The Art of the Hustle 2 (Complete)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

In addition to running a multi-billion dollar enterprise, Trevor also had vast real estate holdings, a world-class restaurant, and an extensive investment portfolio. He wanted to teach his young protégé about business so it only seemed right that he showed Deon firsthand.

After grabbing smoothies in Yaletown, Trevor had some errands to run so he asked Deon if he wanted to join him. Deon wasn't really sure what Trevor had to do, but was happy that Trevor was being generous with his time.

They walked to a really posh apartment complex right on the water. Trevor took out a key fob and held it against the sensor.

Walking through the lobby, Trevor paid close attention to Deon's reaction. In a way, Trevor was reliving that same excitement he once had when he entered a really nice building. Since becoming wealthy, it was harder to have that same excitement for things.

The elevator came and they both entered. Scanning the key fob on another sensor, Trevor hit the 19th floor.

Now standing in a hallway in front of an apartment door, Trevor fumbled with a few different keys before finding the right one. He inserted it into the lock and push his way inside. Deon followed closely behind.

"Should I take off my shoes?" Deon asked.

"Nah, don't worry about it. It's hardwood so it's easy to clean."

The apartment was amazing — nineteenth floor unobstructed view overlooking the water. The inside was modern and spacious with lots of light. The kitchen was an open concept with high-end appliances and granite countertops.

"Wow, this place is awesome," Deon said.

"Come here, let me show you the view."

Walking from the entrance over to the balcony, Deon was in awe. He was pointing out all the things he liked and how it would be so awesome to live there. Trevor was really getting a kick out of watching Deon's excitement.

Trevor slid open the balcony door and they stepped outside. The cool breeze washed over them, which felt nice. Especially on a day where the sun was out and there was not a cloud in the sky. The two stood outside, resting against the railing, and stared out at the exquisite view. Neither one of them wanted to ruin the moment with words. At that height, they could see as far as the horizon and it was truly breathtaking.

"What do you think of the view?" Trevor asked.

"It's like..." Deon searched for the right words, "I can't stop looking at it."

Trevor chuckled. "I know how you feel. I felt the same way the first time I had a nice view. My apartment faces south as well so I have a similar view, but as you know the suite I'm staying at in the Fairmont faces north and I'm kind of getting used to the mountain view. It's a nice change."

"Yeah."

"Shall we go inside and check out the rest of the unit?" Trevor asked.

Heading back inside, they spent some time moving from room to room, checking everything from the refrigerator to storage closets. They went into the two bedrooms, the ensuite bathroom as well as the main bathroom, and then back into the living room.

"So what do you think of the place?"

"It's amazing."

"Yeah? Could you see yourself living here someday?"

"Definitely."

"Well..." Trevor said with a smile, holding out a set of keys. "You don't have to wait for someday."

"What are you doing?"

"It's yours."

"What's mine?" Deon looked at Trevor with a look of disbelief. "Are you being serious?"

"This is your new apartment. I mean, I'm not giving it to you, but this is where you and your daughter can live."

"I don't know what to say... thank you."

"Trust me, I know the difference an apartment can have on a person's mental state. You should have seen this one apartment I had. I was at my lowest point in life and I woke up one morning in this disgusting, old, dingy apartment with thick orange shag carpet. It was overlooking a back alley. I lasted less than a day there."

"Then what happened?"

"It's a long story, but I basically just moved across the hall. It was similar in every way except for the view. This new apartment overlooked a nice park. Just having that little change was huge for my mental well-being."

"I cannot thank you enough. Thank you, Trevor."

"It's all good. I figured you had enough pressure on you, and sometimes we need someone to take a little pressure off of us."

"What about payment?" Deon asked. "I can't afford to live here."

"Right. Good question. Here's my thinking, and I'm open to alternative suggestions. You can live here rent free for two months. That should give you plenty of time to get a job. Once you get a job, I expect you to pay rent. I would typically rent out an apartment like this for at least $2500 per month, but since you're a student, I will subsidize that so you only have to pay half of that."

"Twelve fifty per month?" Deon repeated, looking around.

"Sound fair?"

"Yes, of course."

"But?"

"Thank you very much, but I don't think I will be able to afford $1250 per month."

"How about a thousand?"

"Okay... that should be fine."

"A thousand a month it is then, first two months free, and no damage deposit," Trevor said, extending his hand. "You'll never find a better deal than that."

Deon reached out and shook Trevor's hand. "A thousand dollars per month for a brand new two bedroom apartment in Yaletown, marina-side, overlooking the water. That's a very good deal. I can't thank you enough, seriously."

"Sometimes it pays to have rich friends."

"I'll find some way to pay you back."

"Your success will be my reward. No pressure."

They both laughed. Deon had the same expression of disbelief on his face. He was in shock. He couldn't believe he and his daughter would live in such a nice apartment in one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in Vancouver. It was truly a dream come true for him.

"This is your new home. You can decorate it however you like. All I ask is that you respect my place and don't damage it."

"Of course."

"There's also strata rules that you have to follow. No pets, no partying, no drugs, no loud music, no marijuana grow ops."

"No fight clubs in the basement?" Deon laughed.

"Definitely no fight clubs in the basement. This is a new start for you and you have been given a tremendous opportunity here. Don't make me regret it."

"Don't worry, I'll treat your place with respect. Thank you so much. I've never had anything nice like this before."

"Come on, I have one more surprise for you."