Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:13:00 +0000 From: Jacob Latson Subject: Agony & Ecstasy Chapter 8 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 then turns his tragedy 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. 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, my editor, adds his personal touches to clean up my errors. Thanks, Bill!!!! Agony & Ecstasy Chapter 8 Hitting Bottom and Rising Up! Thomas Kendrick had retired from his active years as an attorney, but he still took care of the needs of some special clients. He was at home when he got the phone call from Betty Anderson and Martha Jenkins. Both of the elderly women were talking at the same time, and he had trouble understanding what they were asking him. He finally sorted through the chatter of the two elegant ladies and realized that they wanted his help. He knew that the two ladies were being pressured to name a person to control the business left by James Stanton's untimely death, and he listened to their request. "I think I know John Miller," Thomas Kendrick said. "If you're talking about the same John Miller, I met him at Abe Goldman's home several years ago; he's a fine man. Let me do some checking and I'll call you back." Betty and Martha were convinced that the John Miller that they knew was a fine man, but they didn't want to take any chances with the business that their father had started many years ago. They were excited about their attorney's initial comments and couldn't wait for confirmation of their initial opinion of John Miller. John was sitting at his second-hand kitchen table having a cup of coffee when the phone rang. Bobby Goldman wanted to treat John to lunch, but John had to go to work at the paint store. He agreed to spend Friday night with the Goldman family and looked forward to seeing his godson, Justin. John got a call from Mike Smith, his neighbor on the lake, and was shocked to hear that two homes in his neighborhood had been robbed. John had a security system on his home, but the annual monitoring fee was over $200 and he had canceled the service. After the devastation caused by Margaret, John thought that he didn't have anything worth stealing. He remembered the two handguns that were hidden in the bedroom closet and went to make sure that they were still there and loaded. He was shocked when he found that both guns were gone. He immediately called the police to report the theft and wondered if Margaret had taken the two guns. Greg Cook was the police officer that responded to John's call and was concerned about the missing handguns and ammunition. He knew that handguns were favorite targets for thieves and stolen guns were often used in violent crimes. "Here's my CCW (Carry Concealed Weapons) license and the serial numbers of the guns," John said to Greg. "I hadn't even looked for them until my neighbor told me about the robberies around the lake. The last time that I saw them was almost a year ago. My ex-wife might have taken them or they might have been stolen. All I know is that they're gone." "So you're missing a Glock 9mm and a Smith & Wesson 38 revolver," Greg said. "Do you have any other guns in the house?" "My two shotguns and my deer rifle are still here," John replied. "I feel sick about losing those two pistols. I've had them for years." Greg Cook left the home and hoped that he would recover the two missing guns without them being used in a violent crime. Betty and Martha were at home when their phone rang. It was another call from Glen Young, Personnel Director at the family business. Betty had answered the phone and was upset when Glen tried to pressure her into making an important decision. "You know that James trusted me and Jacob to run the business when he was out of the office," Glen said. "I don't understand why you won't trust us and name one of us the new CEO (Chief Executive Officer)." "Martha and I need time to make our decision," Betty replied. She knew that her sister was hearing only one half of the phone conversation and was upset that Glen Young was calling again. He and Jacob Coleman had been hounding them to choose one of them to take control of the family business, but the two sisters didn't like either man. The family business was too important for them to make a fast decision, and they both remembered what their nephew had said about the two men. When the call ended, Betty said, "I just don't trust Glen or Jacob! Jimmy said that they were both ruthless, but he never fired them! I think that they had something over Jimmy that kept him from canning them!" "Philippe always seemed like a nice man, but Jimmy always ran things his own way," Martha said. "I think Jimmy was prejudiced against black people like Philippe. I wish that we didn't have to make a decision so fast!" "We'll just wait to hear from Thomas," Betty replied. "Let's call John and see if he'll come over for supper with us. I love to see him eat what we cook and I love to talk to him. He's a fine young man!" John was happy to accept the offer for another fantastic meal from Betty and Martha. He stopped at a grocery store and bought some fresh flowers to take to the wonderful old ladies. Betty and Martha were thrilled with the flowers and fussed around in the kitchen to trim the stems and find a vase. It had been a long time since a man had brought them flowers and they kept thanking John for his kindness. "Mrs. Jenkins, would you like a Manhattan?" John asked Martha. They were alone in the parlor while Betty was getting the ice. "Please call me Martha and call Betty, Betty instead of Mrs. Anderson," Martha said. "You're our friend and we don't need to be so formal." Betty had brought in the bucket of ice and agreed with her sister that John should call them by their first names. "I was brought up to show respect for my elders," John said. "It wouldn't be polite to call you by your first names." "What did you do when your parents had their friends over?" Betty asked. "I called them aunt or uncle," John replied. "Would you consider calling us Aunt Martha and Aunt Betty?" Martha asked. "I'd really like that if you two don't object," John said. "Then it's settled!" Martha said. "Now we have a nephew again!" Betty and Martha didn't tell John the significance of having a nephew, but he registered the "again" and wondered what had happened to their real nephew. He could tell that the two ladies wanted to change the subject, so he talked about work and mentioned that two of his guns were missing. "Let's show John our guns," Betty said. "Maybe he wants to take some of them home for safety and to protect himself." John was surprised that the two old ladies had a gun in their home, but decided to go with them upstairs to see what they had. "We keep a gun in each of our bedrooms for protection, but we keep most of the other guns in this room that we keep locked," Martha said. She unlocked a bedroom door and walked in with John and Betty following. John was shocked! Instead of bedroom furniture, the entire room was full of rifles, shotguns and handguns! Custom gun racks had been built along the two sidewalls and John estimated that over 100 rifles and shotguns were cabled and locked to the walls. On the wall opposite the door, there were glass cases with semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, dueling pistols and guns that he didn't even recognize! "That one is an Uzi," Betty said calmly when she pointed to a sinister looking automatic weapon. "It's been a long time since we shot any of these, but once in a while we take our Berettas out in back for target practice." "You've got an arsenal here!" John blurted out. "The only place that I've seen this many guns is in a gun store! Where did you get them?" "Our nephew bought them and stored them here," Betty replied. "We grew up on this farm and when we were young we lived off the land. We both could drop a pheasant with one shot from a shotgun." "We keep Berettas in the parlor, dining room and kitchen," Martha admitted. "All of them use the same ammunition so we don't get confused. They're all 9 mm." "I can't believe this!" John said. "Two beautiful ladies are armed like Bonnie and Clyde! I hope that you aren't going to tell me that you robbed banks to buy all of your beautiful furniture!" Betty and Martha laughed and said that they didn't need to rob banks because their husbands were very successful businessmen. They asked John if he wanted to take a gun home, but he refused their generous offer. "Please don't tell anyone about our guns," Betty said. "We can protect ourselves but we don't want anyone to know what we have in this room. All of the Berettas are registered to us and we both have licenses to carry a gun. If we are going somewhere that we don't think is safe, we carry these." She showed John two pearl handled 25 caliber semi- automatic pistols that were sitting on a table. John looked at the two pistols and the two sweet old ladies and started laughing. "I'm going to church on Sunday to thank God that you didn't shoot me when I changed your tire!" he teased. "We weren't packing heat when we went to the hairdresser," Betty said. "We had mace, but had left the guns at home." John roared when he heard Betty use a street term for carrying a concealed weapon. He couldn't believe that the two innocent looking ladies could have so many weapons at their disposal. The trio returned to the parlor to finish their drinks and talked about the weather, politics and how Detroit and the State of Michigan were in deep financial trouble. John had noticed that there was a crack in the ceiling of the parlor and that the wood floor was showing wear. He correctly guessed that the floor had been covered with carpet before the carpet was removed to make room for the exquisite Persian rug. "Have you ever considered getting that crack fixed and refinishing the wood floor?" John asked. "Mr. Kramer gave us an estimate of $20,000 to fix the crack, paint the ceiling and walls and refinish the floor," Betty said. "I don't trust him and we stopped hiring him to do odd jobs around here. He thinks that we're two stupid old bats that will pay his exorbitant fees." "My hours at the paint store are down until spring, so maybe I can fix things up for you," John offered. "It would make a big mess, but I have the time and need something to do for the next month. I'd be happy to fix this room for you!" "We'll pay you the $20,000," Betty said. "We can certainly afford it, and we'd rather pay you than Mr. Kramer!" "Now how could I charge my two aunts for helping them out?" John asked. "I could ask my neighbor, Mike Smith, to help me move these beautiful antiques into the dining room so I have room to work. How about it? Can I please do it for my two aunts?" Betty and Martha choked back their tears and accepted John's generous offer, but insisted on paying for all of the materials. It was wonderful having a concerned nephew again, and they started talking about what color to paint the walls. It had been over 15 years since any part of the home had been painted, and they were excited. After work the next day, John drove to his aunts' home to show them paint samples that were available from Taylor Paint. He suggested a flat, ceiling white for the ceiling and a cream color for the walls. Betty and Martha were excited about having the parlor repaired and painted and quickly agreed with John's suggestions. "I'll get started tomorrow," John said. "Mike said that he could help me move out the furniture and we can cover everything to cut down on the dust." "We'll empty all of the furniture so nothing gets broken," Martha said. "We rarely use the dining room table, so we can put all of the glassware and lamps on the table. Will that work for you?" "Just don't lift anything that's heavy," John said. "My boss at work said that I can use his furniture dollies for moving the furniture and he even said he would let me use the floor sander for free." "We insist on paying for renting his equipment!" Betty said. "We can afford to pay, and he needs the money for his business. We won't accept charity! Here is an envelope with $10,000 so you can pay him for everything!" "Holy Crap!" John exclaimed. "Please don't ever keep that much cash around or show it to anyone! Jim Taylor is a great boss and friend, and he will just keep track of our expenses. I don't think that the entire job will cost more than $800, and that includes the paint for the ceiling and walls and the polyurethane for the floor." "What about the baseboard?" Betty asked. "I never liked it when my husband painted the baseboards. Can we remove the paint or replace the baseboards?" "I'll look at Landon Lumber for some new oak baseboard," John replied. "I agree that the room would look beautiful with baseboards that match the oak flooring. I'm excited about getting this job started, and I suggest that we take some `before' and `after' pictures to show the changes." John and his two aunts enjoyed a pitcher of Manhattans before their evening meal. John loved being around the two ladies because they brought back memories of his childhood. "Dinner" not "Lunch" was served at noon and "Supper" not "Dinner" was served in the evening. In less than two weeks, the parlor was finished, and John and Mike Smith moved the exquisite furniture back in place. Betty and Martha were thrilled that John had stripped and refinished the archway and glass doors that closed off the parlor from the rest of the farmhouse, and they loved the look of the beautiful room. The two ladies insisted that John and Mike and Mike's family come over for a special supper to celebrate the new room. Mike Smith, John's neighbor at the lake, his wife Amber, Tim and Amanda were happy to have supper with Betty and Martha. They all went into the remodeled parlor and had cocktails before the supper was ready. John made the drinks and also made alcohol-free drinks for the two children. Everyone marveled at the beauty of the room and the exquisite antique furnishings except the two children, who thought that everything looked ancient. Betty and Martha had worked hard to prepare a special meal of salad, French onion soup, prime rib, baked potatoes, green bean casserole, corn and carrots for their special guests. The dessert was warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream, and everyone was stuffed. They were sitting at the dining room table having coffee when Mike offered a suggestion. "Now that your parlor is done, maybe you should consider doing something with this room," Mike said. "The ceiling could be painted and maybe the carpet could be removed to make the room more formal. I bet that there is some beautiful hardwood flooring under this carpet." "We couldn't ask you and John to do more work for us!" Betty said. "We wanted to pay you and John for all of the work you two men did in the parlor, but John refused to take anything more than the cost of the materials." "I think Mike has a great idea!" John said. "We could paint the ceiling and walls and add a chair rail around the entire room. This carpet shows quite a bit of wear, and a wood floor would look much more elegant." "We could get that other rug out of storage," Martha said to her sister. "I love this room and it would look beautiful with a new coat of paint." "Martha! How can you expect John to do more work for us?" Betty asked. "I love doing things for my two aunts," John replied. "What rug are you talking about?" "Jimmy gave us another Persian rug, but we put it in storage," Betty replied. "Who's Jimmy?" Timmy asked. "Is he your son? Where is he? Can I play with him?" John knew that Jimmy was a special person to Betty and Martha, but he had never asked them about Jimmy when one of them slipped and mentioned his name. Here was an inquisitive 9-year old boy asking an innocent question, and he wanted to change the subject when he saw tears forming in the eyes of the elderly ladies. "Jimmy was our nephew, but he died," Betty said softly. "He always wanted us to move out of this house, but it was our family home when we were young like you, and we wanted to stay here," Martha said to Timmy. "How did he die?" Timmy asked. He was a young boy who didn't understand that the two old ladies were upset by mentioning their nephew. "Maybe we should change the subject," John suggested. "You have a right to know," Betty said to John. "Jimmy took over the family business from his father James, our brother. Jimmy was on an African safari and was trampled by elephants." John was shocked. He remembered the article that Jim Taylor had showed him about a CEO who had been trampled by elephants in Africa, and suddenly realized that the man who had died was the nephew of his two new aunts. He could see that both of his aunts were visibly upset, and he wanted to do anything to keep them from talking about their dead nephew. "Let's talk about remodeling this room," John suggested. "I think that flat white paint on the ceiling will brighten the room, and a chair rail would be beautiful. We can remove the carpet and refinish the wood floor to match the parlor." Betty was relieved that John had changed the subject, and added, "We could use the other rug under the dining room table. What color should we paint the walls?" Mike and Amber Smith picked up on the need to change the subject, and offered suggestions for the color of the walls. The two children were bored and finished their second helpings of dessert while the adults finally settled on a cream color for the walls with an oak chair rail to match the wood floor. After their guests left, Betty and Martha cleaned the dining room and loaded their dishwasher. They had refused the offers of their guests to help clean up after the meal and hoped that their guests would return for another meal in the future. "It's time we talked about the business," Betty said to her sister. "Thomas said he would call us when he finished his investigation," Martha replied. "But you and I already know that our John is a wonderful man, and his education makes him a perfect fit." "Maybe he won't want to run the store," Betty said. "Jimmy did a lot of traveling and John has his family here in Michigan. John's done so much for us, and I don't feel right about asking him to do even more." "You could see it in his face that he loved working on the parlor," Martha said. "When Mike talked about our dining room, John's face lit up like a Christmas tree!" "If he won't take money from us, maybe he'll take money from the store," Betty said. Thomas Kendrick did a thorough investigation of the background of John Miller and was pleased with the findings. Abe Goldman was his personal friend, and gave John the ultimate compliment by calling John his "second son". The private investigators didn't find anything in John's background, not even a parking ticket. He reviewed the tapes and transcripts of John Miller's divorce from Margaret Miller and was surprised about the allegations of possession of child pornography. He knew from his time as the family lawyer for the Stanton family that James Stanton was a gay man who had never married and had spent a great deal of time in Thailand and Mexico, two countries known for areas where men had sex with underage boys. Thomas thought back to his own love of boys and felt sad when he thought about the man that he had loved. Keith was only 12 when they first met, and he loved the boy with all of his heart. Keith grew up and became his legal assistant, and their love affair lasted for 20 years until Keith was killed in Vietnam in 1967. He looked at the photo of Keith on the wall of his home office and shed a tear for his lost lover. His investigation was complete and he was ready to talk to Betty Anderson and Martha Jenkins. John finished the remodeling of the dining room and was pleased with his work. Mike Smith had helped him move the furniture out of the room before the work started, and also helped him move it back in when the room was done. Both men were impressed with the beautiful Persian rug that had been delivered to the home after being cleaned at a special company that dealt with vintage rugs. During the celebration supper when the dining room was finished, Timmy asked another question about Jimmy. He was still confused about what had happened to Jimmy and asked, "How did elephants kill Jimmy?" John wished that he could evaporate! Children always had the innocence to cut through any sense of propriety with their direct attitudes and questions, and John was embarrassed that Timmy had remembered the discussions about Jimmy from the last visit. "He was hunting for a trophy bull elephant, and the wounded elephant charged him," Betty said. "The elephant killed our nephew and his friend who always went hunting and fishing with him," Martha added. "It hurts us to talk about Jimmy, so can we talk about something else?" "Timmy do you want another piece of chocolate cake?" John asked to change the subject. He was relieved when Timmy seemed very interested in how large a piece of cake Betty was cutting for him. Amber insisted that she help clean up after the fantastic meal, and worked with the two elderly ladies until the dishwasher was loaded. She knew that John was very attached to Betty and Martha, and could see that the two women loved John. "John, can you stay for a few minutes?" Betty asked John when the Smith family was getting ready to leave. "Martha and I have something to ask you." John wondered if the ladies wanted another room painted, and was willing to do more work for them. He had grown to love the women and enjoyed their cocktail visits to the parlor and the fantastic meals in the kitchen and new dining room. When they got inside the parlor, Betty offered John a crystal glass of Crème de Menthe. John normally didn't drink after a large meal, but he could tell that his aunts wanted to sit and talk, so he accepted the drink. "Jimmy was in charge of the family business before he died," Betty said. "For several months we've been pressured to find a person to take over the store." "Stop beating around the bush!" Martha said. "We both want you to take over the store!" "What kind of store?" John asked. "The only store that I have any experience with is Taylor Paint, and I'm only a part-time salesman there." "It's an import store," Betty replied. "Our father started the store and then his son, James, our brother took over after daddy died. James died and Jimmy took over almost 30 years ago." "I don't think that I'm qualified to run an import store," John said honestly. "I hope that you don't mind, but we asked our attorney to check on you," Martha said. "Thomas Kendrick's a personal friend of Abe Goldman, and he says that your degree in Business Administration is perfect to run the store for us. Abe said that you're a second son to him, and we both love you like you were our real nephew!" John knew that his financial situation was getting worse with the reduced hours at Taylor Paint. His savings account was empty and he couldn't touch his Chrysler stock or 401K for many years. "You'll make a lot of money," Betty said. "Jimmy spent most of his time hunting and fishing all around the world because he had people to run the store." John wondered what kind of store a man could own where he spent most of his time hunting and fishing, and it sounded too good to be true. "Maybe someone in the company should take over," John said. "We both love you and want you to take care of our family business," Betty said. "The company makes a lot of money, but we want someone who cares about other people to run things. If you need time to decide, we can wait." "Our attorney will meet with you to show you the business," Martha said. "Here's the business card for Thomas Kendrick, and the address for the business office. Please go talk to Thomas and then you can decide." John agreed to meet with Thomas Kendrick and finished his drink before kissing his two aunts goodbye. He drove home and was overwhelmed by the offer to run his own company. He spent a sleepless night thinking about his current financial situation and the chance to start a new career. The next morning, John showered, shaved and put on a Polo shirt and Dockers slacks for the meeting with Thomas Kendrick. He thought about wearing the only sport coat that he owned, but decided that it wouldn't be appropriate for a casual meeting with an attorney. He drove his old Silverado pickup truck to the address on the back of the business card and was sure that the address was wrong when he came to a large metal gate. "How can I help you?" the guard asked. "I think that I'm at the wrong address," John said embarrassedly. "I'm supposed to meet with Thomas Kendrick, but I don't think that I'm at the right place." For the first time, John saw the large sign on the brick pillars that said "Sea & Jungle Imports, Ltd. North American Operations." "Mr. Kendrick has already arrived," the guard said. "Please drive forward to the visitor's parking area and then go to the reception desk and ask for him." John drove his truck past the gate and knew that his clothes and his beat-up truck didn't impress the guard. He drove along the winding road and was awed by the manicured lawn, shrubs and rose bushes. When he turned the last curve in the road he was overwhelmed by the huge fountain and statues of dolphins. It was the most beautiful building that he'd ever seen, and he still thought that he was in the wrong place! He parked his truck in the visitor's area and looked at the cars in the parking lot. Every brand of expensive car was there. Mercedes, Lexus, Cadillac, Lincoln and even a Bentley were parked in the lot and he wished that he could hide his battered Chevrolet truck. When John walked into the front of the building, he was awestruck when he saw the reception area. A large waterfall of over three stories in height cascaded down into a deep pool of water. All around the waterfall and pool was a tropical jungle that was complete with brightly colored parrots and he even saw some monkeys swinging through the palm trees. He was spellbound by the beauty of the jungle area and couldn't believe that it existed in Michigan! "Welcome to the Sea & Jungle Imports North American Headquarters. May I help you?" a pleasant voice asked John. "I'm John Miller and I was supposed to meet Thomas Kendrick, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the wrong place!" John replied. "I've never seen anything like this in my entire life! This place is beautiful!" "Our jungle area always shocks visitors," the receptionist said. "My name is Regina Henderson, and I'm the receptionist at S&JI, Ltd here in Detroit. Mr. Kendrick's expecting you! I'll page him and you can explore the jungle while you wait for him." She looked at the handsome man and wondered why he was coming to the building. She knew that Thomas Kendrick was the attorney for Betty Anderson and Martha Jenkins, and wanted to call Helen Baxter, personal assistant and office manager to tell her that an important visitor had arrived. She knew she had to wait before calling Helen, and was polite to the visitor. "Is this place for real?" John asked. "I can't believe that a place like this exists in Michigan!" "The jungle's a creation of our CEO, James Stanton," Regina said. "He wanted our visitors to see what Africa looks like, so he created this building for our North American Operations Headquarters. The waterfall is 50 feet high and the glass walls and ceiling are triple-thick to hold in the heat needed for the plants and wildlife. Some of the koi fish in the pond cost over $5,000 each and the macaws are over 20 years old. The parrots are friendly, but the monkeys can be mischievous when they're hungry. Anyone who goes into the jungle takes the risk of having the monkeys harass them or having some parrot droppings hit them." John laughed and decided to look through the glass walls at the beauty of the atrium. He was marveling at the beauty of the huge parrots when he heard a voice calling to him. "John Miller, we meet again!" Thomas Kendrick said. "I'm Thomas Kendrick and I met you at Abe Goldman's home several years ago. Please come with me to the conference room!" John shook hands with Thomas Kendrick and vaguely remembered meeting the elderly man when he visited the Goldman family several years ago. He had recognized the name when Betty and Martha had given him the business card, but he couldn't remember that he had met the man before. He followed Thomas down a long hallway that had glass cases on each side filled with trophy animals and fish. He wanted to stop and look at the beautiful mounts, but Thomas seemed indifferent to the majesty of the jungle and the gleaming halls of granite. "How do you like the reception area?" Thomas asked. "I remember the first time that I saw it, and I wanted to spend a week looking at the jungle and all of the trophies." "I thought I was in the wrong place," John admitted. Thomas laughed and led John to a glass elevator that went up over 10 stories. John walked into the elevator and was surprised that even the floor was solid glass. His breath was taken away when Thomas pushed the button for the 12th floor and the elevator rose rapidly. "What was he getting himself into?" John asked himself. "This is the South American Conference Room," Thomas said when he opened a door in the beautiful hallway. "Let's sit down and talk for a couple of minutes." John walked into the conference room and recognized many of the furnishings. He saw Brazilian cherry flooring, walls covered with Aztec murals and teakwood furniture. The floor alone cost more than John's entire home, and he felt dizzy. "Just for the record, I've taken the liberty of reviewing your financial status," Thomas began. "I see that you have a home mortgage, a second mortgage and some credit card balances. I hope you don't mind that I checked up on you, but Betty Anderson and Martha Jenkins are very special clients of mine. I retired a long time ago, but I still take care of the legal issues for both of them. Even with your income from Taylor Paint, you're headed for some tough times if you don't accept the offer from my clients." "I'm still confused," John admitted to Thomas. "I was asked if I would take over a store, so I don't know why we're meeting here." Thomas laughed and then realized that John was embarrassed. "Two wonderful ladies told me that you call them both `aunt' and that they chose you to take over the family business. The family business isn't a single store; it's the Sea & Jungle Imports, Ltd with the world headquarters in Nassau, Bahamas. This building is the North American Operations Headquarters for all of the stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and controls imports into 75 outlet stores. The worldwide operations have another 235 stores around the world as you can see by this world map." "HOLY SHIT!" John exclaimed. He had never dreamed that Betty and Martha were involved with a business that covered the entire world, and couldn't believe that he had been asked to run a store for them. "Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Jenkins are special friends to me," Thomas said. "I call them by their first names, but they said that you are their chosen nephew and they want you to take over the reins of the entire corporation. Of course, you'll be well paid if you accept!" "You mean they want me to take over all of this?" John asked incredulously. He looked at the map on the wall of the conference room and was shocked! "That's exactly what they're offering," Thomas replied. "The first James Stanton built up the company and expanded around the world, and his son, James, Jr. took over when his father died. Your compensation for accepting the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of SJI, Ltd., North American Operations is 20 million dollars a year, but that pales when compared to the income from the worldwide operations and WWI, Ltd. Just so you know, WWI stands for World Wide Investments, Ltd and it's the largest privately owned investment company in the world. WWI loans money to developers that build casinos, resorts, office buildings, shopping malls and port facilities around the world. I honestly don't know what your income will be from the international operations and WWI, but I can only imagine that it will be huge." "I'm honored that Aunt Betty and Aunt Martha would offer this to me, but I'm not qualified," John said. "I could never run an operation like what you've just described." "You can and you will!" Thomas replied. "What this company needs is a man who's honest and has the desire to satisfy customers. Your staff will do most of the work, and you'll spend most of your time entertaining important customers on ocean cruises and hunting and fishing trips. The trophies you collect will be displayed in the outlet stores." "I'm getting dizzy!" John admitted. He had to sit down to catch his breath after hearing what was being offered to him. He had often dreamed of winning the Mega Millions Lottery, and what Thomas Kendrick was offering was even greater. "I know that this is a big shock, but you're the right man for this job, and I strongly suggest that you accept this offer!" Thomas said. "There are two wonderful ladies who are anxiously awaiting your answer, and they're both in the next room waiting for your acceptance. Think about what you can do with 20 million dollars! Of course the IRS will take a big chunk, but you can pay off all of your bills and help your son, daughter-in- law and new grandson have a wonderful life! You've been working at the soup kitchens and homeless shelters in Detroit, and now you can make some serious financial contributions to help the needy. I'm a tax expert, and I'll help you through all of the IRS bullshit." John thought back to the terrible times from his marriage to Margaret and the painful divorce. He was broke and feared that he would have to sell his home and move into an apartment without improvement in his income. This opportunity was too good to be true, but he trusted Aunt Martha and Aunt Betty and said, "I'll take the job!" "That's what I wanted to hear!" Thomas said excitedly. "You're making the best decision of your entire life, and I'm going to help you through the paperwork to make it all happen. Right now, I'm going to ask Betty and Martha to come in to join in our celebration!" Thomas went to the door and opened it. He wasn't surprised when both Martha and Betty almost fell into the conference room. Both of the ladies had been listening at the door and were very excited when John had accepted their offer. "OH JOHN! WE'RE THRILLED TO PIECES!" Betty exclaimed. She grabbed John and gave him a big hug and kiss and then let her sister do the same. "This is the best day of our lives!" Martha exclaimed. "Wait until you meet Helen! She's your Administrative Assistant, and she's a wonderful lady! You'll love her! She's been in charge since Jimmy died, and she's a saint!" Helen Baxter was in her office on the 12th floor of the building and was anxious when she got the phone call from Regina Henderson from the receptionist desk. Helen knew that something big was happening at the headquarters building when Thomas Kendrick had arrived shortly before Martha Jenkins and Betty Anderson. She had been working over 70 hours a week ever since James Stanton had died, and she desperately needed some relief from the constant decisions that had to be made. "He's a handsome man about 50 years old," Regina had reported. "He was very polite and Mr. Kendrick took him to the South American Conference Room on the 12th floor." "I hope that he's the right one for the job," Helen said. "I'll let you know what I hear, and thanks for calling me when he got here." Helen hung up her phone and wondered if the two elderly ladies had finally made a decision about who would head up the company. Her family life had been strained to the limit, and she needed relief. She hoped that the new CEO would recognize the deficiencies in the NAO (North American Operations) Staff, and take some aggressive actions. If the visitor was going to be the new CEO, she'd have to wait and see if he'd follow the policies of James Stanton, or if he'd make the needed changes. She was filled with anxiety when her phone rang and she was asked to go to the conference room. "John, this is Helen Baxter, your Administrative Assistant," Thomas Kendrick said when Helen came into the conference room. "Helen has been running things since the untimely death of James Stanton, and she's the reason that the company's still in business! I'd trust Helen with my life!" John shook hands with Helen and wondered what he was getting into. The NAO Headquarters was an imposing building and he was still unsure if he could handle a job that was bigger than anything he could ever imagine. John watched while Aunt Betty and Aunt Martha hugged Helen, and that proved that his two aunts liked Helen. Everyone sat down at the conference table to discuss the next steps in the change of leadership. "You'll have some resistance from a few jerks!" Martha said to John. "I'm sure you'll sort out the people that you can trust to take the business into the future." "Helen will help you get settled in," Betty said. "She's been a saint to us since Jimmy died." "Do you have a passport?" Helen asked John. "I got one about four years ago when my wife and I went to London," John replied. "I think that it's still valid." "Good, because you should leave for the Bahamas tomorrow," Helen said. "I'll call Phillipe and have him schedule an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors to formalize your appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer of our company. It's only a formality after these two ladies have made their decision to hire you. They own all 100 shares of the parent company, and no one can block their choice." "This is all too much for me to comprehend," John admitted. "I came here today to take over what I thought was a small store, and now everyone is telling me that I'm a millionaire with control over a company with operations around the world!" "If I'm not mistaken, you're much more than a millionaire!" Helen said. "I honestly don't know the compensation for the WWO (World Wide Operations), but Mr. Stanton said the NAO compensation was peanuts!" "Here's how we suggest that we handle things for the first couple of months," Thomas Kendrick began. "We'll introduce you as a management consultant until you get your feet on the ground and learn who you can trust. I'll be honest with you in saying that this company needs a strong leader, and I'm thrilled that you've accepted this new job." "I took the liberty of creating a document for you to read about our company," Helen said. "I'll continue taking care of the day to day business decisions, but the important ones will be yours to make. You and I will decide when to make the public announcement of your appointment. It'll be a huge media event, and Newsweek and Time Magazine will do a feature story on you and your new job when the time's right." John was reeling with the thoughts of having a new job and incredible wealth! Fate had given him a new lease on life! Stay tuned!!! Feedback is appreciated to Jacob_latson@hotmail.com