Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
I shake my head wearily.
“Mom, whatever problems the bank has been having, I know that they didn’t ‘forget’ to record your rent payments. You haven’t made any payments for the last three months, and my guess is that if I look through the last year of activity on your account, you’re missing more than just the last three months.”
Dinah shakes her head.
“No, I swear that’s not true! I always pay my rent.”
I merely sigh wearily again.
“Mom, I believe you. I believe that you intended to pay your rent each and every time, but there’s a big difference between intention and execution, and unfortunately, the proof is right here. You haven’t been making your rent payments for a while now, and the Carltons probably have a legal right to begin eviction proceedings.”
Finally, my words seem to have some impact on Dinah. Sometimes, I swear she’s impossible to deal with because nothing ever gets through her skull. It’s always rainbows, flowers, and tomorrow will be another day. But not this time. The Pied Piper’s knocking at her door, and he wants her out. Literally.
Dinah takes a deep breath.
“So what do I do?” she asks with tears in her eyes. “Should I call Mr. Carlton? Should I beg them to reinstate me? Could you reach out to Kenneth? You were friends from high school, right?”
I look at my mom, and how all over the place she is. It’s clear that Dinah can’t handle a confrontation with any type of authority. She would probably break down and agree to move out, without even trying to negotiate a deal for herself.
“No, it’s okay,” I say in a wooden voice. “I’ll go down to Carlton Realty tomorrow and see what I can do. Maybe Kenneth will be there, and you’re right – we did sort-of know each other, even if we weren’t exactly friends. Maybe I can set up some kind of plan.”
“Oh would you?” my mom asks. “I’d so appreciate it, sweetheart. You’ve always been so good with numbers, and I was so proud when you graduated with highest honors in Economics. You’re a super-star, Katie. And I’m sure Kenneth will be amenable. His dad is a really big real estate developer, isn’t that right? I heard Mr. Carlton won some big industry award both last year for most square footage rented or something like that. We’re just small peas to them, so I know they’ll give us some slack. It’s called being neighborly,” she says in a hopeful voice.
I merely smile wanly at my mom and give her a gentle hug.
“We’ll see,” I say. “I’ll give it shot. What else do we have to lose?” I ask.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” my mom says again while stroking my soft blonde hair. “You’re a life-saver, Katie.”
With that, I turn to go even as my heart pounds. First thing tomorrow morning, I’m going to Carlton Realty to beg my mother’s case. I only hope that Mr. Carlton, whoever this big shot is, will grant us mercy in our time of need.
2
Katie
This is it. I smooth down my one nice skirt, and take a deep breath. Hopefully all my flyaways are smoothed down, and my lipstick’s not smeared or ghoulish-looking. Because before the imposing glass tower of Carlton Realty, I feel like a sacrifice being offered up to a mighty king.
It’s easy to see why. Carlton Realty is a big deal in our small town. They don’t just own residential properties here in Sunnydale. They also own shopping malls, strip malls, and entertainment centers all across the country. For some reason, they’re based right here in Sunnydale although their reach is worldwide.
I gulp again, staring up at the massive tower. To be honest, it’s a little of an eyesore, seeing that the building has to be at least ten stories tall while everything surrounding it is three stories at most. Plus, the architecture doesn’t really fit with Sunnydale’s downtown. The glass tower has a shiny, black surface that reflects all light, while the humble pre-war buildings beside it are made of red brick and faded stone.
Well, you can’t stay out here forever Katie, the voice in my head chides. Come on, do your thing.
I take a deep breath and straighten my shoulders before heading inside. The woman at reception smiles blandly in greeting.
“Can I help you?” she asks.
“Yes,” I say. “I’m looking for Mr. Carlton.”
She nods, giving nothing away.
“Certainly. I’ll buzz him and see if he’s free. Your name?”
“Katie McCall.”
She nods and puts the phone to her ear before dialing an extension. Someone picks up on the other end and she says, “Ms. McCall here to see you.”
To my surprise, the receptionist puts the phone down and smiles.
“Mr. Carlton will be with you shortly,” she says. “Please take a seat.”
I hesitantly walk over to a bank of sofas arranged in the lobby. They’re made of black leather, with harsh ninety-degree angles to the cushions. Are these even made to be used as seating? I decide not. Instead, I help myself to some water from the water cooler, and stand there drinking it while pretending to look at the covers of some magazines.