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Christmas may have been over, but Richard Moreau still found himself to be in the jolly kind of mood, as well as trying to prepare himself for the next holiday. No, not Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; what sort of profit would a candy shop get from THAT holiday? Not to say Richard hadn't TRIED to capitalize on it, but the thought of crafting MLK, Jr. lollipops would have disturbed some people and the backlash would not have been worth the horrified look in their faces when they watched children munch down on a beloved and well respected icon.

It was one of his favorite holidays, and not just because it honored his middle name. No, the holiday was St. Valentine's Day, a single day in the year where men will run around frantically for a cheap gift for their girlfriends (or girlfriend to be) or already betrothed couples grabbing a box of assorted chocolates to be hungrily devoured after an overpriced meal at an overcrowded and fancy restaurant. Where the colors pink and red are overused in abundance, where Richard can have all sorts of fun by using the same color for Cherry flavored treats as he did for Cinnamon (an especially fun past time when children try to steal something sweet, only to get a mouth of spice as their punishment.)

Yes, a holiday that meant a lot to him, both as a bachelor (for the moment) and a business man, so he felt that he had to properly prepare for it. Sure, the demand for candy during this period was always high, and he could definitely supply it, no question about that. However, there was always one thing that any true gentleman would offer his fair lady (or other gentleman) to go along with the heart-shaped box of chocolates.

And that was flowers. Lots, and lots of flowers. Which meant that the store across from him would be exploding with business as well. He eyed the store for quiet some time, admiring the customers that walked in, as well as the workers, for their genuine dedication to a rather boring task of tending to plants for a living. He especially admired the owner of "Padma's Bouquet", a man likely his age running an entire store on his own, it seemed. Every time he looked over, he was always working hard at something, and Richard admired that.

He also pitied the guy. "The Valentine rush will wreck his store, mine as well. Perhaps it's a little ironic for a candy shop to be so close to a flower shop... or... perhaps it's perfect?"

His mind was scheming, looking for a way for not only "Sugar Shanty" to succeed, but help out another business owner as well. Besides, he had been window shopping that place (and it's owner) for far too long, and Richard felt the need to put himself out and get introductions out of the way. Perhaps a business deal would do them both good in the long run? Straightening his tie, he left his assistant in charge and made his way over to the little flower shop across the way, carrying with him an aura of confidence and a friendly smile.

Peering through the store from across the street had done little justice for the quaint little flower shop, Richard soon discovered, as the moment he walked in, he was graced with quite an assortment of flora. So many vibrant colors, shapes, some pleasing to look at while others made him wish he could take a flamethrower to the travesty right then and there (though he was certain that someone must have liked them for them to have a place in a florist's shop). There were a few that almost looked rather tasty, but not as tasty as the man that no doubt toiled endlessly over them, as Richard looked to man that greeted him.

Immediately, he checked off a lot of items on his 'will do' list, just within the first wave of observations. Dark skin, a tint that reminded Richard of sweet and silky caramel, with a dark, rainbow colored hair, and bold golden eyes. As far as appearance went, he liked this guy. He liked him a lot. Now he was interested to see if he'd stay on that list after he go to talking to him and weasel out enough of that personality too. Richard was after more than looks, after all...

Because, honestly, who wanted to do business (or pleasure) with someone completely boorish or obnoxious?

"Actually, I was wondering if we could help each other," Richard said, starting with a friendly smile and approaching Krishna, his gaze completely on him now. There was another employee there, but he paid no attention to her, only the one that wouldn't land him in jail if he tried woohooing. "Name's Richard Moreau. You may have noticed I've set up shop across the street not too long ago- a little late for introductions, but better late than never, right?"

He extended his hand for a handshake, wishing to test his strength. Why, he even allowed Krishna the honor of being the enforcer of the shake, exposing his palm to the man, just to see what he would do. Top, bottom, Richard could do both.

"A pleasure to meet you, Krishna. I've been putting off this visit for quite some time and I regret not coming here sooner- had I known the inside was as adorable and its owner so formal, to boot."

It was hard not to allow his surprise to be seen when Krishna had not only saw through his ploy, but had successfully countered it as well. His grip was strong and firm, and Richard's surprise turned into a rather amused grin as he approved of Krishna's response. His voice was about what he was expecting from a man of his appearance, though it was still pleasant to hear, given how little he seemed to speak to customers and others from where Richard spied over every so often. He rather liked the sound of it, as rare as it might have been, and it certainly made his business approach all the easier.

Not that Richard wanted things to be easy all the time. When Krishna had mentioned stepping into his office, he cast an ever-so-casual glance to the young girl that eyed him from her station. He had seen her once or twice and took little interest- she had decent features, such as her hair, but she was young, much too young. And mouthy. And rude. He didn't care much for her, but it seemed that Krishna wasn't willing to discuss business out in the open, and if it meant to get the man alone in his office, then Richard jumped on that offer like a child jumped in a water puddle.

"I'm fine with discussing business anywhere. Here," he said, motioning to where they were standing, before looking around the shop to see where this office was. Likely in the back. That's where Richard kept his, as well as his secret ingredients. "Or there. Whichever one you prefer. I'm sure what I have to offer will be worth your time, as I'm certain it's worth mine."

'Seeing you up close is more than worth it.' Richard thought with a smirk, waiting for him to lead them towards the back so that they may further discuss business. He wondered if his office had blinds... as well as sound proof walls.

Richard glanced to the girl at the counter, taking in brief observations as Krishna led the way towards his office and making a quick judgment. Too young, not too easy on the eyes but had potential if she'd wear makeup. The stripes on her cheek were both exotic and off-setting, but the best feature would have to be her eyes, a sort of feline gold. On a scale of one to ten on the 'would bang when legal' meter, she was a four. There was something about her that Richard suspected, and the way her brow squinted and her lip twisted into a frown made it very clear that she knew he was eying her, and she didn't like it. The feelings were mutual.

"Yes, sir!" Gwen said, none of that disgust Richard saw making it into her voice, and just like that, she plummeted to a zero. Nope, even if this Gwen was legal, he would not woo her, not even with a twenty foot pole.

However, the moment he entered the office, she was gone and out of his mind, and he waited silently until Krishna had closed the door. This Krishna had a way with words, in the sense that he didn't seem to care much for using them at all, and Richard lamented this, as he found his voice to be quite pleasing to the ear. When Krishna asked his business, he got straight to it, putting forth his best, professional smile, and treating Krishna like a fellow business owner, for now.

"As you're aware, St. Valentine's day is approaching, and I'm certain that your store will see its fair share of business on the days leading up to the holiday. As will mine," Richard said, gesticulating with his hands as he spoke. "I'd like to propose a promotion for both of our stores. Since we're so close together, it would be a perfect way to lure in potential lovebirds- candy and flowers will be in high demand, and getting them in the same general location would be beneficial to them, as well as to us. So, I propose, that for every bouquet of flowers they purchase at your store, they can get half-off of a candied assortment at mine, or vice versa, should you prefer it that way."

It seemed like a novel idea, in his own mind, but he was willing to negotiate with Krishna. After all, he seemed like an honest man, and he knew the deal would be just as beneficial to him as it would be for Richard. It would also open the door to future promotions, as well as other endeavors, but business before pleasure.

In truth, Richard had begun to lose interest in the whole business aspect of the visit, though he tried to make it appear that Krishna had his complete interest. Oh, he certainly heard (and understood) what he was saying and he thought it to be a great idea, even better than his own. He simply had his main interest elsewhere, and that elsewhere happened to be the shrewd business man standing before him.

"The product in question will likely be roses from your store, and chocolate arrangements from mine," Richard said, looking around Krishna's office from time to time but always bringing his gaze back to Krishna in the end. It wasn't that big of an office and the need to move about was becoming bothersome, but Richard kept his cool front forward, not wanting for the rainbow-haired man to suspect otherwise. He didn't want him to think he was nervous about a business deal, after all.

"As for price points, my assortment of chocolates usually range from $10 to $25, depending on the size and the variety. I'd imagine a bouquet of roses would be similar, correct?" Richard asked, not really knowing the estimated value of roses but again not trying to let that fact be so obvious. This way, Krishna could correct him and he'd just assumed that he assumed wrong, instead of not knowing at all. His forte was candy, liquor and picking up dates, not roses. "If they run about the same price, then we can easily work in a BOGO 50%."

The business side of Richard approved of Krishna's idea, even more so than he liked his own idea, and while Richard was known for having an inflated ego, he could be humbled fairly quickly and could accept another's superiority from time to time. Not to mention he found Krishna's authoritativeness to be intriguing, and not to mention down right appealing, and just like that, the thought of their business meeting was pushed to the far edges of his mind.

Part of life was knowing when to hold and when to fold, and Richard accepted the deal offered to him, extending his own hand and taking Krishna's with little restraint or hesitation. "Then looks like we have a deal, friend. Or perhaps 'partner' is the more appropriate term?"

Partner hardly covered the word that Richard wanted to use for this man, at least not in the sense that Krishna was probably thinking. No, he wouldn't have minded having him be his partner in another location, and now that business was settled, this opened the door to another kind of business that Richard thrived in. "Now, partner, since I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the coming weeks, why not get to know more about one another? Best times to reach each other outside of work hours and the such?"

Richard knew what it felt like to be rejected- one could not expect to be successful every single time. He could have easily read Krishna wrong, or the man was being sincere when he told him that he wasn't his type. Which, of course, brought Richard's mind to all of the possibilities that would fit perfectly with what Krishna's type may have been. He knew so little about this man, so the possibilities for the moment could have been endless, and quite frankly Richard had no time for that.

Not when there were bigger fish to fry, or taffy to pull or chocolate molds to make! It was a suitable distraction from both the rejection and his own ponderings- business came first, unless one could mix pleasure in there, that is. Today, he was simply content with the knowledge that the deal was done and the ball to one of the biggest business days for him (and probably Krishna's store as well) was set in motion. He'd worry about wooing Krishna, if one as taciturn and serious as him COULD be wooed, later.

"Ah, so blunt, but I admire your straightforwardness. Don't worry about the cell phone- I'll have one of my employees come pick it up later, if that's alright with you?" Richard felt he had taken the rejection well, and how could he think on it when he was simply too excited to get his sweets set up? Valentine's Day was just around the corner, and he had a LOT to do. "It's a pleasure doing business with you and should this be successful, then I'm certain that we'll be partnering up again."

He had no hat to tip, but the way he bowed his head seemed like a good enough replacement for the act. So eager was he to get started that he saw himself out of the office and strolled past the part timer at the counter, without so much as a glance or even remembering that she was there at all. He had a LOT of lollipops to make, and thanks to Krishna, he was definitely going to throw in a lot more cinnamon flavored ones this time around. Today was a good day!