Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 00:53:50 +0000 From: Jacob Latson Subject: Agony & Ecstasy Chapter 25 Disclaimer: This story will describe the life of John Miller from his time as a divorced man who has been devastated by the divorce and 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 is my editor and I thank him for his time and efforts. Bill knew about this story a long time ago, and he encouraged me to start writing. He's been my friend for several years, and I value his friendship and encouragement to continue writing. We've never met, but he has helped me through some tough personal times. For those of you that haven't taken the time to write to me about this story, I'll share some information. I'm an engineer, and was trained to write boring reports based on data. The reports were devoid of any emotions, so writing a story about love and sex is a real challenge for me. Bill started helping me when I was still writing "CJ" in the Gay/College area of the Nifty Archives. He pointed out some areas where I needed to improve my style, and I hope that I've learned from his constructive criticism. I still like my previous story, "Washington Academy" that you can find in the Bi-Sexual/High School area of the Nifty Archives. I've had a few negative comments from readers, but the overwhelming positive comments have convinced me to keep pounding away at my keyboard. I write stories that I would want to read, and hope that I develop the plot and characters so my readers will be entertained. Agony & Ecstasy Chapter 25 Announcements When John and Mike arrived at the Nassau Airport, Philippe and Christina greeted them. Both Christina and Philippe had been working hard to make sure that everything was perfect for the media cruise, and they hoped that John would be pleased with their work. Instead of going to the villa, the limo took the group to the pier where the Sea & Jungle IV shuttle was tied up. Out in the harbor, John could see his ship, and he was awe struck by the beauty of the 240-foot yacht. Master Captain Dimitri Kostas welcomed the group aboard the luxury ship. "Mr. Miller and guests, I welcome you aboard!" Dimitri said while saluting John. He introduced the other three captains and asked, "Would you like to see the schedule of event so you can make changes?" "Please call me John, and I have no intention of making any changes to what you, Christina and Philippe have planned," John replied. "I still can't believe how beautiful this ship is and how well it's maintained." "Thank you for your kind comments," Dimitri said. "You will be in the Jungle Stateroom unless you wish to choose a different room." "I love that stateroom!" John admitted. "I'd like to meet more of your crew before things get crazy." Dimitri was surprised that John Miller wanted to meet all of the crew. He remembered when James Stanton was aboard, and James never met anyone besides the captains unless he wanted one of the male stewards to warm his bed. All of the crewmembers were wearing name badges, and John met everyone and marveled at the handsome young men. The only women on the crew were the kitchen staff, and in the tradition of Greek ships, handsome young men had been selected for all of the jobs where the crew would interface with passengers. John saw that Mike was very interested in one of the handsome young stewards, and guessed that Mike would find a way to get the young man into his stateroom for some intense intimacy. He knew that Mike was always horny, and laughed when Mike saw that John was watching him. When John got to his exotic stateroom, he saw that his luggage had been delivered and two handsome stewards were unpacking everything. Nikkos and Constantine sorted out John's clothes and promised to press everything that showed even the slightest wrinkle. "Thank you!" John said to the two stewards before they left. "It's a pleasure to serve you, sir!" Nikkos said. "If there is ANYTHING that we can do to make your time aboard more pleasant, please let us know!" John laughed at the obvious sexual content of the offer from the handsome steward. He looked around his stateroom and again marveled at the exotic furnishings. He put on casual clothes of Dockers and a polo shirt and walked around the ship. Everywhere he went, the crew stopped working and greeted him warmly. John took the time to meet everyone and ask them questions about their responsibilities. Most of the crewmembers had been working on the ship for several years, and they all remarked how different John Miller was in comparison to James Stanton. James never talked to the crewmembers and spent most of his time in his stateroom alone or with one of the handsome Greek stewards. John walked into one of the bars and saw that Philippe was having a drink with Christina and Master Captain Dimitri Kostas. The captain was drinking iced tea because he was on duty. "You had a package arrive from Amsterdam," Philippe said to John. "I took care of the fees from Customs, but the U.S. Customs will go nuts when they see what was inside." John laughed and ordered a Manhattan before asking Philippe to see the package. He was pleasantly surprised when he tasted the drink and realized that the handsome bartender knew his special recipe for his favorite drink. John and Philippe left Christina and the captain for a few minutes while they went to Philippe's stateroom. "I had to open the package, and I've never seen any jewelry that could come close to the magnificence of what you had made in Amsterdam!" Philippe said. "My God! It's beautiful!" John said when he opened the velvet-lined cases. "This set is for Christina and the other set's for Helen. Do you think that they'll like what I picked out?" "How could they not like what you created!" Philippe said. "The man from Amsterdam delivered the jewelry personally, and said that he had never seen necklaces and earrings made out of such perfect diamonds! He said that each set would be appraised at over $750,000 but he listed the values at $50,000 each to reduce the duty fees." "I'm going to talk to Tom Baxter before I give Helen her jewelry," John began. "I sure don't want to cause any problems in their marriage by giving Helen such a valuable gift. She's going to wear a beautiful black evening dress, and these diamonds will set it off beautifully." "Christina's going to wear a red dress that will show off her fantastic body," Philippe said. "She was planning on wearing a pearl necklace and matching earrings, but she'll go crazy when she sees these diamonds. Every woman in the world dreams of owning diamond jewelry like this!" John took the jewelry boxes back to his stateroom and locked everything in the safe. His own jewelry was locked away until the big event on Saturday evening, and he was getting excited. He returned to the bar and listened to Christina listing the names of the magazines, television networks and newspapers that would be covering the media event. "I had to turn down a bunch of requests," Christina admitted. "Every major publication in the world wanted to be here, but I had to draw the line somewhere. I gave preference to the companies from the United States because that's where you live. I've prepared media packages that detail the backgrounds of everyone who will speak during the announcement activities. Your ex-wife might go insane when the news hits that you're a billionaire!" "I've been worried about her reaction," John admitted. "Bobby Goldman told me that she can't get a cent from me, but she'll probably go berserk and try to sue me. I'm more afraid of how she and her sisters will go after my son, daughter-in-law and grandson." "I have friends who can take care of that problem for you," Dimitri offered. "I wasn't always an honest captain of this wonderful ship!" After considering Dimitri's offer, John replied, "Bobby Goldman's the best lawyer in the world and Roberto Mendez, my Security Chief, will work with Bobby to handle any problems that Margaret causes. I have some other friends who could handle Margaret and her two nasty sisters if things get out of hand." John was thinking about Mario Genovesi, Michael Costanza and Paolo Carpetti, the three Italians who said they would do him any "favor" that he asked for. He hoped that he would never have to use their offers. The rest of the day was spent welcoming friends and family aboard the luxury yacht. John and Dimitri greeted the arrivals and made sure that everyone was escorted to their staterooms. "We have four helicopters here to shuttle people aboard if the two launches are busy," Dimitri told John. "Some of the guests prefer the launches, but others like the chopper ride!" John was excited when Helen Baxter arrived in the shuttle launch along with Bobby, Mary and Justin Goldman. He was concerned when he didn't see Tom and Wesley Baxter, but Helen laughed and said, "Tom and Wesley have been in a boat before, but have never been in a helicopter! They're landing right now, and I hope you don't mind that Wesley brought his best friend, Carter Benson." "I told you that Wes could bring a friend," John replied. "I'd like to take you on a tour, but I should be here to greet my guests, so Constantine will show you around. I'm excited about my family getting here!" John picked up his godson, Justin, and took the boy into the bar to get him a drink of Mountain Dew. He knew that Justin loved the beverage, but was always arguing with his parents about his love for the high-energy drink. "You're spoiling my son!" Bobby teased while hugging John. "Uncle John's my godfather, and he can spoil me if he wants to!" Justin blurted out. He loved the special attention and gulped down the Mountain Dew and then gave out a huge burp! John laughed but Bobby and Mary were embarrassed. "This is a pleasure cruise, and everyone gets to relax and have fun!" John said to Bobby and Mary. His two friends had sheltered him during his terrible divorce proceedings, and he wanted everyone to have a great time. "There will be all kinds of activities for you and the other children," John said to Justin. "We have a video arcade, shuffleboard, basketball court, swimming pool, bowling alley and game rooms where you can get all of the pizza and Mountain Dew that you could possibly consume!" Bobby and Mary groaned when they heard about the pizza and soft drinks. Their son was hyperactive, and they knew that he would be a handful to control during the cruise with unlimited access to the restricted food. John welcomed Tom and Wesley Baxter and asked them how they liked the helicopter ride. He shook hands with Carter Benson and welcomed him aboard the ship. "Tom, after you get settled in your stateroom, can we talk for a minute?" John asked. "Is everything okay?" Helen asked when she heard John's request. John just laughed and said that he and Tom needed to "man talk" for a few minutes. Tom promised to return after they unpacked their luggage and got Wesley and Carter settled into their adjoining stateroom. John's attention was focused on the next arrivals, and he welcomed Roberto "Butch" Mendez aboard along with Butch's wife, Elizabeth, sons, Robert and David, and daughter, Samantha. It was the first time that John had met Butch's family, and he was thrilled to meet them. "Thank you doesn't seem enough for what you've done for our family," Elizabeth said. She hugged John and was pleased when he returned the hug. "We were lucky to find your husband and offer him a job," John replied. "You have a beautiful family, and I can tell that the children got their good looks from you, not Butch!" Elizabeth laughed and saw that her husband was rolling his eyes at John's comments. She immediately liked John for the way he graciously welcomed her and her children to the luxury yacht. She couldn't wait to tour the ship and see what Butch had told her was the most expensive personal yacht in the world. John left the Mendez family and welcomed Aunt Betty and Aunt Martha aboard. He hugged and kissed his two aunts and wished that he could take them on a personal tour of the boat, but other guests were arriving. He welcomed Tom and Judy Jeffries aboard and they walked to the upper deck where a helicopter was arriving with Jamie and his boyfriend, Hunter Harwood. The boys were in orbit after taking their first helicopter ride, and were so excited that John was afraid that they would wet their pants! John hugged both boys and welcomed them aboard the boat before whispering, "You guys have a private stateroom so you can have some fun together." The two boys were in orbit when they realized that they wouldn't have to share a stateroom with Jamie's parents, and that they could indulge in their sexual desires in their own private space. "My God! This ship is unbelievable!" Tom said while hugging John. "How's business?" John asked. "Everything's perfect!" Tom replied. "Thanks to you, everything's ahead of schedule and we already have contracts for over 80 percent occupancy when the mall's finished!" "We owe everything to you!" Judy added while hugging John. "You saved Jamie's life and I've never seen Tom so happy! We're both spending a lot of time with Jamie and Hunter, and we've never been happier!" John knew that Judy had quit her full-time job as an interior decorator when Marcel offered her a part-time job that paid three times more money. His attention was distracted to an argument on the helicopter pad. "I'll never forgive you for making me fly on that monster!" William Fillmore yelled at his life partner, Marcel Green. John hugged the two obviously gay men and laughed at William for throwing up on the short helicopter ride. He looked at Marcel and said; "You might find some of the Greek boys on this ship very interesting if William doesn't forgive you!" "Yipppeeeee!" Marcel swished. "I love Greek!" Both of the gay men looked at the handsome stewards who were taking their luggage out of the helicopter, and they both lusted after the handsome guys in the impeccable white uniforms. John returned to the stern of the ship just in time to see his son, daughter-in-law and grandson coming aboard. He ran and grabbed Little John, and was thrilled when the tiny child said "PAPA!" and gave him a hug and kiss. John loved all of the guests, but having his family aboard was the most important thing in the world to him! He held his grandson while he welcomed more guests to the ship. Jeff and Karen Walker, parents of Kirsty, Johnny's wife, came aboard along with Brad Martin, John's deer hunting friend and his wife, Cathy. Next was Taylor Coleman, the Private Investigator who had done so much work to uncover the corruption in the company. John was a gracious host, and welcomed everyone aboard and made sure that stewards were handling the luggage and taking the guests to their staterooms. Now he understood why the skeleton crew of 60 had been increased to 275 for the cruise. Next to arrive were Mike Smith, John's neighbor at the lake, his wife, Amber, along with their children, Tim and Amanda. He had never told his neighbors about his new job, and they were shocked when they got the invitation to go on a Caribbean cruise. When they went to the Detroit Metro Airport, they expected to travel on a commercial plane, but were excited when they saw the 737 with the unique logo of the Sea & Jungle Imports waiting for them and other guests. Thomas Kendrick, attorney for Millie and Betty arrived and was impressed with the beauty of the yacht. He knew that James Stanton owned several expensive boats, but had never been invited aboard the Sea & Jungle IV. Mario Genovesi came aboard with his wife, Carmella, and Michael Costanza and Paolo Carpetti with their wives. It was the first time that John had met the wives of his important Italian friends, and he welcomed them aboard. They were all impressed with the private jet flight and the beauty of the huge yacht, and John promised to show them around the next day when his schedule wasn't so hectic. The ship was coming alive with arrival of all of the staff members from the NAO Headquarters, along with their families. To John, one of the most important group of guests arrived when Howard Cole, his wife, Mary, and their five children came aboard. "Howard! Welcome aboard!" John said while hugging the former janitor at the NAO Headquarters. John was going to shake Mary's hand, but the large black woman pushed his hand aside and gave John a big hug and kiss on the cheek! All five of Howard's children hugged John and thanked him profusely for inviting them on the fantastic trip and for giving their father an important job in the Training Department. John was thrilled that Howard and his entire family had arrived, and he thanked them for coming on the important trip. He knew that Howard was back in the Training Department and was making a major difference in the morale of the entire NAO organization. All of the Vice Presidents of the World Wide Operations arrived, along with all of the members of the Board of Directors. With four levels of staterooms, the ship could easily accommodate 400 passengers along with the crew, so none of the guests were forced to share staterooms unless they wanted to. John finally went back to his stateroom to shower before the evening meal. He heard the announcement over the speaker system that supper would be served in one hour, and he wanted to relax with his family before the meal. He fussed over Little John and loved hearing his grandson chattering away with strings of sounds that might be words. The little boy was grabbing everything and trying to put it into his mouth, and John knew that his grandson was hungry. Dress for the evening meal was informal, but John wore a dark blue Armani suit with a red shirt and stripped silk tie. He walked up to the Captain's table where Dimitri Kostas was waiting along with Aunt Martha and Aunt Betty and John's family. Guests were seated at round tables that had room for eight people. The children had the choice of eating the meal of lamb and grilled potatoes with flaming cheese, garden salad, and green beans or selecting a meal suitable for their age and appetites. John was happy to see many of the children eating hamburgers and French fries, or chicken nuggets or pizza. While the adults were treated with a variety of wines and mixed drinks, the children could choose from soft drinks, fruit juices or malted milk shakes. After dessert was served, Dimitri Kostas stood and addressed the passengers. "My name's Dimitri Kostas, and I'm privileged to hold the title of Master Captain of this vessel. It's my pleasure to welcome you aboard the most beautiful yacht in the entire world!" The audience cheered and applauded, and he waited for everyone to quiet down before he continued. "We are underway and will cruise around the islands of the Bahamas tonight and by tomorrow afternoon; we'll arrive near Miami Florida where more guests will come aboard. With the beautiful weather, you might want to be on deck to enjoy a beautiful sunset, or just relax and tour this ship. It's my pleasure to ask your host, John Miller, to stand up and say a few words." John stood up and accepted the cheering and applause from his guests before saying, "A few months ago I was struggling to pay my mortgage back in Michigan, and tomorrow you'll be my guests when my new job's announced to the world. Philippe Ducharme told me that with immense wealth comes immense responsibilities, and I've learned that I need the help of people like you to make this world a better place for mankind. Each and every one of you is special to me, and I'm thrilled that you were able to join me in this celebration. Please feel free to tour this ship and use the facilities during our cruise together. Dimitri and his crew will do anything that they can possibly do to make your cruise enjoyable. Again, welcome to the Sea & Jungle IV and enjoy the cruise!" When the meal ended, John went to one of the four bars on the ship to have a Manhattan and talk to his family and friends. The sun was setting, and the view was spectacular! He circulated around the bar area to talk to his friends and loved every minute of the informal conversations. It was 1:00 a.m. when John saw that everyone was leaving the bar area. "I'm going to relax in the hot tub in my stateroom and then go to bed," John said to Christina. He knew that the next day would be very busy and wanted to get a good night's sleep. "Would you like some company?" Christina asked with a smile. At first, John was shocked, but the look on Christina's face told him that she was serious in her offer. He nodded and smiled at the beautiful woman and headed for his stateroom. That night and the next morning, the crew was buzzing about their most important passenger spending the night with Christina. Nikkos and Constantine, stewards for John's stateroom were celebrities among the crew when they reported the moans and groans from the Jungle Stateroom. The professional crew would never reveal what they had observed or heard to any of the other passengers, but they did tell Dimitri Kostas what had happened. The captain just smiled and reminded his crew to say nothing to any passengers. Christina gave John a kiss before leaving the Jungle Stateroom at 6:00 a.m. She went back to the Sea Stateroom and showered before facing a day filled with events and deadlines. John showered and dressed in casual clothes to head for the breakfast buffet. He still couldn't believe that he had been intimate with Christina, and remembered how he had lusted after her when she was a swimsuit model. "I think your old man got lucky with Christina last night," Mike Mahon whispered to Johnny Miller. "Holy shit!" Johnny exclaimed. He wanted to ask his father if it was true, but he respected his father's privacy and just smiled. John ate breakfast with his family and then circulated around the ship to talk to his guests. He saw that everyone was enjoying the cruise, with the children taking part in a series of activities that included Arts & Crafts, friendly competition in volleyball, basketball, shuffleboard and swimming. The parents were relaxed and knew that their children were safe and under the close supervision of the crewmembers. After lunch, John found Helen and Tom Baxter and asked them to follow him to his stateroom. All of the passengers had been allowed to tour the yacht and everyone was awestruck by the original oil paintings, priceless statues, and exotic furniture and furnishings. "I have a gift for you to wear tonight," John said while handing Helen the jewelry box. "I hope you like what I had made in Amsterdam especially for you." Helen opened the velvet-lined box and was shocked! She had never seen a necklace and earrings like these, and she had tears running down her face. "My God! It's beautiful!" The necklace was made of 18 karat yellow gold and platinum with 20 one karat diamonds leading to a heart made of 18 more diamonds. The earrings matched with 2-karat diamonds at the post and small hearts made with 12 diamonds each. "I can't accept anything this valuable," Helen said to John. "Tom said it was okay for me to give you a nice gift in celebration of your new position in our company," John said with a big smile. "I've never seen diamonds so clear and bright!" Helen said. "All of the stones are flawless and the highest grade of color," John said. "In Zurich I opened a safety deposit box that was filled with diamonds like these, and some absolutely huge stones that the world has never seen. I chose the designs and provided the stones so you could knock the crowd off their feet tonight! Just so you know, I have a different set for Christina to wear tonight, but she hasn't seen the jewelry yet." Helen wiped her tears and hugged John and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She couldn't imagine how much the jewelry was worth, but to her, it was priceless! "I insist on paying the duty when we return to the U.S." John said. "The jeweler from Amsterdam listed the value at $50,000 but suggested that you get everything appraised and insured for at least $750,000." John went looking for Christina, and found her in the amphitheater making the final checks of the lighting and sound systems. "Can you take a break for a few minutes?" John asked. He was pleased when Christina walked with him to his stateroom. "Do we have time for a repeat of last night?" Christina teased. John laughed and admitted that he had enjoyed the previous night, but knew that the media representatives were arriving and wanted to take some informal pictures. "I heard that you plan to wear a stunning red dress with pearl jewelry," John began. "I have a present for you that I think would look better than ordinary pearls." He handed Christina the jewelry box and watched her open it. "JESUS CHRIST!" Christina exclaimed when she saw the necklace and matching earrings. The necklace was 18 karat yellow gold and platinum, with 20 one-karat diamonds leading to three vertical strings of flawless diamonds. The earrings had 2-karat diamonds at the posts with strings of 15 diamonds that would swing and sparkle in the lights. "Thank you! I've never seen anything like this in my entire life!" Christina said with tears in her eyes. She hugged and kissed John, and kept thanking him for the expensive gift. "All of the Vice Presidents of our company make 20 million dollars a year, so I wanted you and Helen to show off your new wealth tonight," John said. "I hope that you take some time tonight to enjoy yourself and accept the accolades for putting this cruise together. I'd like to spend some more time with you, but we both need to get ready for the photographers and then get ready for the supper and ceremonies in the amphitheater." "Where did you get these diamonds?" Christina asked. "I know perfect diamonds when I see them, and my modeling friends will go crazy when they see these!" "I have a large collection of diamonds in Zurich, and I had them with me when we stopped in Amsterdam," John said. "When you were looking at the jewelry in Amsterdam, I saw that you were looking at a set very similar to the set that I picked for you. Let's go join the vultures!" When the ship arrived and anchored in the harbor near Miami, the media came aboard. John was immediately flooded with requests for photographs, and Christina took over and scheduled time for many of the photographers. With the numerous requests from the photographers, John and Christina spent a hectic day posing in all areas of the yacht. When the supper meal was announced, John and Christina made a grand entrance into the main dining room where everyone was enjoying the finest French champagne. John was wearing a black silk tuxedo with a ruffled white shirt and red bow tie. Christina was wearing her designer dress of shimmering red and her pearl jewelry. The crowd welcomed John and Christina and marveled at how beautiful they looked together. With the increase in passengers, the children were allowed to eat in a different dining area with a menu tailored to their younger tastes. The adults were treated to a magnificent meal consisting of vintage wine, shrimp cocktail, Greek salad, Maine lobster, filet mignon, baked potatoes, and a variety of cooked vegetables. A string quartet played during the meal, and everyone was stuffed with the fantastic food. When it was time for dessert, the lights in the dining room were turned off, and the waiters came in with flaming baked Alaska. The rocking tunes of "The Macarena" accompanied the waiters, and everyone was awestruck! "Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to join me in the amphitheater in one hour for a very important series of announcements," Dimitri Kostas announced using the microphone. "I hope everyone enjoyed this meal tonight, and please let me and my crew know if there is anything we can do to make your cruise more enjoyable!" When the media event started, the amphitheater was packed. Photographers were standing in front of the stage, and waiting for the event to start. When Dimitri Kostas walked out on the stage, the crowd stood and cheered. "It's my pleasure to welcome you to a very special announcement event on the most beautiful yacht in the world!" Dimitri said. "Originally you were told that tonight you would welcome the new Chief Executive Officer and President of the Sea & Jungle World Wide Operations, but our featured guest has already given up one of those titles! Please welcome the new Chief Executive Officer of the Sea & Jungle Imports, World Wide Operations, Mr. John Jacob Miller!" John walked out on the stage and was greeted with thunderous cheering from the crowd! He choked back his emotions and waited for the cheering to die down. The flashes from the cameras temporarily blinded him, and he tried to compose himself when he faced a sea of faces that included his family and friends. Many of the news agencies were filming the event and would edit the tapes before broadcasting the news around the world. "Captain Kostas already gave you the information that I accepted the titles of President and Chief Executive Officer for the Sea & Jungle Imports, World Wide Operations, but events convinced me that I needed help to steer our company into the future." John began. "The Stanton family built this company, and I want all of you to recognize two wonderful ladies who kept this company alive. Please recognize Betty Anderson and Martha Jenkins!" The crowd cheered when Aunt Betty and Aunt Martha walked out on the stage and waved to the crowd. John hugged and kissed his two aunts and then faced the crowd. "When James Stanton died, Philippe Ducharme took over control of our company with the title of `Acting President'" John said. "I was originally named as the President, but I realized that Philippe has the experience and qualifications to help lead this company into the future! Please welcome the new President of the Sea & Jungle Imports, World Wide Operations, Mr. Philippe Alonzo Ducharme!" Philippe walked out on the stage and accepted the accolades of the audience. He had always dreamed of having the title of President, but John Miller had made that dream a reality. After the cheering subsided, Philippe said, "I'm thrilled to be here with you tonight! When John Miller offered me the job of President, I was honored and humbled with the title and responsibility! I accepted the job, and immediately realized that John Miller's a very intelligent man by how he's changing our company. One of the privileges of having this job is introducing the new Vice President of the Sea & Jungle Imports, World Wide Operations in charge of the North American Operations, Helen Baxter!" Helen walked out on the stage wearing her beautiful black evening dress and the sparkling diamond necklace and earrings. With the combination of the spotlights and the flash photography, her jewelry flooded the amphitheater with flashes of brilliance. Everyone was awestruck by the sparkling diamond jewelry and applauded and cheered for Helen. When the cheering subsided, Helen said, "John Miller promoted me to the job that I dreamed about! Our company had only white males in positions of responsibility, but that all changed when John took over. Please welcome my staff at the North American Headquarters!" Everyone saw that the new staff was composed of females and minority members, and they cheered for the recent arrivals. John was standing at the side of the stage, and he was proud of Helen and her new staff. He wished that Nicklas was with him, but he knew that his little lover was back in the Czech Republic without a passport that would allow him to travel out of the country. He wondered what Nicky was doing, and promised himself that he would call his young friend as soon as possible. When the cheering subsided, Helen said, "Philippe has some horrible news to share with you tonight." Philippe walked back on the stage and hugged Helen before saying, "All of us were shocked when James Stanton, the CEO and President of our company died. James Stanton didn't die by accident! Tonight, you're going to hear the truth. Please welcome L. Brooks Hardison, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States for some startling information!" L. Brooks Hardison walked onto the stage and faced a multitude of people and media cameras before saying, "This was supposed to be the announcement of a new collection of officers of this wonderful company, but it's my sad duty to announce formally that James Stanton didn't die by accident! James Stanton was murdered, and my organization along with the International Police Organization, known as INTERPOL has solved the crime. A few days ago, my agents arrested two men who held positions of responsibility with this company. Until proven guilty in a court of law, Glen Young, Personnel Director, and Jacob Coleman, Financial Manager, are presumed innocent, but they have been arrested and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the deaths of James Stanton and his travel assistant, Thomas Mason. We're convinced that we can prove that these two men hired the assassins that murdered James and Thomas in Zimbabwe last year. I won't answer any questions about this investigation, but I promise all of you that our case is airtight! This company was torn apart with the death of James Stanton, and now I'd like to ask Philippe Ducharme to come back up on this stage." The crowd was shocked to hear that James Stanton had been murdered and the media was in a frenzy to take pictures and tried to corner the FBI Director. Hardy, as he was known by his friends and associates walked up to Butch Mendez and gave him a hug. "I'm still sick that I lost you!" Hardy said to Butch. "I'm thrilled that you landed a fantastic job with a larger salary than I even make, and I'm excited about us working together again to nail some shithead drug traffickers!" "I fucked up when I worked for you, and it was fate that I would be fired and interview with John Miller," Butch said to his former boss. "He's given me total control of security, and I'll put my life on the line to protect him and my new company. He knows that we're working together on the drug mess, and he's given me a blank check to outfit a Rapid Response Team that rivals anything that the Federal Government could dream about." "I have to leave now, but I look forward to working with you and John Miller in the future," Hardy said to Butch. "He's too busy tonight for us to talk together, but please tell him that I owe him a big favor if he ever needs my help." Philippe walked back to the lectern and said, "I want you to recognize a very special person who John Miller hired to head up our Public Relations Operations. Please welcome someone who you might remember as the most beautiful Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, the Vice President of Public Relations, Christina Karpov!" When Christina walked out on the stage, her beautiful diamond jewelry sparkled in the combination of spotlights and flash photography. Her shimmering red dress dazzled the photographers, and they captured the event with a multitude of pictures. When she had been a supermodel, she was a favorite of all of the media, and they were excited to see her again wearing the unbelievable jewelry and the revealing red dress. "When John Miller interviewed me, I never dreamed that I would have control of how this wonderful company interfaced with the public," Christina said. "Our associates now have the finest compensation and benefits packages of any corporation in the world, but my message doesn't end there. Ten percent of the profits of the North American Operations are now earmarked for helping our associates with college scholarships and a fund that will help people when disaster strikes. Funds are available for relief from personal tragedies like severe illnesses and natural disasters. The World Wide Operations make more profits than the North American Operations, and 10 percent of the profits will be used to fund food programs and orphanages around the world. I welcome the challenge to spend over 5 billion dollars a year to make this a better world for everyone." The crowd applauded and cheered at what Christina was saying about the outreach plans for the profitable company. "Here is an example of what this company will do for the homeless children of the world," Christina said. The large screens in the amphitheater lit up with the edited video that Philippe had made of the orphanage. "Philippe Ducharme made a video of the conditions at Proud Les Domo, an orphanage in the Czech Republic." Christina narrated the video that showed the conditions at the orphanage when John Miller had arrived, and how destitute the children were. When the audience saw the drastic changes, they stood and cheered, while Christina explained how the children were now being treated. "There are many countries in the world where children have been injured and crippled from the ravages of war and poverty," Christina said. "The World Wide Operations of the Sea & Jungle Imports Company will fund homes for the physically challenged children and will cover the costs of prosthetics and physical therapy to improve the lives of children around the world! This is a dream come true for me, and I accept the responsibility to change the world for our future, the children of the world!" The applause and cheering of the audience was deafening! Christina had delivered the most important message of the entire evening that the company was moving into the future and taking care of the associates and children of the world. The shock of hearing about the murder of James Stanton was pushed into the background, and the media was in a frenzy to get their pictures, recorded messages and videos back to their companies. John walked back onto the stage and faced the boisterous crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, now you know who will be leading this company into the future. I may not attend church as often as I should, but I have a strong belief in God and the power of prayer. Will you please stand and join me in a prayer to Almighty God!" The crowd stood, while the flash bulbs lit up the entire amphitheater. The boisterous crowd settled down and the silence was a shock after the evening of cheering and applauding. John waited for everyone to calm down before offering his prayer. "Dear God, you've brought us together tonight to break bread and celebrate the dawn of a new era in the Sea & Jungle Imports Operations. Give all of us strength to do Your Will and make this a better world for all of Your creatures. Guide us to do Your Will, and bless and strengthen all of us so we can tend to the unwanted children around this entire world and help them realize their dreams. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins so we could all be saved. AMEN!" The ship echoed with the loud "AMEN" from all of the people in the amphitheater. The media event had ended, and everyone wanted to shake hands with John and all of his staff for the fantastic evening. John was exhausted from the tension of the entire day, but he circulated around the ship and visited all four of the bar areas where his guests were celebrating the event. The most important guests were his two aunts and his family, and he hugged everyone. "That was a beautiful prayer," Aunt Martha said while hugging John. "We knew that we picked the right man to take over the store, and tonight you proved that we were right!" Aunt Betty added. "This is the best day of our lives!" When the crowd started leaving the bar areas, John excused himself and headed back to the Jungle Stateroom to shower and unwind. Constantine, one of John's personal stewards came into the stateroom and offered his services. John accepted another Manhattan and thanked Constantine before saying, "Some day soon I'd like to travel again on this ship and relax, but tonight has exhausted me. You and Nikkos have been wonderful stewards for me. Our company has a scholarship plan that I hope that you will both take advantage of to get a college education. Maybe someday you'll both have a profession and maybe that will include being captains of this ship." "You're so different from James Stanton," Constantine admitted. "He only gave us attention when he wanted us for sex, but you're completely different! You actually talk to us and treat us with respect. If there's ever anything that we can do for you, please let us know!" John hugged the handsome young man and kissed him on both cheeks. It was a traditional way for Greek men to greet each other, and he respected Constantine's heritage. When John returned to the NAO Headquarters, everyone greeted him warmly. All of the major newspapers, television networks, and magazines around the world had covered the cruise, and large posters decorated the halls of the headquarters showing the headlines that had startled the world. In a suburb of Detroit, Margaret Miller was livid! "Look at Time Magazine!" Liz Williamson said to her sister. The cover showed John steering the fabulous yacht with Christina standing at his side. The caption was "New Man at the Helm" and Liz and Margaret were pissed. Fortune magazine had a similar cover with John and Christina posed together at the bow of the luxury yacht. Mary Ann Kowalski added her fuel to the fire by dropping more magazines and newspaper articles about John Miller's new job and his immense wealth. Every television network in the world had covered the cruise, and the three sisters were livid that John was considered the most "eligible bachelor in the world!" "From what I've read, that fuckhead's a billionaire!" Liz added. "We'll pool our resources and sue that pervert!" Mary Ann blurted out. "We'll make millions and live a life of luxury!" When John got to his office, Helen was waiting for him with a hug and kiss. "Welcome home!" Helen said. "Your phone hasn't stopped ringing since the announcements on the cruise! We have two people assigned to answer your calls, and every major talk show in the world wants you to appear. You're the biggest celebrity in the world right now!" "All that I wanna do right now is go fishing on Long Lake and drink a few beers and relax," John admitted. "I'm not going to go on a media tour for a long time!" "My husband and son are still in orbit after going on that cruise," Helen said. "They had a ball!" "Now you need to hire some assistants so you can spend more time with your family," John said. "I sure don't want your new success to destroy your marriage." "Tom's living his dream and leaving for Alaska tomorrow to hunt moose and Kodiak bear," Helen said. "I hired two assistants and Wesley and I will join Tom on a trip to New Zealand for another trip with an important customer. I'm promising you that I'll only work five days a week and work to cut that down to four days within three months! I still can't believe that we're moving into that mansion!" "Someone has to host the Christmas parties!" John teased. "Actually, I'm hoping that your family will join mine in spending the holidays in the Czech Republic. My children over there have never had a real Christmas, and I've made plans to make this a holiday season that they will remember for the rest of their lives." "I showed everyone the video of the orphanage, and all of our associates have demanded that they be allowed to send gifts to the children at Proud Les Domo," Helen said. "The response has been overwhelming!" "What do I need to take care of today?" John asked. "This country is your responsibility now, and I don't want to meddle in your plans. By the way, I'm moving out of this office." "What do you mean?" Helen asked. "This office is now yours!" John replied. "The Vice President in charge of the North American Operations deserves this office! My main office is temporarily in Nassau, but I'm thinking about working out of the office at Proud Les Domo more than anywhere else. When you go there for the holidays, you'll understand why I want to spend most of my time there. If you don't object, we can just trade offices here in this beautiful building." Helen had always loved the executive office with the expensive furnishings and the huge aquarium, but never dreamed that it would be HER office! She protested, but was thrilled when John said, "My decision's final! This is now YOUR office!" Helen thanked John for his wonderful gift of the exotic office. She wiped away her tears of joy and decided to answer John's question about what needed to be done that day. "You have a bunch of emails to answer, but you might consider taking a trip to Northern Michigan to the Arrowhead property," Helen said. "The Stanton family owned a large piece of property near Onaway that includes a private lake and the land was managed by a man named Walter Kristofson." "What's so special about Arrowhead?" John asked. "Mr. Kristofson was the caretaker of that property, but he quit because his family was being harassed," Helen said. "From what I have heard, Mr. Kristofson quit because his family was being hassled by a clan of local people with the last names of Walker and Longhurst. The clan has been poaching deer from the Arrowhead property and fish from Arrowhead Lake. Walter Kristofson quit as your property manager after two of his sons were severely beaten by the Walker-Longhurst clan members. The local sheriff won't intervene because he and his deputies have been threatened in the same way." John remembered reading a word file from James Stanton that the Arrowhead Lake area was stocked with a special strain of huge whitetail deer from Texas and the lake was stocked with walleye, sturgeon and hybrid bluegills. He was intrigued by the size of the Arrowhead properties, and considered going there to hunt deer in November. He decided to take a break from his responsibilities with the company and take a trip to the Onaway area. John returned to his home on Peninsular Drive and wanted to take a break from the pressures and responsibilities of his new job. He looked out the window of his home at Long Lake and decided to do what he had done in the past to relax. When he had been married to Margaret, he often escaped from her wrath by going out fishing alone. He told his body guards that he wanted some time alone, and he put six Budweisers in a cooler and went down to his shed near the lake. He retrieved the small outboard motor that his son, Johnny, had given him and was excited. He thought back to the time when life was simple for him, and he dreamed of having Nicklas with him to go out fishing on the quiet lake. He loved the boat that had belonged to his father and grabbed his fishing tackle just like he had done hundreds of times when he escaped from Margaret and her constant bitching. He loved the Sea & Jungle IV and the luxury aboard the exotic yacht, but going out in the repaired boat was ten times more enjoyable for him. He caught only two small bass that he released, but he loved the peace and quiet and drained four of the beers before he returned to his dock. John relaxed in his home and thought about his decision to travel to northern Michigan. It would be a very dangerous decision for John Miller! Stay tuned!!! Feedback is appreciated to Jacob_latson@hotmail.com