TWENTY-SEVEN & EIGHT
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Today was the big day and the adrenaline overrode his lack of sleep. The parking lot held a few vehicles when Eddie arrived. Large pick-up trucks pulled the vendor’ s trailers. They arrived early hoping for choice spots. Eddie knew the nature of the beast and orange cones marked with concession stand names denoted the spaces. Eddie made it perfectly clear this was a first deposit, first choice deal. The five hundred dollar deposit paid the first weeks rent. Those vendors who presented their cash knew their position was reserved. Some figured if they got here early and set up, no one would ask them to move. The security guard posted at three AM dashed such hopes. Trying to cover every aspect of this project, he had filled an entire notebook. The notes were transferred to the computer. Eddie listed problems he might encounter and tried to apply simple solutions. Frank, Rodney, Sam and Tanya became his sounding board. All of them offered their advice and expertise. Eddie became a property manager, able to talk the talk and walk the walk.
The changes he saw within himself, over the last eleven months, brought a smile to his face. Eddie’ s goal was to make a profit. He did not care if it was ten dollars. He would frame his half and hang it in his office as a reminder that anything was possible. There were many invoices Frank paid that Eddie knew existed. He could look at the numbers anytime he desired. Eddie chose to look ahead. To look at the books was a vision of things he could not change. He spent carefully but reminded himself not to be penny-wise and dollar foolish.
The security guard was looking at his clipboard and noticed a cone had been moved while he was talking to one of the vendors in line. He fixed the swap. Eddie walked past the young uniformed man.“ Keep up the good work Jasen,” he said.“ Yes sir,” Jasen replied and went over the layout again. Eighteen, twenty by fifteen foot painted rectangles, six on each of three sides of the parking lot, gave vendors plenty of space for their stand and a few tables. The space closest to the exit door was the ticket booth and comment card station. Frank was prepared to build a permanent structure. Eddie said he would take care of the ticket booth. He found a used twenty-eight foot travel trailer and had it converted into what he needed for less than a third of his budget. He made the first space big enough to accommodate his needs. Eddie had the parking lot light poles fitted with key activated, electrical outlets for the vendor booths. It was noon and everything was in place for the six o’ clock grand opening. Eddie tried to catch a nap at the apartment but could do nothing but stare at the ceiling so he returned to the“ Fear Factory.”
Just before five o’ clock personnel began to arrive. Parking lot attendants in reflective vests, actors sans their make-up and costumes slowly began to enter the designated parking. A host of support, from electricians and technicians to make-up artists were already bustling about. By five-thirty the parking lot began to fill and the line of black t-shirts stretched three quarters the length of the building. Eddie opened the steel doors and allowed patrons a chance to get out of the heat and into the cool of the air conditioned building. Picking up his two-way radio, he ordered the control room to start the soundtrack and the classic thrillers on the flat screen televisions. Two Houston police cruisers entered the parking lot. Eddie was never so happy to see the cops. Their presence made everyone’ s job safer especially the parking lot attendants.
Concessionaires were asked to keep a tab for Houston’ s finest and present it to Eddie at the end of each week. The officer’ s money was not green enough at the“ Fear Factory” is how Eddie approached the subject. Nods from the vendors put everyone on the same page. Bottled water and soft drinks never managed to find