Chapter 16: Meeting with Trudy

It took four days after classes ended to settle our affairs and close up shop. It wasn’t until late Thursday evening when Jenny and I got home. Jenny and I moved our stuff into my room upstairs with dad’s help and blessing. I had to grin when I noticed that a lock had been installed on my bedroom door. We spent the rest of the week catching up with dad and just relaxing.

Carl and Ted came over on Saturday night to pick us up to go out for the evening. When Ted and Carl came in, Jenny ran open-armed to Carl, “Come here, little brother.” She took Carl in her arms, kissed him all over his face, and told him she missed him. Carl was a little embarrassed but beaming at the same time.

The four of us were back together, and it felt good. We went to our favorite pub and filled Carl in on how things went for us, and he let us know that the lawn care business was still profitable and doing very well. I asked for suggestions on what to do with the company at the end of the summer when Carl would be joining us at college to start earning his engineering degree. Ted and Carl looked at each other and hung their heads like there was something they did not want to tell me.

I spread my hands and asked, “What?”

Carl looked at Ted. Ted nodded to his brother.

Carl cleared his throat and said, “We did not want to tell you this yet, but I hired my dad to work for me.”

I shrugged and asked, “So he needed a few extra bucks for Christmas? What’s the problem?”

“I pay him double what I pay the kids from the high school.”

Again I shrugged and said, “We left you in charge, so that’s your decision. I’m sure you had a good reason.”

Carl hesitated for a moment before explaining, “At first, it was because he was laid-off, and I thought it would help tide him over until he went back to work. Things just got worse. The company kept laying folks off. But our dad has been good for business. He has brought in new customers outside the neighborhood, and we have four high school kids working for us now. All our old customers are more comfortable with him, and our new customers think he is the owner and I don’t tell them differently. We do power washing, plantings, and light repairs under his supervision that they would never let a bunch of high school kids do before dad joined us.”

I was impressed with Carl’s management, “So you expanded and doubled the business by hiring him. Sounds like a damn good investment to me. So what’s the issue? It even sounds like he would be a great manager for our business.”

Carl again looked at Ted for support and said, “It’s more than just making our dad the manager. We want to buy you out and turn the business over to our dad.”

I could not resist, “Are you kidding? You want to buy me out just when the business is starting to take off? This is going to cost you big time.” I winced when I felt Jenny kick me in the shin. But I soldiered on. “Tonight’s bar bill and one dollar ... in cash should just about do it.”

Ted laughed and asked, “Are you sure?”

“Of course, I’m sure. You two are like family to me, which means your mom and dad are family. We take care of our friends and family. It’s a done deal, so I do not want to hear any arguments to the contrary.”

We shook hands and enjoyed the rest of the night together. Carl happily picked up the bill at the end of the night and left a generous tip. Carl laughed as he handed me a quarter and said he was a little short and would pay me in installments. I never spent that quarter and still have it to remind myself how great it felt to do something good for my friends.

Jenny and I spent the summer relaxing, shopping, and going out at night with dad or Carl and Ted. What the hell? We had plenty of cash, and it was about time we spent some of it. Then it was time to get back to business. We had a meeting with Ted and Carl and filled them in on our plan and the part they would play in it.

Three weeks before we had to head back to college, the four of us piled into my Chevy Impala and drove down to Hartford. We parked in Jenny’s old stomping grounds and headed for the diner. Jenny had called ahead to ensure that Trudy would be there.

When the four of us walked in, Trudy hugged Jenny and said. “My, my, don’t you look fine all gussied up.” Jenny had dressed to impress with a dark grey business suit and stylish accessories.

Jenny and I took a booth. Carl and Ted took seats at the counter and ordered coffee.

We invited Trudy to sit with us since it was not busy.

Trudy was all smiles and was happy to see Jenny. She complimented her on how great she looked now that she was out of the business.

“No, Trudy, I am still in the business. That’s why we came to see you. We need your advice and help in finding some new girls.”

I got that intimidating scowl again from Trudy as she said, “So pretty boy, here is your pimp now?”

“No, he is my boyfriend and Business Manager. I decide who my clients will be, not John. And don’t for a minute think that John is forcing me to be a working girl. This is what I want to do. It is what I like doing. He only makes sure my money is invested properly and that I don’t spend it on crap I don’t need.”

Trudy glanced at Ted and Carl and asked, “What’s with the muscle?”

“Bodyguards for me and any girls we hire to work for me. Let me assure you that any girl working down here will be much better off working for me.”

For the first time tonight, Trudy sounded genuinely impressed. “You can afford bodyguards?”

“That and a lot more with John as my Business Manager. Every dollar I make belongs to me. John pays my bills and advises me on business matters. He never spends a dime without my approval. With John as my Business Manager, I am sitting pretty financially and ready to expand the business. I will let John explain the financials.”

Jenny played her part well. Never mentioning that she considered it our money and that her approval amounted to “I trust you, John, do what you think is best.”

I cleared my throat and explained, “First of all, where we are established, we can charge the clients a premium over what the girls can charge here. It’s what’s known as ‘zone pricing.’ I figure the girls will get half the take, and out of our half, we will pay their rent, provide protection, take care of the local authorities, and still make a decent profit for Jenny. Jenny will prescreen all their clients to ensure the girl’s safety.”

Trudy leaned forward with a predatory grin on her face and asked, “What’s in it for me?”

Still letting Jenny take the lead, I let her explain our needs, “I need two girls. They must be between the ages of 21 and 27. I would like them to be blond, but it is not a priority. I want pros who have a brain - no bimbos, no druggies. Someone who knows Uranus is a planet and not their derriere. You find us what we need, and it’s $500 for each girl we hire. I know you care about the girls down here, and believe me, you will be doing them a favor.”

“Okay, I believe you, and I have a few girls in mind that you should talk to. Give me a day or two to talk to them. I will give you a call if they are interested.”

I wrote down Jenny’s cell phone number and handed it to Trudy. Just as Trudy stood up, the diner door opened and in walked Derrick the pimp.

Derrick spotted Jenny and me and sauntered up to our booth in his heavy metal t-shirt, jeans, and thumbs hooked in his belt, “Well, well, if it isn’t Johnny boy and the whore. How about we step outside now that daddy isn’t here with his gun to protect his little boy and his bitch.”

Trudy was standing next to Ted and Carl, and all three of them were grinning,

“So what do you say, little man, are you going to step outside, or am I just going to put the bitch in the hospital again?”

I laughed as Jenny snapped her fingers, pointed at Derrick’s foot and said, “Bang.”

Ted and Carl walked up behind Derrick. Ted put him in a headlock, and Carl grabbed him by the back of his belt and lifted him off the floor and walked him out of the diner with a surprised look on his face flailing his arms as a flurry of swear words directed at Jenny came out of his ugly mouth. Ted and Carl put him in his Corvette none too gently and let him know in no uncertain terms to never talk to Jenny that way again or even come within a hundred yards of her, or he would have a few lower body parts in a cast. Derrick looked a little pale as he took off in his car. We never saw him again.