Calgary, November 2024
Martin wanted to make his life easier, and to achieve that, he was looking for a rich woman who would support him. He would live with her in a nice apartment, she would take him on holidays and pay his bills. Unfortunately, such a woman hasn’t appeared yet. This does not mean that Martin was unsuccessful with females. On the contrary. Thanks to his attractive appearance, cheerful nature and charming smile, many women liked him. However, none of them were rich, and none wanted to support him. John considered becoming a gigolo, but he rejected it. He would be stuck with aging abandoned wives, and that wasn’t what he had in mind. Martin wanted to be supported by a rich young woman, not an old left-over ex-wife, but so far, the only person who was supporting him was himself.
The closest profession to a gigolo is a marriage scammer, but that is not a full-time job. It must be supplemented with something real, something that brings in enough money to create the image of a young man longing for love. Thanks to his pleasant appearance and a nice smile, Martin was well-suited to the job of a sales representative, and he decided to become a real estate agent. He completed the required courses, got his license, and accepted a job in a real estate agency. But his first meeting with clients was not very successful. It was an 'open house', and people were examining the apartment, when an old man with a small grandson walked in. He ignored the 'adults only' sign, and the boy, while running around, tripped over the leg of another customer, fell, and hit his head. There was blood, the boy screamed, the old man threatened to sue Martin, and the customers left. It was not the best start to his career, but later, thanks to his nice personality, Martin became a good salesman. But that didn't get him any closer to his goal of becoming a kept man. No woman buying a house or apartment would leave her husband for a real estate agent. Therefore, he began the next phase of his plan and joined one of the dating sites that abound on the Internet.
Jana didn't know Martin, but if she did, she would understand him perfectly. Like him, she was looking for someone who would take care of her. A rich man with whom she could live in a nice house, who would take her on vacations and who would pay the bills. And like Martin, she hadn't found him yet. In the meantime, she was living with her parents and working as a secretary at an advertising agency. That didn't give her many opportunities to meet the one she was looking for. Nobody at the agency would leave his wife for a secretary. So, like Martin, she decided to try her luck on dating sites, and after a few failed attempts, she found what she was looking for: Martin Novák, 32, the owner of a real estate agency, was looking for the love of his life. There was a picture of a handsome man who looked younger than his stated age. Martin added a few years to make his claim more believable. Jana replied, introduced herself as the owner of an advertising agency and sent him a photo of herself. They exchanged a few emails, discovered they lived in the same city, and decided to meet. After the usual pleasantries, Jana asked:
"You said you were looking for the love of your life. What exactly do you mean by that?"
"I want a woman I can love and take care of."
It sounded perfect, so she continued asking questions.
"Suppose I were that woman. What would you expect from me?"
Martin couldn't say, 'I would expect you to pay the bills.' Instead, he said:
"I would expect you to love me," and then it was his turn to ask:
"What about you? Why did you answer my ad?"
Jana couldn't say, “because I want you to take care of me,” so she said:
"Because I'm looking for a man who will treat me like an equal partner, not like an ornament in his house."
Being treated as an equal meant paying half the bills. Martin felt he was halfway to his goal. Both were satisfied with their first meeting and decided to continue their acquaintance.
Martin earned enough to afford a nice car and a small apartment. So, at least for now, he could pretend to be a prosperous property owner. When Jana pointed out his somewhat modest living, he invited her for the weekend to what he claimed was his cottage on the outskirts of town. The truth was that the agency was selling the cottage, and Martin was appointed to handle the sale. He had a key and was expected to show the cottage to potential buyers. Jana certainly wasn’t a potential buyer, but that didn't stop Martin from offering her a romantic weekend there. "You'll love it," he promised. Jana liked the idea, and when they arrived on Friday afternoon, she wasn't disappointed. The wooden cabin was luxurious, well-equipped, and even had a sauna. "Is that really yours?" she asked, and Martin just smiled. He couldn't say: "I wish." They made dinner, went to the sauna, and the night was even better. "I told you you'd like it here," Martin said when they woke up in the morning. They were lying lazily in bed; there was nowhere to rush, when suddenly Martin heard the main door opening. He quickly got dressed, ran downstairs and saw a family of four entering.
"What are you doing here?" he shouted.
"I can ask you the same question," the man said angrily.
"This property is for sale," Martin muttered. He didn't know what else to say.
"I know that. I put it for sale. But in the meantime, I'm still using it on the weekends."
Jana also rushed downstairs. "What's going on?"
"We have to leave," Martin said. They quickly packed their things, loaded them into Martin's car, and drove away.
"You said the cabin was yours!" Jana looked as angry as the true owner of the cabin. Martin said nothing, and Jana continued. "You lied to me, and I presume you're lying about the ownership of the agency, too. Am I right?"
There was silence again, and then Martin muttered, "I guess you'll never want to see me again."
Now it was Jane's turn to be silent for a moment, and then she said, "You're not the only one lying here. I'm not the owner of an advertising agency. I'm just a secretary."
Martin wasn't surprised. Jana didn't look like the owner of anything.
"But we had a good time together," he said.
"Yes, that's true. We had a good time, but I didn't find the man I was looking for."
"You can't have it all," Martin concluded the discussion.