Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:09:42 +0000 From: Jacob Latson Subject: Agony & Ecstasy Chapter 11 Disclaimer: This story will describe the life of John Miller from his time as a man who has been devastated by divorce and then turns it into a new life of wealth. This story will include descriptions of male sex, including M/M, M/T, M/b, T/b and b/b. If stories involving sex between consenting males of all ages, including mainly gay sex, offends you, go back to the Archives and pick a different story for your reading pleasure. Don't expect constant descriptions of erotic sex in this story. I always want to develop a plot and characters before the hot action starts. There has been minimal research for this story therefore, names, places, and events are mostly fictitious and similarities to real life are coincidental. Some companies and organizations mentioned actually exist, but references to the activities, policies, programs and procedures are fictitious. This story will include references to the United States government, the FBI, CIA and other agencies. Any references are purely fictional, and only used to develop the plot and characters. Bill did his editing work again, and I thank him for his valuable help!! Thanks to the readers who took the time to write to me about my story. I was on vacation but I'm back now and plan to post frequently. I'm having fun writing this story, and hope that you are enjoying my efforts. Agony & Ecstasy Chapter 11 Taking Control and Kicking Ass John had read the entire document that Helen had given him, and he was starting to understand the magnitude of his new responsibilities. He had heard that James Stanton spent most of the year traveling around the world on exotic hunting and fishing trips and wondered how that was possible. He knew that L. Kenton Bradford, lead attorney for S&JI, Ltd., wanted to retire in six months, and John knew who he wanted to hire to take over the legal issues. He'd have to wait until some major issues were resolved, but he was forming a plan on how to take control. Derek Kaufman and Lindsey Smith had been assigned as John's bodyguards along with Lou Williams and Ross Johnson. The four men would rotate their time with John so that they could spend time with their families and still make sure that their new boss was safe. John had decided to let things cool down at the NAO Headquarters, and wanted to visit the small farm that he had purchased from James Stanton's estate. He drove his pickup truck to the address and wondered why James Stanton would buy what looked like a plain cement block home and pole barn on 80 acres outside of Novi, Michigan. He used a special access card to disable the alarm system and asked his bodyguards to wait outside for him. When he got inside, he saw only battered furniture and a home that looked like it had been abandoned. He walked around the small home and down the hall to a steel door that looked like it could withstand an attack from a howitzer! He used the access card and unlocked the heavy steel door but had to use all his strength to push the door open. Inside, John stopped dead in his tracks when he turned on the light. The room was filled with stacks of U.S. currency that was banded together and wrapped in clear plastic. He lifted one brick of money and saw that it consisted of $100 bills. He couldn't even estimate how much money was in the room, but it had to be millions of dollars. John had to sit down to comprehend what was in this innocent home on 80 acres of land. The stacks of money went from the floor to the ceiling, and were either $100 bills or $50 bills. "How had James Stanton got all of this cash?" John wondered. "Was the former owner of S&JI involved in drug dealing? It didn't seem possible that anyone could have this much cash at his disposal from legal business transactions." John made a quick assessment, and guessed that over $40 million was locked in the room. He saw a huge safe in the corner, and used the combination from the CD to unlock the door. Inside were notebooks that contained vintage U.S. currency that John had never seen before. Two books were filled with old bills that were much larger than the current bills in circulation, and he marveled at the beautiful bills. There were crisp bills in every denomination from $1 to $1,000 and John knew that the bills were worth a fortune! He lost count of how many notebooks he opened, but he was impressed that a plastic sheet protected each bill. He found another notebook that was filled with $500 and $1,000 silver certificates, and John wondered how he should protect his new treasure from robbers. The last notebook contained bills that John had never seen or heard of in his entire life. He found a notebook of $10,000 notes and four pages of $100,000 notes! John wondered if the large denomination bills were genuine, or if they were counterfeit. He had surfed the Internet in the past, and had heard of $100,000 notes that banks used for transferring funds, but he never dreamed that any individual would own even one bill. He returned the books to the safe, and locked it before leaving the room. He locked the room and tried to calm down before facing his bodyguards. He locked the house and turned the alarm system back on before walking towards the pole barn. "Are you okay?" Derek Kaufman asked. "You look like something scared the shit out of you!" "That house is full of junk furniture and looks like it's been abandoned for years," John said. "I heard that the pole barn was used to store some of the cars that I bought, so let's take a look." John walked up to the side door of the pole barn and found another heavy steel door with a security port for an access card. He disarmed the security system and needed help to push the heavy door open. "HOLY CRAP!" Derek Kaufman exclaimed. "Look at these walls! They must be a foot thick! I thought this was just a pole barn, but it's built like a bank vault!" Inside the barn, John saw two lines of cars that were covered with dust covers. He lifted the cover from one car and found the 1953 Corvette. It was immaculate, and he realized that the barn had a sophisticated heating and cooling system to protect the valuable vehicles. "I've never seen a '53 Vette!" Derek said. "Can we look at the rest of the cars?" John watched while the four men uncovered the 25 vehicles. All five men were excited about seeing the priceless collection, and loved the chance to get inside the cars to check them out. "I have a friend who services vintage cars like these," Lindsey Smith said. "He'd shit if he saw what you own!" "Would he change the oil and lubricate these beauties?" John asked. "I bet that all of these cars need some service because James Stanton has been dead for over six months. They must have been sitting here all that time." Lindsey used his cell phone to call his friend and was pleased to tell John that Tony Perkins could take care of the cars at any time. "I would like for you and Ross to start shuttling the cars down there for service," John suggested. "When the first two are done, come back and get two more. Here are the registrations for all of the cars." "You mean that you'll let us drive them?" Ross Johnson asked. "Of course!" John replied. "I want to take the Ferrari Testarossa home today, but I want the others left here." John opened a wall safe that was part of an interior wall of the barn and found the keys to all of the vehicles. "I'm jealous!" Derek admitted. "Lindsey and Ross get to have all of the fun!" John laughed and suggested that the four men take turns driving his cars for service and warned all of the men to drive directly to the service shop and then directly back to the barn. He didn't want to take the risk of having any of the cars stolen if the men made any stops. The four security guards started a playful argument about who would drive certain cars, while John uncovered the edge of a tarp that was covering a large wood crate. When he saw the stencil on the side of the crate, he correctly guessed that it had been shipped from Costa Rica to the store in Houston, Texas, and was destined for J.T. Blakemore, 322 S. Division Street, in Detroit. He didn't see any U.S. Customs paperwork attached to the crate, and quickly covered it from view. The large crate must contain something valuable because it was stored in the barn, but John was afraid to open the crate in front of his security officers. He hoped that the crate didn't contain anything illegal, and decided not to open it, but wished that he could make the crate disappear. The four men spent the entire day at the farm and only left for lunch at a local Pizza Hut. John let Derek drive the Ferrari to his home on Peninsular Drive and into the garage. He hadn't driven any of his valuable cars yet, but he'd do that in the future. He offered the use of his two extra bedrooms to his security officers, and they accepted his generous offer. John woke up and wasn't surprised to see Derek in the kitchen, making a pot of coffee. Chris walked into the kitchen and asked John how he slept. "I'm still in shock after seeing those cars," John admitted. "We are too!" Chris admitted. "I still can't believe that you let us drive them!" "Tell me about Donald Cassidy and Blackhawk Security," John asked. "This is just between us, and I appreciate honesty." "Don's a great boss," Derek said while handing John a cup of fresh coffee. "He started Blackhawk Security over 30 years ago, and he hired people with special talents. Many of our agents worked for the Federal Government either in the military, or the alphabet organizations." "What do you mean?" John asked. "DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), FBI (Federal Bureau of Intelligence), CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), or Secret Service," Chris replied. "We have a special group that left the Hostage Rescue Group out of Quantico, and we've done some contract work for all of those agencies. Some of our bodyguards are assigned to Hollywood stars and political figures that need special attention." "We all know that Don wants to sell the company and retire, and we all hope that we get hired by a new boss who takes care of us like Don does," Derek added. "The guys and gals that didn't come from the alphabet organizations were in the various special forces groups of the military. We've got former SEAL's, Army Rangers, and Airborne veterans who can handle any type of armed conflict." "We have contacts all over the world," Chris said. "We've worked with INTERPOL and every law enforcement agency in the world." "I have the use of several planes and boats," John offered. "James Stanton spent a fortune on a large yacht that's berthed in the Bahamas right now, and I just learned that he bought a new boat for use on the Great Lakes. What expertise does Blackhawk have with naval vessels?" "I hope that you don't get upset, but Don had us do some checking on the Sea & Jungle Imports, Ltd.," Derek said. "The Sea & Jungle Imports IV is a luxury ship that no one in the world can match! It's 240 feet long and has a crew of 20 when in the harbor, and a crew of 100 when it leaves the port. Mr. Stanton was the main passenger, and only a few selected guests were ever invited aboard. We've heard that the ship is a fortress, with concealed guns and anti-piracy equipment. With our agents who were in the Navy, we're sure that we can handle any security issues that might arise." "Thanks for being so open with me," John said. "I need to leave for the office soon, and I'd like to drive the Ferrari. Who wants to ride with me?" John wasn't surprised when the two security officers argued about the chance to ride in the exotic muscle car to the NAO Headquarters. He finally told them to flip a coin, and Derek was thrilled when he won the toss! When John fired up the powerful car, he was excited and wished that he could unleash the power of the car on the expressway. He knew that the bright red car would attract a lot of attention from any police officers, so he controlled his emotions and drove the speed limit. Of course, when he was getting on the expressway, he unleashed the power of the car to get up to 70 miles an hour in a matter of seconds. When he arrived at the front gate for the NAO Headquarters, Jeff Cole came out of the guard shack to admire the beautiful muscle car. "You lucky shit!" Jeff said when he saw Derek Kaufman riding "shotgun" with John. "This car is awesome!" John introduced himself to Jeff and joked about Chris Miller having to drive to the headquarters in the Cadillac Escalade. John was thrilled to be back at the headquarters, and headed for the glass elevator with Chris and Derek leading the way. When they got to the 12th floor, John saw Howard Cole dusting the hallway, and greeted the janitor. "Howard, how are you today?" John asked. "Good morning Mr. Miller," Howard said professionally. "I'm just fine! Thank you for asking." "Howard, I want you to meet Chris Miller and Derek Kaufman," John said. "These two men are with me today." Howard Cole was surprised when the two men offered their hands for a shake. In the 25 years that he had worked for S&JI, he had never been introduced to any visitors, and he was thrilled. "Howard takes care of the 12th floor and has trained every member of our housekeeping staff," John said to his two bodyguards. "Howard's the reason that this building looks sparkling clean!" "Mr. Miller, I'm just a janitor," Howard began, "But thank you for your kind words." John told the two bodyguards that he would be busy with meetings until noon, and let them go home for the rest of the day. He knew that other bodyguards would be waiting for him to leave the building. When John got into his office, he wasn't surprised to see Helen Baxter waiting for him. He wanted to talk to Helen alone, and asked her if she wanted some coffee. "I'm not used to being offered coffee!" Helen teased. "Normally I'm the one who makes the offer!" "We need to talk," John said to his Administrative Assistant. "I've read what you put together for me about this company, and I have a few questions. What role do you think our Public Relations group should play in our business?" "Well, Public Relations is important for the image of our company," Helen replied. "Ben Shaw did what James Stanton and Glen Young, Personnel Director, told him to do. Ben works for Glen, and does what he's told." "Helen, you're going to have to trust me and be open with your own opinions," John said. "You were too diplomatic in what you created for me to read about our company. I want your honest opinions!" "I was never asked my honest opinions before," Helen replied. "It's going to take me some time to be comfortable expressing myself. I sure don't want to lose my job for saying the wrong things!" "Then let me give you my initial impressions of Public Relations," John began. "Our company sponsors the Miss Black America Pageant and advertises in Ebony Magazine. We give significant contributions to the United Negro College Fund and the National Association for Advancement of Colored People, and spend most of our advertising budget with Ebony Magazine and Black Entertainment Television. The demographics for our main customers are affluent white people, so why do we spend our budget on minorities?" "Mr. Stanton wanted to get more minority customers," Helen replied. She wasn't ready to admit that she felt that James Stanton was spending the advertising budget foolishly, but wondered if she could be totally honest with the new CEO. "James Stanton had an entire staff of white males," John said. "I think that he was a bigot! You're the only female in a position of authority, and I don't know why! All of the organizations that I just named are racist! They don't have a single white male in a position of authority, and white males are becoming the new minority for admission to colleges!" "What are you suggesting?" Helen asked. She was excited that John Miller had recognized the sexist organization that he was now in charge of, and she wondered if any significant changes would take place. She recalled the conversations that she had with Betty Anderson and Martha Jenkins about the future of their company, and hoped that John Miller would provide a fresh outlook. "I want you to hire some assistants to help you with your huge responsibilities," John began. "I know that you've been working long hours, and you need to spend more time with your family. I want us to hire a new person to head up a new department of Public Relations that will report directly to me. Ben Shaw is old and senile! We need a person with a fresh view of our business, and I hope that you can find a female or minority to take us into the future." "That sounds great to me!" Helen admitted. "You've been running the NAO Headquarters for over six months, and I want you to get things organized so you can cut back to 4 days a week," John said. "I know that it'll take me some time to take over some of your duties, so I need you to find some good people to help you and me get this business under control. I have a person in mind to take over the legal department, but need a Security Chief, more security officers, a travel assistant, and a person to head up a new Training Department. I'm not impressed with some of my staff members, and I need you to be honest with me to clean house!" "I'll do my best!" Helen promised. "Now let's talk about your family," John said. "You already know that I was recently divorced from a total bitch, but I have a son, daughter-in-law and the love of my life, my grandson, Little John. The rest of my family's dead and I live in a home that I never plan to leave. Tell me about your family, please?" Helen fought back her tears at hearing her new boss ask her about her family life. James Stanton had never known anything about her family, and didn't seem to care. She decided to be honest with John Miller, and told him about her husband and son. "Tom works for General Motors," Helen began. "He's an assembler on the line at the Romulus Engine Plant and has another 10 years until he can retire. My son, Wesley is 12 years old, and has had some health problems." "Why did S&JI cut health care benefits for our associates?" John asked. "NAO made over a billion dollars in profits last year. I saw from your information about our company that wages were cut and operating budgets were slashed." "James Stanton followed the advice of Glen Young, Personnel Director, and Jacob Coleman, Financial Manager," Helen replied honestly. "Everyone was more concerned with the bottom line profits than with the impact on our employees." "I'd like us to start referring to people as associates instead of employees," John said. "I'm going to leave here for a tour of some of our most successful and least successful stores to see what's really happening. My goal is to energize our associates to give the ultimate shopping experience for our customers, and to reward the associates for our success. How does that sound to you?" "It sounds wonderful!" Helen exclaimed. "When will you be leaving?" "Tomorrow if possible," John replied. "Please don't tell any of our District Managers that I'm going to visit their stores. I'm going to go into our stores dressed in casual clothes so I can see how a regular customer's treated. Can you arrange for transportation to take me to Chicago, Indianapolis, Denver, St. Louis, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Seattle?" "You have unlimited use of the Gulfstream or Lear Jets through Executive Transport," Helen replied. "Executive Transport has helicopters, limousines and rental cars in every major city in the country." "I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I hope to be back in a week," John said. "I have some important meetings with people that will make some major changes in our company, and I want to be ready with critical information before I make any big decisions. I hope that you'll be available to give me advice." Helen quickly agreed to help John with his travel plans, and was excited that the new CEO was offering to include her in his important decisions. John was gone for five days before he returned to his home on Long Lake. He was exhausted from all of the air travel and needed a break. He slept in his home and was surprised when he didn't wake up until 10 a.m. He showered and drove the Ferrari to the NAO Headquarters, with Derek riding along. "Good morning Howard," John said when he saw the black janitor in the 12th floor hallway. "Do you remember Derek Kaufman?" "Of course I do, Mr. Miller," Howard replied, "Good morning to you too Mr. Kaufman!" "Howard, would it be possible for you to spend a few minutes with me in my office?" John asked. "I have some things that I'd like to bounce off of you." "I don't know, Mr. Miller," Howard began, "I'd have to get permission from Mr. Briggs to leave my job." "I'll call David and ask someone else to take over your duties for a while," John replied. "I'm sure that David can spare you for about 30 minutes." Howard Cole was terrified! He had never been called to the President's Office to do anything other than clean, and he was afraid that he was going to be fired! His family would be devastated, and he was shaking with fear! John noticed that Howard was upset, and knew that he had to calm the man down. "I need your expert advice, Howard," John said. "Please don't be concerned by my request. I need some advice on the training for associates doing housekeeping for our company." John walked into his office and offered Derek a cup of coffee from the corner bar, and made the call to David Briggs. "David, this is John Miller," John began. "I need to talk to Howard Cole for about an hour. Can you arrange to have someone cover his duties so he can come to my office?" "Did Howard do something wrong?" David asked. "If he did, I'll fire him!" John bristled with anger at the quick way that David Briggs was ready to fire a man who had worked for the company for over 25 years! He decided to find out more about David Briggs, especially how he handled the associates under his control. "Howard's doing an exceptional job!" John said firmly. "I need his advice and I'd appreciate your cooperation in relieving him of housekeeping duties for the rest of the day." "Yes Sir," David replied. "I'll go find him and send him to your office. Can I attend the meeting with you and Howard? I should be there if one of my subordinates is called to an important meeting." "I'm sure that you have important things to do with your time," John replied. "Please ask Howard to come to my office immediately!" David Briggs was pissed that John Miller wanted to talk to Howard Cole without him being included. He found Howard and chewed him out for talking to the management consultant, and threatened to fire Howard if he didn't disclose every detail of the meeting. Howard was full of dread when he knocked on the door to John Miller's office. His boss had threatened to fire him, and he was shaking with fear. John opened the door and welcomed Howard into his spacious office. He could tell that the man was shaking with fear, and had to calm him down. "May I offer you some coffee?" John asked. "I know that my asking you to come to my office was an unusual request, but I need the advice of an expert. Please sit with me in the lounge area so we can relax and talk." "Mr. Miller, I don't belong in here!" Howard said. "I really need this job to support my family, and I don't want to get fired." "You're not going to get fired, Howard," John said. "Please relax and listen to what I have to say. I've just returned after visiting 20 of our stores across the nation, and I noticed something that you can help me with." "I'll do whatever I can," Howard promised. "I went to the most successful stores and the ones with the lowest sales," John began. "I noticed something very interesting. In the most successful stores, the housekeeping was good. I looked at the condition of the floors, windows and toilet facilities, and everything was clean, but not as clean as the 12th floor here! In the stores that have low sales and profits, I wasn't impressed with the housekeeping. In the Houston store, the store manager was a jerk and the housekeeping was terrible! Even the toilet area needed some major cleaning! All of the stores have housekeeping associates, but the results are drastically different. Why do you think that we have such a disparity?" "Mr. Miller, I can only tell you from my own experience," Howard began tentatively. "I've trained a lot of new people here in Detroit, and I think everyone wants to do a good job." "When you train a new person, what's the key to getting them on the right path?" John asked. "You need to introduce them to their mop," Howard said softly. John thought for a minute and then started laughing. "I love your answer!" John said. "Please continue." Howard Cole started describing how he took a new person for the housekeeping staff under his wing to show them how to swing a mop to clean the floor. The more that John heard from Howard, the more he was impressed. He continued listening to Howard's description of the training, and started getting excited about a way to make an immediate impact on all of the U.S. stores. He went to the bar and returned with a tray of coffee and sweet rolls and insisted that Howard continue talking and join him in a cup of coffee and a roll. Howard Cole had more knowledge of housekeeping than anyone John had ever met! The man knew how to work efficiently and professionally while performing tasks that many men would consider demeaning. The wealth of knowledge that Howard possessed had to be shared, and John was forming a plan in his mind. "Tell me about your family," John asked. "I've been married to the same wonderful woman for 40 years," Howard began. He was shocked that an important white man would be interested in his family, and was hesitant at first. John asked probing questions, and learned that Howard was married to his high school sweetheart, Mary and they had five children. He could see the smile on Howard's face when the man talked about his children and his dreams that they might go to college. He could tell that Howard was proud of his family and that his sons had resisted the temptations to join in the gangs that were prolific in the Detroit Area. "How much are we paying you?" John asked during a pause. "12 dollars an hour," Howard said with pride. John was appalled! A man who had worked for the company for over 25 years was being paid peanuts, and he wondered how a family of seven could survive on $24,000 a year? "How would you like a new job?" John asked when he had made his mind up. "What if we brought people from the different stores here for you to train? I want everyone with housekeeping responsibilities at all of our stores to learn your techniques. Would you train them?" "I'd be honored to do anything for you, Sir," Howard replied. "Have another cinnamon roll," John offered. "How many people can you train at the same time?" "I usually train only one or two people at a time," Howard replied. "I show them what to do and then watch to see if they do it right." He thought that he was in a dream, with the important man asking his opinions and listening to his comments. John used his intercom to call Helen to his office. He was excited about starting a new training program at the NAO Headquarters. "Helen, I'm sure that you know Howard Cole," John said when Helen walked into his office. "I'd like you to assign someone to work with Howard to develop a training program for housekeeping associates from all of the stores in the U.S." "Regina Henderson would love a new challenge," Helen replied. "She's the receptionist in the lobby, but she's been asking for more responsibility." "Do you think that you could work with Regina to develop a training program?" John asked Howard. "I don't know anything about training programs," Howard admitted. "I only finished high school, and can't use a computer. Maybe someone else should do it." "You're the person with the expert knowledge, and Regina can handle the computer work," John replied. "Of course, you'll get a significant raise in pay if you accept my offer." Howard was reeling with the thought of getting a raise in pay! He had been making $14.50 an hour, but Jacob Coleman, Financial Manager, had cut the pay of all of the housekeeping people four months earlier, and he was down to $12.00 an hour and had been forced to get a second job to support his family. "I'll do whatever you ask of me," Howard said humbly. "Helen, can you make this happen?" John asked. "Of course!" Helen replied. She was thrilled that John was making another change, and couldn't wait to see the expression on David Briggs' face when he learned that one of his people was being recognized and promoted! "Then it's settled!" John said excitedly. "Howard Cole is now our Housekeeping Trainer, and he'll need an office along with Regina! We're going to need to hire some people to replace Howard and Regina so they can devote all of their time to their new assignments. How does $30 an hour sound to you, Howard?" Howard Cole had tears streaming down his face when he heard that he would get a huge raise in pay. He couldn't wait to tell his wife and family the wonderful news, and thanked John and Helen profusely! "I'll send Sandy Kettler down to relieve Regina immediately!" Helen said. "Congratulations, Howard." John grabbed a fresh cup of coffee and called Donald Cassidy to come to his office. He wanted to hear about the security sweeps of the NAO Headquarters, and also to talk to Don about buying Blackhawk Security. "Good morning, Don," John said when Don came into his office. "Would you like a cup of coffee and a roll?" Donald Cassidy was all business, but he accepted the offer and sat with John Miller in the lounge area. He was surprised that John didn't sit behind the exotic desk, and said, "I'm not used to a man in your position sitting down like we're in my living room." "Desks are a barrier to effective communication," John said. "When I want to talk honestly with someone, I always like to tear down any barriers. What have you found with your sweeps?" "It's a long list," Don began. "Bugs were only found in your office and Helen's, but this building's security had been wiped out! Cameras on the shipping and receiving docks were turned off, and emergency alarms on four exterior doors were disabled. Your security people had an informal lounge area that was littered with pizza boxes, donut containers, and a well-stocked bar. I'm not sure, but it looks like your security officers were entertaining some prostitutes while on duty." "HOLY SHIT!" John exclaimed. "We've got all of the building secured again," Don said. "I know that you've been talking to some of my men about me and my company, and I hope that you're comfortable with our services." "The men that were supposed to protect me were spying on me!" John said. "They were all fat and stupid, and couldn't have protected me from an attack from a group of girl scouts!" Don laughed. He knew that S&JI had cut the compensation for their security officers, and could only get shitheads to accept $15 an hour. "You get what you pay for!" he said to John Miller. "That's what I want to talk to you about," John said. "I know that you want to sell your company and retire, and I want you to put together a proposal for me to consider. Explain how you hired your people and what benefits they currently have. Write down what you would like continued and what you would like to change. I've been to many of our stores, and I'm not sure if the security officers could recognize a shoplifter or terrorist. I'm asking you for a price to buy your company in a way that I can keep your people." "That sounds great to me!" Don said. "I'll work up a plan for your review. When do you need my answer?" "I'm going to be here for about a week and then I'm going on a hunting trip to the Southwest and Mexico and fishing in Brazil," John replied. "I'll be gone for about a month, and I hope that you'll continue taking care of security issues until I return. Then we can talk about the future." "I'll have men ready to go with you," Don said. "When you go to a foreign country, you need local protection. Mexico gets weird when anyone tries to carry a weapon on their soil. I have contacts around the world; so just let me know your itinerary. Those beautiful planes of S&JI attract a lot of attention, and not all of it's good!" "These trips were planned a long time ago, and important customers have been planning for months to suck entertainment out of S&JI," John said. "I guess when a guy drops $10 million for décor in his restaurant from Tahiti, he expects the royal treatment!" Don laughed and admitted that he had entertained important customers in the past, and some of them had been very demanding. Don left and Helen came back into his office. She accepted a cup of coffee and began talking to John. "Howard broke down crying when we left your office," Helen said. "He can't believe that he has a new job. I'm excited about a new training program, but I'd better warn you that Jacob Coleman, Financial Manager, and Glen Young, Personnel Director, will be pissed!" John laughed at the honesty that Helen exhibited when she used vulgar language. He could tell that Helen was getting more comfortable with him, and he was relieved. "I hear that you fired a store manager," Helen said. "You don't waste any time in sorting out the shitheads in our company! Tell me what happened." "I walked into the Houston store, and I purposely dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt," John began. "Merle Gardner, Store Manager in Houston met me at the door and insulted me! He looked at the way I was dressed and bluntly said that I would find appropriate furnishings at WalMart! He turned away from me and told one of his associates that he was leaving the store to play golf!" Helen laughed and wanted to hear all of the details of the altercation in the Houston store. "Karen Frazier, the Assistant Manager, apologized for the insult and offered to show me everything in the store," John said. "She was wonderful and reminded me of you! I looked around the store and noticed that it needed a thorough cleaning, especially the restroom. Merle was getting ready to leave when I introduced myself and asked him to join me in his office. He was ready to shit his pants when I went to his phone and called James McArthur, District Manager for the Southwest Division." "Then you told James McArthur that Merle was fired!" Helen interjected. "The word spread like wildfire throughout the entire company!" "Karen wants to transfer to San Francisco," John began, "But I asked her to stay in Houston until we find a new store manager. Merle had never told Jim McArthur about Karen's desires to transfer. The store manager in San Francisco wants to retire, and I've convinced Jim to make it happen to let him retire and to transfer Karen into San Francisco as a store manager." I know Karen, and she called me!" Helen admitted. "She's thrilled with the prospect of transferring, but she doesn't know that she'll get a major promotion! Her mother lives in San Francisco and needs someone around to take care of her in her twilight years." "What I can't understand is how we cut the compensation for our associates and shredded their benefit plan when we're earning a ton of money," John said. "We're destroying the morale of our associates with every cut that we make, and I'm going to put the brakes on, FAST!" "God, I love this job!" Helen admitted. "You're like the April showers that bring May flowers to Michigan! I'm ready to do whatever I can to shake this company up!" "I'm happy that you and I are getting comfortable with each other," John said. "I need someone that I can trust to tell me when I'm making a mistake. I hope that you'll pull me aside and tell me when I'm messing up." "Betty and Martha made a great choice in putting you in charge." Helen said. "Have you found any people to help you with your responsibilities?" John asked. "I'm going to be gone for almost a month, but I'll keep my cell phone with me now that I know it isn't bugged. You need some assistants to take over some of your workload." "I have some people in mind, but some of our department heads won't want to let them go," Helen said. "It's like pulling teeth to even talk to the department heads about moving anyone." "Call a Staff Meeting so I can put the hammer down!" John exclaimed. "You're in charge of NAO while I'm away from the office, and I won't tolerate any friction!" "Some people won't like that," Helen said. "We need some major changes in our staff," John said. "I have some suspicions about some of our people, but I'll wait for the right time to drop the hammer on them. My father always said to wait until I had all of the facts before making a decision, and then to move forward!" "Your father was a very smart man!" Helen said. "By the way, I took the liberty of getting some business cards printed for you. The formal introduction of your new position is scheduled for July, and several magazines and television networks are begging for an invitation to the announcement. Where do you want to make the announcement?" "I haven't seen the Sea & Jungle IV yet," John began. "I hear that it's a fantastic yacht and I think it would be a great way to make the announcement. Of course, I want you, Tom and Wesley to be on board, and I plan to invite my son, daughter-in-law and grandson for a cruise around the Caribbean. How does that sound?" "OH MY GOD!" Helen exclaimed. "No one from the company has ever seen the 4 because James Stanton said it was exclusively for his use! I'd love to be on board!" "You'd better find me a travel assistant fast!" John said. "I hope you don't object, but I'd like a male who loves hunting and fishing to be my travel assistant." "I've already alerted several employment agencies about our needs, and I mandated that the person has to be a male," Helen said. "I also posted for a Public Relations expert and security officers." "I have a person in mind to take over from L. Kenton Bradford to handle our Legal Department," John said. "I'll be here today and plan to go house hunting with my son and daughter-in-law this weekend. Can you find me a nice home in a good neighborhood for them? They have been saving money for a down payment, but I plan to surprise them and buy them a nice home." "I have a friend who's an expert in real estate," Helen said. "I'll call Joyce and get her started on a search. Do you have a price range in mind?" "I want them in a nice home, but not in a neighborhood that they won't be comfortable with," John said, "Maybe something in Grosse Point Farms around $500,000. Johnny and Kirsty are both working hard to save money, and they offered to buy me a clothes dryer when mine died." "Make a list of what you need for your home, and I'll fill it!" Helen offered. "Marcel would love to see your home and decorate it!" "I saw from your immense file that Marcel is our Head Designer," John said. "He makes a ton of money!" "Marcel is the best designer in the world!" Helen said. "He's very effeminate, but wealthy customers love him! He has a fantastic collection of people working for him, and they are in constant demand!" "I'd love to have my home painted and get some new furniture, but I don't want pink walls and purple carpet!" John teased. "I know you told me that I have two huge homes in Bloomfield Hills, but I don't plan to live in either of them. I'd rather stay on Long Lake with my great neighbors." "James Stanton used to throw the most fantastic Christmas parties in the world at his home in Bloomfield Hills," Helen said. "The art in his home would make most museums and art galleries green with envy! You should go see his home and the new one that he bought before you make any final decisions!" "Okay, I'll look, but I don't expect to move," John said. "Will you join me for lunch? You can pick the restaurant, and I'm buying!" After a wonderful lunch at the Machus Red Fox Restaurant, John and Helen returned to the NAO Headquarters. Stay tuned!!! Feedback is appreciated to Jacob_latson@hotmail.com