tampered | Log: Ongoing, Open

Log: Ongoing, Open

When; September 5 Saturday Night
Rating; PG13ish
Characters; Inara Serra, Chuck Bass, Open
Summary; Inara stops by the Victrola to talk business with Chuck
Log;

Inara stepped inside the club. She was still wearing the dress she'd shown up in but she'd managed to air it out and she was satisfied with the way she looked. She took the time to look around, observe the surroundings and get a feel for the place. She was going to be managing the entertainers here. She needed to know what she was getting herself into.

After her observation of the place, Inara moved over to the bar. She ordered a champagne cocktail and when the bartender placed it in front of her, she asked about Chuck.

"Pardon me, my name is Inara Serra. I'm here for a business meeting with Mr. Bass. If you could tell that I've arrived."

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Chuck was informed by one ofthe waitresses that Ms Serra arrived and is waiting for him at the bar. He smiled a predatory smile before smoothing it out into a more pleasant one. He took one last sip of his scotch and went to greet the woman.

"Ms Serra," he greeted her with a slight bow of his head and extended his hand. In theory, since they were to become business partners, they should shake hands, but he had different plans. She was a beautiful woman first,and so kissing her hand as a greeting was more appropariate.
Not to mention he was Chuck Bass, he never passed an opportunity to get his mouth on a woman. Even if it was as innocent as this.

"Mr Bass," Inara responded with the same incline of her head. "It is a pleasure to meet you in person."

It was a fairly common greeting in her business so she thought little of it.

He motioned towards his officed, located in the back of the club. "Why don't we go to my office. It's much quiter there. We'll be able to talk," he suggested.

Before he lead her there though, he waved at the bartender and got them two glasses of champagne, the perfect drink if one was discussing business with a beautiful woman. He offered her a glass. "Shall we?"

"Indeed we shall," Inara agreed, taking the glass. "Xièxiè" She placed her hand on his forearm and let him lead her into his office.

Once they got to his office he motioned to the comfortable armchair on one side of his desk and then he sat in his usual chair. "As much as I hate to talk business with a beautiful woman, I think we should pass on the small talk and discuss the details of our cooperation," he told Inara with a small smile. There'd be time for pleasure, he was sure. Later.

"Now. I have some ideas of how you should proceed and what would have to be done, but let's start with what experience you actually already have in running the actual business and starting up. I assume you have some from your home world"

Inara took the seat and sipped at her champagne as he spoke.

"I taught at the guild house and for many years I was in training to be the High Priestess of the guild house. After a few years I left the guild house and started an independent business. Although I was still, of course, registered with the guild and arranged all my clients based on their guidelines."

She paused and took a sip of her champagne. "I don't have specific experience in dealing with this sort of business but I've found that managing a great number of women is the same in most situations."

"I don't doubt that," he told her with a smile. Women liked to think they were predictable, he knew better. He usually knew what was in stored for him, not to mention his performers where all extremely unproblematic.
He simply hoped that some skills Inara could teach them would raise the profits. It remained to be seen.

"I do hope you won't take it personal if we call the following three weeks a trial period for me to see if this arrangement is working for me..." He leaned back in his chair. "Now let's talk about your situation," he continued as the trial period wasn't a part of the negotiations. It was a fact and there would be no discussion about it. And so, Chuck moved right to the challenge part.

"Why don't you tell me how you see this and what you expect and then I'll fix the flaws in your plan..." he suggested.

A trial period was perfectly understandable, particularly since they were virtually strangers. She expected nothing less.

"As long as you don't take the same trial period personally either," she smiled coyly at Chuck.

"As for what I see...what I expect...I expect you to introduce me to the right sorts of contacts. I've a potential clientele to build and the more people I know, the better off it will be. I don't expect you to advertise for me. As you mentioned you are not a...pimp," she paused slightly as if for confirmation that she'd used the right word the right way. "but assurance that I would make a proper companion to events and in times of comfort would be lovely. For the most part I'll handle the sex myself."

Chuck smiled at the remark about the trial period. Fair was fair.

Now the actual plan, it was... flawed, but Chuck knew most of plans were flawed at the very beginning.

"Well I'm glad to hear that. True, usually sex is more fun when there are two people involved, but if you can handle it yourself..." he made a vague gesture, "all the more power to you."

Chuck Bass was a serious businessman. But he was still a decadent rich teenage boy. There were some lines and jokes he couldn't not make.

He allowed himself a moment of silent chuckle and then he shook his head. Moving on.

"What I think you need, Ms Serra, or Inara, if I may call you that, are two things. The Network, and a really good party to start everything."

Surprisingly, at 23, Inara wasn't that much older than Chuck in actual years but she hadn't been a teenage girl for a long time. She arched an eyebrow at his comment. "How much fun, I'll never tell."

She took a sip of her champagne and moved onto his suggestion. "I think that is precisely the way to move forward and yes, you may call me Inara."

He looked around his desk, pushing papers from one side to the other, looking for something. "Now the Network, I'm sure you've noticed, is the main way to communicate around here. If you want every single citizen to see the information, that's the way to go. There are ways to filter things to people, make your entries visible for the smaller group, hide the entries from people you don't want in on the news... Here," he finally found the piece of paper he was looking for. Where he had written all the codes for the filters and making parts of the entries private, directed to certain people. "You type in those while making an entry on the Network. It's quite useful."

He took a sip and ran through the plan he made in his head.

"It's always a good idea to introduce yourself to the public. Maybe tell people about your world. Just... Don't try to compare other worlds to yours... It's never healthy. But once you meet people on the Network, it's easier to get around. Now, the party... Usually I'd suggest asking Blair to help with setting things up, but with her not exactly liking you... That might cause more trouble than it's worth. But a party would be a good idea. Maybe not to establish business connections, but... to introduce yourself to the City, show abit of your world..."

Chuck was sure, Inara would understand the need not to pressure people into entering any business arrangements. But if she instead offered her friendship and company, and alcohol and light snacks, that could establish the fact that she had class and was not a simple whore.

Inara took the paper and examined the codes carefully. They would without a doubt be useful when she began communicating with the entire city. "Yes I'm a bit fearful that she'd look for some sort of way to ruin things. However, I'm certain that I can put together the sort of event you're talking about. Would you allow me to host it here?"

Indeed she did. In fact, she was a bit hesitant about her job as a companion here anyway. She'd never worked without the benefit of the guild and she wasn't sure how to proceed but she was also quite certain it wasn't drawing up contracts and handing them out.

"Certainly," he nodded, "The place will have to be redecorated as we cater to slightly different crowd, but I don't see why not. Though, to be honest, I was thinking a coctail party in Xanadu would suit your needs better."

He knew little to none about guilds and unions. Chuck was a fan of doing things yourself. And while the concept of a certified companion was still a bit unclear, he decided that apart from treating it like any other business he should also treat it like introducing a debutant into the society.

Inara knitted her brow a moment then smoothed it out. "duì bù qì. I'm afraid I'm not certain what Xanadu is. I've not really had a chance to explore."

He had the right idea about companions and debutantes. They actually had a coming out ball of sorts twice a year for the girls recently turned eighteen. It was quite nearly the same concept.

"Xanadu is a garden on the City limits. Even though it's September, it's still warm enough for a nice cocktail party out in the open. It would definitely help with that classic, slightly etheric thing you've got going on..."

Inara smiled at his suggestion and inclined her head in a soft nod. "A garden party would be perfect. I could arrange to have a bit of food, maybe an orchestra and some dancing. Mr. Bass, Chuck if I may, I do like the way you think."

"I might know a thing or two about building a name for yourself," he said with a shrug. "But that's exactly what I'm talking about. Something casual, but intimate. Perfect way for you to meet people outside the Network."

"I'll get both in the works," Inara said with a slight nod. She folded her hands in her lap. "Now when would you like for me to start working with the girls? I think three times a week or so should suffice provided they're putting into practice what I teach."

He smirked. "Oh, they will be very fast learners. I can assure you." And there was confidence in his voice.

It wasn't that if any of the performers refused to learn what Inara had to offer, or failed to put it into practice, they would be fired.
No, Chuck wasn't that cruel.

However the bonus paychecks, the special privilages. It would all end.

"Then my job will be quite easy," Inara told him. She wouldn't have been surprised at his tactics. She would have even thought them fair. Motivation was required to learn anything and everyone was expected to perform on the job.

It wasn't as if the things she would teach them would be difficult either. They were little things, all about body language and promise. 95% of being a companion was about promising and then selling that promise.

"Perhaps I can come afternoons before the club opens. It would provide a safe, private place for the girls to learn and then they could put it immediately to practice upon opening."

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Log: Ongoing, Open

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