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I said nothing as they sat on the armchairs surrounding mine. Colby was the first to speak, “Sir, I’m sorry, but we could not get through to the owner. She was adamant that she would not sell the land.”
She? That meant a woman. If I played this right, I might be able to convince her. “What were her reasons? Did she give any conditions for us to consider? If it’s reasonable, I can put that into consideration.”
Tasha replied in a clear voice, her eyes sparkling as she spoke to me. She was not shy about her attraction to me. “The only condition she gave was that she was only going to rent out the land for a period of five years; after that, the land would be returned to her. Obviously, that condition is not suitable for our plans.”
“She’s right, Sir. It seems the land holds sentimental value to her. Samantha Carter is a young woman but she can stand toe to toe with us regarding negotiation. We tried offering her a larger package to at least get her to change her position, but she didn’t crack.” Colby blew out a breath in frustration.
“Sir, What do you suggest we do? She’s a feisty woman. She drove us out and asked us not to come back if we didn't agree to her condition.” Landon asked, clenching his jaw. He always wore his emotions on his sleeve.
I looked at all of them and raised my eyes to the ceiling to think. This is getting complicated, I had an inkling this negotiation was going to be long, but I did not expect it to be shot down before it even began. There was no way I could accept her condition. The bright side is that she’s willing to give out the land. Maybe if I worked harder in convincing her then things might change. “You’re all excused. I’ll get back to you when I have a plan.” I rose and walked to the seat at the glass table.
I heard them leave. Tapping my finger on the table, the clear sound echoed in the room. Before I could confront this woman I’d need to know more about her, something that would give me leverage. If I was able to find something crucial, maybe I could convince her to sell. I picked up my phone and dialed Tyrrell’s number. He's a good friend in the police department who helped me with information in return for a sum. He should be able to help me.
“Hello, Ty. I need your help.” I cut straight to the point.
“What’s the issue?” His voice was low, he must be with others.
“I need information on…” I thought back to the conversation with Colby. He had mentioned her name, “... a woman named Samantha Carter. She lives at the outskirts of the city. I need all you can find on her. Don’t be late with it.”
“Ok.” He hung up. When he replied curtly like that I knew he would quickly resolve the issue. All I had to do was wait on his response.
I sat back in my chair, feeling frustrated and defeated. The perfect location for our factory was within reach, but it seemed like it was slipping away. I knew that I couldn't give up, though. I had to keep trying, no matter how tough the negotiations were. Hopefully, Tyrrell found something useful.
A few days later, I was on the balcony when Tyrrell called me back. “I have found all the necessary information you need on her. I’ve sent it to your email.” I placed the cup of coffee I was drinking on the table beside me.
“Thank you. You will be compensated.” I said, hanging up. I went back to my study and switched on my laptop. A minute later, I was in my email. I opened the email he sent and went through the file. I got to see who Samantha Carter was. She was a bright young woman who grew up in Salt Lake City but moved to New York to start her life. I skimmed through all the unnecessary details looking for the real information that would help me. Soon, I found it.
Her father died when she was young and recently her mother died of lung cancer. Her mom took out a loan from the bank using the land as a collateral. Right now the burden to pay the loan is on Samantha and she has just a few months to pay it back else the land will be forcefully seized from her. I rubbed my chin. This was interesting. The land was basically all she had left of her parents and it was her inheritance. It would make sense to lease out to land to get the needed funds to pay off her loan.
I thought about what to do. I could wait for the bank to seize the land and buy it from them, but that had risks. For one, my factory would have been brought down before then and the bank might face lawsuits from Samantha about the land which will impair my ability to use the land with peace of mind. The best option would be to use this information to get her to change her stance on the land. I knew that this information could be a valuable bargaining chip for me. I could offer to help Samantha pay off her loans and also pay a handsome price for the land, enough for her to start her life elsewhere. It would be a win-win situation for both of us.
I called Colby, he picked up after a few rings, “Sir?”
“I think I just got valuable information that would help us acquire the land. Samantha has a huge debt she has to pay. I would meet with her and try to talk some sense into her. You should be ready when I ask you to draw up a contract.” I knew I was sounding too hopeful, but I had to be if I wanted this to work.
“Ok, sir. Good luck.” I cut the call. Walking back to my room, I went into the shower, freshening up. It was a Saturday afternoon, I guessed she would be around. I left the shower and wore some light fitting joggers and a wool sweatshirt. In a few minutes I was ready to go. I picked an inconspicuous silver car and drove out.
I didn’t waste time on the road and drove quickly to her house. As I arrived I took a minute to observe the house with its trees and flowers. I could imagine the attachment someone would have to this house. I felt cruel taking advantage of her circumstances, but I needed this land and one of us had to give in, and it was going to be her.
I reached the door and knocked. “I’m coming!” A beautiful and familiar voice responded. I paused trying to remember where I heard that voice. The door opened and a round slightly flushed face appeared in front of me. We both stared at each other, words stuck in our mouths. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Samantha. She was the woman who dominated my dreams and waking life. I did not expect to meet her under these circumstances. She was stunning, even more beautiful than I remembered. I felt a sense of longing for what had happened between us a few weeks ago, but I pushed those thoughts aside. I had to focus on the issue at hand. What happened was in the past, this was far more serious.
“You… Why are you here?” She asked, astonished. I could see apprehension and longing flash in her eyes.
I feigned a cough to regain myself, “I am sorry for intruding in your home abruptly, but I came to have an important conversation with you.” My voice sounded professional and detached, I didn’t want to give too much of my emotions away and mentioning the land would get her to kick me out before I could even try to convince her.
She opened her door wider and her body appeared in my sight, she had a crop top that exposed her toned stomach, her waist was inviting me to wrap my hands around her. Her sweatpants hugged her curves, she seemed to not mind me staring. I averted my gaze to focus on her face. She smiled faintly, “So, what do you want, stranger?” She said, her tone light and teasing.
“I’m Jack Lawrence. I’m sorry for skipping the introduction, Miss?” I feigned ignorance about her identity. “Could you please let me in so we can talk?”
She folded her arms on her ample chest and scrutinized me. I was a stranger, even if we had a one-night stand. She sighed and said, “Samantha Carter. Though I’m skeptical about your purpose here, I’m willing to listen. Come in.”
I followed her into the house. She led me to the parlor, and I took a seat.
“Hold on. Let me get you something to drink.” I watched her walk to an adjoining room. Her home was quaint and comfy, and it was wider inside than the house appeared on the outside. On the wall, were pictures of her and her parents. I felt even more like a manipulative intruder with them looking down on me.
She returned with two cups of steaming coffee, “I’m sorry. I only have coffee at the moment.” She smiled as she offered it. Her movement was easy around me. I wanted to pull her in for a hug. I missed her.
“Thank you for letting me into your home. It’s beautiful, I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
