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This story contains graphic scenes, language, and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words, and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racism, racial language, violence, rape, or violence against women. Any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.
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Chapter 01 - Introduction
I watched dispassionately as my clients initialed the final changes to the agreement of sale. It was my fifth sale so far this month, and given the state of the current economy, an achievement I should be proud of. Walking the couple to their car in the parking lot, I shook their hands one final time, making small talk as they got into their vehicle, waving one last time as they drove off.
The hot summer sun warmed me as it beat heavily on the hint of cleavage from my open-cut dress, and my legs drank up the heat from the pavement greedily as if they had gone weeks without its warmth. Humid air filled my lungs as I breathed deeply, savoring the smell of summer for a moment longer before returning to the office.
The few realtors present, mostly older agents still preferring the familiarity of the office to mobile work, stood and applauded me, as was the tradition whenever an agent made a sale. Their fast but slightly out-of-time clapping filled the office as if I had just won a grueling marathon or performed some miraculous feat. I always felt awkward, never wanting to be in the spotlight, and I smiled shyly at my co-workers before hurrying to my office, shuffling through paperwork as if I was busy. I found it odd that they always seemed more excited about my sales than I did. As if on cue, my co-workers returned to whatever tasks they had been doing as if the whole thing had never just happened and that I had never even existed.
"I can't believe I have been doing this for nearly five years now," I thought as I absently stared out my office window, watching the water flow by as fast as the time had seemed to. I sat there for several minutes thinking about my journey over those past five years, turning to look over at the achievements lining my wall: Designations and certifications, Realtor of the Year awards, all marking my professional successes.
Continuing to scan the wall, I glanced at the picture of my fiancé, Dan, sitting on my bookcase. Although there had been a few dates before him in high school and college, nothing serious had ever developed. Being raised in a strict religious home, it had always been uncomfortable bringing boys around, so I just hadn't for the most part.
Dan was a quiet and reserved man, just over two years older than me, having turned thirty-one last month. We had gotten to know each other slowly over the past few years of dating, and although it was a little rough initially, we had settled into a steady relationship and were now engaged. In the beginning, he had been quite suspicious of my social interaction for work, especially when I would do house showings, but things settled down eventually... mostly. He had proposed to me last year, and we were supposed to have been married this summer, but after some discussion, we decided to move the date forward until next year. Dan had been offered an unexpected job promotion, which had been a decent raise in pay, but unfortunately, it had also meant more travel out of town, so we decided that he should settle into his new role first.
"Maybe Dan and I could celebrate with a nice dinner somewhere tonight," I thought. We could certainly afford it, and perhaps it would make me more appreciative of the sale today.
I jumped as my cell phone rang, seeing Dan's face appear on the screen; he had an uncanny knack for calling just as I was thinking about him.
"Hey, you," I said as I picked up.
"Hey, Babe. How is your day? Did the buyers agree to the terms for the house?"
"Yes, they just signed and left. How are you?"
"Oh, fine," Dan replied. "Just wanted to check in and see how you were."
"Actually," I replied. "I was looking out the window, thinking about you just now. I was wondering if we could maybe go somewhere nice for dinner tonight to celebrate."
"That sounds like a great idea," Dan replied. "What do you have planned for the rest of today?"
"Not much. I need to drop off the buyers' deposit for the Elm Street house at the lawyer's office, and then I have another showing at three."
"OK, well, let me know when you're done with that, and I'll come by and pick you up."
"All right," I replied. "See you later; love you."
Hanging up while simultaneously picking up my purse and keys, I stepped into the main common area, the smell of old coffee and paper greeting me as always. Checking the time, I entered the parking lot, once again feeling the mid-day summer sun immediately assault me. I squinted, reaching into my purse for my sunglasses, their dark lenses shielding my eyes from the glare of the sun as I quickly walked the length of sticky asphalt to my car.
Driving through the quiet streets of the borough, I thought about the surrounding area I lived in. I had never been too far away from my hometown for any length of time. At twenty-eight, many of my peers had already traveled abroad to exotic destinations, sometimes once a year or more. I always wondered how they managed to do it and stay out of debt or if they were secretly living beyond their means.
In addition to being very successful in real estate, despite my inherent shyness, I had always been financially savvy, preferring to save my money rather than spend it on frivolous things. I owned a small but cozy home alone, having opted not to move in with Dan to avoid the dismay that would cause my parents. Dan was there most of the time anyway, however, which sometimes made me feel more smothered than I would have liked. It's not that I didn't love Dan, but I often found myself looking forward to some alone time, taking in a good novel, or binging a new show.
Arriving at the law office, the receptionist gave me a familiar warm smile as I approached.
"Hello, Abby; how are you today?"
"Hi, Marcy; how are you?"
