The Bet

"That's bullshit. There's no way you can even afford to feed yourself on that worn out piece of ground. What did you do? Go out and get a full time job? You know that's against the rules. And what the hell is this about a publisher? There's no way I'm going to sign over my family farm to the likes of you!"

"I'm afraid you have no choice, Fenton. We have met every requirement in the contract and now it's time for you to fulfill your obligations." Sam reached into his briefcase and pulled a large stack of papers from it. He began going through the papers and handing them to the attorney as he explained what each one was. As he placed the papers and tax returns on the table Fenton became angrier and angrier. The attorney kept looking at Fenton as he raved. He looked upset as well.

Fenton glared at the couple until Sam stopped presenting papers then said, "All that is fine and good, but you have failed in at least one significant area asshole. Did you forget the contract plainly stated you could not receive any help from any person or organization? You remember you had to completely pay your own way. Did you think the free use of the land to live on and make a crop on wouldn't count or something? I have never seen one penny of rent from you for the land so the entire contract was not completed properly. You failed to meet all the requirements. Since you have requested the contract be terminated now and all transfers completed I demand you do so. Transfer everything you own to me immediately." Fenton sat back and smiled at Sam and Traci, an expectant look on his face.

Sam looked over at Traci and smiled. He then turned to Fenton still smiling and said, "Oh, yes. I caught that little trick you wrote into the contract. We have paid a fair market value rent on the land every year. I have here the return receipts where your attorney accepted the rent checks in the mail and I have copies of the cancelled checks. You will note each check has the statement showing what year the rent was paid for and that it was payment in full for that year's rent. Since you did not set a rental amount in the initial contract we spoke with other farmers in the area that rented ground and the county agent to set a fair market value rent for the farm. We corresponded with and transacted business with your attorney as specified by the contract. No, Fenton, I'm afraid you are the one who will be transferring property here today."

Fenton jumped to his feet with an oath and screamed at the attorney, "Why the hell did you accept the rent checks from them, you idiot?"

The attorney looked angrily at Fenton and replied, "I accepted the checks from them because I was legally required to do so. I researched the rent they paid and it was fair market rental for ground in the shape the farmland was in. They paid the first year's rent late but included a proper late penalty. Everything was done correctly including depositing the rent checks into your trust as was required."

Fenton glared at his attorney and Sam and Traci then stormed out of the room. As he left he said, "It'll be a cold day in hell before I let you worthless pieces of white trash have anything I or my family owns. You have until the end of the month to get your asses off our property."

Sam turned to the attorney and said, "I hope you don't take that same attitude, sir. We have clearly satisfied the requirements of the contract. I strongly advise and request you to advise your client to fulfill his part of the contract now. Here is a letter from our attorney giving him thirty days to comply with the contract or we will file suit to force the execution of the deed."

Fenton's attorney took the letter and blanched. It was on the letterhead of one of the most prestigious law firms in the state. They had the reputation for going for the jugular and winning huge settlements for their clients in the majority of cases. He looked at Sam with newfound respect and said, "I will do what I can, sir, after, of course, we review your documentation to verify your claim that you successfully completed the contract."

"That's fine. We expected you to review the documentation. Before we leave, however, I need you to make certified copies of our papers so we can take the originals home with us."

The attorney immediately reached for a phone and called clerical support to make the copies. While the copies were being made he and Sam discussed their work on the farm. At one point he said, "I'm impressed with what you have accomplished. Until you told me what you did to get by at first I had never considered all the ways someone who needed extra money could supplement their earnings with small part time jobs. I can see where there would always be a need for someone to do small repair jobs, yard work, driving the elderly, and so forth. Of course, there is always a market for the goods you produced on your farm. Fresh vegetables and wood are always in demand seasonally. I am also impressed with your forethought to document your adventure and publish the books. I know it is somewhat disloyal to my client, but I have to say I am impressed with your accomplishments."

As the couple drove home they discussed the days events. Traci looked at Sam and said, "I sure am glad you caught what Fenton tried to do to us. You sure were right about him. I hate the thought of going through the rigmarole of forcing him to execute the deed for us and comply with the contract, but at the same time I am sort of glad this happened. It sure is going to make some exciting chapters in the next book isn't it?"

Sam laughed and pulled Traci to him for a kiss while they were stopped at a red light. He said, "Yeah, it sure is going to do that; especially if Fenton and his family fight signing the farm over to us."

When they returned to their home they took time to make notes of the day's activity, making notes of who said what and the circumstances of their visit with the attorney, then they slipped into bed.

The next few weeks were business as usual. Fenton and his family refused to sign the land over to the Donovans. In fact they filed a lawsuit to evict them. Of course, Sam's and Traci's attorneys filed counter suits and requested their eviction be delayed pending a final decision on all the lawsuits. They also filed a lawsuit requesting damages because of Fenton's failure to execute the land exchange. They didn't expect to win anything but wanted to harass Fenton and his family and that was a good way to do it.

After eight grueling months trying to keep up with the farm work, the lawsuits, and work on the book a decision was rendered and Fenton was forced to transfer the property to Sam and Traci. It took them three more months for the second book in the trilogy to be published but it was a much better seller than was the first one. "The Bet" sold 90,000 copies. After three months the second book "Legal Maneuvering" already had 90,000 copies in print and the fifth printing of 20,000 more was in the works. The difficulty Sam and Traci encountered getting the land transferred made exciting reading and increased the public's enjoyment of the second book. Of course, their growing love and commitment helped as it added some love interest to the books.

It turns out the bet Fenton made with Sam and Traci was doubly stupid. He was so certain they would not successfully complete the contract he never considered the consequences that would accrue if he lost the bet. His grandfather did not approve of Fenton's or his parent's lifestyle. His mother left the farm as soon as she could and married Fenton's father while living in town going to college. She refused to instill what his grandfather considered proper work ethics or business ethics and respect in Fenton so he wrote a will that he hoped would do that.

The will stated the farm had to stay in the family in perpetuity for the family members to benefit fully from the trust grandfather Simmons set up for Fenton and his parents. If Fenton were to live on the farm and operate it for five years he would receive immediate access to the entire trust. If not, he and his parents would receive a small monthly check about half the size they would get if the farm was operated.

If the land was ever sold the monthly trust payments would decline by half. The other half of the trust payments and the proceeds of the farm sale were to go to scholarships for students that came from a farm family and who intended to return to either farming or ranching in the state. What happened in court, since no money changed hands, was particularly upsetting to Fenton and his family. The scholarship committee filed a lawsuit also and forced the trust to transfer the appraised sales value of the farm to the committee from the trust. This appraised value was much higher than before the bet because of the improvements Sam and Traci made to the farm. The money taken from the trust to pay this judgment resulted in lowering the trust distribution checks even more.

By the time the lawsuits were settled Sam and Traci had the entire 61 acres of tillable land on the 80 acre farm under cultivation. The remaining 19 acres were in woods or the grounds around their home and barns. They had two full time and three part time summer employees. The couple was well into the rough draft on the last book in the trilogy.

"Our Home" began after the property was transferred to the couple and was to be about the continuing operation of the farm and the construction of their new home on it. They personally drew the plans for the house and intended to do the lion's share of the work themselves. They would have their hired help assist with some of the heavier tasks if necessary.

After they completed their new home they intended to turn the grain bin into a guest house to be used when either set of parents visited or if they had business visitors.

In September their agent called. He said, "Congratulations you two! XXXXXXXXX Pictures has optioned your Trilogy to make a movie. I obtained an option price of $500,000. If they actually make a film from one or more of the books you will receive one million dollars up front and 2.5% of the gross. If you agree to the price we need to sign the contract and get it back as soon as we can. They want to have the film ready to release next winter if they actually make it. The option is good for one year so if they don't make a film we can shop the books around again after the period expires.

Within a month the film studio decided to exercise the option and make the film. To their surprise the studio offered a contract for Sam and Traci to consult on the film. They offered to pay Sam and Traci an extra $100,000 consulting fee and pay their way to California as well as put them up in first class accommodations and pay all expenses if they would consult during the film production. Of course the couple agreed to the deal.

Their first trip to California came within two months of signing. They were needed to consult with the screen writer when he made the books into a script. They consulted on everything from the dialog to scenery and scenes. The pictures they had of their life on the farm were of inestimable help. That consultation lasted almost a month. The couple managed to fit in a lot of sightseeing and fine dining as well as some heavy partying. Neither of them was impressed with the parties and night life, however. All the people they met seemed shallow and fake.

After they completed their consultation on the script, Sam and Traci returned home. They received a phone call from the studio two weeks later. When they answered the phone the director assigned to their film introduced himself once again and asked, "Getting right to the point, we are having difficulty coming up with a good location for some of the outdoor shots. I understand you are planning to build a new home on your farm. Have you started the construction yet?"

Sam said, "No, we haven't. We are still in the process of completing the plans and staking out the foundation area for the house and gazebo. Why?"

"I love the pictures you have provided of the place as you worked on it. I would like to use your farm and shoot much of the film there. We would have to use some of your film in our production but since you used digital media I believe we can do that. Of course we would pay for any of your material we used. I would like to film the actual grain bin house as it now stands for the show. We have found an old grain bin on another farm that is similar to yours even down to the wild growth around it and the piles of old broken down machinery. Another location has a barn that is similar to yours that has also collapsed that we intend to shoot. In short, we want to use your home and land now in part of the film. Of course there would be further compensation to you if you allow us to do that."

Sam looked at Traci and raised his eyebrows. She smiled widely and nodded her head yes. Sam said, "Traci and I don't have a problem with that. How long will we have to delay construction on our house if we do this?"

"Oh, not long at all. I want to have our shots wrapped up in your area by midsummer next year. Can you wait that long for us? If not, we might be able to get most of our filming done this year but it will be difficult with winter coming on as it is."

"How much are we talking about here? We really want to get into our new house as soon as we can. This old grain bin is getting really crowded."

"Uh, well, we haven't set a fee yet but I would think it could be in the neighborhood of another $100,000. That is close to our normal fees for things like this. And we would restore the site to its original condition after we finish filming."

"OK, get the contract written up and send it to us. We'll read it over and have our attorney look at it. On the surface I don't see any problems.Ó"

Throughout the winter they continued working on the last book in the trilogy and on the film. After the two costars were selected Sam and Traci were flown to California to meet them and discuss the characters with them. The male costar was an obnoxious twit from the beginning. When he was introduced to Traci he took one look at her and wrapped his arm around her then tried to kiss her. She pushed him away and held her hand out to shake. He frowned and moved inside her arm to hug her again and said, "You're in Hollywood now sweetie. We're going to have to work closely together and shaking hands just doesn't cut it out here."

He continued to touch and put the moves on Traci as the meetings and parties continued. Sam had much the same problem with the female lead but he was more able to put her in her place. Finally, at one party when the male star was particularly obnoxious Sam pulled him away from Traci and slammed him against the wall. He said, "Listen, asshole, I don't care who you are or how you do things here in California. That's my wife you were trying to kiss and I won't put up with that no matter who you are or who you think you are. Now you keep your damn hands to yourself or I'll do more than pull you away from her."

The actor glared at Sam and said, "You arrogant hayseed. Do you really think YOU have anything to say about what Traci or I choose to do? If you lay your hands on me again I'll have you arrested so fast it will take a month for your ass to catch up to your body. We'll have the film shot and her pussy plundered before you get out of jail."

"Maybe so Romeo but they'll be shooting it with another star because you'll either be in the hospital or in jail right along with me."

Traci moved to Sam's side and wrapped her arm around him. She looked into his face adoringly and said, "Come on, honey, let's get out of here."

As they were leaving the director caught up to them and gave Sam hell for making a spectacle of his star. He said, "You'll be damn lucky if one of the Paparazzi didn't get pictures of you making an ass of yourself. Things like that just aren't done out here."

"Well, where we come from things like that aren't done either. Unfortunately, I think we're talking about two different things here. I'll tell you right now if you don't control that asshole and make him keep his hands off my wife you'll need to find another star because he'll be in the hospital."

In early May the film company people began arriving at the farm to prepare for the filming. The actors and actresses arrived three days before filming was to begin for their final practice of their parts and to familiarize themselves with the location. Once again Traci had problems with the male lead. Twice he came wandering up where she was and tried to fondle her and put the moves on her. The first time she told Sam about it and he wanted to beat some sense into him. Traci looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "Why don't you keep your eye on him and if he heads toward where I am follow. If he gets obnoxious get video of him and we'll either file suit against the studio and him or get a restraining order or both. After we have a little film of me rejecting him once again you can handle the problem, but only after I get my pound of flesh. I'm sick of the bastard pawing me."

"That sounds like a plan to me. Let's do it."

Later that same day Traci took her computer and went to the spring to work on their next book. The actor saw her walking down the path and began to slip away and follow her. Sam waited until he was well on his way and followed with his camera filming the actor's stalk of Traci. Sam stood in the edge of the woods watching as the actor walked up beside Traci and sat down. He immediately put his arm around her and tried to kiss her. She pushed him away and said, "I've told you over and over I am not interested in you. Get your hands off me and get out of here. Go back to the set and do what you were hired to do. I'm busy here and don't want anything to do with you."

The actor grinned and licked her ear before he said, "Aw, Honey, I know you don't mean that. Hell, just think what I could do for a woman like you if you were nice to me. Hell, I can get you a screen test and maybe even a part in one of my films. Now, come on, honey, relax. That husband of yours is busy out front. We have plenty of time and this is a nice, secluded, romantic place to spend it with each other."

Traci stood and pushed the actor away when he rose and tried to grab her. He stumbled back then moved toward Traci once again. She snarled, "I warned you asshole." She took a step and kicked him as hard as she could in the crotch.

The actor screamed, clutched himself, and fell to the ground writhing in pain. He looked up at Traci with tears in his eyes and moaned, "You fucking Bitch! What did you do that for?"

"Because I"m damn sick and tired of telling you no and having you ignore me. You have been mauling me almost every time you see me ever since my first visit to LA. I've told you and your studio numerous times I am not interested. Now maybe you'll understand. No means no, at least where I'm concerned."

Sam was still filming when the director and several other people came running into the clearing. The director looked at the actor lying on the ground and shouted, "What the hell happened here? Quick, someone get the nurse."

Sam turned to the Director and said, "What happened here is what Traci and I have been complaining to you about for the last several weeks. That asshole doesn't know that no means no. Since you wouldn't do anything about his harassment of Traci we decided to take care of the problem. He wouldn't leave her alone again today and she finally had all she would take and put him down. I have all of his harassment on film here. Now we need to come to an understanding or I will by god have his ass in jail for attempted rape. What would that do to his reputation and your film?"