Kate

by Dwight W. Hunter

  Chapter24 - Buck and an Assortment of Women

  Shortly after arriving in Cactus Junction a couple of years ago, Buck bought a large acreage of raw land east of town at his friend, Gus' suggestion. Following his land purchase, prices took off and hadn't slowed since. Gus put Buck in contact with a condominium developer, who through blind luck made himself and Buck a sizeable amount of money. Making a lot of money quickly and without getting his hands dirty went to Buck's ego-inflated head believing there was no end to gaining riches and he was next to the Pope at being infallible. Buck believed himself to be an accomplished land speculator and begin hounding Gus ever since to find him another deal.

  As is usual, for anyone with a brain similar to Bucks, such a person typically fails to appreciate the people who grease the skids for them to accomplish anything, be it catching mice or getting rich in real estate.

  Acting on his believed infallibility, Buck took a plunge six months ago at playing with the big boys dealing in land options. He bought an option to buy a hunk of ground and sold an option to the prospective buyer at a lower price on the same piece of ground Buck held visions of this risky deal making him a millionaire and the envy of his peers. The options were coming to maturity in a few weeks causing Buck to become worried. Furthering his concerns, Gus brought in a lady broker, Stella Davis, to keep the office going while he was away serving as sales executive for RockPile Estates.

  After being scolded by everyone in sight, Buck decided it was time to change his long cherished view about women's place in the overall scheme of life. He decided to accept them as equals in business. Reaching further he nibbled at the concept of women being placed on earth to do more than being mere housekeepers and lastly, there was more to a man and woman relationship, than a woman being a mere outlet for his libido drives.

  Putting these just born views into practice was taking more backbone than anything Buck ever set out to do before. His nascent resolve was being tested at every turn by Rita's constant one-up-man-ship. The final knee-buckling straw came when Buck learned Gus hired a lady broker, causing him to believe the last bastion of male strength had been sold down the river.

  "Gus, how could you do this to me," Buck moaned. "Just when I need you the most to close this land deal you run off and hire some woman to look after my interests,"

  "Sorry Buck. A man on the make, such as yourself, should be able to see you're not making me a living sitting around here waiting for your long-shot eggs to hatch. Stella is capable of doing everything I can do and probably do it a lot better. I doubt she'll sit around by the hour listen to you spin yarns about how you're going to make big commissions for her on deals you just talk about."

  After giving the news time to percolate through his thought process, Buck slowly reached the position of acceptance. Six months ago, much to his dismay, Rita Blaine took a rock pile Buck was sure didn't amount to a hill of beans and was now turning into a trend setting multi-million dollar development. Here was a woman with good business savvy, along with a sack full of imagination proving a woman could do more than keep house while in the process it made him look like a fool.

  Within a few days of Stella's presence, Junction Realty took on a new business stance and was attracting a new breed of clientele. It was a hard plate for Buck to eat from, but eat from it he must. Stella was more than a match for Gus from a business standpoint. She knew real estate procedures far better than Gus and not only was she smart, she was efficient. Against all his previous thinking, Buck's attachment to money prevailed when he unthinkingly paid Stella and Rita the highest compliment he probably ever paid women before, when he thought.

  "Maybe, just maybe, it would be a good idea to give this Stella woman a chance to see what she can do. Who knows? She just may be another Rita Blaine."

  During the early stages of RockPile Estate development, Rita recognized her need for someone with above average expertise in advertising to launch a quality publicity campaign promoting RockPile Estates. Following in the footsteps of her initial idea for going afield with a new concept in designing and constructing houses, she wanted to take a similar approach to advertising, not the typical advertisings splash costing an enormous amount of money and having to put up with all the fall-de-rall required to make an effective advertising promotion successful.

  Instead, she wanted to use non-commercial exposure from news releases, talk shows, public interest orientated programs, etc. to focus on her homes' friendly environmental impact, low energy drain and trend setting designs made possible through cooperative interaction between the developer and county planning department.

  In a meeting with Nellie, Rita expressed her need for an unusual promotion specialist to attract public attention and gain notice for RockPile Estates. After a few days of calling around, Nellie learned from a contact about a woman-advertising executive leaving a well-known agency holding the attributes Rita wanted. The woman's name was Irene Stock.

  Within minutes Rita was on the phone to Irene explaining the job she had in mind and posing the question to determine if Irene would be interested in relocating to Cactus Junction and opening a marketing consulting business with RPE Development as her first client. Results from Rita's phone call were positive; Irene was in Cactus Junction within two weeks. In the meantime, Rita secured Irene an office plus setting in motion the paper work necessary to form Desert Marketing LLC

  Ten years prior to Rita's call, Irene was hired into an account executive position with a prestigious mid-western advertising agency with clients among the upper fortune five hundred. Irene was very much aware of her physical attributes and business abilities with an inner knowing she would at sometime in the future be forced into litigating a sex related charge against her employer.

  During the first week of her employment, Irene sought out a sharp on-the-rise female lawyer reputed to be making a name representing clients taking on their employers for balking at implementing EEO standards. For a relatively small retainer Irene acquired legal representation she could call upon at any time. The lawyer advised Irene to send her regular C.M.A. (cover my ass) career reports. Create and keep current a detailed chronological work diary listing names, dates, who was promoted, paraphrased conversations between herself and superiors, observations of office happening, and other pertinent information impacting the agency's business or client confidentiality.

  A decade later, Irene's preparations were called into play when she was passed over for promotion to a department level position. The job went to a less qualified male colleague who immediately became Irene's boss. Within minutes after the promotion was announced, a chain of phone calls resulted in Irene's swift departure from the agency, at a very high cost to the agency.

  It began when Irene called and informed her attorney of a colleague's promotion. Her lawyer, in turn, called the agency's CEO who after hearing he was in violation of EEO directives and unless Irene was given an equal promotion, a civil suit would be filed immediately. After hanging up his phone the CEO placed a call to the agency's chief lawyer who completed the circle by calling Irene's lawyer.

  The central issue revolved around the question Irene's attorney posed to the agency's lawyer. Does the agency want to settle now, based on available evidence, cited by Irene's attorney, or go to court and face a charge of sex discrimination which would lead to adverse publicity the agency would receive, regardless of whether the agency won or lost the suit?

  An answer came in less than an hour. Irene would retire immediately with monthly retirement payments equal to one twelfth of her preceding year's salary and bonuses plus down stream cost-of-living raises. In addition she would receive a onetime severance payment of two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

  Following her arrival in Cactus Junction, Irene was immediately at work. Most of the preliminary information concerning RockPile Estates was discussed during prior telephone conversations with Rita. All that remained for her to do was view the development site and
meet with Sam and Gus to get her bearing. With these items accomplished she set to concentrating her energies on formulating a public relations plan for immediate execution.

  Irene moved quickly and with enthusiasm. Within ten days top quality 'free' publicity began appearing across the media spectrum touting the advanced environmentally friendly homes featured by RockPile Estates. Publicity was carefully shaped to highlight the exclusiveness and uniqueness of RockPile Estates in a natural setting allowing each owner to personalize his /her house through direct contact with the development's lead architect to incorporate individual design criteria. One special perk enabled the owner to choose the street name where her/his house would be located.

  Deliberate praise was given to Cactus County Planning Commission citing how it set the standard for environmental friendly development through its foresighted vision and outstanding cooperation with RockPile Estates at each step in the conceptual planning phase.

  The city and county prospered from many serendipitous fallouts resulting from the publicity campaign Irene put into action. Real estate sales increased, retail volume rose, motel and entertainment services prospered. Based on the heightened attention Cactus Junction was receiving as a result of RockPile Estates publicity, Rita was named Business Woman of the Year.

  In keeping with the warning Rita made to Gus, when she hired him as sales executive for RockPile Estates, concerning a broad range of prospects he would encounter; people the likes of which he never met before. He soon found Rita's warning amounted to more substance than mere words. Most surprising he learned money and civility were seldom found in the same person. It also became obvious money robbed people of their basic humanity Gus believed dwelled in each fellow human.

  One day while Rita was in his office, Gus related his frustration at being unable to qualify a singe suitable prospect from a large pool of interviewed prospects. After listening to his problem, Rita suggested he consider being blunter to prospect during qualification and immediately dismiss anyone he thought unsuitable. She further assured him he would receive her full support for his decisions. There was no doubt he would have to winnow a lot of chaff to find a few grains of wheat.

  Gus' first sale came as a result of the approach Rita suggested he use. It came about a week later at mid-afternoon when a black limo parked in front of Gus' sales office. A distinguished looking man in his sixties stepped from the limo and entered the office. His first words were, "I want to talk with man in charge, not some flunky salesman."

  Without standing or greeting the man, Gus, using a southern drawl answered,

  "Fraid I can't do that sur. Ya see, the man in charge just happens to be a be a lady who don't like to soil herself with fertilizer that blows through the door, so looks like ya just gonna half to ta deal with the flunky peddler setten in front of ya, else climb back in that fine funeral car ya got parked out there and drive on back to the feed lot where ya come from." Concluding his comment Gus remained seated and picked up a magazine. Holding the magazine at eye level, leaving the lower part of his face unseen by the man and began slowly thumbing pages one by one shutting the prospect out completely. After Gus turned several pages the man spoke in a more congenial tone.

  "O.K. You win. Sorry about acting as I did. There are times when I need being brought back to earth and I admit you did the most effective job I've experienced to date. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Richard Calvert," extending his hand.

  Gus stood up to take Calvert's hand. "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Calvert. My name is Gus. How may I be of service to you?"

  From then forward Richard Calvert was every inch a gentleman. He became congenial, friendly and admired Gus for his ability to thread his way through the minefields populated by the rich and mostly infamous.

  Richard knew his way around the land business having made a fortune or two in oil and land. Calvert was searching for a quiet place to become his home away from business where he could close out the world. He invited Gus to ride with him in his limo to view the setting and model house.

  The house's inside was a show place for an interior designer's talent using complimentary furniture, wall hangings, drapes, accent wood and wall paint. Outside, the landscaping blended into the original unspoiled setting, suggesting the house belonged to the original wild desert. A state-of-the-art solar system provided hot water, central heat and electrical power. Underground telephone wires, water service and septic tanks were complete and functional. Richards was able to view a finished house ready to receive its owner. Gus explained how initial problems were discovered and overcome along with the rationale behind each feature in the house and why each particular feature was selected.

  Richard's experience and financial position made him a hard man to impress; however, after having been given a tour of the house at Number One Horny Toad Ln. he was impressed.

  "I have to congratulate your organization for conceiving one hell of an idea and carrying it to fruition with such advanced imagination and technology. Over the years I've seen and lived in many houses, yet not one can remotely be compared to this. Its setting, simplicity and the way it affect one's senses is absolutely staggering. Is this house for sale or must I wait to have one built?"

  "Richard I understand exactly how you feel. When I entered this house for the first time it was only eighty percent complete, yet I was left without words to describe my feelings. It is truly an awe-inspiring home. The most profound experience comes on the first night one spends here. The silence becomes almost deafening when all lights are turned off leaving starlight to guide your way and only sounds of the original residents to break the ringing in one's ears. Excuse me for getting so carried away, In answer to you question, I'm sorry, this house is not for sale."

  "How long will it take you to have a house like this built?" Richard asked.

  "Richard, please don't get cross threaded with my next statement. Before a sale can be made there, for lack of a better way to say it, a few hoops must be jumped through."

  "What do you mean? A few hoops must be jumped through. Isn't cash money good enough?"

  Gus nodded, "True, money is important; however it takes more than money to buy a house here in RockPile Estates. Everyone allowed to view this model home has the where- withal to buy it, but not every viewer is offered the opportunity. We are looking for people with a special type of character. The main criteria for selection amounts to whether the prospect will fit into the overall community. We define character as having respect for the environment, indigenous life, meaning the current residents: plants, critters and people who will soon make this community their home."

  Who makes the decision about who is allowed to join this exclusive club? So to speak."

  "I do." Gus answered.

  "How do I stand on the list?" Do I impress you as having the character to be worthy of consideration?

  "Richard, my gut has a good feeling about you. It tells me you're the kind of resident we're looking for to live here. Provided you're willing to comply with a half dozen or so restrictions imposed by the deed. These restrictions are for you and your neighbor's protection. They are imposed to prevent further sub-division of each lot, prevent modifications to the existing structure or addition of structures having a negative impact on the environment, plus a few minor don'ts' imposed by the county."

  "I see no problem with those restrictions, in fact I welcome them. I'd sure hate to wake up some morning to find a neighbor's billy goat chomping the shrubs on my patio. Now where do we go to from here? Oh one other question, as much as I like this house, am I allowed any design input into my proposed house?"

  "You can have most anything you want on the inside. All outside variation will have to be approved by the development architect. You will find Sam and his crew are very pleasant folks to work with. I'm sure he can accommodate almost anything you want, other than a goat shed or dog kennel."

  After selecting a lot, with
Richard and his wife Maria working out a design with Sam, Gus wrote up a sales order for the Calvert's house, including a few extras for $2.436-million.

  Once the ice was broken, with Calvert's house order, within a month an additional five houses were sold. Each house included a few extras for an average unit price of $2.274-million. Four more strong prospects were on the verge of making a commitment and Gus was on his way to making more money than he ever dreamed possible.

  Rita and Sam calculated the break-even point would come when eight houses were sold. With six houses sold and four solid prospects, RockPile Estates was on the way to being the fastest pay back development started to date in Cactus County. With cash flow beyond the most optimistic expectation and a bright future for RPE Development, Rita and Sam decided to issue corporate stock to those who helped make it happen, Ted, Irene, Julie, Gus, Sam and Rita.

  Business at Junction Realty picked up substantially riding on the wave of publicity RockPile Estates shining on Cactus junction. With Gus away from the office most of the time at RPE, Stella brought in two salespersons to keep up with increased business. All was going well for everyone except Buck; he was still in a holding pattern with U.S. Resorts. Buck was worried and began suffering anxiety attacks from knowing in less than a month both options would be due; unless U.S. Resorts came through on their land purchase within the next three weeks he would lose twenty-five thousand dollars.

  Losing money was not actually the root of his discomfort; it stemmed from knowing a bunch of women, headed by Rita Blaine was pulling in millions while he was on the verge of losing a few thousand. Sometimes he thought it would be less humiliating by losing everything he owned. By losing it all he could expect some sympathy, but by losing only peanuts on a deal poised to make him a millionaire was just plain crushing to his pride.

  Another barb pricking Buck came in the person of Stella Davis. She was another fast thinking woman pulling in buckets full of cash with moxie equal to and most times better than Gus. She knew the real estate business inside and out and was skillful at applying her knowledge to make things happen. She was happily married, therefore didn't cater to Buck's imagined woman killer charms, which made the barb all the more painful.

  Since RockPile Estates began, Rita and Nellie spent less time together managing to meet only a couple times each week. Their meetings were primarily information swapping sessions, but occasionally they shared parts of their personal lives. Rita admitted she was losing her long held hard attitude for the way she felt about men. Her feelings for Ted were deepening and causing her to mellow as time passed. She and Ted were spending more nights together than she originally expected. Having a man in her bed now felt more natural and she missed Ted on nights when alone.

  Ted's feeling were falling in step with Rita's, he was becoming more domesticated than he cared to admit. Talks about their shared future were becoming common with more time spent discussing how they could harmoniously blend their interests together, yet retain individual pursuits. In addition Rita was basking in being top gun at RockPile Estates, although she was seldom arbitrary in her decision; she enjoyed knowing and having complete control that made the difference.

  One day Rita admitted to Nellie she was getting over the idea of deliberately causing Buck misery. She recognized natural events, such a RockPile Estates, were having their desired effects. It was during one of their, soul sharing sessions, Nellie confessed she was also losing interest in hurting Buck having learned he was feeling pretty well subdued by plates of humble crow being dished up lately by successful deals going on around him and having to deal with a woman broker. In fact Nellie admitted she was beginning to feel a little sorry for him and concerned she was slowly growing a deeper feeling for Buck was beginning to bother her when she was alone and wanting company.

  Buck was a prime example of being a grade A egotistical asshole without question, but he also had a few other qualities she liked. When not filled with snakebite remedy, he was hell of a man in bed. Now with Julie and Rita having full time companions she was beginning to feel left out. Maybe if she caught Buck at the right moment after Rita dealt him a killer blow and tolling him with the right kind of incentives, Ol' Buck may be trained to lead after all.

  "Have you decided how to deal with Buck when the options come due?" Rita asked.

  "You know, I haven't made up my mind just yet how to handle that issue. One day I'm ready to rip him good, then the next day I want to tell him it was all a game and let him off the hook."

  Goodness gracious we're both on the road to destruction. You're going soft on Buck and I'm well on the way to thawing out to the point where I enjoy having a man around. Tell you what, Nellie. How would it work if R.E Development offers to pick up his options? The reason I'll give Buck is because Land Investment Ltd. gave him a better price on the option than they were selling it straight out for. Now with the success of RockPile Estates, RPE Development is looking to the future for further development possibilities"

  Nellie studied on the idea for a few moments before committing herself.

  "Rita, I think your usual imaginative thinking has scored again. I can see the logic to you dealing with Land Investment Ltd.," Nellie nodded, "But how about U.S. Resorts? I may be developing a soft spot for him, but not twenty-five thousand dollars worth of softness just yet. I'm not at all interested in enriching him by letting go of his options."

  "How about if I offer him ten grand for the deal as it stands? Having me pull his nuts out of the fire for a paltry ten grand isn't going to make him feel too great. We can let the U.S. Resorts deal sort of rest for a while, who knows? I may be able to put together something with a real resort outfit. With The Junction growing like it is, it could do with an upscale resort. Anyway, you may not want to sell the land at this time. It's sure to get more valuable with time. We can work something out later for using the land. I'll regain my ten grand when something is worked out for the land Buck was going to make his million on."

  After thinking for a moment, Nellie nodded and said. "O.K. let's go for it. This way he'll not have to know I had anything to do with the deal. When are you going to contact him?"

  "I'll get right on it. If I wait too long I may change my mind. As the cowboys always say, 'you can't get a good brand with a cold iron'."