Covert Operation

BTW, you can always find me over on Facebook. We've got a pretty fun community over there. Link in sidebar --> 

My boss sent me to another complex to scope it out. He was about to acquire this property from another management company after it had been underperforming for the last…oh…let me see…forever. He asked me to do so without revealing my real reason for visiting.

No problem.

I can do discreet.

For whatever reason(probably boredom) I was really excited about this. I mentally created a fake identity using my sister's first name and my mother's maiden name. You know, so I wouldn't forget it. My cover story was that I was relocating to the area for work. (even though none of this was necessary)

I got to the property and took note of the trash on the walkways and wood burning grills on the patios (gasp!), but other than that, it didn't look like a terrible place to live. I found the leasing office with the leasing agent inside. She perked up when I walked in and asked how she could help me. I gave her my fake name and story. She then asked me where I would be working.

Ummmmm, "HBO," I said, because it was the first thing to come to my head. Is HBO located in Orange County? Probably not, but she didn't ask about it, all she wanted was my drivers license.

Crap.

I hadn't thought this all the way through, obviously.

When she asked why my drivers license had a different name I said, "I got married and changed my name, just not on my drivers license yet." I'll admit, I was pretty happy with this quick response.

"You're changing your last and first name?"

"Um, yeah." I then rambled on about how it was a religious thing…at this point I think she was afraid to be alone in an apartment with me. I knew this because she stood at the door while I looked through a two-bedroom.

After the tour, she started asking me about my job. My BS meter was running on low so I left. I literally just turned around and walked away, fast, while we were still talking.

I had retrieved the information requested, not exactly in a smooth way, but I got it. Mission accomplished.

Except, as Lady Luck would have it, the leasing agent and I both seem to have kids around the same age, who have the same friends, who both attended the same princess party two days later.

Does a leasing agent forget about the prospective tenant who was talking about how she is religiously obligated to change her first name, and says she works for HBO, and then randomly runs away mid-sentance?

Nope.

I would never make it as secret agent, obviously.