Achieving Goals

He was retired. Not in the traditional sense, he still went to work every day, he still turned in a time card, of sorts, weekly. He still got paid by his company, and he still got to run his company. The difference was, Jim had sold his company when he turned 67 and the company that bought him out didn’t want to let him go until things were under control. He agreed to a 3 year contract. He was within two weeks when Krish came to work at the company.

She was on a 2 year work visa from India, and she had goals to meet during those 2 years. Personal goals that required her time and attention. Her number one goal was Jim. She didn’t want money, or marriage, or a better job. On the contrary, Krish was quite comfortable with her home and circumstances in India. She was also quite content here. Her goal was to give Jim something that would last a lifetime. She chose him after seeing him only once.

He always took his lunch at the park that he designed and had built when he first renovated his business property. He wasn’t sure about how much to spend, but he knew exactly what he wanted. It would be a recreational park, approximately 50 acres, with a walking track, a walking trail, a pond stocked with fish, mostly wooded, and areas for complete privacy. He liked to think alone and be among nature. He did his best designing and strategizing when he was alone. His business was thriving and far ahead of the competition because of these very stipulations that he had put into practice. He spent a minimum of two hours per day just thinking and strategizing, alone and in the privacy of his woods. He had a special bench built. It was covered in all-weather fabric that allowed him comfort and stability for years to come. It was expandable and had a heating element under the cushion for the cold days, and a cooling element for the hot days. It also had a giant covering in case of rain which moved to allow sunlight, or moonlight, and had clear glass installed within the covering. He could see the stars at night or the rain during the day and he could still stay dry. It wasn’t cheap, but he had a saying, “Cheap is what you pay for over and over. Quality is what you pay for once”.

Krish had been working up the courage to speak to Jim, or as she called him, “Mr. Harddick”. His name was Jim Hardwick, but everyone else in the office called him Jim. She wasn’t that comfortable, at least not yet. She didn’t even realize that she had mispronounced his name until after their initial meeting.

She was ready with everything else. She knew the exact skirt, blouse, and shoes she would wear that day, along with the color of lipstick. She wasn’t a slut, but she knew exactly where the edge was. She had the ability to make any man cream in his pants with just the right glance. She was convinced that she was not beautiful. Her uncles told her she was “mutt ugly”. Ironically, she could always get a man to do whatever she wanted. Now, it was payback time. She would give this special man a very special day that he would remember for years to come.

The first time she even looked him in the eye was a Thursday morning in the break room. She had just come in and was busy making her favorite tea. Jim walked in quietly, which was his usual nature, and stood behind her silently as she stirred her tea. He took in the aroma and noticed the ginger and cinnamon mixed among the other spices.

“Is that Masala Chai tea?” he asked.

She jumped and spilled her tea and screamed from the heat on her blouse.

“I’m so sorry. “Here. Here, let me get you some paper towels. I’m terribly sorry. That was very rude of me,” Jim said, apologizing all over himself.

“It is fine. I am fine, Mr.Harddick,” she said, wiping her blouse. She screamed because she was not wearing a bra and her dupatta was sheer silk, so the heat transferred directly to her large areolas and her nipples were instantly stiff.

“Um, it’s actually Hardwick, with a ‘W’,” Jim said. “But everybody here calls me Jim.”

“Oh, I am so sorry Mr. Hardwick, I misspoke. I am truly sorry,” Krish said bashfully as she tried to look away, but not too quickly. She wanted him to know that her slip of the tongue was not unintentional. He noticed the slight pause.

“It’s fine,” he said, now noticing her nipples poking through the sheer fabric. You, my dear, may call me anything you like.”

It took him a second before he realized what he had said and how it sounded.

“What I mean is, you are a guest here and I’m fine with whatever you feel comfortable calling me. Does that make, do you? So, um, well, so does that make sense?” he said, obviously stammering.

“Yes, Mr Harddick, I mean, Hard wick,” she said, trying to cover her second intentional mistake.

They laughed briefly before walking out in a moment of awkward silence.

It was a week later before she bumped into him again. They ended up on the elevator along with two other employees who were chatting about the results of their kids baseball game over the weekend. After those two got off on the second floor, Jim spoke.

“Which floor, Miss Krish?” he asked, trying to break the ice. He clearly wasn’t prepared for her reply.

“Well Mr. Hard Dick. I am headed to the top floor.” she replied with a wink and a smile.

“Oh, so you like to be on top? Very well. Top floor it is,” he replied as he hit the button.

“Mr. Harddick, um, Hard Wick. I do not know why my tongue often gets so tied whenever I am trying to say your name. May I ask you something? You do not have to answer it, but I am very curious. How did you settle it in your mind to build such a successful business as this is? You have seemingly thought of everything. Down to the last detail. What is your secret, may I ask?” Krish asked with a serious tone.

Jim studied her face for a long uncomfortable moment before answering.

“I do a lot of thinking,” he said as he stepped off the elevator and walked toward his office.

“Excuse me,” Krish said, “where do you do this thinking?” she asked.

“Right in there,” he pointed at the massive clump of trees where his special bench was located.

He continued down the hall and into his office and closed the door. Krish stood in the hallway smiling to herself as she peered out the window. She knew at that moment what her plan would be.

The next afternoon, Krish sat in her car, after work was over with. Just like clockwork, Mr.Hardwick walked out of the building in his shorts, shirt, and running shoes. He never ran anywhere, but at least he gave the appearance of exercising. These were his thinking clothes.

He followed the walking track until he came to the path that led to the walking trail where he turned. Krish was watching carefully so that he wouldn’t know she was pursuing him. When he disappeared into the woods she got out of her car and followed behind, taking her time looking around so that it wouldn’t appear obvious that she was tracking him. Once she was inside the wooded area of the walking trail, she took off her heels and quietly walked, listening for movement so that she could follow his general direction. She had never been inside the wooded area, of course neither had the vast majority of employees at the company. She had casually asked around about where Mr. Hardwick went in the afternoons as all the other employees were leaving for the day. They all said the same thing. He goes into the woods.