True life-changing events only happen when you don't expect them. That's by definition. When you know what's coming, you're at least mentally prepared to make decisions. You can war-game out what you can do. The real deal, now -- that's when you go on instinct.
I was minding my own business on that fall day. And when I say "minding my own business" I'm using the English language in precise terms. When you have to build from scratch a second time, you're a little more careful, a little more meticulous, than you were the first time. When you've lost it all and then some, you know already how much it hurts and avoiding that pain becomes central in your life.
So there I was at Johnson Realty (Texas version), getting ready to head out to lunch, when one of the secretaries walked into my office. "Hugh, there's someone here who wants to look at a rental property. Sorry to bother you, but there isn't anyone available to work with her because Irene called out with the flu."
"Don't worry, Janice," I said, "I'll handle it. Thanks." She bustled out and I headed to the lobby of the office. Yeah, I'm the boss, but showing properties and stuff is what I do best. It's how we stay in business, and after what happened first time around, I don't like leaving things to chance. I'm happy to do it myself.
It was when I got to the lobby and saw who the prospective renter was that the whole world came to a stop. It took me back five years, and to another state, and a business that I lost, not because of a bad market or lack of effort, but from trusting the wrong person.
After going to college for a business degree in North Carolina, I stuck around and built a booming realty business thanks to a decade of hard work. I'd sunk all of my time and energy into my career, leaving nothing much in the way of time for a personal life, but by the time I reached my mid-30's it had paid off in a big way.
Then Lucy Neils joined the staff. She had just gotten her real estate license and seemed hungry to make good. Lucy had an 8-year old daughter she was raising by herself after two ugly divorces. I liked her attitude and determination to close sales. And I have to admit, she was smoking hot.
Lucy was 5-foot-2 with red hair, a voluptuous figure, and an outgoing personality. She was honest about her lack of experience, telling me that she knew she could sell but that she needed a mentor to teach her the ropes. She said she wanted to pick my brain because I had the top agency in town and she wanted to learn from the best.
Single, 35, unattached, and rather naïve about women -- I was flattered, then hooked, and then things progressed rapidly and naturally from there. She was an apt pupil at real estate, and a pretty good teacher at things horizontal. I wasn't inexperienced, but she took me places that I never dreamed even existed. It took just six months before we were married.
And I reveled in a new-found family. Her daughter was vivacious , smart as a whip, and just plain sweet. Randi and I bonded almost instantly. Her sperm donor of a father, then her mother's second husband never gave the girl any attention. When I came along, it was like a door had opened for her. She got involved in soccer and brought home good grades in school, especially in math and the sciences. Life couldn't be better.
Then it got ugly. After a couple of years, Lucy's insatiability in bed had been sated a bit. I figured it was just how things went in a marriage. You know, after the honeymoon period, things would slack off a bit and settle into a more normal routine.
Well, yes and no. She was getting sated not just by me, but being a trusting soul, I never had a clue. When I discovered she had been cheating, I was devastated. The breakup and divorce with Lucy was nasty. The ex got zero in alimony thanks to her cheating. North Carolina divorce law rocks. I ended up selling the business.
Usually, I would have fought tooth and nail to keep the house. After all, it came thanks to all my hard work. But I was worried about Randi. After five years, I realized that Lucy was a shitty mom. She really didn't care all that much about her daughter -- it was all about her, first last and always. I figured leaving that bitch Lucy with the house would at least insure her daughter would have a roof over her head. I also made a deal on the QT with my attorney and set up a trust fund Randi could tap to help her go to college. I wanted it kept secret until she turned 18, and her mother was never to be told of it, no matter what.
Leaving Randi was hard, but I explained to her that I had to get out of there and go clear my head and make a new start. With all that had happened, there was no way I was sticking around. The memories were just too vivid and nasty. Randi was mature for her years, and said she understood, though she looked crushed that I was leaving. It hurt me too, but I had to go for my own sanity.
I had done what I could. So, I packed my bags, went halfway across the country, and never looked back. I returned to my home state of Texas and started over. Good habits bring good results, and in the intervening five years I was almost back to where I'd been before the world came crashing down around my ears.
There she was -- Randi, but all grown up. And oh brother, had she grown up. She had shown the promise of great beauty when I left, but she was so good-looking it almost hurt my eyes. In a way it did hurt my eyes because she looked so much like her bitch of a mother.
She saw me, and her face lit up in a smile. "Hugh!" she said, and ran over to me to give me a hug. I was stunned, but I hugged her right back. It was good to see she hadn't changed that much. She seemed happy and upbeat. Deep down, I'd been worried about how all the turmoil in her life would affect her. I had tried not to think about her for the past five years because I had that feeling of guilt that I'd abandoned her. But her smile was infectious, and any self-reproach I'd felt melted away.
"Randi, it's good to see you. What in the world are you doing out here?" I asked.
The smile melted off of her face. "I'm in the middle of transferring to the school here in town. I had to get away from Carolina, and the engineering program here is good."
"What's wrong? What happened?"
"Hugh, it's a long story. Not worth telling right now. I'm trying to find a new apartment. I've been out here for about seven months, and my roommate just bailed on me. I'm trying to establish in-state residency to cut down on the tuition costs."
"Smart move. That should save you about $3500 a semester -- maybe more."
"Multiply that by five, since I'm halfway done with my sophomore year." She smiled. "I can do the math, you know."
I smiled back. "Engineering, eh? I'm not surprised. You always got good grades in math and science."
"You bet. Anyway, I'm looking for an apartment that's not too far from campus. Probably on the south side of town is what I can afford."
"I usually don't handle the rentals, but let me get the paperwork on what we've got. Tell you what -- it's almost noon. Why don't I take you to lunch and we can figure out where to go and what to see?"
She agreed, so I went back to the main sales room, grabbed the rental list and we got in my car and headed out. Randi suggested a sub sandwich, since it was quick and cheap, quick being more important. We went inside, got our order and sat down at a big table to give me room to spread out the papers.
I hadn't paid much attention to the rental properties that we were managing, so I was starting from scratch. But it sure didn't take long to get familiar with things, since pretty much everything was taken. Late September in a college town means a lot of rental properties that are already taken. What was left was pretty crappy stuff in less than ideal parts of town.
That's when I asked her the most important question. "Randi, how long do you have to find a new place, and do you have a roommate lined up yet?"
