Chapter 11

After we hung up, I called a family meeting to let them know about the Forbes Magazine article. It was coming out at a good time since school was almost over for the year and I’d be traveling all over the world working on tournaments.

Gloria was a quick study and learned the game of poker rather quickly as statistics were given out and position at the table compared to the dealer or an aggressive player should influence your strategy. She was going to stay at the house to work all summer. Mark and Katie would be there for summer classes and would be taking a short vacation when classes were out.

One night, I walked into the bedroom and Gloria was on the bed with Patty. They were both naked and Patty was playing with a butt plug in her pet. They got quiet when I walked in so I asked what they were talking about. Patty replied, “We were talking about how much money you were worth and how kind and down to earth you are. If you didn’t live in this huge house, most people would think you were just another upper middle class kid.”

I turned to Gloria and asked her about her life growing up. She got quiet and then settled herself. “Jack, my family moved here to the states from Puerto Rico. My parents didn’t read, write, or speak English. They learned to speak it but it was very hard for them. We were very poor and lived out in the country. My father was a mechanic and worked on equipment that was used in orange groves. He was a good mechanic but it is hard on the hands and on your body. He aged a lot in just a few short years. My mother cleaned houses. I’d help her out on weekends. I learned to read and write but we couldn’t afford books so I would walk to the library. I’d read in the library but it was during those two-mile walks to and from the library that my mind would create its own fantasies.

“There were plenty of books to read and I could be whoever I set my mind to be. I’d read a couple books a day. I’d also help around the library and when I was old enough, they gave me my first job. It was mostly out of pity but I did work hard to earn the money that I made. I set up the summer reading program for the kids. As I got older I was given a lot of research projects and set up a genealogy program for the library.

“I got a scholarship for college. It was more like a grant because of our family’s income. My parents passed away one night when the heater they were using in the trailer went out somehow but the gas kept flowing. They were basically poisoned to death since they never woke up. I was a shy girl with crooked teeth. I almost never smiled and held my hand in front of my mouth when I did.

“After college, I had a degree in library sciences and was a librarian at the main branch in Jacksonville. My home was a little apartment over a lady’s garage, I had a shit box car but I was the first one in my family to have a college education. My first major expenditure went to the orthodontist and at age twenty-two, I had braces put on. The braces came off a few weeks before I went to Vegas and met you. You and Patty have changed my life. I feel like the real me when I’m with you two.”

She got cuddled all night after that. I knew Patty’s story about her father getting her mom pregnant and then leaving town never to return. They weren’t married and Patty’s mom raised her on food stamps and charity. She was a drunk and Patty had to practically raise herself. She would walk to practices and she didn’t have any video games to sit around and play. She knows that she is who she is because of all she’s been through so she doesn’t get mad or feel like she’s owed something. She likes who she’s become.

The Forbes article came out during finals week and we almost slipped out of town before the last event took place. Another call from Mom let me know that she’d been contacted by some women’s magazine that named me as one of the top eligible bachelors in the country and they wanted to interview me.

I told her that I’d be on the road and Darcy or someone would have my schedule since they were always telling me where to go. I still had a couple of years of college and wasn’t looking for a wife so I didn’t see any point in the article but Mom said it was better to talk to them and be misquoted than to have them just make stuff up.

Patty and I flew to Vegas for a meeting with the team and the US tournaments were all set up with every event booked out. There was still a scramble going on to get everything arranged. Europe was made up of countries and not states so travel between each country with the equipment was a little more difficult. We decided to have only half of the venues which would give us more time in between to get things set up right.

We were going to start in England before crossing over to Paris, France. We’d go for a week in Belgium then over to Germany. Then down through the mountains to Rome, Italy before ending the tour in Monaco. Darcy had told the team to work with the department of tourism from the different countries since they would be broadcast in the US. The finals this year would be in California. It was decided that the winner of each year’s tournament would be where the finals were held the following year. If the winner from the Rome tournament won the world-wide tournament, then the following year it would be in Rome.

We didn’t take a chartered jet across to England but were in first class. There was already a team on the ground setting up. Due to the locations in the different countries, very few would be played on the beach. They would set up courts in parks, having to set up nets and truck in sand for the event. Think about having an event in Central Park in New York. These countries didn’t want to promote the quiet coast but the major cities. The kick off for the European tour would be in Hyde Park in London. The sand had to be brought in at night but could only be moved during the day. The stands weren’t a big problem but it seemed like we were using a lot more people. Maybe it was to make things run more smoothly and it did. There were more people to put out fires and take care of projects. We even had portable buildings brought in for the tournament store for Sport Supports.

I did a few interviews for the local press about the history of the tournament and what would be in store for the winners. They would be flown to California for final tournament all expenses paid. We talked about the locations and the sport itself. Two-person volleyball was a very hard sport with the size of the court that had to be covered by only two people with all different kinds of shots to defend against.

I was on the TV that night and quoted in the papers the next day. I was in the paper again after the tournament with a picture of me handing out the checks to the winning teams. Patty was my assistant and always had me where I needed to be and knew who the person to talk to was, if I needed something. I also spent time in the VIP box during the semi-finals and final matches.

We moved to the next location for the summer and were at the Ritz near the Louvre. The matches would be played at Tuileries Garden a large park just in front of the Louvre that ran along the river. The park was full of people when we stopped by. The locations of the nets were roped and marked off. The lead person for the tournament was very organized and seemed to have everything in control as we spoke. She handed the folder to Patty for my part in Paris and we decided to go back to the hotel and have some lunch.

As we entered the lobby, a woman stood and approached me. “Excuse me; I’m Tracie O’Dell with Cosmopolitan Magazine. I’d like to interview you for our upcoming article on the most eligible bachelors.”

Stopping to shake her hand, I replied, “My assistant and I were just about to have a late lunch, would you care to join us?”

“That would be lovely.” She followed me to the restaurant and then to the table. It was back in the corner out of the way but there were a few occupied tables around the restaurant. We all ordered and then turned our attention to Tracie. She wasn’t that much older than us, mid to late twenties if I had to guess. She wasn’t bad looking but she worked for a fashion and women’s magazine so I wouldn’t expect her to be ugly. She was certainly dressed nicely.

She asked if I minded if she recorded the conversation and pulled out a tape recorder. I replied, “If I can have a copy that would be fine.” She thought for a moment but then said, “Sure.” If she’d declined the request for a copy, then I would have been on high alert for an ambush.

“So, John, let’s start with the basics.”

“Sure, I go by Jack. My father used the name John. I was Johnny in grade school but changed over to Jack a few years ago.”

“Sorry, Jack; you’re a student at the University of Florida. What are you studying?”

“I’m majoring in business. This year coming up will be my second year but I should have enough credits to be a junior so I’m not sure what you want to call me.”

“So, you do well in school?”

“I work hard at school and do well. I took a lot of AP classes in high school and some college classes in the evenings when I had time. I also took a full load, my first two semesters. School is my job right now so I treat it like a job.”

“You’re young and single, and with your sister, the youngest people on the Forbes list. That and your looks have made you one of the most eligible bachelors for this year. What do you think about that?”

“I think that I’m young and single. If my looks don’t go to hell or the financial markets collapse, I should be on the list for a long time. In other words, I plan to stay single for a while. I have too much on my plate to think about settling down or focusing on one person.”

“Some might say that is a selfish approach. What’s your reasoning?”

“The man at the top of the Forbes list once told me a story about when he started his business right out of college. He could have gotten married but he didn’t. It wasn’t that he was being selfish or trying to be mean to the woman he loved. He just knew that to make his visions come true, he would need to focus on his business and that meant that he was marrying a company and all the employees of that company. They were the ones that relied on him for a paycheck each week. He didn’t have time to focus on himself or the woman in his life. He did end up marrying her but he and she were separated for years as he built his company into what it ended up being.

“I might take more or less time to build my businesses but I’ve had too much given to me to be content to just sit around and be a trust fund baby. I study, work, watch and learn today so that in the future I can look back at something that I’ve done with a sense of pride.”

“You said businesses. What businesses are you going to start?”

“There are already two that I’m a part of. I started one and bought into the other. There will be more when I have time. I have ideas now but they are going from being raw stones to polished gems in my mind. Once they are flawless to the naked eye, I’ll start to put them into action. Some will go forward and some will end up in the trash can.”

“Are you dating anyone right now?”

“My assistant is with me for lunch and you as well so I guess that I’m dating more than one person. I have friends that are girls but none that are expecting a ring anytime soon. I have more than a few that I truly care about. I don’t want to hurt them just like Britt didn’t want to hurt Darcy. I don’t give them any false hope or expectations.”

“What is it like to be a billionaire?”

“When Forbes announced that I was on the list was the first time that I ever asked how much was in the trust. I wasn’t even old enough to sign a contract until last year so for me it was just something in a box. I was told that it was a lot or more than I could spend. The life I lead makes me more than happy and I don’t spend much more on myself than you do in each year. The biggest difference is that I don’t have to worry about my car or air conditioner breaking and not being able to fix it.”

“What do you do for fun?”

“Sports. Volleyball for now but I play basketball, ski, Frisbee and golf. I don’t watch much TV and hate to sit around when I’m not studying. I’d rather play cards or something to challenge my mind.”

“Favorite food?”

“Pizza.”

“What kind of car do you drive?”

“Jeep”

“Boxers or briefs?”

“I own part of Sport Support. So, I’m always in Bolts if I’m wearing anything. I wear boxers if I’m not working out and just relaxing.”

“What is your ideal woman?”

“My ideal woman is one that is happy where she’s right now in life. She isn’t looking for a man or anyone else to fulfill her. She’s knows what she wants and what makes her happy. She takes the actions she needs to get to that place. I’ve dated students, business owners, and women of all social ranges. I am drawn to their inner peace not their boobs, butts, or perfect faces. Money doesn’t do much for me either. I’ve gone out with someone that drives a Lamborghini and another that, as she called it, drives a ‘shit box.’ I loved being with both.”

“Are there any names that you would give up so we could interview them about the ‘Date with Jack’ experience?”

“No comment.”

“Were they that bad?”

“No,” I said smiling. “But they’re all different. I would say that of all the women that I’ve ever gone out with, I can only think of one that wouldn’t go out with me if I asked her today.”

“What happened with that one?”

“She got married.”

“What are your plans while in Paris?”

“See even you’re asking for a second date. I mustn’t be that bad.”

“No, it was mostly painless.”

A nod was all she got from me on that comment, even though I wanted to say how some women enjoy a little pain. I know that Gloria loves the spankings she earns.

The interview was over and we went back into work mode. We were up in the room and Patty was looking over my itinerary that was very like London. The advance team always puts a few tidbits in the packet that don’t have anything to do with work. Typically, this is the name of a restaurant or show for when we have some down time. There are also some trivial facts about the place or some local history. There were a few of those but the one that got Patty to laughing was interesting. The interesting fact from Paris was that the age of consent in the City of Lights was only 15. The girls back home must have been working late and had a few drinks while working on the packet. We both enjoyed the laugh.

The walk to the park from our hotel was very pretty and I stopped for a coffee and croissant on the way. Patty skipped the croissant and had a fruit tart instead. It was now the day before the start of the tournament and everything was squared away. The registration tables were set up in a dry place and the shop was open for the uniforms that were given as part of the entry fee.

As we walked over to the registration area, we noticed a girl going to different people and asking them something. I walked over closer to see what she needed help with so that I could point her in the right direction.

Patty and I walked up and asked, “Do you need some help?”

She was wearing a backpack and carrying volleyball. “I came down to play in the tournament but the girl that was going to be my partner wasn’t allowed to come. Her parents wouldn’t let her. I’m looking for a partner. I want to win a trip to America.”

“Where did you come from, how did you get here and how old are you?”

“I live in Bayeux, out on the Normandy coast. I hitchhiked to get here and I’m fifteen. My name is Adriana. I play for my school and on the beach.”

When she said, her age my mind went to the tidbit of local facts that Patty had read to me. I turned partly and said, “Patty will be your partner. Make sure you pick out a nice uniform.”

Patty was surprised but before she could contradict me she stopped and said, “Yes Sir.”

She took Adriana’s hand and led her to the sign in table. I was free to roam around and point things out. My main job was to represent the company at the VIP box and awards ceremony. I saw Adriana reach for her wallet and Patty shaking her head. She pointed to me and the woman working the sign in table looked my way. I nodded to say that I would cover the entry fee. They walked away and I went over to pay for the ladies.

They came out carrying bags with their uniforms. Patty said, “We need to practice some, come help us.”

I found a girl, that worked for us at the tournament, looking for something to do and told her to follow me. She said that she might get in trouble and I told her that I owned the company so she should be alright. She almost called bullshit on me but Patty was nodding her head to believe me so she came over and was my partner. Adriana was much better than I expected and was fearless diving for the ball. She placed herself well on the court to be ready for the opponent’s shots. She and Patty were both good but would need to work on their communication and trust. If they were both going to the same place on the court, then it left other places open. You needed to trust your partner to do their share.

We played five games and the girls won four. The girl I picked wasn’t very good and I got lucky with a string of serves with a lot of spin and a nice curve into the court. I walked back with the girl and made sure that she didn’t get in trouble for helping me play volleyball. The lady in charge just said, “I was told to find someone to keep him out of trouble and you did a great job. We do need some trash taken out from the store if you can go help them.”

When I got back to Patty, she was on the bench next to Adriana having a conversation. Patty looked up when I got to them and said, “Adriana will be staying with me in the spare bedroom.”

“Okay, whatever you say.”

“I told you that he wouldn’t mind. Let’s go shower and try on our uniforms for the tournament.” We walked back to the hotel and when we walked in the front door, Adriana’s mouth dropped open. When we walked into the suite and down the stairs into the living room she didn’t know what to say.

Patty said, “Call your dad and let him know where you are and that you are safe. Then we can get cleaned up and get some food.”

After we all showered and changed, I heard part of the story. Adriana’s mother had passed away a few years back and her dad is a fisherman. He often goes out for a few days at a time until he has enough to make the sale of his catch worthwhile. He’d left the morning that Adriana had left for Paris and she just left him a note saying that she was going to be away for a few days at a volleyball tournament. She didn’t say where, for how long or with whom. Her dad assumed that she was with the team and not that she was on her own.

Patty assured him that Adriana had a place to stay, food and a ride home. When I saw the uniforms that they picked out, they were stunning. As small as possible and red, white and blue was the best way to describe them. If they made it to the finals, every TV set in France would be tuned in to watch.

Patty and Adriana seemed to get along well. They were only a few years apart but both grew up in similar homes where they raised themselves and didn’t let anything get in their way. Good grades and good at sports. What the rest of the world expected of them was meaningless; they both had their own agenda.

It took a little while before Patty could convince Adriana not to worry about money. She told her that I would take care of everything. They slept in the two double beds in the other room and I slept alone. I could have ordered her to sleep with me but she had a good mind and knew what she wanted so I let her do her thing. I’d put her in the position to be Adriana’s partner and she was going to win the tournament if they could and she would do whatever she needed to make that happen.

The next day, they had a lot of people watching them. At first because they had on the skimpiest suits available and second because they were good. The fact that they were both young and beautiful had the crowd on their side. They won both matches they played on the first day.

When Patty said they were going to wash their uniforms, I laughed when they were back in seven minutes. There just wasn’t that much there. We had dinner away from the hotel since I didn’t want to get dressed up and Adriana didn’t have the right clothes with her, or in her closet at home. We found a small restaurant up the street and ordered. A few people recognized the pair and some just pointed while others stopped by to congratulate them and wish them luck in the coming days.

They were both excited about the recognition and they were squealing and hugging as we walked into the suite. They never let go of each other. When Patty started kissing her and then making out, I was the last thought that either of them had. They were both naked and panting hard when Patty broke for breath and winked at me. “Do you mind if I take my partner in the room and show her how proud I am for her and what we accomplished today?”

“Be my guest and show her how proud I am as well.”

Patty stood and led the blushing naked girl from the living room and into the bedroom. She didn’t close the door but I went into my room so there wasn’t any added tension. Around 10:00 I went into the living room and could hear them still going at it. I ordered them some food and bottles of Perrier. I signed for the delivery and set it on the table. They were in a sixty-nine when I pushed the door open. Patty was on top and facing the foot of the bed so when she lifted her head I made the motion of eating and drinking and pointed to the living room. She nodded and I went back to my room.