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The Commodity Broker Chapter 4 -
By, Milton Laene Araujo
By, Milton Laene Araujo
Chapter 4 – One week later
Things were changing in a very fast pace for Sofia. One day
after the arrival of Mr. Jenkins account information, along with a check for
$40,000 Paul couldn’t be happier with the results. He called Sofia aside to
have a chat.
“I want to talk with you”
“OK. Go ahead”
“No, not in here, follow me… I prefer to talk with you in
this room because no one can hear us”
“OK…did I do anything wrong?”
“Gosh .No… You are doing a great job. I just wanted to hand
you this cash in appreciation for your performance. You are very good. Chad
said that you are the best on the phone. I don’t want you to be in the small
room anymore… Diva is still learning, Victor doesn’t have any discipline, or he
is just not interested. I cannot fire
him because he just got his license, but I think he just works for his $300
weekly check. They are a fine crew, don’t get me wrong, but I just think that
you surpass them, and I don’t want them to influence you, or affect you in any
ways.”
“Geez…This is so cool Paul …I was broke. This will help Jackie
and I to pay for the mortgage installment. She has been taking this burden by herself
for so long.”
“You do not have to worry about money Sofia…Ever…You will
make tons of money here, besides, everybody likes you!” Is there anything I can
do to help you?
“I have to work hard and make calls…and I am having some
problems with a few prospects’”
“What type of problem? You can always tell me, I am here to
help you”
“I sense that they do not have the money to invest, but it
sounds too good for them and they want to get involved.”
“What is wrong with that?” …what is wrong with
that...Who needs to know…And here I go! Again and again…
“Well, Nothing really, but they can’t afford the risk and I
don’t want to take food off their tables, just because I have a recommendation
and they believe me…I sometimes wonder if I believe it.”
“That’s why you have to qualify them first Sofia.”
“I know… I know… I prefer to get their attention first and
then dig into their financial situation”.
“Well, that explains it… But I prefer that you have five
millionaire clients fifty 5K type. Those cheap bastards just bring trouble…Oh,
before I forget…let me show you your new office...You can move anytime…This
evening, there is.”
The office was magnificent. There was an “L” shape mahogany
desk in the corner bellow the window with view to the Atlantic Ocean, instead
of Atlantic Boulevard, a leather chair that enveloped an entire body. It was
state of the art. It could be locked from inside. A set of key was handed to
Sofia.
“This is very nice Paul”
I know… This office was in dispute between Peter and Steve.
They both wanted to move in here, but I decided to let them where they are.
When things are good we don’t change. Well, this is for you.”
“I wonder why you have chairs, considering that you do not
like anyone to be seated”
“Don’t be funny Sophia! It is true…I think …I know for a
fact, that when you are standing your voice comes out better that when you are
seated. I mean everybody’s. As you can see, everyone is walking all over this
floor while talking on their phone. You don’t see anyone sitting and
talking…well, except for Victor, but he is a child.”
“Yes, I met Victor. He is a sweet guy…how old is he anyway?”
“He just turned 19. He is a high school dropout”
“How did he pass the test?”
“He was lucky! Cindy said that he wouldn’t pass the test.
She was his tutor…but then again…Cindy said that Diva wouldn’t ever pass the
test and she passed on her first trial.”
“Hum…what does she know?”
“True…Sofia…Patrick said that you were a waste of time. I
almost got rid of you last week.”
“Patrick said that? Geez…I was working with him for only one
day…my first day actually, and he seemed to be so nice! I little weird, but
nice!”
“Yeah… He is no longer here. He left…Patrick is that type of
broker who works in every company he can lay a job. After his zero production
is recognized he either leaves or he gets fired. This time he left on his own
will.”
“Wow.”
“OK Sofia, at night you move in. Let’s get back to work”.
Sofia left her office ‘to be’ and walked through the entire
third floor observing everything. It was her first complete glance into the
office. She only knew the conference room, the big lounge where no one ever
used, but it was there, in case some unexpected visit from regulators submerged
before Paul was informed by his contacts. She got $1000 bonus and it was not
even Christmas. She couldn’t wait to get home and tell Jackie. She would get
home at 9:00PM. Enough time to have a martini with Jackie to celebrate the day.
“Chad…thanks so much for making that room so elegant for me.
I see that it had your prints all over it. New pictures, more monitors than I
can use and even a private telephone line. I didn’t see any recording device in
there. Did you forget it?”
“No Sofia, We only used the tape recorder once, after
Patrick left and said that you were not good!”
“Thanks for sharing it with me Chad, but Paul already said
that.”
“Really?... He rarely talks with anyone in here. Maybe he
likes you!”
Please, tell him to keep his expectation down to zero. He is
not MT.”
“What is MT Sophia?”
“My type.”
Diva was walking around, talking on her phone with her
British accent… louder now that she saw Sofia.
“You are telling me that you are busy Mrs. Lip sheet? We are
all bloody busy aren’t we?...Why don’t you go to hell…”
“DIVA… what are you saying?”
“He, he,he, he…I was just kidding…I have no one on the line”
“Gosh Diva, you sound like me when I get mad.”
“What happened? I mean, what Paul wanted with you?”
“My body”
“What body…he, he, he…you don’t have one, plus everyone said
that you play on another team
“You are a witch, you know?”
“He,he,he…you are so estupida!
“Paul wanted to talk with me, tell me how much he loves me
and how much he wants me, but he knows that I am a woman of only one woman, so
he told me that he will be my second choice.”
“Come on Sofi ! He, he, he…Don’t make me laugh or I will pee
on my panties.”
“You don’t have one, remember. I kept it last night.”
“Stop… I can’t take it anymore… I wanted to make you laugh,
and look at me…I am a mess…He,he.he. You are so funny!
“Paul wanted to give me money and tell me that I got a new
office. The empty one on the corner.”
“Money?...Office?”
“Yes, he told me to stay away from all of you in this room.
He said that I need only positive energy.”
“He said all that?”
“No, silly. Well, not the way I am saying, but he wants me
to concentrate on my calls, have enough equipment to guide customers to sites…I
guess, he wants me all for himself.”
“Paul has a sweet side on him.”
“Are you in love with him Diva? I mean, have you guys…? I
have noticed that you come to work dressed so nicely, especially lately! What
is going on between you two?”
“Last Wednesday, when we all went out for a drink, and you
declined the invitation, remember? Well, we all went to Pauls’ apartment for a
drink
“How is it? Is it big? Where is it?
“It is very nice. Small, It is only one big room with a bed
on one corner and the bathroom nearby…A large kitchen and a gigantic living
area.”
“I suppose you enjoyed the bed part of it.”
“Yes, he was so gentle! We made love passionately! He talked with me.
He treated me so well.”
“But Diva, I heard he has a girlfriend. She works at Nordstrom,
in the Gardens Mall.”
“I know, but he doesn’t love her”
“I can’t believe you went to bed with him already…Don’t you
know that you cannot go to bed with your boss? I mean, this is crazy. How can
you conciliate working and dating the boss?”
“I didn’t think about that yet! But I waited until he got
rid on Cindy and I went back to his apartment the same night. He knew I was
coming back. The way he looked at me. But that Cindy bitch didn’t leave him
alone. I hate her, and she is so ugly!”
“Let’s stop all this Diva…Let’s talk later. Let’s go to the
gym after here. I pay.”
“Silly…Paul has already paid everyone’s membership…Look Chad
is coming…Just pretend you are on the phone… and keep walking. No one will know
the difference.”
Chapter 1 http://miltonlaenearaujo.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-commodity-broker-chapter-1.html
Chapter 2 http://miltonlaenearaujo.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-commodity-broker-chapter-2.html
Chapter 6 – 7 http://miltonlaenearaujo.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-commodity-broker-chapter-6-and-7.html
