Chapter 52

Jodie woke Trent on Monday morning. He groaned, but got up.

"Mom, Kim invited me over today. She said that the people from New York are going to be there to show them the video. Can I go to her house?" Trent said. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up.

"I don't see why not. I'm working today."

"Thanks, Mom."

Jodie smiled as she watched her son get up and walk toward the door. She followed him, telling Trent that breakfast would be ready in a few minutes. He took a shower, went back to his room, and dressed for the day.

"Good morning, Trent," Sid said when his grandson walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Grandpa. Good morning, Jane," Trent replied. He poured a cup of coffee and sat at the table. "I'm going over to Kim's house today if it's okay. I can stay and work if you need me to."

Sid smiled and shook his head. "You go and have fun. What time are you planning to leave?"

"I want to go after breakfast."

Jane glanced at the wall clock. "Isn't it a little early? It's only five o'clock."

"Kim said that they get up early every morning."

"I'm surprised that teenagers would want to get up so early. When I was your age, I liked to sleep in when I could," Jane said.

Laughing, Jodie said, "Trent used to sleep till noon. I think he's found something that interests him now."

"Well, you have to get up early if you want to fish," Sid said. "That's why we open the shop at six. Our customers want to get what they need and get on the water."

"We're not fishing today, Grandpa. The team is going to meet with some people to review a video. They might be on television."

"Marge and Anne told me that ESPN taped one of the team's tournaments for a pilot. If things work out, they may have their own show," Jodie said.

"That's great, Trent. I hope things work out," Jane said.

"Trent, if you have time, stop at the shop before you head over there. Andy Nester is supposed to come by with the new reels. You can take them with you," Sid said.

Trent went to the shop with his grandfather and Jane. Jodie told them she would be there shortly. At seven, Andy came in carrying a box.

"Morning, Sid. I have the reels for the Lady Guinevere fishing team," Andy said. He placed the box on a counter and shook Sid's hand.

"Thanks, Andy. Trent is going to take them to the boat as soon as I get the line on the reels. Let's go have a cup of coffee," Sid said. He picked up the box and carried it into the back of the shop.

"Andy, this is Sid's grandson, Trent. Trent, this is Mr. Nester. Mr. Nester works for Shimano," Jane said.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Nester."

"Trent is the newest member of the team, Andy. He's fishing his first tournament on Friday," Sid said as he unboxed the reels.

"That's great, Trent. How do you like off-shore fishing?"

"It's great, Mr. Nester. I'm learning a lot and having a blast," Trent replied.

"Those kids are some of the best fishermen I know. They have a knack for it. Are you going to fish the money tournaments too?" Andy said.

"I sure am. I guess we're going up to North Carolina in a couple weeks. I can't wait."

"Shimano is one of the sponsors of that tournament. I received notice that they increased the prize money. First place will pay eighty thousand dollars. One of the larger boat manufactures became a major sponsor too," Andy said. "I have the new information in my briefcase. I'll give you a copy to take to the team."

Trent thanked Andy. He walked over to the bench to see if he could help Sid with the reels. Trent watched as his grandfather clamped the first reel in the jig and attached the end of the new line.

"You have to make sure to wind the line evenly and keep it tight, Trent. The newer machines have mechanisms that help, but I like doing it by hand. This motor turns the reel and I move the line back and forth. I can tell by the feel if it's the right tension," Sid said.

Sid finished the first reel. He unboxed the second reel, handing it to Trent. Trent mounted the reel and began winding on the line. Sid helped him, showing him how to do it. A half hour later, all six of the reels contained new line. Trent and Sid boxed them so Trent could take them with him. Andy gave Trent an envelope, telling him to have the team fill out the forms.

"I'll stop at the house to pick up the forms later, Trent. Let the others know, please," Andy said.

Trent thanked Andy. He told his grandfather and Jane goodbye and took the box of reels and tournament information to his car. Jodie pulled up, parked her car, and got out. She stopped to talk to Trent for a moment before he left.

"I'll see you later, Trent. I might stop by after work," Jodie said.

"Okay, Mom. I'll see you later. I don't know if we're fishing today. If we do, I'll call to let you know."

Jodie gave her son a hug and said goodbye. She walked toward the shop as Trent got into his car.

"Hi, Jodie. I'd like you to meet Andy Nester. Andy, this is my daughter, Jodie. She's Trent's mom," Sid said.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Jodie. Trent seems to be excited about fishing," Andy said as he shook Jodie's hand.

"That's an understatement, Andy. It's about all he talks about anymore. Well, fishing and Kim," Jodie said and then she chuckled.

Jodie sat at the table with a cup of coffee. She listened to Andy as he told Sid and Jane about the new products Shimano planned to introduce. Sid asked about the new line of rods after Andy showed him a few pictures.

"This is our new line of offshore rods. We have improved the spine, reel seats, and the rollers. The Lady Guinevere team is testing them now," Andy said.

"What's the price point?"

"We've set the list between four hundred and eight hundred depending on the model."

"I didn't know that fishing rods cost that much," Jodie said.

"Yes, and even more, Jodie. Sid doesn't stock most of these models. His customers place special orders for them," Andy said. He glanced at Jodie, smiling at her reaction.

"I've seen the prices on the things in the shop. I knew fishing is expensive, but never realized it could cost as much as it does," Jodie said.

"The type of fishing the team does is expensive, Jodie. There are many different types of fishing though. You can outfit someone for in-shore fishing for what one offshore rod and reel combination costs."

"What's the difference?"

The buzzer announced that someone had come into the store. Sid and Jane excused themselves and went out to help the customer.

"Basically the size of the fish and where you fish for them. The kids troll offshore for billfish, dolphin, wahoo, and other fish like that. Most people fish in lakes for freshwater fish and in the ICW for smaller saltwater fish. There are a lot of different types of fishing," Andy said.

"I've never gone fishing. Trent said that the kids will take me out one of these days."

Andy asked Jodie if she wanted more coffee. She nodded and he got up. Jodie watched Andy walk to the coffee pot and refill their cups.

"Do you and your wife like fishing?" Jodie said.

"I love to fish, but I don't get the opportunity very often. My job keeps me very busy. I don't have a wife. I was married, but she didn't like the fact I traveled. We divorced several years ago," Andy said. "Are you married?"

Shaking her head, Jodie said, "No, I'm a widow. My husband died a couple years ago. Trent and I just moved down here."

"I'm sorry to hear about your husband."

"Thank you. It's getting better for Trent and me now."

Andy and Jodie sat looking at each other. Both of them seemed lost for words.

Sid and Jane came back in. Sid sat down so Andy could continue telling him about the new equipment. Jodie excused herself and went out to the shop. She began looking at the rods and reels, noting the prices. Jane came out and helped her.

Andy stopped to tell Jane and Jodie goodbye on his way out of the store. He told Jodie that he hoped to see her again soon.

Trent pulled into the driveway at Kim's house. He parked his car, got out, and headed for the guesthouse. Sally opened the door when he knocked.

"Hi, Trent. Kim's in the kitchen. Come on in," Sally said.

Kim saw Trent walk into the kitchen. She got up, put her arms around him, and gave Trent a lingering kiss.

"Hi, Sweetie. I missed you yesterday," Kim said as she continued to hold Trent.

"I missed you too. Like I said when I called, I spent the day with Mom, Grandpa, and Jane. Jane is Grandpa's girlfriend." Trent gave Kim a kiss.

"That's cool. I spent the day cleaning and hanging around here. Fran and Randy are supposed to be here soon. Jack, Molly, and Tom went to the airport to pick them up."

Trent let go of Kim. She asked him if he wanted anything.

"I'd like a cup of coffee if you have some," Trent said.

"We finished the pot, but there's coffee in the big house. We can go get some there," Sally said.

Kim, Trent, and Sally went to the house, and then went to the kitchen to get coffee and see if Mrs. Durham baked.

"I have the new reels in my car. Mr. Nester brought them to the shop this morning. Grandpa and I put the new line on them," Trent said. He took a bite of an apple muffin.

"Great! We can get them later and take them to the boat," Kim said. "Eddie, Brad, Jenny, and Kathy are on the way over. We're all excited to see the video."

"Do you think you'll be on television?" Trent asked.

"If you listen to Sally we are. She says we can do our own show," Kim said.

Sally nodded. "I think we should produce our own show even if ESPN wants to do a show too. There's nothing that says we can't."

Kim heard the doorbell. She jumped up and went to answer it, leading Eddie, Brad, Jenny, and Kathy to the kitchen after she let them in.

The teens greeted each other. Brad and Eddie got coffee and sat at the table with the girls. Trent told them he had the new reels in the car.

"Let's go get them," Brad said. "I'm anxious to see the new reels."

Trent and Brad went to get the reels. They came back, placed the box on the table, and took out the reels. Eddie took one of them and looked it over.

"These are great. They're two speed with lever drags," Eddie said.

"Mr. Nester gave me this too." Trent handed the envelope to Jenny. "He said there are changes in the tournament we're fishing in North Carolina."

Jenny opened the envelope. She glanced at the forms and then began to read the information aloud.

"Wow, that's great! Eighty grand for first place is awesome," Sally said.

"Yeah and there's money for big fish each day, first fish, and total number of fish." Jenny stopped for a moment. "If we won everything, we'd get over a hundred thousand dollars."

"That would be cool, but we've never fished for tuna. We better start learning about it as soon as we can," Kim said.

"I'll start researching it on the internet. Maybe we can fish for tuna here in Florida and learn how to do it," Sally said.

"I've read a few articles on tuna fishing. The best yellow fin fishing is a long way offshore. One of the articles said that you have to run to the east wall of the Gulf Stream. That can be over a hundred miles," Eddie said.

"The boat will cruise at twenty five knots. The run would only take four hours, wouldn't it?" Brad said.

"If we left at four in the morning, we could be fishing by eight," Kim said.

"We can talk about it when Jack, Tom, and Molly get back. If everyone agrees, we'll plan a trip before we head north," Jenny said. "In the meantime, we should learn as much as we can about tuna fishing."

Jack, Tom, and Molly came into the kitchen with Fran and Randy. The group greeted each other and then Kim asked Fran and Randy if they'd like coffee. Molly helped Kim get coffee for everyone that wanted it.

"So, how was your flight?" Sally said.

"It was fine, Sally. We arrived on time," Randy said.

"Are you going to tell us what ESPN said?" Jenny said.

"Yes, we'll talk about it in a few minutes. Where are your parents?" Fran said.

"Our parents are upstairs. Everyone else is working," Kim said.

"Let's finish our coffee and take a look at the edited show," Randy said.

Kim went upstairs to get her parents. She also told Marc and Anne that Randy and Fran were there. They told Kim that they would be right down.

Don came down and took Randy and Fran aside. He talked with them for moment before getting a cup of coffee.

"I'm going to call Harry and Jack Waters. I think all of us should be here for this," Don said. He went to the telephone to make the calls.

"Everyone will be here in an hour," Don told the group.

Randy and Fran told everyone about what they'd been doing since they saw them last. Sally asked several questions about producing a show. Fran answered her as best she could.

Laura came into the kitchen. She said hi and then took a pan of muffins from the oven. While waiting for the rest of the parents to arrive, the group drank coffee and ate muffins.

Harry, Ellen, Jack, and Sarah showed up. A few minutes later, Jodie came in. The entire group went into the recreation room to watch the video. Randy loaded the tape in the player and started it. The group sat back, watching the action unfold. The entire show lasted about twenty minutes. Fran explained that they would have to insert commercials and that the show would run thirty minutes.

"What do you think?" Fran said.

"I think it was good, Fran. It doesn't really show everything that went on, but I guess you can't in twenty minutes. Did you try to get ESPN to change their minds?" Sally said.

"We talked to them several times. ESPN wants to run it as a special, but they don't want to do a series. They feel that there wouldn't be enough interest to draw viewers or sponsors. The suits said that they might change their minds once they received the ratings from the special," Randy said.

"I thought it was great," Trent whispered to Kim.

"I think it's good, but not great. It's just fishing. There isn't any personal aspect to it. I'm not talking about the BS on the reality shows, but we are way more than fishermen," Kim said.

"You're absolutely right, Kim. We have another version that has more of the conversations and other things that happened during the tournament, but ESPN didn't like that cut at all," Randy said.

"So, what are our choices?" Sally said.

"As far as this show goes, not much. ESPN will pay you the ten grand they promised, but that's it. We're sorry it didn't work out," Fran said.

"Do you think a show about the kids fishing could make it?" Don said.

"I think that with the right marketing it could work. There are other outdoor channels that might air it if we could line up sponsors," Randy said.

"Sally mentioned producing a show before. We think we can do that. When ESPN airs the show, we'll get some exposure. That will help attract sponsors," Fran said.

"It's time for lunch. I think you kids should talk it over and decide what you want to do," Don said. Don and the rest of the adults went to the kitchen.

"Let's watch it again," Kathy said.

Randy rewound the tape and replayed it. The teens asked him to pause the tape several times so they could make comments.

"I ordered the uniforms for Trent this morning. They'll be ready on Wednesday. Our supplier had the shirts, pants, and shorts in stock. They use a computerized embroidering machine that makes short work of adding the logo and Trent's name," Ellen said as she walked into the kitchen with the other parents.

"That's wonderful, Ellen. Trent will be excited when I tell him," Jodie said.

Marge, Anne, and Laura prepared lunch for everyone. They took the food out to the patio and called the teens to come eat. Sitting at one of the tables, the team discussed the idea of producing a show about offshore fishing.

"We should go put the new reels on the rods," Tom said. "We can talk on the boat."

Everyone agreed with Tom. Trent went into the house to get the box and the group walked down to the boat. As they passed the yacht, Jeri came out on deck. She waved to the group and asked what was going on. Jack told her that they were going to the fishing boat to take care of the reels.

"That yacht is huge," Fran said.

"We can go look at Tomiko if you'd like. The boys can take care of the reels," Sally said.

Fran and Randy said that they'd love to see the yacht. The girls told the boys they would be there in a few minutes and walked back toward the yacht. Jeri welcomed them aboard and then April came out from the cabin. April and Jeri led Fran and Randy through the yacht, telling them about the many amenities.

"Fran and Randy are videographers. They made a pilot for ESPN of our last tournament," Kim said to Jeri.

"I heard about that. How did it come out?" Jeri said.

"The tape is good, but ESPN doesn't want to do a series about us. They're going to run it as a special though," Sally said. "We should have them make a video about Tomiko. We could use it to help charter the yacht."

"That is a great idea, Sally." April smiled and turned to Randy. "Would you two be able to do something like that?"

"Sure, it would be easy. If we taped from the fishing boat, we could get video of her underway," Fran said.

"We'll talk to you about it later. How long are you going to be in Florida?" Jeri said.

"We're not sure, but we'll be here for at least a week. Fran and I want to tape the team's tournament this weekend," Randy said.

Jeri and April finished the tour of the yacht. They introduced them to Frank and Erin, telling Fran and Randy that they worked on the yacht. In the galley, they met Yoshi.

"I've never been on anything like this," Fran said. "The yacht is very luxurious. I know that Randy and I can make a great video of her."

"We'll contact our charter broker and invite her over. She can tell you what we'll need," Jeri said.

The girls left the yacht with Fran and Randy. They went to the fishing boat to see how the boys were doing with the new reels. Eddie stood in the cockpit showing Trent and the others how to attach the reels to the rods and secure them with the clamps.

"What's the lug on the clamp for?" Trent asked as he pointed to a metal loop under the reel.

"That's for a safety line. If we start fishing for tuna and blue marlin, we'll use them to keep from losing the rods. Those fish can rip a rod out of your hands before you know it," Eddie said.

Kim walked over to Trent. She stood next to him, watching Eddie. He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling Kim close.

"We'll be finished with the reels in a few minutes," Jack said.

"I'm going below to move my stuff into Trent's and my stateroom," Kim said.

Kim and the other girls went below. They helped Kim move her clothing from the stateroom she once shared with Tom to the room she would share with Trent.

"It looks like you and Trent are getting serious," Jenny said as she put Kim's underwear into one of the drawers.

"I like him, Jenny," Kim said.

"That's easy to see," Molly said. "I think it's great, Kim."

"It is, Molly."

"It must be hard for him to start over," Kathy said. She sat on the berth and giggled. "Who's sleeping up there?" Kathy pointed at the bunk.

Kim giggled and said, "Not Trent or me."

"Have you two screwed yet?" Jenny said.

"No, I'm taking it slow. I kind of hope Trent will initiate it," Kim said.

"What if he doesn't?" Kathy said.

"Then Kim will jump his bones!" Sally said with a giggle. Kim laughed and nodded her head.

"Trent is very shy, isn't he?" Jenny said.

"Yeah, but that's okay. He just has to get comfortable with me," Kim said. "It's nice you know. Most boys would be pushing for sex."

"If you ever get too horny, just let me know," Sally said. She put her arm around Kim and hugged her.

"I might crawl into bed with you anyway," Kim said.

"No problem as long as Jack says that it's okay," Sally replied.

"Okay you two, let's go topside," Molly said.

The girls finished moving Kim's things. They went up to the cockpit and watched as Jack finished the last reel. Trent asked Eddie to show him how the oil exchange system worked so he could start helping with the engines. They went to the engine room and Eddie began explaining how things worked and what was necessary to maintain the systems.

Trent and Eddie came up from the engine room. Trent walked over to Kim and put his arm around her waist.

"That engine room is amazing, Kim. Eddie is going to let me help change the oil the next time it needs changing," Trent said.

Kim giggled. "If you say so. I don't know anything about the engines or anything else down there. I'm supposed to learn, but I haven't yet."

"Why are you supposed to learn about the engine room?"

"Eddie says that everyone on the team has to know about everything on the boat. I know about most of the electronics and I can operate the boat except for docking. Eddie said that we never know what's going to happen and that we all have to be able to take over."

"Does that mean I'll learn to operate the boat?"

"Yup and not only that. You'll have to learn how to run the dishwasher and the washing machine too. Everything means everything on the boat. There are no girl jobs or boy jobs. Everyone does everything," Kim said.

"I don't mind washing dishes or clothes. I have to do it at home."

Jack and Eddie finished checking the rods a second time. They put them in a rod locker and joined the rest of the team.

"Let's go into the cabin and talk about the video," Jenny said.

The team went into the cabin. Randy and Fran came with them when Sally asked them to. In the cabin, everyone sat on the settees and chairs.

"What do we want to do about the show? We know that ESPN doesn't want to run a series, but Sally thinks we can produce a show ourselves," Jenny said.

"How much will it cost to produce our own show?" Tom said.

Jenny shrugged her shoulders and looked at Sally.

"From what I've read so far, it shouldn't be too much. We have to buy camera and sound equipment, but that's about it. We don't need a studio because we'll do the shows from the boat. We'll have to learn about producing and promoting, but I don't think that will be too hard either," Sally said.

"There are two basic ways to do a show. First, you can work for the network. That was the plan for ESPN. They pay you for the show and air it in their slots. The other way is to do it is to produce your own show. You sell the idea to advertisers and sell them time. Then you purchase time blocks from the network and air the show.

"The idea is to get more from the advertisers than it costs to produce and air the show. You'll make more money producing the show on your own, but there are greater risks," Randy said.

"What would we have to do if we decided to produce our own show?" Brad said.

"You'd have to write a business plan, script the shows, hire a film crew, find advertisers, and find a network," Randy said. "There are several networks that specialize in outdoor shows."

"That sounds like those infomercials you see late at night," Eddie said.

"It's a lot like that, but you'll want to buy time blocks in a better time slot. The networks have demographics on their viewers for each of their time slots. The more viewers a time slot has, the more expensive it is," Randy said.

"So, it sounds like the advertisers are key to having a successful show," Kim said.

"That's where the money comes from if you produce your own show," Fran said.

"How do you find advertisers?" Molly asked.

"The best way is to produce a tape to show them and make it part of the business plan. You contact companies you think would benefit from sponsoring your show, send them the business plan and video, and then do your best to sell them on your idea," Randy said.

For the next hour, the team asked questions about producing a television show. Randy and Fran answered the questions they could and told the teens about several shows they worked on in the past. Randy told them about successful shows as well as failures.

"I think we need to talk to our parents," Sally said. She looked at Randy and Fran. "If we decided to go ahead with this, would you want to be a part of it?"

"If you want to hire Fran and me as the film crew, I think we can work something out," Randy said.

"That's not what I'm thinking. If we do this, we'd want you to be part of the production company," Sally said.

"We'd have to think about it, Sally," Fran said.

The group left the boat and went to the house. They sat on the patio and continued talking about starting a new venture. The one thing they all agreed on was the fact that they didn't know enough to do it on their own.

"I'll be glad when those guys next door are finished using the heavy equipment. They make too much noise," Tom said.

"What going on over there?" Randy said.

"They're building a new house. The old owner burnt his house down and our parents bought the property," Jack said.

"Did they catch the old owner?" Fran said.

"Yeah, he's in jail as far as we know," Tom said.

"Have you kids thought about the television show?" Don asked.

"Yeah, but we haven't decided what to do yet," Jack said. "Randy and Fran gave us a lot of good information and Sally has done a lot of research. We have to decide if we want to move forward or not."

"Why wouldn't you move forward?" Marc said.

"For one thing, it's a lot of work," Kim said.

"That may be true, but anything worth having or doing is a lot of work. Just look at your fishing. That's hard work and requires hours of your time to be good at it," Don said.

"That's true, but we don't know if we can be successful," Tom said.

"Tom, you never know if you'll be successful if you don't try. We didn't know if our subdivision project would be successful, but we went ahead with it. As it turns out, the project will be very profitable. I'm not telling you what to do, but don't shy away from hard work," Don said.

"Don's right. I think you kids should give it a lot of thought before throwing in the towel," Marge said.

"If I could make a suggestion," Joel said. "I think you kids should sit down and list all of the pros and cons of your idea. Do it separately, or as couples. After you compile your lists, get together and compare them. That way you can see what everyone's thoughts are."

"That's a great idea, Dad. What do you guys think?" Molly said. She glanced at Tom, hoping she didn't overstep her bounds.

"I agree with Molly. We should do it if we think we want to move forward," Tom said.

Molly sighed and smiled at Tom. He winked at her. The team members got up and went to the guesthouse to get paper and pens. Jack and Sally went to their room to work on their list. Sally took out her notebook computer and turned it on.

Tom and Molly went to their room and sat on the bed. Tom gave her a hug and kiss. "That was a great idea, Sweetie," Tom said. Molly smiled at him. "I will think better if you're naked."

Molly giggled. She stood next to the bed and removed her clothes. Tom pulled her on top of him and began rubbing her body. Molly kissed Tom as she wiggled against him. "I think it would be better if I get naked too. Undress me."

Scooting next to Tom, Molly began removing his clothes. She pulled his shirt over his head and then unfastened his shorts. As she worked his shorts and boxers down his legs, she kissed Tom's exposed skin. Leaning over, Molly sucked his penis into her mouth. Tom moaned and ran his fingers through Molly's hair. She bobbed her head and sucked him until Tom pulled her off his member.

Tom and Molly moved up and rested their backs against the headboard. Molly picked up the pad of paper and pen.

"I love you, Tom," Molly said.

Placing his hand on her leg, Tom rubbed Molly. He moved up and stroked her mons. "I love you too. Now, let's make our list."

Jenny and Brad used one of the rooms to work on their list. They sat on the bed and began talking.

"What do you think about this idea?" Jenny said.

"I think it's great, Jen. We've watched some of the shows on television and I feel we can do as well or better. I also think we should get Eddie and Kathy. The four of us have always done everything together," Brad said.

"That's a great idea. Hold on, I'll get them."

Jenny went to find her brother and Kathy. She took them to the room where Brad waited for them. The four teens sat on the bed together.

"Jenny and I think that producing a television show is a good idea. What do you two think about it?" Brad said.

"It sounds like fun to me. We can do a lot of different things with a show like the one we're talking about. I don't know much about the business aspect, but we know how to fish," Eddie said.