It's one of these, sure, we all figured that anyway episodes. You know, the kind of stories an elderly man tells you over a glass of whiskey - with ice, please - and you chuckle, shake your head like a Greek grandpa to mean yes.
Our man Ronnie** was a man of values, a family man, clean, all American, with the looks of a movie star and the acting skills of a politician, revered by his party contemporaries and frequently invoked by later aspiring leaders. No, seriously, not Arnold, we would have made a Mozart or Bach joke to lead you in the wrong direction. Also not Ron, the virtually unknown third founder of a company called Apple Inc.
Anyhow, we were talking about real estate deals in the area, specifically a large ranch with cabins dotting the landscape, some of them weekend rentals, others long term, but all serving as private getaways. The smog in the LA basin was horrific back then.
M., a well known developer, approached the owner one day with a partnership offer to turn the ranch into new subdivisions for the growing metropolitan area. The owner decided to enter into talks and invited M. to a tour of the property.
As they were driving around, M. would point at some of the long term rentals and add a short back story, give the name of the renter, what they were known for, unless they were a household name anyway.
Passing one cabin, he pointed: "And this is where Ronnie meets his ladies. He insists on having fresh flowers there at all times."
This is the point in the conversation where you both chuckle and shake your head.
And then you say something along the line of "like a true man of values" and gaze out of the big windows overlooking the ocean bathed in the light of the setting sun.
** Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
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