Shall I Give You My Number?

-Goldman Sachs and Company
-Lloyd Blankfein please
-One moment please
(Brief delay as I am put through)
-Mr. Blankfein's office
-Is Mr. Blankfein available?
-I'm sorry. He's in a meeting right now. May I ask who is calling.
-My name is Geoffrey Raymond. I'm the guy who's exhibiting the painting of Mr. Blankfein across the street.
(Long silence. Almost Pinteresque.)
-Are you aware of the painting?
-We are definitely aware of it.
-Well, I'm just calling to invite Mr. Blankfein to come down and see the painting for himself.
-And your name again, sir?
-Geoffrey Raymond
(Brief silence)
-Shall I give you my number?
-No thank you.
-Okay then, have a nice day.
-You too, sir.

(All dialogue verbatim, more or less)

I should point out that whoever I spoke with could not have been nicer or more professional. However, it did STING a bit, I must admit, when she told me she didn't want my telephone number.

I'm reminded of the time my brother stepped on a Portuguese Man-of-War on the beach in Florida when we were both kids. Man, he was hopping around like nobody's business. Now I guess I know how he felt.