Page 60 of The Deal Maker

But there has to be a way to salvage this, right? If it’s something I really want, I don’t typically give in this easily.

I dial my boss, hoping that I can make it up somehow.

“Hello?”

“Hi John, this is Duke Jacobson from Willow Cove.” I pause a moment, hoping he’ll remember who I am.

“It’s good to hear back from you, Duke. I was just talking to our social media gal and we haven’t seen very many photos coming in from you lately. I thought we had an agreement.”

I’m not sure what to say, because the man’s tone is a little more intense than I’d expected.

“I’ve been working on it, sir. I’ll get some more before the hunt is over.”

“It’s too late for that. We’ve been able to secure more photos from Mayor Dobbs. They’re allowing us to use the ones people have submitted through the app.”

“Was there a consent form for all the participants?” I ask, not sure if I like where this is going.

The man chuckles on the line and says, “No, but the mayor put her name on the line, so we should be good. It’s too bad you weren’t more motivated to get that extra dough.”

Mocking isn’t something I appreciate. Maybe I’m not wired like every other salesman out there, but I don’t want to be known as someone who takes advantage of everyone because of a few dollars in return.

“I feel like I’ve been doing what I can to get what I need for you all while still running a business. We’ve been able to send at least fifty appointments to the two presentation locations nearby. For a first-time location, I’d say that’s pretty good.”

There’s only laughing on the other end. “Fifty you say? That’s minor compared to the next closest location. A good month would be two hundred appointments.”

The heat rises up my neck and into my face, not loving how the guy is talking to me. The fact that he’d been so chummy with me just a couple of weeks ago and now he’s acting like I’m the scum of the earth makes my blood boil.

“It would be helpful if your company would actually train its people on what we’re supposed to do. I never received the new posters or forms you promised to send. There’s a lot to be fixed in your company, even though you think you sit on a throne and glare down at us. And all I did was help you build it higher.” I’m more than angry at this point and I have to clamp my mouth shut just to avoid saying anything worse.

“Is that how you really feel? I wouldn’t come to the company party, son. If you’re not ready to make the leap to bigger and better things, then this isn’t the place to be.”

“I’m done,” I say, surprising even myself.

“Excuse me?” John says, the first note of surprise in his voice.

“I’m done with this business venture. I’ll be removing any of the posters and paraphernalia from the office location and we’re closing it up.”

“You’ll be legally liable to continue.”

Shaking my head, I say, “If you’re not going to support one of your stores, I think you’ve got bigger problems. If you want to install someone else nearby, go for it, but I’ll be terminating my lease on the office space.”

“Fine. But don’t expect to make it in this world with your self-righteous attitude.”

“If I don’t stand up for what I think is right now, I’ll lose myself, John. Have a nice day.”

I press the button to end the call and go through the gamut of emotions. I’m both elated that I was able to stand up for all that and now terrified because I just lost the chance at a bunch of the goals I’d planned with this kind of business. And I’m going to have to go back to my grandfather and tell him that I failed again.

I hadn’t planned to quit this morning, but what had I been thinking when I got into this business? Mostly about myself and how quickly I could make money to go on a trip. Now I feel like an idiot. I wish I would’ve seen the signs about the company I was trying to work for long before.

Maybe I needed a change in a few aspects of my life, or the wake-up call I didn’t know would come.

I search for Daphne Stevens’ phone number so I can tell her about the lease cancellation, but then I start thinking about the space. It’s a great location in the strip mall and there are a lot of things it could be turned into. What I want to do with it is the question. Hopefully I can figure that out before I’m out of money altogether.

TWENTY-FIVE

MAGGIE

I haven’t seen Duke around too much the past couple of days aside from working on our scavenger hunt items. He’s nice, but distant, like he’s got a lot on his mind.

---