Author's note: This story originated with a reader who is a realtor and organizer. On one occasion
,
she actually did find some hidden treasures in a house. My thanks to Kim for her help in creating this story.
*****
It was one of those beautiful weekend days between spring and summer, not too hot or humid and perfect for a long morning walk in the neighborhood. Rather than take my usual route, I headed south for several blocks at a comfortable pace that afforded me a cardio workout while looking at various landscaping ideas for my home. I was about to turn east when I noticed a sign announcing an 'Auction' on the next block. I'm a sucker for garage sales but never attended an auction. 'What the hell,' I thought and headed to the designated house.
It appeared the sale was well underway and I had arrived a couple of hours after the start time stated on the sign in the yard. There was an auctioneer doing his numeric cadence to more than a dozen people assembled. Not knowing exactly what to do, I looked about for someone who looked official. I spied an attractive woman wearing a nametag sitting in an easy chair watching the proceedings. 'What a cutie,' I said to myself.
I did a quick glance at her nametag and I said, "Hello Kim, I wonder if you could help me?"
She looked up at me with a smile that made my heart skip a beat. She was a very attractive brunette in a white blouse and dark slacks. When she spoke her voice was like soft music. "Why yes, how may I assist you?"
"Well, I normally only do garage sales and look for books, LPs, and anything dealing with Christmas."
"An interesting combination, we have a couple of tables that may have what you may be interested in. Just think of an auction as a larger garage sale. I take it you are a collector?"
"Guilty. I have a fairly nice collection but I'm always on the lookout for an item that might catch my fancy."
"I understand completely. I like to collect seasonal items for my house and yard. Let me show you what we have."
We walked over to some tables that had a variety of items I would expect to find in a garage sale. Two boxes had a variety of hard and softbound books, a small stack of LPs, and a scattering of Christmas figurines. I took out my phone and pulled up pictures of my Christmas inventory and handed it to Kim. After looking at several screens, she looked up at me and said, "You're a serious collector."
"I've been at it for a few years. I need these photos to remind me of what I have otherwise I might duplicate something. It's the same for the books and LPs. I needed to keep a list of what I already have."
"I'm impressed with your collection."
"It's more impressive in person," I replied hoping I could use our mutual hobby as a way to get to know her. Fortunately she must have felt the same and said, "I believe you and as a fellow collector, I'd be honored to see your inventory."
I gave her my address and she agreed to come over after the sale. I hurried home and did a quick dusting and some general housekeeping. It's pretty obvious that a bachelor lives here and not a hoarder or slob. I was excited and I hoped that we would hit it off. I closed my eyes and remembered her perfume and her lovely looks. I recalled how she came to my chin level when we were standing together. I was getting aroused and I had to remind myself to relax; just take everything nice and easy and slow. A quick shower only provided a partial relief that I had to wipe off the wall.
Kim arrived at the appointed time and she was every bit as lovely as I remembered. I felt like a school boy on a first date and I think I stammered out something about inviting her in. I hate those awkward first moments when you meet someone in a situation like this. I took the easy tact and asked her about the estate sale and how she was involved. That turned out to be a conversation that would change my future.
Kim is a realtor and more importantly for me, single. She was at the estate sale because of her side business.
"I'm an organizer," she stated. "Sometimes I deal with clients who need to dispose of property and they want minimal involvement. We pick out anything they want to keep and it's my job to sell everything else. I direct them to my associates for anything that requires legal work and once that's completed, I coordinate the sale just like you saw today. That particular house already has a contract and everything will be gone except the items the new owners purchased prior to the sale."
"I'm impressed and I'm a bit envious because it allows you to find gems for your own collections before those of us in the general public have a shot."
"Yes it does and I take every opportunity I can. Speaking of collections, show me what you have."
I have a room dedicated to this and I use it as a check on how much I accumulate. My goal is to display everything but I don't want to extend into other rooms. I could tell by her reaction when I turned on the lights that she was overwhelmed. She gasped and said, "Oh my!!"
After a few minutes of walking in silence around the room, she said, "I can see why you have a photo inventory. This is very impressive."
We looked at several items and I explained their origin because I do some online trading and purchasing in addition to finding some pieces at garage sales. One particular section of my Christmas collection held her attention for some time. "These are different than the others."
"Yes they are. Many of these items were handmade by my grandfather. I inherited all these items from my grandmother."
"That looks like a 'paint-by-number' portrait of Santa."
"It is. I gave it to my grandmother when I was around 10."
"And I'll bet she kept it in a prominent viewing place."
"Much to my embarrassment."
She looked me in the eye, placed her hand on my chest and said, "I think it is very nice and well done for a child of 10."
I think I actually blushed some. I heard my stomach growling and realized it was getting late in the day. "If you care to stay longer I could order in some pizza."
She paused a moment then with a smile said, "I'd like that, thank you."
I took her into an adjacent room where I stored my wine and suggested she "pick her pleasure" while I made the call. I was glad that we both wanted a 'supreme'.