The junior associate looked toward him.
He continued.
“I’ve had enough money to use the first door for a long time.”
“Apparently the second is still conditional.”
The regional president did not defend the boutique.
Good.
The Black man respected that.
The president said:
“I’m going to investigate exactly what happened.”
“Good.”
“Do you want the clerk removed?”
The Black man looked toward him.
“From the building?”
“From her role.”
“That is not my decision.”
“It could influence mine.”
“I don’t want that.”
The president frowned.
“Why?”
“Because if you fire someone only because she insulted a wealthy client, you teach the wrong lesson.”
Silence.
The junior associate looked toward him.
The Black man continued.
“If I had asked for a five-thousand-dollar watch instead of an eight-million-dollar one, would what happened matter less?”
“No.”
“If I worked in the hotel kitchen?”
“No.”
“If I couldn’t afford anything here?”
The president shook his head.
“No.”
“Then investigate the behavior.”
“Not the revenue risk.”
The president leaned back.
That answer clearly unsettled him.
Not because it was wrong.
Because he had been thinking about the revenue risk.
Of course he had.
The Black man knew it.
“You were worried I’d walk.”
The president exhaled.
“Yes.”
“Because of today’s purchase?”
“Partly.”
The Black man looked toward him.
“Partly?”
The president glanced toward the junior associate.
Then back.
“She doesn’t know.”
The Black man smiled slightly.
“She will eventually.”
The regional president nodded.
“Your family office has purchased eleven important pieces from the house over six years.”
The junior associate’s eyes widened.
The president continued.
“You funded restoration of three archive movements.”
“You underwrote the educational horology program.”
“And you are currently in final discussions regarding the private acquisition of the historical collection being deaccessioned next quarter.”
The junior associate turned toward the Black man.
He looked mildly embarrassed by the list.
The president added:
“Depending on structure, that transaction may exceed sixty million dollars.”
The junior associate stopped breathing for a second.
The Black man looked toward the president.
“Now you see why I don’t want this becoming about the size of my account.”
The president nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
The Black man continued.