Chapter 27: It’s Time for a Business Party and More.

In the morning after breakfast Kay went to school and I went to work. In my office, I went through my regular routine and made sure everything was alright with the client systems I had on constant monitoring. After making sure there were no problems I went on to the next step of business.

I started calling clients that were one offs, clients that didn't have me on retainer. I periodically called them and tried to sell myself, to convert them to long term clients with my constant monitoring. I made several of those calls and actually came up with two potentials. I wanted their long term business; it was my bread and butter, bringing in money at a steady and predictable rate. I invited them to my pool party where they could talk with others that were long term clients already. The best sales force I had were my satisfied long term clients.

I decided to do the follow up about Todd that I thought of before going to sleep. I looked up the information on Kay's advisor from the backup files and called his number.

The phone rang four times before it was answered. "Burt Symes, how can I help you?"

"Mr. Symes, my name is Rob Lister, you don't know me but my housemate, Kaitlyn Sandersen, is one of your advisees. I have a couple of questions if you can take the time to talk with me for a few minutes."

"Give me a minute, Mr. Lister, while I get her file in front of me."

I heard him typing on his keyboard and then he came back to me.

"Mr. Lister, could you give me your business name and full address please?"

"I'm a one man operation and the business name is Lister I.T. Service." I gave him the business address as well.

"Thank you, Mr. Lister; I did that to verify who you are. Even still, I'm limited in what I can discuss with you because of privacy concerns. I hope you understand."

"Absolutely, I thought that may be why you were asking me that question and please call me Rob. I understand the privacy thing and I don't think you'll have a problem with what I want to know."

"Okay, my name is Bert. I may not know you but I know who you are from Kaitlyn's file and from talking with her. What can I do for you, Rob?"

"Kay told me earlier this week that Todd, the football jock, and a couple of his buddies were thrown in jail for drugging some girls in their apartment, something like what Todd did to Kay when I first met her. I wanted to know if you had any more information about the arrest or what was happening about it. Can you help me out?"

"Some maybe, there were three guys that were involved and all three were arrested. Do you want to know about all three of them, or just Todd?"

"My only concern is Todd and anyone he can get to do favors for him. We've already had one instance where he got someone to do a favor for him and pass a threat to Kay."

"Oh? I hadn't heard about that. When did it happen?"

"Some time ago, it was just before Kay came to you with the whole Todd problem, I think. He knows a kid who knows Kay and had that kid give Kay a note while she was trying to avoid Todd. The note basically said she couldn't prove anything and she had better keep her mouth shut. There was nothing specific but its threatening tone upset Kay."

"Do you know who passed the note to her?"

"Yeah, but I don't think you need to do anything about him. I kind of know the kid and gave him fair warning not to be passing any more notes from Todd, or any of his football buddies, to Kay. We haven't had any more trouble since then with the kid."

"Okay, I'll leave that alone. I just wish she had told me about it back then so I could have put it in the file with the other things she told me."

"It shook her up, like I said, but she was more concerned about Todd and his threats. What can you tell me about Todd? He seems to be the source of the problem, at least with Kay. I don't know what he or his buddies have been doing with any other girls."

"Okay, none of what I'm going to tell you is protected information. Todd was picked up by the police, on campus with two other guys last Monday. His buddies were being held on $10,000 bond each but he was being held on $20,000 bond. All three of them posted the bonds and were released yesterday afternoon.

"They aren't allowed on campus, not until they're cleared of all charges. Each of the three of them was charged with the rape, assault and kidnapping of each of the three girls in their apartment and a few other things but those three were the highest level charges. The police are looking at Todd as the instigator and leader of that pack of mongrels, that's why his bond was set higher."

"What happens now?"

"The three girls each have an order of protection from Todd and his buddies. The charges against the idiots are only for what they did to those girls. Campus security has a lot more in their files about Todd and his pals; there are more than the two that were charged with him. They can't use any of it because there're no formal complaints they can refer to. Even with what I've documented about how he's treated Kay there isn't enough for her to file a complaint. I still think the best thing she can do is stay away from him, far, far away."

"Do you think we can get an order of protection for her, too?"

"I'll check with the police and the District Attorney but I don't think so, again, not enough hard evidence."

"Will you be following this, Bert?"

"Officially I won't, but campus security will, because of the connection all the participants have with the college. Unofficially, you better believe I will; campus security will make sure I have all the particulars as they happen. Do you want me to keep you in the loop?"

"Yes, but I don't want Kay to know about it. Todd has upset her enough already. Do you mind using email for this, both ways?"

"I can do that, I just need your email address."

"It's Rob@Lister.com. I've got yours at the school already. You can reach me at that email anytime. If your phone captured my number you can call me at it also anytime you have a need to. Or do you need me to give it to you?"

"No, I've got it. I'll only call you, if something urgent comes up."

"Thanks, Bert. If you need anything from me, let me know."

We were done after that and I felt he would keep me up to date with whatever happened with Todd. I went back to work.

I had been thinking about Kay's birthday and trying to come up with something special for her. After lunch I called her mom in Kansas.

"Hi, Janice, how are you, Robert and the boys doing?"

"Is something wrong, Rob?"

"Oh, no, Janice, nothing's wrong. I need some advice though. Kay's birthday is coming up in no time and I want to do something for it. It's her twenty-first and that's a special one."

"Hearing your voice surprised me and kind of scared me. You can understand can't you? Doing something for her birthday is a great idea. Do you have something in mind?"

"No, I really don't, that's why I'm calling. What would you do if she was there?"

"We'd have a party and make a big deal of it. Maybe have a barn dance and bring her friends in for it."

"Well, I don't have a barn but I've got a pool. I can have a pool party for her but I don't know how many people I can get to come in for it."

"If we had a party here, Rob, there wouldn't be that many people either. We'd have her friends from school in for the party but this is a small town, you know that. I doubt there'd be more than a dozen kids here."

"I've got her contact list and can call all the guys who are in school with her here. I'm sure I can get a dozen maybe more but how do I make it special for her?"

"We'd decorate the heck out of the barn for her and try to make it a surprise. Can you do that?"

"I know I can decorate the pool and cabana area or hire someone to do it. I can get people for the party, too. I want to make it special and I just thought of a way to do it. When was the last time you went out of town, Janice?"

"What d'ya mean, Rob?"

"I think I know how to make it special for Kay, but I'll need your help. How would you like to come out for a visit, Janice? Robert and Junior have both been out; I think it's your turn."

"I don't know if I can do that, Rob. I'd like to, I think we can afford it. It would certainly be a surprise if I came out. I'll have to talk with Robert, of course."

"I'll pay for your visit but you talk with Robert. I'll make the party arrangements and call you with the flight information. Do you need more than a week to get ready?"

"No, I can do anything I need to with a week's notice. I'll just have to put some meals up for Robert and Junior to cover the time I'm gone. When do you think you'll have this party?"

"I have to make some phone calls but how about the weekend before Memorial Day? I'll bring you in on Saturday and we'll have the party that night. You can stay here as long as you want. Kay will work the weekend and has school Monday and Tuesday so she won't be able to stay with you the whole time."

"That's okay; I wouldn't want to be gone from here too long. Can I fly back Wednesday?"

"I'll make all the arrangements for you. I like this and I think Kay will, too. If I can pull off this surprise it'll be great!"

"I'll talk with Robert tonight. Thank you, Rob."

"Let me go for now, say hi to Robert and Junior for me and let 'em know I'm doing this and taking care of Kay."

We finished up the call and I got started making plans. I'll need my caterer for this, it'll be a little different than my usual party but they can handle it I'm sure. Since it's a pool party I'll have it start by five. When I called them they didn't have a problem with what I wanted and even had someone to help with the decorations. They'd put the decorations up at the same time as the rest of their setup. While they were doing that I'd get Janice from the airport and bring her home. She'd go into the front bedroom, the same one the rest of her family used when they paid me their surprise visits.

I called Kay's manager at the restaurant to make sure she'd have the night off. He was happy to help when I told him what I was trying to do. He was going to have her work the afternoon shift that Saturday and send her home right at six. When she got home everyone would be here and we could do the whole "SURPRISE!" thing for her.

This was coming together. Now I had to call the contacts from the backup I had of her phone list and get the people to attend the party. I'd have to wait until she went to work tonight so she wouldn't hear me calling her friends. I was having fun doing this and couldn't wait to see her face at the party. This was going to be good, even better than when I bumped her into the pool way back when.

When Kay came in from school we talked about her day. "Anything going on in school I might be interested in?"

"Nothing special going on but I've got a ton of work to do this weekend and I've got to start thinking about this summer. Am I going to try for an internship with a company in my field for the summer, or am I going to go without one and just work the summer like I did last year?"

"Are you leaning one way or the other?"

"I need the money from working but I can use the experience of an internship, too. What do you think I should do?"

"Working has a short term benefit, it's easy to see, plus you already have an established job you're comfortable in. Continuing along that path is the easiest thing to do. The internship won't bring in as much money as the restaurant but will give you real world experience in your long term occupational field and something to put on your résumé. It's doing something new though, and that can be a little scary. You have to weigh the options and figure out which direction you want to go."

"You're doing it again, Rob. You're helping me look at my situation but letting me make my choice. You're not making it for me. It's a big reason I trust you and feel so comfortable with you."

"I let you make the choice because you're the one most affected by that choice. I don't think I have any right to make that type of decision for you. Even if we're the couple everyone has told us we are, it's still your decision."

"I don't know if I'll even be offered an internship. I only brought it up because the T.A. in my last class today talked about it. He seemed pretty confident the people running our program can get all of us internships if we want them. Do you think they can do that?"

"If the T.A. said they could, I'm sure they can. You just have to follow the rules and work with whatever instructions they give you. Are all the internships here in this area?"

"I think so, but no one has come out and said they are. I'm sure we'll get more information as we get closer to the end of the semester. They have to know what they're doing, they just haven't told us."

"Where are you on getting your car? I thought you were going to get it for this semester, obviously that hasn't happened."

"I did some looking last month and found everything cost a lot more than I was able to pay. I've saved up all the money I can and still can't afford anything. Even using your suggestions from the fall and looking in the school newspaper and on the bulletin boards around campus I can't find anyone looking to get rid of a beater, I couldn't find anything.

"Living here with you has saved me a ton of money but I still don't have enough. Having your cars available when I need one has saved my butt a few times this semester. I hope you don't mind when I need to use one." She was looking kind of sheepish when she made that last statement."

"If I minded, I would have said something. Your use of one of my vehicles hasn't inconvenienced me, so there hasn't been anything to mind. I don't think you've driven a hundred miles that weren't for me or the house, so you sure haven't worn anything out. As they say; no harm, no foul."

"Thanks, Rob."

"Just as a F.Y.I.; you'll need a vehicle if you go the internship route. You know that, right?"

"I was pretty sure I would. My not having a car has to be part of my decision making."

"How short are you for a car?"

"Depending on which one I'm looking at, as much as two grand. It's depressing."

"Okay, the next time you start looking bring me along. I may be able to help, some."

"You'll help me with buying a car?"

"Maybe, it will depend on the car and how much they want for it. No promises."

"I'm not looking for anything special, just basic transportation I can use for at least a year."

"I'll keep your criteria in mind. On another issue; when are you going to see your family again? You've got to put that in your planning somewhere, somewhen. I told Junior you'd go home to visit, so your being gone isn't so hard on your parents."

"Arg, that's something else I've got to do. I want to see them, I love them, but everything takes time and costs money. I don't know how I'm going to do everything I have to do and want to do, or where I'm going to get the time and money to do it all. How do I balance everything?"

"With experience you learn how. Until you get experience, you do the best you can. Once you have experience, you do the best you can. Does anything sound similar between with experience and without experience?"

"What are you telling me?"

"I'm showing you information and facts, things you probably already know, you just have to think and put it all together. It's what I always do with you. You're no dummy, you can do this."

She sat there for a moment, thinking about what I said. "No matter what I do, there will always be more to do; I'll never get to it all."

"For ninety-nine point nine, nine percent of the population, including me, that's the day-to-day truth of life. That's why you have to make plans and have goals, things to reach for. You should have long-term goals, mid-term goals and short-term goals. When you reach a goal pat yourself on the back, do something to celebrate, and then move on, taking aim at the next goal. Never stop moving towards one goal or another. You will never accomplish all your goals because as soon as you reach one you go on with another. That's how you move forward in the bigger picture of life."

"And once again, you're teaching me things, now, someone should have taught me, when I was growing up at home. How do I ever repay you for lessons like this?"

"You don't pay back education, you pay it forward, to someone who needs to learn what you already have. It's a long term thing and how we improve as a race. It's a very slow process."

"Jeez, Rob, we've been talking for forever. As much as I like talking with you, because of what I learn, we have to stop, for now. I have to get ready for work. Will you be up when I come home tonight?"

"I don't know, I haven't thought about it. I'm not going anywhere tonight; you can take the truck if you want to."

"Actually, I'd rather not take it unless I need it, so I'll ride the bus today. If you're not up tonight I'll see you in the morning. I've got to change now." With that last statement she was gone to her room.

After Kay left for work I got started on phone calls. The first was to my contact in the airline offices, I caught him before he left for the weekend. He questioned why I was getting a round trip ticket that started in Kansas but when I explained what I was doing and why, he set me up and emailed the confirmation information to me. I'd wait until I spoke with Janice or Robert again before I forwarded the information to their computer.

I waited until after eating dinner to start calling Kay's local contacts. I was only partially successful. Out of the twenty people I called I only reached about a dozen and of those only four gave me a solid agreement to come to the birthday party for Kay. Two were outright refusals and the rest were non-committal, for now. They couldn't be positive for a party that was six, or so, weeks away. Some asked about bringing someone with them and I agreed to all guests but asked them to email me with how many were coming.

I still had to give the caterer a head count to plan for. I made a note to make calls again Sunday evening after Kay left for work again: I figured I'd reach more people then and I really wanted to make this a good party for Kay. I wanted between twenty and thirty people for the party but I'd take all comers.

One of the people I did reach was the T.A. from her Friday afternoon class. Darren Williams was a bit more enthusiastic than the others I'd reached.

"A party's a great idea. I hope you're inviting everyone in her class. They all like Kay; she's a bright spot in the class. The timing's good, too, having it the week before the holiday weekend."

"I'm inviting everyone in her contact list from the local area. I don't know if that's everyone in the class or not. I won't mind if you pass the word around the class, but remember, it's supposed to be a surprise party. Do you think you can do that?"

"I can and happy to help. Are there any limits?"

"This isn't going to be just another college drinking party. It's Kay's twenty-first birthday party. I want everyone to have a good time but I don't want anyone going crazy. Do you know what I mean?"

"I think we can handle that. Are you going to at least have beer?"

"Beer yes, at a bar, but not an unlimited keg. I'm also not having hard liquor. There will be food, a buffet. Like I said, this isn't going to be a regular drinking party."