Chapter 25

Caroline asked, “Who listed those homes that sold today, Rich?”

“Covington Road was Robbie, Cuesta was Stan, and Rex Manor was me. Why do you ask?”

“Just doing some figuring in my head, will I get Robbie’s Commission again, like before?”

“Sure, what did you come up with, Caroline?”

“Roughly, Robbie ... me gets $5,600 dollars, Stan gets over $16,000 dollars and you get over $54,000 dollars, on all three together.”

“I’ve never known anybody who can do those kind of calculations, all in their heads. Amazing Caroline.”

“Actually, it’s not that amazing. I forgot to factor in that extra 10% you told me about before.”

I just shook my head and headed on to the folk’s house.

Jennifer called, telling us the furniture delivery was coming that afternoon, so Caroline and I went over to our Stockton Office to get everything in its proper place. Caroline and Jennifer hadn’t seen each other in a couple of days, so they hugged and talked until the delivery arrived.

After arrival, Caroline directed the men, like a conductor leading an orchestra, getting everything in its place in less than 40 minutes. The girls and I brought in all of the computers and paraphernalia, which had been in the back of the car, covered and waiting for their final destination.

All this office needed was the outside signs installed, and phones...

“Caroline, honey?”

“Yes, Rich?”

“Telephones — did we get, or do we need a telephone system for this place?”

“Rich, you’d asked me to include a telephone system, when you gave me the list of computer equipment to buy, but everybody has a cell phone, our network in the office is broadband based, which includes our own WiFi hotspot, for no additional charge.”

“So, instead of faxing documents, we can scan and send as an email, and follow up using a messenger service or a commercial account with either FedEx or UPS. We don’t need a POTS system, at all.”

“A POTS system?” Jennifer said scrunching up her face.

“I had to learn the expression the hard way myself, Jennifer, but POTS is high tech speak for a ‘Plain Old Telephone System,’ which is what the nerds call the old Ma Bell phone company. This office is 21^st Century, Jenn,” she and Jennifer giggled together.

“Jennifer ... Caroline starts classes in a couple of days ... are you prepared to start coming in and running things, without supervision? I’ll be in and out of the office a lot for the next couple of days ... I’ll still be in town, just touching base with all of the other Real Estate Offices in Town.”

“Oh, are you going to steal any other Realtors from their daddies, Richard?” Jennifer said with a big grin on her face.

“No, but I will be looking for any other bright faces like yourself that I may come across. Anybody you know, looking for a change of office, Jennifer?”

“I don’t know if I could be a spy or not, Richard?”

“I’m not asking for you to spy ... I’m just wondering if there might be any unattached, or independent Realtors in town that might want to hook up with a Brokerage like ours ... and I mean hook up in the business sense, not in the, you know what I mean ... right?”

“Yes, Richard ... I know exactly what you mean, you’re so cute, trying to explain that to me, that’s funny. I know a couple of independents, I’ll text them to you. I plan on being here at 8am sharp, if not before. Do you have a dress code for me that you want me to follow, dresses, blouse and skirt, or are nice pants and blouse OK?”

“I expect you to use the same judgment that you used to get Caroline and me to hire you, so comfortable is good. As your father might say to you in this situation, ‘Dress for Success.’”

“Yes, her father has said that to her on many an occasion,” a big booming voice, behind me said.

“I see you’re all moved in, except for your signs, when are they coming?” Jeremy O’Malley asked.

“They’re here, Jeremy ... just haven’t scheduled anyone to install them yet.”

“My guy, Mort Robertson, can take care of it for you, by the end of the week ... where are the signs, Rich?”

“Just inside the back door, Jeremy ... You’re sure your guy can handle it, no disrespect intended, but you know that old expression, ‘There’s never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.’”

“Ha-Ha, I’ve given Mort bigger jobs than that, and he’s always gotten things done on a timely fashion, and he is quite the professional.”

“Great then Jeremy, go ahead and schedule that with him. Jennifer, do you have a key for the place?”

“A key, that’s so 20^th century, Richard. I was expecting to just go up to the door and say, ‘Open Sesame’ or ‘Abracadabra.’”

Jeremy added, “Don’t let her boss you too much Richard. I often had to put her over my knee, as a young girl.”

Caroline and I exchanged looks ... Jennifer had seen us, and giggled. Jennifer pulled a key from her purse and tinkled it, to show us all that she had had it all along.

We all left together, Caroline and I, and Jennifer and her Dad.

“What are you thinking about Richard? I see you looking at Jeremy and Jennifer ... are you thinking of — you are, aren’t you? You want to have a baby, real soon, and hope it’s a little girl, so you can have a relationship with her, like Jeremy has with Jennifer.”

“How the hell, did you ... get all of that ... from a look I gave to ... you’re right, exactly right. I would love to have a couple of kids, but that’s not fair to you, you’re starting school in just a few days. And we promised Mom and Dad, ‘School before Babies.’”

“Richard Jefferson Michael O’Hara, don’t you get it? I love you, babies are an extension of love, and I can have a baby whenever we want. I can start classes and when our babies are due, I’ll take a little break from school.”

“They’d love their grandma and grandpa, along with Aunt Jenn and Uncle Jeremy. I’ve even gotten to like the name Cathleen Jennifer, she could have the nickname CJ, growing up,” my wonderful sister said.

“You’d do all of that for me ... I don’t know what to say about that. It feels like a terribly selfish thing on my part to do that to you.”

“I’ll have my Real Estate License in less than three weeks. I can work from the office, from my car, from the home office, or even while in bed, Richard.”

“Not in our bed, Sweet Caroline. Our bed is for sleeping and now, for making babies. Didn’t you just change the sheets this morning on our bed?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Because, we are going home right now, to start making CJ a beautiful girl, just like her mother is.”

“Aww, Wichie.”

Well, Caroline stopped taking her birth control pills, and we ‘reconciled’ at least twice a day, resulting with her waking up one morning puking her guts out. She came out of the bathroom, having cleaned herself up beautifully and said, “I must be pregnant.”

We got her to an OB/GYN, who confirmed it. Nobody but us knew, and we wanted to keep it to ourselves for just a little while. Mom and Dad had less than two weeks before they were coming home. Jackson and Sharon had scheduled to be here to surprise them.