Dog's Green Earth by Neil S. Plakcy

Author:Neil S. Plakcy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery
Publisher: Samwise Books
Published: 2019-08-18T16:00:00+00:00

16: All We Can Do

I missed most of the real estate speaker that morning because I was on the phone with my neighbor Epiphania about an upcoming program for the La Leche League. “What’s the composition of your staff there?” she asked. “Male or female?”

“Does that matter? There are only four of us here full-time, all male.”

“Just want to make sure no one is going to freak out if a bunch of our members pull out their boobs and start nursing during the program.”

Personally, I was very boob-positive, and I figured Joey wouldn’t mind. And Rigoberto and Juan didn’t need to be in the building during the meeting. “I’ll make a note for our caterer,” I said. “Would you prefer all female servers?”

“That would be great, if you can manage it.”

We went over a dozen more details. Epiphania was clearly a type-A personality. “Can I ask you what you did before you became a full-time mom?”

“I worked on Wall Street. I still do some freelance securities analysis, just to keep my hand in.”

We finally finished our conversation and I slipped into the back of the chapel in time for the question and answer period. One woman stood up and said, “I have a lot of buyers who want new construction but don’t want to be part of a homeowner’s association. Are there any new properties coming up without one?”

“Why don’t they want an HOA?” a man at a neighboring table asked. “HOAs maintain common area, keep up standards and mediate problems.”

“Yes, but they also impose regulations and cause a lot of red tape. One of my buyers is a home breeder of bichon frises, and she doesn’t want to be anywhere that a neighbor can complain about the number of dogs or the sound.”

“Then she needs to be in one of those old farmhouses,” the man said.

The woman looked frustrated. “My question still stands. Are there any new properties going up without HOAs?”

A discussion ensued, brokers and salespeople comparing notes. I could see the pluses and minuses of a homeowner’s association—but right now at River Bend those were mostly minuses.

After the group left, I picked up the leftover business cards from the registration table and the caterer cleaned up. As I helped Joey, Rigoberto and Juan put away the folding tables and chairs, I noticed that Joey’s eyes were heavy-lidded, and the corners of his mouth drooped. “What’s the matter, bud?” I asked. “Something happen to your father?”

He shook his head. “For a guy who made such a fuss about going there, he turned into a big pussycat when the therapists started.” He shook his head. “And after I warned them he was going to be a terror.”

Rigoberto and Juan left us to clock out, and Joey and I began walking toward his office. “Then what?”

“How do you do it, Steve? You’ve been through a lot of crap in your life, and yet you usually have such a good attitude.”

“So do you, Joey. You’re probably the most cheerful, positive guy I know.

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