Space To Rent (487 words)

He had always wanted to be his own boss; the news of redundancy came to him as a sigh of relief. His family didn't see it that way, but who cares. Its was his time now, and he had it all planned since that mishap of a family holiday in New Year. Around every corner, don every street where was man wearing a sandwich billboard. Fantastic things! So what if you're selling a trans-fat sandwich as the health option this lunchtime, or a perpetual golf sale, someone will pay you to walk around all day. You're out and about, meeting people, walking, getting exercise. Beats that old, stuffy, office lifestyle.

Out the garden shed, after a morning of DIY shopping, he busied himself with the construction of his very own sandwich board. After a few attempts he got it right; the first one was too heavy, another lopsided. Then for a couple coats of white paint, followed by red spray paint and stencils to spell out the sign "Interested In This Space?... Call 07988 123 456". How proud he was, the humble beginnings of his new empire. What better time than now for a test drive, and if he rushed, just in time to hit the afternoon commute.

But this wasn't New York, nor London, Birmingham or Leeds, this was Bournemouth, a sleepy town on the doorstep of heaven. Regards, with considering the practicality of the endeavour, he got to the centre plaza just in time. Please with himself, he slowly paced the back and for, meeting and greeting the occasional few; no one directly approached him for more information, but he was pretty sure that someone would jot down the number and get back to him anytime now.

Someone did. And that night, as the small hours started to creep by, his mobile start to ring on the night stand the opposite side of the bed to him. Disorientated, and trying his best not to piss of his wife any more that she already was, he answered the phone.

"Hello?"
"Are you the guy with the billboard in town?", a male voice asked.

A costumer! Not just any, but the first. What great new, and what a buzz, the rush of success. He creeped out of the bed, and into the en-suite, not to disturb the wife with business talk.

"Yes, that is me."
"The message said to call if you were interested in, um..." he paused, "... This space?"
"That's right, yes, why, are you interested in me"
"Oh, yes"
"Well then, maybe we should meet up sometime soon. say, lunch tomorrow, in the plaza?"
"Oh, yes, that'll be grand by me"
"Its a date then... I'll be the one wearing the sandwich board", he laughed. "Goodnight!"

He hung up the phone, and slipped back into bed. How exciting this new page of his life was. What surprises could tomorrow bring, he wondered.