"What would you do?" Louise asked, touching the tips of her short thick black hair with the palm of her puggy hand. "My boys love the idea of a treehouse, and it was advertised that way. San Pedro. View of the Harbor. Tree house."Selene leaned across the desk, aware of the boss eyeing her wild-haired client. How many women dye their hair jet black then make it stick straight out from their head, Selene pondered, losing focus for a moment. Why would she make herself so unattractive? Is that why he's looking? Or is he watching how I close the deal?
"We're here talking to you," that Irishman said. "Selene, a French name, you look Irish. What's it going to take to get this here house for me daughter?"
Selene's boss gave her a slight military salute and walked away. She knew he was grinning from ear to ear. "Well, would you like a cup of tea? I suppose we could call your agent together," she said. "Shall we?"
"NO," that tremendous voice said. "Louise made her offer. A good one at that. The house is decrepit, the tree is solid, and she's offering you good money for it." He slammed one gnarled oversized fist into the other. "Now. What do the owners want. Besides more money? It ain't worth more money."
Selene had to admit, to herself, that was true. And, she wanted to make this sale.
Louise's face started getting red, she grasped the sides of her chair. "Oh, Lordy, I could use a whiskey right about now. What am I going to tell the boys if I can't get them that tree house?"
"Okay," Selene said. "If the owners left the washer/dryer, refrigerator, and patio set with the fountain, then would you pay the asking price?"
"They repair the tree house, like new, and we pay their price," that amazing voice answered. He nodded his head sharply, looked from Selene to Louise who was about to cry. "She hasn't combed her hair since those boys were born. She needs that house since that bum of a husband has to run around putting out fires all hours of the day and night. You want her to go around looking like that forever?"
OMG, I'm going to laugh out loud, Selene thought to herself. Instead, she cleared her throat and licked her lips. "Ah, I want her to be happy," Selene said, "so, um, well, I'll see what I can do."
"Good," Aodhan McPherson said. "Let's go, Louise, the boys are waiting at the firehouse."
"Ah, excuse me, but exactly who will be the owners of this house?" Selene wondered suddenly.
"The Brooms," Louise said. "Just the Broom family. Da is visiting us for the winter. Nice weather an all. My husband will call our agent." She glanced at her father and smiled, her red eyes blinking like a neon sign begging him to be quiet. "Thank you, Selene."
And then they left. Selene stood up to shake their hands, but they just stood up and left. Dropping back into her chair, Selene felt her cell vibrate. "Hi," she said. "Still waiting? I'm so ready for a drink."
Selene looked around the room. Her boss had his back to her. A couple of her colleagues were on the phone. "Henry Olden Powell, III, I need you to help me sell this house," she said into the phone. "I have to figure out how to get the owners to repair the tree house."
And that's the truth. To some extent.
to be continued...
"Tear it down and build another one," Selene said. "What is it you like about the house?"
"Oh, it's old and charming and reminds me of their granny's house in Cork," Louise said. "I like the view. I do love that big old tree, itself. And, the tree house is multiple levels. You don't see that everyday."
"The mess of a tree house is the only thing that looks like their granny's house in Cork, " Aodhan McPherson said in a clear round Irish tenor that it would carry to the back of any room. "So don't go being a foolish daughter. I'll fix it."
"There you have it," Selene said. She shifted back in her chair, crossed one leg over the other and placed her hands softly on the desk, palms down. She needed a manicure. She put her hands back in her lap. "But, the owners haven't accepted your bid. Talk with your agent. See what you can do."
"We're here talking to you," that Irishman said. "Selene, a French name, you look Irish. What's it going to take to get this here house for me daughter?"
Selene's boss gave her a slight military salute and walked away. She knew he was grinning from ear to ear. "Well, would you like a cup of tea? I suppose we could call your agent together," she said. "Shall we?"
"NO," that tremendous voice said. "Louise made her offer. A good one at that. The house is decrepit, the tree is solid, and she's offering you good money for it." He slammed one gnarled oversized fist into the other. "Now. What do the owners want. Besides more money? It ain't worth more money."
Selene had to admit, to herself, that was true. And, she wanted to make this sale.
Louise's face started getting red, she grasped the sides of her chair. "Oh, Lordy, I could use a whiskey right about now. What am I going to tell the boys if I can't get them that tree house?"
"Okay," Selene said. "If the owners left the washer/dryer, refrigerator, and patio set with the fountain, then would you pay the asking price?"
"They repair the tree house, like new, and we pay their price," that amazing voice answered. He nodded his head sharply, looked from Selene to Louise who was about to cry. "She hasn't combed her hair since those boys were born. She needs that house since that bum of a husband has to run around putting out fires all hours of the day and night. You want her to go around looking like that forever?"
OMG, I'm going to laugh out loud, Selene thought to herself. Instead, she cleared her throat and licked her lips. "Ah, I want her to be happy," Selene said, "so, um, well, I'll see what I can do."
"Good," Aodhan McPherson said. "Let's go, Louise, the boys are waiting at the firehouse."
"Ah, excuse me, but exactly who will be the owners of this house?" Selene wondered suddenly.
"The Brooms," Louise said. "Just the Broom family. Da is visiting us for the winter. Nice weather an all. My husband will call our agent." She glanced at her father and smiled, her red eyes blinking like a neon sign begging him to be quiet. "Thank you, Selene."
And then they left. Selene stood up to shake their hands, but they just stood up and left. Dropping back into her chair, Selene felt her cell vibrate. "Hi," she said. "Still waiting? I'm so ready for a drink."
Selene looked around the room. Her boss had his back to her. A couple of her colleagues were on the phone. "Henry Olden Powell, III, I need you to help me sell this house," she said into the phone. "I have to figure out how to get the owners to repair the tree house."
And that's the truth. To some extent.
to be continued...
1 comment:
Okay, I just realized that I've been confused. I thought Henry Powell was the father of Louise until this chapter. Going back I see that when the Irishman was introduced, he wasn't given a name and he followed shortly after Henry Powell appeared. Perhaps you can have him introduce himself at the onset? "Pleased to meet you ma'm, I'm Aodhan McPherson...grandfather of these unruly boys."
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