Jaybird, I absolutely don't think he asks for more than he is worth. Part of what sucks about this is that I think he is worth every penny and of course he deserves to charge a fee that is comparable with his skill and experience. That (and pride) makes me not willing to discuss the fee.

That's kind of why I want to just cut and run, rather than tell him that this is the problem. I'm embarrassed and I don't want to get into a situation where I have to be embarrassed in front of him...