History of the Changelings Billy Barker, Zorn, Brad Jenkens by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview
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Character sheet
Brad Jenkins Brenda Satten Devon Satten Maribell Granden
Emperor Harcourt Rose Winston Empress Judith Granden
Out of work because a large conglomerate bought up the small company I worked at, then started to break off the valuable pieces which were sold. I was in the leftover which one morning showing up for work, there was just ash and a fire inspector shaking his head while saying that it is another example of inadequate wiring.
Stepping up behind me was my girlfriend. She is beautiful in my eyes. Long brown hair that was nicely braided. The tip of that braid reached almost all the way to her perfectly formed ass. Green eyes, and is shapely in form including her scaly bird feet. She is a halfling and we are in love.
Brenda, of late, has been splitting her nights between her apartment and mine. Mostly at mine. For whatever reason, I have never been invited to her apartment but I don’t push it. Matter of fact, it adds a bit of mystery and intrigue to our romance.
I have been pushing for her to move in with me but she is hesitant. She says that her father would not condone it. That’s the only reason she is hanging on to the apartment.
While I am just standing there, looking at the ashes, she leans into me and rests her head on my shoulders, she casually says,
“I guess I did not have to worry about being late today. What happened?”
“The fire marshal said faulty wiring but all was replaced before the business was bought out. I figure that it is just a way of corporate urban renewal. I guess that we will need to start looking for another job. Only trouble is that AI is taking a lot of the jobs we work. I think it would be better if we moved in together. Both of our unemployment comp should be enough for a while.”
“I love you but I still can’t move in.”
“Well, as long as we don’t have to work today, what do you want to do?”
She is acting that way. Innocently wiggling at the hips while both feet stay in place.
“We could always spend the day at your place and get comfortable.”
She says and then bites her lower lip.
“Okay but I need to first check out the web job board. For my life style’s future, I need to quickly get a job. Rent is due in a week. If I don’t get it, I’m homeless and I don’t even have a car to sleep in if that happens. Unless I move into your apartment.”
We go to my place. Brenda sits on the couch and puts her feet on the coffee table. I used to get upset and complain about the hind claw scratching the table but have given up. At times I feel that she just does not listen. I love her.
Scanning the postings online, I apply to a few of the ones especially the ones that say they will train.. I was going to apply to more but I was interrupted by a kiss on my cheek
from behind me and the sensation of bare breasts on my back. I could no longer concentrate.
Her hands were wrapped around me and wandering.
“I need to send a few more applications in, but you’re not helping. You can be very distracting when you want to.”
She then sat down on my lap. It is no surprise, she is completely naked and already I can feel that she is soaking through my pants. Oh well, I did put in a few and there is the unemployment compensation. I pick up my little bird and we go to bed for the day.
Late in the evening, after the delivered fast food was eaten, Brenda drifted off and I went back to the job board. When I opened the board, much to my amazement, I had an invitation to an interview. In the invitation it said that they would teach me a lesson and then they could decide as to my future.
Sounds like they are eager so I reply to the email saying that I was interested and can meet at their earliest convenience.
With in minutes, I receive a request to meet at nine tomorrow morning. They gave me the address. I recognize that it is in the affluent section of the business district. Has to be corporate. A wealthy, well established corporation. I get in, I should be able to upgrade my apartment to the level that Brenda would be more than willing to move in. I accept the interview time.
I arrive respectably early. It’s fifteen minutes before the time of the meeting. I check in at the front desk.
“Brad Jenkins, I have an appointment for an interview.”
The man looks at the log, looks up at me, smirks and tells me to sit.
He tells me, “I will let him know that you are here.”
So, I wait, but only for a few minutes.
I hear the elevator ding and a tall man comes out.
He is tall, very tall. An intimidating man who’s expensive tailored black suit looks like it needs to be extensively let out. His muscular frame is stretching that jacket and shirt almost beyond its limits. One real flex and it would burst into little pieces.
He must like black. Suit jacket, shirt, tie and pants with matching shoes are all black.
He comes over to me. I stand as he cordially asks “Brad Jenkins?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“I’m Devon Satten with corporate. I’m happy to get to meet you, finally.”
He gestures towards the elevator.
“Shall we get started. If you would please come with me?”
We get into the elevator. I think that it must be a really rich corporation, he pushed the top floor button.
Strange music, I recognize that it is the instrumental version of Bat Out of Hell.
The elevator stops at the top floor and we both get out.
Immediately he grabs me by the arm and is forcefully dragging me down the corridor.
I can’t help it. I yank my arm away from his grip. He has a very angry look to him.
I tell him that I’ll follow him. As I walk, I notice white large bird tracks on the black carpet.
It looked like a large bird stepped in white paint and walked across the hall way going from one door on the left down two doors and into the right hand door.
Trying to deescalate the tension I say that they really need to clean that up before it sets.
Devon just grumbles that someone got pissed and did it deliberately.
He opens up the last door and as we get in I think I can’t help but destroy my chances of this job.
“What the hell is your problem with me?”
Before I could tell him that I was going. Devon slammed the door so hard that I swear the building shook.
The man, before my eyes morphed into the largest hellcat. All red, now insanely muscular and snarled at me saying
“Just like I said in the email, I’m going to teach you a lesson and then decide your future. I suspected for a while and got the final proof yesterday.”
He hit the remote to the biggest flat screen I have ever seen. There playing, was me and Brenda fucking our brains out. I got a very sinking feeling about those white prints on the black carpet as he yells,
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t end your future here and now. This is you FUCKING MY ONE AND ONLY DAUGHTER!!” and just as he goes for me, Brenda breaks in and yells at her father,
“DON’T YOU TOUCH HIM DADDY, I LOVE BRAD.”
To which he tells her that he is going to pop my head like car tires running over a toad at night.
“It will make a satisfying sound” he iterates.
She is able to calm him somewhat then turns to me.
“After I left this morning, my father intercepted me and confronted me about this. Told me that I had soiled myself. That he now had to clean up my mess. There was a large roller pan of white paint on the floor that the maintenance man was using. I stepped in the pan and told him that my love is not a mess. This is what a mess looks like. Then I walked down the hall.”
She finally notices the flat screen. Now she morphs into the most ferocious harpy, the type that no one has ever seen and would be a frightening sight in a dream. I found myself very aroused at the sight of her. She took a sniff of the air then smiled at me then once again let the beast take over.
Pointing to the screen with a feathery arm that has what look like raptor claws on the ends. “Where do you get off bugging my boyfriend’s apartment. You trying to get kinky watching your own daughter fucking. Who else have you gotten your jollies off watching?”
“Brad” she tells me “I’m sorry that this pervert recorded his own daughter. It is only natural for him. He is after all the head demon of this area.”
I’m stunned, but then with a sudden awareness she turns back to her father. “Don’t tell me. It was you. I thought I recognized your methods. Brad, I’d like to introduce you to the man who tore apart a good company and then burned the remainder down putting us both and all the others out of work. Meet the man who did this just because we were together.”
She crosses her arms and leans back against the wall as she returns to her normal form.
“I’m moving in with him today and we will exist on love and unemployment.”
Brenda takes my arm, opens the door and with sass tells him, “Brad is right. You do need someone to get up the white prints on the carpet. I can’t imagine who would do such a thing.”
As we walk out, I could not help but notice remnants of white paint on her fore claws.
Devon only now notices red claw prints on his office carpet.
By the middle of the day, she was completely moved in. She has clothes and some personal items. The rest, she explained that her father’s name was on the lease. Let him take care of the furniture left and the cleanup.
“I found I still had paint on my claws. I can’t understand where the red on the back claw came from.”
Note to myself. I need to make sure there is no unused paint in the apartment and make sure she does not get pissed at me.
I do tell her,
“Honey, if you ever get angry, please no paint. Just go full harpy and make me take care of you.”
She smiles as she starts to morph.
After a few days of both of us taking turns on who was being Dom and who was Sub, there was a knock on the door. It was an official looking messenger. If I did not know what I knew, my first thought would be MIB at my door. I was right in thinking that.
Almost.
Brenda looks this man up and down.
“So, he got your people involved. You can go back and tell my father that if he wants to try to pull rank. I am on very good terms with the demon emperor and his daughter that he dolts on. If he can’t come here and politely discuss with the both of us, I’ll ask the emperor for an audience. Now tell my father that I’m sure that he can explain before the emperor why he as a self-made porn video of his daughter and her boyfriend, for his own pleasure. But tell him that I will get to the emperor first.”
She slams the door.
“Who was that?” I ask.
“He called the government agency that, let’s just say, smooths incidents over.”
Yup, I was right MIB.
In approximately five minutes, I receive a phone call. A very polite, forced of course, Devon asks,
“Would you please let me talk with my daughter.”
I hold out the phone. “He said please.”
She starts to act like she won’t talk, I clasp both hands on the phone and silently beg.
Brenda takes the phone and in a very sweet fake voice says “Hello” and waves in the general direction where the hidden camera may have been.
“Nice of you to install that camera. Now we can have a video conference.”
Her tone changes “Why did you send those dogs here?”
Devon tells her that all he wants to do is talk to the both of us to resolve this.
“Brad is too nice to say this, so I will. I saw the response that you sent him by email. The job offer sounded ideal to him but now that I have read it, it is full of threats. Here is what’s going to happen. Brad is too good for an upper level position in your corporation.
We both don’t want it. I know that you are constantly eating the small companies. We don’t want to run it for you, we want to own it. Two hundred and fifty thousand in capitol.
It needs to be in a work depressed area, in a small town. You cannot interfere in any way. Don’t steer customers to us or away from us. You can’t starve us by manipulating our suppliers. Total hands off. We will either sink or swim on our own.
Brad picks up on where she is going but he needs to push it just a little further. He asks her to give him the phone.
“Let’s make a wager on this. If within two years we don’t have fifty percent more in capitol, I’ll take a job at one of your companies cleaning toilets for minimum wage and you can have that company back.”
Devon sees an opening, “Let’s up the ante, if you don’t get that fifty percent, even if you miss it by only a penny, you leave and never see my daughter again.”
Brad tells him “Deals off the table. I will marry her right now. We will leave and you’ll never see us or your future grandchildren.”
I give the phone back to her. I do see feathers starting.
“We offered you a deal that would prove that we were good for each other and you have the audacity to try baiting him into giving me up. Not happening. Either send a written contract with our terms by the morning. If you do, we will know that you want to work this out. If not, well it is no sweat. Either way, if you interfere with us during any of the two years, I go to the emperor with a petition for arbitration of damages.”
With that he hears that click.
Then she looks at me and says,
“Let’s get married.”
I tell her that the proposal usually comes from the male with an engagement ring.
“I don’t need a ring, I want to go now. We keep it a secret from him. I love you and want this.”
“Brenda, I love you so much that I can’t see myself without you. Are you really sure that you want to do it now”
“Yes. We can have a formal ceremony later, but before we know his answer, I want to be married to you.”
“Okay” I tell her. We hug and things start to get out of hand until she breaks away.
“A Justice of the peace, and then maybe even feathers.”
So now we enjoy the night. We are officially Brad and Brenda Jenkins. And yes the feathers came out.
In the morning there again is a knock at the door. This time it is her father.
“I had to come here personally. The emperor wishes to know when the ceremony will be held. He has officially acknowledged your marriage. He offers his congratulations and has sanctioned your wishes. I was told that there would be no wager, no bet, no
penalties. Here is the title and the money has been deposited but with a match from the emperor.”
I can tell that this has really taken the wind out of his sails. Brenda, I could tell, was going to make a snotty remark but I stopped her.
“Wife, from here on I ask you to please show more respect to your father.”
I look at him and apologize for any animosity coming from the two of us. “Since we have in fact doubled our holdings, I feel that we have fulfilled our side of that wager. Now I hope that we can do business with each other and make you proud.”
Brenda tells her father
“It is my wish that we can be family. Family is something that you and I have not really had since mother died. I ask you for all our sakes, can we be family?”
I will say one thing. He may be a bad ass corporate monster, but what I see in the man right now is that her statement hit him where it is needed.
He looks at me and I can tell that what he tells me is the hard truth.
“If you ever make my daughter cry anything other than happy tears, I’ll make my daughter a widow.”
He then tells his daughter.
“You look and act so much like your mother. She wouldn’t let me get away with anything either. if you should have a daughter some time in your future, please name her after your mother.”
With that he left us standing there.
I ask,
“How did the emperor know?”
“I don’t think he found it out. I really think that my father found out, informed the emperor and used that to cancel the penalties.”
It was time to check out our company. It used to be a company of one hundred and twenty employees. That number included their own design team. At one time they were the go to company for fluid control valves. It started as a family owned business but when the owner’s wife became sick, he sold it to another company who sold it to a corporation who sold it. Each time things were cut until the last corporation was going to move it.
That is when we were made owners. Walking into the large building, it looked dead. The workers that had gathered, all forty of them, had gone through enough of these meetings to know that they are never good.
My wife and I stood before them and could see that they were waiting for the death nell to toll. I start.
“I would like to introduce my wife and I. We are Brad and Brenda Jenkins. As I can see by your faces, you are no strangers to disappointing news coming from corporate. I’m sorry to have to break the news but this company is no longer in corporate domain.
Sorry folks, it is now back to a family business. “
You could hear a pin drop.
“No, you did not hear that wrong. We are sole owners. We have a rather large amount of capital to invest. First things first. There will be a food truck here in just a little while to serve breakfast and lunch. I now ask you to shut down your machines. Today we talk. I need each of you to show what we are doing right and what was instituted by corporate bull shit. Of course it is a paid day. Tomorrow is also no machining. We clean and start long over due maintenance. We need to get the design group back up and running then contact old customers. “
Brenda takes over.
“My research has shown me that the old practice was to get the customers to give us the dimensions of where the valve was to fit and what it had to do. We designed it and owned it with exclusive spare parts rights. The valves were sold at a breakeven price but the fortune was made on the spares. We are returning to that. The customers won’t have to pay their people to design. Savings to them.”
I tell them that if they know any of the engineers that would be willing to come back, to ask them. For your effort, we pay you three hundred dollars. If they are willing to work here once more, you get an additional seven hundred.
“Enough of this.” I tell them, “Now let’s shut down and celebrate. The truck is coming.
Let’s get to know each other.”
Through the expansion of the company, we brought potential customers in. With that we needed to entertain them. You did not get the big contracts with a sandwich tray. We
had bought the closed restaurant and with some remodeling and affordable prices for good food, it took off with the locals.
The closed café, we reopened it. The local supermarket that was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, we became controlling partners and again were able to turn it.
With almost a reverse of the cascade of closings. The town was now starting to flourish.
This attracted some manufactures that wanted to expand, taking over the vacant buildings. More locals were employed.
With growth there comes envy. The rumors were starting to spread that we were buying up the town to own it all. This world has a majority of humans. Racism has crept into the rumors. Especially rotten is the fact that my wife was a hybrid, or, as they are calling her a half breed. We try to ignore the slurs but now the complaint is that the goblins are coming here and taking the jobs. The fact that they always lived in that town does not matter.
The final straw is when someone found out that Brenda’s father is a demon lord. Now the devil is trying to take their souls. We finally showed up at a town meeting called to address the growing threat to the town from the nonhuman invasion.
They see us and the tempers flare.
I raised my hand and got my turn to speak.
“It seems that you believe that my wife and I started this invasion to steal your town.”
There were quite a few shouts of your right about that, it’s your fault.
“I believe it is my turn to speak”
and they somewhat quiet down.
“I’m here to address that invasion. Since we are to blame, it is my hope that we can put all your worries to rest. I’m here to announce that I have accepted the offer to relocate my shop to a more modern facility in the next town. As of this moment, my wife and I are moving the shop.”
There is shock as I continue.
“My other holdings are being boarded up as I speak. I am divesting my interests in the partnerships that I have and have started proceedings to sell my interests. By this time next week, we will no longer be your trouble. I came here and found this town dead. I brought life to it. Now call the undertaker. I’m out of here.”
I hear, as I’m leaving, the panic spreading. They now realize that they did dig their own grave. To twist the knife, I had all the moving trucks lined up in front. I gave the signal and they started going. The town filed out to see the restaurant, coffee shop and others boarded up. The grocery store has a big foreclosure sign along with a going out of business sign.
I came back a month later to do the final walk through of the machine shop. I’m having it raised to the ground. I have quit claimed all properties to the town. With my father in law’s legal department, the town had no choice but to take possession of the properties.
Almost all the employees have started the process of relocating, after all, they are almost all those mixed breeds. Most to the persons that chose to move with the shop included all the humans..
I stopped and looked at the sad dead town, boom to bust due to a few envious idiots.
Soon those businesses that moved there had to move. The town taxes nearly double to pay for the bonds the town floated in their prosperity. The half built new town hall has been halted because the builder is trying to foreclose on the town for nonpayment.
The next town over is rejoicing. As a side note, that town is a majority of mixed species.
It’s been two years since the move. We are now set. It has been a great success and now we are visiting with Brenda’s father. Being a demon lord, he wanted to wipe the town out but had to laugh.
“I thought you were a bum and no good. My daughter deserved better but now I have to say, you have got to have some demon blood in you. You killed that town in one motion.”
“No, I don’t have demon blood, I have a wife I’m proud of. I won’t stand for her to be the victim of racists. It just so happened that, in getting new big customers, we are thriving better than we could ever hope for in the new location. I have promoted to general manager an employee from within the company that is respected by them. That business has tripled in the space of the two years.”
Brenda now tells her father
“We now want to explore, go on adventures, enjoy life. We want to visit some of those places that I remember mom telling me about when you both were first married. There is one spot that we want you there.”
Devon seems to know what she is going to say and he is trying to keep his composure but is losing.
“Dad, I want to be married in the same spot that you and mom were married. Would you do me the honor of walking me down the aisle. We want to have the ceremony and the adventure while we can, before I get too far along to travel.”
He is at a loss for a moment due to the wedding. He shakes his head and looks at her with great delight.
“Yes dad, I’m pregnant. Only two months, it’s safe for me to travel”
He hugs his daughter for a long time. They are whispering in each other’s ears. I don’t need to hear, the tears of joy say it all.
I actually get a hug and a hard handshake from him.
“I can’t have my son in law staying in the position he is in. After you get back, you’re coming to corporate. Your thinking turned around a town. They may have ruined it but you moved over and did it again. I think that we may just need to see if some of our holdings just need to be trimmed of the dead stock. Investing in the small towns is actually a good thing. With the different holdings we have. We could buy the town without them knowing it.”
“I’m sorry, if that is what you want, taking over a town, you will have the same reaction the first town had. If I am to do it, we invest in a few businesses but also do some town
improvements. Just think, you could take your grand son or daughter to a children’s play park named the Devon Satten Park.”
Now he stops me
“That needs to read the Gloria Satten Children’s Park. She would like that.”
Through the tears he says the he needs to have his staff get going on the wedding.
What’s the date?”
She says a month from today.
“My staff, doable but we must notify the emperor first before we put it in the paper.
Would it be possible for the three of us to tell your mother. Her grave is in town.”
I ask him “Isn’t your limo sitting out front?”
We are driven to the cemetery. I wasn’t expecting what I saw.
For the most part, it looked ordinary. A normal field of normal grave stones. Then I see, almost a whole section taken over by a very large building. Mostly granite, gray in color with accents of rose color granite. On the front side under a portico is an expensive white Carrara marble tablet. On it was engraved Satten. Of course.
The limo stops in front of it and we walk under the portico. There is not a single indication that there is an entrance anywhere on the building.
Devon makes a few hand signs and speaks something. Suddenly, there is a sound of something like gears moving. A wide panel slides open giving us access to the inside.
There inside is the most fantastic sight. Plush chairs for sitting. They are on a platform.
There are what looks like over a dozen rectangular recessed shelf openings. Most are empty but there are some that are occupied. You could see the occupants. I’m stunned.
Devon could see my perplexed look.
“Each one of those clear totally unbreakable glass caskets is a proprietary gas that stops decay entirely. Once sealed they can never be opened again. Both my wife’s parents and mine are here. There now are ones for the both of you and the future.
There are now two sub chambers each with the same number of recesses.”
“My grandfather had this built. Both my grandparents are those two on the ground floor.
He also was the one that had the glass cases and gas mixture perfected in one of his companies.”
We are sitting on those chairs and the platform starts to move. Rising up towards the ceiling, he points out the parents. They look like they are asleep. Pristine, no decay.
The platform stops and moves horizontally until it touches the side of the wall.
In total awe, I see a beautiful woman, in repose, that looks almost like Brenda. Then the catafalque tilted as to allow the viewer to see the person full body at the slight angle.
They both are in silent prayer. Then Brenda talks to her mother.
“Mom I want you to know that I am getting married to a wonderful man who accepts me for who I am. Also, I’m pregnant. If it is okay with you, if it is a daughter, I want to name her Gloria.”
“I’ll be having my staff making all the arrangements.” Devon tells her, “They want to have the ceremony at the resort, High Peak. It will be at the same venue as we were married. You probably already know this, at first, I was ready to kill Brad Jenkins, but he has proved that he can more than take good care of our daughter.”
Not knowing what to say, but feel the need to say something, I go with impulse.
“Brenda, now that we are here, in front of both your mother and father, I ask you, Brenda, will you make me the happiest person in this world and the next. Will you marry me?”
I hate to say this, but for a second, it was dead silent. Then the tears started to flow from Brenda and Devon. She, through the tears, said yes. Devon looked at me and said,
“Thank you for that. The respect is deeply appreciated by her mother and I.”
With everything back in place and the mausoleum again secure. On the ride back, Devon gave us the code for the family mausoleum.
“I need to have someone else that can access it. As I said, the mausoleum was built by my grandparents. When I married Gloria, they passed the access codes to me. Rest assured that I do not intend to go anytime soon. After all I now have to prepare to spoil my grandchild. When that child is grown, you’ll do the same thing.”
As we pull up to our home, he finishes,
“Now you go, enjoy your 3 weeks of wandering. Let that be your honeymoon.
Remember that you need to be at the resort at the beginning of the 4th week. You need your wedding fittings and such. What awaits you after the wedding will be beyond your wildest dreams. I won’t tell you now. It will spoil the surprise.”
With that he drives off.
Both of us are left scratching our heads.
I ask Brenda,
“Do you know what he is talking about?”
“With my father you don’t know, but it is something big. He only does big. Let’s not worry about it. He no longer wants to kill you. He really does like you otherwise he would not have bragged about you to mother.”
With that we leave and explore. It was pleasant. The scenery was wonderful. We walked, talked, hiked and biked through the countryside. The inns that we stayed in were also top quality with one exception. They all had wifi.
Devon knew that we would be back at our accommodations by nightfall. It was then he would call, almost every day, to ask Brenda about this or that with the wedding.
“We have to get this right. The emperor and family will be there.” He constantly says.
She would counter that it was our wedding. Even if it were held in a beer hall, everyone would have a good time. After those needed questions, he would always ask how was your day?
Brenda would tell him about the sights. She was taking us on a tour of her childhood memories of what her mother described about her parent’s honeymoon.
One day, after more wedding crises were resolved, she told him about a couple we met that day.
“Daddy, they were a handsome couple. She was a red haired woman and the man was an extraordinarily tall goblin. We found out that they were married and were adventurers. We sat with them for a while and they told us of some of their adventures.
Most, you could tell were flights of fancy but we enjoyed them. We went our separate ways. One other thing, they had an enormous all black wolf like dog that would not leave their side. Friendly but always on the alert. Like he was their protector.”
The rest of the 3 weeks was filled like that. Brenda and I had almost continuous pleasures seeing the sights and hearing the sounds. The nights were just as pleasurable. There were raucous nights of exploration, pushing the boundaries and finding there really weren’t any. Most nights however were pure romance.
The end of our three weeks was at the final destination, the resort called High Peak.
The second we walked into the lobby, we were inundated with all sorts of people. One sticks out. A loud clap of her hands and everyone went silent, including us.
“You all know what time you are scheduled. Flooding them will only get your time shortened. Your quality will still stay the same. Only above excellence will do.”
Brenda is filled with joy as she rushes the young woman yelling “Maribell” then hugs her.
“What are you doing here?” she asks
“Do you think, for one second, that I would leave this up to a man? Do you think that all those questions that your father was asking were his? Daddy talked to your father to express my wishes to coordinate this.”
Maribell looks at Brad and decides to play with Brenda.
“Is this the lucky guy. He is obviously not in your class Brenda. He strikes me more of an emperor’s daughter’s league.”
Then starts to laugh. Brenda, however, is not taking this as a joke. Her feathers are growing as she growls.
“DON’T EVEN THINK ….”
Maribell defuses the situation by a simple phrase.
“Didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers.” And bursts out laughing. Then Brenda does the same. I was the only one left in the dark.
“Just in case you haven’t guessed, I’m her BFF, Maribell. You must be something special to tame this wild bird.”
“Actually, she both domesticated and set me free. Hi I’m Brad.”
Without missing a beat, she slips back into her wedding director mode.
“Brenda, your initial measurements will be taken in room 202. The seamstress has you in 30 minutes. Your rooms are the entire second floor. Brad you have the entire third floor. Your tailor is set up in 302. You are also due in 30 minutes. Both of you, go shower and be at those doors, on time”
I have to ask a question, only to find out it was dumb.
“What about the other guests here?”
“There are none. My father booked the entire resort three weeks ago for these two weeks. Wedding guests are going to be on the fourth and fifth floor. The guests will be allowed to stay and enjoy the resort for the extra week. They are required to be here three days from now. Now you are down to 25 minutes. Go.”
Only Brenda, sass all the way. As she walks off you hear her.
“Okay, Bitch.” And runs off as Maribell starts after her.
I’m left standing when Devon comes over.
“Welcome to the mad house. Let’s get you to your room. I’m also on the third floor.”
With that, the fun has begun.
Both of us have been run ragged. It’s only the first day and I already told Brenda that we should elope. To which, she reminded me that we already did. Now that royalty is involved, let alone directing it, we would be facing the possibility of being summarily executed, if we ran.
Then she reminded me that the emperor’s kingdom reaches every corner of the world.
We would need to go to one of those worlds that couple talked about and that ain’t happening.
I then tell her that I am enjoying every minute of it.
And just when you thought that things won’t,… get any better. We hear a commotion.
Devon runs up to us and tells us to get to the lobby, now!
“What’s the matter, this place on fire?” Brenda asks.
“No, something worse. The emperor was not to show up before the other guests, but he’s here. Now everyone is frantic. This creates a major social blunder. Protocol states that no one arrives after the royalty.”
We run down stairs to the lobby and see something that should not happen in public.
“Do you know what exactly you have done by coming here?”
“I’m the emperor and your father. I can do what I want. Besides, your mother and I missed you. You’ve been tied up for three weeks now.”
Maribell tells him,
“You have ruined all my work. Don’t you realize that it is total disrespect to come to an event after the emperor arrives. You’re here. No one else can come to the wedding. You cannot be here.” She is now almost in tears.
Before anyone can say anything, I interject with a question for her.
“If I understand the dilemma, the emperor’s protocol is no one can come to the event after he arrives. It is considered an insult. This is not the event. This is preparation. Am I right?”
Everyone agrees so I continue.
“We were told that the guest will be arriving on the day before the two day event.
Emperor, please make sure that you have somewhere else to stay. You cannot be sleeping here until you were scheduled to arrive. There is another hotel in the area, stay there. That allows you to make sure things are progressing. Maribell, does that satisfy your plan conflict?”
“I guess it does, but he cannot interfere. Mom can assist but Dad, hang out with the gentlemen. Do you understand?”
The emperor goes over to the front desk and has them book another suitable place for the three nights.
Devon gives me the most satisfied look and says to me
“You really have a talent. I can see why you succeed at what you start. You defused a situation that could have been a major catastrophic error. Natural logic. I was definitely wrong about you in the beginning but that fire was the best thing that happened for me.”
The emperor comes over to me and shakes my hand. Then he looks at Devon.
“Everything in place on your end?”
Devon answers “Yes”
The emperor then looks at me, smiles and informs me that we will have an in depth talk the day after the wedding,
Remembering the wording of Devons initial interview appointment reply, I wonder about the emperor’s wording “in depth.” Do I need to get one of those fireproof suits.
From that point on I felt as helpless as a leaf blown in a gentle breeze. Oh, hell no, it isn’t a gentle breeze, I’m in a hurricane. I’m being ushered here, dragged there. I haven’t even caught a glimpse of Brenda in these three days.
Somehow, I made it, not completely unscathed, to the day the guests are starting to arrive. Maribell informs us that we are to be at a casual afternoon social. Casual my ass.
Casual to me is a good pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a known brand of boots.
Our wedding controller, no longer coordinator, has special clothes for each occasion.
How come my room is now filled with more suit bags than the superstore?
I almost dread going back to my room. There is always someone there, not Brenda, waiting to strip me and then redress me. I am beginning to sympathize with those fashion dolls in the hands of little girls. Change after change.
The social gathering time arrives. I finally see my wife and all else fades away. She is the epiphany of beauty. I have to tell myself, breathe Brad, breathe. We meet and in a stately manner, enter the gathering to the polite applause of the guests.
We wander, I’m sorry, we mingle. We are given drinks but no instructions to go light on them. I find out why. The first toast rings out and we sip. Fruit juice. I ask one of the servers to get me a seven and seven. I need something stronger. I get only the soda and a sadistic smile from Maribell. Apparently she has given instructions to not give us alcohol.
I later found out that this is what the royals have when there is expected multiple toasts.
It’s now time for Maribell to breathe a sigh of relief. A Hearld announces the royal couple’s arrival.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Emperor Harcourt and Empress Judith have arrived.”
Loud applause erupts and they make their grand entrance. They are not quite royal court dress but they are dressed for their station. They, per protocol, go directly to Brenda and me. We both bow to them. The royal couple talk to us, in a louder voice as to let all hear,
“I congratulate the both of you and thank you for the invitation. A toast. May you both live a long and fruitful life.”
After the cheers die down, he again speaks.
“The bride is like a daughter to me. In their honor, for this event only, I suspend the custom of me arriving last. My wife and I want to enjoy all of the festivities without worrying the other guests.”
With that, Maribell was saved. We weren’t.
There was the social gathering. Then the gentlemen’s meeting, the ladies gathering, the ceremony practices, the wedding participant’s party and so on. Only in the room was there an extremely small bottle of whiskey. It was the size of two shots. Not enough.
It’s the morning of the wedding. There is the groom’s breakfast and the bride’s breakfast. Separate of course. Then the real torture begins. The dressers are there when we arrive back at our rooms.
Bathing, hair styling, make up, yes I got makeup much to my protests. Then the clothes.
Frills, poof cuffs and tight full leather shoes. I personally don’t like leather soles. Slippery but I have no control here, no input.
I’m dressed and ready, I hope. The inspector comes in. Maribell looks me over and over again. Twirling her finger to have me turn around. She pointed to this and it was adjusted. Right down to a haze on the rear section of my left shoe. Then, to the horror of the world, she yelled at those poor people
“Where is the boutonniere? He is supposed to have a red rose. Where is it.”
I could not help it, these poor people busted ass so I said
“I was hungry. I ate it.”
Then she realizes why I said that and mellowed
“Just make sure that he has it.” and leaves.
It’s now time. I am escorted to the exact site of Brenda’s parent’s wedding. I have rehearsed numerous times but I do notice that there are small tape x’s on the ground with our names on them. I look and to my amazement, there on the tape, where the officiate is to stand is the emperor’s name.
When I stand on my x, the emperor comes out and proceeds to stand on his x. He touches my elbow as he passes. He does have his regal face on and is dressed in such a way as to look official but not over powering us. That shows that the wedding bride and groom are the stars of the day.
He now, in a loud official voice that shows his authority, he says,
“All rise! Announcing the arrival of the bride, Brenda Satten. She is being escorted by her father Lord Devon Satten.”
Music plays as they walk towards us. If Devon puffs up any more, I swear he will float away. You can tell how proud he is. Not as proud as I am knowing that she is mine.
Her looks are such that no one has ever or ever will be as beautiful as she is.
Everything is perfect but with a twist only Brenda, Devon and I would know. As she is walking, I see something that stresses my limit of keeping from bursting out laughing.
I don’t think, the way Devon is acting, that he has seen. As she walks, her fore claws emerge from the dress’s hem. Those claws are colored white with red stripes. I have to have her show her father after the service. I do wonder if they were able to get those stains out of the carpet.
The ceremony went exactly as planned. First I gave my speech,
“Brenda, you are the light in my life. You bring warmth to my soul. I could not envision a moment without you in my life. I ask the same question I asked before your mother and father. Will you make me the happiest man in this world and the next and be my bride?
My candy cane girl.”
She, through the tears and slight snicker, answers “I do.”
Then Brenda asks,
“Brad, you are my anchor that keeps, in a good way, this bird from wild flight. I can feel free with you in a way that I have never felt. With you in my life, I feel love through out me, right down to my claws. You accepted me for me. Brad, will you be my groom?”
As I say that I do and we kiss, the emperor announces that he officially declares that we are now husband and wife.
We turn and walk back down the aisle. Followed by the emperor and Devon. When we get to our next spot, the congratulation line, Devon had to ask about those references about candy cane girl and her claws.
Brenda sticks a claw out from under her dress and she motions with her head for him to look.
His reaction was priceless. Both upset and humor show.
“You know, I had to get all the carpet replaced.”
We all have a good laugh. Devon did have to fill in the emperor.
Handshakes, hugs and kisses all from people that I never ran into. Brenda seemed to know some of them. All were here to make connections. They were happy for us but you could see that there was a certain amount of sucking up. After all, it wasn’t every wedding that the emperor himself officiated. To them we are that important.
I’ll have to watch out for the more nefarious intentions.
Those intensions were the reason that our first town went completely bankrupt and now is a ghost town with only a few residents left. I hear that someone has bought up all the land in foreclosure sales and raised everything to the ground, pulled up the roads and returned it to grass land. Sounds like someone still wanted to wipe out that town. I’ll have to ask Devon if he knows anything about it.
Reception is now over, dancing and shmoozing followed. Eventually Brenda and I finally get to go to our room. The second floor has been cleared of every person with the exception of us. We spend the night making up for the separation we had to endure. We made up with a night of romantic passion. Towards the end of our night, we were falling asleep, I looked at her and said
“Good night my candy cane girl.”
She said that she liked that moniker. From that point on, in our passionate time, I used that exclusively. It became our little secret.
In the morning, there came a knock on the door. Before we could answer, the door opened and Maribell wheeled in a cart full of breakfast items.
“For your leisurely breakfast. I no longer have anything planned for the both of you. I have been instructed that your presence is requested by the emperor and your father for a noon lunch. Both mother and I are to be there. Enjoy your breakfast. I need to get out of here. You need to open a window. There is a certain, shall we say odor in here.
Rabbits!”
With that she leaves.
We meet Maribell and her mother while on the way to the lunch meeting. Sometimes Brenda can’t help herself. As we meet,
“Thank you for bringing the breakfast this morning. We were able to play rabbit a few more times but we opened the windows, for the house keeper’s sake.”
“Keep that pace up and you’ll grow ears and tail.”
The empress only shakes her head.
The door is opened for us and we see both the emperor and Devon sitting amid a sea of papers. They get up to greet us and move over to the vacant dining table set up for us.
The spread put before us was a light fair. A mixture of light meats, vegetables and fruit.
The combination was refreshing after all the formal meals served over the time that we were here. When we were finished, the staff cleared the table leaving various soft liquid refreshments.
Once things were cleared, the emperor said that everyone, other than the six of us to leave the room and posted guards to prevent anyone from even eavesdropping on the conversation.
There is something in the air. A strange aura hangs over our heads.
The emperor speaks.
“For now, what is discussed here is not to leave the room. I am now telling you that Lord Devon is being elevated to a duke position in my court. He will be over everyone but myself. A second in command.”
Brenda and I are smiling and she reaches out for his hand. The emperor clears his throat and continues.
“Brad and Brenda, you both now own the corporation that your father owned. He has retired from CEO and signed over all rights to the both of you. The papers are signed.”
He then points to the stack on the right. “Your ownership papers are on the left. That portion is done and done. We took the precaution of preparing a news statement that you staged a takeover and have changed the name to B and B Corp.”
He looks at us with a smile, “Devon has related your dream of revitalizing towns by investing in business’s but also doing community improvement projects. The reputation of the corporation can’t help but improve under the both of you.”
We both are trying to digest what we just heard. Brenda is the first to ask,
“Father is this true? You are just giving up what you have built?”
“I came to the realization by asking myself who am I doing this for? I answered my question. I am doing it for my family. That is the both of you. Brad, you have vision. You and my daughter will be able to take it where I could not. That’s why it’s yours. Besides that, I won’t have the time with my new rank.”
We thank him and start to get up. The emperor motions us to sit back down.
“We are not done yet.” He tells us.
“As I said, Brad you are up and coming. The same can be said for you Brenda. We need people like you. You’re the future. That is why the both of you are now part of my family.”
I am startled, Brenda is speechless. It’s Maribell that speaks up.
“Father, you can’t adopt these two. Their adults. How can they be part of our family?”
This time it is the empress that speaks up as she hands us a rolled up parchment.
Maribell unrolls it and the shock is easily read in her face as she hands it to Brenda and then to me. It is the marriage certificate for our wedding. Groom Brad Jenkins, Bride Brenda Satten second bride Maribell Granden. By irrevocable decree of emperor Harcourt Granden. It is signed by the three of us.”
Maribell is stunned,
“How did you get my signature?”
“You signed it yesterday.”
“I thought that it was as witness”
“You never read it did you.”
Brenda stands. Looking at Maribell and then to me,
“You can’t be serious about this.” She takes my hand and looks at me.
“It’s not like I would not welcome her as a sister, but this is a forced marriage. Maribell, what do you think about sharing Brad with me?”
“To be honest, the joke I made at first, I later realized that I was jealous of you. Brad is a good man. I would not object but it is the underhanded way this was handled.” Maribell says.
I have to interject, “Don’t I get a say in this?”
To which the three women reply a resounding “NO!”
The empress tells me that the addition of wives into the marriage is strictly the women’s domain.
“If you want someone. They must be accepted by your wives”
Brenda once again asks,
“Maribell, would you be my sister and my husband’s second wife?”
“Yes”
The empress says that’s settled and asks her when she would like a ceremony.
She is emphatic that she does not want a public ceremony
“Daddy, since the most important people are here, Brad would you have me for your second wife? Brenda has stated that she wants me as her sister.”
I look at Brenda, “Are you really sure about this?”
She nods, so I say
“I will accept you as a second wife. We will have to work this out but I will say, your commander mode is off limits. “
The emperor now says that he recognizes this as official and it is done. Now they bring over the ownership papers for the corporation. Much to our chagrin all the forms show the name of the corporation not as B and B but B.B.M. corporation.
The three of us now look at the three of them and they are all looking distracted by their fingernails. Needless to say, this was all a grand play.
The news was let out in pieces. First that, in a private ceremony, the daughter of the emperor was married into Brad and Brenda’s family.
In business news, a story was leaked of the takeover of the Satten corporation by the new comer B.B.M. corporation and was changing the direction of the corporation from buying and then breaking apart to trim and then investing in what is left. The trimmed employees will be given a opportunity to transfer.
One other thing that was not made public. That bigoted town, it was the emperor that finally bought the entire town, had it bulldozed under, landscaped and a palatial mansion built as a wedding gift to his daughter and her new family.
First things first. I’ve only known Maribell as that drill sergeant of a wedding commander.
I know that portion is something that we really need. Someone to give the goal to, a few directions and turn them loose. As long as there is some controls and restrictions, she will get it done.
She is best friends with Brenda. I’ll have to keep tabs on them. Their interaction did not seem volatile but each seemed like they carry a bottle of gas with them and a pack of matches.
The elephant in the room, Night time arrangements. I am not in love with her. She is attractive, witty and competent but casual sex is not my thing. I need feelings to be intimate. I have come to the realization that we need to sit down and discuss it, if I am allowed by my two.
“Brenda, Maribell, we need to discuss how this is going to work.”
They come over and sit down.
“What exactly do you mean ‘how this is going to work?’” Brenda asks.
I say to Maribell,
“I respect you deeply, I think your qualities will be a great asset to the family and the corporation.”
Maribell then says “But”
“We have only known each other for a matter of days. I don’t feel right with casual relations when it comes to sexual matters. I’m not one of those guys that want sex on the first date or we are through. Brenda, how long was it before our first time?”
“It seemed forever” she says, “but when we did, I could feel that you were sincere. I loved that. You gave me a feeling of respect.”
“That is exactly what I want for you, Maribell. I want to get to know you. I want to develop a relationship with you. I’m sorry but that is just the way I am. I would like to hear your true thoughts on this. How do you see this relationship?”
She is deep in thought. Trying to choose her words to match her thoughts. Finally, she speaks to me.
“I like the idea of developing a relationship first. To tell the truth, I’m still a virgin. We could go out on a few dates and see how we get along. The only thing is that I still would like to sleep in the same bed with the both of you. I don’t want to hamper either of you but I am actually curious. Would you mind?””
I never got a chance to answer because Brenda said that she expected her to want that.
Let’s just say that I showed some restraint but, there is only so much I could resist. They had a plan. They executed it with such precision that the war was over before it started.
It was over when they both came out of the bathroom, shaved and a self-piercing ring on their right nipple. I was told that it showed that they were owned by me. I surrender!
It went that way for two weeks. We must have broken in every bedroom in our new mansion.
Then we had to get to work. A corporation to reform but first we needed to go to our first shop and bring them up to speed on our new visions for the future This is the first time that we have visited the shop since we were married. I wanted to talk with my employees about the corporation. And that there is now the fact that I have the emperor’s daughter as my second wife.
The people are gathered and the three of us are standing in front of the group.
“I stand in front of you to introduce you to my second wife, Maribell. You may have read that we had a private ceremony after the public wedding of Brenda and I. She will become an asset in the corporation.
The three of us are now the owners of the BBM corporation. You may have heard that we took ownership over the former corporation that was eating you alive. To assuage any fears that you may have, this is our flagship of the corporation. Any and all of further acquisitions we make, the one in charge will need to come here to train under you to be able to readjust their operations.
Those facilities will, like a growing head of hair, will need a trim but we will not shave them bald. Each one of you will help us with that. Since you once were scalped but fought back, with each new business we buy, four of you will go to that place and evaluate them and your recommendations will help us turn around those businesses.
Those four will be on a rotating basis. No one will be forced to go if they don’t want to.
Know this, those who go will be royally taken care of by arrangements made by my wife Maribell. Being the daughter of the emperor, you will not be put up at a camp grounds with a tent.. While gone, we will personally see to your family needs since we consider you all family. We take care of family.”
I turn to my wives
“I think I like that. What do you say to having, ‘We consider you family. We take care of family,’ as our corporate motto?”
Maribell steps up and introduces herself. Then she says to them,
“That is exactly what it should be. The four will be chosen from the list that will be posted for those interested. As of right now, all of you will be trained in at least two more positions. I repeat all will be trained. We want you well rounded, after all you will be the
corporate face. This way all that would like to go can without interrupting production.
Each time you go, there will be an incentive bonus.”
Brenda now speaks
“We have a new business that the previous owners bought. It needs to be assessed.
For this first round, we have asked the manager who could we take. When we said everyone will have the opportunity to go, we mean everyone. Would those on the maintenance staff raise their hands.” Four do that. “Who better can assess the condition of the machines. One of you will be chosen. Who here is in janitorial.” Two raise their hand. “Who better to tell us on the condition of the building’s facilities. One of you will be going.
You see, each one of you were and are still vital to our success.”
One of the janitorial staff after talking to his coworker, puts his hand back up and I call on him.
“It seems that we have a question. I like them. It shows that people are listening but want some clarification. What is your name and what can we answer for you?”
He answers,
“My name is Mike Russel, I work as a janitor here. My co worker is not interested to travel but I am. The big problem is I have some problems with my house that I am trying to repair. Can I ask, when is this going to happen?”
“I figured,” Maribell answers, “that I would be booking the hotel rooms by mid-week.
Travel would be on Sunday so we can be on site on Monday.”
Mike answers that he would not be able to go. The problem is a leaky roof. I have been doing repairs after work but I still will be at it for all next week. I want to go but”
I stop him there.
“If your roof was finished, would you go?”
He answers “yes”
I excuse myself and talk to Brenda. Then she goes off and I have Maribell talk for a bit.
Brenda comes back and hands me a paper. I call the numbers she gave me. When I am finished, I come back.
“Mike, you are going with us. That call was to the best roofers. They guarantee their roofs for 50 years and that is transferable. I have them coming today to your home to figure out what is needed. Please don’t be offended but I told them to rip it down to the attic floor and build it to their best. I alerted your wife and asked if she could let you go with us and she agreed. There will be a woman household helper that will take care of what she needs during your absence. I mentioned that there was going to be an
incentive bonus. I’m paying for all of this. Is that enough incentive? Would someone pick Mike up off the floor.”
Brenda now says “This is how much we value you and your expertise. I see Mike is up.
Mike you good with going?”
He chokes out a yes. My plan was to show our people that each and every one of them have value. If we are to showcase this place, we need happy faces.
The next day, Mike is at my office door knocking very timidly. He told us that his wife was in tears. The roofer told her that they were tearing the roof down to the attic floor.
They are replacing everything. They gave her a receipt. He gave it to me. It read $28,000 owed and next to that Paid in full.
“Is this for real? I’m just a janitor. I clean the restrooms, empty the waste baskets, I just clean. No one has ever treated a janitor this way. Why?”
I have him sit.
“Mike, Can I ask you a few questions, but please don’t think I’m picking on you. Just the opposite.”
“Mike, do you do your job to the best of your ability?”
“Yes”
“Do you take pride in what you do?
“Yes”
Then, do you feel that you are worthless?
This throws him so I continue
“I’m sure that you, of all people, have gone into a restaurant with your wife and seen that it is not clean. I’m sure you pointed it out to her. Depending on the condition, you may or may not have hard enough concerns for your wife’s health. Your expertise, your eyes can see things that others don’t. You help everyone in this building to not get something biological that could hurt them. You protect us. Now again I ask you, do you feel that you are worthless?”
He is choking up and tells me that he has worth.
I get up and ask, “Are you going to lend us your expertise in evaluating what has to be done?”
You can see the difference in him. He says that he is going.
One last surprise.
“Now go home, with full pay, put your butt in a lawn chair and watch what your worth gets you. They should be there now to tear down and rebuild to the waterproof by the end of today and tomorrow they will be shingling. Your wife picked the color yesterday.
Take today off. Tomorrow we assemble the team and go over the plan.”
He smiles, thanks me and after he leaves the office, I swear that I hear a loud happy shout.
The shop is abuzz with the news that we have decided that once a month, we will pick an employee and find out what they may need. Then we make that happen. We just got a high off of what we did for Mike. His wife now comes here often to bring home baked treats. Between the three of us, we all can burn water. That’s why we have a cook.
It’s a different story at our corporate office. The staff seems to be reluctant to change.
They want to keep the old ways. Slash and burn. Even after explaining to the group that it is not the way we are going to do things, they still revert to the old ways.
The surprising thing is that the stubborn ones are being sniped. I was talking to Devon in his new position with the emperor, and I noticed that some of the worst now are in his employ. Noticing, he tells me that they are those that fit in with what he is doing then, with a smile, he says
“I need them, sorry but I’m sure that you will be able to find other more qualified people.”
He does get serious.
“In your position, your staff must reflect your vision. Those that don’t share, well there is the standard posting.”
I ask about that.
He says that I have seen it before.
“After mutual discussion, it has been decided that his career opportunities are best suited elsewhere.”
There are mostly new people in the corporate office now. We have retained those that seem to be loyal and want to change.
After we are up and running with the new staff, we start to notice, subtly at first, but then we could not help but see that some of the better places, we were being out bid or outright poached with instant cash. A few were bought up by someone that would buy enough stock as to be controlling owner.
Sitting in our office, I make my concerns known. In one statement, I wrapped up my suspicions.
“We have a rat in the office. Someone is leaking information to a competitor.”
Maribell asks,
“Any ideas on who? Is it a new or an old hold over?”
“Don’t know. How do you find this out?”
Brenda has grown up in this environment. She points to the business reports on the desk.
“Those are the choice ones that we are considering on buying. Why don’t you assign the inhouse research and evaluations to each of the normal people that would handle it.
I hate to say it but before that, this weekend we tell everyone that we are having to do some work that will require the power to be turned off. With everyone out, we install hidden cameras. Then we give the assignments. We see which of these are poached.
Each file will be one computer file which we wanted anyways, That way, when one is being out bidden, we trace back who has accessed it. That is where we concentrate.”
It was done. Less than a week later the Weschester company was slipping out of our hands. Looking at everyone that handles it and interviewed them, there was nothing that could be said as concrete evidence.
Another meeting.
“Maribell,” Brenda asks. “I have an idea that is right up your alley. I need you to take the companies that we lost and trace all the steps they went through. There has to be one common thread here. You are doing an efficiency study. You check each one through the study. Starting from our office to the closing. Everyone that was involved. There has to be a common point. I think,”
“Oh shit” I say but they won’t like what I have to say. “On the QT, get the front desk phone records for the past six months.”
Brenda gasps, “How could you suspect Norma. She has been with the company since before I was born.”
“Who opens the mail to see who it is for? Who sets up meetings? I want those phone records to see what outgoing calls have been made from her phone.”
Maribell gets that and much to our sadness, there are frequent calls to the same competitor. Including the latest. We call Devon and ask him to come in. He needs to be in on this. He has lost bids in his past but not to this extent.
Devon comes in and makes the rounds of all the remaining people that stayed. Then he comes in to our office.
“Devon, please sit.”
We go over all that we found. He says that he cannot believe it but when we call her in, on that big screen that I was first introduced to long ago, was displayed that corporation’s names and below it was her phone number with all the dates she called that corporation.
“Norma, would you please sit down.” The seat I put her in was facing that screen.
“I need you to explain the fact that our competitor’s phone is the most frequent one that you have placed?”
“Someone else must be using that phone when I am away from my desk.”
We bring up video showing that on one day where there were three calls out, the phone companies recorded time of the calls shows that they were all made when she was at her desk, on the phone, calling out..
Devon asks, “How long? Did you give away my interests also?”
She gets up trying to leave, “You don’t pay me enough to sit here and take this.”
“Please one more minute.” I hit the button and up comes her bank account record.
“As you can see Devon, every time we lost a bid, her account had a deposit of $50k “
I hit a button and ask them to send in the police. We have pressed charges of corporate espionage. against you and the corporation that was paying you. I will advise you to go along with the DA and take a plea deal. We have placed a lean on your funds and estate. We are suing you for at least 25 million in lost revenue. I also, since this involves my father in law, sorry Devon not you even though it does, my second wife is the emperor’s only daughter. You stole from the corporation which means you stole from Maribell, which means the emperor wants to talk with you.”
Devon now says, “Take the plea deal and I’ll see if the emperor will forgo his inquiry.”
He tells the police to take her away.
Push came to shove, BBM now owns that corporation as reparation, Norma was allowed to retain a modest portion of her bank account but lost her estate. Funny, we never had any more of our people violating their NDA. Didn’t care after they left, we had that covered. Electronic signatures and a very good law firm, Devon’s recommendation, on call.
By the way, we tore apart that corporate office. It is now closed. My current staff is more than adequate to handle the extra new sites. It only means that our flagship company now has an addition built on it. That is for the permanent assessment staff. We have gleaned it from my original workers. We still take other workers on those assignments but the core stays the same.
We now run the production with people chosen from those acquired companies. They work side by side with the seniors, learning our way.
BBM has received many awards for their community works. First and foremost, we buy old abandoned work sites raise the building, dig down to remove any trace of pollution and make the site into a children’s park and yes we do have a large arched sign over the first that reads “Gloria Satten children’s park”
We have set up a foundation. “The Gloria Satten Judith Granden philanthropic foundation.” Its sole purpose is to do civic improvements. That includes both physical and species related projects. Much to his delight, we had asked the empress Judith to head the board. The emperor has matched the budget that we set up.
“Any time” he said “that we can improve the living situation of the people, how could we be opposed.”
Any improvement to a town is only done with the town’s permission. Everything was published. We set up the foundation with its own web site and assigned someone to constantly update progress. Names of those town officials are in the forefront. It is insisted, by the empress that there be no bias, no fluff. We agree. At any meeting with officials, a transcript will be made public. With that the need to “grease the wheels”
disappears. Most towns wave the permit fees.
Our family has grown, Gloria Jenkins was born almost full term. Her grandfather cannot stay away. It is rumored that his regent’s office is now covered with pictures of her.
There is almost no room in her nursery to walk. Toys and stuffed animals. From a maniacal corporate raider to a doting grandfather, I chuckle.
When she was older, it was not uncommon to see that ferocious hellcat being ridden like a pony by his granddaughter. Truly a sight to behold.
Gloria takes after her mother but not to Brenda’s extreme, no claw feet, which Brenda was thankful for. Gloria liked to kick when being freed from her diapers during changing.
Brenda often gets a face full of feet.
Brenda is at an advantage. When she is frustrated, Maribell jumps in to help.
Sometimes I’m slow. I admit it openly. When Maribell was helping, she told Brenda that it was practice for her. They both giggled like school girls. It wasn’t until we were at the office that it hit me.
We had set up a nursery in the office that the employees of the office could use as a daycare. Gloria was in there while Brenda worked. I’m walking in the bidding section of the office, checking on how things were progressing. I hear My two laugh and suddenly it hit me and I yelled.
“Maribell, are you pregnant?”
She yelled back,
“With all the damned hints that we dropped, it took you long enough. Yes I’m expecting.
I’m seeing a doctor tomorrow to confirm the test I took.”
I fain distress.
“Not only do I have to put up with Brenda’s father, now yours. Have you told them?”
She says that she was waiting until after the doctor’s visit.
Brenda is damn near on the floor laughing. It is only then that the two of us have noticed that all work in the office has come to a halt. They are hanging on every word like one of those old soap operas that were on tv in the 1960’s.
More shocking was the fact that the foundation was having their meeting and had just adjourned when our yelling started. There, with a hand on her mouth was her mother.
Once it got quiet Maribell was enveloped by her mother.
In all that melting of mother and daughter, you could see her mother’s cell out and what could only be described as teleportation, the emperor was here and melted into the pile.
He broke away and gave me a hug.
“Thank you, we will now have an heir to the throne.”
I told him that it was not official. Maribell told them that she would not know until tomorrow’s appointment. She, a few minutes later, I swear that the empress can speed dial, Maribell gets a call telling her that she can come in now for the confirmation.
Then the three vanish. Not literally because you could see the door close. The office is applauding.
“That was quite a break wasn’t it”
I say as I bow.
“Thank you for your thoughts, now get back to work.”
Everyone laughs and goes back to work. But I stare at Brenda for a bit. She looks at me, smiles then tells me that the doctor is the same one that we went to.
“Go. I know that you will not be able to concentrate. Go find out.”
Now I’m the dust trail.
By the time I get to the doctor’s office, I find the emperor sitting. He is turning pages in a few years old magazine but not looking at the pages. His eyes are glued on the door.
“Any word?” I ask.
It does not seem to be in his language.
He looks at me, then gets up, walks over to the receptionist. Before he even asks, she says,
“The answer is the same as a few minutes ago. They will be out when the doctor is done. I don’t care that you’re the emperor, I rule in this office. Sit down.”
She looks at me with that, over the glasses don’t you start look, so I also sit down.
He looks at me and asks,
“When did you get here?”
He starts to get up but I stop him.
“Just look at her. I think that she now is sharpening a knife. For your own safety stay here.”
It wasn’t but a few minutes later that the receptionist opened the door and the two women came out with the biggest smiles.
“About two months.” The doctor said. Her next appointment will be in four weeks.
The emperor gave the doctor a royal command.
“I want you on staff so that you can constantly look after her.”
This time I speak.
“That is not needed. I’m sure that, if anything should happen, he would want her to come in right away. He has other patients to look after. Besides she has Brenda to look after her.”
The empress says that she will be there also.
We walk back into the office. Again, all work stops as they wait for word.
“Two months” I say as they cheer. I look at the chaos and announce.
“That’s it. The days shot. Put a message on your phones that the office is closed for the rest of the day. We are closed. Go home and enjoy.”
With that, the six of us go home. We find Devon waiting in the living room for us. He is just as excited as he takes hold of Gloria. Now four months, she has really taken to her grandfather. She coos to him when he holds her.
She is wiggling and cooing while we talk about Maribell’s good news, when Devon feels something. He looks.
Gloria is looking at him and wiggling but she is also having bouts of slight morphing.
Feathers appear then disappear. Her feet shift from human to claws. It is not hurting her.
It almost seems like she is showing off for grandpa.
He remarks that Brenda did not do this until at least six months.
“She is going to be both a handful and something special”
After a bout of jealousy, everyone went home and I was holding Gloria. Brenda and Maribell were sitting on each side of me. We were basking in the glow of today’s good news. Something happened with Gloria. She suddenly morphed into a full harpy, flapped her wings and for a brief moment flew. She landed in her mom’s arms, turned back and started to nurse.
To say that we were stunned is an understatement. She can’t even crawl well but can fly. Only a matter of inches but she flew. I’m panicking and at the same time in awe.
“I need to look this up on the web. Is this normal?”
Brenda brings me back to my senses.
“From what I have read, this is normal. I need to warn you. Now that she can fly, you need to be watchful. Landings are not precise. It is not uncommon to have a wet diaper crash land on your face.”
The thought of that makes me cringe a little but Brenda’s mischievous side comes out.
“Just think what will happen to grandpa’s look when she sees him and crashes into his face with a bomb load.”
We all laugh.
Brenda informs us that we cannot put a net over the crib because she might get tangled in it and hurt herself. We just need to have the door closed so she does not get out of the room at night.
“We also might need to reconsider the daycare. The nurse will need to be made aware of it. Do you think that there is a expert that we can have come in for extra training?”
She says no but that we need to inform the office staff, just in case. As we are talking, Gloria finishes her nursing. She once again changes. This time she lands in Maribell’s lap and cuddles up to her belly. She falls asleep. With her ear on the stomach.
Maribel, almost in tears, puts her hand on Gloria and says,
“You are already caring for your younger sibling.”
Gloria coos and sleeps.
Much to our chagrin, the next time her grandfather came through the door, Devon had a split second to realize that Gloria was flying at him and he caught her right out of midair with the expertise of someone who had experienced a wet diaper in the face in years past.
“Someone is stinky. Is that my darling?”
She giggles and holds out her arms for hugs.
Like a veteran, he goes to the changing table and proceeds to clean her up. I lean on the door frame and view that terror of business changing a diaper and being goofy.
“I never thought I’d see this side.”
“Why should you be surprised? I dealt with shit all my life. This is a pleasure.”
He finishes and picks up his granddaughter. Then reminds me that this isn’t the first bird baby to try to dirty diaper bomb him.
I laugh, of course it isn’t
A great opportunity has dropped in our lap. One of the businesses we got when we took our competitor to court for espionage. There is a British company that is making a good product of their own design. Start to finished product. All the reports I have received is that they are a close knit family making a good product.
With Gloria settling down and Maribell getting further along, it did not surprise me when I brought up that I wanted us to visit and see what they are doing and see if some of their practices would work in our state side companies. Both said that it was a good idea. BUT.
Brenda tells me that I should go.
“I’m looking at the need to protect Maribell from her father. She is also at that stage that she does not want to be bothered.”
“Then maybe I should put this off for a while.” I say I could tell that Brenda is thinking. Then she brightens.
“You need to go. You could do both of your wives a great favor.”
“What’s that?”
“Take both fathers with you. We need the break. My father is here most of the day and Maribell’s is a constant pain. Giving them things to do will go a long way to help us.”
I have never done this but always wanted to so I call Maribell’s father.
“Harcourt would you mind coming over. I have a proposition for you and Devon. We need to talk over here. Can you come today?”
I hear a knock on the door. Brenda walks over to open it. When she does, I hear an echo in my phone as he says that he is coming. I look up as he says,
“Is this quick enough?”
I hang up and as usual Devon lets himself in and is almost diaper bombed. yup as usual. I sometimes think that even though Brenda keeps track of that, the second Gloria hears him, she sheds a load and tried to get him. His reflexes are quick but Gloria sometimes missed. This time an unsuspecting emperor fell victim. We laughed, including the emperor. Devon went to change her but Brenda took her.
Maribell greets her father and after a bit, I say
“I have had an idea that I have wanted to do. There is a British company…” and I explain about the company.
“Here is where you both come in. I need you both to go with me but as the heads of the corporation. I want to go as your aide. I want to explore the shop without having that
dog and pony show. It’s my objective to see how their people act. Sit in the break room, walk inside and outside. That way I see the real shop. Both of you will get the tours, the executive treatments and the meals. Devon, I can see that glint in your face. You miss that don’t you.”
“There are sometimes, when you talk about those things that I realize that I do miss that.”
Maybe, I’m reading too much into that but I go with my feelings.
“How do you feel about working for me? It would be that you can go on those trips that interest you. You come into the office, look over the bids and acquisitions and choose what you want to pursue.”
He is almost in tears. That big corporate giant, it turns out that he missed the thrill of the hunt.
He looks at Harcourt,
“Sorry Harcourt, I am not cut out for a desk job. My son here has shown me the way to really build true wealth. He took the corporation that had a vulture reputation to one that any city, town or village will welcome with open arms. Look at how happy your wife is at the head of that charity. He has convinced me that he is where I need to be. Brad, I will be happy to work for you.”
Looking back to the emperor he says,
“Brad’s idea is wonderful. What do you say, want to have some corporate fun?”
Maribell has been hovering on the outskirts but now rushes in for the kill.
“Dad, I know that you love me, you are both excited and concerned. I talked to mom and she agrees. Brad, he is going with you. Both of us need a break.” She kisses him then leaves.
“I guess I’m going. Going against a woman’s decree only leads to trouble.”
We discuss it further and find that next week will be the best for all of us and that it would be two weeks because we want to look at other businesses of interest. I went to the office with the both.
“Can I have your attention for a minute.” I ask the office.
“I have brought in a talent that some of you know. Devon has agreed to return to work as a front man. He will not have the final acquisition yes or no decision. That is retained by me and my wives. He will give his assessment on some of the ones that we are looking into. He will also lead the investigating teams of his choice.”
Now it is Devon’s turn.
“My reputation for being a vulture is correct but it now is in the past. Your boss has shown me that we could have made twice or even three times what we actually made by nurturing rather than eviscerating. Work with the community rather than worrying them. I’m looking forward to learning from all of you.”
With that, we go into my office.
We sit and call in the travel officer and fill her in.
“Make sure that their rooms are one step up from mine. I’ll stay in a normal room for this trip. That way, any curious eyes will see that they are in charge.”
She leaves.
“Now, I am having a few rooms converted here to make offices for the both of you. I want both of you to be available to get advice. Also I want both of you to have a retreat, a safe place, that you can just relax from the chase.”
The emperor loves the idea.
We all meet at the international airport. One left over from that competitor is the corporate jet they had. All the amenities without the lines. The two like it.
“Why didn’t we have one of these when I ran the company?” Devon says.
“You were too cheap.” The emperor says in a haughty manner
“You got me there,”
We laugh and take off. It is a long but enjoyable flight. After clearing customs in England, the game begins. There is a man holding a sign with our corporate name on it.
The two go first and I lag behind pushing the luggage cart.
Devon introduced himself.
“We are the representatives of the BBM corporation. I am Devon Satten, this is Harcourt Granden”
Then he points to me and as rehearsed, “This is Daniel Bradfield my aide.”
“I’m Benson, your driver. We have your itinerary. I will drive you to your hotel.”
With that he leads us to the limo. As we approach the car, he hits a button on the fob and the trunk pops open. He opens the door for the two and looks at me with a look of do your job and load the trunk. This is going to be fun.
I load the trunk and open my own door. The front passenger seat. The driver is giving me the silent treatment. It is almost too hard to keep myself from taking jabs.
“How long have you been working for the company?” Silence.
“What’s wrong?” Silence. I won’t drop this.
“How long until we get to the hotel?” Silence then he says as he pushes the intercom button,
“It will be around another fifteen minutes to your hotel.” He tells the two. I’m almost positive they are having a ball. They have to see me trying to get this man to talk.
After failing to get him to talk, we arrive at the hotel. The same thing happens, the hotel staff open the back door. I had to open mine but at least, they unloaded the trunk. I really need to think about my people. This is an eye opener. I will talk to Brenda and Maribell. They need to talk to those in our showcase shop about their treatment.
Even the check in was different. They were fawned over and my key was almost thrown at me. This settles it.
The three of us meet in Devons room, or should I say suite. Them trying to hide the smirks said it all.
“How was the experience?” Devon asks
“I forgot my roots, but the difference in treatment here is so far apart from what I have received back home. When we get back, I want a struggling hotel chain. We’re going international with it. I’m going to ask our royal in laws to over see the treatment side.
Yes we will have suites like this but all guests will be treated the same as you were treated.”
Devon now says,
“If I’m not mistaken, this chain is in trouble.”
“Your first task. Buy it. Can I leave this to the both of you?”
They are excited. Acquisition but improvement.
“That driver, I don’t know if it is the class structure of the country but the bottom line, why is he on the payroll. As a corporation, our limo is almost a requirement but for a company?”
We go over what has to happen tomorrow then call it a night.
In the morning, even the breakfast is different. They got their breakfast delivered off of a menu. Mine, a breakfast buffet after all we are rabble.
At the appointed time, Mister Talkative shows up. He opens the door for the two and goes to shut it. I stop him and get in the back. The look is like he almost wants to yank me out and throw me in the trunk.
In the back, we were almost as silent as he was. My thoughts are such as I don’t like what we will find. If this is the attitude.
We pulled up to a well groomed area and building. The lawn is mowed with a ruler. The building is in constant cleaning. A bird has the audacity to poop on it, they would launch a falcon to kill it as a decontamination team cleaned the spot.
Before we stop, I just say
“I don’t get a good feeling about this.”
We stop, the two get out first and I almost got the door slammed in my face. There is the company chief operation officer there to greet us or should I say greet the two. They tell him that I will be wandering around the place, evaluating the operation.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a hand written badge with a piece of tape with Daniel Bradfield on it. He gave it to me. Then he opened the case he carried and produced engraved badges for them.
“I’m going to wander the grounds then go inside.”
All I get as I leave is a turned up nose and “I’ll alert the guards.”
And then he ushers the two in through the front door. I’m quite sure that I will need to go through the back door. The grounds are exactly as I expected. There is a large building that the maintenance operates out of. I have to go in.
All I get is a look and then they went back to what they were doing. Most were sharpening the mower blades and such. I ask
“Who’s in charge?” Is the silent treatment the general rule.
“I’m here representing the corporation that owns this company. I repeat, who is in charge here?”
A man comes up to me. With a disgusted look he says
“I don’t give a darn who you represent. We’re busy. Go bother someone else, Yankee.”
With that he goes back to where he was. I leave the building and take out my phone. I text Devon
“I’m terminating the maintenance shop. We’ll hire outside companies. I was just told in so many words to drag my American ass. Watch for the attitudes you perceive.”
I encounter something that is common to England. As I am walking the parking lot, a car parks near me. A very attractive young lady steps out. As she gets a step from the car, a hole opens up and starts to swallow the car and her. I run over and catch her hand as she starts falling. I was able to pull her to safety.
She is crying and hanging on to me.
“Thank you, I thought I was going to die just now.”
“I’m glad I was here to catch you. May I ask you what’s your name?”
“Rose are you alright? Are you hurt?”
She tells me no that she is just shaken up.
As I hold her, that maintenance crew comes over, looks at her as if it were her fault then sets up cones and warning tape. I hear one say that the car will cut down on the fill needed.
“Aren’t you going to remove the car? She may be able to have it repaired.”
All I got was attitude. “That will cost too much. Will your corporation cover the cost?”
That’s it! That was sarcastic. Out comes my phone. This time I get hold of Brenda and put her on speaker.
“Brenda, I just save Rose Winston from a sink hole in our business’s parking lot. Her car was swallowed up. I need you to get ahold of a dealership in this area. Hold on”
I ask Rose. “You have any outstanding payments on the car?”
She answers me that she does. I have her talk to Brenda and gives her the bank information. Then I ask her if she want the same car? Or better?
She tells me that she always wanted a better car.
I tell Brenda to pay off the bank and get Rose a medium size luxury car and have it delivered here. Then I say something loud enough for the maintenance people to hear.
“Get a security firm here, then I want you to fire all of the maintenance workers. They treated me and Rose with nothing but distain. We may hire an outside firm. They are to leave the property without going into the main building.”
Rose is besides herself, She is looking at me with a look that says “Who the hell are you?”
I calmly ask, “Is there anything in the car that you want?”
“No” is all I get
The intercom says that all the maintenance workers must report to the maintenance building.
“Your car will be extracted so, if there is anything in there, the people will strip it of anything and will deliver it to you. Your new car will be here today.”
Even in this company, there is no secrets.
“Rose, I need something to drink. Would you please show me the employee break room? I would like some of the tea that I have heard so much about.”
She takes me there and she is holding my hand. Curious. We go inside and find the room full. It must be a break. I am getting some very angry looks. Especially by a group by the shop floor door. It looks like a red head mid twenties man is the leader. There is only one seat so I offer it to Rose but she insists that I sit. When I do, she sits on my lap.
Up in the board room, my fathers in law are being given a slide show when a frantic person interrupts and shows the chief the orders to fire the maintenance department and that a security team has shown up to escort them off the property.
He turns to us
“What’s the meaning of this?”
Devon calls Brenda, keeping in character, he asks her about the mass firing.
“Brenda, I’m putting you on the main screen. Can you explain to these folks about this corporate order.”
“Sure, Just so you know BBM is Brad, Brenda and Maribell. I am one of the owners of the facility that you are the operating officer. We own it, you do not. I do not need to but I will answer you. Daniel Bradfield, who is just as important as those two next to you, has received nothing but disrespect from your driver, yourself and especially that maintenance crew. He went to talk to them and they threw him out. Out in your parking lot, one Rose Winston got out of her car and a sink hole opened up. Only through the fast actions of Mr. Bradfield, only her car was swallowed. He was told by maintenance that they would not retrieve her car. It would save on fill. When he asked if she was going to be able to have you retrieve it so she could fix it, they told him that only if we paid for it.
Mr. Bradfield called us. We have arraigned for the car to be retrieved but only to get her personal property. We have paid her car loan and a better car is being delivered to her.
With that Brad Jenkins, both myself the daughter of Devon and Maribell the daughter of emperor Harcourt Granden, ordered that we hire security and fire all of the maintenance staff for insubordination.. We are going to hire those jobs out. Is that all you wanted Father?”
“No that’s all we needed.”
This time Harcourt asks,
“Is that enough for you. Brad considers Mr. Bradfield equal to both of us. No one in your country has treated him well. Even the hotel. By the way, we’re buying that hotel chain.
It will shortly be the best in the world. Now enough of this. I want to see the factory.”
Without any room for objection, my two get up and start the tour. They are getting the feeling that everyone feels that we have no right to do what we are doing.
Impression recorded.
Rose sits on my lap. I do not have the feeling that she is gold digging, she is truly enamored with being treated with respect. She never seems to have gotten it. Class system.
She surprises me by passionately kissing me. I like it but I separate and tell her that I loved it but there are too many here. Maybe later.
Before she could say anything, the red head comes over and yanks her out of my lap.
He gives me a killer look and yells at her,
“Do you know what he did?” and he drags her off.
I try to stop him but almost all of the people in that break room block my way. One by one they leave until I am able to get out. There on both sides of the room is heavy white plastic tape saying danger do not cross. The only route for me is the exit door.
I grab a chair and put it in the middle of that room. Then sit down and yell,
“I want the chief operating officer here now.”
Two people hook up one of those tapes and they cross over my lap and affix it to the other wall.
Sitting there I get on my phone and call Devon.
“They have taken Rose and basically tied me up. Get that person down to the break room.”
I see Devon and yell
“Shut this plant down now. There is a facility in North Carolina that needs this.”
The chief still has some balls.
“How dare you. Just who do you think you are!”
Leave it to Devon. As I get up from the chair, he sweeps his hand towards me.
“I’d like you to meet my son in law and one of the owners, Brad Jenkins.”
I address him, as he stands in horror.
“I want Rose Winston here now! Also that red head peckerwood and everyone that was in that break room. Hell with that, I want the whole plant here. You have just three minutes to get everyone here. Leave this tape up. Go now.”
He runs off.
“I told you I had a bad feeling about this place.”
Everyone assembles and Rose is brought to me. She has bruises on her arm from being dragged off.
I have dragged out a table and stand on it. Pointing to the red head,
“This man is the biggest reason that as of right now, this plant is closed and being transferred to the United States. Allow me to introduce myself, Better yet. chief, tell them exactly who I am.”
I stand there with a disgusted look as he tells them
“He was undercover. His real identity is Brad Jenkins. He is one of the corporation owners and the owner of this company.”
“I have been treated like shit from everyone here with the exception of Rose. Rose my wives want to meet you. Don’t worry. It’s a good talk. We will stop by your place so you can get your passport. Everything else that you will need, we will buy for you. By the way, this will be on a private jet.
“Back to you all, where is the driver?” He steps forward “Will you talk to me now? I hope your next employer makes you talk to everyone. He is another one that is causing me to close your plant. Your attitudes are rotten. Your product is wonderful. Now chief you’re fired. Security, get him out of here. He takes no computer, storage device or papers. Walk him out not by the front door but the door your employees wanted me to go out from.”
“Red head, now you. Did you know that I saved Rose from being swallowed by a sink hole. Did you know that I bought her a new car and paid her loan.”
I looked at a woman that was not in the break room.
“What would you have done?”
“I would have kissed you.” She said
“Devon, get in touch with your daughter, have the car, that is being delivered, put in her name and pay off her car loan.”
Leave it to Harcourt, “Would you have Maribell pay off her home also.”
The woman fainted.
“That is how I operate. There is a man, a janitor, that needed a roof. We had his entire roof ripped off and replaced at our expense. That is how we run. I came here to see what you are doing. I had hoped to bring your best practices to our other holdings. We build not tear down. If you were in that break room, leave this place now. I have a good memory, do at least one good act, leave.”
A few left with the red headed peckerwood, but the others came over to plead that they did not do anything.
“That’s the problem, you did not do anything.”
Pointing to the ones that did not impede me. “Stand over there.”
I see one of the last ones that stopped me trying to blend in with the ones that I told to stand separate. I point to him and security escorts him out.
“Now for the rest of you, go home, think about it. You have one chance to get it right. I do not want to be sucked up to. I expect honesty. Tomorrow, the three of us will talk with you. I see good things with your product, make me believe those who I had escorted off the property are the exception. If you feel that we are wrong, don’t show up.”
They leave. I now talk to Rose and introduce her to my in laws. She still can’t believe what is happening to her. Pulled out of a hole to flirting with the CEO. Her head is swimming. Harcourt has her sit.
“He already has hooked you hasn’t he? He’s just like that. We have hired a car to take you home. Like he said, you only need your passport. His wives want to talk to you.
Before you panic, it’s good talk. You can back out if you want to. You want to?”
She said that she has always wanted to see the states so she will go.
He told her that when or if she wants to come back her apartment will still be hers, the car will be hers and a good job will be here. It is all win win for her.
I go with her to the airport after her house. Just us two.
“I may be totally wrong but it felt like you started to have feelings. I am very attracted to you. Not just of your outer beauty but your inner beauty. I started out having the place I worked for burnt down. My girlfriend turned out to be Devon’s daughter. He tried to get a rid of me. Long story short, he grew to respect what I did with an almost out of business company, built up respect in the communities that we bought companies in. You showed that you came from the same background. You struggled. You were in a sink hole and were lifted out.”
We get her to the jet and I give her one last bit of advice, no two. First be honest with your feelings when you talk to my wives. The second is most important. My first wife is a harpy humanoid. We have a fledgling, Her name is Gloria. When anyone comes to the door, she thinks it’s grandpa Draco. She flies to the door. When she flies, her landings are usually face plants, with dirty diapers. Have your hands in front and catch her on the body.”
She giggles at the last and says that she will remember. Then she is gone on her flight.
The next day, most of the workers show up. The classic questions but one that was very easy to see the truth by body language.
“Can you leave your racial and class attitudes at the door?”
When we got through the interviews. It seemed that it was too intrenched. Less than half were sincere. It was obvious that if we keep this plant open, nothing will change.
As I am saying that, the security guard brings a government official. We verify that he is from the labor board. He hands us papers that say we cannot close this business. I ask why. He states that the takeover is illegal.
“Which take over?”
“The one you did yesterday.”
Devon tells him that we have owned this business for over a year. It was our business to do what we want with it.”
“That’s not what I was told. They say that you just showed up and fired people. You only just took it over yesterday.”
Devon takes him to the office and produces all the documents showing that we have owned this business for fifteen months. Before that it was owned by our competitor. .
Now knowing what he has seen,
“They led me to believe that you just took it over. Can I ask what is your plan for it?”
“I’ll be honest, the disrespect that they showed me and an employee that I helped out.
By the way, before they knew who I was they prevented me from protecting her. When she was returned to me, her arms were bruised.”
“Can I talk to her?”
“Right now, she should be at my home in America.”
I look at Devon then add “I did warn her about Gloria’s face bomb.”
He laughs and I explain to the labor person.
“Getting back to your original question. This place was being run with one hundred and ten people. We interviewed all of the left overs about their attitudes. There are around forty five that we would retain. I’ll make a deal with you. You interview prospective machinists and assemblers. We don’t want to see any with those attitudes. If you can send those to us and we verify that they are what we need, I’ll keep this business open.
I can see that this could be our European show case. It is a good product. You must agree to one thing, if we stay. We have in the states a civic improvement program where we pay for those improvements. They usually are parks, playgrounds, and the arts. Get us the clearance to do that. Cut through the process. Just think, improve the area and other businesses may gravitate towards this area.”
I hold out my hand. He takes it.
“Come with me.”
We go to where each of the ones that were interviewed were waiting. I did not introduce the labor board person, yet.
“Thank you all, we need to go over our results. In the meantime, this place will be closed. You will each get a month’s pay. That will be mailed to all. Within two weeks we will have our decisions. At that time you will get another letter. The accepted ones will get the date to come back. If you are not going to be allowed to come back, you will receive another check for six months’ pay and a lack of work letter for your unemployment. Those receiving that six months will be responsible for their taxes. I would like to introduce you to Collen Stevers from the labor board. Collen, would you please discuss our view of going forward. Please do not mention the numbers. That is not cast in cement.”
Before we met the assembled employees, I told him that it would look like we wanted to work with them if he took credit for convincing me to be open to stay.
He gets up and tells them that before he and I talked, he was informed that they were going to move even the machines to America.
“I told them of the impact that would have on the local economy. Through give and take, I have their agreement to interview candidates. If we can get enough to fill the vacancies, they will keep the business open. Mr. Jenkins has agreed to do civic improvements. I will personally cut through the red tape. Mr. Jenkins wants to make this his European show place. He has said that the basis for his drastic reaction is due to the treatment he received. We as a nation need to correct that. Let it start here.”
He gets a round of applause. I finish,
“We will be here for two weeks. After that, I will have a senior staffer here. He will report to me daily. If I can see progress, I will return before the end of the month. If enough progress has been made, we will reopen. Now a word to those who are informed that they do not have a job to return to. Think about your attitude, you did not fool my two.
They are experts. I give you this opportunity. Collen is doing the interviews. If you show up with your statement showing the six months pay and that check for that amount or a casher’s check for that amount, before the fourth week from now. I will take you back on probation. Have that attitude again, you will be dismissed without that six month money back. If you are sincere, it will be proved by giving up the six months. Now that is only if you go to Collen before the end of the fourth work week. Collen, today they all get paid.
The four weeks start at three pm. Meaning the end of that offer is one second after three pm four weeks from now. Every one, go home. The first checks will be to you within four days.”
Collen comes over. I ask him,
“What do you think?”
”You surprised me with that last one. There will be some who will realize that a good attitude at a showcase is worth more than six month’s pay. The caveat is the fact that, if they are faking, they lose the six months. I think you will have a full crew.”
I ask him,
“I need someone to get a car out of a sink hole in back and a landscaping crew to mow.
I will allow you to make the contracts.”
I give him my contact information. Then let him overhear as I talk to my in laws.
“Time to buy that hotel chain.”
We go out front and there is a car for us. I deliberately get up front. The driver and I had a very pleasant time talking. I stunned him when I asked him what he made per day, he was an independent. He told me. Then as we pull up to the hotel, the barrier window had been down.
“We three will be here for the next two weeks. Looking at business that we may buy. I gave him an offer for double his daily rate for the two weeks, then a retainer to be on call for our businesses. He looks at the two.
They both reply, he’s real. I tell him to pick us up here in the morning with that on one of his invoices. Include what you would consider a retainer. I give him my credit card and told him to put a hundred as a tip. Shaking he does and really is in shock when it comes back that it was approved. Before he left he said that he would be waiting in the morning.
We walk into the lobby and the desk clerk hands us a message from Brenda. Rose made it. But unfortunately, she did not react in time and got bombed. Then the words.
Our first offer for the hotel chain has been accepted and the check was electronically exchanged. We own the chain.
I show them the message. Both Devon and Harcourt laugh about the bomb. I could not resist on the last part. I go to the desk.
“I heard that the chain was just sold. What do you hear?”
The manager comes over and on the QT leans in.
“It just went through. Some corporation called BBM.”
I can’t resist. I tell him to look that corporation up. He does. What is that smell? I reach over and turn the computer screen.
“They are beautiful aren’t they. I married two good women.” Still looking at him. “Please scroll down to the new employees.” He sees the two with me.
“Devon is Brenda’s father and Harcourt if Maribell’s father. I decided to buy this chain because of the service here. Please compare their rooms to my room. I registered as Daniel Bradfield.”.
He looks.
“For now, I’ll keep my room. In the future, I will have a team revamp the treatment side but from now on, everyone is royalty. Room service for all. This point on I will take an interest in this very hotel. I just came from a business we own, I’ll tell you the same thing. I want to see improvements that makes everyone want to stay here. You already have a partial win, Harcourt Granden is an emperor. I see this place becoming a show case for the brand.”
I turn and we go to our rooms. Later there is a knock on the door and I see a sheet pushed under the door. I hear the knock on the door next to it and down the hall the same thing. I pick it up. It is tonight’s room service menu and the buffet. Menu. The room service is for a fee, as is should but the buffet is free. Good start.
I call down and ask for the manager.
“This is really what I was talking about. Good start. Keep it up.”
In the morning, I hear the chatter, the overall opinion is that this is good. They’ll come back.”
I take the manager over and we sit at a table near the lobby. He wants to talk, I just sit back and put my hand to my ear. Then motion for him to do the same. I see the smile go ear to ear. He hears what I heard. Satisfied people. All from a choice on a printed sheet.
As I get up, I tell him to sit here for a while then think about color on that sheet. I lightly slap his arm. It’s going to be a good day.
Devon and Harcourt want to go looking around at some businesses. I tell them to use the limo. I go outside and there is the driver. He has the invoice. His retainer is one day’s fee per week. Reasonable. I give him my card and tell him to put in the whole amount. Two weeks exclusive and then two more retainer. It goes through and approved. I tell him to email the bill once a month to the corporate office. The office will give you the times that you will be needed to shuttle VIP’s to the various locations. They will fill you in.
He is happy. Devon and Harcourt come out and tell him where they want to go. They take off. I walk down the street. I notice the same thing that is in most of the towns that we buy in. Boarded up businesses. Mainly restaurants. It hits me. I walk down one side and there are or should I say there were ten on our side of the street and only a few on the other. In the area there are only three that are open.
I need to do something. I see a realtor. Going in, it can be said that it has not had any sales in a while. It’s about to change. The door hanging bell jingles.
I hear from somewhere in the back
“I’ll be right there.” He comes out wiping his mouth.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your lunch, but you will forgive me. Can we step outside?”
We walk and I point out the empty buildings
“What are the codes like here. Let’s just say that, If I was to buy these two buildings, how hard would the permit process be for me to join them on the ground level and make one big space?”
“With the down market in this town, it wouldn’t be too hard. You would be taking two abandoned buildings and turn them into a business. I think they would be easy.”
Time for the kill. “Want to make a lot of commission? I want to buy all these abandoned buildings.”
“And here I thought you were real.”
Disappointed, he walks back to his office.
I love this part. I follow him into his office.
”Have you heard about the hotel chain that is on this side of the street?”
“Yea, I heard that it was sold. Another vacant building.”
“Do me a favor, look up who bought it.”
“BBM corporation”
I ask him if I could have him pull up their web site.
He does and I hand a card to him but he can’t take it. He is zoned. He just looks from the screen to me and back to the screen. I move my chair next to him and take the keyboard.
I tell him to memorize the two women’s faces and I access the private tab. We hear a few buzz tones then Maribell picks up.
I ask, “Is that Gloria, that’s hugging you. Hi Gloria.”
She hears and face plants the screen. “DaDa” as she pats the screen. We are stunned.
Brenda runs in.
“Did she just speak?”
“Yea” She keeps banging the screen repeating DaDa.
I almost forgot where I was. I look at the realtor,
“That is my smart daughter.”
Forgetting what I called for, only for a moment. I say to Maribell
“Contact the corporate jet hanger. I want Gloria painted on the nose.”
Brenda takes a disgruntled Gloria away.
“Gloria, I’ll be home soon.”
I hear Brenda yelp as Gloria flies back to diaper bomb the screen. She was fully loaded.
Maribell cleans the screen.
“I just wanted to introduce you to the realtor.”
“Let me guess, empty stores.”
“A lot , I want to buy the ones next to the hotel and turn them into various restaurants that can supply take out room service. The others, we’ll make the rent so cheap that people could not afford to pass them up.”
I look at the realtor then back to Maribell.
“I will have him send you the paperwork. Have legal complete these transactions within twelve hours from the receipt of the paperwork.”
“On it right now but I have an idea. How many are we talking about?”
“For now, ten”
“She does some typing.
“I see that there are three restaurants open so you don’t want to open more and drive them off. Open two for now. Approach them with a deal to supply room service takeout. I would suggest that you make one of the buildings a tourist information center and next to that a small market that should have only locally made products. No cheap junk. We buy from locals only at their price.”
“That’s it. I will be back by the end of next week. Both fathers are off looking for businesses to buy. They are having a ball.”
With that, I close the call and wheel myself to the other side of the desk.
He looks bewildered
“You would do that for our town?”
“This is the way I make our money. It’s simple. I own the hotel and want guests to have a good time. They can’t do that now. Yes I will do what we said. I’m going over to those three restaurants and make deals. Talk to whoever you need to at the town hall so that you can send us the paperwork. Let them know about the tourist center and local good store next to it. The tourist center will be run by the town, free of rent. I will help with
costs to initially stock it. My talking with the three should be a few hours. That should give you enough time to get them on board.”
I walk out and he is already on the phone to the town hall.. Across the street, I find the owners of those eateries looking out the windows. I motion for them to come out, which they do.
One of them, worried, asks.
“I know you are the one that just bought the hotel and own the manufacturing plant. We have heard that you also buy up places in towns. We saw you come out of the realtors.
How many stores are you buying?”
“That’s what I came over to discuss. I’m buying ten on this street.”
“Might as well hang a closed sign on my door.”
“If you did that, you’ll miss the benefits. Can I sit with you three some where. I will go over my plans.”
We go into the man’s restaurant. A nice place. The four of us sit down at a table. They all look uncomfortable.
“I am one of the owners of BBM corporation, Brad Jenkins. My corporation is not a cut throat business. I make more money if I build up the area. That’s where you three come in. I do not want you out of business. When I entertain prospective business customers, I want to bring them to your places for fine food.
Two of those ten stores will be food related. Quick, eat while you are walking finger food. You three will benefit because the hotel is instituting a room service menu. I want to include you in on it. When a guest requests a meal, you will get an order from the hotel. The hotel pays you for it along with a delivery fee.”
“The hotel is only across the street, delivery fee?” he questions my sanity..
“Yes a delivery fee. You need to send it over. Someone delivers it. Why shouldn’t you get paid for that.”
I go through the plan for the stores. By the time I’m done, all have big smiles. They have seen the light.
As I get up, I see that the realtor’s office has people going in and out at a furious pace. I tell the three.
“Look at what is happening. I haven’t done any renovations yet but look at how the town is reacting. We stand at the brink. Care to leap into my vision?” and I walk out to officials coming up to me.
The town asked for the store next to another vacant store for the tourist center. I let them use it.
“It’s my building. Deal through the realtor. Have him open it so you can tell us how you want it to look. I’ll be leaving by next week but will be back at the end of four weeks. I’m going to talk to him right now.”
I tell the realtor that I am hiring him to act as the contractor for these projects and future ones. He is more than happy with the salary figure I gave him. I also made him an offer on his realtor’s business. He would still run it but now he would not have the expenses.
He would never again have to cut back because of no sales. He accepted my offer and sent that paperwork.
My two father’s in law were left scratching their heads. There day drew a bust. Mine however.
All the purchases have gone through. I especially look at Devon.
“We are going home tomorrow morning. I’m having them send the jet. Something has happened back home.”
Now even Harcourt is in a panic state.
I tell them both, “Nothing bad happened. Maribell had to clean poop off the computer screen. It was bombed. I did a video conference. So that the realtor knew I was real.
Gloria was in Maribell’s lap. I said hi to her and she face planted the screen and started slapping the screen”
With a dramatic pause
“She was saying DaDa as she saw me on the screen.”
Devon pulls out his phone and tells me
“Bullshit on tomorrow, I’m booking us for tonight.”
He hires a private jet and, after informing the realtor and the hotel. We were off and back home. This time, even though she was asleep, Gloria woke up and flew towards the door. Devon put out his hands but she did a course correction and landed in my arms.
“DaDa “ as she hugged me. Then she caught Devon off guard. She giggled as she successfully face planted him. That wasn’t the only surprise. As she let loose “Pompa”
came out of her mouth.
As he is crying, the big lug told her, “That’s right I’m Pompa.”