Chapter 110

The three Alphas sat on a padded bench while waiting for their women to finish shopping. The men could see Helen and Selina on the other side of the store where Selina was trying on a pair of boots. The assistant manager was kneeling down in front of the child as he assisted her.

Wainwright cleared his throat to get Jeff's attention. "I'm considering meeting with Mr. Wade when he gets off work. May I invite him and his wife for dinner tonight? I've talked to Reed and he says the copter will be free after five this afternoon."

Jeff shrugged. "Fine with me, but please ask Diana as well."

"Already have," Frank chuckled. "After all, the women will be the ones cooking."

"Does he have kids?" Jeff asked.

"He mentioned that he had a couple of teenagers. A boy and a girl."

"Tell Wade that they're welcome, too. They would probably enjoy the game room."

Tina walked over, her face flushed with happiness. Plopping down in Wainwright's lap, she kissed him tenderly. "Thank you. I've never had clothes that are as nice as the ones we've just bought for me. Not to mention how many outfits Margaret insisted that I get."

"Did you get something sexy?" Frank whispered in her ear.

"Yes, lots. And ... I have a negligée that I'm going to wear for you tonight. Well, actually, Margaret and I have matching negligées for tonight."

Frank could feel his cock beginning to swell. "Uh, My Love, I think you should probably get up while I can still walk around without embarrassing myself." Giggling, Tina went to tell Margaret what happened when Frank heard about the negligées.

Eventually, Selina's shopping was finished and she, Helen and Wade walked back across the store, both adults carrying shoeboxes and shopping bags.

The packages were handed off to one of the security people to be put into the SUVs. Selina stopped before her Prime. "I have purchased several items with the card I was given. Mr. Wade and the sales lady have been exceptionally nice to me. They treated me as an adult, for which I have expressed my appreciation."

Turning to Wade, Selina stuck out her small hand. "Thank you again, Sir. I have had a pleasant experience conducting business with you."

Helen winked at Jeff, then she and Selina went to assist the other women and girls to finish up.

Wade had an odd look on his face. "It's ... startling to realize how smart that young lady actually is. Mr. Matthews, she told me about the two of you adapting your running shoes, and how much she loves her new school. I thoroughly enjoyed our short time together."

Frank stood. "Mr. Wade, could I have a moment of your time?"

"Certainly, Sir," the assistant manager responded, then followed Frank to an area devoid of customers where the two men stood facing each other.

Frank looked at the man for a moment, then, "Mr. Wade, this isn't a place where I would normally conduct this type of ... meeting, and I'm well aware that you have many duties to perform in addition to seeing that our women are well treated." As Wade started to say something, Frank waved his hand a little to signal Wade to wait. "Those things considered, I'll get directly to the point. I own several companies, and have controlling interest in several more. I'm always on the lookout for good personnel, particularly people capable of becoming the right type of managers in various levels of my enterprises. Almost immediately, I recognized positive traits and a likeable business demeanor, as you interacted with your staff, as well as your customers."

Wainwright motioned in Jeff's direction. "My ... friend and I live on a mountain near Winter Park. Jeff and I would like for you and your family to have dinner with us tonight." As Wade started to respond, Frank went on, "I can have a helicopter pick up you and your family at your convenience. There is a distinct possibility that I will offer you a position with one of my companies. Starting pay will be far in excess of what this ... company pays you. Oh, I don't know exactly what you are earning, but generally speaking this industry doesn't pay well. And before I forget, I apologize for the way I talked to you in the beginning. It was a test to see if you were easily rattled."

Wade stood looking at Wainwright, and for a second he almost started to ask questions, but then stopped himself. This conversation is a test, too. More than that, it's part of a job interview. He wants someone who can make decisions. "I assume that we should meet the helicopter at the airport. I'm off at four today. My wife and I can be at the airport by five-thirty."

"You have two children, right?"

"Yes, Sir. Two. A boy fourteen and a girl sixteen. They're responsible kids, and the sixteen-year-old watches out for her brother when we have to be away. No problem with leaving them at home."

"No. Bring them. Besides, the kids will probably enjoy the helicopter ride. Just casual dress, please. We'll all be in jeans or the like as soon as we get home. Please tell your wife that I am certain she will enjoy this evening."

As the men shook hands, Frank added. "Oh, by the way, don't bring wine, nor is any other gift necessary. I have a fine wine cellar, but unfortunately none of us drink any longer, but I'll have a special bottle ready for you and your wife, though."

Wainwright handed Wade one of the helicopter service's business cards. "Call that number just before you leave for the airport so the pilot can have the helicopter waiting for you. He'll give you directions so you can easily find him. Bring a heavy coat. The temp will be near zero on the mountain. We'll have a vehicle near the helipad waiting for you, but the wind will probably be blowing enough to make the coat feel nice between the copter and SUV."

Although Wade wanted to say more — ask a number of questions, he just said, "Thank you Mr. Wainwright; it will be our pleasure."

Wainwright turned and quickly walked back to the two Alphas, seating himself on the bench beside them with a smile on his face.

"This reminds me a little of what happened in Seattle," Bill said to Frank.

Frank leaned back and crossed his legs, proud of himself. "Yeah, I guess you're right. She turned that lab around in three months, though. Once she eliminated the deadwood and improved morale, they began to make a profit."

Bill chuckled. "Yeah. But I thought she was going to slap you when you first approached her. Once she realized you weren't putting the make on her, she paid attention, though."

"Where are you thinking of using him, Frank?" Jeff wondered.

"I have only the foggiest of ideas. I have two managers who will be retiring in the next year. He might fit in one of their positions, once he's trained. Or I'll come up with something else, or more accurately, Margaret will."

Jeff looked over at his Alpha. "How do you do that, Frank? He's..."

"Oh, bullshit, Jeff. You obviously do it, too. Whitworth sent your whole team out for your personal security. Once they had things ironed out, the security team took over — except for Carter. Lieutenant Mayfield probably asked him to stay for a while. Then again, Carter might well have volunteered to stay just to be around you. But I've also noticed that the rest of your team came back to guard the heavy weapons. The General sent the best to guard the best, and how did your team get to be the best, hmmm? You picked every last one of them, according to Carter. And being in your unit still is the goal of most every trooper on that base, again, according to Carter. The decisions you and your team make helps to keep them, and you, alive. The decisions my managers make put money in my pocket. Different fields, but both require good managers."

Jeff grinned at Wainwright. "Did anyone ever tell you that you were full of it?"

"Many times," Frank said, laughing. "Hell, sometimes they're even right. But I'm right about Wade. He'll go far with one of my companies. Margaret and I just need to figure out which job will fit him best, then train him."

With everyone getting ready to head home, the security SUVs were loaded, as well as all available room in Jeff's vehicles. In the parking deck, Diana reached up and kissed her husband after he opened the door for her. "Mr. Wade is going to send a truck out with the rest of our purchases. I told him anytime tomorrow would be fine."

Jeff got in the driver's side as Diana closed her door. Kayla and Tina got in the back seat while Frank, Margaret and Selina settled in the second seat. "Did you leave the store with any makeup for their other customers?" Jeff said, laughing.

"Some," his bride snickered. "But all your women have to have makeup to be prettier for our husband, and most of us were running low."

"I can't complain about that," the Prime laughed as he started the vehicle. "All aboard."

"We're all here," Margaret said.

Jeff subvocalized something on his radio, waited for a moment, then backed out. "Let me hold that until we get out of the deck," Diana said as she took the ice cream cone from her husband.

"I'll bet those two girls in the ice cream place have never sold that many cones in such a short time. They're not bashful about charging, though."

"You're not bitching about the cost of ice cream after spending all that money on clothes are you?"

Before Jeff could answer, he noticed Diana licking his ice cream cone. "Hey, you were supposed to be holding that while I got us out of the parking deck. I didn't say anything about your eating it."

The Queen held the cone over so Jeff could take a big bite. "It was leaking," she faux-whined, trying to keep her face straight. "It needed licking. Besides, I wanted to see how that pistachio tasted."

"Well, give me a bite of your strawberry. It looks good, too."

Laughing and teasing, the family was soon back on I-70 and rolling toward the Retreat.

Later, they turned onto the first county road. About a mile past Martha's Restaurant, Selina, who was sitting beside Margaret, suddenly turned toward the window. "Stop. Stop! Please stop right now."

Jeff didn't know what had happened, but tapped his brake pedal twice to flash his brake lights and warn Laura in the next vehicle, while at the same time, he warned security on his radio that he was stopping. They weren't going fast, and as soon as the SUV came to a halt, Selina unbuckled, opened the door and shot out. Security, suddenly on high alert, piled out of their vehicles looking all around.

"Shit," Jeff muttered as he bailed out and ran around the SUV, but Selina was already past the two vehicles behind them and was tentatively climbing over the terrace of snow pushed up by the snowplow alongside the road. Her first foot stayed mostly on top of the snow/ice, but when she put her other foot down, the crust broke and she dropped in almost to her hips. Struggling, she pulled herself out, crawled on her knees past the ridge, then waded through the snow that was almost knee-deep on her.

Everyone was out of the vehicles now, and Jeff jumped the snowplow's leavings, coming down in loose snow that quickly filled his shoes. Diana slipped on the ridge and fell forward, but managed to catch herself with only one knee going down into the snow, heedless of the expensive slacks she was wearing, to say nothing of her shoes. But Jeff had finally seen Selina's quest. Laughing, he stopped beside Helen's little charge, just as the schoolmaster grabbed him from behind when her foot struck a rock hidden in the snow almost causing her to fall.

"Get it, please," Selina said, pointing into the spindly bush they were standing next to. The bush, denude of leaves, was approximately seven feet tall. On the topmost, skinny branch clung a tiny ball of fur. Scared out of its mind by its dilemma and the humans gathered around it, the kitten spat, hissed and growled.

Jeff guessed its age to be five or six weeks. Its eyes were still blue.

"Please," Selina reiterated.

With one hand, Jeff pulled the bush over a little, the cat clinging even tighter to its precarious hold. Reaching up with the other hand to the terrified ball of fury, he thought, Should have worn my gloves. He's going to rip my hand when I grab him.

The kitten struggled to another limb, almost falling as Jeff pulled the bush over more. Afraid the tiny animal was going to fall, Jeff grabbed him, knowing his own blood would soon be on the snow, but ... even though the hissing, spitting and growling seemed to double, the kitten did nothing more than threaten.

"Give him to me, please," Selina said.

Jeff held the kitten low enough for Selina to touch him. "Honey, I'm afraid he'll..."

"It won't bite me," she said, reaching out and grasping the kitten with both hands.

Jeff noticed that those little hands were shaking and he could hear her teeth chattering. None of them had taken time to put on a coat. Jeff scooped Selina up and in the process almost stepped on Carter's foot, then bumped into Kayla. The whole security team had deployed around them with Carter and Kayla practically standing in Jeff's tracks. Shit, this is a nightmare for security. They're thinking it could have been a setup to get us out of our vehicles and vulnerable. And ... both Carter and Kayla are obviously trying to stand where they can take a bullet for me. Shit!