CHAPTER 1
You know how sometimes you ask yourself, just how did I get into this. Well, I know
exactly how and when I got into this. I was working an open house for the company on
Sunday when it happened. It all started that Sunday. I was at Johns Pointe Villas, unit
206. It was the model home and I`d pulled office duty for the day, which meant that I had
to be there and have the model open from one to five. It was so slow. With these
oceanfront and oceanview properties, we get scads of traffic in the summer when the
families are all on vacation. They would all like to have a vacation home, but most of
them are just wannabes. A week in someone else`s condo is all they can afford. Then the
fall is even worse. The only traffic we get then are golfers. They`re just looking for ...
well who knows what they`re looking for. Winter is the only really good season. The few
customers who come looking then are usually truly interested and they typically have the
money. Now the problem is that you may spend the entire day, especially a Sunday, and
never see a soul.
On this particular Sunday, I had been there almost three hours and not a single person
had come in. Then suddenly when I thought I was going to fall asleep, this really handsome
man in his forties, maybe late forties, comes through the door. He`s about six feet tall,
slim but not thin if you know what I mean; maybe one eighty or ninety; nice sandy hair
that showed only the slightest touch of gray at the sideburns. He had a beautiful mustache
and a warm and easy smile.
"Hello. I hope it`s okay that I just burst in like this. I`m very interested in
buying property on the ocean."
"It`s just fine! It`s so quiet here on these winter days, I was about to consider a
nap. Please look around and don`t hesitate to ask if you need or want anything."
He nodded and smiled graciously. I waited in the great room while he walked through. When
he returned he took a seat across from my chair on the sofa.
"My name is Victor Dulaney. Like the frozen food, no relation. Like yourself, I`m in
the real estate business."
I wasn`t very happy to hear that. It meant splitting any commissions.
"I`m Heather Journey. What agency are you with?"
"I don`t work for a real estate firm if that`s what you mean. I buy commercial
properties. Like this complex."
Now he had my undivided attention.
"How long`ve you been selling real estate Heather?"
"Almost a year."
"And do you like it?"
"I think I could grow to like it."
"How many sales have you made?"
"You mean since I started in the business?"
He only nodded.
"Well, I have some things pending. Waiting for mortgage approvals, that sorta
thing."
In truth, I didn`t have a thing pending. I`d been in the business for ten months and I
hadn`t made a dime. And I was just about broke. I had a good friend in the business who
was substitute teaching and working as an escort on weekends. She had offered to introduce
me to her boss at the escort service. But I didn`t want to do that yet. It just seemed to
me that it was the next thing to prostitution. And if I stooped that far, I didn`t want
someone making the lion`s share of the money from my work.
He only nodded again.
"What would you do to sell ... say ten of these units?"
That question hung in the air. It wasn`t so much what he asked as it was the way he asked
it. I mean, I was sure he meant what kind of a deal could I do for multiple sales, but ...
I just wasn`t totally sure there wasn`t something else lurking just below the surface. But
I had to assume the best at the moment.
My firm owned the development and they were paying a flat three percent of the sales
price. That would be nearly $2700 per unit at $89,500. Ten units would make me enough to
stay in the business for another year. I knew that if I could just last to get some
business going that I could do this thing. So it then occurred to me that maybe what he
had meant was that he wanted to get some sort of kickback. Maybe half. No that would be
too much. I figured a neutral answer was the best approach. Make him tip his hand first
before I offered the candy store.
"I`m open to negotiation. So how much do you have in mind. I can tell you that the
commission is not all that good. If I split it with you, it wouldn`t be worth the effort
for either one of us."
He was casual. Smooth was the word. He relaxed back against the sofa and crossed his
legs, putting his right ankle on his left knee.
"I don`t want any of the money. I`m just curious how far you would go to sell, what,
nearly a million dollars worth of real estate."
I knew it! There was something under the surface. There was some vibe that I had gotten
with that first question. Now I had to decide if I was going to be offended. But it just
wasn`t worth the trouble. Besides, this guy was way too hot.
"So what do you have in mind?"
He uncrossed his leg and sat up on the edge of the cushion, his pale blue eyes looking
right through me.
"Consider this. You think just what you would be willing to do or give up, assuming
that it would not be anything illegal, or anything that would cause you or anyone else any
permanent harm. Those are the parameters. Within them, anything is fair game. And in
exchange you would sell ten of these condos."
I thought about that pretty hard. I first thought, "you must be crazy to even think
about something that`s this strange." But he had said nothing illegal and nothing
which would cause me or anyone else any harm. How could it be that way?
"My grandmother always told me that if something seemed too good to be true, then it
is."
"Sounds like your Grandmother was a smart lady. But why would it be too good to be
true?"
"Well selling ten condos would be pretty good."
"I`m going to buy at least ten condos somewhere. Why shouldn`t I buy them from
you?"
"Why would you?"
"Like I said, I`m going to buy them anyway. Why not from you? They`re fairly priced
aren`t they? The construction`s to code?"
"Well yes. Of course. They are probably going to go up in the spring."
"Well, there you have it."
"But why me?"
"You`re pretty ... and you need the sale."
Well one out of two wasn`t bad. I sure as hell did need the sale.
"So why does this other thing have to be?"
"I`m a dealer. I have to get something in exchange."
"So ... what do you want?"
"Tell me what you`re willing to give, as I said, without it being illegal or causing
anyone any permanent harm."
It occurred to me that I had to be clear outside my mind to be thinking the things that
were traveling through my stream of thought. But I was bored and wanted to take the risk,
for curiosity if nothing else. I could always back out later. I mean, he wasn`t the devil
asking me to sell him my soul, was he? I`d even wondered about that at times. Would I sell
my soul to the devil for the right price? But then I didn`t believe in the devil or hell
or even sin for that matter. So the point was moot.
"Okay. I would do anything as long as it isn`t illegal and it doesn`t hurt anyone.
Now what do you want?"
That put the ball back in his court. And there was absolutely no hesitation. He stood up
suddenly and extended his hand to me and we shook.
"Miz Journey, the first thing we need to do is get to know each other. I think we
have the basis to do a lot of business together. Your license is good for the state is it
not?"
"Well ... yes."
"Good. I`m stayin` at the Hilton Towers. Call me there and let`s schedule either a
dinner meeting tonight or a lunch meeting tomorrow or both."
"Well ... okay ... I guess."
And just as suddenly he was heading out the door. I wasn`t sure if I had scared him away
or if he had just gotten the answer he was looking for, but there I was alone in that unit
again. But I couldn`t help but let the smile rise to my face. Now I just wondered if he
would really be there if I called or if this entire thing had only been some joke because
he was bored. I`d find out pretty soon.
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