Evan

Evan

by

Retta Michaels

Disclaimer

If you are under the age of 18, or aren't able to read this sort of story in your locale, please do the rest of us a favor and wait until you can do so legally. Your presence here jeopardizes the rest of us enjoying what we can do legally. Please wait until you can too. Thank you.

Notes from Retta:

Evan is a story which just came to me the other day. I don't know why, but it made a really definite impression on me. See if it does you.

Evan

My life is full of ups and downs. I fly from city to city promoting merchandise. What merchandise? You might ask, but I wouldn't have an definite answer for you. You see, from one week to another, I'm selling something but I don't know what it will be.

Call me a hooker, or whatever, but I sell whatever the highest price offer deems it to be.

Last week, I was hawking cutting boards for a Singapore based company that makes cutting boards to Wal-Mart. Talk about a sales job! I sold 12 million of the things! Will they deliver the contract? They better because my reputation is on the line.

In fact, my contractual obligation with them is such that if I commit myself to Wal-Mart to sell them 12 million of them, I make a penny each. Nope, not much, but in numbers, it was over $120,000 U.S. Dollars for the week.

Now, here's the clincher to the deal. If the company does not fulfill their contract with Wal-Mart, I make $5 each for the things. Yes, $60 million big ones . Believe me, they fill that contract!

As I was saying, my life is full of ups and downs. The plane goes up, and when it comes down, I've got my game face on and I'm selling from the moment I step into the customer's limousine. Usually, I have the item sold by the time we arrive at the company's office and then it's all but the paperwork.

Something happened just the other day which tested my salesmanship abilities to the max.

For some reason, I was under the weather and decided to sleep upon the plane rather than look in my briefcase to see what the next product would be. Imagine my surprise when the plane had landed and I'm hauling to the limo and I get inside and then open the briefcase to find I'm selling, Perry's Jheri Curl activator and my customer is directly across from me anxiously awaiting my sales pitch.

Now, call me Nelly, but I found it funny. Yes, I'm gay and I'm sitting across from a man who has introduced himself to me as Evan. I'll give a brief description of Evan because I found him really attractive.

Evan is light skinned African American. He's got the most gorgeous green eyes, and his smile is just screaming to me he needs to do a commercial for Pearl Drops Toothpaste. He's about my height which is 5'9" and I'd say he's probably a buck fifty in weight.

Now in most of my years of selling, I usually am selling the items to people I've sold to previously. The running joke between most of my customers and I is they anxiously await how I'm going to find something different with each item to make it innovative to them.

I've never met Evan before. He doesn't know me, nor do I know him. So, besides being stunned by his beauty, I'm sitting in the back of this limousine and thinking to myself. How in the world is a white guy going to sell a black guy Perry's Jheri Curl activator?

The thought struck me funny and I said the first thing which came out of my mouth. "Evan you have the most to-die for eyes I've ever seen on a human being. How the hell am I going to sell you Perry's Jheri Curl Activator?"

Evan looked at me and as soon as he realized it wasn't a joke, he started laughing. In his laugh, I was instantly put at ease. In his laughter, he said, "Dennis, I'm going to let you in on a secret. I don't use jheri Curl Activator, and my mama forbids anyone in our family to use it. However, my dad's company says they need some jheri curl activator on the shelves of their Dollar America stores, so we're going to get it for them. Do I know if that stuff your selling works? No. Do I really care if it works? No. All I care is my daddy's happy so I can go home and sit at the supper table and hear how my old man's proud of me tonight."

I looked at him and said, "Evan, how old are you?"

He smiled and said, "23, how old are you?"

I said, "Today, or when I'm with an older client?"

He said, "You have to be older for older clients?"

I said, "Evan, in my world, you make yourself whatever the client wants you to be. You make yourself the best damned golfer, tennis player, or whatever to meet them on their turf. You put on a show of playing along respectively, but you always let them win."

He said, "O.k., let me see your driver's license."

I handed him my billfold and then showed him my license. We were sitting side by side on the plush velvet seats and I said, "See there, it says I'm actually 27 years old. Last week, I was 35 years old."

Evan sat back in his seat with my billfold in his hands and said, "Man, That's got to suck!"

I turned in my seat towards him and said, "Evan, I'm so used to it, I don't even care anymore. I just accept the bottles of Cristal and make sure I give them the best damned bottle of whatever is their favorite in return."

I could see a bit of fear run through his eyes and he asked, "Did you make the comment about my eyes being beautiful because you can tell I'm gay?"

I was blown away. I said, "Evan, no. I said, what I said because I genuinely think you're hot."

He smiled and said, "Dennis, I think you're damned fine too. I saw you running towards me at the airport and the first thing I thought was, 'Man, I wonder what it'd be like to have a man like that running towards me and he be my lover?"

I smiled and said, "You'd hate it. I'm never home, and when I am home, the fucking phone is ringing off the desk. My time isn't mine and even though I'm rich enough now to retire, there's nothing much to even think about retiring because there's no one to enjoy it with. I've got homes in Malibu, Oahu, Hong Kong, New York, Paris, and London...and, just as soon as I can get a free moment, I've got to get to Moscow and see if I can find a place there. With my business, I've got to be able to have places everywhere. Fortunately, I make enough I can buy them."

He scrunched his nose and said, "What do you do with them when you're not staying in them? Isn't that expensive?"

I smiled and said, "Yes, it's damned expensive, but fortunately, I can write them all off."

He said, "Dennis, forgive me for saying this, but you are damned dumb man. How often do you stay at lets see...Paris?"

I thought for a moment and said, "Paris, I was there 3 weeks last year and the year before, I was there about 7 weeks....but in all fairness, I'm in and out so frequently, I might be there a day one week and then 3 days about 3 or 4 weeks later. So, all of them have to be available immediately."

He put his index finger on his chin and was nodding in thought. By doing so, I noticed his hands and said, "Evan, your hands are even beautiful."

He smiled and said, "Dennis, you are so open with your admiration, I can tell you're telling the truth. It's refreshing, but what would you have done if I was straight?"

I shrugged, smiled and said, "Evan, usually, I go with first impressions and I'm not wrong. For me, I've been in the game so long, I can usually tell by a tic, squint, line, frown, or whatever on someone's face they're a certain way."

He had a devilish grin on his face and asked, "I imagine you have to. So, how much of that Jheri curl activator am I going to buy?"

I thought for a moment and asked, "How many stores?"

"Four hundred and twenty one"

I thought and said, "Well, since we don't know if it's going to go over or not, you better buy 60 pallets. Then, I'd suggest you get about 12 pallets for your warehouse in case it goes over."

He didn't bat an eye and asked, "How much a pallet?"

I frowned because the next part would probably lose him. I said, "They don't sell it that way. It's all handmade and they only sell it by the case. On each pallet is 48 cases. Each case has 24 jars and cost $36 a case."

He didn't even act like he was thinking about the math, he said, "$125,000 got you out here?"

I smiled and said, "Evan, I'm making a dollar on each of those jars. So, for the day, I'm making over 40 grand."

He laughed and said, "Your job is sweet!"

I laughed and said, "Now you can see why I can afford the houses. And, no, it's not just you this afternoon. At the hotel, I've got 3 other clients lined up to do a joint merchandising venture which will net me about twelve million."

He seemed shocked and said, "How much do you gross a year!"

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "It's not that simple. Last year it was about two hundred mil, but in my business, the products keep selling, so what I sell you today, if they go over you keep buying and as long as you buy, I'm making that dollar a jar."

He slapped his leg and said, "I'm in the wrong damned business!"

I held his hand and said, "Evan, you have your family and you have a bed to sleep at night with daily interaction with people you love. In order to do my line of work, you have to give it up. The bed last night isn't going to be the same bed tonight. Tomorrow's will be halfway around the world." "How do you do it?" He said seeming shocked.

He still had my billfold and I said, "Evan, open the billfold. In there you will see nothing but black cards...not platinum...black. They don't even question how much I want to spend with them. I get carte blanche wherever I go. The Beverly Wilshire tonight is kicking someone out so I can kick back in the penthouse because they know I'll stay there nearly 2 months this year. They'll make almost a million dollars off me so they better. While I'm there, I relax. I treat myself good. I go for the full spa treatment and I eat healthy. It keeps me from getting to tired and it keeps me rejuvenated. I can do it because I know there's going to come a day when I won't even be able to sell prime rib to a pack of hungry wolves. When that day comes, I'm running for the nearest exit and I'm done man."

Evan frowned and said, "So even if I said I would like to get to know you better, you'd not make time?"

I looked surprised at him and said, "Evan, if you said that, I'd make time. I'm just saying my job dictates I have to be out of town or jetting around the world. It's not a stay in town come home by five o'clock job. Fuck, it's not even a job I can leave when I come home."

He touched my hand and said, "So, if we could see each other, do you think I could go with you sometimes?"

I looked over at him and said, "Evan, you could go with me all the time, but I'm telling you that you'd soon find it to be the sort of grind you'd want to go home."

He looked up and said, "Are you telling me you don't want to try?"

I brought his hand to my lips and said, "Evan, I'll try, but I don't even have a place here in L.A. ."

He smiled and said, "You do. If you and I get together, your place in Los Angeles would be right here." He brought our joined hands to his chest and held it there.

I said, "Evan, are you sure about this?"

"Dennis, I'm finding you attractive more than I've found anyone attractive. It's not about your money, it's about you telling me the truth and not trying to impress me. The first thing my dad told me today was not to believe a word you said because you were probably selling us shit."

I nodded and said, "Evan, your dad's probably right. I can't tell you if it works. I can't even tell you if the company will entertain the thought of doing a buy back if you can't sell all of it. I don't know the shelf life, and all I know is what I'm making per jar."

He laughed and said, "Dennis, you've already told me that...remember?"

I nodded and said, "Are you out to your family?"

He nodded and said, "I'm out, but for the sake of my mom, I'm not public."

I looked at him and said, "Who's your mom?"

He looked down and said, "You'd instantly recognize her when I take you home. She's a famous singer."

I said, "Well, thanks for letting me know as I understand her plight. I'm not as out as I could be, but most everyone whom I do business don't care. All they want is the merchandise."

We pulled up to a curb in front of a glass building in Century City. The driver opened the door and we exited. As we walked towards the building, I could tell it was a nice place. They had a doorman.

I turned to him and said, "You all are in the right building. A lot of business people notice little details such as the doorman."

He nodded and said, "My dad's business is similar to yours. He sells to people too. His job is to keep those people happy and thinking they wouldn't spend their money anywhere else."

I nodded and said, "Maybe I should have a talk with your dad and make sure the rest of his deals are actually the best deals he can get. You'd be amazed at how much the prices vary from retailer to retailer."

We stepped upon the elevator and as it rose I did a mental count of what floor we were going to. I once heard how many floors up was how many hundreds of millions a business did each year. We got out on the 14 th floor. As usual, the building didn't have a 13th floor. I smiled at the thought.

The entry lobby of their suite was just inside a glassed door which showed some taste. From experience, I knew the business decorated their own suites in these sorts of buildings. Whomever decorated for them really knew their stuff.

I turned to Evan and said, "Who was the decorator?"

He smiled and said, "You'll meet her at dinner if you'll come home with me to meet her."

I said, "Your mom!"

He nodded as we went to an office with an older man who looked every inch to be Evan's dad. The man for being in his fifties was hot.

I went over and shook his hand and introduced myself to him. He introduced himself to me and said, "My name is Brandon. CEO of DollAmerInc."

He turned to Evan and said, "Did you buy?"

Evan said, "Yes, the deal is pretty cut and dried. All we have to do is the paperwork. Ummm, dad, do you have a moment?"

Brandon turned to Evan and said, "What's up?"

Evan said, "Dad, were you aware the wholesalers charge different prices to different companies."

Brandon chuckled and said, "Yes, son, but we're no Wal-Mart, we don't have the volume they do."

I said, "Brandon, excuse me, but that doesn't apply very much anymore. Yes, it's true Wal-Mart started it, but nowadays, most companies will lower their costs to major chain prices to be sure you put their items on your shelves."

Brandon looked at me and said, "So, you're telling me, I'm probably getting screwed." I said it all in one word. "Royally."

He looked at bit pale and said, "I'll get on it and make the phone calls myself. I bet this time next month, I'll have a new pricing structure with them."

Evan said, "Ummm, dad? Is it alright if I do it?"

Brandon said, "Yes, you can do it. I keep forgetting I'm supposed to do my job and you're to do yours." He chuckled and turned to me and said, "I started this from the ground up. I keep forgetting I'm not supposed to do it all anymore."

I went over and put my hand on his shoulder and said, "It's a bit different isn't it!"

He said, "Tell me. I'm like a caged animal in this office all day."

I said, "Brandon, do yourself a favor. Start going out and suddenly finding yourself in your stores. You'll have a head up on your competition. When Sam Walton showed up at stores he kept his fingers on the pulse of his business. When he died, no one put their finger on to replace his."

Brandon said, "You know your stuff, don't you!"

I smiled casually and said, "Brandon, you'd be amazed at how many people there are like you all over this world who put themselves in the leadership of their companies only to hate it when they achieve success. Another bit of advice is you've now made it, so enjoy it. If you can't enjoy it, change it so you can enjoy it. There's nothing more disappointing than seeing someone delegate himself into a position of unhappiness."

Evan was on the other side of the room and said, "Dad? I'm going to be bringing Dennis home for dinner. Do you think I should tell mom?"

Brandon looked at Evan strangely for a moment and then turned to me. He smiled and said, "Damn, that took me by surprise!"

I smiled and said, "Sir, I'll be honest with you. I got into that limo this afternoon and had no real clue what I was selling him. I opened the folder and saw it was jheri curl activator. I plumb froze up and panicked. I just looked up and there he was looking as beautiful as I've ever seen someone look and instantly, I just blurted the first thing I thought out telling him how good looking I found him to be. We talked and he knows honestly I'm not thinking I'm the best for him."

Brandon looked at me and said, "What does that mean?"

I calmly said, "Brandon, I'm in this business just like you're in your business. Business doesn't get done unless I'm doing it. I can't delegate it to anyone because I work for myself. That means I'm all over the world week to week, month to month, and year to year. I told Evan I'll do everything I can to make time for him, but I'm going to be gone a lot. To me, that doesn't make me much of a prize."

Brandon scoffed and said, "Dennis, you've been more honest with him than I was. Evan was raised in that sort of life. He knows it's expected because that's what his mother and I've done in our careers. He didn't always get to see us, but he always knew we loved him and we did everything we could to provide for him the best."

Brandon turned to Evan and said, "Evan, check and see if they have the contracts done down at legal and get them signed so we can get off the clock and go home."

Brandon took me by the elbow and led me to his office. It was huge and covered the corner of the building with the best view. I saw the decor in there and was instantly impressed. I said, "Does your wife decorate for other people because believe me, after seeing this office, I've got to have her sense of style in my house here when I get one."

He looked surprised and said, "You're going to buy here just to be with him?"

I nodded and said, "Well, I'm thinking if I'm home more, and can have most of my business done by telephone, I can settle somewhat."

Brandon smiled and said, "Don't let my wife know, she'll spend your money quicker than the air going past a race horse at the Kentucky Derby."

I laughed and said, "She'll love it because it's going to be for us. Is she still doing much touring?"

Brandon looked surprised and said, "He told you!"

I said, "He didn't tell me her name, but all I had to do was look at him and I instantly knew. He just confirmed it when he said his mom was a famous singer."

Brandon smiled and said, "He does take after her."

I said, "He's as handsome as you too."

He blushed and said, "She's going to love you."

I paused for a second and said, "Brandon, I've got to go to my hotel this afternoon and check in. I hope you don't mind, but I've got a satellite conference call which is going to make me quite a bit of money."

Brandon looked surprised and said, "I've got a satellite conference call center down the hallway if you are interested in using it. I don't do many, and it's just going to waste. You're completely welcome."

I thought it over for about half a second and said, "I'll do it. How about you and Evan come with me as I want to show you the capabilities of dealing with the manufacturers yourself."

I paused for a second and said, "Brandon, what is your annual purchases of Gillette products?"

"Oooh, I don't know, that has to be in the upwards of probably 40 or 50 million a year. Why?"

I smiled and said, "Brandon, If I can save you about 10% on that, can I have the sale?"

He smiled and said, "You'd have it in a heartbeat and if you show us how to do it, you can keep that 10% on top of whatever you make."

I smiled and said, "Brandon, you don't know it, but I just made twenty million off you and you're throwing in another five."

He laughed and said, "That much!"

I nodded and said, "Here's the way it works. Gillette has a factory over in Mexico. For some unknown reason...call it bureaucracy, they can't sell products from that plant to some African countries. Why? How the fuck should I know, but say I make a deal with Gillette to buy the product from them and then I turn around and resell the items to the African countries which can't buy directly from Mexico, they can suddenly get it from the plant, as long as the paperwork goes through me."

Brandon looked at me with squinted eyes and said, "Shell game!"

I nodded.

"And they've not figured it out!"

I nodded.

He said, "Ooh, man I'm glad I don't play poker with you. You'd have me naked and out on the streets without even a curb to call my own."

I laughed and said, "So, in order to cut the deal, Gillette sells me their over production for about a third of what it goes for even to Wal-Mart. In that deal, I can distribute it to whomever worldwide."

He patted me on the back and said, "This is getting better and better. What's the over production aspect."

I went over and sat down and said, "Let's get comfortable because I'm going to put your stores all over the country on this one."

He sat down and I said, "When a manufacturer produces an item, they have orders. Let's say they have enough orders for 22 hours a day not 24. Do they shut down the line and send everyone home? Or, do they keep the line going? Believe me, it stays running. Well, that 2 hours a day is over production. In my business it's OP. It's called different things in different areas, but it's all the same. PROFIT!"

He did a belly laugh and said, "Dennis, you're telling me this room right here is the room I should turn into my office because it's the one that I'll be using the most?" I said, "You'll be amazed. I have a satellite link in my briefcase which hooks me up all over the world. You've got video as well as audio which is even better. From this room, I could stay at home three months longer a year."

Brandon smiled and said, "It's yours anytime you need it."

I laughed and said, "You'll be using it, I'll need my own."

Evan came in and had the contracts. I got up and went over and faxed them to the manufacturer. My business with them was officially over. I turned to Evan and said, "O.k., I'll get this meeting going."

Whiz Bang Boom, as I did the meeting, I made introductions of Brandon and Evan to my Gillette contact as well as my African contacts. My Gillette contact's eyes got big because he saw the dollar signs too.

We pulled the deal and I explained it all to Brandon and Evan while I did it. They had their whole next year's inventory ordered and it'd be delivered to them on time just as it had been through their supplier.

Brandon said, "Let me try one with P & G."

I knew that account with them had to be huge and a definite money maker for them. In less than an hour, Brandon had pulled the entire account over into being handled by himself.

He turned to me and said, "I just saved myself over a hundred and forty mil!"

I laughed and said, "See, I told you that you'd have stores in every town across the country. You just do it with your other suppliers and suddenly, you're looking at doing business a whole new way."

Evan looked happy and Brandon looked ecstatic. Together they were having a great time.

Brandon said, "Son, I'm going home. My advice it to take him over to Bel Aire and show him that place your mama's decorating. I think when I tell her what I just did, she's going to be making me give it to you both."

Evan got up and said, "Dennis, do you have any other business you need to complete?"

I turned to Brandon and said, "What is on the menu for dinner?"

He said, "If I recall right, she said it was going to be baby backs."

I said, "Well, tell me what she'll expect to drink with them because I know what I drink with mine."

Brandon laughed and said, "I'm not that far out of Detroit son, believe me, she drinks the same thing. I prefer Bud, but you get whatever you want."

Evan smiled and said, "My dad is happier than I've seen him in years."

I turned and said, "Ev, I'm glad."

We were face to face and I said, "Is it going to bother you if I give you a hug?" He looked down and said, "Yeah, 'cause I was expecting a kiss."

Happiness radiated through me and the distance between us evaporated. We were holding each other in our arms and soon, our lips were intertwined."

Brandon came back in talking and suddenly paused. Evan and I jumped apart. Brandon laughed and said, "Oh hell... It can wait, I forgot you kids needed time together. I'll meet you two at the house."

He turned around and was gone in a flash.

Ev chuckled and said, "Dennis, you want to know something?"

I said, "What?"

"Until just then, my dad's never dealt with my being gay so well. Yes, he knew, and yes, he acted like it was o.k. , but it was like a subject we couldn't even approach. I'm guessing he's going to deal with it fine."

We left and went down to Evan's car a Lexus convertible. I turned to him and said, "Los Angeles is home now for me, I'll have to get one of these."

He scrunched his nose and said, "A Lexus?"

I said, "No, a convertible. Our family car will probably be a Ferrari."

Retta's jots:

I'm still unsure whether I should take this story further. To me, it's great as a short story and I've gotten the mileage out of it I wanted. I could go into a few more chapters with them meeting Evan's mom and the house as well as Evan going to work with Dennis, but as it is, I think it's pretty much evident Dennis is going to be spending more time home.

Write and give me your thoughts, and I'll see how the verdict comes. My email address is listed below.

From My Keyboard To Your Heart,

RettaRettaMichaels@Gmail.com

Copyright Notice - Copyright © November 2007 by RettaMichaels

The author, RettaMichaels copyrights this story and retain all rights. This work may not be duplicated in any form, media, - known or unknown ^Ö without the authors' expressed permission. All applicable copyright laws apply.

Disclaimer: All individuals depicted are fictional, and any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental