Finally moving toward buying a business, Buck made an appointment to see a business broker Philip Chandler who said he was about to leave to play golf but business was business so suggested Buck come right in.
That attitude impressed Buck but on the way to the office he wondered if Philip found he had time to play golf on a Wednesday morning because business for his company was bad.
He'd worried needlessly. Phones were ringing in the office, women were running in and out of the photocopying room and Buck was aware he'd taken the last parking space. He could see several of the brokers in cubicles appeared to be with clients.
He went up to the receptionist, a woman with a mighty bosom and huge pouty bright red painted lips who watched him approach, gaped and picked up the phone and Buck heard her say, "Mr Chandler, your client is the mayoral challenger. He's arrived."
A plump and balding guy came out beaming with his hand outstretched.
"Mr Buxton, welcome."
"Call me Buck. I'm surprised I wasn't handed over to one of your assistants."
"When you called you asked for Mr Chandler and Mr Chandler you got... it's company policy. No client is too small for me but I suppose you are here for an election donation?" the broker said as he sat behind his desk. "Please call me Phil."
"No my team has instructions not to solicit for donations but to accept offered donations. I'm actually here on business Phil."
Phil grabbled his checkbook and said, "Well here's two hundred bucks for the cause. Our present mayor is bad news for this city and I like what I read about your in the Guardian. What's your stand on business expansion?"
"We have to keep this city growing Phil, otherwise the threat is stagnation."
"Great you have my vote and the votes of my family once I tell them about you. So you wish to buy a business eh? Any firm ideas?"
"I've heard a whisper the Ford dealership could be available."
"Damn rumors but that one happens to be correct. But it's not listed with me and I advise you not to touch it. The asking price is $23 million. We were paid to do an appraisal and my team and I put in our estimate of $9 to $11 million and I can tell you they have their sights on $20 mil plus."
"Thanks for that info."
"Why Ford?"
"Because I've always driven Ford, as have my dad and his father."
"Well founded blind loyalty."
Buck grinned and said he liked that comment.
"May I ask how much cash can you stump up with?"
"Six mil."
"Well there's not many businesses for sale around here in excess of that figure and then with your proven business experience, from what I read, you could add a hefty loan to your money and it's likely I could turn up investors who'd have faith in you if that's what you want."
"I haven't decided."
"Well I don't drink the coffee we produce here. Let's go across the street for Italian machine stuff. It sets your nuts in concrete and that lasts most of the day."
They laughed and walked over to Milena's Coffee House.
"Milly it's Mr Chandler," one of the girls behind the counter called.
A gaunt hawked-nosed woman without makeup and dressed in black came out and gave Phil a stunning smile and the smile turned quizzical as she ran her eyes over the client.
"Milena deBona, this is Mr Buxton..."
"The man who wants to replace our mayor, yes I recognize him."
Buck grinned. "I'm Buck. Am I welcome here?"
"Do you like the idea of foreign immigrants coming to reside in city?"
"Oh yes Milly, particularly Italian immigrants."
"Yes you are welcome here," she smiled.
"Thanks but do I have you vote?"
"I think so."
Over coffee Phil said, "I did a private appraisal last evening for the wife of a golfing buddy and perhaps this is perfect timing for you. Sid owns the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep franchise and is suffering heart problems and has been advised to go to Florida to live quietly. His wife is anxious to go while she still has him, although the medics assure them with the pressure off he may well live for many years. The site is under-development and I see upside in business potential as well you may if you inspect the outfit and go through the books."
"And the suggested selling price?"
"Nine and a half. You might get it for a mil less if you negotiate well and can conclude the sale quickly."
"Right then let's attack this prospective sale quickly."
"Right I'll call Sally now. Sid's home resting up."
"Thanks Phil, I'll meet you outside."
Phil came out from the coffee house looking non-committal.
"Sally says she can see you now but I'm to tell you the price is $10.5 million."
"Well that conflicts with my thinking Phil. My objective is to buy a business below it's assessed value."
Phil sighed and said they best look at other options and he was a little fortunate in that it was a buyer's market in business sales at present.
"No I'll just wait Phil. Please tell Sally that I remain more than interested but my threshold is well below that asking price. You may tell her what figure you feel I might deal at."
Three weeks later Sally called Buck and invited him to look around the premises with her. He then spent two more hours with the company's accountant going through financial performance of the business over the past ten years and looking at the age and maintenance expenditure on the buildings and the assessed value of the 3.25-acre site over the years.
Phil was called back in and the deal was done at $8.65 million subject to the franchises being reassigned to Buck and when that was accomplished Buck handed over a bank check that comprising $5 million of his own money and the remainder was a bank loan.
Gloria had been to the dealership three times with Buck and was developing three major ways she believed she could stimulate customer support for the business and lift the profile of the business.
When the deal was concluded a photograph of Buck, Gloria and Sid and Sally Rogers appeared on the front page of Saturday's business section in the Guardian newspaper announcing the change of ownership.
In the article Buck quipped that he'd have to sell his near-new Ford Explorer to drive one of his dealership's vehicles and as a result received five offers on his vehicle during the next three days. It sold on Tuesday for a price that satisfied him. He ordered a Grand Cherokee Overland 4X4 V8 painted white gold.
At his first executive meeting, with Gloria appointed as director of marketing and customer relations with the previous manager of marketing and customer relations agreeing to the promotion to becoming Gloria's deputy, Buck made it quite clear he would devote considerable time in his mayoralty election bid and for that reason he was taking the title of company chairman and the deputy CEO Stan Grayson was being promoted to CEO and would run the business.
* * *
The weeks went by and the campaign team performed credibly and then Mayor Sloan Black tried the scarce tactics, claiming at his election meetings that no one could trust an unmarried mayor.
Rumors began circulating that the unmarried mayoral candidate and his campaign manager were romantically attached, in fact living together.
The Guardian sent a reporter to interview Buck Buxton and all he would say was, "Yes the rumor was true."
It didn't make a large newspaper story but it was published on the front page in a panel.
Mayor Black held a big meeting attended by almost two hundred of his supporters when he denounced the mayoral challenger as a slime ball from the cesspit who was living in sin with his fancy woman, a divorcee.
Gloria called Thelma to trigger her volunteers to begin calling homes to invite citizens to attend a meeting in City Square at 5:00 that afternoon where mayoral candidate Buck Buxton would denounce the incumbent mayor as recklessly attempting to cling to power and he'd make a damning disclosure about Mayor Black's breach of ethics.
Meanwhile Buck had an emergency meeting where he worked with Jessie Lime to produce a speech carefully worded to protect him against making libelous statements.
Citizens began assembling in the square from late afternoon and by 5:00 the City Square with its main traffic routes to the north, south, east and west blocked by an assembly of at least 5000 residents. Reluctantly the Chief of Police called his force to stop attempting to clear the streets of bystanders after being assured that the candidate's speech would be over in ten minutes.
Buck, looking slim in a dark Italian-cut business suit, white shirt and not wearing a tie stepped up on the plinth of the fountain with a microphone in hand.
"Thank you everyone for coming here this afternoon in the interest of fair play in this mayoral election and to hear me say right hear and now I denounce Mayor Black's totally uncalled for attack on my personal integrity. I treat my girlfriend with the love, respect and care she rightfully deserves. I say if one of us mayoral candidates is a slime ball we know where that derogatory names rests, don't we?"
"Yes," roared the crowd with many people shouting, "Yes Mayor Black is the slime ball."
"This city has been slipping downhill under Mayor Black's two terms as mayor and he now has the audacity of seeking a third term as if he believes the citizens of this city who are registered electors are either blind or irrationally stupid. But we know the majority of electors have been given hope now there's a new man on the block called Buck Buxton. Actually it's Charles Buxton but even since I was a kid only my mother has called me that."
"I have invited you good people hear today to hear me denounce Mayor Black for his underhand tactics in the past two elections by exerting strong-arm tactics to persuade his opponents to withdrawn, thereby defrauding electors of their rightful choice in a contested election."
"What do you said about that? Do we boo Mayor Black?"
The huge sound of booing drifted over the city.
"Can you prove your alarming claims?" yelled one of the assistants from Brett's fish and tackler store.
"Well I believe I can," Buck said. He pulled out of his inside pocked two pieces of paper and held them high.
"These are sworn statements, know legally as affidavits, from two men, one from each of the past two mayoral elections, who claim that Mayor Black personally and repeatedly requested them to withdraw as candidates and finally, according to the evidence I have obtained, he allegedly paid one of them $2000 to withdraw and the other candidate accepted $3500 to withdraw."
"Omigod no."
"Shame."
"Out with Black" were the calls.
"Well there it is folk," Buck said. "I have been advised for legal reasons I should not divulge the names of the signatories of these affidavits. But I warn Mr Black publicly if he attempts to derail my election campaign I will file these affidavits in court and initiate proceedings against him. Of course if he admits these alleged claims then the police may well beat me to the draw."
"Well there it is folk and thank your for hearing me out. Please clear the square quickly and orderly because our Police Chief tells us traffic is blocking up for miles."
