Chapter Ten
Exploring Houston didn’t make Samson like it that much more. There were plenty of good restaurants, but the rest was endless miles of patched concrete, palm trees, and humidity. Their explorations did, however, make him like April more with each passing day. This woman had the capacity to talk to anyone, roll with any situation. She could mend a button while he was driving, change a tire, and beat him at bowling. Her temper was short at times, but in truly difficult situations—which included a driver cutting them off, stopping in front of them, and then getting out of the car to scream at them—she was unflappable.
Samson had moved beyond attraction, beyond intrigue, and into being afraid that she might realize she was more than he could handle and leave. He wasn’t sure where that kind of feeling came from. He never worried about a woman leaving him before. He mostly worried that they wouldn’t leave, and he’d have to ask them to do so.
When April didn’t spend the night, though, he fretted. When she was too busy to go out, he felt like she might have tired of him. He loved most of the feelings he had when he was with her, but he loathed the feelings he subjected himself to when she wasn’t there. He was actually annoying himself.
Since April had taken the lead so far in their relationship, Samson remained content to leave the direction of their affair in her hands. She said that she was okay just having fun, but a month and a half into their relationship, which was still secret around the office, and he was no surer of where he stood. He had to cement her feelings for him somehow.
To that end, Samson went back to the beginning: an architectural tour of the city. She clearly enjoyed it, and Samson appreciated getting to spend the day with her wearing her short-shorts and a tank top that didn’t exactly cover much on top. In practice, though, the tour did not put April in a very romantic mood. She spent more time taking notes and sketching than looking into his eyes.
“How would you like to take a trip?” Samson suggested over a light dinner. Normally, he would have only taken her to upscale restaurants, but she hadn’t seemed too enthusiastic about going back to change and then heading out on the town again. They were sitting outside on the patio of a place called Empire Cafe, sipping water and waiting for pasta to arrive.
“Are you acquiring another business?”
“No, I mean just for the weekend. Take some time together.”
“We’re together now.” Her eyes twinkled with teasing. “I know what you mean. Maybe in a little while? I’ve been feeling kind of run down lately.”
“Oh?” He took her hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. “How so?”
“It’s not a big thing. It’s just an accumulation of stresses. Getting more sleep should help.” April shrugged. “Where were you thinking of going? Or did you want it to be a surprise?”
“I was thinking of visiting San Antonio for the River Walk.” Samson nodded to the waiter as he brought their dinners by. “Or New Orleans. They have both architecture and a great night life.”
“Oohh. New Orleans, please.”
“Excellent. When you’re feeling up to it, we can go.” He squeezed her fingers and then let go of her hand so that she could eat. She seemed to have lost a bit of weight recently, and he was fond of her figure just as it was. “What is it that’s causing you so much stress?”
April looked down at her creamy pecan and sundried tomato sauce over linguini and sautéed shrimp. Her forehead was lined, and her voice sounded a bit weary as she explained the situation with her former apartment. He’d heard a bit of the problem from Lana before he hired April, but he hadn’t realized it was a continuing issue.
“I can fight it. I mean, I think I can. But I’m not sure I want to. Financially, it might work out the same if I just give them the money, rather than hire a lawyer, which will cost more,” April explained.
“You don’t have to go to court to get what you want. Often, you just have to show these people that you are willing to see it through. If you can outlast them before it becomes too much trouble, they’ll give up.”
“I think landlords like this know that anyone who rents from them doesn’t have the time or the money to devote to really taking them down.” April swirled her pasta onto her fork and left it there. “I just feel stupid, you know? I should have known that things would turn out so badly. I shouldn’t have trusted the managers to do the right thing.”
“You can’t scold yourself for making bad decisions when your choices are so severely limited,” Samson said. “Let me come down there with you. I cost nothing, and I’m certain that if they can be intimidated, I will do so.”
“I bet you will.” April’s lips curved to the side.
“That’s a yes?”
“If you really want to waste a day arguing with a brick wall. Be my guest.”
***
Samson had once heard of a social theory that one could physically feel out of place somewhere that contrasted too sharply with one’s upbringing. Walking into the front gate of April’s old apartment complex on a Thursday afternoon made Samson wonder if that theory were true. He’d never been in a space that was so clearly not for him. He wasn’t sure that it was for anybody.
“Try to look more uncomfortable. I think that will keep people from robbing you,” April drawled.
“Stop, you. We have a few minutes. Show me around.”
“Yes, sir.” April led the way. “Over here is the lovely green chlorinated pool that you swim in if you would like to get a yeast infection.”
“I—What?”
“Right behind the main office, that’s where all of the mail for everyone is located.”
“That seems inconvenient for such a large complex.”
“The postman is as freaked out by this place as you are.”
Samson slipped his hands into his pockets and scanned around the complex. The grass had looked nice from the front, but as he walked through, he could see it browning and dying, which was a pity because the large, shady trees and the space for greenery would have been a high point off this complex. He could see cracked, impassible sidewalks between the buildings. Rain gutters were bent. The fence was almost halfway to the ground on one side.
“What happened there?” Samson pointed to the fence.
“People jump it. Mostly tenants, honestly, since otherwise, they have to walk all the way around to the entrance.”
“Why walk? Can’t they drive in?”
“They could, if they owned cars. Not everyone in this neighborhood owns one.”
Samson scowled. “Then they should design the gate so people can come in at different points.”
April shrugged. “Preaching to the choir. But a fence won’t work here, anyway. It has to be at least half a wall, with fencing on top and specific points where the tenants can get in. The gate for the parking lot doesn’t even work. It never has. You just drive on through, or walk.”
“Why in the world did you live here?”
“I couldn’t afford rent anywhere else.”
Samson rolled his eyes. “You are the most stubborn human being. You could have been living with Lana, and you chose to live here. That says something about you, as a person.”
“Yes, it says that I’m used to having to take care of myself.”
Samson was about to argue that she didn’t have to do that anymore when his eyes shifted over to several men sitting on the stoop of their apartment, playing some kind of card game. He was about to ask about that when a tiny dark-skinned woman with a huge laundry basket on her hip came up to the steps to shoo them off before she went inside. The men made a few rude noises at her and then returned to their game once she’d gone in.
“Would a wall help this place?” Samson asked doubtfully.
“To a degree. There would have to be other structural changes, and you would have to do some rebuilding. And the tenants would have to be able to still live here, if you started doing renovations. The rent has to stay sort of low. Partially because most folks aren’t going to live this far from the center of town in a bad neighborhood, even if you fix up a complex or two.”
“Hmm.” Samson took his hands out of his pockets and put his arm around April. She leaned into him.
“Hey there, pretty lady!” a man wearing sunglasses called to them cheerfully. He was around April’s age, and dressed in a blue tank top over a pair of threadbare jeans.
“Hi, Rene!” April waved. “Still stuck in this place?”
“Welcome to Hell, babe. Be glad you got out.” Rene propped his sunglasses on top of his head and peered up at Samson. “Good God, you’re tall. How tall are you?”
“I’m six-foot-five.”
“He should play basketball,” Rene told April.
April grinned. “Samson, this is my old neighbor, Rene. He lives a couple of units down from where I did.”
“Yeah, they had her strung out on that last unit by the fence like bait. A girl all alone right there where creeps come crawling in.” Rene shook his head. “They knew what they was doin’. And April, she never bothered anybody a day in her life. They couldn’t’ve asked for a quieter renter. But they went and ran her out just the same.”
“I appreciated you keeping an eye out for me, anyway.”
“I do, as well. Thank you for looking out for my girl,” Samson said.
“You went and caught you a good one, didn’t you?” Rene laughed and put his sunglasses back on. “He’s a big one! Hope he takes care of you.”
“He tries. I make it hard for him. We’re here to talk to the property manager.”
“Ugh. Good luck with that.” Rene shook his head. He put his hands on his hips. “Whew. Gotta go, kiddo. I’ll see you around, maybe. Hopefully not, though!”
“Thanks!”
As he departed, Samson pulled April closer.
“Rene is harmless,” she said.
“It’s not him I’m worried about. I hate that you lived here alone.”
“It’s really not the worst place I’ve lived.”
Samson sighed and headed back for the front office. “I wish you wouldn’t minimize your experiences like that. Just because there are worse options, does not mean that what’s in front of you isn’t still objectively terrible.”
“A lot of people don’t have a choice but to live in a place like this. Or on the street.”
“I’d imagine you would have to be facing that choice if you ended up here.”
“Yes.”
Samson felt another sense of disconnect when he stepped into the office. The air conditioning was ice-cold, and the rich brown wood furniture spoke to funding that this complex clearly did not allot for the tenants.
It wasn’t that April had been stupid to trust the people here. It was that this office was a trap. He recognized it for what it was: The front to a scam, getting people to choose this location over other low-rent locations, and then bilking them out of what little money they had once they signed a contract.
Samson sucked in his cheeks, swallowed hard, and then put on a bright smile as he approached the young man at the desk. “Hello. My name is Samson Bennett, CEO of Bennett Industries United. I have a meeting with your property manager.”
“Oh! Good afternoon, sir. I’ll go see if she’s in.”
Samson flattened his lips and looked down at the young man. “She had better be in. As I said, we have a meeting, and I expect that my time will not be wasted.”
“I-I’ll just go see if she’s in.” The young man disappeared down the hallway.
“He knows,” April said quietly. “They’re just instructed to never let people back to her. Tenants tend to come in kind of pissed.”
“I bet they do.”
The property manager came out of her office dressed with the precision and care of a high-powered executive. That told him that she was probably paid either too much, or too little. Either way, she was probably already looking around for employment elsewhere.
Samson took her hand firmly. “You would be Erin Morris, yes?”
“Absolutely, Mr. Bennett. We cleared time just for you.”
“That seems strange to me, since your secretary seemed not to have any idea you had a meeting. It seems strange to me that you have two desks out here for secretaries, but your desk is out of sight.” Samson started moving toward her office, and she was compelled to motion for him to come in.
“Well, it’s really a matter of making sure that I can get the property business done without interruption.”
“I see.”
Erin looked to April. “And this would be?”
“I’m April Lucas. I used to live here.”
Erin’s demeanor changed on dime. Gone was the friendly, inviting business woman, and out came the stern property manager. So that was her reaction to a tenant.
Samson pulled the chairs in front of her desk closer and motioned for April to sit down. “April was sent an erroneously high bill charging her for fees that she should not have to pay. I would like to talk to you about that, as well as other matters that should be addressed around the complex.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Bennett, this is none of your business,” Erin said sharply.
“I think you’ll find that I am perfectly capable—”
“Who are you? Her boyfriend? She’s going to have to deal with this bill herself.”
“These charges—”
“No, no, no.” Erin shook her head repeatedly.
Samson stood and loomed over her as he put the bill on her desk.
“Sir, you’re going to have to sit down.”
“You are charging her for repairs that were the result of your poor security, in addition to fees you have no call to charge once her apartment was re-rented.”
“I cannot talk to you about this, Mr. Bennett.”
“It would be in your best interests for you to talk about this with me, Ms. Morris. These fees are not legal.”
“I cannot talk with you about—” she paused. “How do I know you weren’t staying in the apartment with her? How do we know you didn’t break down that door in a fight with her?”
April let out a burst of laughter.
Samson ignored her. “For starters, I wasn’t in the state when it happened. Are you this belligerent with everyone who comes into your office, or am I just special? Are you familiar with renters’ rights in your state? Because I have been involved in real estate since I turned twenty-three, and trust me, Texas may have one of the more unforgiving standard contracts, but you cannot simply do whatever you want.”
“Miss Lucas skipped out on her contract and is legally obligated to pay rent for the rest of the time on her lease!”
Samson pointed at her sternly. “You evicted her illegally and then re-rented the apartment, and she is not obligated for the amount of rent after you have someone else in that apartment. Her lease is very clear on this matter.”
Samson’s voice was beginning to rise in spite of himself. This woman was tremendously stubborn. The owner must have taught her to reject any claim from a tenant out of hand.
“But she is still obligated for the door, for the deposit—”
“You already kept the deposit, which should be deducted from the cost of the door.”
“Cleaning fees—”
“And part of the damage to the door frame came from your handymen and should not be given to her.”
“—Re-renting fees and rent until that apartment was filled!” Erin shouted. “She has been negligent in payment and owes the complex money, starting with a water bill that she never paid. So unless you are here to pay her bills, Mr. Bennett, you should leave!”
Samson looked at his watch, sat down, crossed his legs, and glanced over to April.
“I told you so,” she said.
“Do you ever tire of being right?”
“Nope. I am tired of arguing with this bitch, though. She’s even worse over the phone.”
“You two need to leave my office before I have to have you removed,” Erin said.
The phone rang.
“You need to get that.” Samson folded his hands. “We’ll wait.”
Erin waited for another two rings staring them down before picking it up. “Imperial Apartments, this is Erin Morris speaking… Oh, hello, sir.”
Samson smirked at April and waggled his brows.
“What did you do?” she whispered.
“Yes. Yes, sir, he’s here.” Erin’s eyes bulged as she looked up at Samson again. “You sold him the complex? Um, okay.” She took the phone away from her ear. “Mr. Scott would like to speak with you.”
“Excellent.” Samson took the phone and grinned from ear to ear. “Bob! Good to talk to you again.”
Samson had not paid much for the complex as far as his investments went. However, the expression on Erin’s face was absolutely priceless. After chatting with Bob for a moment, since he had asked the man earlier to give him a call shortly into his meeting with Erin, he put down the phone and watched Erin silently, waiting for her to respond.
Finally, he sighed and looked at his watch. “Well, I don’t have all day. As the new owner of the complex, you should know that I’ve resolved April’s debt. You should also know that every member of the management here, especially you thanks to that delightful conversation we just had, is fired for gross incompetence. Effective immediately. You should clear out your desk before I have you removed.”