Free Pierced by a Sword by Bud Macfarlane

living room.
    I look more like Denzel Washington than any of the homeboys back in the Woodland Section. I didn't have to move to LA to get away from Woodland. All I had to do was shop at Tower City! Tower City was an upscale mall in the center of the business district of downtown Cleveland.
    These two revelations, namely, that he could disguise his poorbackground with clothing, money, and manners; and that he was more intelligent than most other people–even white people–added up in Lee's mind more quickly than he added profit margins during his deals: I'm going to be rich!
    All his Personal Power CDs assured him basically the same thing.
    Lee turned down two offers for cocaine that evening, excused himself early, and made sure he got Fabian'scell phone number before leaving. He drove his Escalade back to El Segundo. Instead of going to bed, Lee stayed up until two in the morning studying.
    One week later, he convinced Fabian and two of his gay friends to take options on land in Oxnard near a hospital that was slated to receive huge federal grants for AIDS research.
    Then Fabian introduced Lee to a gay soap opera actor. The actor happenedto be black and was originally from Akron, Ohio. The two transplants hit it off. Lee discovered the actor was in the market for a condominium in Inglewood. Four days later, Lee passed the California real estate exam by one point and sold the actor a condominium the next day.
    Three days after that, he rented a prime piece of office space in downtown Los Angeles across from the Hilton. Lee consideredthe office in the same category as his wardrobe–a disguise to fool whites and middle class blacks. He also hired a white secretary from a temp firm, and Fabian's accountant to do his books. Then he hired another one of Fabian's friends to resell the smaller properties in El Segundo that Lee had begun to buy. He called his company Washington Properties. Washington Properties broke even or madea few thousand on most of the smaller deals. Lee was so engrossed with his work that he barely noticed he was working eighteen hours a day. Shawna Washington began to complain that her son was too busy and started nagging him for more money.
    Lee was investing almost all his Clinic Deal fortune, consciously betting on his own ability, bolstered by the human potential CDs and books he was reading.Financially, he seemed to be a good horse to bet on. When he made Fabian and his friends fifty grand each (and pocketed as much for himself, plus a cut) on the Oxnard properties, word quickly spread about the Boy Wonder from Cleveland.
    In the hip and hyped world of Los Angeles, Lee gave halting, low-key presentations, delivered with his calm, quiet voice. His presentations were always augmentedby impressive research neatly inscribed on yellow pads in his tiny, childlike handwriting. He was tough, fair, and even generous. Little did his investors realize that this was his practical and relentless way of investing in them. They were more valuable to him than any property.
    Lee secretly relished the fact that he had maneuvered himself into a glorious position for any businessman: Now I'mrisking and investing other people's money, just like it says in all the books.
    He began to chant to himself over and over: I will have a million dollars before the end of the year. And after two years I'll have ten million dollars. By the end of ten years I'll own the Lakers!
    He put the team photo of the Lakers on his desk, just as the gurus advised him, so he could visualize owning the sportsfranchise.
    Fabian had made a pass at Lee several weeks earlier, and he didn't seem insulted when Lee turned him down. Lee decided that if he didn't want to collapse from exhaustion, he had better take a few hours off to relax with a woman. He was pleasantly surprised when the white women he met at the parties were willing to sleep with him. They were even willing to be seen with him at restaurantsand nightclubs.
    When Raja X took him to the