Chapter 22

I dropped Mouse off at school the next morning and drove to work. As soon as I walked in I received a call from Brad. He asked me to come to his office right away.

I went down the hall to the executive suite. Brad’s secretary told me to go right in. As soon as I entered, Brad came around his desk and shook my hand. He smiled and said, “Come on. Let me show you to your new office. Then we’ll go down and meet Mr. Morris. He’s anxious to meet you.”

Holy crap! That’s quick!

My office is right around the corner from Brad’s. I’ll share a receptionist with Mike Clarke. I met my new secretary, Linda. She’s actually Jeff’s secretary. He’s taking her with him to the senior VP suite. But she volunteered to stay until I can hire someone new. I asked if it would be possible to bring my secretary with me. She does excellent work and she knows me pretty well. I’ve enjoyed working with her.

Just like that it was done. Calls were made and she was on the way to her new office before we left to meet Mr. Morris. For the first time since they offered me the promotion last night I’m nervous. I’ve never met the owner of the company. I’ve seen him a few times around the plant, usually with Jan. He always looks so grim.

I walked with Brad toward Mr. Morris’s office trying not very successfully to look casual. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Listen, if you’re like most people working here, you think Mr. Morris is an ogre. He always looks mad and people who don’t know him think he’s very aloof.

“The truth is he’s a pussycat. If you just relax you’ll like him. I promise. And there isn’t much that happens around here he doesn’t know about. He knows a lot about you. He’s been following your work since you started here. He’s very impressed. He was so impressed with your work he was about to insist on promoting you even when you were single. That would have been unprecedented in the history of this company. So take a deep breath and calm down a little. Okay?”

I nodded. And I appreciate the pep talk. But still ... it’s Mr. Morris for Christ’s sake!

When we got to his office I was introduced to his assistant, Heather. She greeted me with a warm smile and spoke to me like we’re already friends. When she noticed how nervous I am she chuckled and said, “Relax, Gregg! You’re quickly going to learn he only bites when he’s with Jan. Right Brad?”

Brad chuckled and said, “Yeah. But at least he never draws blood. How’s Kevin doing?”

She smiled and said, “Great. But you’ve created a monster. He has been reading those World War II books you loaned him as if they were porn. He can’t seem to get enough. I’m not sure I wouldn’t rather have him reading porn!”

Mr. Morris escorted someone out of his office just then. After they said goodbye he turned and looked at me. Despite everything Brad and Heather said to allay my fears I can’t help feeling nervous. But now that I’m here and seeing him up close he suddenly doesn’t seem that fearsome. He didn’t quite smile but he isn’t exactly frowning either.

He came over, shook my hand and said, “You must be Gregg. I’m glad to meet you. I’ve been watching what you’ve accomplished since you started working here and I’m really impressed. Jan called me this morning and gave you her seal of approval. That’s all I needed to hear. I’m glad you’re onboard. I assume Brad and Jan have explained everything to you?”

I nodded.

He almost smiled again. Then he asked, “Any questions?”

I shook my head.

He actually smiled then, if only slightly, and said, “Relax, young man. If you do half as good a job as you’ve done so far you’ll end up owning this plant. You’re a good man and you have a good head on your shoulders.”

I smiled self-consciously and responded, “Thank you, sir. I’ll try to do at least half as good a job as I’ve been doing.”

He finally grinned. He glanced at Brad and rolled his eyes before he turned back to me and said, “Yeah. You’re going to do just fine. Brad, would you please take him to personnel so he can take care of the paperwork.”

Brad smiled and said, “Yes, sir. Oh and in case Jan forgot to mention it, you’re invited to the next wedding at our home. The date isn’t set yet, but Gregg is marrying Mouse at our place.”

Mr. Morris smiled uncertainly and said, “Mouse?”

I laughed and said, “That’s my pet name for Amanda, my fiancée.”

Mr. Morris looked questioningly at Brad.

Brad smiled and said, “She’s the prettiest mouse you’ve ever seen, Mr. Morris. And I know she’s going to charm your pants off, if Helen will permit it of course.”

Mr. Morris chuckled and said, “Get the hell out of here you two. I’m a feeble old man. It’s time for my nap.”

Yeah, right! He may not be a young man anymore. But when you meet him you know right away he’s a man who’s on top of his game.

Brad escorted me down to personnel. He left me there and I spent an hour signing papers. My salary has more than trebled and I was made aware of all sorts of perks and bonuses. It’s almost embarrassing. Even though I have my obscenely large trust fund squirreled away and don’t really need more money, I’m really impressed with my new compensation package.

I’m almost tempted to call my parents and rub their noses in my good fortune. As of today I’m going to start making nearly three times what my brother makes working for the VA in a hospital. I can’t do that of course. That would mean talking to them.

The people in the personnel office finally released me and I went back to my old office. Tina, my secretary, was in the process of packing up my belongings when I walked in.

She looked up when I walked in and ran around my desk. She jumped up and hugged me violently. I had just enough time to see there are tears in her eyes before she wrapped herself around me.

Through her tears of joy she exclaimed, “Oh god! Mr. Collins! I love you! Thank you so much!”

I laughed and carefully untangled her arms, gently putting her back on the floor. I smiled down at her and said, “I wouldn’t go anywhere without you, Tina. You’ve kept me from making an ass of myself so many times. I owe you big time.”

She wiped her eyes and exclaimed, “Mr. Collins! They more than doubled my salary! They said you demanded I go with you when you moved up. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.”

I don’t know if I actually demanded she accompany me. But I’m glad she’s going with me. We’re comfortable with each other. We work well together. And I do like her. I thanked her for helping me pack and sent her to take care of her own things. I finished up what little packing remained and carried the two boxes to my new office.

I went in, put the boxes down on my desk and stood there looking around. My new office is very much like Mr. Morris’s office. It’s only slightly smaller but the furniture is nearly the same. I even have my own bathroom and wet bar! And it’s stocked!!

I was still looking around when something occurred to me. I called Brad on the intercom and said, “I just remembered something. I don’t know how that EPOD thing works. It just occurred to me that someone should know Mouse will be working during the day until school gets out on Wednesday.”

He assured me that won’t be a problem. Then he invited me to a small get together at his house this evening to meet the other junior VPs and their wives.

I told him in all honesty I’m looking forward to it. I’ve met all the VPs at one time or another. But I don’t know them well. I’ve done most of my coordinating with Brad. He’s the person I’m most familiar with. I hardly know the others except to wave to. And except for Jan I’ve never met any of their wives.

I unpacked and sat staring at my office wall for a few minutes, trying to convince myself this is all actually happening to me. And so quickly!!

As it started to sink in that it’s all real I also came to realize it’s all because of Mouse. I’m pretty certain they finally offered me this position because of her. But it isn’t just the promotion I owe to her. I have this hot feeling of burning passion in my gut and it seems to color my entire world now.

I thought I was happy before I met her. I like my job. I live a simple life with no real stress. It turns out I’ve been clueless! I didn’t know what happiness was! Now everything has changed. Now I can’t wait to get home at night and put my arms around my little Mouse. Now I know what happiness is!

Tina tapped on my door and poked her head in. Her eyes are still red. It’s obvious she’s been crying. But she’s getting it under control. She smiled and said, “I’m moved in. Is there anything you need?”

I shook my head and thanked her. But before she could go out and close the door I remembered something I need to do. I called out, “Wait! There is something. Would you mind doing me a favor? Would you get me the number for the sales agent for Riverside Estates?”

She actually seems happy there’s something she can do for me. She nodded her head enthusiastically. Then she left me alone.

I opened my telephone index and called the man who handles my investments. I’m about to piss him off. When he came on the line I said, “Mr. Turok! Hi. I suppose I need to let you know I’m getting married in a short time.”

Before I could continue he congratulated me and told me I’ll need to fill out some papers to make my wife my beneficiary, just in case.

I promised to drop by as soon as we’re married. Then I told him the reason for my call. I explained I’m going to need to withdraw somewhere between one and a half and two million dollars, possibly a little more in order to purchase a new home and furnish it.

He was silent for a moment. When he got over the shock he started to try to explain how it would be to my advantage to get a mortgage or borrow against my investments. I haven’t had a lot of dealings with him in the past. I invested my trust fund with him and left the rest up to him. I check the statements when they arrive and I’m satisfied he’s investing my money well. My rather large trust fund has nearly doubled in the last five years. I can’t complain about results like that.

I can easily afford to part with a couple million and avoid incurring a large debt. But the way he talked you’d think I want to spend his money. I cut him off and asked him how much time he’ll need to access the funds and transfer them to my checking account.

He sighed and said, “Less than a week. Call me and let me know the final amount. I’ll transfer the funds to your checking account within three working days.”

I thanked him and finally got to work.

Tina called me on the intercom a few minutes later and said, “I have the number for the sales office, Mr. Collins. Do you want me to get them on the line?”

Normally I would have gotten the number from her and called them myself. But under the circumstances I thought it would be better if I let her call. Let them think I really am somebody.

A few minutes later I was on the phone with the sales agent. I explained that my wife and I were visiting friends in Riverside Estates yesterday and we were impressed with their home. When I told him we’d like to look at what they have available he was quiet for a long moment.

I was just about to ask if he’s still there when he said, “You are aware of the price range of the houses in this project?”

I’m tempted to fuck with him for a few minutes. But I have things to do. I said, “The money won’t be a problem. I’d like to stop by this evening and look at what you have available.”

He couldn’t entirely hide the excitement in his voice when he promised to stay open and wait until I got there.

At lunch time I called Mouse and told her we’re going to a gathering after work to introduce us to the other junior vice presidents and their wives. We talked for a few minutes until I got a phone call and had to go.

Jan is on the other line. Just hearing her voice made me smile. She made sure I know about the party after work. While we were talking I discovered for the first time in my life there’s a secret I’m unable to keep. Well, maybe not a secret. But I haven’t even told Mouse yet. I told her Mouse and I are going to be a few minutes late to the party because I’m going to see about buying a home in her neighborhood for Mouse. She fell in love with their house and I want to give her one of her own for a wedding present.

Jan was silent for a moment. Finally she asked, “You did hear me when I told you about how much our house cost last night ... right?”

I chuckled and said, “I have money. That won’t be a problem.”

She was silent again for a long moment. Then she whispered, “I’ll be damned!”

She laughed then and said, “I’ll give you the number of a good decorator. No, better yet, I’ll call him. He did our place. He’s the best there is.”

A decorator! Of course! I hadn’t even considered that! I responded, “We loved your home. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”

She chuckled and said, “You’ll like him. He’s Mr. Morris’s son.”

Okay. I wasn’t expecting that. But he certainly has great taste. He did an outstanding job. We were really impressed with Brad and Jan’s house. I finally said, “That’s scary. But he certainly did a great job on your home. I’m looking forward to hearing from him.”

It was finally time to earn my keep. I put everything that’s happening in my life right now out of my mind and focused on work. I can’t help feeling a little guilty about how much time I wasted this morning.

I was interrupted in midafternoon when Jan stopped by. She just finished up one of her frequent visits to see how the worker bees are doing out on the plant floor. In our conversations last night I learned she has really sort of adopted them. Over the last couple of months she has come to know a lot of them and even though almost everyone working there is older than her, she has become sort of like their den mother. They come to her with all their problems now, work related or not. They even call her at home sometimes!

Jan entered my office and after giving me a nice warm hug she sat down and said, “Okay Mr. Gregg Collins. Speak to me!”

I lifted my eyebrow and replied, “Woof?”

She gave me an impatient look and snapped, “Smart ass! You live in a dinky apartment and have been out of school for ... what, four or five years or less? You were just made a junior vice president. You haven’t even gotten your first paycheck yet! And now you can afford a million dollar home?!”

I didn’t have to say anything to her of course. But I like her and I trust her.

“I’ll explain. But it’s no one else’s business. Alright?”

She stared at me intensely for a moment and then she nodded.

“It’s no big secret really. I am not and have never been associated with organized crime or any drug cartels as far as I know. It’s just that it isn’t anyone’s business. I haven’t even told Mouse yet. Thanks to some medical patents and a thriving medical practice my grandfather was a very wealthy man. When he died he left me an obscenely large trust fund, probably because he knew it was unlikely I’d ever get anything from my asshole father.

“By the time I assumed control of it I had already graduated from college and was working. I didn’t need anything. I invested it and now I have more money than sense although to be honest I could have also said that before I had any money. It isn’t that I’m particularly thrifty or greedy. It’s just that I don’t need much. I’ve been living well within my means since long before the trust fund matured.

“It wasn’t until I fell head over heels in love with Mouse that my needs started to expand. I’m going to buy the house and furnish it. Except for those two major expenditures we shouldn’t have any trouble living on what Mr. Morris is paying me.”

Jan got up and stood in front of my desk, staring at me as if she was trying to figure me out. Finally she said, “You really do love that girl, don’t you.”

I would have thought that went without saying. But I smiled and replied, “I love her so much I almost can’t stand to be here. I want to get up, go to that school and pull her out of that classroom. I want to hold her in my arms twenty-four hours a day. I want to kiss her and make love to her and feel her breath on my cheek. I want to smell her clean, fresh fragrance, see her smile and watch her blush. I want to hear her whisper she loves me. Yeah. I really do love that girl. She’s all I can think about.”

I was surprised when I saw tears start to roll down her cheeks. She hurried around my desk, threw her arms around my neck and squeezed me tight. She finally said, “She’s a very lucky woman. You’re a romantic. Every woman should be so lucky as to fall in love with a romantic who loves her so deeply. The next time I fuck you mister, you aren’t going to be able to get up and walk away. I’m going to cripple you!”

I laughed and pulled her down into my lap. I grabbed a tissue from my desk and dabbed at her eyes. Then I smiled and said, “You really are amazing, aren’t you? It seems like this entire community revolves around you in some strange way.”

She suddenly seemed upset. She pushed herself to her feet and exclaimed, “Not you, too!”

I smiled and said, “Mr. Morris as much as said that I got this promotion because of your endorsement. He told me I have your seal of approval. He wasn’t joking when he said it.

“I’ve noticed the secretaries say your name as if you’re a deity.

“I spend a lot of time out in the plant. I’ve gotten to be pretty good friends with a lot of those people. I heard a lot of really nice things about you long before I ever met you. Everyone out there who has mentioned you has made it sound like you’re the best friend they’ve ever had and the nicest person they’ve ever met. I don’t doubt that the people out in the plant would go to war for you. And you must surely be aware of the look that comes over Brad’s face whenever he talks about you.”

She sighed in exasperation and threw her hands in the air. She said, “I give up! I’m not going to fight it any longer. But watch out buster. I wasn’t kidding. I’m going to cripple your ass the next time I catch you naked.”

I laughed and got to my feet. I put my arms around her and said, “I admire you. You have a way of making everyone around you feel good about themselves. That isn’t something to feel bad about.”

I kissed her on the forehead and said, “Now get the hell out of here before I start acting like a real vice president and tearing your clothes off!”

She grinned and said, “I have some free time.”

I laughed and escorted her out of my office before I could be tempted to do something I’d regret. Besides, I don’t seem to be getting anything done around here today. If I keep this up I’ll be pushing a broom out in the plant before long.

The next thing I knew it was time to go home. I’m pleasantly surprised to find my job hasn’t changed all that much. I’m still having fun.