Chapter 36 : A Hot Time in Miami

(Sunday, Morning.)

I called Marcus and asked if he was ready to meet with me. I advised him to pack up his room, and leave his suitcases with-in easy reach of the door. Cathy answered the door knowing that Melody was also coming. The women were pow wowing in the bedroom. My dad just opened the door and walked in along with a few of my Uncles and a few of the PI team members. Most brought their own chairs, just before we started our little sit down, the girls all came out of the room.

"Were going to Grama's room to meet up before we go, and yes we will not be without the teams watching us to quote Grama, 'That ain't no ass-whipping I am setting myself up for trying to prove we ain't happen proof.' Grama went on to say Granddad is very protective, and Grama said. "We long since got it understood who wears the pants between us, I may act in-charge and what not, but when I pay the price I have been known to have to pay between us, none of you youngins are no where around to see any of it. I'm damn sure proud of 50 plus years on the job and counting, beat that!" As they opened the door to leave my Granddads were there waiting for the door to open. "Better hot-foot it down to the room they debating loudly were they want to go first." Was heard in stereo followed by laughter. After the Granddads said what they said. My young girls didn't need to be told twice, as they vanished down the hall very fast. We could hear them pounding on the door so their choices could be heard.

We laughed for a good few minutes after hearing those women bickering in the hallway where to go first to give away money to. My mom's dad made the simple mistake of giggling. "And just what the fuck do you think is so damned funny?! I thought you simpletons known as the men in this family had so much men shit planned. It's not to late to watch of us women." Grama said. Granddad said he as was moving before her mouth stopped moving. "Man them women are pitiful when they commence to shopping. They are completely unpredictable when they start all that shopping shit. I feel for the men watching over them. Those men deserve hazard pay, plus endurance behind enemy lines bonuses." Granddad said.

Though Granddaddy said it jokingly we all knew he was very serious too. And the not so subtle, or small hint he was bluntly dropping had not gone unnoticed by any of us.

As I wanted to get done with the Marcus situation I got done to the heart of the matter. "Help me here Marcus your partners made off with all your financial support, calmly telling you they will be back, and to hold down the fort. Is this correct?" I asked. "Yes that about sums it up they took most of the money promising to return after two weeks, knowing with the cash flow situation and this protection gig would make payroll but not leave me a way out." Marcus said. "You gave me a rushed list of assets yesterday I will buy all your assets at cost paid to you today." I said.

"Think about your staff, and bring only your very best and my PI Team will sign you and them up with you as their direct supervisor. Anyone you don't bring along lay them off. Give them their final checks, along with whatever would amount to two weeks of pay. And advise them the office will be closed for the next weeks and give them the partner's personal numbers to contact about any new work at that point. Let us know any and all bills due by that office for this month and we will cover it even if it is an estimate. Then I want you to type up your letter of resignation to the firm with with a notarized letter stating you are leaving after paying all the bills and expect no further reimbursements from the firm and wish them luck in their future successes. Lock the door completely securing the location, and mail any and all keys return receipt and forget you ever worked there." I said.

Well Mr. Mason you should know I was the go getter drumming up new business thus the business well be crippled." Marcus said. "First of all my name is Teddy Mason Mr. Mason is my dad or his dad. I answer to Teddy, if you screw up thinking I am not the boss plenty of people around here will bring it into sharp focus to you, namely Pam. And yes I am afraid of her even though she is one of my women, and I ain't ashamed to say that I am scared of the woman, or that I sleep with her or that she is carrying my child. As far as the old firm you used to work for, their new business concerns is covered under their personal problem, not yours or mine. I would like for you to is just do what you normally do. But understand me fully on this matter about your old business YOUR WIFE and her SPANKING BRAND NEW BOYFRIEND are in this in this SHIT STORM that they caused ANYWAY YOU CAN POSSIBLY HELP TRUE LOVE BLOSSOM by making them regret their treatment of you by your old partners won't hurt my feelings in anyway." I said. "Just how bad you make them hurt personally is not my business either. If their business interests are hurt or are damaged in anyway is not my problem. Client lost is always a part of any business. Ok Marcus you job today when not doing the you job you contracted to do is to closeout your old job. Walt and Sam will be working with you, and seeing how our PI Team works." I said.

Marcus left with the PI Teams to do their jobs. Before we could start the trash talking of the day Uncle James asked to be heard. So we knew this was a serious situation as most of us knew about his wife's afternoon. "Ted as we talked about before about the fact my career in the Army was coming to an end, I had wanted to be based out of 'Naptown'. Well after this weekends little drama I want to return to Grand Rapids permanently very ALONE. I want to legaly separate myself from Margo set her up financially, completely payoff the house plus pay her $1,000 a month and quietly walk away from both her and young James. By paying her a monthly payment I am hoping for 2-3 months before she figures out I have no plans to return to her. I don't knowingly or willingly share my woman or in the case my wife's pussy knowingly with other men. So unbeknownst to Margo I am going to get her to sign a few papers down at the bank, and then set her down to talk so she understands my plan for my new job." said Uncle James.

"Now the plan I will be showing her this week, and the one she signs off on and what she comes to understand later on are two entirely different plans. My plan is to return to Grand Rapids alone leaving Margo and Jimmy in Indianapolis in 4 years Jimmy will be grown and Margo will by that time I hope found someone else to scratch her itches. I know I intend to move on and nothing she says will change that. I don't want any child visitation either. I know Margo if she gets Jimmy up here she won't want him back. She likes to let him have his way, but with no me there to put the fear of a foot up his ass they will be at each others throats before the end of the school year." Uncle James said.

Margo did everything she could to spoil the boy including fighting me when I tried to show Jimmy his stupidity was going to be his downfall. Paying her $1,000 a month, and giving Margo most of my ready cash, a house I never care that much for in the first place, and paid up 4 years worth of tax money on said house is a cheap way out for me. Uncle James said.

Dad looked at the Granddads before saying. "James you are more than welcome to come home and work based out of Grand Rapids I have an in with the higher ups. I want you to go out on the road to get your head right for at least 6-8 weeks. When you get back and are a assigned your own truck I will share my milk run with you. (A milk run is a dedicated route where you go to the same places everyday as needed per the needs of the route. Top drivers get the best routes. And as Ted is one of the top of the drivers. But Teddy's new needs are making it hard for Ted to keep the route.) So you are really only working a few days a week unless you want run a day cab truck making local deliveries a couple days a week but you will be off all weekends. You are a Mason so don't worry about the pay you are covered. But it is best not to discuss pay outside the family as Teddy will be adding to your pay if I know your Nephew." My dad said.

My Uncle looked visibly relived that he getting family help in his time of need. With the Marcus and James business out of the way the trash talking about the game began in full shit mode with side bets being whispered around the room while I was allowed to bet in anyway I was charged with writing down and holding everybody else's money's or the terms of the bets as so folks were being to wear clothes they didn't want to be seen in for pictures also. Along several wax jobs to painting of trim on houses. (People laughed at the paint bets as we tended to help with these jobs anyway as the homeowners turned it into a family BBQ.) "So how is this painting shit a bet? You know we treat that as a family party, you two are such wimps!" My Granddad said laughing.

"The loser has to buy the paint and do the work all by himself." My Uncle said. This caused the whole room to begin laughing very hard. "Boy neither one of you can pour paint out of the can by yourselves, and to be truthful but blunt. Neither of you can paint worth a tinkers's damn! The only way your little bet has any chance of getting past the women in this family is if J.P. and I agree to supervise this shit." Granddad on dad's side said. "Wait a minute why the fuck would I volunteer to watch these two non-painting motherfuckers?! Hell they are likely to get more paint on each other the painted properly on the house." Granddad on my mom's side asked. Dad's dad said we will turn it into a BBQ and finally teach the the wish I knew how to paint and they have to do grunt work at other family homes to pay for these lessons." Dad's dad said.

"But that is for later on this weekend is about ass-whipping, Teddy since you can't bet with us as all the women would frown such fun saying we took advantage you just make sure we all have a smile on our faces when your Cowboy get the whipping they got coming. And don't make me have to remind you either." Mom's dad stated.

"So what do I get when the Cowboys win?" I asked. "The knowledge that we were wrong, something you may never see. But in fairness we will take a more active roll if helping you with your woman skills to help you not to step on your dick as you are out numbered at your house." my dad said.

"Sounds like I get nothing tangible out of this deal I feel cheated." I pouted. "Don't feel that way you get the wealth of all of our vast knowledge of what not to do to keep harmony at your house." Dad laughed hard after he said that. I just looked at him like you got to be kidding me. "Teddy you have way to much money to bet with us If we ask you for anything you will give it to us with-in reason. But what you don't know is that we menfolk were dressed down about teaching you, not to bet. Life amongst our women won't be to cool if we corrupt you too fast. They saw how you went car crazy on them. And we all know no company on the planet is safe from you anymore. All the women both yours and ours don't want you to grow up in the mind too fast as they want you to stay their young Teddy as long as possible." My dad said.

At that point every male in the room myself included knew the who and the why case closed. These men were are so in-charge were simply CYAing themselves. (Covering your own ass.) Some much for who wears really the pants around here.

We did a little sight-seeing, followed by a big lunch. At lunch we were approached by a group of men who said they had spent the better part of this weekend trying to find us. "You don't know me but my name is Jeremy Wendell I have a group of investors headed by Weststar Oil Co. that would like to offer you a Billion dollars because we want to buy controlling interest in your company. We will pay market share price for all we buy." Jeremy Wendall stated to me. "Well Mr. Wendell my company is not for sale, thank you for your offer." I said. Look Teddy this company is a headache to you, let us take it off of your hands that way you can concentrate on your budding basketball career." Wendall said.

"First of all until further notice everyman in this room is named Mr. Mason even if his last name ain't Mason. I did not extend the courtesy for you to address me as Teddy as you are not in my family, SO TO YOU my name is THEODORE DANIEL MASON JUNIOR. So for the few very short minutes we will be doing business address me by my name Mr. Mason only. And every man in this room including your flunkies know my business is worth in the Billions why would I sell to you at such ridiculously low number? I am personally worth much more than a Billion Dollars right now!" I said. Because if you don't we will cripple your company until you do sellout to us. We are working to control several key operations to force you into positions we want, until selling becomes something you will be more interested in doing." Wendell said.

"I hope you have heard of letting sleeping dawgs alone? Sadly you have not. Mr. Wendell I learned a new saying recently it goes like this 'IT TAKES BRAINS TO KNOW WHEN IT IS TIME TO BE SCARED.' I walked right up to him towering over him so there was no mistaking who was in-control of this meeting they forced on me. 'AND SINCE I CAN SEE BRAINS ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY AROUND HERE, NOW IS THE TIME TO BE SCARED!'My company is most likely more valuable than all of your investors combined, and a cashflow plus a line of credit you can't touch impede or cut off. None of your pockets are deep enough to swim in the deep water that you are dragging Weststar and your investment group into." I said.

"But come in the morning we will be filling with the SEC as the MasonGroup will be looking to acquire any and all companies involved in this plot. That will become job #1 around the office and you my friend are job #2 I intend to have your ass in my briefcase in less than a week. And you can bet on that. You are going to wish had never started this. You keep this business to business we will do the same. You go near my family in anyway, and it will become personal you most likely will die before it is over and I will work to destroy, ruin, and of demolish you and all your investors. And I won't care if you and yours are out turning tricks in the street to make ends meet. So go back to your office look around at your beautiful office you are about to lose. Good day to you sir." I said. And we all left for the stadium to enjoy the rest of our time in Miami.

The game was going the way I had hoped and one little fluke play by #78 of the Cowboys and the game turned the Steelers went on to win the game. Man I knew that plane ride home was going to be painful, hell they were squeezing my shoes already. I couldn't wait to board the plane which I was trying to sleep as soon as I got there only both bedrooms were taking over be several pregnant mommies of both dad and myself. So I was chair bound like everyone else exposing me to more shoe squeezing. The Miami weather was a treat to those of us from Michigan. The game was great no matter how it ended, but the weekend as a whole was one fuckup after another. Ending with these rich idiots thinking they had the right and or the money to try to takeover the MasonGroup.