The Upward Ripple

Chapter 2

News of the black, attractive biker had swept through Pine Grove like a wild fire. It was impossible to tame it but like any gossip, it all depended on who you heard it from.

The women in desperate marriages talked of a chiseled god that they would happily take a chance on if ever given a pass.

The teenagers saw a life they craved.

Most men ogled his beast of a bike and every young girl wanted to be in his company.

But one thing was obvious in every version of the gossip. The new man in town had a charm about him. The British accent and the fact that he was the son of Nathaniel Duncan was just a bonus.

It had been two days with Pine Grove coming alive with the gossip and hushed whispers in every conversation. Cynthia Washington had found herself wondering just what the big deal was. It was like that was all people could talk about. Even in her office, it seemed that no one was concerned with real estate. Nate Duncan was all anyone could talk about.

Cynthia sipped on her coffee as she walked into the office. The only thing on her mind at that moment was trying to get some work done while everyone concerned themselves with the new kid in town. She had just sat down at her desk when her boss Geraldine called her to her office.

“Good morning, Miss Barker.” Cynthia said as she sat down.

“Good morning, Cynthia. I have a new listing for you. It is a big one.” Geraldine placed a file on the desk and Cynthia reached for it. She opened it and then looked up at her boss.

“Seriously?” she asked, and Geraldine nodded.

“I never thought this property was ever going to be listed.”

Geraldine nodded again.

“I know. The Duncans are almost considered royalty around here. They are the reason Pine Grove is more like a small city today.”

Cynthia looked at her boss, an eyebrow over the other.

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

“Well, as far as I can remember Pine Grove was just a small establishment. Some would even call it a village. But when Nathaniel and Dianne Duncan came and got a place in the woods, suddenly, developers saw the vast lots of land as what they truly were. An investment. So, they followed suit and what followed was a number of luxury properties that saw Colorado much sought after by the same people who looked at Greenwich and The Hamptons,” Geraldine explained.

Cynthia flipped through the pages, looking at pictures of the Duncan property. It was a true sight to behold. This was going to be one of the best jobs she ever did. Her heart raced when she thought of the commission associated with such a listing. She was definitely looking at a few tens of thousands with the Duncan property.

“I am on it,” she said.

“Cynthia, you do understand that the only reason I am handing over this property is because of the track record you have, right?” Geraldine said and Cynthia forced a smile.

She suddenly felt tensed. The Duncan property was not just any property. It was also not to be offered to every client. It was only offered to a select few and those few were all to be chosen by Cynthia in a rigorous process.

“I understand,” she said, smiling.

“You have been with me for six years and not once have you let me down, Cynthia,” Geraldine prompted. “I am confident your track record will only soar.”

Cynthia grinned even more widely.

“Thank you so much for your confidence in me, Miss Barker.”

Geraldine scribbled something on a notepad and then tore the leaf to give Cynthia.

“This is the man you have to meet. Nate Duncan.”

Cynthia raised an eyebrow over the other.

“Isn’t he dead?” she wondered out loud.

“Nathaniel Duncan is the man recently deceased. His son, Nate Duncan just got to town to take over matters pertaining to his estate.”

Cynthia nodded. Suddenly, all the gossip made sense. She walked out of her boss’ office and walked back to her desk. It was nine and her meeting with Nate Duncan was not until one. That gave her a few hours to check out her client list and filter down to the people who would be interested in the Duncan property. She was also going to read up on the mysterious Nate Duncan who seemed to have little to no digital footprints. The more she looked into his past, the more questions she had about him. All the information he could find was his education which only raised more questions. Why would a person who graduated magna cum laude choose to leave the family business behind? Why didn’t he put his business diploma to use? Hell, he even had a coding diploma… it was all a little confusing as far as Cynthia could tell. The idea of a complicated man-made Cynthia freak out a little. She exhaled loudly as she took the last sip of her coffee as the realization set in. This was probably not going to be an easy listing. That fifty-grand commission, she was going to have to work for it. Hard.

“This is why you are a thirty-two-year-old with a mortgage that is almost paid off, Cyn. Because you work hard,” she thought to herself. “Because you work harder than anyone else.”

Cynthia Washington was a force to be reckoned with. Having grown up in Colorado, she left for college but before she could figure her life’s purpose out, she found herself moving back home to Colorado before she could graduate, after her grandmother, her only living relative suffered a stroke. The system screwed her and, getting care for her was near impossible. Everything was so expensive, and the last thing Cynthia wanted her grandmother to do was to mortgage her home just so she could pay for her medical fees. So, Cynthia did the only thing she could do for the only parent she had ever known. She moved back and got a job as a realtor to help with the bills. Her days were spent learning how the real estate market worked and she only went to bed late at night after clocking some hours for her distant learning classes. She was determined to graduate, to have her diploma. It was important to her, graduating. More important than anything. Well, except for her grandmother. After four months of hospitalization, her grandmother’s condition only grew worse calling for more medical care. So, Cynthia was forced to do the only thing she could do to get her grandmother the best care possible. She mortgaged the old lady’s house. The market was not exactly favorable at the time. So, she took a hit, but she could finally afford a hospice. It was the only thing she could do since the doctors had all said the same thing. They had done everything they could for Cynthia’s grandmother.