9 - The Auction
"Maria wait!" cried Eric as he followed her out of the restaurant.
Suddenly a taxicab appeared. As Maria jumped into it she cried "I'm sorry Eric, but I just can't do things like this right now!"
Eric's hand had just grazed the door handle of the cab when it drove away. "Don't think this is over, Maria," he said.
It was Saturday. At the auction Samson Muchcash run into Maria. "Miss Torres, you're interested in this building?"
"Why yes," she said. When Maria had received a large divorce settlement with Ben, she has vowed she would put it to good use.
"Well good luck," he said. "You'll need it, " he muttered walking away.
*Strange*, Maria thought.
Suddenly Eric showed up behind her.
"Hi, Maria," he said.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I came to support you, Maria."
"You shouldn't have come," she insisted. Before any more could be said, the auction began.
Maria and Muchcash were the last two contenders in the auction. Maria had just made a high bid when Muchcash made a higher one.
"Going.. Going." said the auctioneer.
In that short moment Maria looked into the audience. Her eyes met Eric's and they locked. Maria turned away and made a very high bet.
"Going. Going. gone!" said the auctioneer. "Sold to Maria Torres!"
Joy swelled up in Maria. "I did it! I did it!" she screamed.
Eric ran up to the stage and gave Maria a big hug.
"Congratulations," he said.
They stared at each other for a few moments. Eric leaned closer to Maria and she pulled away.
"Thank you, Eric." She said as she walked off to sign the papers.
Eric looked after her.
That night, Maria sat at her desk going over some figures. Suddenly the phone rang.
"Hello?" she said.
"Miss Torres?" said a voice.
"This is she," said Maria. "Who is this?"
"It's Samson Muchcash.." "How did you get this phone number?" she demanded.
"Never mind that-" he said."
"No, I want to know how you got it."
"From your mother's business cards," he said.
"Well what do you want?"
"We need to talk about the building. I want to buy it from you."
"Mr. Muchcash-"
"Name your price," he insisted.
"I'm sorry Mr. Muchcash, but if you wanted the building *that* badly, you should have overbid me at the auction.
"To tell you the truth," he admitted sheepishly. "I didn't count on anyone else having enough money to outbid me. I may be rich, but I'm cheapskate."
"That's not my fault," said Maria.
"Look I *have* to have that building!" he insisted.
"I'm sorry sir. Don't call here again unless you want to see my mother." Maria hung up on him.
"Okay, Maria," said Muchcash. "You wanna play rough, I'll play rough."
"Maria wait!" cried Eric as he followed her out of the restaurant.
Suddenly a taxicab appeared. As Maria jumped into it she cried "I'm sorry Eric, but I just can't do things like this right now!"
Eric's hand had just grazed the door handle of the cab when it drove away. "Don't think this is over, Maria," he said.
It was Saturday. At the auction Samson Muchcash run into Maria. "Miss Torres, you're interested in this building?"
"Why yes," she said. When Maria had received a large divorce settlement with Ben, she has vowed she would put it to good use.
"Well good luck," he said. "You'll need it, " he muttered walking away.
*Strange*, Maria thought.
Suddenly Eric showed up behind her.
"Hi, Maria," he said.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I came to support you, Maria."
"You shouldn't have come," she insisted. Before any more could be said, the auction began.
Maria and Muchcash were the last two contenders in the auction. Maria had just made a high bid when Muchcash made a higher one.
"Going.. Going." said the auctioneer.
In that short moment Maria looked into the audience. Her eyes met Eric's and they locked. Maria turned away and made a very high bet.
"Going. Going. gone!" said the auctioneer. "Sold to Maria Torres!"
Joy swelled up in Maria. "I did it! I did it!" she screamed.
Eric ran up to the stage and gave Maria a big hug.
"Congratulations," he said.
They stared at each other for a few moments. Eric leaned closer to Maria and she pulled away.
"Thank you, Eric." She said as she walked off to sign the papers.
Eric looked after her.
That night, Maria sat at her desk going over some figures. Suddenly the phone rang.
"Hello?" she said.
"Miss Torres?" said a voice.
"This is she," said Maria. "Who is this?"
"It's Samson Muchcash.." "How did you get this phone number?" she demanded.
"Never mind that-" he said."
"No, I want to know how you got it."
"From your mother's business cards," he said.
"Well what do you want?"
"We need to talk about the building. I want to buy it from you."
"Mr. Muchcash-"
"Name your price," he insisted.
"I'm sorry Mr. Muchcash, but if you wanted the building *that* badly, you should have overbid me at the auction.
"To tell you the truth," he admitted sheepishly. "I didn't count on anyone else having enough money to outbid me. I may be rich, but I'm cheapskate."
"That's not my fault," said Maria.
"Look I *have* to have that building!" he insisted.
"I'm sorry sir. Don't call here again unless you want to see my mother." Maria hung up on him.
"Okay, Maria," said Muchcash. "You wanna play rough, I'll play rough."