Equity Fold

Chapter 1: Doctor Paul

I used to not take calls before my appointments.

As a psychologist, my role was to balance my patients, helping them to find solutions to their problems.

So, it was required I put myself in the right mood.

Managing a routine is essential to obtain success and I would always make sure mine wasn't interrupted. My mornings, at my office, would start one hour before the first patient arrives. I'd spend short time motivating myself, staring at a small picture I had from my last vacation trip.

A beautiful Bahamas beach with a white sand being washed off by a light blue ocean water gradually turning dark until the point it touched an orange sky in the horizon.

Living in a place like that was pretty much my dream!

After that little relaxing dreamy time, my work routine would start.

It was the moment to get ready for the day. A pile of papers on my desk, next to my laptop. Analyzes, notes and medical assessments were the tools that would guide me to understand the different cases I'd face during the day. It was the moment to set out all available tools and strategies.

Time to get prepared.

So, I'd never let anything disturb that sequence. No distractions, social media, news, messages, calls ... nothing.
Even my secretary was instructed to not disturb me unless Jesus himself was feeling a little bit off.

But, that morning my phone rung and I knew it wasn't a random sales pitch promotion scam call. 

It wasn't random and I was supposed to answer it.

Now, think yourself. A real estate investment discussion, with an unknown  contractor, arranged by someone with absolute no expertise with all that. It's not the kind of 'conversation' that makes you feel calm and focused to deal with someone else's problems in the very next minute.

In all my years of activity, by and large, personal problems weren't  allowed to draw impressions on me, specially before my sessions.

But, Irina insisted.

She'd always have the last word ... 

So, there I was. Sitting in my chair, considering to refuse the call. 
I could hear Irina's bossy voice echoing across my mind. "You got to have this conversation with him, Paul!" "Honey, don't play small with your dreams, ok?! After all, such opportunity can't be wasted!" "I have set everything! You hear what he has to say and if you don't like it, you are free to refuse it ..."

Irina, my wife, was good! She was a passive-aggressive karate persuasion black belt fighter. "He's gonna call you tomorrow morning, deeear. Don't miss it!"

The point is that, actually, she was not wrong at all. A great opportunity had landed on my path some months ago and it couldn't be wasted. It was the perfect moment to advance some years, or even a decade, towards my long-waited dream life. Bahamas, there we go!

But, I wanted things to go my way ... not hers.

Back to my office. With eyes closed, I was trying to figure my way out of that situation.

"No problem", I thought. "Five minutes listening to this guy, then I make up some excuse, thank him for the contract and we're done. I turn it off. Everybody is happy"

I had already set a plan about what to do, no need for more speculations. And after all, Irina had no previous experience with all that. Honestly, I didn't even know from where did she get that contractor's contact. 

Well, much against my desire, I got my phone and stood up. 
The device was Shaking on my hand. Its ringtone annoyingly filling the entire room.

On its screen a name was displayed:

Herman, The Contractor