Steve and Chuck Changes and Life AdjustmentsChapter 6
- 2 years ago
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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 don't even know what we're paying for it."
"Ah, Tiny, you know it's not my money, or even yours, it's Chuck's. Even though I still have a small piece, and so do you as part of the S&S 401K plan."
Tiny looked at me sheepishly, "Yeah, I know, but this is too good to pass up, or at least I hope it's too good to pass up. Do you think Chuck will be here this morning?"
I said, "Most likely. He'll probably go to his office this morning, and then spend some time with Mark working out plans for his island paradise. I hope he'll have the money to buy another airplane. Maybe we could get a leasing company to buy it and lease it back to us."
"If we did that," Tiny exclaimed, "We could have Chuck take a fat profit on the bird for operating capital."
"Jesus, Tiny, you know how straight Chuck is. He's going to be pissed if you suggest something like that."
Tiny said, "You really need to teach the kid about business, the same as I had to teach you, or rather how Ben and I had to teach you. You don't ever lie, but you might forget to tell everything you know sometimes. There's no shame in making a profit."
We were both having our first cup of coffee as Glenda came in the side door and Ruth came through the back. Glenda asked, "What's got you wound up, Tiny?"
Ruth answered for him, "The man has been talking to some guy from Saudi Arabia for the last half hour. He was so excited; I didn't think he was going to remember to put shorts on. Whatever it is, it must be good."
Tiny grimaced, "I guess I better temper my enthusiasm until I talk to Chuck. He was a little put out about the other 737s we bought and leased. He doesn't have anything to worry about as they are all busy and we'll now have another one to put to work."
By six thirty the patio was full with all of my women and the children now up. Some were eating, some reading their school lessons, and some having orange juice and milk while discussing their day.
At five to seven, five big passenger carts pulled up to the patio and delivered Chuck and all of his family, Peaches and her two girls, along with Pop, Rags, and the rest of the musicians. We were going to have to get a bigger table. I turned to Martin: "Martin, how about seeing the people we get the tables from and adding another row? I think we can get another row in without any trouble, and if that isn't big enough, we can add a table on each row."
Martin grinned at me, "I know, and if that isn't big enough, you'll just build a bigger patio. I'll talk to Abe today to see if he wants to do it with me. If not, I'll get someone to drive me down to order the additional units."
When I looked at Martin a little funny, he said, "I'm not driving much anymore, Steve. I don't see all that well anymore. I can get to the grocery or drug stores, but I don't want to drive down in the city. I just don't trust myself."
My heart was full of love for the old gentleman and sad that he is declining. I suppose it's only reasonable at his age. When I look at Glenda, I realized the old couple had aged since we began our companionship. My family needed to take care of them and help them all we can. Mercy came to me and hugged me. She smiled up at me and comforted me, "They're doing fine. Martin just doesn't want to cause someone else grief out on the road."
"You are too perceptive, Mercy. Don't you ever let me have thoughts to myself?"
Mercy grinned, "All the time, Steve. I let you be you and think what you think, but I want to be there when you are troubled."
She looked up at me, "Besides, do you want the triplets to be upset because you're upset? They'll pick up on it fast if they haven't already."
Chuck and Tiny were having an animated discussion by the bar, but Chuck wasn't acting mad, just boisterously waving his hands and arms around. When I went up to them, Chuck was saying: "Tiny, you are amazing. You buy another big plane and don't even know how much we or I will be paying for it. I'm happy we are getting another big aircraft, but we are really going to have to get an accurate accounting of what I can and cannot afford."
Tiny was just drinking his coffee and listening as if chastised. Chuck asked him, "Do me a couple of favors; one, find out how much we're paying for the aircraft; and two, see what you can do about getting a 737 school to be held here. We can bring in our pilots from all over to attend. Make sure it is for two complete sessions, so those who can't come the first time can attend the second session."
Now Tiny was smiling, "I can do all of that. At least you want to keep this one. What about leasing it? We can sell it to the leasing company and lease it back. We could even get some operating cash out of it if we buy it cheap enough."
Chuck did what I expected, "Oh, Tiny, you have a devious money mind. If it's cheap enough and I have the cash, I'll buy it. If not, we'll give the leasing company a bargain and lease it back at a reduced rate. A win win for everyone."
Tiny looked at me, shaking his head, but smiling. Phil came up to Chuck and said, "I heard you're starting a big machine shop. Do you have anything to sell yet? Can you give me a price list?"
I had to laugh; the idea had only begun this past weekend, and Billy was just starting to get organized. Chuck looked confused, so I told Phil, "Hold your horses, Phil. The first part they make won't be for almost a year. We have to build a plant, buy all of the equipment, and train the men who will run it. You know this is a Wounded Warrior program that Chuck is sponsoring, so it could take a little longer than a year."
Billy was listening and offered, "I'll get some general price lists together, Phil. If I have anything to do with this, we'll be training people in the school off hours as soon as I get some men who want to be machinists. I'm putting out bulletins in our Vet Village today, so I'll have people to talk to beginning this evening. If you know of any machinists that are looking for a job, have them get a hold of me. I have one man that I will be working with at my shop today. The guy almost begged me to begin teaching him."
Chuck was grinning as this is what he wanted. He wanted to see men succeed who were not as fortunate as he was. I knew how he felt, as I could have easily been one of those guys too.
It looked like Chuck's Italian friend was integrating well with everyone. He was in a conversation with Rags while Mesa was talking with Gina. My Giovanna was also in the conversation across from them. Beth had stayed over last night to help Missy get the kids back into the habit of classes again. Mine may have been a little behind since we had been doing the world traveling thing. I knew the moms had been diligent, having the kids study some of their home school books daily, but I had to believe there might have been a lot of goofing off instead of studying.
As I was looking over the mass of humanity that joined us in the morning, Ben walked in the door with his briefcase. He went to Beth, gave her a kiss, found Sue for a hug, and came to where Chuck, Tiny, and I were having breakfast and coffee. Ben said, "Good morning, Men. This is a great morning, isn't it?"
Chuck looked at Ben suspiciously, "What are you up to, Ben? Have you been dabbling in risky stuff again?"
"No oil in Mexico, Chuck. I do have some of our money in a couple of things that should be profitable, but right now, we have too much cash without any really big deals out there to invest in."
I asked, "So what has you smiling big enough to split your lips?"
Ben put his briefcase on the bar, opened it, sorted through some papers, and handed out separate bundles to Tiny, Chuck, and me. Ben said, "These are some summaries for you guys. I know you can't keep up with everything I'm doing, and I heard Chuck was a little frustrated that he doesn't know how much cash he has available to do some of the projects he's planning."
Ben puffed up a little, "These will give you an absolute accounting of what you have invested through me, and unless you have some secret bank accounts, they show each of you what you have invested, and what cash you have available." Ben reached over Chuck's papers and pointed to a bottom line, "This is the amount you have available to spend right this minute without having to take any penalties for withdrawing bond type investments."
Chuck's eyes were bugging out and his chin dropped open in surprise. He said, "You can't be serious, Ben. Who do you have my account mixed up with, Warren Buffett?"
Ben smiled, "If you want it in hundreds, I'll begin calling the financial institutions to convert gold and begin rounding up bills."
Chuck looked at Tiny, "If Ben's already paid for all the other 737s like you said he has, just pay for this one and forget everything else I said earlier, except about the training sessions."
Now it was Tiny who was feeling proud of making another good deal for all of us.
Chuck handed his stack of paper back to Ben, "Forget you gave this to me and just continue what you're doing. Cover the bills from the house for me the way you have been doing. Check with Brandy and Wanda to make sure the household is keeping up and let's see if I can spend some money."
I folded up my sheaf of papers and put them into my back pocket to show the girls later. They will get a kick out of how well we're doing in this screwed up economy. Sue had been bragging on how Quality has been doing, so our family has been and is doing well.
I told everyone, "I need to get going. There are a couple of people who want to talk to me this morning, so I'd best be getting into the office." I shook hands all around and went to find all of my women and kids to say goodbye for the day.
When I found Sue, last of all my women, she said, "Make sure you come home for the gym, lunch, and some swimming. We both need to get back into our exercise habit." When she said this, she wrapped her arm around mine and began walking out with me. As we left the patio, Kathy joined us on my other side. The two girls stood in front of me, "You know you're going to be a dad again, right?"
I said, "Sure, Mickey is coming along very nice. Is she alright?"
Kathy was rolling her eyes in her "You are such a dummy," look.
Sue said, "Mickey is fine, but your new dark skinned beauty is throwing up and grinning. Gio is going to contribute to the family."
Now it was my mouth that was open, and I asked the dumb question, "How did that happen?"
Kathy and Sue both broke out laughing. Kathy said, "The same way Greg and Bonita happened. I took seriously what you poked at me in fun, or it was our pleasure. Gio has done the same thing. She is so happy that I'm sure she's telling her dad and aunt about this right now, or did it last night. We did a test on her Sunday night and it was all positive, she is bred."
I scratched my head, rubbed my chin, and pulled on my mustache while shaking my head, "How do you guys feel about this?"
Sue smiled as she said, "It's wonderful. You've given us Mickey and now Gio. We might need a bigger bed, but all of us are very happy our family is growing. How do you feel?"
I was still shaking my head when I said, "You know I love kids, and finally accepted that Mickey was going to give us a baby. I suppose this is even better as Mickey's and Gio's kids will be about the same age. I hope they'll be buddies."
Kathy said, "With Chuck's ladies all having babies, we'll have so many kids around here that it will make our heads spin. Just think of all the dirty diapers and fun we'll have."
I said, "I think I'm going to get clipped. I'm beginning to get to the age that I shouldn't have more kids. I don't want to be too old to be a good dad."
Mercy and Juanita came out of the patio and stood with Kathy and Sue. Juanita said, "You are too much the stud. I'm very excited for us to have more babies."
Mercy said, "Mom is going to be so happy. She loves the little ones even more than the older ones. She just loves to watch them learn and she'll be teaching all of them. There's going to be steady traffic between here and Chuck's."
I got another kiss from the women and took off for the shop. I was thinking about kids all the way, and was so distracted that I probably was a hazard. I walked in with Debbie, who had already heard about Gio, kidding me about being a dad to at least two more kids that I knew of. She asked, "Have you been banging any other women that we should know about? Are there any more pregnant people out at the park that you've been breeding?"
I glared at Debbie and she flipped me the bird as she disappeared into her office.
Upstairs, I turned on office lights before heading to the end of the balcony where the break room and coffee was. With coffee in hand, Tiny yelled out from his open doorway, "Have a second, Boss?"
Whenever Tiny used 'Boss' in his greeting, I knew he was putting the arm on me. Tiny said, "Henry and I came straight back from Costa Rica and really didn't get a chance for much of a vacation. What do you think if we were to go back out today or tomorrow and stay out there through the weekend? We'll do some fishing and have some special time with our women."
I told Tiny, "You didn't have to come straight back. I thought you guys were going to be gone for a week or so. You must have powered straight back without stopping for the night."
Tiny said, "Henry and I both had a couple of things that were pending that we really couldn't handle over the sat phone or internet connection. We've both been able to take care of them and we've had the opportunity to get to know the boat. We might go across the gulf to Texas, or maybe go up to Mobile or New Orleans. You know, just wander a little."
"Tiny," I began thinking this would be a good time to ask, "Now that you have so much money you won't ever be able to spend, are you going to remain with me? You know you and Ruth could retire and never worry about money again."
With a grin, Tiny said, "Not a chance, Partner, we're a team. All of us feel the same way Abe does; they'll have to carry us out. Don't worry about your business, Henry and I will still be here, but we are training people to take our places so we can help out marketing or perhaps just glad hand people."
"Go Tiny; get Ruth, Henry, and Nancy and get on that boat and get out of here. It's too bad you don't sail, as you could use the sixty-five footer and not have to worry about fuel."
"That's okay, Steve, Henry and I like all that power. You'll have to go out on it. It is a lot of fun and very fancy."
I waved at Tiny, telling him to pack up and get on vacation. I had to go back to the break room to get some fresh hot coffee before heading back to my office. I checked out what the shop was doing and looked at each of the monitors, seeing activity everywhere. I was turning back to my desk when there was a knock on my door jam.
Jeff came in, "Glad you said to meet you this morning. I've wanted to talk to you."
We sat at my little table, as I hate to sit behind my desk and talk to people. It makes me feel like I'm trying to be a big shot. "What's up, Jeff? You have been busy lately handling the Canadian factory expansion, the new Irish plant, and Germany's expansion."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Steve. My fiberglass group is probably one of the best in the nation. The group I'm using for robotics comes from people out of all our shops, and they are as good as you're going to get. I need some help, Steve. I can't pay enough attention to all of the fiberglass activity, especially now that we have all of the military contracts for our composites. The aircraft composites are taking up more space and personnel than I would have ever believed."
There was another knock on the door. Gerry's smiling face looked expectantly at me and Jeff. Jeff said, "Come on in here, Gerry, you need to be in on this. That's why I asked you to come over."
Jeff and I had both stood up as Gerry came in and sat. She exclaimed, "You two. You're both too much of a gentleman for me." She turned to Jeff, "Where are you at? Have you put the arm on him yet?"
Jeff said, "Hold your horses, Girl, I'm just getting to it." Jeff turned back to me, "And Gerry has been so busy creating new formulas for everything, that she's been going crazy. Like I said, these three areas need to be addressed."
I looked at both of them, "Okay, Guys, or Jeff and Gerry, what do you need, and what do you want to do?"
They looked at each other and Gerry nodded to Jeff. He began, "First, Gerry needs help. You gave her Sandy to do all of her software stuff and it's been good, but it has actually made more work for her as she can do more now than just pay attention to paperwork. Sandy is doing all of the federal filings, in addition to creating software for all of our groups and for Quality Wear as well. The man is sharp, but that doesn't help Gerry. She needs another person with the same knowledge she has. She needs someone to help her so they can progress. When she gets hung up, there is no one to help her, no one to bounce a theory off. Wes works with her some, but he's not a metallurgist and is buried in his aircraft."
I looked at Gerry and she said, "I hate to sound like a complainer and usually I prefer to work alone, but I've put myself in a corner. I need some help to do all of the activities Dennis, Abe, and Mark have come up with."
Wanting to know how to help, I asked, "Do you have someone in mind, or do we need to go out into the market to find who we need?"
Gerry said, "We should probably get someone fresh out of school, and if you won't shoot me, another experienced person that has experience in metallurgy as well as composites. Dennis could use a guy to help him run all of the tests that Abe and Mark need. I know that sounds like a lot of people, but adding three people will really help make our R&D something special."
Gerry took a deep breath before continuing, "Three more people are going to cramp our building. We've needed more space for a while and this will break the proverbial camel's back."
Before I could answer, Jeff said, "Now let me add to your problems. I love doing what I'm doing. I'm flying all over the place, setting up factories and fiberglass plants, and I might be putting together a composite group in Germany. Gerry's stuff is some special material that only we can be, and are, producing."
"This is what I think will help. I need to promote one of my fiberglass people to run the shops and to work with any new ones we set up. That person will be busy in all the countries where we have plants. Next, I need to promote a robotics man to handle all of our robotics. It's not just building a new line now; it's modifying a line, repairs, and designing lines for new parts. Steve, we're getting to be a really big manufacturer. Last, I need someone like Abe and Kevin have. I need a Debbie, a knowledgeable secretary to help me stay on schedule and to take care of some of the bull that I have to deal with. You know, someone who can cull the bull for me." Jeff sat back and waited.
"So what you two want are at least five people. Not just normal people, but four knowledgeable people. Jeff, I think you know the two men you want to promote. Can you set them up with an appropriate salary, or however you think they should be paid? As far as a secretary, unless you know who you want, have Ruth find you someone. There might be a customer service person that might be perfect for you."
"Gerry, you need to begin interviewing. I know you're busy and don't have a lot of time, but find time and solicit people out at USF for your metallurgy person, and maybe even a couple interns to work the R&D stuff. Go out and find a scientist that you think you can work with, and that can also work with Mark in Costa Rica. I think we may have permanently lost him to his island paradise."
Gerry nodded, "I know. That's why I'm so far behind. I never realized how much Mark was doing. He was able to do in a half day what a couple of other people can do in a day. I can easily get the interns, and I'd bet that at least one of the people who recently graduated doesn't have a job. There might be some people out there that have been laid off that we could use. I'll have Dennis help me put out some feelers for someone."
Another knock on the door jamb. Dennis walked in grinning, "So is it my turn? I heard my name."
I laughed, "What is this, gang up on Steve day?"
Dennis said, "I'll bet Gerry already told you what we need. I'm only here to push for an addition to our building. We really need space, Steve. When you consider how much product we're testing lately, we really are putting out a lot of work. It's almost to the point we need a quality control research group as an addition to R&D."
I reached back and pushed the intercom button on my phone, "Ruth, can you find Terrell for me, and if he's near, ask him to come by."
Over the phone, Ruth replied, "He's standing in front of me. He'll be right in."
Terrell walked in the door with a grin on his face. I looked at the three people in front of me and asked, "Have I been set up?"
Dennis grinned, "I mentioned to Terrell he might need to come by this morning, and it so happened that he needed to talk to Ruth."
I waved for Terrell to sit. I looked at my four people and said, "There is no problem with hiring the people we need. There isn't a problem adding on to the R&D center. Terrell, find the blueprints for the building and plan on what you need. I know you are busy helping Chuck and Mark out down south, so if you want another architect to design it for you, get it done. Dennis, you need to work with Terrell to decide whether you want to have to separate facilities for quality control and research. Get your head together with Abe and Mark, while he's here, and decide. I'll advise Tiny and his group to set up a reserve account for all this, so stay in touch with him and Ruth so we get people who are checked out and who can be good team members for us."
Gerry looked at me, "Just like that?"
Jeff grinned and said, "Just like that. I told you."
Dennis commented, "This is like when I first came down here. Something was constantly happening and being built."
I checked the time and saw that it was getting close to noon. "I have a date for lunch with some women, so I'll leave you all to argue about who will use the phone first to work this out."
I shook hands with all of them and had to watch Gerry as she almost came to hug me. I do have some good people.
I went home through the business park, and as I passed the R&D building, I noticed a bunch of surveyor's grade stakes with little red pieces of plastic tied on them. It's funny how there already was activity on the building expansion, and it had not been fifteen minutes since I gave the go ahead. Knowing how well my people anticipated me made me smile.
Lunch was nice, and exercise time was becoming crowded. Several of Chuck's ladies who didn't have a regular job were coming to the gym with all my ladies. When our entourage showed up, we filled the place up fairly fast.
We didn't do any swimming or sunning after the gym, as it was a cloudy day that looked like rain could start any time. Sue wanted me to come over to the new factory building's theater to help her welcome some new employees. This was always fun, as we usually found one or two people among the new hires who had some unseen talents. Sue was good at finding those. I listened more than talked, and someone would often say something that gave a hint of another capability they had.
Today's surprise was a huge man. By huge, I mean at least six foot ten inches and thick. The guy had to weigh close to four hundred pounds, and it wasn't fat; the guy was just huge. During a break, Sue whispered to me, 'The guy isn't ugly, but he could play Frankenstein in any movie.' I told her to make sure we noted his name and what he was hired for.
One of the last things we did, in a smaller group setting like this event was today, was to ask each of the new hires to tell us where they were from, any education they wanted to brag about, and what they were hired for. It came around to our big man, and he stood to tell his story. He was so big that all the people around him were looking up, in awe at his size. He looked even bigger wearing a sport coat and slacks.
"Hi y'all. I'm Donny Wilson," came from the giant with a thick country accent. "I was born and raised in Winslow, Arkansas. Now you probably won't find it on a map, but if you were to go to the Ozark National Forest, my little town is right on the western edge. I can tell you that we have some of the best hunting in the state. I'm still getting used to the big city, but I did go to the University of Arkansas, and not to play football. I did play some, but I was there to learn, and I did. I hope to see y'all around." He almost sat down, but stood up again and said, "I'm bein' hired to work with guys named Jerry, Dennis, and a girl named Sandy over at the R&D center. Looks like fun."
Sue was smiling when he sat down and told the big guy: "You'll like those people, Donny, but you should know that Jerry is with a 'G' for Geraldine and she is all girl, a smart girl, but a girl, and Sandy is a guy. You won't want to get too confused, because Sandy is actually Sandy Flowers, and you won't believe it, but his wife, or lady, is also named Sandy Flowers. Confusing, isn't it?"
Donny just sat there with a big smile on his face.
Sue motioned to me and said, "Steve is going to give you a special invite, and it is sincere, so any who wish to take us up on it, please do."
I stood, "My family and friends get together every evening and most every morning for meals, some good conversation, and for those who might want some, liquid libation. After work on most Friday evenings, there is a gathering of a lot of S&S and Quality Wear people to celebrate another great week, and to join everyone in anticipation of another great week to come. It's a great place to meet your future workmates, and a great place to make new friends. When you leave here, you'll be given some easy directions. If you have somewhere else to park and can possibly ride a cart over, do that as parking can get to be at a premium. Come on out."
When the meeting and greetings were over, Sue and I stood at the door and shook hands with everyone as they passed by. Donny smiled warmly and put his giant hand completely around mine. Thank goodness he didn't squeeze. I kept thinking that a guy that big might have trouble in an R&D environment.
Sue checked with some of her people before we rode back to the house. I pointed out the surveyor's grade stakes around the R&D center, explaining to her how Dennis and Terrel were anticipating me again. She just laughed and said, "Well, we all know you. When someone puts a good idea in front of you, you want it to happen yesterday.
I told Sue, "It's also funny how R&D had a guy in our meet and greet, and I just gave Dennis and Gerry the go ahead to hire another person for R&D."
Sue said, "I like the big guy. He seems to be soft spoken and has a university background."
I told Sue, "Call Ruth to see what kind of a degree Mr. Wilson graduated with."
Sue was on her cell phone for a few minutes and burst out laughing. When she disconnected, she smiled at me, "Mr. Wilson is almost 'Dr. Wilson' as he was in his PHD studies in metallurgy and plastics when he ran out of money and began looking for work. One of his department heads suggested he get in touch with us because we had the same attitude he does. It seems that Donny Wilson will accept nothing but perfection from himself."
I smiled, "Glad we hired him then. Gerry is going to shit when she sees the size of him. It's a good thing she's finished her masters and is working on her PHD too. I'll bet there will be some competition to see who finishes first.
Sue and I were on the patio, each with a beer, talking to the kids as they all kept coming to us to tell us of their day's accomplishments.
I was watching Danny and Manny when they did a double take at something. Huge Donny Wilson was coming through the patio door. He might be taller than I originally thought, as he had to duck to come in. The man appeared to have to turn sideways a little to get in as he was so broad. He would have to watch the fans as they might be at his head level. The twins exclaimed "Wow" in awe at the big man, then blushed and sheepishly looked around. Sue wagged a finger at him, but Danny just sat there mesmerized at how big someone can be.
The man was pretty sharp as he walked around the tables, making his way on the edge toward Sue and me sitting at the bar. He came right up to us and stuck his huge hand out, "All of your people assured me that you were sincere about people joining you guys after work and even for supper. You're my kind of folks."
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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...
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,...
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,...
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...
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 There was a noise in the room. I couldn’t place it right away, but I finally realized it was my cell phone that was still in my pants pocket. I moved over Tiani and Lena and hopped to my pants. I pulled the phone from the pocket, flipped it open, and said, “Johnson.” The voice was very dry, very curt, “We have a job for you. You need to be in DC in four hours.” I said, “Who are you?” The voice once again with a very curt response, “We have a job for you. Get in your plane and get...
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 When we woke up the next morning, I went up to the galley and made coffee. Up in the main salon, I opened the sliding door to a cacophony of birds in the nearby trees. I watched a turtle run down a log into the water, and even saw a set of eyes back in the mangroves looking for something to eat. Lisa brought me a mug of coffee and we sat out on the deck, looking around at the peaceful setting. A boat would come down or go up the river, but we were fairly obscured and someone would...
Steve I was awake around three in the morning, thinking about Chuck and Lisa. I watched them go through some really deep emotions yesterday. Every person who has gone through combat has experienced it. You hold it in and hold it in, experiencing the flashbacks and reliving the fear and adrenaline boost all over again, time and time again, whether in dreams at night or when something triggers it. Anyone who has every experienced it would have recognized that Chuck and Lisa were sitting on...
Steve It was already six thirty when I looked at the clock. Today was Saturday, but I could hear noises and people moving around in the kitchen. I did my bathroom stuff and walked out to find what looked like most of Chuck's household in the kitchen. Chuck and Lisa were peeling potatoes, some pregnant women were working with dough for some kind of treat, and Gina and Mesa were making some paper thin pancakes and wrapping them around cream cheese and fruit. I wanted to try one right then....
Chuck When I woke up between Nancy and Judy, I was surprised they were still sleeping next to me. The noise that woke me was building in volume. Two of the babies were awake and fussing because they wanted to be fed. As I was preparing to get up, both of the mothers got out of bed, changed the babies, looked around, and found me sitting on the edge of the bed. Nancy said, "We have to use the potty. Can you hold your daughters so we can go?" I just smiled and held the two tiny people in...
Chuck I awoke when the clock clicked over to five thirty. My internal clock was working as always. As I moved from between Lisa and Tina, Tina raised her head, "Do you have to get up so early? I don't have to go in until nine this morning." Lisa also woke up and told her, "The man is flying to his islands this morning with all of the investors and architects. I'm sure he's strung pretty tight this morning." Tina grinned at me and patted the bed, "Lie down here, Lover, and let me...
Chuck When I woke, it took me a second to get my bearings. We had been moving around so much lately it was difficult to remember where I was. The clock said it was only five fifteen, but I was wide awake and needed the bathroom. After the bathroom, I put my peg on and went into the kitchen to heat up some of yesterday's coffee in the microwave. With cup in hand, I walked out to the patio and it seemed as if the studio was calling me. I reached inside the patio door, took the studio keys,...
Chuck Oh my, I was really hurting this morning. I don't remember being hit that hard last night, but Jin must have gotten a couple blows through my defenses. I did use most of my body to counter his attack when I took Chin out of the spar. That's probably why I hurt. This isn't normal; this is the sign of old age or something. I was taught better than this and should be able to overcome simple bruises and minor sprains. As I moved from the bed, Lisa looked at me and smiled. I heard her...
Chuck The household went to the patio for breakfast. That morning, Lisa and I were taking off for the beginning of our tour of offices around the country. Our first stop was going to be in Seattle, an office that is both a regular U.S. Marshal's office, but also houses the Marshal for that area when he isn't in DC to fight for funding. After lots of hugs and kisses, and getting a big sack full of sandwiches from Julie, Lisa and I went home for our suitcases and weapons cases. We have...
Steve After thinking my aunt and cousin in Lakeland would enjoy watching Merlin at Sue's Blues, I went inside to get my cell phone to call the two. When my cousin answered, I happily greeted her, "Hey, Gail, how're you doing? This is Steve, your nearby cousin who never gets to see you." Gail was suspicious. "What did you call for? We don't talk but a couple of times a year. Do you need something?" I laughed. "Actually, I am calling to offer you something. A good friend of mine who...
Steve Breakfast had the usual menagerie of people. I did miss Tiny and Henry, along with Ruth and Nancy. There's something about having your family and close friends around in the morning to get your day started off good. When I spied Wanda and John, I went over to them, "Hey, Wanda, have you heard from Chuck?" Almost sadly, she said, "No, but I did hear that he had some kind of run in with some FBI guys but was instrumental in apprehending some homegrown U.S. terrorists and for...
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 As I came out of my fog this fine Monday morning, there was pressure on my hips and my ego was feeling pretty good. I lay there thinking Lisa, Julie, Taiying, Sing, or one of the boat or condo girls was getting some early morning pleasure from my now very firm, very excited pleasure injector. Lips touched mine, but I didn’t feel the hips shift forward for the horsey rider to be kissing me and I didn’t feel any breasts on my chest. As the kiss became more insistent I opened my eyes to...
Chuck Tuesday morning was the usual confusion, yet precision, of getting the little ones taken care of and ready to transport to the patio for breakfast. There, Lisa and I had coffee and spoke with everyone for a while. Steve and I gave Billy the go ahead on beginning our machine shop and school. Tiny said he would come up with an accountant to keep the new business on track. I thought my morning was going well until Mark came to me after breakfast and asked, "Can we get together for some...
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 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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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 Lisa and I landed in Key West for customs and immigration inspection on the way home. Julie asked about shopping the beach stores, but Lisa said we should pass on that and get home. Giovanni and Mesa didn't care one way or the other as they had never experienced the wild frenzy of Key West shops. Upon arriving in the airpark traffic pattern, I thought it was unusual for no one to be manning the radios. The ILS was up, but I was a little concerned that no one responded to my...
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 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...
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...
Steve It was after seven when I woke up to an empty bed. I was still sleepy, but got up to at least start the day with everyone. When I sat down and joined the regulars with a cup of coffee, Sue came over and kissed me good morning, "Morning, Sleepyhead. I know you didn't get back until after four, but it's unusual for you to sleep late." "If there was not so much to do today, I would just go back to sleep for a while," I said, looking around while hugging my wonderful wife. "I see...
Steve Perhaps things are getting back to normal, or for what may pass as normal lately, and that has been near chaos. Everyone at the shop that had some activity to report visited with me, until Ruth looked in on me and said, "Its lunch time, and Sue has called to make sure you come home. DeDe said you are scheduled for a flying lesson this afternoon too. What's that about? I thought you could fly already." "I can, Ruth, but I need to be checked out in the new aircraft, and I have to...
Steve I feel as if everything is going faster. Time was rushing by the closer it comes to the time for us to sail. When I woke up Monday morning, I felt a sense of urgency to get up, do something, prepare for something, to take care of last minute anything. Mercy hugged me and whispered, "Relax, everything is taken care of. You have wonderful people who will take care of everything while you're gone. They can call you anytime, and can even e-mail you with pictures or other information, if...
Steve I had slipped out of bed while the girls were all sleeping soundly. Sue raised her head, smiled at me, looked at the clock, and lay her head back down. While I was taking a quick shower, Kathy joined me and was very amorous this morning. It wasn't long before the shower degenerated into doing her while she leaned against the wall. When we both successfully and enjoyably completed our coupling, we clung to each other as the water rained on us. Kathy said, "This is nice. Sometimes I...
Steve Monday mornings are always fun. Everyone is getting started on a new week, with new energy, new ideas, and new motivation. My first task was to return a stack of non-urgent calls that had come in the previous Friday. The first was that the St. Louis cart plant was concerned their production was not keeping up with orders. The easy solution was to ship the extra production from Florida since the local plant was working at less than sixty percent capacity. I think the St. Louis plant...
Chuck For me to not sleep well means there is a crisis. I guess there were many crises going on. It was just after five, but I was wide awake, so I slipped from bed, used the bathroom, mounted my peg and went outside to relax by forming for a few minutes. I was concerned about getting the cash and gold down to Ben in Costa Rica. If I could get out of here with all of it, I could leave here and fly direct. I might have to pull some tricks in Costa Rica to get the stuff to a bank, but I...