Chapter 3

I talked to Kitten that evening, telling her I would be at the Helena airport about noon tomorrow. “Howard, I will meet you. You can use my car so you don’t have to rent one. A fellow worker goes by the ranch everyday and she will give me a ride if you need my car looking for work.

“I also have some news. Aunt Mary isn’t here right now. She left this morning and is with a man who runs a dude ranch. He uses the same winter quarters for his horses that Aunt Mary does. He invited her to spend Christmas with him at his ranch. Does this give you any ideas?”

“It certainly does.”

“You know I’m going to mount a full scale assault on your vows don’t you?”

“I expect you will. Sweetheart, rub your tummy tonight and let the little one know I’m on my way.”

“Hurry and you can rub it for me. I might even have you do it before we get out of the Airport.”

“I may just do that. See you in a few hours. I love you, Kitten.”

“I love you too, Howard.”

I came down from the room upstairs. Lorna was sitting in the kitchen by the door. “So this is it for us, Howard.”

“Yes, and I’ll tell you one more thing. I’m not coming back here. Henry thinks I’ll be looking for a job in a business he can buy, but I’m not going to. I’m going to find a job that will support me and I’m going to start a family and be just like a million other guys in a nine to five job who goes to work, comes home meeting his kids at the door and snuggle up to the wife every night. What are you going to do?”

“I was sitting here thinking about that. Tell me Howard, am I pretty enough to be arm candy for some older rich man?”

“Married or Mistress?”

“It doesn’t really matter. It probably will be as a Mistress, because I’ll have more freedom to live my life the way I want to.”

“Lorna, I’m sorry I can’t help you by giving you more from being married. Do you have enough to set yourself up?”

“If I can live here, I can. It shouldn’t take more than a year.”

“I’ll give you that much time before I ask you to move. That’s a promise.”

“Thank you, that’s all I need.”

I looked at my watch. “I have to go.” I opened my arms for a goodbye hug. This time Lorna let me kiss her. “Be well, Lorna. No regrets about having you for my wife, either.”

“Howard, give my love to Kit.”

“I will.”

Kitten was standing just outside the baggage area waiting for me. She came up to me and took my hand and put it on her tummy. I rubbed it and then hugged and kissed her. I looked around and everyone was intent on their own business. I was rubbing the baby bump through her coat. Soon my hand went down below the bump and I forced it between her slack covered legs. Her eyes opened, surprised. “Howard, what are you doing? Someone will see.”

“Sweetheart, you said you were going to assault me. I wanted to get my licks in first.”

“Two can play this game.”

Her mitten covered hands tried to grasp me, but between my heavy pants and her mittens she couldn’t find what she searching for. “I’ll wait only because I have to. How come you are so bold and what happened to your vows?”

“Let’s get into your car, its cold out here. I thought there would be an awful lot more snow.”

“Not always. There is usually more wind, but some years there isn’t that much snow. This is one of them, but then winter has just started. Before we go home, do you want to drive by the office where I work?”

“Sure, can we stop at a store before we leave the city?”

“What kind of store?”

“A jewelry store. I want to buy you a ring. It won’t be very expensive, but I want to give you one and I don’t know your size.”

“You don’t have to. But if you think it necessary, I know just the one I want. Oh, this so exciting.”

We went into the city and Kitten gave me direction. We were almost by a large office building when Kitten said, “That’s where I work. It’s on the third floor. I do data entry and it is pretty boring, but it has kept the wolf from the door.” We turned right onto a street that had shops along it. “Pull to the curb, there’s room to park.”

“Hello again, Mrs. Prentice. Is this your husband?”

“Yes. He promised he would make it by Christmas so I can have the ring I picked out. You do remember which one I wanted don’t you?”

“Of, course we never forget a prospective customer.” The clerk reached under the counter and brought out a small tray of rings that had tags on them. He extracted a gold ring that had small grooves going around the ring on each side. The grooves were filled with different colored enamel.

“Kitten, are you sure you don’t want a diamond ring or with at least a cubic zircon stone?”

“No, this is what I picked out to wear even if you didn’t buy me one.”

The clerk explained that this was 14k gold and the enamel was guaranteed to never crack or fall out. The price was $109.00. Kitten proudly said she would wear it and put it on. “Let’s go home, Howard.”

When we were in the car and pulling into traffic, I said, “Mrs. Prentice?”

“Howard, it was only a little fib and I’ve considered I was your wife ever since I found out I was pregnant. I just didn’t tell you, that’s all. I’ll remind you I was in your bed when you consummated your marriage and you would have sworn to that.”

I laughed out loud. “There has been a terrible amount of splitting hairs over my marriage. My ex, your father, and your mother still are not aware we are going to have a child together. And now I find out I have two sisters who are going by the name of Mrs. Prentice. And me, I’m as good as single.”

“Howard, don’t say that, it hurts me too much.”

“I’m sorry Kitten; I didn’t mean to hurt you. We will be married just as soon as I really am single. I’ll also make it up to you tonight.”

“Does that mean there are no more vows to keep you from making me happy?”

“It certainly does.”

When we reached the ranch, there were two horses to feed and to make sure their water wasn’t frozen. Kitten put a casserole into the oven. She sat across the table after we had eaten and just stared at me. “Howard, I feel as if my life has just begun. I’m hoping you will make love to me tonight.”

“I’m going to and every night when I’m home. I’m glad Mary isn’t here. I was afraid she wanted me to make love to her as well as you. She got worked up watching us play around when I was here the first of the month.”

“She did want you to and I told her she could, but I would have hated it if you had.”

“I’m not that insensitive. I like her, but I love you. Is this guy she is with good for her?”

“You would think so to see them together. He is pleasing her, I know that. He is a widower. Luck was with both of them when they met down south a week ago. He has a lodge and is opening it for Christmas for the people who work for him. I suspect he and Mary will spend most of their time in bed. Oh, I have the week off for vacation the week between Christmas and New Years.

“We’ll do the same. They have nothing on us.”

“What happened to the vows you weren’t going to break?”

“I can say my going to bed with you is a gift from Lorna. Lorna claimed she wasn’t going to be celibate and I was foolish if I didn’t make love to you if you were willing. You’ve given me a taste and I want a whole meal.”

“It’s dark.”

“I know, but it isn’t six o’clock yet.”

“It will be by the time we get to bed.” Kitten and I had three weeks to fulfill a our desire as any married couple would, knowing the last few weeks it had to be put on hold before the little one came. Kitten was now 30 weeks into her gestation. She had been advised not to have sex the last four weeks before birthing the baby. One thing, Kitten’s health was great and as active as she had been she hadn’t gained that much extra weight. The doctor thought the baby would have a normal birth.

We didn’t deny ourselves. If we felt like having sex we headed for a place to act on it. Aunt Mary called Sunday to make sure I had got here okay. “I’d have called last night, but I was busy. Are you having any trouble restraining yourself?”

“Who is restraining whom? Nobody like that lives here. Kitten and I are in a full relationship. We are engaged after all.”

“You grew some balls, I take it?”

“I didn’t have to. I didn’t want to have sex in front of you when I was here last time. I’m shy, you know.”

Mary let out a hoot and said. “Bullshit.” She talked for a half hour with Kitten. I heard one side of the conversation and it made me blush. I wish I was performing the way Kitten bragged about how good I was. ———————————

I had three days before Christmas next week to look for work. I dropped Kitten at her office and headed to the unemployment office to see what was available. The State of Montana had a job that called for an engineer in the Water Environmental Department. It would demand some traveling. It was collecting samples and doing the testing on them and it sounded boring. The Employment office urged me to leave my name and to send a resume to the state. I asked what there was for manufacturing concerns nearby. I got a list of these and would investigate what was produced.

I met Kitten for lunch and we ate in the car. We got each of us going during the short time we had and it would take hours to calm us down this evening. I looked at different business websites on my laptop after she went inside to work. I couldn’t find anything that interested me. I then looked at social media. Henry had belonged to “Linkedin” and had sometimes searched for help on the site. I used Henry’s connection and scrolled down through the people who were on the pages.

I almost missed one that held some interest. There was a young man’s image and it had just one line in his description (Prototype Construction 3D Printer Application.) There was an email address listed. I had no idea where this business was located. It could be anywhere.

I’d give him a shot. I wrote an email requesting more information and the location of the business and had it to be returned to my email address. I almost forgot to state that I was at present living in the upper mid west area of the United States. I figured it might be days before I would get an answer and maybe not even then.

I went back to scrolling down the Linkedin postings. Nothing more caught my eye. An hour later I went back to my inbox and there was and an answer to my request for information. The business was right here in Helena and according to the GPS about eighteen minutes away from where I was sitting in my vehicle. There was a phone number. I called the phone number given and was invited to look over the facility as soon as I could arrive if still interested. I couldn’t believe this. I checked the time and figured I could give the interview at least an hour before I had to pick up Kitten from work.

I found the address and drove up to a cement block building with the sign J B Enterprises on the end. There looked to be a small loading dock down on the far end. I counted seven cars parked near the building, just far away enough so snow could slide off the metal roof without hitting them. I walked through the door and a man about my age walked up to me. “Hi, I’m John Becker, are you Howard Prentice?”

“That’s correct. I called a short while ago. I’m moving out here from the east and looking for work. I saw you on Linkedin.”

“Yes, well are you familiar with how to make and generate prototypes?”

“Yes I am. I have been making these for the factory where I’m now employed.”

“What is it your company produces?”

“Our bread and butter are tools. They are basically knock-off Sears tools. That may sound cheap, but our products are tested at certified Independent Laboratories and our record is fully as good as the better known brand. A lot of companies like to have their own logo on the tools they sell. We don’t do much advertising but our tools are used in several countries. I, myself work on making and upgrading designs for high-end small medical tools used in hospital emergency and operating rooms.”

“That sounds pretty impressive. What systems do you use?”

“I use a CAD (Computer Aided Design) application to create the files and 3D printers to manufacture the prototypes. These are used right in our own factory where the tools are made.”

“You seem to be up on what we do here. If you are from the east, why are you out here in Helena?”

“A woman. I’m getting divorced from one woman and just waiting for the final decree. My ex-wife’s sister lives here and I’m staying at her aunt’s small ranch. The divorce wasn’t terribly contentious and we decided to part without recrimination, so here I am and still a part of the family.”

“You aren’t employed now?”

“Yes, I’m still employed. My father-in-law owns the company I work for and he is keeping me on his payroll and will continue until I decide to return or find other work. He also is at a crossroad. If I don’t return, he may sell the company and retire, although he is barely fifty years old and in good health.”

“That seems strange.”

“Not really. He is talking about selling and setting his wife up in a restaurant business. He has made his pile since starting the factory and it got too big for one person to handle. I was going to be part of it when I married his oldest daughter. I just don’t want to continue living in the same city where I would be running into my ex-wife.”

“I guess I can understand that. Won’t it be quite a comedown to begin over again by working in a small place such as this?”

“No, not at all. Oh, I would like a good pay check and all, but I have no urge to become a big executive in a fast paced environment. I like the seven to four hours and after that be free until the next morning at seven again. My father-in-law had me working well into the evenings more days than not. I will say he was right there every day with me. It did cause some trouble with my wife and me.”

“God, I’d like a chance to grow into something like that. I thought when I started this business orders would be coming in the door and I’d grow by leaps and bounds. It was good at first but the technology is growing so fast and the printers required to keep up are too costly. Oh, I’m not going broke and I pay well, but there is a lot of business I could go after. The machines here cost from $100 to $1,200. Then you can get into the more completed machines that costs more that will do just about everything.

“I began this business and everyone who works here makes a decent living, and that’s okay for the ones who are satisfied with a paycheck, I want more. I want a fast car and a big house and a beautiful wife. I want money enough to send my kids to college without having to borrow. I’d like to join a country club where I can relax.”

“That sounds like my father-in-law.” I looked at my watch and asked, “Do you have any openings. I have to leave to pick up my ex-sister-in-law soon. Are you going to be busy tomorrow so I can come back and visit? I’d like to see your whole operation.”

“I have one machine idle right now without an operator. Sure, come back we open at eight.”

“I’ll see you a little after that. I’ll be coming into town.” I picked up Kitten. She backed into the car. I was standing by the door to close it for her. I had noticed she had trouble reaching for it; the baby bump and all.

“What did you do today?”

“I went looking for work. I found one job working for the state. They need an engineer in the state water resource agency. The top pay is about what I am making now. I know I can’t ask for that, but the upside isn’t going to change and I don’t know as I want to work for that amount the rest of my life. Besides it looks like a very boring job.”

“Well, don’t take it then. Did you find anything else?”

“I’m going back to visit another business in the morning. It is about the same as what I do for your father. But I don’t know ... fact is I don’t know if there are any prospects there. The owner is willing to talk to me so I’m going by in the morning. I’ve only been looking one day, so I’m not discouraged yet. If I don’t find anything, I’ll take you east to live. I can ask Lorna to move out of the house.”

“Forget that for now. Would you do the chores in the barn tonight? I want to make you a wonderful supper.”

“Kitten, anything else on your mind?”

“You do have to pay for this wonderful supper. I’ll think of something.”

“One more day after today and its Christmas Eve. Maybe we should go shopping tomorrow or even this evening. The stores are all open.”

“Sweetheart, I don’t need anything.”

“Howard, do you have any money? I could lend you some.”

“I have enough to buy you something and I suppose I should buy Aunt Mary something.”

“Aunt Mary won’t be home until Sunday. Let’s wait until Thursday to shop. We can pick up some deals since it is Christmas Eve.”

I had never been as comfortable with any person as I was with Kitten. I know we were early in our relationship, but then she had loved me for years according to what she had told me. Myself, I was looking to be happy and this is the first time since my parents passed away that I was.

We sat relaxing after the dishes were put away. Kitten told me how sad she was when I asked Lorna to be my wife. That was why she moved out here with her aunt. She resisted going to my wedding, but Henry threatened Kit with cutting her off entirely if she didn’t come and support Lorna. She resisted past the time when she naturally would be asked to be part of the wedding party and then came unannounced.

She had no intention of crawling into bed with me, but when she saw Lorna go into my old room with her lover and I needed help after falling off the couch she wanted to be close to me. I just never came fully awake and she seized on the moment. “I have never regretted getting pregnant either. The baby was made with love because you thought you were making love to your wife.”

Tonight we went to sleep snuggled in the same position in bed as we did when the baby was conceived. I was certain that Kitten would still be there when I awoke at daylight this time.

I arrived at John Becker’s business at eight-thirty. There were only four cars parked next to the building. The newest was a Lexus. That had to be Becker’s. Inside, John met me, and I questioned, “Didn’t need a full crew today?”

“I do, the others are not here yet. The rest of the gang will be here by nine. That’s one problem of starting a business with a bunch of friends. You make rules, but they aren’t always kept. I think a lot of my friends and hate to lose one so I let them slide. The three that are here are married and need more money because they’ve bought a home or a car and need to pay for them. The rest of the guys are all single and party a lot. If it was different and if we weren’t friends, I would insist on them keeping regular hours.

John grinned at me, “Howard, if I hire you, which group would you naturally side with?”

“I’d be here and working long before this. Doesn’t that upset those that arrive early and those that don’t, cause friction?”

“Not really, we were all friends to start with. All will be getting married someday and will need more income so they would join those who show up on time. That would include me. I came in early because you said you would be here.”

“Do you mind, or would the ones working mind if I looked over their shoulders while working?”

“Have at it, I told them someone might be in. Walk around and examine the machines and the work in progress. If I hire you, the printer, the last one in line on the right bank would be the one you would be operating.”

I walked slowly down the aisle. Behind two stations that had a worker at the desk. They were intent. One of them was at a laptop and was drawing a schematic in 3D. There was a paper file they were working from that held the data they were using, drawing that on the laptop as an image. I walked on to the next occupied desk and this man was standing watching the printer create a solid object made of plastic. He was as intent as the previous operator.

The printers, seven of them, were fairly basic and on the low end cost wise. The man looked at me. “Hi, saw you around here yesterday.”

“Yeah, I was interested in the operation. I’m out here from the east. I may move and will need a job.”

“Well, you won’t get rich here. John takes his cut as we agreed to when we set this up. He promised we’d be so busy we’d make a lot of money. It’s been two years and I haven’t seen any great amount yet. I’ve got a kid on the way too and jobs aren’t too plentiful.”

“I know; I’ve been looking around. What’s your name?”

“Rick Hammond.”

“Are the wages your only complaint?”

“Hell, that’s the least one. John’s no executive. If one of these printers breaks down, we have to send for parts and repair them our selves. Orders aren’t too plentiful either. The guys that aren’t in yet make almost as much as we who are here on time do.” Rick shook his head. I’d say moral wasn’t that high here either.

There was thrice as much empty space before coming to the loading dock as the eight stations. On the way back to the office, I noticed a reject bin under the work area. The stations that didn’t have anyone there at their machines had three and four rejects. I passed one more operator and his bin was empty. I guess the overall quality needed attention as well.

John was sitting, down drinking coffee. “What do you think, ready to go to work?”

“Not decided yet. It won’t happen until after the first of the year.”

“Yeah, the whole place is off for the Christmas Holiday. We’re knocking off tomorrow night until the fourth of January. Everyone will be in that day because it gets pretty lean around here this time of year.”

“That’s too bad. It should be a happy time of year. So what is this operation worth?”

“I’ve never figured it up but it ought to be worth a couple hundred thousand wouldn’t you say? There’s the building, land, the machines, and the business name. There’s about $10,000 in receivables.”

“What about money owed?”

“Yeah, well there is some.”

“How much?”

“Can’t tell you unless you want to buy me out.”

“More than the receivables?”

“Yeah, some.”

“What about taxes? You know federal, state, property, and workman’s comp.”

“I may be a little behind on those.”

“It sounds like you’re damned near bankrupt to me.”

“I’m looking into it.” I walked over and got a cup. It was dirty, so I rinsed it from the wash basin used as a sink. I poured myself a cup of coffee. John asked, “Are you going to tell the guys?”

“No, I’m thinking this is a hell of a way to treat your friends, though.”

“Hell, don’t you think I know it is?” Becker’s face was a grey color.

“John, how can I help you out of this?”

“If you got any money, you could buy me out. You told me you knew the operation and you might keep my friends employed. I do have enough orders to keep the business going almost through February. More should come in by then. Being honest, it will be enough for the payroll and catch up on some of the taxes, but wouldn’t pay you a wage.”

“Why don’t you spend the day listing what you owe and I do mean everything. List what the projected income comes to on the orders that you have. Is there a mortgage on the property?”

“No, the bank wouldn’t give me a mortgage. I tried to get squared away using the building for collateral back in November. I was hoping the business would last through the year and I almost made it. If I had gotten the mortgage it was going to be enough for a Christmas bonus of three hundred dollars for each of my friends.”

“What amount were you asking for at the bank?”

“$67,000. I think I owe $59,000, but I needed two new printers. The supply houses I purchase supplies from have shut me off until I pay for what they have billed already. I’m in a bind with no way out.”

“What would it take to buy you out? That would be everything, including the land, building, equipment, debits, and receivables?”

“Christ, I have no idea. There are three acres of land and the building is in good shape.”

“Yes, and you are technically bankrupt. Your guys would be out of work and if the business went into receivership, it probably would be something not worth saving. The land would be auctioned off and that might cover some of your bills, but I suspect not all. You’d still be on the hook to some of your creditors and the government would be on your ass and you’d still be owing money. Either way this will be a fire sale if I purchase the property and the business.

“I tell you what I’ll do. You have your accountant certify what you say is owed, I’ll furnish money for the bills and after they are marked paid I’ll also want the deed to the land warranted. I’ll give you $10,000 over what it takes to clean the transaction up.

“In the meantime I’ll be out seeing if I can get the funds to buy you out. Can you get me the figures by four this afternoon?” John was looking sicker than he had been an hour ago

“Yes, I think so.”

“Good, I’ll be back then. It would be great if we could get this finished up before the first of the year. We have three days next week to work on this. I’m going to see if I can engage an attorney to make sure everything has been addressed.’

“I’ll get right to work on it and I’ll have hopes of getting a good night’s sleep again soon. Do your damndest to make this happen.”

“John, be sure I will.”

I called Henry on my cell, “Henry, how are you doing?”

“Hey, things are going great. I’ve got Mable right where I want her. ‘course I had to give up a little, but it is working out okay. How are Mary and Kittery?”

“I haven’t seen Mary. She has connected up with a dude ranch owner who is putting on a spread for the holidays. I don’t even know where his ranch is located. I’m helping Kitten out though. I’m shoveling horse shit from the two beasts that are here for the winter.”

“That sounds like fun. How is Kittery?”

“She’s fine. She works and I’m using her car while she’s there. Do you hear from Lorna?”

“Yeah, you weren’t gone an hour when she got a phone call from some man with two kids whose wife just died. Guess there was a fire at his house and the woman died saving her kids. I think the guy was at your wedding. His name is Peters. Anyway she moved them right into your house. Good thing you two are divorced. Did you call about anything special?”

“I did, Henry. How is your credit line?”

“I haven’t used it this year. You need money and how much?”

“Don’t know for sure, but upwards of $100,000. I ran onto a little business that is about bankrupt. There is a solid building on three acres of land. It has six pretty solid workers. Seven friends got together to start this, but none of them knew anything about business. The work is about what I was doing at the factory with 3 D printers and a CAD design application and they are concentrating on making prototypes.

“That’s good, but they’ve done nothing to keep the printers busy. They should be producing some of the things that they are building prototypes for. All six men have laptops and the designs could be done on one with another for backup. When each operator is building the prototype, he stands there idle at the printer until it is all finished. If they were producing product and had better machines, one operator could produce hundreds of pieces a day besides a few prototypes. You know this, you’ve seen me work.”

“I have.”

“They have seven small printers, but there is room for at least an assembly line of three dozen or more. The business has already been permitted to expand within the building, but the owner gave up even thinking about that after the first year. The building has a dock and room for shipping. So Henry, I’ll mortgage my house against $100,000. My house is worth at least $400,000.”

“How do you want me to get the money to you?”

“I don’t have a bank account yet, but I’m sure Kitten has a checking account. I’ll get her to arrange to have the money wired to her account and she can write checks for me.”

“Call me when you want it sent. You didn’t say how you and she are getting along?”

“I didn’t, but we’re fine. She loves having me here now that Aunt Mary is shacking up somewhere else. I haven’t heard you cuss out Mable and call her a slut; some different than a few days ago. Tell me about you and her?”

“I told you about getting her to work and keeping her occupied so she wouldn’t be out screwing someone else? I’m buying the restaurant I mentioned and told Mable to get in there and go to work. Right after the first of the year she has Carte Blanche to renovate and upgrade everything. It will take a month after that before it reopens, but it is going to be something. So far she is doing everything I tell her to.

“Is she still at home with you?”

“I’ll say. I am training her to do just what I want, when I want, and how much I want. There is one drawback though. When she gets that kitchen up and running, I won’t be allowed through the door. I agreed to that in a weak moment. What we men won’t do for a good piece and I guess she has become damned experienced with all her running around.