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2
LINCOLN
“What the fuck!” I curse under my breath, storming into my condo. I swear I am about to break the screen on my cell phone with the force I’m using to scroll to my attorney's phone number.
“Hello, Bley and Company Law Firm, Stacy speaking,” the receptionist coos into the phone.
“Give me Bley, now!” I snap, my patience already thin.
“Who can I say is calling?” she asks.
“Lincoln, Lincoln Thor,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Okay, Mr. Thor, hold please,” she replies, putting me on hold.
“Lincoln, how can I help you?” Bley comes through the line.
“I'll tell you how you can help me. You can explain to me why the hell unit two in my building has been rented out? Your supposed to be working on getting me that unit. When the Green's lease was up, you were to negotiate with the owners for me to buy it. I come home today, after being out of town on business for two weeks, and there is a real estate lady here who tells me she just rented it out to some young girl.”
“What? The Greens’ lease is not up for another four months. I have been working with the condo owners’ real estate agent, and he assured me he would contact me a month before that date so we could start the process,” Bley replies, sounding puzzled.
“So let me get this straight, Bley. You were counting on someone else to do your job. You should have been talking to the owners, not their real estate agent. What in the hell am I paying you for?” I roar, my voice echoing through the floor.
“Lincoln, you have to understand, the owners of this condo are the type of people who don't want to be involved in the nitty-gritty negotiations of a sale, so they hire other people to do that for them, and in this case, it was the real estate agent they hired.”
“Look, Bley,” I say, pacing the floor, rubbing my free hand over my face in frustration. “I have a lot of money tied up in this. The architects have drawn up the plans, the construction company doing the work has already been hired and is just waiting on the okay to get started. So, the only person who is holding this up is you. I don't want to hear any excuses. I just want you to find out what is going on and fix it,” I demand harshly.
“Okay, Lincoln, calm down. Let me make some calls and find out what this is about,” he answers nervously.”
“Fine, call me back,” I say exasperatedly before ending the call.
3
C
Back at the real estate office I sign the lease agreement, write out a check for the first and last months’ rent plus deposit, and collect the keys from Mrs. Ruth. We exchange hugs and I thank her for her patience in finding me a place. Then, with one last wave goodbye, I get into my truck and drive back toward the flower shop. On my way I text my friend, Jenna, while waiting at a traffic light and ask if she can meet for lunch, in twenty minutes, at the diner across the street from the flower shop. I then call Ben, who is at the shop working.
“Hey, how's it going?” I ask.
“Fine, everything is caught up,” Ben replies.
“Good, close up and meet at the diner in twenty minutes.”
“Close up?” he questions.
“Yes. You know, take that little sign on the front door and flip it over so the word Closed is facing—”
“I know how to close the shop,” he interrupts. I don’t have to see him to know he’s rolling his eyes. “Why am I closing the shop and going to the diner?” he asks annoyed.
“’Cause we’re celebrating...well, as much as we can on a Thursday afternoon.” I laugh.
“Holy shit, the place was up to the princess’s standards?” he questions, making me purse my lips at his princess reference.
“Whatever, just meet me at the diner. I'll tell you all about it and the hot, brooding biker who will be my new neighbor.”
“Wait. What?” With excitement and confusion in his voice, I hang up, not answering him, laughing.
After hanging up with Ben, I find Jenna has texted me back that she is on her way.
