Episode 8
Trace walked a few blocks and found the address of the broker. It was in a two-story building on a side street. He walked up a flight of stairs to a hallway and walked into the door labeled Yonker’s Shipping.
A woman with curly gray hair looked up from the desk. She didn’t smile. “What do you want?”
Trace flashed a smile. “I’m Trace Troy I own a boat, The Poerova.”
“So you’re the sucker,” she said. “Pleased to meet you. I suppose you want some freight. Well, I don’t have any. Besides there’s a lot bigger fish in the sea—reliable fish.”
“I just finished talking to a project manager named, Hamilton; he said I might be able to charm you.”
She chuckled. “The charmin’ days have long passed.”
“I hear it’s been a couple of years,” Trace said.
“You figured charm wouldn’t work so you’re trying sympathy and sincerity,” she smiled.
“Neither,” Trace said. “I’m new at this. I’ve been at sea for two years, all in the Aleutians. Suddenly I have a boat. Hamilton just gave me some good advice. He basically said good business is about good relationships. Like I said, I’m new at this and just trying to get along the best way I know. I’m in for a lot of mistakes but I’m willing to pay for them. Hamilton said you need customers. Normally that might put me in a good position to negotiate but I won’t lowball ya on commission. Frankly, I need you more than you need me.”
“My god!” she said. “You are charming, honest, and handsome. Those words don’t usually fit into the same sentence, let alone the same man. Although they did fit into my late husband.”
Trace shyly smiled.
“Okay son,” she said. “I normally ask twelve percent. That’s three percent below everybody else. I’ll get you freight at ten percent. If you’re still around two years from now, it goes up to twelve. It’s called an introductory offer. But you use only me and if something else comes along from another broker; we talk.”
“I like the cut of your jib; whatever that means,” Trace extended his hand across the desk.
She grasped Trace’s hand. “I’m Allie Charmichael. They call me Allie.”
“Allie, this is what I hope will be a long and profitable relationship.”
“By the way, Troy, I knew your dad; a good man.”
“How did you know my dad?” Trace asked
“Back in those days everybody knew everybody,” Allie said, “By the way, how is the ole skipper? Well, he wasn’t old when I knew him.”
“He’s fine,” Trace said, “Has a ranch in Texas.”
“That was his dream,” Allie said.
“If you ever talk or write to him tell him Allie said hi.”
“I’ll be sure to.”
Trace gave a curled-down smile. “Maybe I could take you for dinner sometime, and you could share some stories with me about my dad. The kind of stuff that would embarrass him.”
“Oh, lad,” she smiled, “some stories are best left at the bottom of the sea. But a dinner date sounds like just the thing I need. I spend too much time in this office eating tuna salad sandwiches and going home to tuna casserole. I swear, I’m keepin’ the tuna industry afloat.”
“I hate to ask you a favor so quick into our relationship,” Trace said.
“Try me out,” Allie said.
“Can I use your phone to call a friend,” Trace said. “It’s in the States.” He pulled out his billfold and laid a fifty-dollar bill on the desk. “It will only take about three minutes and it’s all yours.”
“Well,” Allie joked, “at that rate take five minutes.” She pushed the phone to the front of her desk and started to stand.
“No,” Trace said, “stay seated. It’s not private.”
Allie sat back down. Trace placed a call to the States.
“Sage?”
“Yeah, is this Trace?”
“Sure is.”
“Sounds like you’re callin’ from the moon.”
“I’m in Fiji.”
“That’s in Mexico, isn’t it?”
“It’s in the South Seas, Polynesia.”
“Bless you.”
“I didn’t sneeze. Polynesia, the islands of the South Seas.”
“So you finally made it.”
“Yeah, Sage, remember how we always talked about going there?”
“You talked about it, I listened.”
“But we said if either one of us got there we’d get the other.”
“I think we were drunk when that was said.”
“Here’s a one-time offer, Sage; pack your bags and be in Suva in three days.”
“I got a good job, I can’t just leave.”
“You’ve never had a good job.”
“You got a job for me?”
“I own a sailboat that hulls cargo and I want you to be my first mate.”
“This ain’t a joke and you’re in a phone booth around the corner?”
“No, Sage. Get to the Fiji Islands. Take a bus to Suva. Go to the harbor and look for a two-masted schooner.”
“I don’t even know what that is.”
“Just ask.”
“I’m writing this all down. Problem is, I can’t spell anything you just said but I’ll be there.”
“See ya in three days.”
“Hold on, I’m writing this stuff down; Fiji, Suva, and a two-masted schooler.”
“Close enough.”
“See ya in three days, Trace. And all this stuff better be there? Oh, I almost forgot, what are you paying me?”
“You’re breaking up on me, Sage. See ya soon.”
Trace hung up. “Thanks.”
“Has your friend ever been on a boat before?” Allie said.
“We made a raft and floated down a river one time,” Trace said. “Sage is an incredible worker; reliable, honest, and loyal. You show him something once and it’s all his.” Trace smiled. “He’s my first mate.”
“Those are desirable qualities but it takes more than that to be a first mate,” Allie said. “I’m wondering if you can pull this off.”
Trace smiled broadly. “It’s called uncommon leadership.”
Allie winked and smiled. “You are so much like your father. I’ve seen him do things that just seemed without rhyme or reason and somehow it rhymed and worked out. Well, most of the time.”
“When you do things by the book, you assume the other guy has the same book,” Trace said. “See ya soon.”
“Take care, cowboy,” Allie said.
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