Summary

A real estate agent discovers and evicts a group of women running an escort service from one of his properties, despite initially accepting a full year's rent in advance from one of them.

Abstract

The narrative begins with the introduction of three attractive women, including a red-haired Iowa native named Wendy, who resembles the fictional character Wendy from fast-food advertisements. Wendy secures an apartment by paying a year's rent upfront, claiming she saved the money from after-school jobs. The real estate agent, referred to as "Real Estate Man," hires Nancy, a lawyer on hiatus, to show apartments. Nancy uncovers an advertisement on Craig's List suggesting that Wendy and her roommates are engaging in escort services. Despite the prepaid rent and lack of complaints, Real Estate Man decides to evict the women, reflecting on the morality and legality of their actions. The apartment is eventually rented to a family, much to the relief of Nancy, who feared for her child's safety. The story concludes with an unexpected encounter with Wendy at a local hobby store, revealing her nonchalance towards the past events.

Opinions

The author implies a moral dilemma faced by the real estate agent, weighing the prepaid rent against the potential illegality and immorality of the tenants' activities.
Nancy, the summer agent, is portrayed as a protective mother and a vigilant individual who takes it upon herself to investigate the suspicious activities in the building.
The real estate agent ultimately prioritizes the safety and reputation of the building over the financial benefit of the prepaid rent, suggesting a commitment to ethical standards.
The story concludes with a sense of irony and unexpected normalcy, as Wendy greets the real estate agent casually in a public setting, indicating her lack of remorse or concern about being recognized.

Red, White or Black

Sitting in the apartment were 3 beautiful women with wholesome levels above Playboy, more like Miss America. Unhappily for all concerned a trick was waiting in the living room, presumably looking for some naughty action.

# 32 Real Estate Man

It all started when a little farm girl from Iowa, almost the twin of that hamburger devil Wendy, found herself sitting across from Real Estate Man”s office that day in early June. She had beautiful red hair that would have cascaded down to her waist if it hadn’t been carefully braided into two Heidi like “Sound of Music” pigtails. The braids framed a delightful young face sprinkled with freckles. In short she was…very appealing.

When Wendy said that she had migrated to Philadelphia from Iowa for a chance at better job opportunities, Real Estate Man had no reason to disbelieve her. She offered to pay a full year of rent up front. Wendy claimed she had saved the block rent money from working after classes during her high school and Grinnell College days. Real Estate Man saw no reason not to rent to her

As she had no other place to go Wendy took occupancy immediately.

Real Estate Man’s story:

I always hire summer help to show apartments during the busy season of matching up tenants with suitable lodgings. This year my new agent (Nancy) was a little different. Instead of being a student as in summer’s past, Nancy was a lawyer who had taken a hiatus from practice about a year prior to have her first baby. Nancy had a trusted nanny now and was easing back into resuming work. She and her baby lived in one of my apartments in a building across the street from my office. She and her husband were having domestic difficulties. For the time being, she was living alone with her daughter.

About a month into her efforts, Nancy came storming into the office. She plunked down at her desk and rapidly tapped out on her keyboard the personal ads section on Craig’s List.

The Craig’s List personal ads were subsequently removed from the website a few years later in the wake of the US Senate passing the , Allowing States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017.

Nancy (crusading and furious): “Look, in your building, right down the hall from me. Check out the phone number!”

Pictures of 3 very attractive young women: a blond, a black woman and……my red headed Iowa Farm girl, (aka.Wendy).

The short advertisement text read: Red, White and Black — your choice, one at a time or all at once.

A phone number was listed.

Nancy (excitedly): “The number matches up with the bitch redhead who rented the apartment down the hall last month. I dialed it and I heard the phone ringing in her apartment this morning. I’ve seen lots of strange men going in and out of that place. I’m sure she and her little friends are hustling.

Me (in a crisis of conscience): “ Nancy, are you afraid that with these different business men going in and out of the apartment down the hall; one of them might hurt your baby?”

Nancy: Exploded

Thinking deeply of values; I really don’t have anything against what consenting adults do in the privacy of their own minds. And the Iowa Farm Girl did pay a year in advance. That, of course, would have to be refunded. And there were no complaints, except for Nancy’s — after doing her unusual detective work.

I thought more than twice about the decision I was going to have to make. Truly, in good conscience, there was only one I COULD make.

The next day, I made a surprise visit to #28 , Sansom. Sitting in the apartment were: 3 beautiful young women with wholesomeness levels above Playboy — more like Miss America. Unhappily for all concerned, a trick was waiting in the living room, presumably looking for some naughty action. Even HE was clean cut and wholesome.

I corralled the 3 women in the kitchen and told them they were breaking the lease and they would have to move out by the end of the week (I really don’t know whether there’s a prostitution clause but figured they must be breaking at least one of the terms in the lease). I painfully told the Iowa Farm Girl that I would refund the unused rental credit. Wendy mentioned that she would need it for her trip back home to Iowa. She was fed up with big city living.

As so rare the case in the intercourse between tenant and landlord, there was immediate agreement by all parties (I will be the first to admit that I have no knowledge whether the girls afforded the same curtesy of a refund to the john who was still waiting patiently in the living room). After all, when you’re an escort it’s wise not to have a surplus of public notice.

By the weekend the apartment was empty and so clean it squeaked. I soon rented it to a couple who had baby and good references, who would pay rent the conventional way. Nancy was happy to raise her baby in a building that no longer had a touch of being a house of ill repute.

All’s well that’s ends well, huh?

Oh! I wish life were so simple.

About a year later I took my 6th grade daughter to the Hobby Lobby, less than a mile from our house in suburban Philadelphia.

She was learning needlepoint in a craft club she joined for an after school activity. We asked a number of Hobby Lobby-ists where the needlepoint section was and we were directed to it — and finally found it. My daughter and I had the run of the needlepoint aisle except for one other person — with braided red hair. Here in Newtown Square not back on the farm in Iowa.

As if the past never existed , my daughter and I received a cheery greeting. “Oh, you do needlepoint, Mr. Real Estate Man?”