Favours

Before heading off to meet Pete, I make a quick trip via my bottom desk draw to comb my hair and refresh my aftershave, which I struggle to find at first among the many other items, such as protein bars and a copy of The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham. You never know who you might meet in a place like Quay, so you want to be looking and feeling fresh.

I decide to walk to the restaurant. It’s a crisp yet beautifully sunny day, so I put my Ray Bans on, that I always keep in my pocket. Walking also gives me the opportunity to make a phone call; or at least try to make one. After one ring Tony answers. I am truly shocked, he never answers his phone, and I expected again that it be 48 hours before he believes he has the time to call back. “Tony speaking.” “Tones, so glad you picked up, look I need to pick your brain about something.” “You’re going to have to make it quick mate, I’m brainstorming here and have got to focus on the end result from a results perspective.” That sentence didn’t make much sense at all, but I choose to ignore it. “Sure, I know exactly what you mean, but I’d really like you to be frank with me about something. What is going on with Brian? He just did something very out of character and it was enough to set the alarm bells ringing as loud as Big Ben.” Tony does not share inside information lightly, we are friends but I still need to let him know that I am appreciative.

Giving and repaying favours is another of my Rules of the Race. I’m not referring to anything untoward, and I’m not suggesting you should only give to receive. I take pride and satisfaction in being able to help somebody who I respect. If someone does me a favour, I’ll do one back someday. If I do one for them, I may ask for one someday from them. The Don Corleone system, without the murdering and horses heads. In Tony’s case, he has been giving me the forward word on a number of Invest Co’s inner workings for a while, and as a token of my appreciation I’m paying for him to go and hear the high pitched ‘vvvvvvrooooooomm’ of Webber and the gang’s marvellous machines at the Formula 1 Grand Prix, in Malaysia. Well, I say pay but I’ll easily be able to obtain free tickets for the race and we should be able to do a little business while we’re over in Malaysia, meaning flights and accommodation will be handled by the company. Still, Tones can’t make this happen on his own so it still counts as my treat.

Tony then tells me something is happening without actually telling me something is happening. “You’ll have to talk to Brian about that, and you are talking to Brian later anyway aren’t you so you won’t have to wait long.” No business buzzwords in that sentence, maybe something is happening with Tony too. I thank Tones and continue my short walk to Quay with a lot on my mind but determined to stay off the booze. Pete is already inside. I’m always early, so he is extra early. I hate being late, and more so I hate others being late. It’s the height of rudeness and shows disrespect. Pete and I respect each other, hence our mutual earliness. I walk in and immediately see Pete is enjoying a bottle of Dom Pérignon. God, it would be easier to convince Neil Armstrong to admit the moon landing was a lie than it will be to convince Pete to let me stay dry this lunchtime.