Oh, the people we meet....

In my business I have the pleasure of meeting lots of different kinds of people.  Being that I love people, this is a good thing.  The last couple of days have been somewhat frickin crazy interesting to say the least about this individual that I met.

I got a phone call that this gentlemen...we'll call him Buddy...and he lets me know that he will be meeting me at a meeting that I had on Tuesday night.  He was unable to make it so I followed up with him the next day.  Not ever having met "Buddy" before, I had no idea what to expect.  Here's what I did know about him...he was very interested in my technology business.  That's it.

So my first call with him goes something like this...
I introduce myself and he tells me how excited he is to meet me and to see my business.  Without taking a breath he then proceeds to tell me how wonderful he is and that his geneology goes back to William the Conqueror, he was hired to be the bull pin catcher for the Oakland A's but turned that down, but he is in the hall of fame at U of O.  My response...Oh, how nice.  He then proceeds to tell me that he has an executive assistant that works for him in Eugene, OR and handles his calender and such.  I ask him what he does for a living....he pauses...then shares with me that he is a pizza delivery driver for a chain of pizza restaurants in our area that his brother owns.  He just does that to make sure no one is "stealing" from his brother...ahhh ok. 

It doesn't end there, he then tells me that he wants to meet me for breakfast the next morning so we can discuss the business.  I find out the location we are meeting and then he tells me...I like your name.  Thank you, I say.  (Mind you, my name is Kandi)  He then tells me...i bet you're eye candy.  It took everything that I had not to laugh considering I would be what they call the OPPOSITE of eye candy. :)  He then tells me that when he sees me he is going to give me a "sweet kiss", I share with him that there will not be any kisses but a firm handshake will be fine.  You can imagine how many red flags I have going up at this point. 

So the next day, the person who introduced him to the business is going to meet me at the restaurant where "Buddy" has suggested we go.  I actually didn't know the address though so I call him to confirm exactly where we are meeting...he tells me and then says to me..."you buying or are we going dutch, cuz if we're going dutch, I don't have any money."  WTF????   I just about passed out.  I haven't ever had anyone say such an ignorant thing to me in my life!  Mind you, I planned on buying breakfast, but now was adamantly against it!  I said to him that I had already eaten so I wouldn't be eating, but if he needed me to buy his breakfast, that would be fine. 

I actually considered not going just because I could see where this was going...and then I thought I might call him just for the fun of it and tell him that I was running a bit late and would have to meet him after breakfast.  All of which would have been inappropriate, so I went. 

The meeting was interesting to say the least and I can honestly say I have encountered one of the very first "scam artists" that I have come across in my life.

The last thing I will share with you is that while he was eating breakfast, my business partner and I were just sitting there.  A person across the room received an order of bisquits and gravy that looked too good to pass up...my business partner and I decided that we would split an order since we both weren't very hungry...when the waitress came up, she mentioned that they had a half order as well.  This sounded much better for us...then "Buddy" chimes in and tells the waitress, "Just go ahead and bring them the big order and what they don't eat I will take home!"...remember I'M PAYING!!! 

This was just the funniest meeting ever and it will definitely give us a story to talk about long in to the future.  He did end up putting money out for his meal...which totaled $40 by the way...and when I offered to get that he said no...so I paid for mine and left nicely. 

In this business I am blessed to meet lots of people...and ALL KINDS of people...and as a result, I am a better person because of it.

By the way...he did take our left over bisquits and gravy.