Hot Leads And Petty Crooks

I wish I could see into the future.  No, wait, I'm glad I can't see into the future.

I wish that people wanted me to be of service in a pre-approved manner.

"What can I do to help here?" I'd say, earnestly, willing to be very helpful.
"This and that," they'd reply.
I'd furrow my brow and wrinkle my nose as if I had detected an objectionable smell.  "What else you got?" I'd say.

I went to an early meeting today.  Afterwards, I said hello to a woman that I have spoken with casually a couple of times here in Vacation City.  She had a hot lead on a temporary vacation rental and she wanted to pass the owner's phone number along to me.  She motioned for me to follow her outside, somewhat furtively.  She began to speak in hushed tones.  She started to tell a long story about a neighbor, someone with whom she was having some serious problems.  She pulled out a little plastic folder - like you would keep grocery coupons in - and began showing me various legal documents describing law suits and counter suits between her and this woman.  Her neighbor had a rap sheet full of petty fraud and small claims court disputes.

I wasn't very interested in all of this minutiae but I listened politely, occasionally edging closer to my car.  She needed to talk and I do ask to be of  maximum service to my fellow man each morning in my Quiet Time.  Honestly, she has a pretty heavy accent and I was only picking up about half of what she was saying.

"So when you call don't tell her you got her number from me," my friend said.  "She HATES me."

It dawned on me that the whole conversation was about the neighbor who has the vacation rental property.  Her hot lead was with a petty crook with whom has a serious grudge.

These people.