The Demons Daughter by D.A. Sanford - HTML preview
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Character sheet
Brad Jenkins Brenda Satten Devon Satten Maribell Granden
Emperor Harcourt Rose Winston Emperess 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 se sensation of bare breasts on my back. I could no longer concentrate.
Her hands were wrapped around me and wandering.
“I need to send in a few more applications in, but you’re not helping. You can be very distraction when you want to.”
She then sit 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 Jenkens, 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 Jenkens?”
“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 II 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 tire 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 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 is 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 bait 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 Justic of the peace, and then maybe even feathers.”
So now we enjoy the night. We are officially Brad and Brenda Jenkens. 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 controls 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 Jenkens. As I can see by your faces, you are no strangers to disappointing news coming from corporate. I 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 am starting 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 hardy 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 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, extracted in Tuscany. 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. Deven 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 Taylor 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 that 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 hear 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,
“Bernda, 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.”
The 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 replace.”
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 is buying up all the land in foreclosure sales to raise everything to the ground, pull up the roads and return it to grass land. Sounds like someone still wants 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 meat 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 post 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.N. 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 trimming 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 get 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. The 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 your 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 has come 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 to 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 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 inquirer.”
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. Every thing 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 s 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.”
He 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 me.
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
primped and polished tour. 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 convince 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 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 and 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.
Drago introduced himself.
“We are the representatives of the BBM corporation 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. The difference in treatment is so far apart. 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. 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 launce 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 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.”
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?”
The last was sarcastic. Out comes my phone. This time I get hold of Brenda.
“Brenda I need you to get ahold of a dealership in this area. Hold on”
I ask the woman. “You have any outstanding payments on the car?”
She answers me that she does and gives me the bank information. Then I ask her want the same car? Or better?”
She tells me that she always wanted a better car.
I give Brenda the information and tell her to pay off the bank and get her a smaller luxury car and have it delivered here. Then I say something loud enough for the maintenance people can hear.
“I want you to fire all of the maintenance workers here. We may hire an outside firm.
They are to leave the property with out going into the main building. Get a security firm here at the same time.”
The woman 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.
I ask her, “Can I ask for your name?”
She says “Rose Winston.
“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 folk 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.
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 Caroline that needs this.”
The COO 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. COO, 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. 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 COO
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.”
One or two left 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 arid 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.
“I’m taking the machines.”
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 take over 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 lead 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 interview 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 mean time, 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. Brad 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 months 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 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 contacts.”
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. Shalking 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 Dainel 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. Tomorrow I want you to go around to the local eateries. Ask them if we let them attach a reasonable delivery fee, would they offer delivery. We also bump the price. The room calls you and you order. They make extra and we make extra.”
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 have 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 meal, but you will forgive me. Can we step outside?”
We walk and I point out the empty buildings
What are the codes like here. Lets 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 building.”
“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 hand him my card and ask him if I could have you 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. Two of those ten stores will be food related. Quick food. You three will benefit. The hotel is instituting a room service delivery service.
When I entertain my people, it’s not with a sandwich tray. I want to bring them to your places for fine food. I want to include you in the room service. 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 realtors 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.”
It started that morning like every morning. Get up, get dressed, have something to eat and drive to work. She had no one, Not even a pet. Not allowed in the lease. She is considered an odd one. Her light brown shoulder length hair accentuates her face and body. Ordinarily she would be gorgeous. One problem, she won’t spread her legs. She only gets the touchy type. When she rejects them, they spread rumors. It has gotten so bad that very few people talk to her at work.
She has gotten used to it. Leave me alone, let me do my job and sit in my apartment alone.
This day will turn her upside down and shake her until all those thoughts fell out of her.
Even though there are a few years left on the car loan, it usually takes quite a few tries to get it started. Today she almost gave up but it started on the first time that morning.
She felt that today was going to be her lucky day.
As Rose was driving to her usual parking spot. She sees a man walking in the lot..
Poking at things and taking notes. She was taken on how handsome he looks. She parks and starts to get out. As soon as one heal touched the pavement, she felt nothing but air as she was dropping into a sinkhole.
Rose thought she was dead until she felt herself being grabbed and hauled to safety. It was that man.
The maintenance men came over and got into an argument about them retrieving the car. The head of the maintenance told him that only if his corporation paid for it.
He got on the phone with someone, asked me a few questions and before I knew it, he told me that not only my loan was paid off but he bought me a new luxury car. Then he said to the person to get a security company here and fire all the maintenance shop.
Then he asked me to take him for tea in the break room. I don’t know what came over me. There was one seat, which he offered. I had him sit and sat on his lap. Then I gave into the overwhelming urge and kissed him, very deeply, in front of all those who were on break.
Jimmy Connors, a red head man boy who I have rejected so many times I lost count,, comes over to us, yanks me off and dragged me out of the room. I could see those men blocking the man from following. I was taken to a store room. It was only a matter of minutes in there I heard the sound of everyone running shouting my name. I banged on the door and they let me out.
I was told that the man had been disgraced by Jimmy and his friends. He had given an order that I be brought to him along with the whole shop. They told me that the maintenance workers were escorted off the property.
When I got to the break room area, I saw the safety tape that Jimmy’s crones had put up and there was one across a chair. There was a break table He was yelling that he was shutting this place down and moving the product to the states.
Being brought to the front, he saw bruises and asked if I was alright.
He had moved a break table to the front of the assembly and got up on it. He started to introduce himself but stopped and instructed the owner to introduce him. Brad Jenkins, owner of BBM corporation. It turns out that we were bought out many years ago but BBM bought us over a year ago.
He said that Jimmy and his gang were the reason that the factory was being closed and sent to the states.
He looked a Jimmy, then spotted Sarah and said what he had done for me. Saving me, paying off that car and buying me a new one. He ask Sarah what would you have done.
To which she said that she would have kissed him.
Then he did something that I could not understand. He gave her the car he had ordered for me. He paid off her current loan. Then one of the ones told her that her house was going to be paid off.
Then Jimmy and only two of his boys were escorted off the grounds. He also fired the owner, or former owner.
He came to me and said that his wives wanted to talk with me. Wives, I started to panic but he told me that it was a good type of talk. I believe him, why? Next thing I know, I stopped at the apartment to get my passport and I was on a private jet going to the states.
I was the only passenger. I felt like royalty. Pampered, good food, some wine to go with it and big screen entertainment. When I arrived, I was whisked through customs. I was driven to a very large mansion.
Even though I was given a warning, but did not really believe it, how did he call it, oh yes, I was face bombed by a very loaded diaper. His baby daughter was giggling.
His first wife apologized. “It has been a day of events for you today, hasn’t it?”
“Your husband warned me about Gloria. Yes it has, from a lonely apartment to being dragged to safety by your husband.”
Rose tenses up, be honest he said.
”After all that happened in the morning, I had feelings well up. There was only one seat.
I had him sit and then sat in his lap knowing that I was going to kiss him. I’m sorry.”
Maribell comes in and sits, “He has that effect on certain women.”
“The gentleman with him said the same thing.”
“I think introductions are in order. I’m Brenda, Brad’s first wife and daughter to the darker one Devon Satten, former owner of the corporation. This is Maribell his second wife and daughter of the emperor Harcourt Granden. I will ask, what did you think about the two older men?”
“They were very kind to me and struck me as wonderful people. They also gave an aura of invincibility.”
“Devon, my father, is just putty in Gloria’s hands. He at first wanted to kill Brad. His corporation bought then tore apart the place where we worked. He now is an easy one to get along with but don’t mess with those he loves. He told me that he likes you and considers you as a daughter. You are one of only three he has given that to. My father is a demon lord.”
Maribell now takes over.
“My father is also a softie. A pain in the ass lately because I’m pregnant with his first grandchild. I keep on reminding him that he has an empire to rum but it bounces right off him. My mom is in charge of the corporation’s community improvement fund. We have given both father’s offices at corporate to get them out of our hair. That’s why they are over there. My father is emperor demon over all the demon world.”
Brenda now asks the big question.
“Knowing that our fathers are demons, how do you feel about us now?”
Rose thinks about then says,
“If you asked me the same question yesterday, I would have run. The way you all have treated me. What Brad has said about the repercussions of racism by species and or class I see that the people I have encountered in my life fit the stereotype of demons, but the actual demons I have met today are very different. Loving in nature but will take anyone down that tries to hurt their loved ones.. You have titles, we all do. I have been labeled loose by men who I would not spread my legs for. In my whole life I have not found someone that I would. I’m sorry,”
Rose breaks down crying.
“I feel terrible to say this, but I must be truthful. Brad is the only one that I get those feelings for. It has been less than a day and I have found that I am in love. Please forgive me. Take me to the airport. I’ll never bother any of you again.”
Almost at the same time they say, “She’s a keeper.”
As Maribell comforts her, Brenda lets her know that it is okay for her to feel that way. For Brad to treat you that way, to fire people who treated you bad, hurt you and that manager that let it happen. He had to have had feelings for you. We both knew it.”
She tells her of the first place they fixed up. The town was dead. Brad brought it back to life. Then envy crept in. They found that my father was a demon lord. Started talk about him taking their souls. The final thing was when they started calling me a half breed.
About how he packed up and moved the factory. Closed the different stores he opened.
The type of man who had all the moving trucks lined outside the town hall when they were having a town meeting on how evil he was. He told them that he had solved their problem and we walked out, got in our car and led the convoy out of town.
“Because he could not stand to hear them casting slurs after his wife he moved everything out. You are sitting where the town used to be. Maribell’s father bought it all, tore it down and built this for us. Can you now see his feelings?”
Rose thinks about it then remembers what he said before she left.
“He said that I had an inner beauty, not just an outer. That he liked me but he could see that developing. He told the workers that I was the only one that treated him right.”
Maribell sighs, “Boy, it is obvious. You both have sunk hooks but need help reeling your catch in. So you know, it is the demon way that only the females of the family can allow another woman into the family.”
Brenda tells her, “You have had a long day. We need you to sleep on what was just told to you. I’ll show you to your room. We have laid out night ware for you.
Rose says timidly. “If it won’t offend, I don’t wear anything.. The skin needs to breathe.”
“Not a problem. The only thing is that you need to close your door. It’s not because of nudity, Gloria likes new people. With the door open, you may find it hard to breathe. Wet loaded diaper strike, She thinks it’s fun.”
I go into the room they gave me. It’s bigger than my apartment. The bathroom is the biggest I have seen. I take a long shower. When I come out, I hear a thump and a giggle. Opening the door, I find Gloria just hovering. I put out my arms and she gently lands in my arms. Coos and falls asleep. Brenda comes up,
“I just knew she would be here. I’ll take her back.”
She gets a very strange feeling. This could be hers. Not Gloria but one of her own.
“Would it be possible to hold her for a while?”
“Sure but just know. Another Jenkins has captured you.”
The two talk for a while longer. Mostly on what type of person Brad is. How everyone seems to get along. It ends when Gloria starts to get restless.
“Tomorrow, we will be taking you out shopping. Get you some changes. We need to fill that closet. Then we will go to corporate. Now we need some sleep. You sleep until you get up. We get up early these two weeks. The time difference. Brad gets some great ideas. Especially in the morning.
He said that they were going to interview all the employees for attitude. Then he will decide. He has a glint in his eyes. He is going to do something spectacular to that area.
Later in the morning Rose is now awake. She does find that it is almost noon here which startles her but new experiences. I get dressed. I found that my clothes from yesterday have been replaced with tight fitting blue jeans and a white t shirt. No other choice. She puts them on.
Going to the kitchen area, she finds the three relaxing. They were discussing the latest update. Brenda smiles,
“I told you he had something he was going to do. Your labor board came. Accused Brad of physically claiming ownership and firing a lot of people. Devon was able to show him that the records they had showed that we got it from a settlement fifteen months ago from a large corporate espionage law suit we filed and won. The labor board member said that someone yesterday filed it.”
Rose tells her that the person that we thought was owner never informed anyone of the sale.
“That makes sense. Brad pulled a fast one. He convinced the labor board member to interview people for qualification and attitude. If he can do it in four weeks he will keep the plant open. He’s going to do that anyways. He has us cutting checks, you’ll get one too but here in dollars, everyone gets a month pay. In two weeks, he has another letter to be sent out. One for those being retained and one for those who are not. They get a six month paycheck. The ones who will not be returning, can reapply if they can show that their attitude has changed with the proviso that they must apply before 3pm at the end of the four weeks. The biggest thing to reapply, they must bring in that paystub and the original six month check or a bank check for that amount. If they are accepted, it’s only the month. If their attitude returns,, they will be fired without that check being returned. “
Rose is amazed. It is sheer brilliance but she must ask, “Where was the labor board member?”
“That’s the best part. At Brad’s insistence, he had the board member take credit for the compromise. He had him address the employees. After the address is when Brad told them about the second chance. I wanted to surprise him so I left him a message at the from desk. Sorry, I told him about Gloria’s diaper bomb but as a last small note. I told him that the hotel deal was done. It was ours.”
“What hotel deal?”
“We bought the chain that included the hotel they were staying at. He later told me that he had fun with the manager. He had him look up BBM corp. On the web site, we wanted people to see the face of BBM. He said the man froze.. After a pep talk about room service, they actually put out an evening menu. He said that he probably walk the
town tomorrow. By the way, those jeans with the T shirt. You look sensuous. You’re going to fit in nicely.”
The car is out front and we go. First stop corporate for Gloria’s daycare.
Rose is astonished that they do not have a tether on her. The second the elevator door opened she flew into the room and you heard the people greet her then she zooms into the daycare room. With the greetings, Maribell’s mother comes out but catches the dive bomber. She walks back to the daycare room. “Need I remind you that Gloria is a dirty flyer. That is why the screen door” and she hands her to the attendant.
Coming over, she introduces herself to Rose. “If I may ask, where did you get those jeans. They make you look like a fashion model. My husband told me that you were a looker.”
One of the other employees says that he is jealous. “How does he manage to get all the hottest women.”
Rose blushes
Maribell tells her mother, “We are taking Rose on a shopping trip. Brad sent her with the clothes on her back. Those are spares from the mansion. She needs the works. Wana come mom?”
Some guys most of the times will fire off a statement and be blown out of the water.
There are on occasions that the right combination of word make a direct hit.
The same guy says,
“Judith, I know that you would never stray from your husband but in jeans and a white t shirt, you’d be so much eye candy that every man here would need to go to the dentist every day.”
She hears a lone female voice. “some of us women would need that appointment.”
With that much praise, Judith was out the door chiding the rest to get a move on They come back to pick up Gloria. Judith had always worn clothes befitting her station.
She walked in with those jeans. All work stopped and applause erupts. She is stunning.
You could not see it in the formal dress but she really filled out that outfit in style. Years younger and the man who initially had praised her, looked at her.
He said, “For the first real time, I am jealous. Harcourt is one lucky son of a bitch. That’s it. I’m going to the dentist.
Maribell took quite a few pictures and sent those to Brad. Harcourt could not get the hang of those. So many things happened that she totally forgot. Gloria said DaDa. We did get through the day watching each one of us to get her to say words. She did. By the time Devon said that they were on their way home. She said Mama. Then she started to call everyone mama. Brenda was the first, that’s all that counts.
Just after they took off from England, Maribell sent the pictures. Brad was fascinated.
He told the guys,
“The women ran into this very hot woman in jeans and sent pictures.”
He plugged his lap top into the system. He knew and it wasn’t much longer that Devon got it. Harcourt is more tactful.
“Yes, I agree that the woman is very attractive but she does not compare with Judith.”
Devon went to the screen. “Harcourt, watch this and with the movement of his hingers on the touch screen display said. “Do you recognize this woman now.”
Totally enamored, he calls over one of the flight attendants. “They need to go faster. I’ll pay any fine incurred.”
Back home, a large part of the day was between Gloria and her pompa. I can’t say it enough. That is the same man who was dragging me down a hall, ready to tear me apart, is a puddle of goo. Turned into goo by a very young baby.
As much as I would like to stay and enjoy those two words, DaDa, There are things that need to be done with the England venture. There is a lot going on at one time. I need to go to the office.
Names have been going through my mind. I have a wonderful group working for me but one comes to mind over and over. Kile Perkins.
I was told by my wives that his compliments were the ones that caused Judith’s transformation from a dowager to a doll. He is just the one that’s needed. Even though she was royalty, he saw the woman. He said the truth but in the right way.
As the elevator reaches our floor, I knew what I had to do. As I am greeted, complemented on when happened but more over what was going to happen Kile greets me and I motion for him to come with me. He picks up his tablet and follows.
“I left earlier than I wanted but Devon needed to get back.”
“Come on Brad, I know that you wanted to come back. Gloria has that effect on the office. We can’t wait to hear her. I could not imagine you not coming back.”
“You’re right but now to the subject. There are a lot of loose ends there. The business rebuild, and we are rebuilding it, the town and the improvements to the hotel. We need someone on the ground for the next six months. I can’t see anyone but you filling that position. You’re a natural. Judith is a knockout. That’s because of your properly worded complements. Not flattery. How about it?”
I can see that he is thinking about it so I need to sweeten the pot.
“Of course, your bills here will be paid by me. Your rent, utilities, and all the other bills.
While there, you will have a very generous expense account and almost total autonomy.
Major decisions we need to discuss but colors, who sits with who and all the other things are yours.”
That pushes him over the edge.
“Okay, I’ll do it. Fill me in.”
“First, by the end of our day, I want you there. Naturally you stay in the hotel. We will have them set up a room on the first floor for meetings. You need to over see the improvements to the hotel. What it becomes will be the model for the chain. Pick someone here that will relate the improvements to the other sites. At the business. Hold on one minute.”
I call home,
“Please put Rose on, Rose that woman is gave your car to, by the way, if you decide to go back, you’ll have a car waiting, Do you know her?”
“Sarah Abott is her name. She is a good person. One of the one’s that talked to me.”
“I’m thinking of having her be the aide for our person going over there today. Would she like a boost in pay and working for him?”
“She would love it. She always talked about getting a good position like that.”
“Thanks, you are wonderful. I’m glad you are here.”
I call the front desk.
“Place a call to Collen Stevers and have him locate Sarah Abott. He needs to ask her about being Kile’s aide with a double of her salary. Also let the realtor and the hotel know that he is coming. Send his picture. Call the corporate jet, he is leaving today. Let the limo in England know that we will be using him exclusive for the next six months.
Have him email the invoice here. Tell him to send a separate invoice for another limo and driver. I don’t want him to lose business Get back to me on all of this but the jet and limo are the most important. Thank you.”
“Kile, gather your information, get your passport and let the jet know that you are coming. The bigger thing to remember is that we are going to grow the community. The business staff is being done by Collen. Make him one of your first full day’s visits. Now gather and go.”
He is a blur gathering what he felt he would need the first few days. Closed up his apartment and was off to England.
In the corporate office, Brad was assembling his support group. Most have been the ones that were doing it for him. It was noon when he announced that the support team have agreed to a split shift. They will be working on British time for the three weeks.
With that, I sent those ones home.
I’m going home also. I want to talk with Rose and my wives. Who am I kidding, I need to hear DaDa. It’s Friday, I tell everyone to wrap up what they are doing and go home.
With that I leave.
Walking to the door, I expect the usual bomb run. Imagin my shock but a pleasant one when Gloria comes at me but land on my chest and hugs my neck repeating DaDa.
Now I’m goo. She must have a superpower.
“She always beats us.” Brenda says. “How did it go?”
Maribell and Rose walk in.
“Kile Perkins is on his way to England right this minute. I picked him because of the transformation of your mother Maribell.”
“If he could sweet talk my mom, he is the right one. I had tried to get her to dress different but it was his comments that caused her to change. He said what we said but in a non-flattering way. It was the truth but it was the truth in an assuring way. Dad says that she is now dressing like that all the time. She has said that he is getting, her words, frisky.”
“Exactly what type of person is Sarah? Can you fill us in with anything you know.”
“Sarah is a bright personality. She is friendly, understanding but she is also a fierce opponent. Helping Kile, she is going to be able to see if someone is trying to, what’s that American saying, oh yea, she will let him know if someone is trying to blow wind up the skirt. As a side note, she is a good looker, single and like me hasn’t found the right one.”
I ask her point blank
“Have you found the right one? Don’t answer that just yet. You need to think about it. I will be going back in two weeks. Then coming back after two weeks there. Talk to these two. I would like you to come back with me for those two weeks. If you plan to stay in England, just tell me then. I’ll buy that car for you. If you decide to come back, I’ll accept you. We will have your apartment packed up and sent here.”
She is broken, in a good way.
My wives told her, “We told you so. He is hooked and flopping on the deck.”
I’m at a loss but it won’t be a first time. I retreat back to Gloria but I’m foiled. The door opens and she is off with a shot saying Pompa all the way. What does he have that I don’t have.
It is actually Rose that says,
“She can see you anytime but her pompa is special.”
“Damn, it’s very hard not to hug you.” He then realizes that he said that outloud.
It’s Brenda this time. “Too late, Brad, stand up. Rose go get that hug.”
I do, she does and then we felt the impact. Gloria is getting involved and joins the hug.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Devon with that smile. Then I hear him say.
“You wear it on your sleave.”
I made it to the hotel and they greeted me like I was special but I also heard them greet others the same way. I make it a note. During check in, they saw who I was. I complemented them on my greeting.
“I felt special even before you knew who I was. That is going into my report to corporate.”
They now asked me about luggage even though it is just a carry on.
“We’ll have it sent to your room.” The manager tells me. “I would like your input on the meeting room.”
He takes me to a normal room on the first floor. The bedding has been removed and a small table has been placed.
“You have the right idea but we are going to break through to the next room and make it one large room. That is unless you have a double already.”
“We do but it is on the top floor.”
I have him show me. I like what I see. It still is a luxury suite but need to ask when I see my bag there.,
“How often is this room sold?”
“Very rarely.”
“Here’s what we are going to do. Move me to that first floor room that you showed me and convert this into a meeting room that your King and Queen would be satisfied with holding a meeting in. We will sell this on the web site as the place to have meetings and seminars. In the states, hotels have these rooms booked constantly with company off site training. We’re going to offer them a discount on this room if they book the overnight rooms here. Any booking with over a hundred rooms, they get this meeting hall free.”
“This room won’t hold one hundred unless you knock down the wall and expand it.”
“Excellent, Do it. We’ll put a sliding track divider. That way we can hold multiple groups.”
The manager can see what I am talking about.
I finish reeling him to my side.
“With these room converted, how many rooms do you have?”
He tells me that they have two hundred.
“How would you like to have occasions that you had to tell people that you are booked up solid? Oh hell, is there another place in the area, within let’s say twenty five miles, I’m sorry 40 kilometers.”
There is one.”
I tell him to excuse me for a few. I call Brad directly. And put him on speaker.
“The manager is with me. First, without knowing me I was greeted as if I was the most important person in the world. I saw others being treated the same way. The manager has instituted that improvement. Do I have your permission to give him a bonus?”
Brad tells me that I can give him an extra weeks pay as a bonus.
“That’s not the reason you called me is it”
“No it isn’t. He had a very nice set up on the first floor. I looked at it and said that it would be good for a private meeting for a couple of people so I had him show me one of the largest rooms. It is on the top floor. The juices started flowing. We are going to knock down the wall between two of the suites. Then you install a sliding room divider.
With the two rooms as one, we can hold meetings for over a hundred people. Once it is done, we put it on the web for seminars and off site training. Give those a meeting room discount if they book a certain amount of rooms for the people attending.”
Brad interrupts, “That’s all in the scope of your job there. If you want it done, do it. Again what is the reason you called?”
“Let’s say that the hotel will be booked solid. We would have to turn away people.”
He stops me, “I know where you are going with this. We do not want to lose them. You want me to buy something around the area. We could refer them to that hotel. Is there any privately owned hotels in the area?”
“The manager says there is one. That’s the reason. I need you to acquire it. We do not bring it into the chain. Make it like an old English inn. Quaint and maybe even a pub room.”
“It will be done. If that town has a pub, I’m going to see if I can buy it. That’s why I sent you. Get that room set up. Keep the first floor room for the managers office. Keep it up.”
“You heard it. You now have your own office, a weeks bonus and all for greeting everyone for the special guests they are. I will leave the wall and decorations to you.
Remember this, Sometimes it takes spending money to make money but with this. I’m going to have the corporation send an invitation to the royal couple to attend and give a dedication to the new Queen Elizabeth memorial meeting room. As far as the name, if you need to modify it maybe carrying her kingdom forward but I want it to be associated with this hotel and this country.
We go down and there is a vacant room on the first floor, I take it. I tell the manager to pick out a very nice desk for his office. He goes I there and by the next morning, the workmen are here.
I have made an appointment with Collen and I am heading to the realtor. Outside the hotel, I see a limo. The driver jumps out and opens the door. I’m only going up to the realtor. I will give you permission to accept some short runs for now. I am told that the second limo is doing that.
I take him inside to the manager.
“Sorry to interrupt. This man is our permanent driver. He owns his own business with two limos. He is this hotel’s limo service. We cover the in between run meals. Right now he is at my disposal he and his co driver will park in the parking lot. See if there is a special area for them to park after drop off. Modify your web site to show now that we have limo services.”
I tell the driver.
“I haven’t been anywhere yet but what’s going to happen with this hotel you will eventually need more limos. Go get something to eat. Tell the front desk to call the manager about it. I should be done around ten here, I have the labor board man to talk to at eleven. The man’s name is Collen Stevers. Get the address from the front desk, If you need more time to get there. I’ll be somewhere on the main street. Come get me.”
Wit that I meet the realtor. He shows me the buildings and already the tourist center if being painted and the inside is a hive of activities. I am introduced to them.
“I’m going to be here for the next six months. This place needs to be up and running quick.”
I give them the rundown of the hotel modification including that it must be dedicated to the late queen.
“We need suggestions on the name built must start with “The Queen Elizabeth” Then the rest needs to suit this community. The reason I say that this needs to be finished quickly is that the corporation will invite the king and queen to dedicate the room. I have given the manager the orders that it must befit the queen’s name.”
They are teared up.
“If you need help, just ask. A corporation has pull to get things. Now next door, that will be the local product shop. Since you are in the know. Who here has the ability or knows someone that has the ability to get up all the local made product. It can be from canned goods to other products. No live stock. I need to hire some one to run the store. We don’t haggle. We buy at their normal selling price. That’s why my buyer needs to be local. It’s tourists that we sell to at inflated prices. We sell at a larger price, the town and the state get their cuts in tax’s.”
People are thinking about it when I see the limo.
“If you or someone you know wants to apply, drop your contact information off with the realtor. I have to go see the labor board.”
With that I leave. The driver says that Collen would like to meet at the factory.
Pulling up, I see a few go home yank signs. All look like they are written by two people.
I’ll have someone remove them. At the building there are some bushes that look like they were pulled up and grass spots torn out. So far both buildings are intact.
I get out and find Collen outside.
We introduce ourselves.
I look at him.
“Is someone trying to tell me something?” being facetious on how I said it.
“I’m sorry but this has just started. Even I have received some messages that are this side of threats. With what has been happening, I advise you to increase security.”
I look at the buildings.
“Can I ask you to do a walk around with me. I want to see the state of the buildings.”
As I am asking, a very good looking obviously new car pulls up and a curve gets out.
“God, are all your women as pretty as this?”
He says yes, but some pretty up better.
“This should be your new assistant Sarah Abott.”
Now I understand the car but
Sarah introduces herself and I tell her that we will be working on the shop project but also the in town. What we will do is meet at the hotel every morning and use the limo for going somewhere. She likes the idea.
I ask, “Well what is your first impression on my greeting?”
“The corporation has angered the few that were fired but the workers I knew would not have stopped at bushes. That serves no purpose. Your windows would be the first to go.
May I make a call?”
She goes away, finishes the call and comes back.
“It will be around twenty minutes but I have someone coming.”
We start to walk around the maintenance building and find no damage other then some bird poop. In the back parking lot, Rose’s car is the only car there. The sink hole has been plugged.
“Get someone to haul that away. This whole parking lot needs to be broom tested.”
I get the strangest look from both.
“Do you have the keys to this place?”
Sarah says she has all the keys.
Would you please go to the maintenance building and get me a push broom?”
She does but calls us over. She points out the dust.
“These are my tracks. There is more disruption, like a window was opened this week.”
We look and all the windows are locked.
“There may be a draft.” I hand her my tablet. “Please note it as a task. I have yours in the limo.”
I take the broom but remove the handle. To them, I ask a simple but dumb question.
“Have you ever heard a drum.”
I notice a spray paint can and take it. Walking down the side walk, I can tell that I’m being annoying. I am letting the end of the handle drop to the surface. There are a few places on the sidewalk that I stop and spray some paint. In the parking lot I spray a few more spots.
“I asked if you ever heard a drum. Do you know why a drum makes noise?”
“Think about it.” I hand him the handle. “You saw how I was dropping it so only the end hit. Collen would you please go back before the first spot. Do what I did. Hold your hand around the handle so it drops a foot or so. Then every foot let it drop but listen to the sound it makes. Think of a drum. I don’t what you to say anything because I’m going to have her do the same. Make sure you hit paint and no paint.”
He goes. About half way he looks like he wants to run to us but continues. Then he hands the broom stick to Sarah. She comes back with the same look
“Why does a drum make a sound?”
Both answer “It’s hollow!”
“I’m not saying that it would have detected all of the holes but do you think that we need someone with ground penetrating radar here. Write it down. Safety of the workers.”
Collen tells me that there may be some federal money for that and he will look into that.
“That would be nice, but the workers come first. If we can get some money back, it will be appreciated.”
We finish the walk around and end back in the front. Who ever it is, they don’t want to hurt the buildings.
I get her tablet out of the limo and there is a van pulling in. The driver gets out.
“Sarah, you didn’t need to yell at me.”
He holds out his hand, “I’m John Abott, her brother.”
“Kile Perkins,”
“If you don’t mind Kile, I’ll talk to John. I want every meter of this under surveillance.
Twenty four seven. The go home yank area is ours. Every door, Every window and even the roofs If a bird poops, I want a report on what species it was. This corporation is doing wonders for this town. I don’t want a fool to drive them out.”
“The hotel outside and the town center needs the same treatment. The hotel all corridors, stair ways and elevators. The monitors for those will be in the manager’s office. For all of this I need every camera to down load to a solid state drive system in your company. I want to be able to tell you a time date and area. Within a few minutes, you will send that feed. In the event of an intruder, you will have direct wifi with the security. They will contact the police.”
He is giving me the strangest look.
“Do you know how much this is going to cost?”
“How does a hundred thousand pounds for getting it up and running in a few weeks.”
He’s beside himself. Time to slam it home.
“Fifty thousand more to get this plant covered, up and running in a few days.”
He looks around at the site. Gets on the phone then tells me
‘Direct deposit Half up front Your going to regret this because it’s going to cost you that fifty.”
“Talk , talk, talk “ Sarah chides “You doing it?”
“Yes”
I tell Sarah to boot up her tablet.
“Give her your bank information.”
I show her the app. She puts in the information and his phone alerts. He looks. The message reads “fifty thousand pounds has been deposited into your account from BBM
corporation.”
He looks like he is going to pass out.
Sarah now tells him that the clock is ticking. He is shown the security station and immediately hooks up the wifi station.
“There will be cells dropped off before the end of the day for twenty guards. If you need more. This place will be tight by the end of tomorrow.” He leaves
“This job should have only cost fifty thousand at the most.” Sarah says
“Investment my dear. You want to have this place burnt down? This place, this place, Do you know where that chief operating officer lives? He acted like he owned it.”
Sarah is shocked. “He didn’t own it?”
“Not for quite a few years.”
Collen says he can get that information once he is back in the office. He and Sarah touch tablets and exchange contact information.”
I go out on a limb
“How would you like to go to dinner with me? We can get to know each other. I want to try out the restaurants in town.”
For the first time today, she seems timid. She says that she would like that.
“Well then, we’ll call it a day. I’ll send the limo. See you around seven?”
The limo stops and Sarah is let out. If you thought she was beautiful during the day, you would need someone to tell you to breathe.
She got the response she wanted. I could only just stand there. I did not realize i this said out loud.
“Damn, I have got to remember to breathe.”
As calmly as he could show, He stutters as he says
“You are very beautiful. I find myself not hungry. You have filled me up. So Italian, Indian or British. Those are the foods that these three serve. I’m sorry for staring. Wow.”.
He does think to himself Control, Gloria’s diapers anything. She chooses Italian. It was a good choice I had the meat lasagna she had the stuffed manicotti, with wine. After we ate, we walked and talked about each other’s background. She has never found her someone, same as me. She did ask about Rose. I didn’t know much only that Brad has been bitten and his two has accepted her.
“I feel that Brad will bring her here when he visits and then he will have her make her decision.”
“I saw Rose that day, she already looked like she had made the decision.”
When it was time for her to go home, I rode with her. She asked me in but I told her that the offer was extremely tempting but we need to take it slow and make sure what we are feeling is not just lust. She is as disappointed as I am but early could ruin a fledgling relation.
“This is the first time I have felt this. Part of me says it is right but the other side” she leaned in and gave me a passionate kiss. Then went inside.
“Drive on before I give in.” I’m tired.
I slept but it was a long night
She arrived in the limo. I don’t know how she does it but I’m helpless. Each time I see her, I am stunned. I now understand Brad. As she is getting out, I receive a call from security. They spotted someone on the grounds but the person seems to have vanished. I tell them about the dust in the maintenance shop. I want it searched top to bottom. We are coming over.
We pull up. John’s people are going full force and has the shop an hour from being set up. Wireless wifi cameras.
The security is set with the collective monitor screens. That’s why they spotted the person.
“John, you have the bonus because I need you to call in all your people. I need you to make sure that you have everyone.”
He makes the wifi call and all his people come in. He tells me that everyone is accounted for. The person must have blended into the crowd.
“Right now I’m going to the office to collect the transfer documents. If it is who I think it is, that is what he will go for. He does not realize that we have the originals but I don’t think he is rational any more. The two of us will be there. We won’t wander but I will leave my phone open to security.”
With that, Sarah and I make our way to the office. We walk in on the COO rifling through his files.
“Where are they. They should be here. Those are mine.”
He looks up and rants “What did you do with my papers! Where are they! This place is mine!”
I bluff and say that they have been moved to the bank vault.
Enraged he tried to grab Sarah, I stepped between and felt his knife dig into my arm. I grab the knife by the blade. I cut my palm but he could not retrieve the knife and ran out.
Moments later security showed, as the phones heard from John saying that someone ran into the maintenance shop. One man who knew first aid bandaged my hand but told me that the hospital should be the ones to remove the knife. It could be blocking a severed artery. He bandaged it so it would not move.
About the time I’m ready to be moved, the word came. They found him. He hanged himself in the maintenance shop. They have to leave him. The police have been called.
After they investigate, they will be the ones to cut him down.
I fade out but heard Sarah crying and holding my good arm. I had enough left to say, “I love you.”
Next thing I know, I’m in a hospital bed. Sarah has not left my side. She hasn’t even changed her dress but Rose brought her one. I hear Brad tell Sarah to go with Rose.
He’ll watch Kile.
After they go to change. Brad says,
“I’m having the jet refueled. You’re going to a state side hospital. Sarah can come with you. You had to get knifed to get her to love you.”
He forced a chuckle.
I did notice Rose and Sarah come back
“No, I’m staying here. everyone needs to see that they can’t chase us out. He was one deranged person but if I left it would open hunting day for all of us. No, I stay.”
“What Sarah said she loved me?”
Blame it on the drugs for being slow. She comes over and gives a light hug,
“Do you remember what you told me.”
“I told you I loved you. I meant it.”
“Well now you are going to get my answer. I love you and want to spend more than the six months.”
She looks at Brad,
“I go when ever, where ever he goes, forever.”
“You got it. After he explained himself for the need to stay. I agree. We need to show that you will not be able to push us out. He stays here.”
“I got to ask, have you seen the town center? And the hotel?”
“Yes on both. The hotel heard and has shifted into high gear. They are already starting the clean up. In a day or two they will have the drawings to show the decorations. The manager has said that they want to frame these. They will make exact copies for here.
They want to send the originals to the king and queen for their approval. I agree with that. Now that you have resolved to stay. You and Sarah will have an audience with them.”
“Brad, time to use corporate power, get me out of here now.”
Sarah objected but I told her I’m fine you can look after me in the hotel. She brightens.
Brad gets me my pants and we just walk out over objections. I found out that the driver’s name is Karl. I was let in and Brad said.
“Karl, the hotel please.”
We pull up and the whole town seemed to know. I got out to a cheering crowd. At least they did not try to hug me. There are a lot of way to go’s. It had already made it’s way that I was wounded when I defended Sarah. To them that is most important.
“Tomorrow I will be back looking at the progress in the town. I will be going to the plant to go over what happened. We will continue, we will build and we will become the new center of manufacturing. This week both Sarah and myself have an audience with the king and queen to present the hotel conference rooms that we will be dedicate it to the late queen. We then will formally ask them to attend the dedication.
Brad is doing some of the in town looking but it seems that they are now looking for Kile’s input. He’s the hero of today. He is not quite up to speed but he does make his presence felt.
Today however, the local police wish him to go to the factory and show what he experienced. Karl’s other driver was the one taking both Sarah and himself there. Brad said that Rose and him are going to visit an inn. He said Karl was going to drive them there.
Not wanting to make further mistakes. As the driver opens the door, I let Sarah get in first. I then asked his name to which he said his name is Basil.
“Basil, we need to go to the factory.”
With that we drove off.
As we drove up, those signs were still there. I was told by Basil that they will be removed by the police and taken in as evidence in case there is a second person. I remember thinking that it looked like there were two different hand writing.
“Sarah, before the end of the day, have your brother remove all locks from the lockable doors and put in badge and keypads on each. He had all the keys so others have them also. Every one must have the employee door badge access. Inner rooms as needed.”
She sees his truck aside the few police cars.
We get out. I tell the police that Sarah will be back. She needed to deliver some new instructions to the firm that is setting up the surveillance.
The man in the suit tells me that he is the lead investigator on this case. He tells me that they have enough to show that he tried to steal the documents and that he attacked.
“We have the complete audio. John Abott was able to give us a copy from your open phone. All we need is, in both you and your assistants words, a visual description of what happened in the office.”
Sarah comes back and we go to the office. We stand where we were while the police man stood in the place where the old owner stood.
Sarah was telling what she saw.
“We entered the office. He was rifling through those files to find some papers he wanted. He was angerly talking to himself. He saw Kile and was yelling about the papers as he came to our side. He lunged at me but Kile jumped in front of him. That is when he stabbed him. Kile grabbed the knife in the other hand by the blade. The old owner could not pull the knife out and he ran out.”
The inspector has been writing and taking some pictures, then says that they have enough for this case.
“This case?”
With a grim look he says that at the man’s home, there was another man helping him.
“We got the list of all the people fired that day. We talked with all except one James Connor. Until we find him, be on your guard.”
Sarah is aghast, “Jimmy was the one that dragged Rose off. He tried to get her to go with him quite a few times butt she turned him down each time.
I excuse myself for a moment and get on my cell.
“Brad, where are you?”
“Getting ready to leave for that inn. Why?”
“Is Rose with you?”
“Yes”
“Put me on speaker phone. Inspector tell them what you just told me.”
“The owner was working with someone else. We talked to everyone that you fired with the exception of James Connor. We can’t find him.”
Sarah “Rose, Brad, get in the damned car and get here. Jimmy gets unreasonable at times. You’re with Brad and he has always felt you were his. He’ll be out for Brad and use what ever it takes to get you.”
Brad puts her in the limo and tells Karl to drive. Too late, the driver lifts his cap and shows his red hair.
Brad has just enough time to, push Rose out of the limo as it starts to move. He tosses his phone to her.
Rose picks it up “Jimmy did something to the driver. Brad pushed me out. Jimmy has kidnaped Brad!”
Kile tells her in Brad’s phone is a contact labeled epm. Hang up and press emp.
Rose hits call. Almost immediately Harcourt picks up,
“What’s wrong Brad? This is the emergency number.”
“This is Rose, Brad was just kidnaped from the town by Jimmy Conners. The red head from work.”
“Stay right there but don’t hang up.”
In an instant, Harcourt displays the demon power. He has used the open line to teleport to her side. Once there, Devon is right behind. Harcourt pulls out a device and speaks into it.
My son has been captured by someone called Jimmy Connor. From this location. This is a full demon alert. Find that limo and my son Brad Jenkens. He looks at Rose.
“Which way and how long ago?”
“North and ten minutes ago.”
He relays that. Moments later people are popping in and out with information. He grabs a hold of Rose and tells Devon,
“Let’s go.”
In an instant they are in the country side.
“The limo is on it’s way here. It is being watched all the way. There are no turn offs so”
He does not get to finish as the limo appears at a high rate of speed. It was like it hit an area of air the same consistency of water. It slowed down to a halt. It is completely surrounded by people but they are just standing.
Harcourt bellows, “Get my son out of that car!”
Devon holds on to Rose.
“I don’t even think you should look but we protect our own. You are my daughter. Thank you for calling.”
She says that she needs to watch.
The back door and roof was ripped off and they gently got Brad out. And he came over to Rose and hugged her.
Now Harcourt ordered them to bring Jimmy out. He is not gently removed. He is physically dragged before Harcourt. Now Devon steps up.
“You have committed a crime against the demon nation by kidnaping Brad Jenkins the son of Emperor Granden whom you have been casted before.”
Son of a bitch still does not know when to shut up.
“So he used his demon powers to cast a spell on Rose.”
Rose tells Jimmy,
“The only spell he cast was one of respect and caring. I fell in love. He, His wives, these two fathers of mine and these wonderful people here that helped. Jimmy Conner you are the only demon I see here. Brad, I want to marry you. Your wives have already accepted me.”
Both of the men looked at her. Draco put his hand on her and pulled her into a hug.
“For the Emperor and myself. Thank you daughter.”
Now it gets serious again.
“Brad is the victim here, what say you as to his punishment.”
He thinks about it. Then asks with a grin.
“Is there any way make him to tell the truth and only the truth?”
The emperor says yes.
“Is there a way to mess with his mind to make it so he never hurts anyone again including himself?”
“Yes”
“Last question, can you keep him totally sane?”
Again, he is told yes.
“Do those three things to him and I’ll show you his punishment.”
It is done and Jimmy collapsed.
“Watch this.” Brad says. He shakes Jimmy awake
“A bunch of demons attacked the car. They tore it apart. Your one of them.”
“Put Jimmy back to sleep.”
“Can the limo be fixed?” Brad asks.
One of the demons uses a spell, the limo is back with a polish.
“Nice of you to polish it. Good touch” The man bows.
“We’ll drive it three miles out of town and pull it off the road as if it was going out of town. Give me a small can of sleeping gas. Take Rose then you and Devon pop to the hotel room. Then have one of your people call in a tip. Both Jimmy and I will be out.”
Draco laughs,
“I don’t care what you say. Harcourt, this man has to have demon blood in him. It’s too perfect. When they talk to Jimmy, he’ll tell them the truth. About the limo being torn apart, how Brad is a demon, you and I are demons. He can’t deviate, but the car is intact. Brad is not hurt. They will think he is nuts. Unfit to stand trial and locked up in a loony bin for life because he will stick to the true story.”
Harcourt looks at me, then looks at Jimmy.
“Devon is right, this is demonic though on an apocalyptic scale. Telling the truth, staying sane and cannot hurt himself. Demonic. We could squash him and he would be out of his misery. I’m going to do one more thing give him a long healthy life. I’m going to have my researchers look into your family tree.”
We drive back, the odometer is adjusted to the last log from this morning plus a few extra miles. Jimmy is put in the drivers seat. After a kiss from Rose, I close the door and open the gas.
The next thing I see is a bunch of police around the car. They have opened the door and I awake. They have to shake Jimmy to wake him. He starts spouting about demons tearing the limo apart and hundreds of demons.
They took him away for observation.
“I tell the inspector that I am a high profile person.. Since we saw nothing in your laws about sleeping gas I had a bottle tucked away in the seat fold. When we got to this area, I opened it up. He wasn’t all there to begin with. He rambled on about me being a demon and casting a spell over Rose.”
I add on last nail.
“Limo looks good for being torn apart by demons. A mind is a terrible thing when it goes off center. As far as him, I really can’t bring myself to press charges. Just get him the help he needs.”
By this time Basil and Karl pull up. Rose Harcourt and Devon get out of the back seat.
Karl looks at the limo and remarks that all he did was hot wire it. He says he was at lunch when someone said the Brad had been kidnaped. Rose runs over
“Thank God you are all right.”
Mean while Jimmy is screaming from the back seat of the police car.
“Shoot them, they’re all demons.”
He keeps on saying it until the inspector tells them to take him to the mental hospital for evaluation. On the way back Devon tells Rose and I that the sudden appearance has been wiped from the memories of those that were there. We arrived in town with you.
“I have to ask, how are my wives?”
“They are okay but you and Rose are flying home tonight. At their insistence.”
I look at Rose, “You coming?”
“You have to ask?”