quit a hedge fund and agreed to be in the background

My boss asked if I could come in for 2 hours after I’d left. Big investor visiting, didn’t want an empty desk raising questions. Offered me $2,000 to sit there.

For $2,000 I can sit somewhere.

Problem was they’d already shut off my access. Nothing on the monitors. I asked what I was supposed to do and he said just look busy. So I opened an old spreadsheet from my personal email. My wedding budget.

Investor comes over. Asks what I’m working on.

I say consumer spending. No idea why. Could’ve said I was leaving.

He leans in. There’s a row that says CHEESE GUY.

I explain it’s an event vendor. He asks if we like the business. I say margins are probably pretty good, it’s $1,400 for mostly cheddar.

Now my old boss is beside me saying we’re still early in the work.

They take me into the conference room. I spend 25 minutes discussing the fragmented premium catering market based on arguments I’ve had with my fiancée.

Boss keeps nodding. Asks me to walk them through the deposit structure. He knows exactly what this is.

Afterward he says I’ve clearly got more commercial instinct than he gave me credit for. Would I consider coming back?

I said for how much.

Called my fiancée on the train and told her they wanted me back. She said we could afford the cheese guy if I stopped quitting.

I still work here.