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“So, what happened exactly?”
I understand why they’re so curious, and I know I need to explain if they’re going to trust me to buy their land, but I’m tired of rehashing this story every time I want to make a deal with a new client. Next time I see my brother, I’m going to throttle him.
“Frankly, Ryan made some really stupid business deals. He bought a large plot of land with the vision of developing a massive casino.”
“And why didn’t that work out?” Richard asks. He’s frowning, and I notice the sour expression on Betsy’s face when I say the word ‘casino.’
“Because he went about everything backward,” I continue. “He was too fast to pull the trigger and didn’t consider things like zoning and permits.”
“Oh.”
“Yes. But don’t worry. I’m very dedicated to preserving the good name that our father spent his whole life building. And if anything, I want to make it even more respected.” This brings a smile to Richard and Betsy’s faces. The knowledge that, even though we’re a large business, we still care about family. And it’s not a lie. In fact, it’s one of the reasons I’ve stuck with the company for so long.
“I see. Okay, well, I just needed to get that out of the way,” Richard says.
“I understand. As you might imagine, I don’t like repeating the story, but I do understand.”
“Anyway, I’d appreciate it if none of those details leaves the room?” I ask.
They both nod. “Of course.”
He describes the land and buildings, then adds that none of their kids showed any interest in continuing the business. “We were forced to close down when both of our bodies just couldn’t do the intensive labor of collecting, counting, cleaning, and carting the eggs, which were our main source of income.”
“Got it.” The same thing would have happened to my father’s business after he died, if it wasn't for me. Which is one of the reasons I can never leave.
“As far as the house goes, it hasn’t changed much since we built it fifty years ago.”
“That’s fine. A little vintage charm goes a long way,” I say, although none of that matters when all I plan to do is bulldoze it anyway.
My comment makes Betsy smile. “I poured a lot of love into that house.”
“What are you thinking about in terms of asking price?”
“We’ve only met with one realtor, and she recommended around three million, given the acreage, condition of the house, and the large barn.”
It’s good that they did the work to find out the place’s true value. I always try to balance getting a good deal with paying people a fair price. Not every property developer shares my feelings.
“That’s around what I was thinking.”
“Would you mind if I brought my son over to check everything out? He’s fourteen, he’s really interested in what farm life might be like.” This is a complete fabrication, of course. The idea of living outside of the city just about makes him hyperventilate. Only the promise of a new video game got him to come with me last time.
“Of course.”
“Wonderful. We’ll come around later tonight.”
“Sounds great. You can join us for dinner.” Betsy smiles as she says it, and I get a sinking feeling in my stomach.
“Oh, no—we can’t impose.”
“You’re not! I’m making pineapple casserole and will have plenty to go around.”
She turns her back to put her light jacket back on.
“Pineapple casserole?” I mouth to Rich.
“It’s actually really good,” he whispers back, while rubbing his stomach.
I’m still skeptical, but I give him a thumbs up.
