Chapter 22.1
(Fast forward a few days to the Morrison's homecoming)
Joanna rolled over in the big bed; she blinked her eyes a few times before she finally opened them. She looked to her left and saw Barbie's tendrils of blonde hair splayed over the pillow providing a beautiful frame for her face. She looked around the room and realized that this was the last morning she'd be waking up in Kim and Dan's bed. Their plane was due to land at noon and they would most likely be home around one o'clock.
Barbie rolled over and draped her arm across Joanna's chest before her eyes flickered a few times as she woke up. She smiled at Joanna and whispered, "Good morning."
"Good morning to you." Joanna replied
"I had the most wonderful time last night." Barbie said in her sexy voice.
"Oh darling, I enjoyed myself and I hope you will want to be with me again." Joanna said as she looked into Barbie's eyes.
"Oh yes, I'd like that a lot." Barbie exclaimed.
"I've got to pee; I need to get up even though I'd love to stay right here." Joanna said.
"Me too, but I'd rather stay here and cuddle with you." Barbie whispered as she tossed off the sheet.
Joanna looked down at Barbie's small "A" cup titties and she reached out and cupped one in her hand and said, "They are so beautiful."
"There's not much there but I think they're plenty big enough for me. I've never passed mom's pencil test, that's for sure." Barbie said.
Joanna looked at Barbie strangely and Barbie giggled and asked, "Don't you know what the pencil test is?"
"No, I've never heard of it. What does it do?" Joanna queried
"My mother used to make us girls, take our tops off and she'd lift a breast and place a pencil under it and then let go of the breast first and the pencil last. If we didn't have enough breast to hold the pencil from dropping, she said we didn't have to wear a bra if we didn't want to." Barbie explained.
Joanna laughed, "Oh, don't make me laugh, I've got to pee."
"I'm not being funny, this is serious shit. That's exactly what my mom used to do." Barbie stated
On the way into the bathroom Joanna cupped Barbie's boob, "Honey, I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing because I've never heard of the pencil test before. These are perfect. They're like fun sized Snickers candy bars. They're sweet and just the right size to eat and enjoy."
Joanna sat down on the toilet and peed and when she stood up Barbie took her place. Joanna adjusted the shower and when Barbie finished she walked over and joined Joanna. They washed each other's body thoroughly, then got out and dried each other.
When they finished they walked down the hall and noticed Tony and Patty weren't in their room so they headed downstairs. The smell of fresh brewed coffee tickled their nostrils as they descended the stairs. Patty saw the new comers first and said, "Well, good morning you two, I hope you got at least a little sleep. I know you kept us awake for hours." Patty began to laugh.
"Coffee?" Patty asked
"Does a bear shit in the forest?" Joanna asked with a pleasing grin spread across her face.
Patty poured two cups of coffee while Joanna leaned on the end of the new counter. Barbie set the cream down, "I need an eye opener. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day."
Tony came in from outside and saw Joanna looking around the kitchen. Tony walked over and stood beside Joanna saying, "I think those guys did a fantastic job with this kitchen. When the Morrisons see it, they'll know it's new but there's nothing we can do about that."
"I agree there's no way to disguise the changes so I wonder what Dan is going to tell the girls." Joanna said.
"We only have a few more hours before we find out. They should be here sometime around one o'clock or a little after." Tony replied.
"Are you going to go pick up Tina and the kids today?" Tony asked.
"Yes, no one said anything about not having them here for the day. I've talked to both Dan and Ted." Joanna replied.
Everyone took their coffee and walked out on the deck and sat down to enjoy the stillness of the morning.
On the plane almost everyone was relaxing. Dan was in his office and Beth was in her office. They were trying to catch up with business after their brief three day mini vacation. Dan picked up his phone and paged Linda.
Moments later there was a knock on his door and Dan said, "Come in."
"Dan, you paged me?" Linda asked once she was inside the office.
"Yes Linda, would you please find Ted and tell him I'd like to see him in my office."
"Dan, I believe he's in your bedroom with your wife."
"Ok, that's not a problem. Knock on the door and let him know I want to see him when he's finished."
"Dan, I want to thank you for everything you've done for us on this trip. You included us in all your activities and we've never been treated like that before." Linda said
Something in Linda's voice told me there was something else on her mind.
I leaned back in my chair and asked Linda to have a seat. I looked at Linda and asked, "Is there something you'd like to discuss with me Linda?"
"With a weak smile, Linda replied, "You don't miss much do you Dan? Yes there is. I have a little sister who made some bad choices in her personal life. She didn't get involved with drugs or anything like that; she got involved with an older guy during her senior year of high school. The guy turned out to be a first class jerk. My sister graduated with very good grades and had been accepted to some prestigious colleges."
"I won't go into all the details but she had a huge argument with our parents and they told her she was on her own. Since she didn't have anywhere else to go, she called me and asked me to help her. She wants to get away from the guy and asked if she could move in with me."
"After she told me what she's been through this past week, I offered her a chance to come and live with me on two conditions. I told her she has to be willing to get rid of the jerk and not see him anymore. Especially after what she told me he's allowed his friend to do to her. I also told her she has to get a job and keep it. She promised me she would do both so I figured I'd ask you if you would give her a chance and hire her. I could teach her to be a flight attendant or if you don't want her to do that yet, I'm sure she can do something, anything Dan. She just needs a chance." Linda finished saying.
Looking at Linda, I said, "I'm willing to give anyone a chance. I don't want to start her out as a flight attendant that should be a goal for her to work towards. I'm sure if she fills out an application, she will get a job. I'll review her progress in six months and if she's been on time and does a good job, I'll make sure she's advanced. I think for her to gain the position of flight attendant, she should have a good record with our company for a couple of years."
"Thank you Dan. I appreciate you helping my little sister, she's really a great kid; she just got mixed up with an asshole. I'll make sure she understands she's being given an opportunity and she better not mess it up." Linda said with the look of relief.
"May I hug you Dan?" Linda asked.
"I stood up, walked around my desk, hugged Linda, and said, "Help out your family as much as you can, some day they might not be there to help."
Linda hugged me tightly and said, "I know, that's why I wanted to find my sister a job. I want her to know she can depend on me."
"Don't forget, poke your head in the door and tell Ted I need to see him." I said to Linda as she stepped away from me.
I went back to work, and soon after Linda left my phone buzzed, when I picked it up Beth said, "Tom Banks is on line one for you."
I pushed the line one button and greeted Tom. We traded general information and then he said, "I would like for you and your wife to stop by my office this afternoon if that's possible."
I told him we anticipated landing around noon and we would have to clear Customs first so we wouldn't be able to get there until one o'clock or after. Tom told me he was going to be in his office all afternoon so whatever time we arrived would be fine with him.
I called Linda again and asked her to poke her head back in the room and ask Kim to come to my office as well.
I paged Beth and asked her to come to my office. When she walked in, I told her Tom wanted Kim and I to come into his office and I wanted her to be in the building just in case I needed her to do something for me. I informed her I wanted both of us to be dressed in suits.
While we were talking there was a knock on the door and when Beth opened it, Kim and Ted walked in. I asked them to be seated and then told Kim that Tom Banks wanted us to come to his office so we were going to go there instead of going home first.
I looked at Ted and asked, "Can you contact Tony and have him come to the airport with his truck to pick up the extra baggage we've accumulated?
"I can have Tony meet up with Hank some place by the airport and have both of them go in the gate together. I'll get right on that." Ted replied
"I talked to Tony and he said everything is fixed however it's obvious that the counter is different and the cabinet doors are different so there's no way to hide the fact that something has been done in the kitchen. I had hoped to go home with everyone so I could explain what happened when we arrived. I think, honesty is the best policy and I think it's best if I do it before we land so I can explain it before they see the changes." I said as I looked around at Beth, Kim and Ted.
"Dan, I feel if you are going to tell everyone, you should give an honest but brief overview without going into details." Ted said
"Ok, let's do this; get everyone in the lounge right away so we can get this over and done with. Beth, I want you to send Linda and Jen downstairs with the others until we finish our family meeting." I responded.
Everyone left my office and I started doing some work until Beth came back and said, "Everyone is ready."
I walked out into the lounge and looked around at everyone before saying, "Beth, Kim and I won't be going home with all of you because we have to attend a meeting this afternoon, right after we land. I really wanted to be at the house when all of us arrived together so I could explain the changes that have taken place, while we've been gone."
Jenna and Terri snapped to full alert. "Changes dad?" Jenna blurted out for both.
"Over the past few days I continued, I've been in contact with Joanna and Tony and they have briefed me on their situation. We left our house in very capable hands however; a few days ago, I'm told, we had a break-in. Between Joanna, Tony and his family, they were able to subdue and stop the burglars in the kitchen. The only damage to the house was limited to the sliding glass doors and the kitchen area where the burglars entered the house."
"Again, I'm told that the alarm alerted everyone and it gave them plenty of time to react. Ted has been working while we've been on our vacation and he's had his company add an additional layer of security to the estate so the burglars won't be able to get anywhere near the house without us knowing about them."
"After talking to Tony, I'm sure you'll notice the new counter top and cabinets so I wanted to be the one to tell you everything has been fixed and in the case of the sliding glass doors, they are now made of shatter proof glass. So what I'm saying is, everything is in order and there are no outstanding problems." I finished talking and I looked around the lounge at everyone.
When my eyes met Terri's, I stopped looking around and focused on her. She finally asked, "How many burglars were at the house dad?"
I truthfully replied, "I really don't know for sure but there were at least a couple."
"From what Tony tells me, you'll be very happy Terri. I guess they had to replace the counter top but in the process they had to replace the cabinets under it also because they couldn't match up new doors with the ones that were on the old cabinets. He said the kitchen looks great." I said.
I asked, "Are there any other questions?"
No one said anything so I said, "We've had lots of fun these past few days but it will be nice to get back home where we can all relax and enjoy our normal routine. The three of us will join you right after we finish our meeting with Tom Banks."
Everyone stood up and started milling around and Terri walked over to me and looked up at me before she threw her arms around my neck and pulled me close. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her petite body to mine when she suddenly whispered, "You know more than you told us daddy, burglars my ass."
She pulled back a little and looked at me directly in the eye, "Do you know I love you?"
I pulled Terri back into a tight hug and whispered, "Whatever you think I might know is not for distribution or publication. Just know that I love you and you're safe with me."
Beth and Kim walked over to us and Kim said, "I hate to interrupt this little squeeze-a-thon but I think we need to go take a shower so we can get dressed when the time comes."
I looked at Terri and winked and she winked back saying, "Remember, honesty is the best policy."
I stared into her eyes and very quietly said, "Remember, sometimes the whole truth is best left unsaid."
Terri nodded her head and smiled at me before she released me, in a louder voice said, "So my house is back in order? I'll let you know if I think something more needs to be done."
I laughed, "Ok, I'll be waiting for your assessment."
I turned to Beth, "Let Linda and Jen know they can come back up and that we're going in for a shower."
Jenna came over to me asking, "May I go to the flight deck?"
"Knock on the door and ask them if they are busy before you go in. If they let you in, don't stay too long." I answered with a smile.
"Dad may Hanna and I go with Jenna?" Terri asked.
I smiled and replied, "Yes, you can all go but we want to land safely, so don't over excite Captain McGrath."
All three girls joined hands and took off running. I watched the three sets of bare bouncing ass cheeks until they disappeared at the end of the stairs. When I turned back and looked at Kim and Beth, both of them were smiling. In my defense I asked, "So how many other dads get to send their girls to the flight deck completely naked to see the captain?"
Beth said, "You ole softy you! When you're doing business, you're hard as nails but when it comes to those girls, they could walk up one side of you and down the other." She finished her sentence with a playful slap on my ass.
Kim hugged me, "Come on let's go get our shower."
As Beth, Kim and I were walking towards my bedroom Ted tapped my arm and said with a huge smile, "You certainly have a way with words."
I smiled and said in a quiet voice, "I told the truth but Terri came over to me and let me know she didn't think I told everything I knew. That girl must have ESP...!"
Ted said, "No problem Dan, we have everything covered."
We walked into my bedroom and while we took turns showering and taking care of personal grooming, the three girls were up on the flight deck enjoying the view and being the view.
When Captain McGrath first told them to enter, Terri exclaimed, "WOW, it's big!"
Captain McGrath turned his head and smiled asking, "Terri have you been peeking again?"
Terri immediately blushed and said, "Oh, not that, I know what size that is silly. I'm talking about your home away from home. I expected to see only a little cubby hole with the three of you crammed in like sardines."
All three girls walked up to the back of the pilot and co-pilot's seats and leaned forward and looked out the window. Hanna said, "It looks like we are flying over a large bed with a white comforter on it."
Captain McGrath said, "This is our view most the time."
"Aren't you supposed to be holding something right now, to fly the plane?" Jenna asked
"We're on auto-pilot and I've already set our destination into the airplane's computer so until it's almost time to land, I sit here with Tom and Sam and watch the instruments and gauges. Don't worry we have everything under control." Captain McGrath replied.
"Did you guys enjoy the trip as much as I did?" Hanna asked.
All three guys reminisced about the good times they had. "I loved going to the sauna and thermal bath." Terri said. "Everyone was so friendly and it was great to see people of all ages there enjoying themselves."
"That was a great time for me too." Sam the navigator added, "I love how your family and friends aren't bothered by nudity and everyone is so accepting of others."
"We have the best parents" Jenna said, "They are committed to certain values but are open minded enough to enjoy what life has to offer. We are only given a certain number of years on this earth so we have to grasp every second and treat it like it's the last one."
"Holy shit, Jenna you sure are your father's kid." Captain McGrath said with a chuckle.
"I'm going to follow in my parent's footsteps and continue the lifestyle I've learned from them. Sooner or later, there are going to be enough of us to break through the society's condemnation of living clothing free. Remember, Adam and Eve didn't wear anything until Eve was tricked into eating the damned apple." Jenna replied.
"Dad told us not to stay to long so we better get going. He said something about not distracting you so we would land safely." Jenna added.
Captain McGrath said, "Don't worry sweetheart, when the three of us are here on the flight deck, we're all business. Even three beautiful naked young ladies, with luscious sized breasts and shaved bald pussies can't distract us. Right guys?"
"What'd you say?" Tom murmured as he looked between all three naked girls.
Everyone burst out laughing and Jenna said, "Come on girls, we better leave before something happens."
Jenna leaned over and kissed both Captain McGrath, co-pilot Tom and then Navigator Sam. Terri and Hanna followed Jenna's lead and after they'd kissed everyone, they said goodbye and left the flight deck.
When they got back to the lounge everyone was relaxing and carrying on a general conversation. Linda and Jen were seated with the others so Jenna, Terri and Hanna each picked a recliner and sat down and joined the conversation. They talked for a little while before Linda got up to answer the phone by the bar.
When she came back she said, "That was Captain McGrath, he wanted me to tell all of you that you have about fifteen minutes to get dressed and get back out here and sit down before he starts the descent to land."
"For those of you who have luggage up here, just leave it in the closet while we land and then you can go back and get it after landing. I have to go let Dan know so they will be ready. See you back here in a few minutes." Linda said.
As everyone was starting to get up Linda said, "Remember we have to clear U. S. Customs when we land."
Everyone was in the lounge carrying on a conversation when the phone rang. Linda picked it up and after listening, she said, "Ok, we're ready up here."
She hung up the phone and said, "Ok everyone, please have a seat, Captain McGrath said we'll be landing in about ten minutes."
Captain McGrath brought the plane down and landed gently on the runway. Once on the ground everyone listened as the engines roared while the plane slowed down. While Captain McGrath taxied to the terminal for private planes his voice sounded over the speakers saying, "I hope you've all enjoyed your flight and on behalf of our crew I want to thank all of you for helping us enjoy this trip. We will be met by U.S. Custom agents who will clear us and then you'll be taken by bus over to the hanger where your cars are parked. Please make sure you take everything with you when you disembark."
After clearing Customs everyone rode over to the hanger. As we got off the bus we were greeted by Hank and Tony. Everyone shook hands and of course the women took turns hugging both guys. Their luggage arrived on airport carts so Ted and Jake helped Hank and Tony load everything into the back of the two trucks. Once everything was finished, I said, "Ok, we're off to our meeting and we'll see all of you at home later."
Kim, Beth and I got into my car and everyone else split up between the other cars. We drove out of the hanger and followed Hank and Tony through the gate. It took me about twenty minutes to get to my office. We walked in and Kelly stood up and rushed over to us and welcomed all three of us back. She asked if we wanted anything and I told her to give Tom Banks a call and let him know we had arrived in the office.
Beth went to her office and I went into my office. I sat down at my desk and saw the pile of mail and papers on my desk and said to Kim, "I can only imagine what your desk is going to look like after seeing this."
Kim laughed and said, "I'm not worried, my mail will wait for me."
The phone rang and when I picked it up Tom said, "Welcome back. Let's meet in board room three, in ten minutes. Oh and you may bring your lovely wife with you."
I called Beth and told her we had a meeting in ten minutes in board room three and I wanted a copy of the contract in case I needed to refresh my memory. Beth showed up a few minutes later in my office, ready to go to the meeting. She handed me the original contract and said, "There's a copy behind it in case they want the original."
We walked down to the board room together and when I opened the door I was pleasantly surprised to see all of the board members as well as Tom Banks and all of the department heads, in the room. I looked around and greeted some of the people with a nod of my head and those close by with a hand shake. I walked to the end of the table and Beth chose the chair to my right and I had Kim sit next to Beth. While Beth set up her laptop, I shook hands with Tom and the board members.
Tom chose to stand in front of the chair to my left. He remained standing and cleared his throat before he asked everyone to have a seat. When everyone was seated he said, "I'm not going to say much because I want Dan to tell us what he's been up to but I want to welcome him back from a very successful trip to Germany. Dan you have the floor."
I stood up and looked around and the first words out of my mouth were, "Your jobs are secure! Our team negotiated a very large contract with a company in Germany. Their product will start being used in our facilities as soon as next month. The best part of this contract is we will be able to hire a few hundred additional American workers."
The room erupted with applause and cheers. After the applause died down I said, "Before I say any more about the contract I want to tell you a short story. It won't take long but it's important to me and when I'm finished, I'm positive all of you are going to share my feelings."
"I hosted a picnic for my family and some friends before I left on this trip. When the picnic was over we had extra food left. We were having a discussion of what to do with the food when one of my guests suggested we donate it to the homeless veteran shelter. Now, I didn't even know we had homeless veterans on our city streets much less a homeless veteran shelter in our city. We made contact with the shelter and several of us went to the shelter and they gave us a tour."
"I am sorry to say, it's a sad day in America when we have men and women who fought in wars under our country's flag and served our country so honorably yet they are forced to live on the streets or in a homeless shelter. It's even worse when the shelter doesn't even have the resources to care for all those who stop by for a meal or assistance. Ladies and gentlemen, an American homeless veteran shelter is barely operating right here in our city!"
It was so silent in that room when I paused, you could have heard the proverbial pin drop. I looked around the room and made eye contact with each individual before I continued by saying, "With this new contract, I am going to put together a team and we are going to host a meeting at that homeless veteran shelter and this company is going to offer jobs to those brave American Veterans who have given so much for our country. I want the Board of Directors to approve a special clause in the application process so that any veteran who wants a job can use the homeless shelter address and phone number on their employment application, if they have to."
Once again everyone applauded and cheered and I received a standing ovation. I waited for everyone to sit down before I said, "Most of you know my wife Kim. She was with us when we toured the homeless shelter and she spoke with some of the female veterans who were using the shelter. She found out the male and female veterans have to share the bathroom and shower facilities because the shelter doesn't have the resources to make upgrades to provide separate rooms."
"I am asking the board of directors to look into the possibility of making a sizeable donation to the shelter. We are an American company and we need to put American Veterans back to work and get them off the streets and out of homeless shelters. We need to help make "Made In America" mean something again!"
Everyone and I do mean everyone, stood up and cheered and applauded. I just looked around the room and nodded my head and smiled. Slowly they began to sit down. When I had everyone's attention I said, "I have my copy of the contract right here and I'd like to present this to Mr. Tom Banks."
Tom stood up and said, "Thank you Mr. Morrison. I'll put this in a safe place."
Tom turned to the group and said, "Whenever Mr. Morrison speaks, I never quite know what he's actually going to say, but one thing I can tell you, he never stands up and tries to blow smoke up our asses."
Tom looked at Kim and Beth and then out at the assembled group where a few more ladies were seated and said, "Sorry ladies, that's a figure of speech."
"The contract that Mr. Morrison negotiated means a lot to our company. We now have a steady supply of the material we need to go forward with the expansion we planned. Mr. Morrison I want to thank you personally for your ability to get the job done. Thank you." Tom finished saying as he shook my hand vigorously.
Tom added, "This concludes what I have to say. Mr. Morrison, do you have anything more to say?"
I looked around the room and said, "Yes, I want a progress report from all department heads at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I will have Ms. Kelly Jones find out which room is not being used and send each of you an inter-office memo. I'm back and ready to roll up my sleeves."
As everyone was standing up Tom tapped my elbow and said, "I want to see the three of you in my office in a few minutes."
I stayed in the room and shook hands with a few more people and they congratulated me. When Beth finished packing up her laptop I said, "Come on let's go see what Tom wants."
We walked over to Tom's office where we were met by Brenda Summers. I smiled and said, "Mr. Banks wants to see us."
Brenda stood up, "Please follow me."
Brenda knocked on Tom's door and we heard him say, "Come in."
As we walked in Tom got up from his chair and came around his desk with his hand extended. We shook hands and he was going to shake Kim's hand but she walked over to him and hugged him. He looked a little surprised and then stepped back. Beth stepped forward and hugged him also. Tom asked us if we wanted something to drink. I said a bottle of water would be fine. Kim and Beth asked for water also. After Brenda handed each of us a bottle of water Tom offered us a chance to sit down.
Tom looked at the four of us and then asked, "Dan should I ask your wife to wait in your office? I have some questions to ask you that may be termed a bit personal."
"Tom, Kim and I are a team. As you know she is also an executive so unless we are going to discuss private company business, I don't see why we should make her sit all by herself. As for my secretary, well your secretary is here so that about evens everything." I said straight forward.
Tom looked at Kim and she replied, "Dan's absolutely correct, we are a team. We don't share private company business but we share everything else."
"Well Dan, I'm not going to beat around the bush because you never do. Now that you know my secret, what do you plan to do about it?" Tom asked.
I looked at Tom and said, "I'm sorry Tom, what are you referring to?"
Tom looked at me and said, "I love sex. I've always loved sex. Linda loves sex. Brenda loves sex. Do I have to make it any clearer?"
I looked sideways at Kim and then at Beth before I turned back to look at Tom. "I love sex also Tom. What you and Brenda do is totally your business. I get plenty of sex so I don't have the time, or the motivation to worry about your sex life."
Tom looked across his desk at me and said, "Do you mean to tell me that you don't intend to use any of the information you recently learned, to force us out so you and Beth can take over?"
"Tom, I've been with this company for many years and I've always prided myself on achieving advancement because I worked and earned it. I've never used any leverage against anyone for a promotion and I'm not about to start now."
"I always thought of you as mister straight lace and never dreamed that you would be enjoying the charms of your flight attendant. But again, whatever you do is strictly your business. Tom, you're the one who tipped the scales when you told me that Linda wouldn't tell anyone if she saw me naked or that Linda would take care of all my needs. All I said to Linda when she came to my office was, I had a very interesting conversation with you. The poor girl was shaking. She actually thought I was going to fire her Tom. I let her off the hook rather quickly and told her she was safe in her position."
"I'm not about to use anything I've heard about you, now or any time in the future." I said looking directly at Tom.
"What about Brenda?" Tom asked.
"Once again Tom, whatever anyone does on their own time is none of my damn business. As long as their lifestyle doesn't affect their job performance, I don't see why anyone has to know what goes on between people and their personal lives." I honestly admitted.
"So let me get this straight, you are not going to go to the board and tell them anything you've learned or heard about me or Brenda? And as an up and coming, you aren't interested in pushing me out so you can take over?" Tom questioned.
Looking directly at Tom I said, "Hell no Tom, you have been an excellent boss and I really don't care who you have sex with, that's strictly your business. And Brenda, I don't care if you're screwing Tom, or anyone else, that's your business. I think we are going to make an excellent team. We're going to run this company and we're going to take it to new heights."
Tom looked at Brenda and said, "See, I told you there was no need to worry. I've had my eye on Dan for a long time and he's the right man to run this company. I don't know Beth that well but I'll take Dan's word that she's trustworthy."
Beth looked at me with questioning eyes and I realized she wanted to speak so I nodded my head at her. Beth stood up and said, "When I came to work here, I was fresh out of high school. Shortly after I was hired, I found myself working for Dan and I'm lucky enough to still be working for him. When Dan was recently promoted, he totally surprised me when he wanted me to advance and stay as his executive secretary. I can tell you, I am as committed to doing the best job I can for this company. Like Dan, I don't care who is taking care of the sexual needs of others. I'm a team player, my only concern if for our company."
Tom leaned back in his chair and looked at me first and then at Beth before he said, "That's what I wanted to hear. I don't want people who use cut throat techniques to better themselves. I know I've chosen the right people to take over."
"Dan, I'm going to change the topic. After your very successful trip to Germany and your presentation a little while ago in the board room, I can see you're ready to take the reins of the company."
I looked directly at Tom and said, "I'd have very big shoes to fill. Tom, I've only been the CEO for a short time, what's the driving factor behind that sudden change?"
"Dan, you are the right man for the job. Unless you're flat rejecting this offer, you've proven yourself many times over that you are the guy I want leading the company." Tom said.
"This offer?" I questioned.
I looked at Tom's face searching for any hint but there was none. Finally, Tom said, "I have pancreatic cancer Dan. My doctors have given me six months and I want to spend that time with my family. I haven't told anyone else except my family and Brenda, of course now you and Beth. I've made arrangements for Brenda to have a decent separation package so she can live comfortably for the rest of her life. She's been my executive secretary for a long time and I don't want her to have to break in someone new." Tom finished saying with a hardy laugh.
I looked at Brenda and she smiled and shrugged her shoulders without saying anything.
Tom continued with, "I've been meeting with the Board of Directors and they know I have a medical problem but I didn't specify what it was. I told them you were promoted to CEO because you have the qualifications. I had them come to the meeting today to listen to you, even though I didn't even know what you were going to say. They were all very impressed Dan and they've approved your new position."
"Your new position with this company, if you want it, is Chairman of the Board/CEO and the position is effective immediately. All you have to do is tell me yes." Tom said with a smile on his face.
To say I was stunned by Tom's revelation is an understatement. My mind was reeling and then I heard Tom ask, "Well Dan, what do you think?"
Kim squeezed my hand causing me to look at her and then over at Beth before I slowly rotated my head back straight and looked into Tom's eyes before I said, "My God Tom, you sure know how to shock a person. As I said before, you leave some very big shoes to fill but I'll do my best to fill them. So my answer is yes, I'll take the new position and as you know Beth comes along with me."
"Dan part of the reason you are the right man for the position is because you've always made sure the people who work for you get credit for their contribution to making everything work. Please don't ever stop recognizing those people Dan." Tom said.
"There are some additional perks in store for you and Beth which includes a very healthy increase in both your salaries. I've asked Brenda to put together a package for each of you. Both of you will have to sign your new contracts and file a copy with the Board of Directors and H.R. Also each of you will need to sign your new salary statement and send a copy to payroll.
"Before you leave today you'll have to let Joe Bailey, your new chauffeur, know where you live so he can pick you up tomorrow morning. Brenda and I will be cleaning our personal items out of our offices and you and Beth will be moved over here. You will have to choose someone to be an assistant to you. That person won't be a CEO because we've combined your former position with Chairman of the Board. You can decide the title and the job description for the person. Do either of you have any questions for me?" Tom asked as he finished talking.
I sat in my chair still trying to process everything that had just transpired and finally decided to just go with the flow. I said, "Well, this has been nothing short of a shock. I am so very sorry to hear about your medical condition and I can only wish you the best as you fight the cancer. This conversation will remain private. Finally, I want to thank you for believing in me and allowing me to take such a huge step up."
Tom smiled at us and said, "You might not thank me when you learn you'll be traveling more and you'll work longer hours and be on call when you are off."
"By the way, while you were in Germany, as one of my final decisions for the company, I committed you and Beth to visit one of our suppliers. They think a sharp increase in the price of their product, is warranted. Their contract is almost due and I have a feeling they are going to try something. I always like to stay ahead of everyone so, I want you to take a few of days and go visit them and tour their facilities. They have four processing plants and I think it would be wise for you to visit each one."
"From now on our planes will be used at your discretion. You can choose which plane you want to use, but you have to let Captain McGrath know, in advance, when and where you want to go first so he can start the process."
"Beth, I'd like you to go with Brenda and see what information she's gathered on the company. Since this is our last day, she can show you the passwords and programs in her laptop. You can have the computer tech come up and switch everything over to your newer laptop so you won't have to carry both of them." Tom said as he leaned back in his chair.
I watched as Beth and Brenda stood up and walked out of the room. When the door closed Tom looked at me, "I know I threw a lot at you all at once but I don't want to waste a day with my family. I'll give you a phone number to reach me if you have any questions but I don't want you to give that number to anyone else. I'll only take your calls."
"Tom, I'm so sorry and I can't imagine what it's like for you to hear the words you only have six months to live. I hope your days will make plenty of memories for your family. Unless I get in a real bind, I won't disturb you." I said as I looked at Tom.
Tom replied, "The diagnosis was devastating at first but now I'm determined to live life to the fullest, until the end. I'm not worried about dying so much as I am about my unlived life. All my life I've been committed to work and never really took time to enjoy my family and friends. That's one thing I envy about you Dan. You took a trip surrounded by your family and a few friends and I've never had that happen to me. That is, until now. But enough of this stuff."
"Tomorrow you and Beth will have to use your current office but after that, you can move everything over here. I'm having the moving people come in this afternoon and pack up and they'll have everything moved by tomorrow. I wish you well as you move forward." Tom said with sadness in his voice.
Kim and I stood up and Tom met us at the end of his desk. I shook his hand and said, "Call me if you need anything."
Kim hugged Tom and said, "We'll help you in any way we can, just let us know."
Tom stood tall and straight and said, "Kick ass Dan, I know you're the right man for the job."
Almost as an afterthought, Tom asked, "Dan, would you mind if I called you sometime on a personal, more of a social basis?"
I stopped and turned to face my old boss. "Any time Tom. We've been through a lot together here, and to have some fun together would be rewarding. You call me anytime. Day or night."
"Tom, while I was traveling to Germany you mentioned you'd like for us to spend a weekend with our wives in a resort, talking business of course. With my recent promotion I think it would be an excellent idea. It would give me a chance to get an insight on what I should expect. I can clear my calendar for this weekend if that's good for you. I'm positive we can get reservations in some far off resort where we can relax."
Tom stared at me for close to a minute before he said, "I've never been very spontaneous and I think it's time I changed that. You're the boss, surprise me but give me enough time to pack."
"When you get home tonight let your wife know both of you will be traveling on Friday and returning on Sunday." I replied
I stepped close to Tom and gave him a big hug. Tom's eyes were a bit moist. "Thank you, Dan. For everything." He said.
I hooked my arm into Kim's and as I was walking towards the door I said, "When Beth and Brenda are finished, we're going to leave early. While we were gone we had a break-in at our house and I want to get home."
Tom smiled, "You're the boss now Dan, do whatever you want to do."
I stopped by Brenda's desk, "Beth when you're finished here, come to my office. Oh, Brenda, I need you to give me Joe Bailey's phone number and I'll call him while I'm waiting."
Brenda wrote Joe's number on a sticky note and stuck it to a large manila envelope and handed it to me. She said, "Your new contract is in there along with your new salary schedule. Please make copies after you've signed them and get them distributed to the proper departments as soon as possible."
Kim and I walked into my office and when the door closed, Kim hugged me with plenty of kisses and saying, "Congratulations .... Mr. Chairman of the Board and company CEO! My God Dan, can you imagine?"
I looked at Kim, shook my head, and said, "No, this never came across my radar. I'm still in shock at the turn of events. Do you realize what just happened?"
Kim hugged me and said, "Yes sir, I know what happened and I'm so happy for you. In my unbiased opinion Tom Banks made the right choice."
"Unbiased, my ass! I love you Kim but you've got to learn not to lie like that. I'll have to give you a spanking." I said with a laugh.
Kim hugged close to me and said, "Ummm, I might enjoy a spanking right about now."
We were still kissing when there was a light knock on my door. Kim and I separated and I said, "Come in."
The door opened and Kelly walked in saying, "Congratulations Dan!"
I looked at Kelly and asked, "Congratulations for what?"
Kelly held out the paper in her hand and walked towards me. I took the paper and read the interoffice memo announcing my new position as Chairman of the Board/CEO effective immediately. I smiled and handed the paper to Kim.
Kelly said, "It just came through and when I saw the subject line, I opened it immediately."
Beth opened the door to my office and said, "It's all over the place."
She rushed over to me and started to hand me the paper in her hand when she saw I already had a piece of paper, she paused before she asked, "Have you seen the inter-office memo?"
I held it up, "Tom must have sent it out after we left his office."
I looked at Beth, "Go open my door; I have a feeling it's going to get crowded in here, in a few minutes."
As Beth pulled my door open two of the guys I'd worked with in the past were just about to knock. I said, "Come on in guys."
Both of them came in and offered their congratulations. For the next hour, my office was filled with department heads and board members who congratulated me on my promotion. When the crowd thinned out, I said to Beth, "Get Joe Bailey on the phone for me so I can talk to him."
A few minutes later Beth rang my phone and I told all the remaining people I had to take my call so they left and Kim closed my office door. I sat down and picked up my phone and said, "Hello, this is Dan."
"Dan, this is Joe Bailey, first I want to say congratulations to you on your new position. I need to know where you live so I can come and pick you up in the morning."
I gave Joe detailed directions followed by telling him, "I want you to pick me up at seven thirty tomorrow morning."
Joe said, "Yes sir. I'll be there."
"Joe, I have a security gate at the end of my driveway and there's a key pad on the left side. For tomorrow morning, you'll have to push the call button and someone will open the gate for you. I'll notify my security people to set up a code number for you, so you'll be able to enter without waiting. I should have that number by tomorrow afternoon."
Joe didn't have any questions for me so I said goodbye to Joe. I called Beth and asked her to bring Kelly with her into my office. When they arrived I had both of them sit down and I asked, "Kelly, do you want to remain as Beth's secretary?"
Kelly said, "Oh yes sir I do. I was hoping you'd ask me."
"Ok then, I won't keep you in suspense. You'll be moved to your new office once it's ready. Tomorrow call for some boxes and pack up your personal items so they'll be ready to move." I said.
Kelly squealed, "Thank you so much. Oh Dan, I really appreciate you doing this for me."
After Kelly left my office I said, "Beth pack up what you're going to take home, I want to get out of here. I need to stop by my lawyer's office on the way home."
Beth left my office and I called my lawyer. I told him I was back from Germany and I needed to talk to him. He told me to come right over.
Right after I hung up the phone Beth poked her head in the door, "I'm ready if you are."
I looked at Kim, "Let's get out of here while the getting is good."
It was only a short drive over to my lawyer's office. When we arrived all of us got out of the car and we went inside. A young lady stood up and walked over asking, "Mr. Morrison?"
When I nodded my head she said, "Hi, I'm Julie Owens. Mr. Hurley is waiting for you in the conference room. Please follow me."
She knocked on the door and we heard a male voice say, "Come in, it's open."
Julie pushed the door open and then stood back to let us enter first. She followed us in and closed the door. Julie walked around the table and sat down beside Ed (Pete) Hurley. I waited for Ed to finish shaking hands with Beth and Kim and then I shook his hand. He told us to take a seat so I sat down between Kim and Beth. Ed looked up at me and said, "I hope you had a good trip Dan, it sure was interesting around here while you were gone."
Joanna rolled over in the big bed; she blinked her eyes a few times before she finally opened them. She looked to her left and saw Barbie's tendrils of blonde hair splayed over the pillow providing a beautiful frame for her face. She looked around the room and realized that this was the last morning she'd be waking up in Kim and Dan's bed. Their plane was due to land at noon and they would most likely be home around one o'clock.
Barbie rolled over and draped her arm across Joanna's chest before her eyes flickered a few times as she woke up. She smiled at Joanna and whispered, "Good morning."
"Good morning to you." Joanna replied
"I had the most wonderful time last night." Barbie said in her sexy voice.
"Oh darling, I enjoyed myself and I hope you will want to be with me again." Joanna said as she looked into Barbie's eyes.
"Oh yes, I'd like that a lot." Barbie exclaimed.
"I've got to pee; I need to get up even though I'd love to stay right here." Joanna said.
"Me too, but I'd rather stay here and cuddle with you." Barbie whispered as she tossed off the sheet.
Joanna looked down at Barbie's small "A" cup titties and she reached out and cupped one in her hand and said, "They are so beautiful."
"There's not much there but I think they're plenty big enough for me. I've never passed mom's pencil test, that's for sure." Barbie said.
Joanna looked at Barbie strangely and Barbie giggled and asked, "Don't you know what the pencil test is?"
"No, I've never heard of it. What does it do?" Joanna queried
"My mother used to make us girls, take our tops off and she'd lift a breast and place a pencil under it and then let go of the breast first and the pencil last. If we didn't have enough breast to hold the pencil from dropping, she said we didn't have to wear a bra if we didn't want to." Barbie explained.
Joanna laughed, "Oh, don't make me laugh, I've got to pee."
"I'm not being funny, this is serious shit. That's exactly what my mom used to do." Barbie stated
On the way into the bathroom Joanna cupped Barbie's boob, "Honey, I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing because I've never heard of the pencil test before. These are perfect. They're like fun sized Snickers candy bars. They're sweet and just the right size to eat and enjoy."
Joanna sat down on the toilet and peed and when she stood up Barbie took her place. Joanna adjusted the shower and when Barbie finished she walked over and joined Joanna. They washed each other's body thoroughly, then got out and dried each other.
When they finished they walked down the hall and noticed Tony and Patty weren't in their room so they headed downstairs. The smell of fresh brewed coffee tickled their nostrils as they descended the stairs. Patty saw the new comers first and said, "Well, good morning you two, I hope you got at least a little sleep. I know you kept us awake for hours." Patty began to laugh.
"Coffee?" Patty asked
"Does a bear shit in the forest?" Joanna asked with a pleasing grin spread across her face.
Patty poured two cups of coffee while Joanna leaned on the end of the new counter. Barbie set the cream down, "I need an eye opener. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day."
Tony came in from outside and saw Joanna looking around the kitchen. Tony walked over and stood beside Joanna saying, "I think those guys did a fantastic job with this kitchen. When the Morrisons see it, they'll know it's new but there's nothing we can do about that."
"I agree there's no way to disguise the changes so I wonder what Dan is going to tell the girls." Joanna said.
"We only have a few more hours before we find out. They should be here sometime around one o'clock or a little after." Tony replied.
"Are you going to go pick up Tina and the kids today?" Tony asked.
"Yes, no one said anything about not having them here for the day. I've talked to both Dan and Ted." Joanna replied.
Everyone took their coffee and walked out on the deck and sat down to enjoy the stillness of the morning.
On the plane almost everyone was relaxing. Dan was in his office and Beth was in her office. They were trying to catch up with business after their brief three day mini vacation. Dan picked up his phone and paged Linda.
Moments later there was a knock on his door and Dan said, "Come in."
"Dan, you paged me?" Linda asked once she was inside the office.
"Yes Linda, would you please find Ted and tell him I'd like to see him in my office."
"Dan, I believe he's in your bedroom with your wife."
"Ok, that's not a problem. Knock on the door and let him know I want to see him when he's finished."
"Dan, I want to thank you for everything you've done for us on this trip. You included us in all your activities and we've never been treated like that before." Linda said
Something in Linda's voice told me there was something else on her mind.
I leaned back in my chair and asked Linda to have a seat. I looked at Linda and asked, "Is there something you'd like to discuss with me Linda?"
"With a weak smile, Linda replied, "You don't miss much do you Dan? Yes there is. I have a little sister who made some bad choices in her personal life. She didn't get involved with drugs or anything like that; she got involved with an older guy during her senior year of high school. The guy turned out to be a first class jerk. My sister graduated with very good grades and had been accepted to some prestigious colleges."
"I won't go into all the details but she had a huge argument with our parents and they told her she was on her own. Since she didn't have anywhere else to go, she called me and asked me to help her. She wants to get away from the guy and asked if she could move in with me."
"After she told me what she's been through this past week, I offered her a chance to come and live with me on two conditions. I told her she has to be willing to get rid of the jerk and not see him anymore. Especially after what she told me he's allowed his friend to do to her. I also told her she has to get a job and keep it. She promised me she would do both so I figured I'd ask you if you would give her a chance and hire her. I could teach her to be a flight attendant or if you don't want her to do that yet, I'm sure she can do something, anything Dan. She just needs a chance." Linda finished saying.
Looking at Linda, I said, "I'm willing to give anyone a chance. I don't want to start her out as a flight attendant that should be a goal for her to work towards. I'm sure if she fills out an application, she will get a job. I'll review her progress in six months and if she's been on time and does a good job, I'll make sure she's advanced. I think for her to gain the position of flight attendant, she should have a good record with our company for a couple of years."
"Thank you Dan. I appreciate you helping my little sister, she's really a great kid; she just got mixed up with an asshole. I'll make sure she understands she's being given an opportunity and she better not mess it up." Linda said with the look of relief.
"May I hug you Dan?" Linda asked.
"I stood up, walked around my desk, hugged Linda, and said, "Help out your family as much as you can, some day they might not be there to help."
Linda hugged me tightly and said, "I know, that's why I wanted to find my sister a job. I want her to know she can depend on me."
"Don't forget, poke your head in the door and tell Ted I need to see him." I said to Linda as she stepped away from me.
I went back to work, and soon after Linda left my phone buzzed, when I picked it up Beth said, "Tom Banks is on line one for you."
I pushed the line one button and greeted Tom. We traded general information and then he said, "I would like for you and your wife to stop by my office this afternoon if that's possible."
I told him we anticipated landing around noon and we would have to clear Customs first so we wouldn't be able to get there until one o'clock or after. Tom told me he was going to be in his office all afternoon so whatever time we arrived would be fine with him.
I called Linda again and asked her to poke her head back in the room and ask Kim to come to my office as well.
I paged Beth and asked her to come to my office. When she walked in, I told her Tom wanted Kim and I to come into his office and I wanted her to be in the building just in case I needed her to do something for me. I informed her I wanted both of us to be dressed in suits.
While we were talking there was a knock on the door and when Beth opened it, Kim and Ted walked in. I asked them to be seated and then told Kim that Tom Banks wanted us to come to his office so we were going to go there instead of going home first.
I looked at Ted and asked, "Can you contact Tony and have him come to the airport with his truck to pick up the extra baggage we've accumulated?
"I can have Tony meet up with Hank some place by the airport and have both of them go in the gate together. I'll get right on that." Ted replied
"I talked to Tony and he said everything is fixed however it's obvious that the counter is different and the cabinet doors are different so there's no way to hide the fact that something has been done in the kitchen. I had hoped to go home with everyone so I could explain what happened when we arrived. I think, honesty is the best policy and I think it's best if I do it before we land so I can explain it before they see the changes." I said as I looked around at Beth, Kim and Ted.
"Dan, I feel if you are going to tell everyone, you should give an honest but brief overview without going into details." Ted said
"Ok, let's do this; get everyone in the lounge right away so we can get this over and done with. Beth, I want you to send Linda and Jen downstairs with the others until we finish our family meeting." I responded.
Everyone left my office and I started doing some work until Beth came back and said, "Everyone is ready."
I walked out into the lounge and looked around at everyone before saying, "Beth, Kim and I won't be going home with all of you because we have to attend a meeting this afternoon, right after we land. I really wanted to be at the house when all of us arrived together so I could explain the changes that have taken place, while we've been gone."
Jenna and Terri snapped to full alert. "Changes dad?" Jenna blurted out for both.
"Over the past few days I continued, I've been in contact with Joanna and Tony and they have briefed me on their situation. We left our house in very capable hands however; a few days ago, I'm told, we had a break-in. Between Joanna, Tony and his family, they were able to subdue and stop the burglars in the kitchen. The only damage to the house was limited to the sliding glass doors and the kitchen area where the burglars entered the house."
"Again, I'm told that the alarm alerted everyone and it gave them plenty of time to react. Ted has been working while we've been on our vacation and he's had his company add an additional layer of security to the estate so the burglars won't be able to get anywhere near the house without us knowing about them."
"After talking to Tony, I'm sure you'll notice the new counter top and cabinets so I wanted to be the one to tell you everything has been fixed and in the case of the sliding glass doors, they are now made of shatter proof glass. So what I'm saying is, everything is in order and there are no outstanding problems." I finished talking and I looked around the lounge at everyone.
When my eyes met Terri's, I stopped looking around and focused on her. She finally asked, "How many burglars were at the house dad?"
I truthfully replied, "I really don't know for sure but there were at least a couple."
"From what Tony tells me, you'll be very happy Terri. I guess they had to replace the counter top but in the process they had to replace the cabinets under it also because they couldn't match up new doors with the ones that were on the old cabinets. He said the kitchen looks great." I said.
I asked, "Are there any other questions?"
No one said anything so I said, "We've had lots of fun these past few days but it will be nice to get back home where we can all relax and enjoy our normal routine. The three of us will join you right after we finish our meeting with Tom Banks."
Everyone stood up and started milling around and Terri walked over to me and looked up at me before she threw her arms around my neck and pulled me close. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her petite body to mine when she suddenly whispered, "You know more than you told us daddy, burglars my ass."
She pulled back a little and looked at me directly in the eye, "Do you know I love you?"
I pulled Terri back into a tight hug and whispered, "Whatever you think I might know is not for distribution or publication. Just know that I love you and you're safe with me."
Beth and Kim walked over to us and Kim said, "I hate to interrupt this little squeeze-a-thon but I think we need to go take a shower so we can get dressed when the time comes."
I looked at Terri and winked and she winked back saying, "Remember, honesty is the best policy."
I stared into her eyes and very quietly said, "Remember, sometimes the whole truth is best left unsaid."
Terri nodded her head and smiled at me before she released me, in a louder voice said, "So my house is back in order? I'll let you know if I think something more needs to be done."
I laughed, "Ok, I'll be waiting for your assessment."
I turned to Beth, "Let Linda and Jen know they can come back up and that we're going in for a shower."
Jenna came over to me asking, "May I go to the flight deck?"
"Knock on the door and ask them if they are busy before you go in. If they let you in, don't stay too long." I answered with a smile.
"Dad may Hanna and I go with Jenna?" Terri asked.
I smiled and replied, "Yes, you can all go but we want to land safely, so don't over excite Captain McGrath."
All three girls joined hands and took off running. I watched the three sets of bare bouncing ass cheeks until they disappeared at the end of the stairs. When I turned back and looked at Kim and Beth, both of them were smiling. In my defense I asked, "So how many other dads get to send their girls to the flight deck completely naked to see the captain?"
Beth said, "You ole softy you! When you're doing business, you're hard as nails but when it comes to those girls, they could walk up one side of you and down the other." She finished her sentence with a playful slap on my ass.
Kim hugged me, "Come on let's go get our shower."
As Beth, Kim and I were walking towards my bedroom Ted tapped my arm and said with a huge smile, "You certainly have a way with words."
I smiled and said in a quiet voice, "I told the truth but Terri came over to me and let me know she didn't think I told everything I knew. That girl must have ESP...!"
Ted said, "No problem Dan, we have everything covered."
We walked into my bedroom and while we took turns showering and taking care of personal grooming, the three girls were up on the flight deck enjoying the view and being the view.
When Captain McGrath first told them to enter, Terri exclaimed, "WOW, it's big!"
Captain McGrath turned his head and smiled asking, "Terri have you been peeking again?"
Terri immediately blushed and said, "Oh, not that, I know what size that is silly. I'm talking about your home away from home. I expected to see only a little cubby hole with the three of you crammed in like sardines."
All three girls walked up to the back of the pilot and co-pilot's seats and leaned forward and looked out the window. Hanna said, "It looks like we are flying over a large bed with a white comforter on it."
Captain McGrath said, "This is our view most the time."
"Aren't you supposed to be holding something right now, to fly the plane?" Jenna asked
"We're on auto-pilot and I've already set our destination into the airplane's computer so until it's almost time to land, I sit here with Tom and Sam and watch the instruments and gauges. Don't worry we have everything under control." Captain McGrath replied.
"Did you guys enjoy the trip as much as I did?" Hanna asked.
All three guys reminisced about the good times they had. "I loved going to the sauna and thermal bath." Terri said. "Everyone was so friendly and it was great to see people of all ages there enjoying themselves."
"That was a great time for me too." Sam the navigator added, "I love how your family and friends aren't bothered by nudity and everyone is so accepting of others."
"We have the best parents" Jenna said, "They are committed to certain values but are open minded enough to enjoy what life has to offer. We are only given a certain number of years on this earth so we have to grasp every second and treat it like it's the last one."
"Holy shit, Jenna you sure are your father's kid." Captain McGrath said with a chuckle.
"I'm going to follow in my parent's footsteps and continue the lifestyle I've learned from them. Sooner or later, there are going to be enough of us to break through the society's condemnation of living clothing free. Remember, Adam and Eve didn't wear anything until Eve was tricked into eating the damned apple." Jenna replied.
"Dad told us not to stay to long so we better get going. He said something about not distracting you so we would land safely." Jenna added.
Captain McGrath said, "Don't worry sweetheart, when the three of us are here on the flight deck, we're all business. Even three beautiful naked young ladies, with luscious sized breasts and shaved bald pussies can't distract us. Right guys?"
"What'd you say?" Tom murmured as he looked between all three naked girls.
Everyone burst out laughing and Jenna said, "Come on girls, we better leave before something happens."
Jenna leaned over and kissed both Captain McGrath, co-pilot Tom and then Navigator Sam. Terri and Hanna followed Jenna's lead and after they'd kissed everyone, they said goodbye and left the flight deck.
When they got back to the lounge everyone was relaxing and carrying on a general conversation. Linda and Jen were seated with the others so Jenna, Terri and Hanna each picked a recliner and sat down and joined the conversation. They talked for a little while before Linda got up to answer the phone by the bar.
When she came back she said, "That was Captain McGrath, he wanted me to tell all of you that you have about fifteen minutes to get dressed and get back out here and sit down before he starts the descent to land."
"For those of you who have luggage up here, just leave it in the closet while we land and then you can go back and get it after landing. I have to go let Dan know so they will be ready. See you back here in a few minutes." Linda said.
As everyone was starting to get up Linda said, "Remember we have to clear U. S. Customs when we land."
Everyone was in the lounge carrying on a conversation when the phone rang. Linda picked it up and after listening, she said, "Ok, we're ready up here."
She hung up the phone and said, "Ok everyone, please have a seat, Captain McGrath said we'll be landing in about ten minutes."
Captain McGrath brought the plane down and landed gently on the runway. Once on the ground everyone listened as the engines roared while the plane slowed down. While Captain McGrath taxied to the terminal for private planes his voice sounded over the speakers saying, "I hope you've all enjoyed your flight and on behalf of our crew I want to thank all of you for helping us enjoy this trip. We will be met by U.S. Custom agents who will clear us and then you'll be taken by bus over to the hanger where your cars are parked. Please make sure you take everything with you when you disembark."
After clearing Customs everyone rode over to the hanger. As we got off the bus we were greeted by Hank and Tony. Everyone shook hands and of course the women took turns hugging both guys. Their luggage arrived on airport carts so Ted and Jake helped Hank and Tony load everything into the back of the two trucks. Once everything was finished, I said, "Ok, we're off to our meeting and we'll see all of you at home later."
Kim, Beth and I got into my car and everyone else split up between the other cars. We drove out of the hanger and followed Hank and Tony through the gate. It took me about twenty minutes to get to my office. We walked in and Kelly stood up and rushed over to us and welcomed all three of us back. She asked if we wanted anything and I told her to give Tom Banks a call and let him know we had arrived in the office.
Beth went to her office and I went into my office. I sat down at my desk and saw the pile of mail and papers on my desk and said to Kim, "I can only imagine what your desk is going to look like after seeing this."
Kim laughed and said, "I'm not worried, my mail will wait for me."
The phone rang and when I picked it up Tom said, "Welcome back. Let's meet in board room three, in ten minutes. Oh and you may bring your lovely wife with you."
I called Beth and told her we had a meeting in ten minutes in board room three and I wanted a copy of the contract in case I needed to refresh my memory. Beth showed up a few minutes later in my office, ready to go to the meeting. She handed me the original contract and said, "There's a copy behind it in case they want the original."
We walked down to the board room together and when I opened the door I was pleasantly surprised to see all of the board members as well as Tom Banks and all of the department heads, in the room. I looked around and greeted some of the people with a nod of my head and those close by with a hand shake. I walked to the end of the table and Beth chose the chair to my right and I had Kim sit next to Beth. While Beth set up her laptop, I shook hands with Tom and the board members.
Tom chose to stand in front of the chair to my left. He remained standing and cleared his throat before he asked everyone to have a seat. When everyone was seated he said, "I'm not going to say much because I want Dan to tell us what he's been up to but I want to welcome him back from a very successful trip to Germany. Dan you have the floor."
I stood up and looked around and the first words out of my mouth were, "Your jobs are secure! Our team negotiated a very large contract with a company in Germany. Their product will start being used in our facilities as soon as next month. The best part of this contract is we will be able to hire a few hundred additional American workers."
The room erupted with applause and cheers. After the applause died down I said, "Before I say any more about the contract I want to tell you a short story. It won't take long but it's important to me and when I'm finished, I'm positive all of you are going to share my feelings."
"I hosted a picnic for my family and some friends before I left on this trip. When the picnic was over we had extra food left. We were having a discussion of what to do with the food when one of my guests suggested we donate it to the homeless veteran shelter. Now, I didn't even know we had homeless veterans on our city streets much less a homeless veteran shelter in our city. We made contact with the shelter and several of us went to the shelter and they gave us a tour."
"I am sorry to say, it's a sad day in America when we have men and women who fought in wars under our country's flag and served our country so honorably yet they are forced to live on the streets or in a homeless shelter. It's even worse when the shelter doesn't even have the resources to care for all those who stop by for a meal or assistance. Ladies and gentlemen, an American homeless veteran shelter is barely operating right here in our city!"
It was so silent in that room when I paused, you could have heard the proverbial pin drop. I looked around the room and made eye contact with each individual before I continued by saying, "With this new contract, I am going to put together a team and we are going to host a meeting at that homeless veteran shelter and this company is going to offer jobs to those brave American Veterans who have given so much for our country. I want the Board of Directors to approve a special clause in the application process so that any veteran who wants a job can use the homeless shelter address and phone number on their employment application, if they have to."
Once again everyone applauded and cheered and I received a standing ovation. I waited for everyone to sit down before I said, "Most of you know my wife Kim. She was with us when we toured the homeless shelter and she spoke with some of the female veterans who were using the shelter. She found out the male and female veterans have to share the bathroom and shower facilities because the shelter doesn't have the resources to make upgrades to provide separate rooms."
"I am asking the board of directors to look into the possibility of making a sizeable donation to the shelter. We are an American company and we need to put American Veterans back to work and get them off the streets and out of homeless shelters. We need to help make "Made In America" mean something again!"
Everyone and I do mean everyone, stood up and cheered and applauded. I just looked around the room and nodded my head and smiled. Slowly they began to sit down. When I had everyone's attention I said, "I have my copy of the contract right here and I'd like to present this to Mr. Tom Banks."
Tom stood up and said, "Thank you Mr. Morrison. I'll put this in a safe place."
Tom turned to the group and said, "Whenever Mr. Morrison speaks, I never quite know what he's actually going to say, but one thing I can tell you, he never stands up and tries to blow smoke up our asses."
Tom looked at Kim and Beth and then out at the assembled group where a few more ladies were seated and said, "Sorry ladies, that's a figure of speech."
"The contract that Mr. Morrison negotiated means a lot to our company. We now have a steady supply of the material we need to go forward with the expansion we planned. Mr. Morrison I want to thank you personally for your ability to get the job done. Thank you." Tom finished saying as he shook my hand vigorously.
Tom added, "This concludes what I have to say. Mr. Morrison, do you have anything more to say?"
I looked around the room and said, "Yes, I want a progress report from all department heads at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I will have Ms. Kelly Jones find out which room is not being used and send each of you an inter-office memo. I'm back and ready to roll up my sleeves."
As everyone was standing up Tom tapped my elbow and said, "I want to see the three of you in my office in a few minutes."
I stayed in the room and shook hands with a few more people and they congratulated me. When Beth finished packing up her laptop I said, "Come on let's go see what Tom wants."
We walked over to Tom's office where we were met by Brenda Summers. I smiled and said, "Mr. Banks wants to see us."
Brenda stood up, "Please follow me."
Brenda knocked on Tom's door and we heard him say, "Come in."
As we walked in Tom got up from his chair and came around his desk with his hand extended. We shook hands and he was going to shake Kim's hand but she walked over to him and hugged him. He looked a little surprised and then stepped back. Beth stepped forward and hugged him also. Tom asked us if we wanted something to drink. I said a bottle of water would be fine. Kim and Beth asked for water also. After Brenda handed each of us a bottle of water Tom offered us a chance to sit down.
Tom looked at the four of us and then asked, "Dan should I ask your wife to wait in your office? I have some questions to ask you that may be termed a bit personal."
"Tom, Kim and I are a team. As you know she is also an executive so unless we are going to discuss private company business, I don't see why we should make her sit all by herself. As for my secretary, well your secretary is here so that about evens everything." I said straight forward.
Tom looked at Kim and she replied, "Dan's absolutely correct, we are a team. We don't share private company business but we share everything else."
"Well Dan, I'm not going to beat around the bush because you never do. Now that you know my secret, what do you plan to do about it?" Tom asked.
I looked at Tom and said, "I'm sorry Tom, what are you referring to?"
Tom looked at me and said, "I love sex. I've always loved sex. Linda loves sex. Brenda loves sex. Do I have to make it any clearer?"
I looked sideways at Kim and then at Beth before I turned back to look at Tom. "I love sex also Tom. What you and Brenda do is totally your business. I get plenty of sex so I don't have the time, or the motivation to worry about your sex life."
Tom looked across his desk at me and said, "Do you mean to tell me that you don't intend to use any of the information you recently learned, to force us out so you and Beth can take over?"
"Tom, I've been with this company for many years and I've always prided myself on achieving advancement because I worked and earned it. I've never used any leverage against anyone for a promotion and I'm not about to start now."
"I always thought of you as mister straight lace and never dreamed that you would be enjoying the charms of your flight attendant. But again, whatever you do is strictly your business. Tom, you're the one who tipped the scales when you told me that Linda wouldn't tell anyone if she saw me naked or that Linda would take care of all my needs. All I said to Linda when she came to my office was, I had a very interesting conversation with you. The poor girl was shaking. She actually thought I was going to fire her Tom. I let her off the hook rather quickly and told her she was safe in her position."
"I'm not about to use anything I've heard about you, now or any time in the future." I said looking directly at Tom.
"What about Brenda?" Tom asked.
"Once again Tom, whatever anyone does on their own time is none of my damn business. As long as their lifestyle doesn't affect their job performance, I don't see why anyone has to know what goes on between people and their personal lives." I honestly admitted.
"So let me get this straight, you are not going to go to the board and tell them anything you've learned or heard about me or Brenda? And as an up and coming, you aren't interested in pushing me out so you can take over?" Tom questioned.
Looking directly at Tom I said, "Hell no Tom, you have been an excellent boss and I really don't care who you have sex with, that's strictly your business. And Brenda, I don't care if you're screwing Tom, or anyone else, that's your business. I think we are going to make an excellent team. We're going to run this company and we're going to take it to new heights."
Tom looked at Brenda and said, "See, I told you there was no need to worry. I've had my eye on Dan for a long time and he's the right man to run this company. I don't know Beth that well but I'll take Dan's word that she's trustworthy."
Beth looked at me with questioning eyes and I realized she wanted to speak so I nodded my head at her. Beth stood up and said, "When I came to work here, I was fresh out of high school. Shortly after I was hired, I found myself working for Dan and I'm lucky enough to still be working for him. When Dan was recently promoted, he totally surprised me when he wanted me to advance and stay as his executive secretary. I can tell you, I am as committed to doing the best job I can for this company. Like Dan, I don't care who is taking care of the sexual needs of others. I'm a team player, my only concern if for our company."
Tom leaned back in his chair and looked at me first and then at Beth before he said, "That's what I wanted to hear. I don't want people who use cut throat techniques to better themselves. I know I've chosen the right people to take over."
"Dan, I'm going to change the topic. After your very successful trip to Germany and your presentation a little while ago in the board room, I can see you're ready to take the reins of the company."
I looked directly at Tom and said, "I'd have very big shoes to fill. Tom, I've only been the CEO for a short time, what's the driving factor behind that sudden change?"
"Dan, you are the right man for the job. Unless you're flat rejecting this offer, you've proven yourself many times over that you are the guy I want leading the company." Tom said.
"This offer?" I questioned.
I looked at Tom's face searching for any hint but there was none. Finally, Tom said, "I have pancreatic cancer Dan. My doctors have given me six months and I want to spend that time with my family. I haven't told anyone else except my family and Brenda, of course now you and Beth. I've made arrangements for Brenda to have a decent separation package so she can live comfortably for the rest of her life. She's been my executive secretary for a long time and I don't want her to have to break in someone new." Tom finished saying with a hardy laugh.
I looked at Brenda and she smiled and shrugged her shoulders without saying anything.
Tom continued with, "I've been meeting with the Board of Directors and they know I have a medical problem but I didn't specify what it was. I told them you were promoted to CEO because you have the qualifications. I had them come to the meeting today to listen to you, even though I didn't even know what you were going to say. They were all very impressed Dan and they've approved your new position."
"Your new position with this company, if you want it, is Chairman of the Board/CEO and the position is effective immediately. All you have to do is tell me yes." Tom said with a smile on his face.
To say I was stunned by Tom's revelation is an understatement. My mind was reeling and then I heard Tom ask, "Well Dan, what do you think?"
Kim squeezed my hand causing me to look at her and then over at Beth before I slowly rotated my head back straight and looked into Tom's eyes before I said, "My God Tom, you sure know how to shock a person. As I said before, you leave some very big shoes to fill but I'll do my best to fill them. So my answer is yes, I'll take the new position and as you know Beth comes along with me."
"Dan part of the reason you are the right man for the position is because you've always made sure the people who work for you get credit for their contribution to making everything work. Please don't ever stop recognizing those people Dan." Tom said.
"There are some additional perks in store for you and Beth which includes a very healthy increase in both your salaries. I've asked Brenda to put together a package for each of you. Both of you will have to sign your new contracts and file a copy with the Board of Directors and H.R. Also each of you will need to sign your new salary statement and send a copy to payroll.
"Before you leave today you'll have to let Joe Bailey, your new chauffeur, know where you live so he can pick you up tomorrow morning. Brenda and I will be cleaning our personal items out of our offices and you and Beth will be moved over here. You will have to choose someone to be an assistant to you. That person won't be a CEO because we've combined your former position with Chairman of the Board. You can decide the title and the job description for the person. Do either of you have any questions for me?" Tom asked as he finished talking.
I sat in my chair still trying to process everything that had just transpired and finally decided to just go with the flow. I said, "Well, this has been nothing short of a shock. I am so very sorry to hear about your medical condition and I can only wish you the best as you fight the cancer. This conversation will remain private. Finally, I want to thank you for believing in me and allowing me to take such a huge step up."
Tom smiled at us and said, "You might not thank me when you learn you'll be traveling more and you'll work longer hours and be on call when you are off."
"By the way, while you were in Germany, as one of my final decisions for the company, I committed you and Beth to visit one of our suppliers. They think a sharp increase in the price of their product, is warranted. Their contract is almost due and I have a feeling they are going to try something. I always like to stay ahead of everyone so, I want you to take a few of days and go visit them and tour their facilities. They have four processing plants and I think it would be wise for you to visit each one."
"From now on our planes will be used at your discretion. You can choose which plane you want to use, but you have to let Captain McGrath know, in advance, when and where you want to go first so he can start the process."
"Beth, I'd like you to go with Brenda and see what information she's gathered on the company. Since this is our last day, she can show you the passwords and programs in her laptop. You can have the computer tech come up and switch everything over to your newer laptop so you won't have to carry both of them." Tom said as he leaned back in his chair.
I watched as Beth and Brenda stood up and walked out of the room. When the door closed Tom looked at me, "I know I threw a lot at you all at once but I don't want to waste a day with my family. I'll give you a phone number to reach me if you have any questions but I don't want you to give that number to anyone else. I'll only take your calls."
"Tom, I'm so sorry and I can't imagine what it's like for you to hear the words you only have six months to live. I hope your days will make plenty of memories for your family. Unless I get in a real bind, I won't disturb you." I said as I looked at Tom.
Tom replied, "The diagnosis was devastating at first but now I'm determined to live life to the fullest, until the end. I'm not worried about dying so much as I am about my unlived life. All my life I've been committed to work and never really took time to enjoy my family and friends. That's one thing I envy about you Dan. You took a trip surrounded by your family and a few friends and I've never had that happen to me. That is, until now. But enough of this stuff."
"Tomorrow you and Beth will have to use your current office but after that, you can move everything over here. I'm having the moving people come in this afternoon and pack up and they'll have everything moved by tomorrow. I wish you well as you move forward." Tom said with sadness in his voice.
Kim and I stood up and Tom met us at the end of his desk. I shook his hand and said, "Call me if you need anything."
Kim hugged Tom and said, "We'll help you in any way we can, just let us know."
Tom stood tall and straight and said, "Kick ass Dan, I know you're the right man for the job."
Almost as an afterthought, Tom asked, "Dan, would you mind if I called you sometime on a personal, more of a social basis?"
I stopped and turned to face my old boss. "Any time Tom. We've been through a lot together here, and to have some fun together would be rewarding. You call me anytime. Day or night."
"Tom, while I was traveling to Germany you mentioned you'd like for us to spend a weekend with our wives in a resort, talking business of course. With my recent promotion I think it would be an excellent idea. It would give me a chance to get an insight on what I should expect. I can clear my calendar for this weekend if that's good for you. I'm positive we can get reservations in some far off resort where we can relax."
Tom stared at me for close to a minute before he said, "I've never been very spontaneous and I think it's time I changed that. You're the boss, surprise me but give me enough time to pack."
"When you get home tonight let your wife know both of you will be traveling on Friday and returning on Sunday." I replied
I stepped close to Tom and gave him a big hug. Tom's eyes were a bit moist. "Thank you, Dan. For everything." He said.
I hooked my arm into Kim's and as I was walking towards the door I said, "When Beth and Brenda are finished, we're going to leave early. While we were gone we had a break-in at our house and I want to get home."
Tom smiled, "You're the boss now Dan, do whatever you want to do."
I stopped by Brenda's desk, "Beth when you're finished here, come to my office. Oh, Brenda, I need you to give me Joe Bailey's phone number and I'll call him while I'm waiting."
Brenda wrote Joe's number on a sticky note and stuck it to a large manila envelope and handed it to me. She said, "Your new contract is in there along with your new salary schedule. Please make copies after you've signed them and get them distributed to the proper departments as soon as possible."
Kim and I walked into my office and when the door closed, Kim hugged me with plenty of kisses and saying, "Congratulations .... Mr. Chairman of the Board and company CEO! My God Dan, can you imagine?"
I looked at Kim, shook my head, and said, "No, this never came across my radar. I'm still in shock at the turn of events. Do you realize what just happened?"
Kim hugged me and said, "Yes sir, I know what happened and I'm so happy for you. In my unbiased opinion Tom Banks made the right choice."
"Unbiased, my ass! I love you Kim but you've got to learn not to lie like that. I'll have to give you a spanking." I said with a laugh.
Kim hugged close to me and said, "Ummm, I might enjoy a spanking right about now."
We were still kissing when there was a light knock on my door. Kim and I separated and I said, "Come in."
The door opened and Kelly walked in saying, "Congratulations Dan!"
I looked at Kelly and asked, "Congratulations for what?"
Kelly held out the paper in her hand and walked towards me. I took the paper and read the interoffice memo announcing my new position as Chairman of the Board/CEO effective immediately. I smiled and handed the paper to Kim.
Kelly said, "It just came through and when I saw the subject line, I opened it immediately."
Beth opened the door to my office and said, "It's all over the place."
She rushed over to me and started to hand me the paper in her hand when she saw I already had a piece of paper, she paused before she asked, "Have you seen the inter-office memo?"
I held it up, "Tom must have sent it out after we left his office."
I looked at Beth, "Go open my door; I have a feeling it's going to get crowded in here, in a few minutes."
As Beth pulled my door open two of the guys I'd worked with in the past were just about to knock. I said, "Come on in guys."
Both of them came in and offered their congratulations. For the next hour, my office was filled with department heads and board members who congratulated me on my promotion. When the crowd thinned out, I said to Beth, "Get Joe Bailey on the phone for me so I can talk to him."
A few minutes later Beth rang my phone and I told all the remaining people I had to take my call so they left and Kim closed my office door. I sat down and picked up my phone and said, "Hello, this is Dan."
"Dan, this is Joe Bailey, first I want to say congratulations to you on your new position. I need to know where you live so I can come and pick you up in the morning."
I gave Joe detailed directions followed by telling him, "I want you to pick me up at seven thirty tomorrow morning."
Joe said, "Yes sir. I'll be there."
"Joe, I have a security gate at the end of my driveway and there's a key pad on the left side. For tomorrow morning, you'll have to push the call button and someone will open the gate for you. I'll notify my security people to set up a code number for you, so you'll be able to enter without waiting. I should have that number by tomorrow afternoon."
Joe didn't have any questions for me so I said goodbye to Joe. I called Beth and asked her to bring Kelly with her into my office. When they arrived I had both of them sit down and I asked, "Kelly, do you want to remain as Beth's secretary?"
Kelly said, "Oh yes sir I do. I was hoping you'd ask me."
"Ok then, I won't keep you in suspense. You'll be moved to your new office once it's ready. Tomorrow call for some boxes and pack up your personal items so they'll be ready to move." I said.
Kelly squealed, "Thank you so much. Oh Dan, I really appreciate you doing this for me."
After Kelly left my office I said, "Beth pack up what you're going to take home, I want to get out of here. I need to stop by my lawyer's office on the way home."
Beth left my office and I called my lawyer. I told him I was back from Germany and I needed to talk to him. He told me to come right over.
Right after I hung up the phone Beth poked her head in the door, "I'm ready if you are."
I looked at Kim, "Let's get out of here while the getting is good."
It was only a short drive over to my lawyer's office. When we arrived all of us got out of the car and we went inside. A young lady stood up and walked over asking, "Mr. Morrison?"
When I nodded my head she said, "Hi, I'm Julie Owens. Mr. Hurley is waiting for you in the conference room. Please follow me."
She knocked on the door and we heard a male voice say, "Come in, it's open."
Julie pushed the door open and then stood back to let us enter first. She followed us in and closed the door. Julie walked around the table and sat down beside Ed (Pete) Hurley. I waited for Ed to finish shaking hands with Beth and Kim and then I shook his hand. He told us to take a seat so I sat down between Kim and Beth. Ed looked up at me and said, "I hope you had a good trip Dan, it sure was interesting around here while you were gone."
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