One Month of Chuck Steve an Alternative ScenarioChapter 19
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CHUCK – Hawaii – Day 18 - Thursday
Last night's supper party was a great success, and after Dewey had banned all business talk, everyone relaxed so much that he had to find rooms for all the visitors.
At breakfast, the girls announced that as we were all flying to LA tonight, that they intended to spend a quiet day on the beach. Crystal arrived at the table late and said that she had arranged for a helicopter to meet us at the clothing optional resort and take the party to Molokai, then over to Maui.
Jimmy and Joy went over to spend the day at the airpark to review the logbooks of all the aircraft we'd acquired yesterday that were there waiting for them.
A limo took the three of us, along with our general managers, to the first resort. There, I was struck by the calm, peaceful ambience. The décor was now all pastel shades with a great deal of vegetation. Josie explained that this was different from similar resorts and that the contrast was proving more and more popular.
She took everyone out on to the terrace by the casino Bistro, and pointed out the land between the golf course and the sea where she envisioned building the family annex.
"I think that would work," Steve remarked.
"Yes," Dewey agreed, turning to Josie. "You should get Martin's architect to do some initial drawings."
Josie grinned, and stepping over to a table, pulled out a bunch of colored views of the proposed annex which she spread out for everyone to see.
There was silence while the whole group absorbed the information and kept looking from the pictures to the top of the bay beside us where the planned buildings would be.
"You are providing for, what, 60-80 rooms there?" Steve asked.
"Yes," Josie replied, looking apprehensive as she thought that she might have been too ambitious.
"What do you think, Dewey?" Steve asked, holding up a general view and comparing it to the sight in front of them. "I like it, but I think we could be missing out here. What about doubling the size? We could make it 150 rooms, but make the majority upscale suites, with the second floor suites smaller rooms. That means putting the restaurants and a snack bar on the first floor, and the nurseries and kids' playrooms out in wings on either side."
Dewey smiled at Steve's enthusiasm.
"Yes, I think I agree," he said, glancing over at me.
I nodded.
"Please have the plans drawn up on this basis, Josie, and get quotes from builders," I told her. "You'd better ask the man who did Martin's building work to bid too.
"Now, that piece of empty land beyond the family annex would be a perfect place to put the golfers. I think I like the idea of a tower type resort over there. I believe it needs to be entirely separated from Josie's current operation though, and I really don't want to spoil what she has already achieved. I do agree that there is no space for another golf course here without buying what looks like expensive land, but we may have to come back to considering that approach. That's another job for your architect, Josie."
"Oh, thank you," Josie replied, beaming. "I just know it will be a great success. There's one more thing that I wanted to talk to you about. We've been asked why we don't have a nightclub, but I feel that something a little more relaxed would be more in keeping with our strategy. Do you think any of those 'Blues' musicians who were here for Chuck's birthday would be interested in coming out to entertain our guests if we built a 'Blues' bar over beside the restaurant there?"
Everyone looked at me.
"I don't see why not," I thoughtfully replied. "I think that's a really great concept, and if it worked here, maybe we could extend the idea to the other resorts. That should appeal to everyone. But why don't you provide for a nightclub in the new golfers' resort? We look to you to manage both operations, by the way."
There was general enthusiasm from all the Islands management at this remark.
I had expected an argument, but both Steve and Dewey agreed.
After some coffee and special nibbles served on the terrace by my friend, the Head Chef, who was disappointed he couldn't do more, the whole party boarded carts to drive over to the clothing optional resort next door.
When we got there, Julie led us all out on to the terrace in front of the main building, but I got a call from Buster on my cell before she could start her presentation. He said that our Secret Service contact had called to tip him off that Joe Biden, the US Vice President, whom Lisa and I had recently met in DC, was going to visit The Junction tomorrow morning. After thanking him for the info, I had a quick discussion with Steve. There was no argument about the fact that we have to be there for the visit, so I called Carlos at Halcyon and asked him to reschedule our meetings.
"Before I show you where I propose to build the cottages," Julie started her presentation, "I want to get your views on a couple of other ideas I've had. You see the group of thatched huts down there at the top of the beach? We've also been asked about a nightclub at this resort, and I think it would be better to put it right down there so that it could also be open on the beach side.
"Second, Martin will be telling you about the successful fishing trips he's been running out of their new boat harbor. We tried it too, and rented that movable dock over there to service a fishing boat that we rented as an experiment. That has proved to be so successful that we had to rent two more boats. I have a folder with all the season's figures, and I hope that you will agree to buy us three or four fishing boats of our own, which I'm convinced will really make you money."
"What do you think?" I asked Steve, not giving away that we'd already decided to do it. "I like the idea, and now that the Magellans have finished all the catamarans for the Island, we could have them build some of the same design for here. I'm sure Martin is going to ask us for some too, so what about it?"
Steve was stroking his mustache.
"Yes, I'll go with that," he replied, pausing to look around. "But I think we'd better build a harbor here too, so that they can be brought into shelter if necessary.
"I think that we should get Magellan to also build six yachts for each resort to allow for chartering by the guests. We can have a mixture of say four 32-34 footers and a couple more at 42 feet. We could offer full crews, just a captain, or allow the visitor to captain his own boat if he has the proper licenses. I say we also buy six fishing catamarans and four dive boats for here, as well. Yes, you'll have the same over at Molokai, Martin."
Dewey was quietly nodding his agreement, and the managers were all beaming.
"I've just got one additional suggestion," he added. "You could use the harbor wall as an additional bad weather shield for the kiddies' beach, not that you have many really windy days, but see what you think anyway. We should definitely make it large enough so that it can also take some visitors' boats."
So that was agreed.
Without seeming to be in a rush, Julie led us over to the carts. She led us along the beach and turned inland where there were extensive palm groves.
"I'd like to put in 15 to 20 cottages along here," she enthusiastically told us. "Where it's more open, I want to plant a lot of the local flowering shrubs, and maybe some hibiscus ones, to provide both beauty and more seclusion."
"That's another great idea, Julie," remarked Dewey, as he glanced around. "You're really on a roll today, aren't you?"
He glanced at the Steve and me, then added, "Go ahead and make it happen."
He looked around again, then walked across to the back of the grove.
"This looks like a perfect place to build another 18-hole golf course; maybe there's even room for two."
Josie was giggling, while Julie and Martin looked embarrassed.
Crystal had been staying in the background, but she now moved to the front of the group.
"The answer to your question is yes. We can make two excellent golf courses here, and I think we should do it. Julie hasn't mentioned it, since she didn't want to spoil Martin's presentation later. She also thinks that we could double up and have a single clubhouse between the two courses over by the larger lake. That means that there's room behind for one of your big 'golf annexes' if you want one. The golf pros I talked to thought that all these small pools would make great hazards on some interesting fairways. The whole area used to be a small lagoon, and as luck would have it, we already own all the land we need."
We then heard the CS&S helicopter landing over by the 18th green, so we got back on the carts and drove over to meet it.
The aircraft was one of the new Hawks, and I went forward to talk to the pilot while the others were getting settled in their seats. When I went back into the cabin, I was immediately impressed with the quality of the conversion for civilian use that had been carried out under Jimmy's dad's supervision.
When we arrived at the Molokai resort, I asked Crystal to have the pilot circle around the existing site, and we had a good look at the adjoining farm property. This covered about 600 acres to the north, with some good coastal frontage
We landed outside the main resort building, and were welcomed by Mr. Thieu, the hotel manager.
"Welcome, welcome," he exclaimed. "I am so pleased that you have all come to see what we have achieved."
He shook hands with everyone, then following a nod from Martin, he began.
"I don't know if Martin or Gloria have mentioned this to you yet, but when guests leave and fill in our questionnaire, they frequently say that there should be more evening activities and nightlife. Although we have an excellent restaurant over by the golf course that does very well, it gets booked up very early and is highly profitable. We would like to either extend it, or preferably, add an exclusive restaurant here in the resort. That's because we would also like to have a nightclub here, and if we placed them close together, the restaurant kitchen could also supply suppers for the late night partiers.
"But please come in and admire our new décor."
We went into the reception area, past a bowing Concierge, and stopped in surprise. All the walls were covered by murals of Hawaiian scenes and people, all painted by a local artist, we were told. I was standing next to a beaming Gloria, and asked.
"I think this must have been your idea. I really like the contrast between the décor themes of the three resorts. Yours is really striking. Do you have a brochure that I can take to show the management at my new resort down in Costa Rica?"
Gloria handed me a bunch of brochures, while everyone congratulated Mr. Thieu, but he modestly gave the credit to Gloria.
After we had been shown around the main facilities, each with a mural painted in different dominant colors, we were escorted to the restaurant where we had had our first meeting with Martin. After a delicious meal of baked Mahi-mahi, Dewey turned to him.
"So, how about telling us about this proposal of yours?" He asked.
"We've been getting complaints about overcrowding on our present golf course," he began, "So I agree that we need a second course here anyway. We have room to extend Mr. Thieu's resort, and I would like to increase his housing to a total of 600 rooms.
"There is room on the land to the north, not only for another really nice new resort, but also for two more golf courses, one of which should be of championship quality. For only a little extra cost, we would increase both our reputation and attractiveness for golfers everywhere.
"I've been over to Maui; Gloria and I spent a lovely weekend at the NeNe a month ago, and I agree that if you can buy the present majority owner out, it will be an outstanding investment. Take a good look at how it's been developed, because it has been my inspiration for our new resort here."
Crystal now handed us all brochures that clearly set out the proposals that Martin had outlined. It even had an appendix showing the financial forecasts in a way that Tiny would certainly approve of.
We all studied the folder. I quickly scanned the figures, and nodded to Crystal.
"You obviously need a quick answer," I began. "I'm convinced, and vote that we should immediately go ahead on both projects."
"I agree," Steve chimed in, while Dewey just looked exasperated.
"Phew," Dewey gasped, "You've done it again, and won't even give me time to digest the data. OK, I'm outvoted, so I agree too. Now let's get this thing moving."
He grinned at Crystal while the other locals got together in a group hug.
"Well," Dewey continued, "Let's get airborne and go over to Maui and spend some more money."
Kapalua was only a short hop from Molokai across the Pailolo Channel, so we were soon flying over the NeNe resort, identifying the various features.
"That woman's right," Martin exclaimed. "That old pineapple field would be a lovely center for some vacation cottages, and you could build an awesome golf course around the slopes of that hill over there. The views for both the players and any spectators would be quite spectacular. Look; there are streams with small waterfalls all along there that would make really interesting hazards."
A proud Gloria tried to quiet him down, but it took all the time until the helicopter landed on a lawn below some high windows, for him to stop muttering.
I was the first out and was greeted by a security man shouting that we could not land there and must quickly go away. Although I asked for Mrs. Grainger, the man kept shouting and got so angry, that he started uttering threats. He even started to pull his weapon, but found himself staring into the barrel of my Glock. That sobered him up.
I took the man's old 45 automatic, dropped the magazine, and put it into my pocket.
"Please fetch Mrs. Grainger, NOW," I barked.
Luckily at that moment a rather plump, dark-haired woman in her late forties came out of a side door, and walked towards us, holding her hand out.
Dewey went to meet her.
"Mrs. Grainger?" He asked. "I'm Dewey, and I think we've met at a reception at my Honolulu resort a few years back. Please come and meet my partners, and these others, who are the senior managers of our properties here on the Islands."
After everyone had been introduced, we were ushered into a private lounge where refreshments had been laid out. We were then shown colored plans of all the features that the resort included.
"When you have all had a good look at these, why don't you go out and see everything," Mrs. Grainger suggested. "The staff has been warned that you were coming; including, I'm afraid, that silly security man. Feel free to ask questions of anyone, and I suggest we all meet back here in an hour? After that, maybe you can take me up in your helicopter so that I can show you the lie of the 18 fairways of my proposed Super Championship Golf Course."
We went back on the terrace, where Dewey told everyone to spread out and explore, but that Steve and I should go with him.
"Well, what's the expert's first impression?" I asked.
Dewey paused, and slowly looked around.
"What's my first impression? I think that it's all very impressive. Unless they are asking a silly price, the answer is a no-brainer. We buy it, and consider ourselves really lucky that Mrs. Grainger wants to stay on and continue running the place. It's got to be a really good earner from day one."
"I agree," Steve chuckled, "But we will need to immediately put a helicopter pad in. We must take Chuck around, though, so that he can exercise his gift."
After a quick stroll around the grounds and down to one of the beaches, we climbed up the steps to the main complex again. As Sam had told us, the original hotel had been built across the middle of the promontory, then wings and annexes had been added to it often at a different level. Those had been laid out so well that the complex made a charming and cohesive whole.
The inside décor was fresh and very nicely done. When talking to the Reception Manager, we were impressed to discover that the suites outnumbered the ordinary rooms by approximately four to one. Dewey scanned the sports charges, restaurant menus, and wine lists, then declared himself even more impressed. We went into the kitchen, where a French Chef invited us to sample the specials he was preparing for that evening's meals. He was pleased when we all three praised his creations.
As the hour was just about up, we made our way back to the lounge. As each member of the team entered, there was almost no discussion; all that was needed was a discrete smile and a nod. Tactfully, Mrs. Granger did not reappear until another 20 minutes had passed.
"Would you three like to come into my office?" She asked.
When we were sitting around a small conference table, Dewey took the lead.
"Depending how much your husband wants for his shares," he began, "My partners and I will be happy to enter into a purchase agreement. I know this is maybe a bit sudden, but my colleagues have to be at their Vegas aviation operation tomorrow morning for a visit from the Vice President of the United States, and I have to leave for meetings in Seattle. I'm sorry to rush things, but if we can agree on a price, Sam Perkins acts for all of us, and he can have agreements prepared for the three of us to sign before we leave this evening."
Mrs. Grainger didn't blink; she pulled her cell phone out and pushed a speed dial button as she walked out of the room. She returned ten minutes later, and offered her phone to Dewey.
"I've got Sam on the line," she said, "Billie has agreed to what I believe is a very reasonable price, but you gentlemen must make up your own minds."
Dewey took the phone, and listened to what Sam had to say. He then looked at Steve and me as he wrote a figure on a piece of paper which he showed each of us. I thought that it was a real steal and quite ridiculous, but I just followed Steve's lead and nodded too.
"Okay, Sam, we'll do it," Dewey said into the microphone. "Please have the agreement and share transfer drawn up and out at the airpark, ready for us to sign before we leave tonight. I'll phone Ben Phillips right away; he acts for me now too, and have him transfer the money into your escrow account right away. He already knows your numbers."
He listened for a minute, then thanked Sam and hung up.
"I think Sam is getting used to dealing with us now," he joked, as he handed Mrs. Grainger's phone back to her. "Just a moment, please, we have to arrange the money transfer."
Steve phoned Ben, explained what we wanted, then handed the phone to Dewey to give him the numbers.
"Before we takeoff and have a closer look at the proposed new golf course," Dewey said, "How do we proceed regarding the extensions you are planning? Crystal Mendoza and her partner, Barton Meyer, are responsible for supervising our interests here in the Islands. They can deal with most matters.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot; you need to know that yesterday, Chuck added, "Diamond Head Airwaysto the CS&S air transport interests here on the Islands, then he purchased Haleiwa Air Cargo from Herb Billings. I'm pleased to say that Herb has agreed to join us as a consultant."
"And what happened to that nasty piece of work; Jack Sykes?"
"Well, the last we heard, he was a guest of the FBI," Dewey grinned.
We loaded Mrs. Grainger and everyone into the helicopter, then flew over and landed in the mouth of a small gully high up on the mountainside. We all got out of the aircraft and were soon admiring the beautiful, really impressive scenery.
"This is superb," Gloria exclaimed, "I do hope you manage to buy this land. It will make an outstanding golf course."
Sheila Grainger came over to the three of us and motioned to us to come closer.
"Didn't Sam tell you?" She quietly asked, "We've got options to buy all the land from the top of that ridge behind us, all the way down to the sea."
"Chuck's incredible luck continues," Dewey murmured.
After dropping Sheila back at the resort, we flew back to the airpark.
On the trip, while the others discussed the incredible resort we had just inspected; Steve, Crystal, Bear, and I talked about their visit to Honolulu International Airport. The three of them were in agreement that nothing would be gained from moving the Diamond Head passenger operations out to our airpark, but that we should keep the aircraft there, as well as transferring all the Haleiwa Cargo business out to the airpark too.
Luckily, we would now have the extra land to build new hangars, as well as a freight depot. Doing it this way, we would only need to provide better general aviation facilities at the airpark.
Crystal would oversee all this.
When we arrived back on Oahu, the women had all the baggage packed and loaded on the 737, which was ready for takeoff.
Sam Perkins was there with the sale agreement and share transfers, and the three of us quickly signed the documents.
"Oh, good; you're finished," Sue exclaimed. "Come and get on board. If we takeoff now, we can be in Vegas by midnight West Coast time. I called and got rooms at that nice hotel near McCarran Airport, and we can go on to The Junction first thing in the morning."
She waited rather impatiently while Dewey, Steve, and I thanked our colleagues for all their help, and waved to them as the refueled helicopter took off to return them to their respective resorts.
KURT – The Junction
The General has scheduled another meeting for 1000. I wonder what surprises will come out of this one.
I spent the first hour walking around talking to people, then Sgt. Crossley came to find me. He had 40 MPs who needed to have their new Guard Force uniforms fitted, but since thirty of them were women, he obviously couldn't get this done in the open, so he asked if they could use one of the RVs? One was actually assigned to Jamie Wilson, so I told him to use that one. Soldiers in fatigues were soon going in one door, and smartly dressed Guard Force personnel were coming out of the other.
A steam of contractors' vehicles and equipment had started arriving soon after first light. I walked over and stood with Terrell as he watched three of his new contractors organize their men to begin breaking ground for all the additions on this side of the main runway. He told me that the two Fire Marshals had finally decided on a site for the new Fire and Crash station. They wanted it to be about halfway along the runway, but a hundred yards back from the edge. This currently was in the center of the paratroopers' camp, so nothing could be done about it yet. His fourth contractor, who was to build the Guard Barracks by the main gate, couldn't start until tomorrow.
There was a roar, and we saw one of the Air Force's few C-5M Super Galaxies circling, then come into land. It was soon spitting out two large fire/crash trucks and their crews. I walked over and was told by the aircrew that they had been about to leave Travis for Dover AFB, Delaware, where the 9th Airlift Squadron is located, when they received an order from the very top to delay their departure and load these Striker 4500s for delivery to us here on their way home.
Now we have some decent emergency coverage, but I have had to give up some hangar space for the rigs until their permanent station can be built.
I was just thinking that I ought to go and check that the 1000 meeting was going to be in "my" conference room, when Buster called my cell. He said that he'd received a tip off from his "other employer" (the Secret Service) that Vice President Joe Biden was going to pay us a visit here at The Junction tomorrow morning. He had called Chuck's cell, and he and Steve were changing their schedule to be here for the VP's arrival. He therefore wasn't going to send my extra Guard Force personnel over today. Chuck had suggested to him that we should put on a show for the VP, and Colin was going to spend the afternoon drilling 30 of his men, including mine, and he would fly them in by 0900 tomorrow, arriving in time to form another Honor Guard. Good thinking.
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CHUCK - DAY SIX - Saturday I got home so late last night, that I just crept into bed trying not to disturb anyone. All my women wanted to make up for it this morning, but I did my best and I think managed to satisfy them all. I also managed to get some exercise in; followed by Tai Chi, before we all went down to he patio. The girls were all dressed appropriately for Saturday breakfast. Wow. What would our visitors to the patio make of this, I wondered? After we had breakfast, Lisa went off...
CHUCK - DAY FIVE - Friday When I arrived at the patio with my family the next morning, the triplets rushed over to me, stuttering out a plea to be taken immediately to their daddy. Aunt Etta put her arms around their brother, Mike, while I hugged all three together while trying to give them large amounts of loving, calming thoughts. I assured them that their momma was with their dad and the other mommas, and that they would make sure that the doctors did all they could for him. Young Tom...
When I woke, I again immediately phoned home and spoke to Nancy this time. She said that they were all thinking of me, and that Julie had got home late last evening from her latest trip back to England. Nancy said she was still asleep, otherwise she was sure that Julie would have wanted to tell me personally that she had finally sold her flat. All the ladies there quickly blew kisses down the phone before we said goodbye. I hadn't had any real exercise since Sunday, so I put my sports leg...
CHUCK - Day 11 part 1 Thursday I left the house on my own before 0600 to go down to the patio for a quick breakfast this morning, because I needed to discuss the previous night's call with Sue. Well, she employed thousands of seamstresses, didn't she? Could she use twenty more? She came over as soon as I arrived, and while drinking coffee and munching on a breakfast sandwich, I quickly told her all that I knew. "Late last night, I had a call from an Atlanta Deputy named John Hanmer," I...
Steve I went to check on Chuck and found him crashed back by the kids. Bonita had her head in his lap, snoozing too. Trixie and Dixie were sitting with him with their heads on his other thigh, so he was well taken care of for the time being. Back up front, Mercy and Lisa were trying to explain about the women at Chuck's condo and on the new boat down in Costa Rica. I had to ask, "Mercy, how do you know all this. Did Chuck tell you?" Lisa and Mercy looked at each other and said,...
Chuck Morning is always pleasant, but being between two women is even better. We had enjoyed a great evening at Merlin's and I know Mercy had enjoyed herself by working with her dad. Steve and Sue were going to have to convince Merlin to open another place like that in Tampa to get him closer to Missy and Mercy. Wanda, Lisa, and I were at the airport having breakfast by seven fifteen, in the air by seven forty-five, and parking at the private terminal in Reno at eight fifteen. While we...
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Steve I was laying on my back, with Gio on my left shoulder and Juanita on my right. I could see the clock on the other side of the room showing that it was right at six AM. We were up later than usual last night. Even after coming to bed, my ladies were more active than usual, but what is normal for these women? Poor Gio, I could tell she wanted to be loved, but all she received was a lot of kisses and hugs. Our baby is more important than sex. The other girls are being almost overly...
Steve I had just discussed the medical laboratory plant with Sue and we agreed that this was an important project. We both wanted to continue to assist Chuck in helping vets any way we could. It was past time to run into work, so I went to see how the company was functioning. A walkthrough of all the shops is always the best way to get a feel for what's going on. I saw Hank in the rear of the motor shop, painting one of Shawna's chopper creations. He was doing it from a chair with his...
Chuck Holy shit! There are babies everywhere. All of them are hollering/crying and they all need attention right now. Literally hundreds of babies were demanding diaper changes, demanding a breast to nurse, and looking for loving attention. All I could do is stand in the middle of the bedlam with my mouth open, too terrified to do anything. Someone was shaking me, "Wake up, Chuck, you're having a bad dream, wake up, Honey." I opened by eyes to find Brandy looking at me with a concerned...
Steve I was having coffee in my room at the resort. I had the patio doors open, looking out from the ninth floor toward the beautiful lagoon or small harbor in front of the hotel. It was still too early for beach people, but there were workers cleaning the beach. Two tractors were dragging the sand, smoothing it out to make it more appealing to the tourists. In the harbor and at the dock were several large yachts and sailboats. None, however, rivaled the Have Mercy, the Mercy Mercy, or...
Steve Mercy was shaking me, "Steve, Steve, wake up. Chuck may need you. I think Maria's in trouble." I sat straight up trying to think why Maria would be in trouble. Oh yeah, she's about to hatch. "What kind of trouble, Mercy, what is it?" Mercy just shook her head, "I don't know, but she just woke Chuck up. He may need us. Let's get over there to make sure they are alright." I began putting some clothes on. Sue, Kathy, Mickey, and Juanita woke, seeing Mercy and me dressing,...
Steve I had been told first by Mercy, then by Sue, that all of the women wanted to talk to me. That usually is almost instant death, or maybe it was going to be an execution, mine. At least they had waited for me to finish eating breakfast before the hanging. It was with great apprehension that I was following Sue, Kathy, and Mickey up the stairs, or more appropriately, the broad curved ladder that goes up to the salon. Mercy was at the helm, with Juanita sitting beside her . Juanita...
Chuck A speaker in the room was broadcasting reveille. It had the desired effect, as I swung my foot and stump out of bed. Across from me, Lisa was sitting up, rubbing her eyes. She looked up at me and said, "Old habits are hard to break, aren't they?" Wanda was trying to pull a pillow over her head, but Lisa gave her a shake and said, "You better get up, or you won't get a shower and breakfast." Lisa looked up at me, "Since you're fast, go do your thing, and I'll go next after I...
Chuck Lisa and I were having fun doing what we liked to do when we were relaxing. We were both sitting on a little raised stage at the bottom of what was like a theater in the round. The platform had a baby grand with a bench and two chairs, with Lisa and me sitting on them. An interesting part of this is that there was absolutely no sound system. If you were looking for un-plugged, this was the ultimate. The acoustics in the theater had been designed so that what was played on the little...
Steve I was up early, as usual, sitting in the parlor on one of the fixed stools at the bar in the suite. You know how it is; waiting for coffee to brew can seem like an eternity when you don't want to sit there and wait. There was no place else to go and nothing else to do. If I went out to the patio, I would just have to come back in. If I went back into the room, I would probably disturb someone. Wonder why I can never sleep late? Only on rare occasions can I sleep until seven or eight....
Steve As soon as I stepped out on the patio, Tiny came in the back door, waving some papers while grinning his conspiratorial grin. I asked, "What are up to, Tiny? What's got you wound up so early?" "I've just heard from another Saudi sheik who is buying a new 737. The man heard we were buyers and called our office. The night customer service people transferred the call to me and we will get the new or rather new/used bird today. The Sheik's agent said we would like the price. I...
Chuck When Sue and Don relieved me at midnight, I went down to the office to check the rings I was going to hand out later that night. I separated eight of the rings, along with the special one I had made up for Lisa. The only difference between the special one and the others was that it had two brilliant blue diamonds on each side of the big diamond while the other rings had two bright red rubies on each side of a big diamond. The bands were wide, much wider than what a normal engagement or...
Chuck I woke up in a sweat. Remembering the night before didn't help with the PTS, with maybe a D on the end. That was close. I wonder why the bomb detonated, did it have a timer? Was there another person with a remote detonator? I doubt I'll ever know. I do know I was grateful to have carried Lisa out of the way. A heavy-breasted person was at my back and it wasn't Frieda as the belly wasn't bulging. That's when I remembered Gina. My, oh my, what do I do after hearing Giovanni's...
Steve Chuck had come out for breakfast this morning to talk to me about something. When we had our coffee and were sitting at the bar away from people, Chuck said, "There's a bunch of things coming together all at once. Magellan called to say the boat's ready to be picked up. I've transferred funds and paid them, so we can bring it up any time." He took a sip of coffee and said, "You want to go to Hawaii for a few days, which at a minimum is a day going and a day returning. I can get...
Steve Amazing, one night the little ones don't wake you up, and the next they wake up a couple of times. It wasn't bad either time, as Mickey and Giovanna were quickly up to take care of them. I can't imagine what Chuck is doing with ten of them in his big suite. Chuck has made some very nice plans for us, considering I thought the resort was sold out to other customers. Chuck is sneaky that way. He'll have had this planned for months now, and was able to coordinate holding the Costa...
Chuck It seemed like just a few minutes ago I was totaled, dead tired, completely exhausted. So what the heck, what's the matter? I never have trouble sleeping. I can even sleep soundly on the hot sand snuggled up against a track, like an APC or an Abrams tank. The shade is always good unless it's too close to mid-day. What's in my head now that I'm having trouble sleeping? I looked at the clock to see it was only two o'clock, and I was wide awake, tired but definitely wide awake. Oh...
Chuck I heard a baby cry and the bed shifted a little. There was activity over by the small table that I was told was a changing table. I raised my head to see who was up and saw Nancy changing a diaper. Her little one was making noises, but not crying. I suppose since she was getting attention that was what she wanted. Wanting to watch what the process was, I turned on my back and propped my head up on a folded pillow. After she changed the diaper, she put the infant back into the...
Steve We had eaten a great supper and were all relaxing on the patio when Wanda came to get me. She asked if we could go somewhere to talk. Not knowing what was up, I took her to Sue's offices in the other end of the trailer from the bedrooms. Wanda and I sat down and she said, "Steve, I don't know what to do. I talked to Chuck this morning and he's been shot. Lisa, Nightfox, and him, were all shot. He says they're not too serious, but I'm not sure about that. When I called our base...
Steve I had just kissed Sue goodbye when she left the airpark to go to work and Chuck was inside the hangar going over evidence. This was going to be a busy day. Turning back to the charter office, I found a new person at the desk. "Hi, Charlotte, I thought Star was working this morning." "No Sir, Star is right seat on the G5 out there leaving in a few minutes. If you need to talk to her, she's probably on the aircraft now." "That's okay, I'm sure she's fine. Do we have the other...
Steve, Sunday mornings are always fun around home. Chuck showed up with his crew, dressed to stimulate as much as my ladies did. As breakfast was eaten, Chuck said, "I want play with the new boat. What do you think, Steve, could we take it out for a while?" People heard Chuck's request and were speaking up, "Yeah, take us out on the new boat." "Let's see if Chuck can captain his new boat." "Come on Steve and Mercy; let's help Chuck check out his boat." Sue rolled her eyes and...
Steve Now that Chuck was back from hiding out in the Gulf, life around home seemed to be getting back to normal. He was busy with a bunch of federal people and his prisoners were all transported to DC where they would be held or given an option to be bailed out. I told Chuck that I didn't care what happened, as long as they left me and my company alone. Tiny told me that a major military supplier was negotiating to have us produce bodies for their equipment. That is what we wanted in the...
Steve Three weeks later Wes was sitting on an overturned bucket, staring at the right wing of the parts that Jeff's team had molded before he had been hired. He had been determined to have this bunch of parts flying within a week or two. No such luck. He kept finding flaws in how the pieces fit together. He kept checking the blueprints that were downloaded from the internet with the finished product, and found the pre-made parts to be exact to the print. The problem was they didn't fit,...
Chuck This party is an amazing testament to all of the girls' ability to organize, plan, and carry through to their objective. There were many people who showed up that I would not have expected. John, the Marshal, and their families came followed shortly by Dewey and his family. I was honored to have him here, as that man has some "cool." I had to ask John and the Marshal, "I thought you two were staying down in Costa Rica?" John answered, "I wanted to surprise you. You know we had...
Chuck I was on my way to Cut Bank, Montana. Way up in northern Montana. My Aunt Etta-Mae had called saying she was in trouble. Lisa had just asked me to tell her what was really happening. The cabin satellite phone was ringing. Julie went to answer it and looked up at me. I told her I could transfer the call to my headset. "Johnson." "Is this Charles Johnson?" I told the voice, "It is. Most call me Chuck." "Chuck, you have an aunt named Etta-Mae Johnson, right?" Being wary I...
Chuck Waking up in a strange bed, or in this case, on a strange couch is disconcerting. I had to look around to find my leg before going to the bathroom. As I traversed to the toilet, I thought I smelled coffee brewing. When I left the bathroom, I went straight to the kitchen and found Julie and Missy sitting at the big kitchen table with fresh cups in front of them. In a chair across from them was a steaming cup of coffee. Julie smiled, pointed to it, and said, "Good morning,...
Steve Last night had been strange. Chuck was in a fight, no that wasn't right. He really didn't have a fight. That monster guy attacked him, and Chuck just tossed him. He did whack the guy in the nose, but it could have been the heel of the hand into the nose, a killing blow. We all learned that one. That wrist thing Chuck did was so quick that it was just something that happened as the big guy went over the top of him. I was sitting drinking that first cup of coffee contemplating what...
As soon as we all made it back to Mac's after the kidnapping, Sue, Mercy, and Kathy cornered me. Sue said, "You shouldn't have been involved in that. You are the father to a bunch of kids with another on the way. What in the world were you thinking?" Before I could answer, Mercy said, "I know you felt you had to help Chuck, and we all love him, but you have to be careful, Steve. We need you, we don't need you hurt." Kathy actually defended me, "Steve is a man. He has to defend his...
Steve I woke up several times during the night, hearing things that were normal sounds. Sure wish Chuck had stayed, I would have felt a lot more secure. Funny how a guy like that can make you feel safe. He's just a guy, a one- legged guy with a crooked smile, who is as friendly as a kitten. He can be vicious when he's on the job though. Drinking coffee at 5:55 in the morning is a good way to enjoy the day. I called down to the gate guard to see how everything was going and he said that...
Steve (Tuesday) Mercy and I were in the restaurant early, having coffee, when a couple of salt and pepper guys came in. I stood and both came toward me with their hands stuck out to shake. They sat with us and were brought coffee. Bud Anderson, said, "I've been working on this case for a year and thought we had most of it put to bed. There must be more to it, as you've turned up a significant group here in Nevada." Jim said, "Chuck split me off as his backup a while back to work with...
Chuck A few days later, we were passing Gibraltar. Everyone on board was out on deck to view the sight that was so familiar from the kids' geography books, the thick yellow National Geographic magazine pictorials, and advertising. The iconic view we all remember from the Prudential Insurance ads, though, is visible only from one angle, on the Mediterranean side of the Rock. Fortunately, our course kept that view in sight for quite a while. Gibraltar looks unrecognizably different from...
Steve As I passed through the galley, I was confronted by Glenda, still in her robe. I asked, "Are you going to stay in today?" Glenda said, "I think Martin and I have been overdoing it. The scooter thing we did yesterday helped, but we were both so tired last night that we thought we should stay home and rest a little. I can spend the day doing some dusting, and I need to wash some clothes for my man. The two of us could use the rest. I thought I might give home a call this afternoon to...
Chuck The last baby had been fed her middle of the night feeding, and I was really deep asleep. Lisa was shaking me. When I came out of my fog, I heard her say, "Your cell phone is ringing. Hope that isn't a problem." I got up from bed and hopped into my closet/dressing area to retrieve my phone from the tray I put pocket junk in. "Johnson," "You son of a gun, we did just like you've been doing and let it ride, all of it, we kept letting it ride. Brother Chuck, Tiny and I have hit...
Chuck I woke being hugged between Julie and Brandy. The two were really hanging on, but I needed to offload pretty soon. Sliding from the grasp of the two women, I saw that Lisa was sleeping with her head on Gina's cushions. I was going to go back to bed after using the head, but saw it was five fifty already and we were going to shove off early this morning. Instead of going back to bed, I hopped back to the head, showered, shaved, and quickly dressed to go see if anyone else was up. The...
Steve On Monday and Tuesday, Sue and I went through our local plants, visiting with the managers and workers, assuring them of what a great job they were doing. A highlight of the visits was my time spent in the recently expanded R&D building. The new guy, Sandy Flowers, had become an integral part of the team there. After setting up software to track testing and modifications, Sandy had begun helping Gerry on one of her quests to create a special polymer composite that would resist...
Chuck Life was settling down all around. I was just doing the usual office work with no flying everywhere on an almost daily basis for a change. John Scott seemed to have settled down in DC and was enjoying his job again. I had the flying lessons and was checked out in the new Citation X but had no reason to go anywhere. The charter company used it once for a quick trip to San Diego and back, but Lisa took that one. She said it was great to have an aircraft that could fly that far, that...
Steve Oh, what a night! My lovely ladies must have thought I needed the attention as they were absolutely on fire. I think they were trying to help me set a record as they all had some of my loving and started over again. The surprise among the players was a sneaky person, as all of a sudden, when Mercy fell to the side, two large bazooms were in my face and they did not belong to Sue. Sue's mother was sitting on my pride and joy, smiling down at me. She said, "Oh, Steve, this feels so...
Chuck How can that be? My cell phone is ringing. I don't remember leaving it on. Jesus, who could be calling at, I lifted my head to see it was six thirty? I was on the outside of the pile of female flesh, so I was able to get up and hop to the table where my pocket stuff and cell phone was. "Hello." A sort of familiar voice said, "Hey, Chuck, how're you and that sweet Lisa doing?" Trying to figure out who this was I said, "We're all fine, ah, who is this?" "Hey man, this is...
Chuck Sunday mornings are fun out at the park. The women wear near nothing, driving us men crazy. I anticipated a good time. When I woke and began my exercises, John joined me on a treadmill, followed by some weights. He said, "It sure would be nice to have you close by. We could workout together. It's a lot more fun to do this stuff when you have a buddy." About that time, Lisa, Brandy, and Tiani came in and began using the other treadmill and the stationary bikes. Little Tiani said,...
Chuck Sunday Waking up in a strange place is always weird, but this is too much. I'm hugging someone different, my hand is around a soft full breast, and if what I feel is real, I'm balls deep in a very juicy unfamiliar pussy that is sliding slowly back and forth. I can feel breath on my shoulder and hear Lisa breathing. She has a little catch to her breathing when she is sleeping and when she's excited. But her hand is holding and squeezing my balls so she is probably not...
Steve We picked up a nice wind the first day out. There was a low pressure area stalled to the northeast of us, providing us with an almost direct stiff wind from the south-southeast. If we can keep this up, we'll be home in four days easy. Chuck had the helm this morning and seemed to be contemplative about going home. I went up and handed him a fresh mug of coffee. "What's on your mind, Guy, anything to worry about?" Chuck smiled and said, "I love being out on the water, but I...