Chapter 9B

Robert sat at his desk and called the payroll company he used and told them to prep for two new employees on his account, then he told them at least one more would be added in the next couple weeks. He pulled documents from his file cabinet and was relieved to see he had four complete sets of the employment documentation he would need.

Lisa arrived at 8am, and greeted Sherri with a smile and then shook her head. "Sherri, your glowing like a neon sign again, you two are like teenagers for Christ sakes."

Sherri smiled and walked Lisa into the Office. "He turned the Library into an office for us, and moved the Library upstairs."

Robert gave them the office to fill out the forms, including tax withholding documents and then they watched as he faxed the documents and payroll information, with instructions to start the pay on this past Monday.

"OK Ladies, shall we go to the office and get those papers filled out and signed. Afterwards Lisa, if you will accompany Sherri and help her pick out your office furniture." Robert said.

"Sure, I would like to pick my own desk." said Lisa honestly.

"Great, now ladies, lot's of work yet today." said Robert. They took two cars, Lisa rode with Sherri and Robert drove his Audi to the office. They met in the parking lot and walked inside.

After Sherri re-read the contract to make sure it was the one she had read last night, she advised Robert to sign, no changes, nothing different from what she had read and they had discussed. Robert sighed it, and got the information he needed. He called and got the Telephones set up. Four phone lines, one high speed DSL line, and then called to make the Cable TV folks get them on a list. He bugged the woman until she agreed to have it in Wednesday. The Phones would be active on Monday, and they would be there to test the lines before lunch Monday. Robert told the Manager that he would need five keys to the office. The manager gave him two that he had now, and promised to have the others available Monday before lunch. The Janitor would be advised that suite 4D would be occupied and would put it on his full cleaning list.

"Lisa, that means that Monday, you have to be here. At least until lunch. I'm sure the Manager can scare up a folding chair, but until the furniture is delivered, there isn't any need to hang around all day. The only equipment we have to have by Monday morning is enough phones for the phone company guy to get set up Monday Morning. After lunch, I guess you are free to enjoy the day." Robert said. "Sherri, you and Lisa go find some furniture, try and get it delivered next week. Monday, you and I are going hunting for an honest accountant."

"You act like that is going to be hard to find." said Sherri.

"It is harder than you think." Robert said. "I want one who is honest, who won't lie, cheat, or steal. One who won't cover up for someone who is. Accuracy is important, but all accountants are accurate."

"Robert, that is what all accountants do, they honestly enter the data and check it to be sure it's right, they don't steal because they are audited by other accountants and would be caught." said Lisa.

"True, but they can cover up for someone else, a friend or someone who is blackmailing them. That may not be caught until an audit, and could cost millions." Robert told her. "I want to know before then, fix the problem, eliminate any threat, and that means a man or woman who I can trust."

"OK, I guess I see your point." said Lisa.

"I trust you, and one thing I mentioned to Sherri is filing cabinets, lot's of them, because there will be lot's of paper during the year. And you will have more access than anyone ever has had to my Business information. You and Sherri are the first people I have ever trusted with this much information, and I readily admit I am uncomfortable exposing myself this way. If I have an accountant I can't trust, then all my time will be spent looking over his shoulder, instead of growing the company." Robert explained. "That means that it fails, and I sell everything and invest online buying municipal bonds and other securities. I don't want to do that, I like giving people jobs, paying them above average wages, and doing what I can for them. Most companies hire someone for a job twice in the same year. In other words, the average time a Security Guard works at a company is about six months. At my company, it's 36 months. That number is growing, as the guards I hire are trained once, and then stay with the company for three years. We don't' have a lot of supervisors, because we don't need them."

"I think I understand, and will do my best." said Lisa.

"I know you will, and believe this, I'll do whatever I can to help you if you need it. I trust and protect my people." Robert told her looking her in the eye. "I'll be boring at first, and I'm sorry about that. I'm putting TV's in the offices, and will not block the movie channels, or any channels. I'll try and schedule an appointment for you to meet the accountant, I want to avoid any personality conflicts. However I doubt that will be a problem. Sherri mentioned that you were responsive and hard working when she was less friendly."

Lisa smiled and looked at her friend. "Thank you, but anyone you choose will be fine." She knew she was professional enough to work with anyone.

Robert nodded, and then said "Ladies, you have a shopping spree to begin, and I have other work to get started on. Have a good time." He left the office and Sherri and Lisa discussed desks and general ideas and then left to find the furniture that they wanted.

Robert got home and found a large crate just inside the kitchen and Suzanne scowling at it. He looked and it was Sherri's chair for the Dungeon, and he worked it towards the dining room. He apologized for the disruption and promised it would be gone before Monday. Suzanne appeared somewhat appeased by this promise and returned to her work of creating delectable dishes.

Sherri and Lisa dropped by the law firm. Robert had called and the Founding partner promised to have the letters ready soon, and include them in the copies of the incorporation papers that would be sent to the corporate office.

"Have you decided on either using an accountant or a law firm to handle the taxes and corporate reporting requirements?" asked Franklin.

"Well sir, Robert is concerned that he won't be able to find an accountant to meet the needs, and I think he may be right. For now, we need to move forward, and that means the incorporation filing with the state, and the creation of bank accounts etc. First there must be a company for someone to track." Sherri said "However as location of an acceptable candidate is something we despair about, I can tell you that the answer while obviously not set in stone, is leaning towards the law firm approach."

Franklin liked this answer, and promised to have the letters drawn up and shipped with the documents next week. He indicated that he would be pleased to write such letters, and please tell Mr. Mason how happy the firm is to be of service, both now and in the future.

Sherri left and joined Lisa in the lobby who was chatting with her friend the Receptionist, and they went Furniture shopping.

They found the desks first, but didn't like the chairs. They did pick matching file cabinets, and then discussed a small fridge, and looking didn't see one they liked. At the second store, a nice small fridge was there, but no chairs that were nice. Instead they looked like rejects from the Star Trek set.

Sherri drove to another store, and they found the chairs. "Thank God, I was beginning to wonder how far someone had to go to find human chairs that were intended for use on this planet."

Lisa laughed and they tried several out. Lisa shook her head as Sherri kept handing over her credit card and telling the man she wanted it delivered and where.

Most of it would arrive on Wednesday, with some arriving on Tuesday. Lisa said "Well at least the chairs will be in the office on Tuesday."

"You'll have somewhere to sit while you read." replied Sherri.

"You have that goofy grin again, how often do you two do it?" asked Lisa.

"It would be shorter to tell you when we don't." answered a grinning Sherri.

"Jesus, if you two don't slow down you'll burn yourselves out." Lisa warned good naturedly.

"It's hard to keep my hands off of him, when I see him, I want to jump him right then and there." said Sherri.

"Girl I have never seen anyone who changed so much as you have. Your happy all the time, and when you see him you light up like a switch was thrown. He does much the same thing." Lisa said thinking of Monday night.

"I love him, every morning, he is the first thought I have, and that puts a smile on my face." Sherri said.

Sherri went to Wal-Mart, and bought a Coffee pot and other disposable items, and then loaded them into her car. They returned to the house and Robert was on the phone talking to someone about something. Sherri knew she would be told, later. Robert hung up and smiling hugged Sherri close to him and kissed her.

"So did you two bankrupt me decorating?" asked Robert laughing.

"No, but we decorated our asses off." said Sherri.

Lisa shook her head and decided she should dash before they started humping in the hallway.

"Lisa, please join us for a drink. You are even welcome to stay for dinner." Robert told her.

"No thanks, I appreciate it, but my boyfriend is off tonight, and I want to get home." Lisa answered.

"Have a great weekend, and we'll call you Monday or vice Versa." said Robert.

Lisa and Sherri loaded the items into Lisa's car, so Lisa would have coffee on Monday while she sat on a folding chair and waited for phone company guys to show up.

Sherri walked back into the house and found Robert sitting in the living room and smiling at her.

"Hi Master, your slave spent a lot of money today." she said smiling.

"My slave was doing what she was told to, and that is a good thing." he replied.

She sat on the couch next to him and kissed him again.

"Nice easy weekend, nothing major, and if you like, we can do dinner at the Country Club tomorrow." said Robert.

"We could go swimming now." said Sherri.

"Good idea, I'll meet you out there, I have something to do now that the house is ours alone again." said Robert.

She followed him and saw the crate in the dining room. He opened it and she smiled wickedly at him. It was her chair, obviously. It was steel and wood, not a hint of cushion or attention to anything approaching comfort, in fact it appeared that maximum attention to discomfort had been lavished on the chair. It had no back, and had steel bindings on the arms and legs, obviously to pin her to the chair.