The Patek Phillipe Client!

I could have sworn that the new client or rather potential client who had just walked in and eased the tension between Nadine and I could not afford our services, she had the disheveled look of someone who has lived a rather troubled/harsh life. Her skin seemed a bit sallow and wrinkled, she was most likely in her late sixties, but she looked like she might as well be eighty!
I could tell from the snotty look on my partner’s face that she was not amused; she usually left the “charity cases” as we dubbed them to me, I was the people person, so whenever we had people who wanted a million dollar services for a hundred, Nadine haughtily let me handle them.
‘Good afternoon ma’am’ I managed a smile ‘who is getting married?’ I asked heartily.
Her response was every event planners dream ‘my only granddaughter’ she said with so much warmth ‘and we are not sparing any cost’ she said with the excitement of a child.
The minute Nadine heard those magic words that symbolized a blank cheque, she became a lot nicer and joined in on the conversation. ‘She is such a lucky bride’ she said in her sweetest voice, a voice she reserved for the three F’s- Family, Friends and Fat cheques!
When I talk about Nadine, it’s not that I hate her, it’s almost impossible to hate Nadine, you might be angry, jealous, upset, want to strangle her sometimes, but you also had to admire and respect her for so many reasons-Nadine was the kind of girl you love to hate, and hate to love…she was an enigma.
One can rarely deceive the old folks, they aren’t called the old folks for nothing, they know all the tricks in the book, so Mrs. A was not fooled by Nadine’s charms, she knew Nadine was speaking to her cos she had said they were willing to spend anything.
‘I will be here with my granddaughter tomorrow, I just wanted to be sure you could do hers for the said date ‘she continued ‘she has some strange colors and ideas in mind, I don’t know the details…but I am sure they will make sense to you young ladies’ I smiled in agreement.
‘Whatever she wants, we can deliver’ Nadine cut in ‘I believe you must have….’
‘Like I was saying…’ Mrs. A continued like Nadine hadn’t even spoken ‘I am quite sure you ladies will understand and make it as perfect as she would want it, I saw the wedding you planned for the Kadiri’s last month, a very tasteful ceremony I must admit’ as she spoke, I smiled at intervals and did what anybody in my shoes would do, she was talking big, so I was accessing her to see if she seemed just as big, I am no jewelry expert, she wore a simple gold earring, an emerald cut ring, set in what seemed like white gold (possibly platinum) and she had on a Philip Patek watch! Ok, I had to scream about the watch, cos I love watches, and Philip Patek’s don’t come cheap.
While I did this, Nadine walked towards the window sulking, I could tell she wanted to see what car Mrs. A had come in, it was all part of the verifying her status process, after all, the ring might not me emerald and the Patek might be a fake!
Nadine and I locked gaze, and I knew whatever the ride was, she was veeeeery impressed, cos she was beaming all over.
Mrs. A stood up to leave and I stood up to walk her to the door “Thank you for stopping by ma’am” I was beaming too, cos I was so sure we had hit the jackpot “we’ll see you at 12 noon tomorrow’
Then she said ‘could we make it 11.am instead? I have a meeting to attend at 1.pm, and I know these things take time’
At the back of my mind I remembered we had the appointment with our Pilot guy’s sister for tomorrow, but what the hell…I could call them to reschedule for earlier or later, we could smell the money on Mrs A, then I heard myself say ‘not a problem at all ma, 11.am will be perfect’
And as she walked out the door, Nadine screamed “she came in a Rolls Royce Phantom!”