Chapter 105

"Look, again. I'm only here because it's the fastest way to make you go away. I am not unemployed; you have to be looking for a job to be unemployed. I am retired."

It was the third time I'd said it, but it didn't seem to have any more affect than the first two.

"You earned two hundred thousand in commissions last year alone." Richard Lathe pointed out. The bastard. "How is that retired?"

"I did a couple friends a few favors." I countered. "In my spare time."

"Quite a bit of spare time." I rolled my eyes. "You also renewed you license."

"So?"

"So, John, it's hard to argue that the sole reason you won't consider the position is because you're retired when you have just re-activated your credentials." Evans Agnew was the acting commissioner - since Bennett Proxmeyer died a few months ago - and had been angling to get out of the job ever since he got in it.

"It's not the sole reason." I pointed out. "It's just the only one I'm giving you people. I don't want it. Isn't that enough?"

"Ordinarily, I'd say yes." Phyllis Tulane was on the state board of who gives a fuck. "But, frankly, you're the best qualified candidate we have."

"Frankly, Scarlett..." I started and let them finish the famous quote. "Are we done here?"

"Ok." Richard turned off the video recorder in front of him. "What do you want, John?"

It was impossible to keep the smirk off my face. "You should turn that back on. These are supposed to be public proceedings."

"Yeah." Richard rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Nothing." Honestly, I realized. Ten years ago, they probably could have bought me for a high enough paycheck. Now, all I wanted was to go home, have a beer, and watch the boys fuck each other - just for the change of pace. "I'm not haggling here. I'm really not interested."

"John, we need you." Phyllis put her cards on the table. "It's not just the market that's in the toilet; it's the industry. Buyers are saying that they can't find qualified agents, and agents who are qualified are reporting that they can't make a living. We need someone who's weathered the storm. Someone who's seen the good and the bad and can tell them apart."

"Not me!" I laughed. "I didn't do anything nobody else didn't do."

"But you did!" Evans shifted through the papers in front of him. "You not only made a living, you made a fat one. And we ran a preliminary audit on everything with your name on it; you made a killing without breaking any rules."

"I just bent a few."

Evans waved the comment off. "The General Assembly has to have a hearing before the Governor can appoint a Commissioner. We all think you have a decent chance of being approved. And it's only a 4-year appointment; 8-years outside."

"The salary's $400k a year." Richard read off a list. "Eight weeks annual leave, 401(k), paid gym membership, medical, dental, government car."

"I made half that without trying and currently I have 52 weeks of leave."

"Think about guys like Yeuhan." Richard prodded. "You took him under your wing. Where would he be without your guidance?"

Jacking off behind his client's backs, I thought but didn't say. "Don't know, don't care. And I hired Yeuhan because he's hot. Period."

"Ok, what if we could give you more time off, say twelve weeks?"

"I'd say '52'."

"Alright. What if we could get the Assembly to approve a salary of $600?" Phyllis tried.

More than half a million. "I'd say you should apply for the job."