"I'll be there first thing in the morning. Thanks very much, sir," said Chris as he hung up the phone. He couldn't believe his luck. Finally a job, and a pretty major one at that. It would take him a good week to paint a whole house by himself, and he convinced the guy to pay him by the hour. Maybe the summer was looking up after all.
It had gotten difficult to make the rent. Chris wondered if staying in his apartment at school was the right decision. Not that being at home would have been all that great either. He didn't get along with his dad, and most of his friends didn't come home for the summer anymore so he'd probably have been pretty lonely. Most of his friends had saved money throughout the school year and were now enjoying themselves in exotic, far away tropical destinations. And he was stuck trying to start his own painting business. So far he'd painted two small rooms of this old lady's house. It was obvious that she didn't have much money, so he didn't charge her very much. But this job would turn everything around. The guy didn't even haggle with the price that Chris quoted. He immediately said that it was fine as long as Chris could start immediately. Obviously Chris jumped at the opportunity. He began getting all the necessary materials together for the next day.
On the other end of the line, Joe was smiling. "That was too easy," he thought to himself. "It's all falling into place rather nicely."
Joe had found a homemade flyer in the mailbox of his new house the previous morning advertising a new painting business. The kid even put a picture of himself on the flyer. That's what really got Joe's attention. The kid was gorgeous. The typical college student look, which is exactly what Joe liked. And the kid didn't even realize he was divulging a lot of personal information when Joe asked him some questions on the phone. Chris was all by himself this summer and was struggling to make the rent. He hadn't been in touch with his father to ask for money because they didn't get along. In fact, Chris' dad didn't even know where Chris was or what he was doing for the summer. So naturally Joe promised a nice price to paint his entire new house. Not that the amount mattered. Chris wouldn't be seeing any of the money. Joe whistled a happy tune to himself as he got his materials together for the next day.
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