Chapter 6

When Pat returned to the Pump Shop office at nearly four Crystal had her notes to show him. She told Pat that she had sent a tug to get a half million gallons of ships fuel 70-80 miles up the Inland Waterway. The tug had blown it's engine and she needed the fuel no later than late the next day. Crystal showed Pat a fax from the refinery giving current prices on fuels and gasoline, and ofering to sell direct to Colson Company. Then she showed him what the barge line had charged for their last load. They were billing thirty cents a gallon more for fuel delivered than the barge line was paying. Crystal had called the fuel docks across the bay. That facility used the same source for fuel Pat did. They had been told when they tried to place an order that day that the barge line was closing. They were trying to find another source for fuels. Crystal told them she was working on that herself. She promised that if she could work out the details she might take care of their needs as well as Colson Fuel Service's. Crystal told Pat she had talked to the owner of the barge service and he had set a price of ten thousand dollars for each barge and was throwing in for free the ten that had failed the Coast Guard's last inspection. Pat told Crystal "We have the tugs parked to do the job but no crews." Crystal said the barge company was shutting down and all three tug crews might be available. Pat told Crystal he just happened to have three large tugs ready to go.

Pat called the charter service renting the office building of the fuel docks. The guy renting said he had been going to call Pat the next week. He was not going to be able to pay the next months rent. He said he had spent his capital on the four cheap hangars but was not getting enough charter work to make it. He asked Pat if he would be interested in taking over the note for the plane he had flown Pat to Charlston in. Pat asked the pilot if he could fly he and Crystal to New Jersey the next morning and they could talk about that. They called the barge company's owner in New Jersey and made an apointment for before noon the next day. Crystal did the talking and Pat listened to the conversation on the speaker phone. The old man in Jersey said "Honey I can't tell you how anxious I am to meet you in person." Crystal said nothing to that remark. In her mind she knew the old bastard was a woman chaser.

Crystal called the owner of the fuel docks across the bay and asked how much fuel he needed immediately. He replied that he had storage for a million gallons now, he could take that much. He said his location was good but to small to add more tanks. Crystal asked if he would like to rent two barges from her and store a million galons in them. She offered them on rental for five hundred a week. The guy said that would answer his storage problems. Pat called Tim and asked him to dispatch a large tug to the barge line dock in New Jresey the next day. It would be bringing back at least six loaded barges of fuel.

The dock for Ellens houseboat was finished that day and her new home would be delivered the next day. Crystal had told Janet she could move out of her furnished apartment before the first of the month. Janet was going to move in with Pat and Crystal over the coming week end. Janet had been working at her computer all day while Crystal had been on the phone. She was caught up at five.

For the first time in weeks the office closed at five.

Pat and Crystal were at the sea plane dock at seven the next morning. Pat introduced Crystal to Nathan Graig their pilot. Nathan said "My friends call me Nat." Nat was ready to go. He had them running up the bay until he got take off speed and got it off the water then he turned north and got his altitude. Pat and he could talk then. Nate said the bay area did not have the need for a charter service such as he was offering. He said the pilots of his two other planes had taken over the notes on the planes. Nat said he would not be able to pay the coming months payment on this one. Nat asked if Pat would be interested in taking over this one. Pat told Nat he would be interested if he would work for him and pilot it for him. Pat said Nat could rent out hangar space and run the sea plane base for a salary.

Nat said "The two guys he had let take over the debts on the other planes would rent hangars. He thought there were others he could rent to. Pat told Nat as he had the rentals he would have more hangars built.

Nat asked about salary, Pat told him he could turn the upstairs of the office into nice living quarters and live there rent free. He told Nat he could pay him two hundred fifty dollars a week until the place was showing a profit. Then Pat told Nat he would talk to him about a raise.

They were over the barge docks by ten thirty, Mat landed and they saw sixteen of the twenty usable fuel barges as Mat taxied around. The ten that had not been certified for use by the Coast guard were clustered near by. Pat said "They all look the same to me." Crystal said they had not had the Flame Trap now required by Coast Guard regulations on their vents. The old man's yard manager said a ship yard had quoated five thousand each for them and the owner had choaked at spending that kind of money on barges he did not need.

Pat directed Nat to taxi to a float next to a run down building on a pier, the barge lines name in flaking paint was on it. Nat waited with the plane.

Up on the pier where Nat could not see her Crystal took off a light weight wind breaker and hung it over her arm. She was wearin a skinpy top with most of the buttons unbuttoned. Crystal said "It is time for this girl to do what a girl has gotta do." They entered a small office, two men were in there sitting behind desks. Crystal introduced her self and Pat. The oldest came out from behind his desk and shook hands with Pat, when he stuck his hand out for Crystal she brushed it aside. She said "I don't shake hands with handsome men, I hug and kiss them." She hugged and kissed him on the cheek and made sure he got a good look at a tit. She treated the other one the same way. Crystal came right to the point. She said she and Pat were there to try to make an araingment to keep the Colson Fuel Service supplied in gas and fuel. She wanted the rock bottom price on a few of his barges. She was sitting in such a way that both of the old men were getting a view of her pussy up the big legs of her shorts. The owner said that ten thousand for each barge was the figure he had in mind but if they would take all twenty of them he would let them go for less. Crystal said "For like five thousand each?" The barge owner told her that was much to cheap and offered them for seven thousand five hundred.

Crystal placed a vivid picture of she and him nude in a bed and fucking in his mind. He said if five thousand is your top offer I will take that for all twenty barges. She asked if the ten barges not in service were included. He said they were. Crystal offered to type a rental purchase agreement and that the first months payment would be in paid in cash now. She knew Pat had more than ten thousand in his money belt. Crystal typed a rental purchase agreement for the next ten months at ten thousand a month. She asked that the titles on the barges be mailed to her so she could have the barges re-inspected at home and registered to the Colson Barge line. Crystal told them a tug was on the way for the first six barges. She asked if he would see that his tug crews got the word that she had jobs for them. She was told that the four man crew of the tug that she was towing in would be at the office for their final checks in two hours. She could tell that crew themselves.

Pat and Crystal left and Nat taxied them to the refinery. There were four foreign oil tankers tied up and unloading there. Nat found a place to dock the plane and they made their way to the offices. Crystal had slipped a pair of slacks that matched her jacket on over her shorts while Nat got them there. The walked to the refinery office and Crystal asked to see Mrs. Cobb. She came out and greeted them. In Mrs. Cobb's office Crystal came to the point again. She asked if Colson had a line of credit established. She was told that it was and they were one of their customers already. Crystal said "Good, we will have eight barges here for fuel day after tomorrow." She said that would be six of ships fuel and two of gasoline. Mrs. Cob told her the barges would be filled and ready to leave in three hours after docking. Mrs. Cobb invited Pat and Crystal to be her guests for lunch, they had time and joined her at a bufet in the cafateria. It was cold cuts and cheeses. They talked as they ate. Mrs Cobb told them that the plant's product was pumped out in pipe lines but her job was to develop more sales to customers like them. She said the refinerys capacity far exceded the commitments by pipe line. Mrs Cob promised to send them barge busisness. Crystal told her she was thinking of taking on smaller customers up and down the Atlantic coast. Crystal went back to the serving bar and made two sandwiches for the pilot of the company plane and they left. Nat took them back to the barge office. There were four seamen waiting on the dock for them. Pat introduced himself and Crystal. He asked what they had been being paid and each gave his salary with the barge line. Pat offered the Captain a hundred dollar a week increase and each deck hand a salary of two dollars an hour increase from what they had been making before. He told them they could get on the company paid health insurance. He told them they could keep their familys where they now were and would be working on big offshore tugs. All four were interested. Pat set them up to meet his tug here the next day. They would be passengers back on the tug and be assigned their tug when they made home port. Pat told them they needed two more men to make a full crew and told his new captain to hire more men if he could. One of the new crew asked if there were enough berths on the tug coming to pick them up. Pat told them there were twelve bunks but the crew furnished their own bed clothes and pillows. The new captain said they were used to that. Pat told them that the tug coming for them was exactly like the one they were to man. He said there would be hot showers and a galley and mess hall.

One of his new crew men said "I will be in heaven fellows."

Pat, Crystal and Nat took off for home. Janet was still in the office when they arrived. She reported all that had happened that day, she had made the proper decisions and the day had gone well.

Ellen had moved out and though they loved Ellen and her children they were glad for the quiet.

Pat ordered Chineese food to be delivered. Over that he complimented Crystal for creating a new division of The Colson Company. Sex was rewarding for both of them that night. That mornings show of her tits and pussy to the two old men had left them both turned on.

The next morning Pat kissed Crystal and left early to make his rounds. The barge that had been towed in from the waterway and two others were parked at the fuel docks. The other two had been supposed to go to the fuel docks across the bay. Pat made a note to have them delivered that morning. The fuel island was busy with car and truck customers. A small cargo ship was taking on fuel at the dock. All was well. Pat and Tim were to meet an office designer at the building to be converted to company offices at eight.

Pat had time to drop by the ship yard. The houseboat to be parked with Ellen's would be finished and delivered the next afternoon. Janet was at the ship yard going over a material list for the remodeling of the six larger house barges. Pat had decided to turn them into four bed room four bath units. Each would have a big kitchen, dining and living area. Every one of them was going to be insulated to excess. The new plumbing was to be copper and stainless steel. All new electrical would be installed. One contractor was doing the heating and air changes, the plumbing and electrical. He was working on a cost plus basis.

Pat made it early to his appointment at the office building. Tim had a crew sand blasting the roof for painting. The foreman told Pat that most of the nails holding the roof metal down needed to be replaced they were nearly rusted away. Pat told him he would talk about that with Tim and have new screws used to anchor the roof metal installed. At eight Tim drove up and a few minutes later the designer. Pat and Tim had a few ideas about what they wanted in an office. The designer made notes and Pat and Tim left him taking pictures and measurements. Tim went back to the construction office Pat to the Pump Shop. Janet and Crystal were busy.

Crystal suggested that Nat be made the manager of the fuel operation. Pat agreed, Nat should have time to do that and operate the seaplane base as well. When his skills as a pilot were required he could leave a person in charge of the sea plane base. He could have the comunication equipment to keep in constant touch with the four tugs Pat, Tim and Crystal could assign to him. Nat could book orders and make sure deliverys were made on time. Billing would be done by Crystal or Janet. Crystal had taken a copy of a list of the barge line's customers from the wall of the shack in New Jersey. She called each of the ten south of Jersey and north of her on the Atlantic coast. Each would like to count on the Colson Company delivering their needs. Crystal booked orders from each and set up their accounts in the computers.

Nat was asked to come to the pump shop office and sign up for the employement records. Pat and Crystal would assign him his dutys. Nat would have to operate the fuel barge line from the sea plane office.

Nat left with the full knowledge of what his new job was. He was to have radio equipment installed that would let him stay in touch with the tugs at all times. Nat would have a signal tower installed and take care of seeing to fuel deliverys over his radio.

Tim had the tug he chose for the new crew from Jersey to use cleaned and stocked with galley provisions. The tug was filled with fuel and all the navigation gear was inspected. The Navy had kept the tug in top notch shape.

The tug dispatched to New Jersey called in, they were just a few miles from their destination. That Captain was given the information concerning bringing back a crew for another tug. He was to order provisions for the additional men for the voyage back. He was to pick up eight barges and load six with fuel, two with gasoline. Those were to be brought to the Colson fuel docks. Part would go across the bay to the fuel dock there.