Now For Something "Completely" Different
Nate was looking over scholarship applications. He both loved and hated that part of his job. He loved that he got to read these inspiring stories, that he got to give money to students who needed it, but he absolutely hated having to pick which ones were the most deserving.
He was in the middle of an essay about a young woman’s dream to work towards social justice when he heard a beep in his earpiece. He reached up and pressed the button, “Go ahead, Miyu.”
“There’s a Buona Adimari on line one for you.”
Nate put the paper down and rolled his eyes, “It’s probably just Zoe playing a prank. Thanks, Miyu.”
He reached over and pressed the button for line one, “Nate Holt, how can I help you?”
“Please hold for Ms. Adimari.”
Nate blinked for a moment. If this was Zoe, she’s was going to some lengths to make the prank authentic.
“Hello? Is this Nathaniel Holt?”
Nate rolled his eyes again, “Zoe, you can drop the accent. I know it’s you?”
“Who is this Zoe? This is Buona Adimari. Is this Nathaniel Holt, I’m speaking to?”
Nate frowned slightly. If this was Zoe, she was actually rather convincing. He had no idea she could pull off an Italian accent. “This is Nate Holt. How may I help you?”
“Ah, Mr. Holt. I know that you have left high finance and do not take on large clients, but I was hoping that I could interest you in running a fund for me.”
“If I may ask, Ms. Adimari, how is it that you’ve heard of me to even ask me?” He had decided that playing along with Zoe’s little charade was the best way to make her reveal herself.
“I have resources, Mr. Holt. I wanted the most honest person with the right qualifications, and your name came up more than once. After doing some research of my own, I decided that perhaps, I could persuade you, despite your move to smaller clientale. I assure you, I would not want to keep you from your other clients. You’re doing too much good for me to dream of doing that.”
Nice try, Zoe. “I see… and why do you think I’d take on your fund?”
“Because, Mr. Holt, I’d be putting you in charge of my charitable endowment. I’m sure you’re aware that I’ve changed my priorities over the past decade. The problem is that it has become impossible for me to decide who should be helped and how much. I need someone who knows what they are doing with managing funds to make sure that the money does not run out and to help me decide what causes to support. You’d be a primary advisor and have a say in how the money is spent.”
Nate frowned. He was beginning to believe that this was really Buona Adimari. Zoe would not do this. She would not tease Nate with a dream come true. “I see.”
“If you’re interested, Mr. Holt, I’ll be in Tokyo in a week, and I’d like to meet with you to see if this is indeed a match. I’d be glad to take you and your wife out to dinner so that we could discuss things? Are you available next Tuesday evening?”
Grabbing his calendar, he quickly opened it to the day in question. “I’ll have to check with Makoto, but yes, I think so.”
“Fantastic. Have your secretary call mine, and we’ll set it up then. I look forward to meeting you. Ciao.”
“Um… Ciao…” He blinked as he hung up. Had the Italian heiress, a woman whose teenaged rebellion had made Paris Hilton appear calm, really just set up an interview to put him in charge of major charitable fund?
He was in the middle of an essay about a young woman’s dream to work towards social justice when he heard a beep in his earpiece. He reached up and pressed the button, “Go ahead, Miyu.”
“There’s a Buona Adimari on line one for you.”
Nate put the paper down and rolled his eyes, “It’s probably just Zoe playing a prank. Thanks, Miyu.”
He reached over and pressed the button for line one, “Nate Holt, how can I help you?”
“Please hold for Ms. Adimari.”
Nate blinked for a moment. If this was Zoe, she’s was going to some lengths to make the prank authentic.
“Hello? Is this Nathaniel Holt?”
Nate rolled his eyes again, “Zoe, you can drop the accent. I know it’s you?”
“Who is this Zoe? This is Buona Adimari. Is this Nathaniel Holt, I’m speaking to?”
Nate frowned slightly. If this was Zoe, she was actually rather convincing. He had no idea she could pull off an Italian accent. “This is Nate Holt. How may I help you?”
“Ah, Mr. Holt. I know that you have left high finance and do not take on large clients, but I was hoping that I could interest you in running a fund for me.”
“If I may ask, Ms. Adimari, how is it that you’ve heard of me to even ask me?” He had decided that playing along with Zoe’s little charade was the best way to make her reveal herself.
“I have resources, Mr. Holt. I wanted the most honest person with the right qualifications, and your name came up more than once. After doing some research of my own, I decided that perhaps, I could persuade you, despite your move to smaller clientale. I assure you, I would not want to keep you from your other clients. You’re doing too much good for me to dream of doing that.”
Nice try, Zoe. “I see… and why do you think I’d take on your fund?”
“Because, Mr. Holt, I’d be putting you in charge of my charitable endowment. I’m sure you’re aware that I’ve changed my priorities over the past decade. The problem is that it has become impossible for me to decide who should be helped and how much. I need someone who knows what they are doing with managing funds to make sure that the money does not run out and to help me decide what causes to support. You’d be a primary advisor and have a say in how the money is spent.”
Nate frowned. He was beginning to believe that this was really Buona Adimari. Zoe would not do this. She would not tease Nate with a dream come true. “I see.”
“If you’re interested, Mr. Holt, I’ll be in Tokyo in a week, and I’d like to meet with you to see if this is indeed a match. I’d be glad to take you and your wife out to dinner so that we could discuss things? Are you available next Tuesday evening?”
Grabbing his calendar, he quickly opened it to the day in question. “I’ll have to check with Makoto, but yes, I think so.”
“Fantastic. Have your secretary call mine, and we’ll set it up then. I look forward to meeting you. Ciao.”
“Um… Ciao…” He blinked as he hung up. Had the Italian heiress, a woman whose teenaged rebellion had made Paris Hilton appear calm, really just set up an interview to put him in charge of major charitable fund?