Sophia and Angelo: One last dance

After the meal Angelo looked at Sophia with a pleasant smile. "I believe we have some negotiations to conduct? If you are ready, I know a very nice place to do just that."

As he and Sophia leave Angelo speaks to the maitre'd and deals with the tab and thanks him greatly. Sophia can tell that Angelo is a bit embarrassed about the event. She makes a few comments about picking up the bill as they leave, but she lets it slide.

As they walked through a few hallways that seemed to have much the same ambiance as the Wyvern. Sophia seemed to be new to the area, so Angelo pointed a few things out, points of interest in the stations well appointed corridors. He also seemed to say hello a lot and use people's first names.

"I am not sure how to tell Ned this, but there was half a billion in VC funding in the Wyvern tonight." Angelo said after a bit, and then shrugged. "Oh well. There will be about the same where we're going."

He grinned and looked at Sophia. "And it will greatly improve my image to be seen with such a beautiful woman!"

After a bit they walked through a wood panelled hallway and music could be heard. "Here we are." he said as he waved at the doorman. "One of my favorite places to conduct business." He smiled. "At least with beautiful partners, anyway."

Sophia stops and looks him in the eye, her lips thin. "Mr. Domici, if I didn't know better I would think you were trying to charm me..." She said, breaking into a smile "It's not going to work you know" She finished, walking further into the room. Angelo had a smug smile but no retort to that comment.

The sounds of a waltz drawing to a close seemed to make Angelo smile. As they walked towards the dance floor, Sophia slowed, watching the rooms other occupants. She wasn't the only one there in uniform, not even the only merchant in one. Of course most of the others were either men or in Navy Dress, neither of which she had much in common with.

Turning to her companion she smiles and resettles her cap, ensuring her hair is neatly tucked away. "I assume you know how to dance Mr. Domici? Care to show me how well?" She says as the band strikes up a second, slower dance.

Angelo smiled and gently took Sophia's hand. "Not well enough, I'm sure. However, if we can come to terms perhaps that is something I should change?" As he led her onto the floor and they took their places, he said quietly. "It is conventional that the man lead, and I don't mind doing so. Convention seems to be an excellent fallback technique when things are in transition." His touch is almost delicate but firm enough to feel through the multiple layers of clothing on her back.

"That may be so, but convention can also lead to stagnation. At home it isn't rare for a woman of superior position, socially or professionally, to lead when dancing." Sophia said, though she doesn't make any attempt to change their stance. "Of course at home, everybody knows exactly where they stand with the others present. Here, I stand a little less informed."

"I am sure that is part of your grandfather's plan, but must confess to being only slightly informed myself and no less a pawn in this game with you. How do you feel about what is going on?" He asked. Sophia smiles at him as the dance begins and they begin to move amongst the other dancers.

"About the new crew? Or you? I'm excited to get out of hospital. A little nervous about heading out again with a brand new crew. It feels like my first trip all over again, but I've got a couple of people who I can trust, and the others all seem legitimate." she pauses for a few moments, a frown crossing her face. "And what about you? You're stuck on a tramp thanks to the Baron. That must sting."

For a fraction of a moment Angelo looked confused. He smiled without the smugness and pulled Sophia a few millimeters closer. "Anyone that calls you a tramp will have me to deal with, and I can be quite vindictive. As to the other Lady you may be referring to, she looks almost as stunning. Young, vibrant, and her future ahead of her." He swung her around gracefully. "I like that in a Lady." Sophia smiled back as they span around the dance floor. "Anyone that calls me a tramp will find themselves in for quite a shock from my reaction, let alone that of anyone with me. And I'd hardly describe the Elena as vibrant." she says with a chuckle "New yes, and hopefully with one hell of a future. But she's slow as anything."

The smugness returned a bit. "I have the best date on the floor in my arms, we share a respect for convention but are not slaves to it, and we get to choose what roles we play together. I am looking at a large investment on loan to me for the Lady Elena and a personally large commitment of funds for a speculative trade run to nearby agrarian systems. There are lots of ways we can play this game together and hopefully all of them will be profitable. Some may be more fun than others."

"Would you prefer me as a passenger or something closer? What makes you think you can trust my if I am out of your sight?" He shrugged. "And what proofs do you have that I can trust you?" Sophia frowns, looking down at their slowly moving feet. "You were sent by my Grandfather." she says shrugging slightly "The seal and the codes were legitimate. So either someone's got to him to get me, or you're trustworthy enough for him. Which doesn't say much, but it means you wont be emptying our accounts and running off."

She is silent for a few moments, considering what he's said. "Mr Domici... Angelo... My ship is my haven. You'll have your own quarters, your own space, and that goes the same for me. When my door shuts, its just me in their. You can be a passenger, you can be part of my crew, that's your choice. But that's about it, at least for now. Is that a problem?"

Angelo's eyes lit up. "If you mean will my decisions and investments turn against you if you fail to swoon at my merest gesture, then perhaps I need to restate myself." He touch didn't change, neither too close nor too distant. "You are an attractive woman in an interesting position, in many ways. I see opportunity for us to profit surely, to become friends possibly, and to disagree frequently. You can rest assured that I have made many of the mistakes you are about to make and I will be truly impressed if you manage to come up with some new errors."

"I am bound to report my observations and will do so. I am a Domici and unlikely to turn down a chance at profit or to profit myself and not invite my friends to the party. You may rightly assume that I didn't leave a well paying role to take ship at standard wages. You may also assume that when I have a few million credits invested in a venture I get mildly possessive of that venture and want to wildly succeed."

"The terms for my partnership are liberal for me but no more than I would offer should our positions be reversed. I do get a say in the direction and activities of the ship when I have half a million or more buy in. Like you I enjoy my privacy and my terms allow us the freedom to interact, or not, as we both mutually agree. And should you find a desire to share your privacy with anyone else, that is none of my concern, per terms of our agreement."

"I am enjoying this dance, are you? Am I a worthy business partner for you and are you willing to agree to my terms? You are the captain and I am the investor aboard, as well as hidden spy for your grand-father." He smiled. "Loose terms, advantageous to me. What do you think?"

Sophia stays silent as Angelo talks, letting him complete his improvised speech before making even a single sound. She chewed her lip, thinking hard. This man, he'd come onto her ship without warning or a real explanation... but then he had also come with a big investment, the Baron's seal and the knowledge and skills to make things go that much better. How badly could it really go?

She chuckles before replying "You should have seen how respected my privacy was on our last trip out. That was a fun one." She pauses again for a moment "The deal is a fine one. I get another broker, good contacts, a strangely advantageous set of deals. You get a cabin and three squares. While it seems a little unfair, I have to admit its not something that bothers me. And yes, the band is very good isn't it."

"They play better than I can dance, that is certain. Perhaps we can practice on the trip?" He winked, and then got semi-serious. "We will need almost everyone on the team to be available during jump. The brokers will be forming the sell pitches as the others provide their expertise in engineering, robotics, etc. There are other cargoes to be had and if you're up for some serious speculation I certainly don't mind leading in finding investors." He looked around the room and smiled. "Another dance? This one should be very rewarding."

If the eyes are the windows of the soul Sophia sees clearly a man who balances happiness in life with the thrill of the chase. He looks at her and smiles; he looks at his contacts and his face beams with pleasure at seeing them.

As the dance starts to wind down Angelo suddenly becomes a bit awkward and distant. The moment passed though, and he gave a low, pleasurable laugh. "That's it..." he whispered mostly to himself. Looking at Sophia his eyes lit up and he shared a sly grin. "I think I know the secret, mia Capitana."

"The Secret, Mr Domici? And which secret would that be? My eternal youth?" Sophia says, laughing aloud. "I don't see why anyone but vital crew wouldn't be available for regular meetings. Ill be wanting to meet with you, Adrian and Helene at least once to make plans, but the ship is so damn small we'll all run into each other every hour or so." She says, serious but smiling. "Ned or R'lyeh will probably spend a lot of the trip on the bridge. Jim... Our last two engineers did little but tinker with our drives. We go through them quickly" she sighs heavily, the memory of a rapidly changing crew weighing on her mind.

"Through engines, or engineers?" He asked.

She is silent until the dancers break apart, and she moves to the side of the room, watching as other pairs replace them and the band starts over once more. She accepts a drink from a passing waiter, and takes another for Angelo. Passing it too him she speaks "I feel I should take the lead once more. Those robots you were talking about, look into what sort of price you can get for them... If you can cut the price to even three quarters of what it is now, maybe we can fit a few more tons in. Other than that it may have to be freight..."

Angelo looks at Sophia like she spit in the souffle. Taking the proferred drink he thanks her and swirls it a moment, to awaken the aroma. "Freight? We can net about thirty-five percent on a nicely large transaction, mia Capitana. That means about a million in you ships fund in a couple weeks time, if we do this right. How does freight compare to that?"

Sophia frowns at the man, shifting slightly. Someone well versed in reading body language might notice her becoming more defensive, ready for an attack. "Freight is life Mr Domici. Every ton we take is an extra ton that gets to it's destination, and an extra chunk in the pocket. Ask any trader who isn't running around with millions in her pocket, freight is how to keep a ship alive. You run spec, you risk a bad deal pulling the plug on your venture. Freight will always be there, waiting for someone to come along and drag it a few light years."

"Is it trust, Sophia?" Angelo asked, for the first time using just her name. She blushed a little, realising what he had done. "It's freedom Angelo. I got away from my family, from the politics, the money, the back stabbing hell that is court. I have my own ship, and its making profit. Maybe it's not as fast as some people like, but I'm not doing this for an investor, I'm doing it for me and mine, my crew. I'm happy."

Angelo looked at Sophia for a few moments. "I see that I have touched on a passion. Then let us arrange a different deal, La Capitana." The distance had returned. "I will pay you for fifteen displacement tons of cargo space and single cabin if we make a run to Plantus 13 within one standard week, or my cargo is loaded, whichever comes last. We will have standard legal terms showing that your ship has no financial interest in the cargo except for standard freight. Thus, if there are any deal failures then they do not reflect on you, the ship, or the crew. I am free to negotiate with the crew in their off duty hours if they want to sell me some of their time, and I will listen to investment requests from the crew if they want to approach me as a private broker.

"Happiness comes in many forms. I have never been happier than when pushing the limits of life to their fullest." He gave her a wry grin. "Certain things people think make them happy only last a night, or maybe two. I have yet to start a family of my own and am not sure that is my path to happiness." He swirled the glass again, and then drained it.

"And will not be starting tonight, it seems." He winked. "Let me escort you to the ship, and I will be making arrangements for the cargo. If you would like the funds up front I will have them to you by this time tomorrow. If you are willing to let me pay at the far end, say two business days after the sale, then I will include a fifteen percent gratuity. Fair enough? We need to negotiate my loan to the ship of three and a half mil worth of defensive armament as well. That would normally be a seventy percent buy in by your earlier math. Let's say that's at twenty-five percent of value minus the costs of freight space and staterooms. Round it off a bit and cover the full term of the loan, what about two and a half percent buy in for each of the next six months with the caveats that we must return the equipment here in six standard months, and I get first option to purchase up to the upper deck twenty displacement tons of cargo space at standard rates. Since you will be supplying the gunner those terms favor your slightly. He smiled. "More than slightly, you are a pleasure to dance with."

Angelo offered his hand to close the deal. But Sophia knew what that meant. Every other deal she had seen him make was by word alone, his word seemed to bind him more than any legal form ever could. If she took his hand he was a passenger with cargo, who was also a spy for her grandfather. If she took his word, what was he?

"While I need to ensure just how much you're buying in, because I'm sure you don't mean 2.5%..." Sophia empty's her glass and extends a hand "I think I'm going to welcome you aboard as a private broker Mr Domici." Once they shake she finds a place for her glass and turns towards the exit. "Now, shall we return to the ship. I'm sure Ned will have some sort of pounding music echoing through the halls by now..."

Anglo walked with Sophia to the ship, and talked about some of the other ships he has served on over the years. It is clear from his conversation that he has been at space all his adult life, with the occasional land side task to perform. When he speaks of “his” ships it is always with pride and mentioning some of her good qualities. He seems to find the Lady Elena’s large capacity and J2 capability a very good idea.

At the air lock Sophia notices him looking at the nose art, and then at her. He seems gentleman enough not to say anything but to wish her good night. “As soon as I have the cargo drop off times I will let you know. Also, the turret and weapons should be here in the next day or so as well. I would like to work with your engineer and the company reps to install and test everything, if you don’t mind.”

He took his leave and was gone from sight in short order.