said nothing but his name.

Frederick

“Don’t say anything. I don’t care why you think your nails are more important than this company, and quite frankly, right now it’s none of my business. Go and find Kathryn for me. Give her my card and when she gives you a meeting time and place for me, which she will, find me. I’ll be in the casino across the street.”

“Oh and one more thing. You’d best hope our meeting doesn’t go well. If it does, and I have a say in this business one day, I might just let slip to Kathryn that my first impression of the company, you, in case you miss what I’m saying, wasn’t a good one.”

Frederick flashed the woman a smile before turning on the spot and striding out of the door. He crossed the street and slipped into the casino. Before he’d even opened the door, he knew that woman had gone off in search of Kathryn.  

Carol was concerned, to put it mildly. The usual receptionist at Renford Properties, Kezia, was on vacation and Carol was her temporary replacement. She'd gotten the gig because her cousin was a dancer at the Fire and Ice club, and Carol was hoping to turn it into something more permanent. The job was busy, but it was also important to look the part. It was Vegas, after all. Looks weren't everything... but, well, it was Vegas. 

Unfortunately, her focus on her appearance had led her to completely miss this guy who'd showed up. In her defense, he didn't have an appointment; Miss Renford didn't have anything scheduled for another couple hours. But she didn't think that defense would hold up too well. Rising quickly, she tried to call the man back, but he was already gone. So she grabbed the strange business card and walked briskly down the hallway to Miss Renford's office. The boss was speaking to her bodyguard, Jack, and they both looked up as Carol entered. 

"Uh... sorry to interrupt Miss Renford. There was a man here to see you. His name is Frederick."

Kathryn leaned back in her chair.

"Interesting. Show him in. Jack, we'll finish this business later."

Carol looked slightly squeamish.

"Well, Miss Renford, I would except he left."

"Left where?"

"To the casino. Said he'd be there until someone found him with a meeting time and place."

"Okay. Find him. Let him know he can meet me here in an hour. We'll give him a chance to gamble a bit first."

Carol nodded and exited the office quickly. Taking the elevator downstairs, she crossed the busy street and headed into the casino. Casinos are constructed to trap people: a labyrinth of rooms, devoid of clocks, designed to remove money from wallets. It also made it exceedingly difficult to find someone, particularly someone you'd just met. She had spent in long time in search of Frederick; in fact, she wasn't even sure how long, since she didn't wear a watch and there were no clocks to be seen. 

"Mister... Frederick, sir. Miss Renford will see you in her office... at 1:30."

She was going to say "in half in hour", but she had no idea how much time had actually gone by. She also thought about adding more, about how it was only her second day on the job or that she was under a lot of pressure, but she wasn't sure it would help. So she just smiled as professionally as she could. 

Frederick looked down at his watch and back up at the woman from Renford Properties. She look flustered and had clearly struggled to find him. As she tried to regain her composure Frederick folded his latest poker hand without looking at it. It was twenty past one, and he didn’t want to keep Kathryn waiting.

“Thank you for the message. Those red chips. Have them. You can play on if you like, but I strongly recommend that you cash them in.”

A look of bewilderment spread across the woman’s face. There was easily $100,000 worth of red chips stacked up on the table. Frederick smiled at her and walked off, leaving the woman stood at the side of the table, still somewhat confused.

He walked through the casino, elegantly side-stepping punters, waiters and staff, until he reached the door he came in through. He held it open for an elderly woman who was struggling to enter, and wished her luck, before stepping through the door and out into the Las Vegas sun. He walked across the road and back into Renford Properties and once again his shoes echoed off the marble floor.

This time however, the woman waiting for him wasn’t a receptionist, and she certainly didn’t miss him enter either.

“Kathryn, how very nice to see you.”

She stood as the man entered her office, closely followed by her bodyguard, who took up a position on the back wall. Kathryn wore in grey dress, tied at the waist, that fell down below her knees. Her brown hair fell below her shoulders and her blue eyes looked curiously at the newcomer. Taking her seat, she indicated the chair across from her.

"You must be the mysterious Frederick. What can I do for you, sir?"

“It never gets boring having your reputation precede you does it Kathryn? You would know about that of course, because to the best of my knowledge we’ve never met. Yet despite this, here I am, using your name - Kathryn.”

Frederick shot a smile at Kathryn and sat in the seat she had pointed at.

“I’m going to cut through the bullshit that you might get with an amatuer Kathryn. I want a job. The long and short of it is I’m a tailor. An honest tailor, that makes a humble living. I serve everyday people, with everyday suits, every day. And if I’m not mistaken, you have contacts with a number of everyday people, do you not?”

Frederick paused to see if Kathryn would speak, but she remained silent, so he continued.

“If you let me work for you Kathryn, you can have a cut of everything I earn. Like I said, it’s a humble offering, but I’m sure you aware of how beneficial this sort of agreement could be to your business.”

Kathryn looked steadily across her desk, offering a small smile when Frederick had finished.

"I trust you're aware of my reputation, Frederick, as you said. If you are, then you'll know I have contacts with many types of people. If you're asking me for a job, then I must say I'm interested. The business district, I think, would benefit from a skilled tailor. So I'd be willing to discuss the possibility of bringing you on as a branch of Renford Properties and helping you get set up in your own building- for a cut, as you stated.  

But I'd like proof of your skill before I commit anything. Do you serve both men and women? It'd certainly double your market. Perhaps you can put something together for myself or my friend Jack here as evidence of your ability."

"Oh Kathryn, you thought I'd come and find you unprepared. You do disappoint me."

Frederick opened his jacket and pulled out a brown envelope. He slid it slowly across the table to Kathryn, who opened it slowly, not once taking her eyes off of Frederick. Inside the envelope were photographs. Photographs of Kathryn buying the dress she had on.

"You're wearing my dress Kathryn. I had you tailed for a few weeks. I watched what you wore, what you did, where you went and who you met with. I did my homework. And when I was ready, I created the dress you're wearing today. I got it into your favourite store Benjamin Oakes which is situated on the corner of Fourth, as is clearly shown in those photographs you have in your hand."

"How did I know you'd be wearing the dress today though, especially as you're a woman who only wears one dress once? Well, that was easy. I like the casino across the road."

Frederick sat back in his chair and looked into the eyes of Kathryn.

"I must say, I think I did a splendid job."

Kathryn raised an eyebrow- and her bodyguard positively bristled- at the idea of someone watching her for weeks. 

"Well. That certainly shows initiative. Alright Frederick, you've convinced me. I'd like to bring you into the organization and help you get set up with a store in the business district. You'll run it however you'd like, but RP Inc. takes its cut- particularly as the initial investment is recouped. And we get control over the books as well, in case there's some... creativity needed. But all accounting and, if necessary, legal services will be provided."

She extends her hand across the table, silencing her bodyguard with a look.

"Do we have a deal, Frederick?"

Frederick shakes Kathryn's hand. 

"We have a deal, but don't be too harsh on the kid."

Frederick winks at the bodyguard, knowing full well that it's almost certainly the last time he'll see him alive. He stands up and walks towards the door, pulling his jacket around him as he goes.

"I have a poker table to get back to Kathryn. I'll bring you my plans shortly. Goodbye."