Evan

Evan The Eighth Chapter By RettaMichaels

Disclaimer

The Usual Disclaimer applies...if you are below the age of 18, and/or can't read this story due to laws prohibiting such, please leave. Your presence here jeopardizes those of us who can and do read these for enjoyment.

Notes from retta:

Many of you wrote to tell me how much you enjoyed the story's beginning chapter. I appreciate those emails.

As you know, a lot of these stories were started many months ago. It wasn't my intention to finish "Evan" then due to being contacted by an attorney for a "Said" star supposedly depicted in the story and the star's "Said" son.

At that time, I chose to honor the request because I was a bit taken out of the water as I'd unintentionally wrote a story which harmed someone. Since then, I've had a change of heart. For me to be censored because of what I "Might" write and be asked to stop is pure bull. Instead, I'm not mentioning any names and I'm falling on the Disclaimer at the bottom which states All characters in this story are fictional. .

Let the story roll.

Another Notice:

I got the zebra stripes handled. I apologize, but I type with a program called OpenOffice which is a LOT like Microsoft Office. Through the years, I have learned how to tweak it so that problems are handled. One of those is the zebra stripes. I apologize.

Evan

Chapter Eight

By the time we got outside, Blane had the limo pulled around. He came around and opened the door and we got in.

"Where's the funeral home?"

"One moment, I'll get Ev to get you directions."

I asked Ev and he told him. We drove and when we got there, we saw a crowd was out at the front.

I asked Ev, "Sam's not coming?"

"They were supposed to meet us here."

"Ok, maybe Ran parked someplace else."

Blane came around and when we got out, the flashes of flashbulbs and the whir of cameras were everywhere. I put my arm through the crook of Sarah's arm and together we went in.

Inside, we were greeted by a man who introduced himself to us as Mr. Swendleson. I shook his hand and he guided us towards the back.

When we got there, Sam and Ran were waiting. I gave Sam a hug and Ran asked, "All go well today?"

"Yeah, you guys going out to eat with us?"

"Yeah, where we going?"

"I'm not sure, I'm along for the ride. All I know is afterward, we're going over to see a water show."

"There's one up in Northridge which is real cool. I've seen it from the interstate."

"That's where we're heading. We can park in the parking lot and watch."

"Nice, it'll be romantic."

"Things going well?"

"Amazing." he said smiling.

"Great. We'll talk a bit over dinner and then, at the water show, I'll surprise you with how our day went."

"From the look on your face, I'd say it really went well."

"Before I get too involved, do you have any money to invest?"

"Why?"

"I've got a deal which would really help you if you want in."

"What is it?"

"Oil wells."

He looked at me , "You're speculating?"

"No, it's there, the guy needs money to drill. From what I've heard, the returns are staggering."

"You investing?"

"Invested. We got a bunch of them."

"A bunch? They going cheap?"

"Two and a half million each."

"That's not bad, what's it return?"

"Three thousand barrels a day. The split is fifty fifty on them, so it's like fifteen thousand a day for each well."

"Man, that's not shabby."

"Nah, I'll tell you more about it later."

He nodded and then we went on over towards Sam and Ev.

Ev said, "Sarah, come over and sit with us. I want you in on the decisions we need to make."

She nodded and smiled. "Thank you."

She came over and I stood behind Ev. Mr Swendleson began speaking, "As you know, your parents made pre-need arrangements. In the plans chosen, they chose the finest. The caskets were picked and everything else is covered, so all we need to do is prepare the service and pick flowers."

Ev nodded and asked, "Any more problems?"

"No, we've got a better handle on things now. I apologize for the difficulties."

Ev shook his head, "We're sorry for the problems. We realize it's hard to assess the actions of people who are trying to gain themselves fame at any cost."

Mr Swendleson nodded , "Don't worry about it. It's our honor. In this book, you'll see our funeral cards we have available. They're what everyone receives when they come to pay respects."

"Mom would love the one with the cross on it. Give the same for Dad. Have Mom's with the clouds tinted with a pale lilac and Dad's with blue."

Sam said, "I think those are nice. All I request is the words to one of Mom's songs to be placed in hers instead of a poem."

Ev looked at her , "Which one?"

"Walnut."

"Oh, let me think for a moment."

He thought, but I already had the words flowing through my head. He nodded , "It'd be nice."

Mr Swendleson nodded , "I'll get the lyrics and have them put in."

I said, "Let me use the computer where you prepare them and I'll get the lyrics typed."

"Ok, we'll do it in a moment." He paused and then said, "We have a list from Motown of notables who wish to be considered as pallbearers. We've also received a list of some who are with other companies."

Evan said, "The way I think we'll do it is we'll have them line up and then pass the casket along. It'd be unfair to have some and not others."

"It's an unusual request, but with the number, I think they'd all be honored." He then asked, "Who for your father?"

Ev said, "Here's the list I've compiled for his. There are twelve."

"Ok, that's fine, do you want some to be honorary?"

"What's that mean?"

"Honorary means they stand and place the casket in the hearse."

"That'd be fine."

Sam said, "These flowers here are wonderful."

Mr Swendleson nodded , "I need to mention Motown has sent one for your mother which is amazing."

Ev asked, "I'm glad they wish to be involved in the service, but I really wish they'd asked us."

Mr Swendleson said, "From what I understand, they tried, but the phone wasn't answered."

Ev's voice rose a little and stated, "They never called."

Sarah's hand went to Ev's as she stated, "I'm sure they probably attempted to call her private line in her suite. We'd not hear it in the rest of the residence."

Ev said, "Oh, I never thought of that."

Sarah nodded , "Whatever Motown sent will be fine with everyone. The ones Sam chose would be excellent for her father."

"Then from what I have put together here, we're about finished."

Ev said, "I need to ask one thing."

Mr Swendleson's gaze rose as Ev continued. "As you see out front, there are fans out there. At the house, there are a lot also. What I'd like to request is some loudspeakers be placed outdoors for the service to be carried to them.

I'd also like to ask you contact the city and ask the street be closed for them. There are going to be a lot of them, so we need to consider their safety."

"I've already spoken with the authorities. They've said they'd have that done and a full motorcade is planned to the cemetery. I'd like to state we've got a few other requests I need to ask, but I saved them until last."

Sarah said, "Ok, go ahead with them."

"A goodly number of people have requested to sing some songs. I have a list here."

Ev nodded , "I need to ask a question before we proceed."

"Sure."

"How long is a normal service?"

"It depends who officiates. Normal ones last about twenty minutes, but for notables such as yours, they can be considerably longer. If I remember correctly, some have been as long as two hours."

"Ok, what I want to say up front here is we need to keep it below an hour and a half. I don't know what the weather is forecast, so we also need to keep that in mind as people will be standing outside."

"It's sunny and clear with a high in the 80's."

"Then we're fine there. Who do you have on the list?"

"Here's the list."

Ev said, "May I see your ink pen please?"

"Sure"

He looked at the list and began making check marks. He turned to Sam , "What do you think?"

"I don't know. Do you think Mom will want him to perform?"

"It's a time of healing Sam. I think if we do, it could help you in your future."

"Ok, but what I'd like to ask is when we send notes out, you send the note to him with your name only and all the rest with both ours."

"I was thinking of putting "The family of Mr. & Mrs. Brandon Gordon" on them. It'd get the message across to some I know who will be in attendance."

She nodded , "I'll go with that."

Ev said, "The ones we want are check marked. I don't know how you're going to notify them, but when you call them, please tell them we're going to have eulogies and those who couldn't perform will be allowed to get up and give theirs."

Mr Swendleson smiled, "I'm happy you made that suggestion as I was terribly worried how to do this with tactfulness."

I spoke up , "How many will your chapel hold?"

"We have a large chapel which will hold six hundred."

I put my hand on Ev's shoulder , "We need to get a plan together as to who will be allowed in and who won't."

"Do you think there will be that many who will come?"

"I think it's going to be way larger than you've imagined."

"What do we do?"

Sarah spoke up , "I think we should make it so anyone who wants to come will be able. I don't think we should have anyone excluded. If we start excluding, someone's feelings will be hurt."

Mr Swendleson said, "If I might interrupt, the city has offered services of any of their facilities. They said they'd incur the cost if you wanted a larger place than here."

I said, "That's a pretty broad scope. Did they happen to mention what facilities?"

"One moment, I can put the Mayor on the speakerphone if you'd like. He said to feel free to give him a call."

I said, "Ok, go ahead because we just forgot to consider any elected officials in this."

Ev said, "Man, we did."

Sarah patted his hand , "Hon, there are probably going to be a lot we didn't consider. If we have the place large enough, they all can come and no one feels left out."

The mayor answered his phone and Mr Swendleson told him we were on speakerphone and in presence. He then asked the question about numbers for seating. We decided to have the visitation at the funeral home on Friday evening, with the funeral services held in the stadium.

The mayor said he'd have police officers serve as security and patrolling the parking. He said he thought he could get the stadium filled with seats and a stage in time.

We thanked him and he said he absolutely had no problems. He thanked us for allowing him to be of service.

Mr Swendleson said, "I need to tell you all I'm a bit apprehensive. I've never handled a funeral of this magnitude, so please understand it might not be of a level in which you're accustomed."

I said, "Sir, we realize there's a lot since we never anticipated it either. I'm sure in the end, we'll all be satisfied it was handled as well as you could. I also know you're probably incurring a lot of added costs for this and we need to tell you anything which isn't on a normal funeral, to itemize and I'll settle with you when it's over."

He nodded , "I'll try to keep it within reason."

Sam asked, "We'll probably need a piano to accompany the singers. I do know we'll probably need at least four microphones besides the one the preacher will be using."

I said, "Sir, in your note you send to people, please mention in a final paragraph the family respectfully requests political statements be kept minimal. I know Reverend Jackson is going to attempt to play his role in this up and of what I know, I'll probably be standing up and taking the stand away from him rather than hear it."

Sarah looked sharp at me and I said, "Sarah, it's a personal moment, not some campaign. If he can't, or won't, and if Ev and Sam don't want to offend, please know I'll protect their interests."

She nodded , "He's not going to preach a sermon."

"No, but I should state he wasn't going to do much at Mrs King's service either and it turned into a farce real fast. If we allow it to happen here, and the thought is we'll allow it to happen, then I'll be man enough to stand up and shut them up."

Ev said, "Let's not anticipate problems which might not happen."

"Let's anticipate problems and address them so they don't happen."

Sam said, "I agree with Den, Mrs. King's family allowed notables to speak because they thought it within decorum. I don't know how they felt because they respectfully kept their silence, but I sure don't want their funeral to be a rally or any sort."

Ev said quietly, "Do you think they'd do that?"

"They'd do anything if they were given a chance!" she said sharply. "If Den is willing to say what some of us have thought openly, then I think we need to support him."

Sarah said, "Please put that in the notes. I think it would be in poor taste for anyone to do anything adverse if everyone sees that's what we've requested."

I said, "I'm sorry if it's upset you guys, but I thought it should be brought up."

She nodded , "I can see you're thinking of us. I appreciate it. I just couldn't imagine anyone wanting to attempt it, but you're right."

Mr Swedleson said, "If you'd like to bring the attire they'll be dressed in, I'll be available in the morning."

Sam said, "In the suitcase out in the car, I've got the clothes. I knew it'd be hard on Ev to go into their apartment, so I got them for us."

Ev asked, "Is that what upset you earlier?"

"Yes, it was really hard." she said with breaking voice.

I reached over and put my hand on her shoulder. She took it and held it.

Mr Swendleson looked at me , "If you'd like to come this way, I'll get you the computer so those lyrics can be placed on the flyer."

I followed him and he took me to a connecting office. I sat at a computer and typed it out in no time at all. It was a bit tougher because the chorus repeats in the song and for poetry, it needed to be left off.

I went back into the room where everyone was sitting and upon seeing me, Ev stood , "If that's everything, I think we're ready to go."

Sarah shook Mr. Swendleson's hand and told him to please feel free to contact us if he had any further requests.

He nodded and we left the office. Ev said, "Sam and Ran, if you'd like, you can ride with us and it'd be easier."

"Ok, we can keep the car parked here and come back to get it later." Ran said.

We went out and Ev held Sam close to him with Ran on the other side being equally as protective. I held Sarah close to me and followed. She quietly said, "I'm glad you spoke up. It'd crossed my mind, but I know D wanted him to speak."

"I think it's great if he speaks, but I also think what I said."

"Me too. I didn't want to have them think to cross him off the list."

"I saw Sam's finger when she asked if Ev really wanted him to perform. It was his name."

"Oh."

"Yeah, it doesn't seem right she never got a voice in the matter."

"It's for them. I imagine Ev is thinking in those terms."

"I'm glad they left some of the names off. I think some of them should not have offered."

"Who was on the list?"

"A lot of people who never even was in the time frame. Some of them are stars of today who probably were told by their publicists to attempt to perform to get their name associated with hers."

"Tacky."

"Yes, but once again, if we'd let it become that, they'd have made it that way." I paused , "Were you aware Sam went to their suite?"

"My God no! If I'd known that baby was considering it, it would've been me doing it!"

"I need to speak with Ran and jump his ass then. He should be protecting her better."

"Hon, she's that headstrong."

"Then he's not who she needs."

We got to the car and got in. Ran sat up on the front jump and I went forward. I leaned into him , "As soon as possible, I need to step off into your ass."

He looked shocked and asked, "What'd I do?"

"It's what you allowed her to do. Now, we'll keep it between us, but I want a moment with you."

I spoke up , "Where do you guys want to go to eat?"

Ev said, "Someplace nice with sit down is what you wanted."

"That's all I request. Anything else is fine with me."

Sam said, "I want someplace with a private room."

Ev said, "The Pear Tree?"

She smiled , "That'd be great."

I asked, "I'll need to give Blane directions. Where do we go?"

They gave directions and we went. When we got there, Blane opened the door and we went in. Surprisingly, it wasn't busy. Ev asked for a private room and got it immediately. We went to the room and as soon as we got inside, I pulled Ran close , "Bathroom."

I went over to Ev , "I need to use the restroom, I'll be back."

"I need to go too."

"Wait, it's for an ass chewing I'm about to give."

"Oh. Give two and tell him one's from me."

"There's not going to be enough left for you to even have leftovers."

He nodded and I went out. I found the restroom and went in. I used it and then washed my hands.

Ran came in and I said, "Bud, first of all, if you weren't such a good friend and if we weren't going back in there, you'd probably find yourself laying on the floor right now. What in the fuck were you doing letting her go into their suite?"

"She wanted to go!"

"And you let her roll right over you like a freight train! Let me tell you something, in a relationship, if you allow the other person to do that, realize you're tracks and you've got a long way to go forward and a short ride back to the station.

My advice if you want to be something is to be an ocean and let them be an ocean liner. Support and instill security you're not going to let her down."

"I didn't know what to do!"

"Well, in the future, you be strong enough to step up and say no. In the future, call out for help and I'll be there. Right now, I'll tell you Ev's mad as hell and Sarah's not one bit impressed."

"Oh man."

"Yeah, so I'll cover your ass with Ev, but he told me to give you two ass chewings and tell you one was from him."

"It was bad. She was a wreck."

"Yeah, but I'm glad you got her better. Now, in this thing, we've got to be a solid unit. You had the chance to let her down and you were there. In allowing it to happen, you let others down. Think of that because it should be where you're stronger of the two."

"Why?"

"Do you really need to ask? If you do, then I'll tell you so it's a wake up call. You're thinking with something other than your brain here."

"Hey, I'm not going after anything."

"And if you were and it was a loving relationship, I'd tell you to go for it. Now, I've got to chew ass.

Think of some stars you know who have complete control in their relationships because their man lets them run all over him. What do they do? Do they go out and let everyone else use the fuck out of them because they can't say no? Do they get involved in drugs because they can't say no? And, where do their careers end?

Think of Britney and Whitney to start the list. They needed someone who would have a backbone and say no to them FOR THEM.

I'll tell you now the second time she comes back a basket case, Ev's going to probably tell you to get the fuck gone and put a restraining order on you. I'll tell you now, I love you, but by God you'll not do that to her."

"Den, I'm sorry."

"Tell that to them in there! I love you and you're already forgiven, but if you want her, you stand up and fight for her even if it's her you have to fight. She'll thank you in the end."

"Have you had to do it?"

"Yes. I've also had to step back and remind him he's strong enough to stand on his own because he's wanting me to do it all. It's a tough thing because you love them, but because you love them, you do it. Now, if you love her, you change that shit fast."

"Ok"

"Now, what the fuck is this place because I have no idea what I'm about to eat!"

"It's nice. I've been here a few times."

"Good. I sure didn't want to find out I'm eating something like goat!"

He laughed , "You never said how your day went."

"I'll talk in there to make the mood lighter. She's going to know we've been gone and will know from the look you give her I've been in here having a good helping of ass."

He laughed , "I'll tell her it's fine."

"I'll try to tell Ev, but don't be surprised if he doesn't come unglued."

"Ok"

We went back in and I said, "Where's Blane?"

Ev shrugged and I said, "I'm bringing him in. He's not eaten since I've seen him this morning."

"Ok"

I went out and told the host, "Our chauffeur is out in the Rolls limo. Would you please send word to him he's needed in our private room?"

"Sure."

"Thanks."

He held out his hand like he expected a tip. "Your tip, asshole, is to give service and I'll tip. If you don't, I'll pull up stakes and pull a helluva bill out of this place being sure to let the owner know why."

He his falsetto, "Why sir, I'd be left to believe you're a tight ass!"

"Why sir, get the fucking owner and I'll get my own God damned car! When he sees who is walking out of this place, he'll shit bricks and guarantee you a few black eyes from them."

"Who might I ask is requesting him?"

"Tell him Dennis Johns. If he says he doesn't know me, then tell him to get out the last issue of Fortune and take a look at number 108."

"Oh, is that all?"

"Like you're 107, or above."

"He'll be with you momentarily."

"Ok, I'll wait."

I stood there and waited and when the host came back, he said, "I've taken the liberty of phoning the police."

"Good, why you're at it, call the Mayor because I will be. Now, go tell your owner someone who is represented by his supplier's family is about to start making phone calls. The first will be to get his trash service shut off. The second will be to get his meat service fucked up so only aged and rotten meat is delivered. And then, I'll contact his insurance provider to insist there's health code and fire code violations. I'll go get my people now."

I went back and into the room. A man was in standing next to Ev and speaking with him. "Den, this is Stuart. He's the owner here."

"Wonderful. Hi Stuart, we're about to leave. If you'd like to know why, ask your smart-assed host out there why I can't get my limo driver in here. Then ask him why he called the police to have me removed. Then asked him why I'm being ever so polite and promising to have done for you. I'll wait."

He looked at Ev and Ev said, "Stuart, he's pissed. If he's pissed, know he's probably got shit rolling for you faster than you can handle."

Stuart left real fast and I said, "Guys, we're having problems. Be prepared to leave because if a host isn't removed, we will be."

"What happened!"

"I asked to have Blane sent word to come in. He expected a tip. When I told him he'd get a tip for services received, I got called a tight ass. That's when I suffered a black out."

"Damn! I'll be back."

Ev took out of the room and I sat down. Sam said, "Man, I'm glad you didn't deck him!"

"The key to treating people nice is being treated nice also. If they bring down problems, promise them tons and be prepared to deliver."

Ev came in with Stuart. "Den, he's just fired the guy."

"I'm sorry Stuart, but if the police arrive, I want you to pay for our drinks with one of these because I'll sue this place to get compensated in return."

"He said he never called the police."

"He never got our driver in here either. The man hasn't eaten since last night New York time and I'll not eat anyplace he's not allowed to eat."

"I'll go get him myself."

"I'm not meaning to be a prick, but when someone expects a tip in order to go get someone in here to eat, then I expect him to buy him dinner with that tip. I give tips based upon service and I sure don't allow myself to be called a tight ass when I don't give one."

"He did that!"

"Yes."

"Hold on a moment."

I said, "Stuart, tell him to come in and apologize. Tell him I'm not going to eat here. By now, he's probably got everyone lined up to spit in my food and I'll be damned if I knowingly allow it to happen."

Ev said, "Den, let me handle it."

"Ok, but I'm not happy one bit here."

Ran came over , "Den, come over. Sarah wants you."

I went over and sat down. "Den, you're upset and understandably so. You need to know that man there is one of Ev's closest friends. Please step back and let him handle it."

"Ok."

She smiled , "Ran, please go over and speak with Samantha. Tell her what you received a moment ago needs to be shared because she's on my list to go to the restroom next!"

I chuckled and he got up. She said, "As soon as you left and he left too, I knew what was happening. I'll tell you now whatever you said probably helped him tremendously."

"It better have. It's what has me on edge."

"I realize that, but right now, you're throwing thunderbolts at everyone."

"Ok, thanks for pulling me back."

I looked over and saw Ran and Sam talking. "If he's smart, he won't let it happen again."

"No, but if she's smart, she'll listen to him."

"What were they thinking?" I said in a whisper.

"She was trying to help. I know that's what it was, but like a kitten out on a limb, she thought she could handle it. He's apparently so inexperienced in relationships, he let her do it."

"Yes, and he sure needs to change it."

"You need to understand you're more secure in yourself than him. He needs to understand he needs to keep a set of balls on him if he wants to have a strong woman...notice I said woman."

"You think?"

"Oh, they've done it, but don't let me tell you that."

"That son of a...."

"Hey, the only reason you've not is because you've not had opportunity. I think Ev's just as likely to want to jump off into things he can't handle."

"I want it to work and us know ourselves before it happens."

"And I will tell you to not wait that long. A part of a relationship is feeling aware your partner desires you."

"Oh. Well..."

She smiled , "Just be patient and know your partner has needs too. My advice is to make the time in Italy and make it a romantic occasion."

"Ok, that'd be nice. There's a spot on the beach there...."

She smiled , "Here he comes."

Ev squattted , "Den, Stuart had told the guy to go home and come back tomorrow. Now, he's actually fired the guy. He's afraid you're upset enough to not eat and understands your anger. If you'll let him, he'll apologize."

"Was I that bad?"

"It wasn't good, but it's what needed done. He's out getting Blane now."

"Ok."

"He said he'd cook your food personally if you'd stay."

"I'll do it, but I'm not going to apologize. I'll apologize to you for the embarrassment, but my apologizing to him negates my anger at being treated like that."

"Ok., now what's really going on with you?"

"I chewed Ran's ass out and Sarah said that guy's actions were too fresh afterward. She said I'm throwing thunderbolts at everyone."

"Well, Ran deserved it."

"He does, but please speak with Sarah before you stay upset with them."

"Ok."

Sarah smiled , "Ev, she thought she was trying to help."

"I know, but I knew it'd be rough"

"You can't protect her all the time."

"No, but she's got a boyfriend who didn't help one bit!"

"He's in love. She can do no wrong in his eyes. He now knows better, but she needs to know better too."

I saw movement at the door and Blane came in. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Stuart poked his head in and I went over to him. "Let's start over and make it right for both us."

"Ok, I'm terribly sorry. Ev was in here bragging on you and behind my back, I had someone upsetting what I hope will be a good friendship."

"Don't worry, anyone who is a friend of Ev's will be a friend of mine. It's not every day I get that pissed that fast."

"I'm not surprised. I'd have been angry too."

"I'll accept your offer of cooking for me. IF you don't mind, I'll step into the kitchen and compliment the chefs to appease them. If the meals are good, they'll receive tips."

"That's generous."

"No, it's humane. Yes, I know you pay them more hourly, but I also know if you treat the person who cooks your food good, you do yourself a favor. In most fine restaurants I dine, I do the same."

He nodded, "You have my thanks for loving him." he said nodding over to Ev.

"Thanks for being his friend. I hear you two are close."

"Yes, but normally we're closer. These past few weeks have been hectic."

"Life gets that way sometimes. Did he make you aware of his parents?"

"I heard. It's shocking. I was meaning to drop by later tonight."

"Come on by. We'll probably be up. I know our plans are to go see the water show and then go home to a family meeting. By the time you arrive, we'll be ready for some relaxation and enjoyment."

"You know you're a lucky guy, don't you?"

"Yes. I'm finding out more and more the ways."

"One moment, I need to get you some wait staff."

He stepped out of the room and I went to the table. "Guys, come be seated. Stuart is going to get our wait person and be back momentarily."

Ran and Sam came over and sat down. Blane sat next to Sarah and I sat next to Ev.

Sam said, "Den, tell us what you got today?"

"One of them is being kept a surprise from everyone because Ev thinks you're going to have a cow when you find out....so, I'll tell you about Brand.

As you know, I went to Brand's offices. I spoke with the owner and it was a good deal all the way through. Yeah, they had a bit of debt, but the owner is settling it on his way out. All in all, we got a distribution network, eight hundred and ninety stores, and some good employees. And while I'm talking, I'll take the time to thank you for having me speak business so I can write it off!"

Everyone laughed and Ev added. "What's nice is the warehouse which came with Brand will serve for the record label. I know I'm not spoiling the surprise when I tell you our office tower will soon be used for the record label as we'll be moving to a new headquarters."

Sam looked surprised , "You sure you want to do that?"

Ev smiled , "Sam, let me say Den did good enough Dad would have ran to the new building."

"Really!"

"Yeah."

He looked at me, "I'm proud of what he got accomplished."

I said, "Guys, I'd like to ask Ran and you to please not decide immediately on getting a house to live in. Earlier, I told Ran we were offered a deal in which we snapped up. I extended him the offer, but he's not given an answer. What I'd like to say is although it's painful to stay in the house, it's your home and it's where I think you need to be currently.

Ran, if things go well, I'd like for you and Sam to stay at the house with us while we wait for investments to come in."

Sam asked, "What's the investment?"

I said, "Ran, I don't want to make you uncomfortable but I'd like to talk about it."

"Ok, what I need to do is speak with Sam about it."

"Ok,.that's fine, but I'll tell what we got and then you can see."

He nodded and I said, "Ok, here's what we got."

I told about the wells and went into detail only omitting the number as I didn't want to tell everyone how much we'd invested. I knew Ran didn't have that sort of money and didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable.

After hearing the details, Sam asked, "Are you certain about this?"

"I doubted it, so I called Ev to verify it on Google. He said he'd seen some show which spoke about it, so that's good enough by me."

Ev said, "It was on 60 Minutes. They had a report with Leslie Stahl and she went in and interviewed people. It's there and it's huge. The pool of oil is under parts of Montana, North and South Dakota, and clear on up into Canada. They said it's bigger than what's under Saudi Arabia."

"And it's only two and a half million to drill a well?" Sam asked

"Yes."

She turned to Ran , "If we invested in it, we could build our own home together. I've got money from mama and together with yours, we should be able to get it." She paused and asked, "Can we buy more than one?"

Ev nodded , "Yes, Den's not said how many we bought, but he got some."

Ran asked, "Why aren't you saying how many you got?"

"Because I don't want to flaunt it, but let's just say from what is returned, we could buy about ten a day."

Ran's eyes lit up , "Man!"

Sarah asked, "May I make an investment in it?"

"Sure" What I'll do is I'll take a pool of what everyone wants and get them called.

I looked over and saw Blane. "Blane, what I will do is I'll get you some deals going so you can start getting your own. To not have myself in conflict of interest, I need to start having you learn the business. In a few years, you'll be wealthy enough to invest and really know wealth."

He nodded and smiled. "Why are you conflicted in interests?"

"IF I'm buying for our stores, I can't buy for everyone else's. From our deals today, we're now up to almost nine thousand stores, so I've got enough to keep me busy."

Sam said, "What'd you buy?! We have four thousand and with another nine hundred, you'd have to bought a bunch!"

"Yes, and when you hear what it is, you'll be jumping for joy." Ev added.

Sarah asked, "When are you going to let us know what it is?"

"Later....after we eat."

Ran's eyes lit up and he said, "I'll be damned!"

I looked over , "Ran, keep it to yourself. There's a reason Ev wants to keep it a secret."

"Man! I can't believe it!"

Ev smiled , "It's amazing. When he told me, I told him to grab it."

Sarah said, "Ev, either share the secret or switch subjects."

I said, "Sam, in order to be fair, I want Ev to break the news to you. If we do it now, you're going to want to forget about eating and go out there."

"Where!" she asked.

I looked at Ev and he said, "Sam, what company did you ever tell Dad you wished he ran?"

Sam's eyes looked to the ceiling and then they got wide. "Oh no you didn't! TL HOBBS!"

Ev smiled and she jumped up in the air!

"Oh my God!" she said running around the table to hug us. "Oh man! How'd you pull that off?"

I turned to Sarah and she said, "They're some pretty stores."

Ev said, "Den, tell them about it and whatever you do, don't leave out what you paid because that's the best part."

I was about to speak when Stuart came in. "Guys, I'm sorry, but it looks like I'm waiting on you. We just had a bus of tourists come in and it's a madhouse out there."

Ev said, "Ok, but stand here and listen because when you hear, you're going to explode."

"What!"

I said, "Stuart, to bring you up to speed, I went out and bought some companies today to bring into the fold so Dollar America is stronger. One of them we bought was the Brand stores."

"Ok, I heard they were for sale. You didn't pay that much, did you?"

"No, I got them for four hundred and fifty million."

Stuart nodded , "There's a lot of them."

"Well, here's how the next deal went. While at Brand, I asked the Distribution manager if he knew of any others which were for sale he thought would fit into our company and he mentioned knowing TL Hobbs was for sale."

Stuart said, "Oh man!"

"As soon as I heard, I jumped on it because he said they only wanted a hundred and forty million. He said their building up in Northridge came as part of the deal and it was worth more than that by itself.

Personally, I know Hobbs is a good company because I helped them get started and have sold them all their goods from day one.

So, I hopped in the car with Marty and we drove up. When we got there, we met with the owners and because we're so close, they wanted to just give me the company Then they said they wanted to trade me the company for my apartment in Hong Kong. At first, I thought they were joking, but asked them if they were sure and they said they were, so I got the company for trading the apartment."

Ran jumped up , "Man! What a deal! You stole it!"

"Yeah, but as you know the apartment is a damned nice one and it's appreciated in value. I paid six million for it, but not long ago others in the building have sold for around fifty...so, it's not a total theft."

Ev said, "Sam, Stuart, you both know how I love the stores. I know you when guys shop, it's one of the first places you go when you go shopping."

Ran laughed , "She took me out to one last night! You're right Sarah, they are some pretty stores."

I said, "Well, we got all the stores and the office tower. That's why we wanted to go out to see the water show tonight because we wanted everyone to see it and take a tour of the tower."

Sarah said, "Is it nice?"

"Is it nice!" Ev said real excited. "You should see it. It's awesome. Compared to our office tower, it's a palace."

Sarah laughed , "Yours is beautiful."

I said, "Sarah, this one is beautiful because they really threw some money at it. It's built in the shape of an H with the cross beam being a glass catwalk between the two towers. Under that cross beam is an open space which is enclosed. In it, there's a garden on the floor with topiaries and all around you are exotic birds from all over the world."

"Oh!" she said with wide eyes.

"If you loved the stores, then you'll love it because they took the theme of the stores and incorporated it into the tower. It's real antique looking and what's real appealing about it is out towards the interstate is a huge fountain pool where the waters all move and sway and swirl. If you've ever seen a Waltzing Waters show, they're the company who built the fountains."

"Oh! I went to one a few years ago. They were breath taking."

"We'll be going there later, and you'll see. My description doesn't do the place justice, but it's easily a tower which probably would cost close to a billion now to build."

Her eyes grew big and she said, "You got it for so little!"

Ev said, "Den basically started the company with them. If you remember my friends Terry and Larry, the twins, then you know who were the owners."

"Those two owned it!"

Ev smiled , "Yeah, and to think every time you saw them, you called them hoodlums. Them hoodlums are worth billions!"

Sarah laughed , "Well, it shows you how much money is devalued. They are hoodlums!"

I laughed , "Yeah, but underneath it all, they're some people who are good friends with big hearts. I know they're rough, but if you knew what they came from, you'd understand."

She looked at Ev and asked, "And you hung around them!"

"Mom knew. She met their Mom and was really shocked. It's only because she shopped with me she knew they were worth having as friends."

Stuart asked, "They're the ones which run that website. Aren't they?"

Ev nodded , "Yes, they started it after we finished computer school together. Their stores do a huge business, but the website made them really rich."

Stuart said, "I remember you hanging around with some twins, but they didn't act like they were rich."

Ev laughed , "They're the ones you saw me with. Remember that night you went with us and we rode those horses down the interstate?"

Stuart blushed , "Don't say anything else! I've learned to keep my clothes on dammit!"

Everyone laughed and Ev said, "Stuart here gets called the Lone Ranger now in a lot of parts."

We had a good laugh again and I said, "You never did tell me how you ended up with your car in the ocean."

Ev looked at me , "Man! Sarah's sitting right next to you!"

Sarah laughed , "Evan Shane, I knew that car had been in water as soon as I saw all the sand in it. You don't get sand all over a car like that without it being submerged."

Ev smiled , "Ok, here's what happened...and I'll tell you now it was an accident."

Sam said, "That's not the story I heard!"

"Shhhh!" Ev said laughing.

He turned , "Ok, we were all running around one night and one thing led to another and we ended up on the beach to play nude volleyball. Well, I decided to take the car down there so we could have some music.

It was cool and what happened was I thought I was parked further out of the water than what I was. We got to playing and listening to music and no one really paid attention to the car. All I knew was someone made a comment about my car and I looked over to see water up over the seats of it and the tide coming in. We tried to get it started, but it wouldn't start, so some guy with a huge truck came and we pulled it out. I had to call home and Mom answered, so she came down to get me and that's when she met their Mom.

What I'll tell you about their Mom is she's like short! She's got to be only five foot tall and looks unusual because she's got these huge tits. What's funniest is when she gets excited, she jumps up and down and it's like watching one of those bouncy balls because she's all in motion and they're all in motion and there wasn't ever a bra made to keep those things held so they don't go all over the place.

So, as I said, Mom comes down and walks in. I guess their Mom was a fan of Mom's and she went bouncey yelling and screaming and hugging Mom.

What Mom won't tell you which I thought was funny as all get out was she's like a twig trapped in between two huge cannons and she's getting bounced all over the place just from their Mom hugging her.

By the time their Mom settled down, Terry and Larry were pried to their Mom trying to get her off Mom and I'm just laid out over a pallet of clothes laughing my butt off. Mom gets pried off and stepped back and said smooth as she could, she said, 'I thought they were brain damaged, but now I see they were breast fed!'

Needless to say, this got me and the twins laughing and Mom with a smile on her face. It was great because Mom gave her some autographed photos and albums. Now there's a shrine to Mom in that little shop."

Instantly, I had an inspiration. Thinking aloud, I said, "Ev, Sam, I want a park in Detroit built in your Mom's memory. Something just told me to have a park where there are bronze statues of her in all the different stages of her life. What is neat is it's like the statues are walking on life's path to the end where there's a memorial plaque of her with a gold record of "I dunno"

I'm seeing a kids playground for the statue of her as a small girl and I see all sorts of activities for when she's a teen and then, for her singing career, I see her standing in pose like she's singing "Halt!" It leads to an amphitheater in which performances are done. On the other side of it, I see her standing with her hair all blown and her dress flying around her like she was when she did the park concert.

Then, I see her hugging a baby and there being a kids fountain with water spurts, and then a toddler behind her and her carrying another baby with a lot of flowers and seating benches around a food court. Then, on the other side of the flowers is her linking hands with your father and facing towards the record like it's a sunset."

Ev's hand reached mine and I turned to look. He had tears down his cheeks, and I reached over to hug him. I said, "Hon, I'm sorry. I just saw it so plain I had to tell you."

"I want to build it."

I looked over at Sam and Ran had her cradled in his arms holding and caressing her. She too was crying and tears came to my eyes.

Sarah said, "Dennis, you have a way of having me see things so clearly with your words, I just know she was sending it to you."

I said, "Guys, what I don't know is if she wants it built in Detroit or out here. I think I'd like to ask the Mayor of L.A. if we can build one here. I think it'd serve as inspiration for all those young girls who ever want to give up hope. We can have it near the museum, but I'm thinking it's for all the runaways coming out to chase their dreams of stardom."

Stuart took everyone's order and then, I excused myself to go to the kitchen. I went in and it was a madhouse of activity. People looked at me suspiciously, but Stuart motioned me over.

"It's rare anyone comes into the kitchen."

"That's fine, I like to come in to see how it's done."

"I won't spit in your food if that's what you're concerned about."

"No, what I'm concerned about is your products and your losses."

"We don't stay open and lose money."

"No, what I'm asking is how much you pay for items such as shrimp, fish, and produce."

"Oh, it's all high. I buy high quality therefore it's high priced."

"How about if we sit down sometime and I take a look at your order sheets. I bet I could knock them down."

"How?"

"I'm an importer/exporter. My job is to buy from manufacturers."

"Oh, so there's no middle man with you."

"No middle men." I clarified. The man who buys from the fishermen is the one from whom I buy. I also buy from the man who buys produce from the farmers up in Fresno."

"You'd save me a lot of money."

"Yeah, lots of money."

"How much is shrimp per pound?"

"I don't know. I'll call and get you a price."

"Let me get you a list of what I purchase and then you can see what you can get me."

His actions were fast and furious. His hands were a flurry of activity shaking skillets and adding in ingredients.

A chef came over and looked at his preparation. "The bus ordered fettucini alfredo...every last one of them."

"Why?"

"One of them sold them on it all the way here."

"Oh, how we doing on it."

"I can put more on, but we've got enough noodles for probably five after theirs."

"Let's see how we hold, but put the water on to boil."

"I can probably get your pasta direct from my villa in Italy as well as my olive oil."

His eyebrows raised. "How much a tin?"

"Olive oil?"

"Yes."

"I'm going over next week, I'll bring back fifty gallons."

"You wholesale it!"

"Yes. It's a big estate."

"How pure?"

"If you don't think it's the best you've ever had, I'll buy yours for a year."

"Must be good stuff."

"Let me say out of everything the estate produces, those trees are a blessing. The olives are almost albino."

"Oh man!"

"Yeah, I didn't know it when I got the place, but now I know and the place is crawling with them."

"I bet...ok, I'll try it."

"I apologize for the start we had, but I won't apologize for being angry."

He smiled. "I don't expect you to apologize. He deserved it. I've had problems once before. It was someone famous like yourself."

"I'm not famous."

He smiled. "Ok, you say that. I recognized you because my business is to recognize faces and see they're treated well here. Evan's Mom didn't appreciate her treatment by him either."

"You think I'm famous?"

"You're on Forbes list."

"A lot of people are. I'm not even in the top 100."

"Your purchases today and those investments will put you there."

"They'll put that man who has those wells with everyone at the top."

"True, but unless he starts having other companies in to drill, I'll never see him."

In no time at all, he began putting things onto platters. I was amazed at the speed he'd accomplished the work.

"You work fast."

"I spent my high school years cooking breakfast at my Mom's diner. You can't cook breakfast for a bunch of truckers and be slow."

"You've got a good place here. I'd like to help in any way I can."

"Why?"

"You're a friend of Ev's."

"Ev's Mom got me my start. He might not tell you, but I dove in over my head with this place. In less than a month, I was hurting. She floated me a loan and it's been good since."

"Are you in the black?"

"With everything except the building."

He got a huge tray and began placing plates upon it. I was amazed at the way he got everything placed upon it at once.

He went to go around me, "Excuse me, I have to get that cart over here."

"Ok, you need me to do anything?"

"No, you're doing fine. Your wine is in the cooler over there, top row, over three. You could get that and a cork remover to the right on that rack."

I went over and took a look at the back of the cooler. Heavier items like it tended to be where dust and dirt gathered if a place wasn't clean. I took a look at it and saw none. I'd been impressed, but seeing none took it up a notch.

I went back , "You run a nice place. It's clean and you're doing well."

"Tonight was slow until the bus."

"Probably the economy and fuel prices."

"The cost of everything has risen."

"True, but if I can get yours down, your bottom line is better."

"Don't get me hooked into anything without covering it with me. They'll let me have samples of their quality. I'll check those before I buy."

"Sure, you're not going to be out any money. You'll find I check and triple check everything before I buy. If it's not good stuff, my name doesn't get attached to it."

"When you go up to Fresno, give me a yell and I'll ride along. I can give you a few pointers as to what to watch for."

"Sure, it'd be nice to spend the day together. We'd get to know each other and that's be nice."

"You're more cautious than Evan. Keep his back because he's been wild."

"Ok, he's settling."

"I can see. It's good for him and makes me more secure about you. I just hate it about his parents. They were good people."

"True. I wish I'd gotten to know them longer."

"I've known them since we were little kids and think that myself. I guess it's what you get when you're around good people." He paused , "I don't know your business, but whatever you do, don't let him take down the quality of TL Hobbs. The place is nice."

"I'm glad you like it, it should give you the quality I buy."

"You buy for them?"

"From the beginning. The alterations in their clothing line were initiated by me."

"I like everything you did. Their shirts have went up five hundred points in my eyes."

"We're expanding the line of clothes, but the quality stays the same. I do need to take him over there to get him to seeing what to look for when he's buying."

"He'll be doing that, won't he?"

"Yeah, Bran was doing it, but now it's coming down to him."

"Stand by him, I know he complained a lot his Dad wasn't letting him do anything."

"I'll be there standing beside him. He's tried to have me step in to fill his Dad's shoes, but I'm not. I'll teach him, and will be by him, but he's got to step up."

"He'll do it. I know he's wanted to. Now, we're finished here, it's time to go back."

We went to the room and went in. Ev gave me a look, "Do you do this all the time when you go out to eat?"

"No, but he and I talked. I'm going to try to get his goods for him so he saves money."

"He'd like that, his prices are high."

"I imagine. Everything's quality with him."

"One thing you probably didn't notice is that kitchen is spotless."

"I noticed. Even behind the wine cooler it's clean."

He smiled , "You looked behind it?"

"You can quite easily."

"Do you do that everywhere you go?"

"No, but what I do when I go someplace new is I like to go to the kitchen to get a feel for the place and see for myself. If it's filthy, then I cross it off my list."

"Is that why you call Applebee's Applefreebies?"

"No, their kitchens are nice, but their managers have to go to anger management schooling for the place to be good."

Stuart was standing behind us ready to serve up.

"I heard, I'm trying not to eavesdrop, but you're right. Our host came from there."

"Can I offer a suggestion there with his replacement?"

"I'll listen."

"Take a look at your applications and then choose whomever comes from Chili's. Their people are top notch."

Ev laughed , "He used to work with them!"

Stuart smiled , "Thanks."

"Thank whomever owns the place, if Ev hasn't noticed, I always put them on my suggestion to eat when we dine out."

"Ev probably brought you here to meet me."

Ev smiled , "I wanted him to like the restaurant."

I said, "It'll be put on my list of options. I'm impressed."

Stuart asked, "Is everything fine? Can I get anyone anything else?"

Hearing no answers, he then left the room.

I leaned over to Ev , "In case I forget, remind me to get a case of this wine. It's nice."

"Ok, Mom picked the wines for him."

"She did good. It's nice."

We ate and when we were finished, Stuart brought in a cake which was piled high with all sorts of sweetness.

Ev said, "You didn't!"

"It's now a part of our menu."

Sarah leaned over , "Triple chocolate is Ev's favorite."

"Oh, that's good to learn."

"You'll learn enough about him soon to know everything he likes."

"What about them?"

"Whatever you did, I think you saved them. She's better with him now."

"I don't often step off in a friend's...well, with Ran, I don't get that bad, but he had this one coming. I can't call him a friend because he's closer than that."

"I know, I was worried. Now I think they're better."

"Later on Monday, we're going to Italy. You're invited to go along. I think it'd be good to get everyone away for a few days."

"I'd like to."

"We'll be leaving Monday morning. We've got to make a stop in Nebraska first, and then we'll head on that direction."

"Ok, that sounds nice." she said smiling. "I've never been anywhere."

"Oh, that could be a problem. We'll have to apply for a passport tomorrow. It shouldn't be a problem since all we have to have are plane tickets bought."

"I could stay home."

"No, it's not a problem. I'd love for you to go. It's lovely there and it'll give you a chance to put in mind some of the things I have so you can see them for yourself."

"The photos you have on your computer are nice."

"Pictures are nice, but it's being there in person which makes it all better. Just remind me to get Stuart a drum of our Olive oil sent to him."

"Oh, may I get some while I'm over?"

"Sure, we'll send some in and then, you'll agree it's the best."

She smiled, "Nebraska. It sounds exciting."

"Not really. The only things you get there are seat sores from driving across it and tornadoes. Kearney is a nice town, but it's also flat as a board. I don't know how the people there keep from going insane."

She laughed , "It sounds nice though. I bet the air there is a lot better than here."

"Probably. There's no one there to breathe it. Lots of land, hardly any people."

When we were through eating, I went up and paid the bill. Stuart wanted to take nothing for the meal, but I wouldn't let him. He smiled , "Ev's going to roast me for this."

"Nah, he needs to learn you run a business and have a bottom line too."

"What about you helping me? Isn't your business a bottom line operation?"

"I make enough off everyone else."

"So do I."

He smiled and knew he had me. I said, "Stay a friend and I'll appreciate it."

We left and drove up to Northridge. When we pulled into the lot, I think Sam was out of the car before it stopped moving.

Ev was excited and ran to the fountains. I walked at a leisurely pace with Sarah.

"It's beautiful."

"Inside is where it's amazing. Out here, it's beautiful, but wait until you go in."

Blane came up , "Den, you have a moment?"

"Sure."

I excused myself from Sarah and walked with Blane. "Yeah bud."

"Uncle Ted is calling my phone a lot now. I thought I'd let you know.

Mom called and said he's harassing her to find out where I am."

"Did she tell him?"

"She hasn't a clue where I am either."

"Ok, we've got an off duty officer who will be coming on with us tonight after he gets off duty."

"Good, Mom said he's more insane than she's ever seen him."

"I imagine. I said a lot to deliberately provoke him. He knows I know about the rapes and he also knows he now has a daughter out there somewhere who could embarrass him."

"He's a real asshole."

"Yes, but it took you all to see it before you believed it. Gramma tried telling everyone."

"Mom kept us away."

"Yeah, but the more who see it, I think, the more who can testify when I have the lawsuits filed."

"What are the suits?"

"They wouldn't arrest him for child abuse when I was home, but I found I could sue him for it. So far, I've got four different suits which we can file on different grounds."

"You're trying to piss him off?"

"Oh yeah. It's part of a plan. If I can get everyone to see him as he really is and if I can get him to come at me, I'll have grounds to arrest now. Between all those and me finding this girl who is his daughter, and getting her to acknowledge him, he'll be embarrassed right out of the VFW. If I can start costing him his social status, the Sheriff and the Marshall will distance from him and I can go back home."

"Oh, good plan."

"I've got to send in some people to dig the bullets from the walls at Gramma's, but when I have those, I'll have proof he shot at me."

"Do you think Mom's in danger?"

"No, he's only after me. After the funeral, the world will know where I'm at. He'll get told and try to come this direction. If he drives, he'll get here just in time to discover I'm in Nebraska or already over in Italy. It'll really piss him off."

He laughed , "It's a cat and mouse game."

"Yeah, but as you heard on the phone, I told him I wasn't afraid anymore. If truth be known, I'm more afraid than ever."

"Why?"

"He's delusional. He's already proven my life means nothing to him, so he'll try again to kill me. What I don't want is him taking aim at anyone else."

"Oh, do you think he'd do that?"

"Ev's life probably would mean nothing to him. He'd think he's getting two for one. The bad thing is he'd probably take a shot at Sam too because he knows he's got a interracial child out there and would think she's her."

"She's not interracial."

"To someone that far gone, it doesn't matter. She's not even the age of what the girl would be either, but that wouldn't matter."

"How old would this girl be?"

"Late thirties or early forties."

"She's out there or here?"

"I don't know where she is exactly. I've got a detective on it."

"Oh, well, let's hope he can't find her."

"He'd have a hard time. He's not likely going to go to a judge anywhere and say, "Hey, I raped a girl back in the sixties and I want to find the daughter she had." The judge would run to a phone to get him locked up."

"Yeah, that's right."

"Switching subjects, I'd like for you to go to Italy with us."

"Why?"

"One thing, you can meet suppliers there and another is we're going back to New York. While there, I can get you some trades and get you started on business while I go back home for an afternoon."

"You're going back!"

"Yeah, I've got to get my dogs from your sister."

"I need to call her to get her to come out here."

"Not yet. Your Mom couldn't hide that from my Dad and I do think he'd follow her on a plane."

"Oh, I never thought."

"It's all tactical. I have to try to stay one step ahead."

We walked to the fountains and he said, "They're nice. It definitely catches the eye."

"Just remember what you're seeing here and in all those Brand stores is what I managed to accumulate in eight years. If you hold onto your money better than me, you'll have a better bank account than me at this time too."

"When I start making trades, could you get me onto some of the oil wells?"

"Yeah, I'll step up and get you onto them. That's no problem. I'd help you now, but I want to have you learn the business too."

"I understand."

"When you speak to your sister, tell her I'm wanting her to learn this so she can do some too."

"Why?"

"Because what I've got planned for you guys is a lot better than what I was doing. If I give you a country, you can milk it a lot more than me flying from one place to another. I never cultivated them enough. Now, I don't want to try so I can stay under the radar."

"Do you think you could get in trouble trading?"

"I don't know. I don't want to risk it. One thing you'll learn is any sense of impropriety means disaster because it's the client's trust which feels violated. Once they lose that, we're out of business."

"Oh."

"Yeah, but if you're handling their accounts, then they'll think we've expanded and they now have someone who will care for their interests more.

By the way, remind me to set you up on Monday with someone."

"Who?"

"One of the guys who I bought this place from. He's gay, but he's inexperienced."

"Ok, that'd be cool."

"I started to tell him about you, but got interrupted."

"I'd appreciate it."

"No problem. Now, I need to go over here and get everyone toured through here. Come on, you can see it too."

I went over to Ev , "Let's gather up and we'll go on our tour. Then, we'll come out and see the waters."

He called out to Sam and Ran and Sarah walked up. I said, "We're going to go inside and take a tour."

"You sure you can go in there? I see a guard over there."

"Yeah, we can go in. They should have notified everyone."

I walked to the entrance and went in. The guard walked up , "You can't be in here without authorization."

"That's ok, I bought the place today. Dennis Johns." I held out my hand and he looked surprised. "I was given your name. I didn't know you'd be taking over so soon."

"Tonight, I'm giving a tour to my partner, his sister, my best friend, my cousin, and our housekeeper. You might put their names on your approved list of people to allow in. They'll always have a place here."

"Ok, do you want a tour?"

"If you have a master key, it'd be nice."

"They don't lock them. If they get past here, they're supposed to be in here."

"Ok, I'll go out and get them, but I imagine in the future, we'll have some doors being locked."

"Why?"

"Espionage isn't always on the outside trying to get in. If we can keep it from happening, we should. All it'd take is a file to come up missing and that's a secret lost."

"Oh, do you think it happens?"

"More than you know. Another way is from loose lips. Both cost companies millions if not billions of dollars a year."

"I'll start paying more attention."

"I'd appreciate it."

I went out , "He's aware of who I am. We're going to go in now and take the tour."

We went in and as we walked in, the guard came over and asked them their names. He wrote them down and Ev didn't look happy.

I went up , "Hon, he's getting everyone's names because everyone will now be on the approved list of visitors."

"Oh, I was getting upset."

"I saw. That's why I said something."

I went over to the guard , "Would you go ahead and give the tour. I just realized I probably don't know everything and it'd be better coming from you."

He nodded , "No problem Mr Johns."

"Here, let's start over. One thing you'll find is the way I work, no one calls me Mr. Johns. It's Dennis, or Den. I prefer Den, but either is fine."

"Sure."

He gathered everyone up and gave a tour which was enlightening even to myself. The highlight of the tour was the Presidential Suite. I did make a point to let everyone know we would be doing a remodel.

After the tour, I went out and saw a row of cars parked to watch the water show. The twilight and the lights in the water made it spectacular. Music played and the water danced. We rolled down the windows of the Rolls and played the sound system picking up the low power broadcast of the accompanying music.

Ev and I sat against the hood of the car while Sam, Ran, Sarah, and Blane all went to sit upon park benches far enough away from the waters to enjoy it. It wasn't until Sam and Ran left and called back I learned they had speakers set up outside to go along with the show.

Ev leaned against me , "This is quite a bit of free p.r."

"Yeah, I never knew about the speakers outside, but I did know about the broadcast."

"I'm happy."

"Me too. Holding you here in my arms is nice."

"No, about all you got for us today."

"That's nice too, but I'll take you any day."

He turned and kissed me. I hugged him nearer and as the show drew to a close, I said, "Ev, each moment I spend with you is better and better."

"I'm falling in love with you too."

"Me too."

We continued to watch the show and then Ev said, "Den, I'm sorry, but this water and not going to the rest room really has me having to go."

"Oh, there's no rest room out here. Go to the door and ask the guard to let you in. I bet they never thought of that."

"We'll have to get it changed."

"We will. I'm thinking of some things I'd like to have done to change it."

He smiled , "You want to walk with me?"

"Sure."

We went over to the door and the guard let us in "Let me guess, rest room."

"Yeah" Ev said.

"We get about twenty people a night who come to the door."

"Start letting them in. We're going to get that changed. I bet they never thought of it."

He smiled and Ev went to the rest room. I stood there , "I think for the time being, I want you to start letting people in to use the facilities. They can see what it's like in here and then can tell everyone else the best part is in here."

"It's beautiful in here, that's for sure."

"Who's over security?"

"Right now, Peter Sind is."

"That's his real name?"

"Well, if you saw him, you'd probably call him what everyone else does...Big Peter. He's a large Hawaiian guy. He's got a great sense of humor about it, so that's good."

"I'll have to get together with him. Who's over the grounds?"

"That'd be Hector. Hector Rodriguez. As you can guess by his name, he's Mexican. He's a great guy and does top notch work."

"Ok, I'll give him a call too. He's over the water show, right?"

"Yeah, he has that as one of his top priorities. The filters that thing goes through would amaze you."

"I imagine. We're going to add some lasers to it and start the show with a wall of water instructing everyone to turn their radio dials to the frequency so they can pick it up. Another thing I'm going to want to do is to layer the parking lot so it's more like a drive in theater. That way, we can get more cars in here."

He smiled , "You've got a flair for promotion."

"Yeah, but real fast like, we're going to be having commercials which promote it out here. It's free entertainment and we can use it as a commercial at the end with the lasers having TL Hobbs on it."

"Oh, that'd be nice."

"I'm still thinking of things we could do with the lasers. One thing I'd like is to not have them exclusively because the interstate traffic. Those fountains pull the eye, so we want to keep them going."

"If I could make a suggestion."

"Sure."

"I'd put the name of the company on the building so it could be seen by the traffic out there. Unless you know we're here, there's nothing telling those who go by it's us."

"Ok, I'll get that done. It might upset some who like the lines of the building out there, but I sure understand we need to have us putting more thought into getting us known."

"Are you changing the name of the company?"

"No, I'm pretty sure I bought it with the place. If we didn't, I'll have to."

"I was wondering since it's their name."

"I doubt if they'd care too much. They wanted out, so it'd probably not bother them."

"One thing I can tell you is I'm really proud to work here. The pay is good, the benefits are excellent, and it's a shift which I enjoy working. I'm not sure if you're planning on getting rid of anyone, but I'd like to stay if possible."

"You'll stay. I want people who want to work for us. I know you're working for the company, but still, it's Ev and I who are going to carry this thing."

"You guys own Dollar America?"

"Yeah, and we bought out Brand General today along with this, so we're expanding."

"I like the stores, but don't shop there often."

"Give us a year and you'll shop there more than anywhere else."

"Why?"

"The Brand stores and ours are all getting reworked. TL Hobbs will stay the same, but those are going over to more items which mean more to our customers. Value is where it should be and isn't right now. In a year, we'll have groceries and items all under a dollar. Right now, we're not focused as much as I'd like on that dollar target. We'll get prices down and a lot of items discontinued so it makes more sense in there."

"Remodeling?"

"In a major way. The stores are going to have a new look which isn't like any value brand store out there. It'll be a lot nicer than what you'd imagine."

"Sounds nice."

"It takes money and it takes time. We're now going to head that direction with it."

"I think you'll make it. You pay attention to details. It takes that in this day and age."

"Let's hope. In my opinion, it takes a company who will pay attention to the consumer and their needs. Not many are doing it and we haven't. We'll get it headed in that direction and what I think is people will flock there."

"A lot of others have groceries already."

"True, but a lot of others aren't as low cost. A lot of others who are low cost aren't giving what we'll be giving. To me, I'd rather have volume sales than profit. Volume will get us profit if we let it be our focus."

"I'm not getting you."

"What aren't you getting?"

"You say the others aren't giving volume. They are."

"No, not in the way I mean. The ones who have groceries don't have vegetables four for a dollar or hamburger a dollar a pound. They don't have chicken breast a dollar a pound or the sort of items which give real value."

"Oh man, you can get it that low?"

"Yeah, it's sixty one cents a pound. All we have to do is sell it and that will be profit. Chicken breast is not as high profit, but hot dogs and vegetables are high high profit at a dollar with those numbers."

"I can't wait!"

"Do you get an employee discount shopping there?"

"They give us a company store here, but nothing which is real value. It's like fifteen percent off."

"Ok, that's got to change. What I'll tell you is you'll have forty percent off shopping anywhere in our company. Yeah, I'll lose money on some items, but to an employee, I'll do it."

"That'd be nice."

"I'll also tell you since you asked, some people here won't be keeping their jobs. I'm not saying I'm coming in and cleaning everyone out, but there will be a lot of people leaving."

The look on his face said, "A lot of people love working here."

"A lot do, but there are seven hundred people working in this building. I'd love to show up for a job which I don't do anything but cruise the internet, watch dvd's on my computer, and play. Some of those people shouldn't be here and some are downright inept."

"Really!"

"I'm not mentioning names, but my attorney is heading the legal department. Today, while here, he had to get rude and tell one of the attorneys here how to do something and to do it because the guy was refusing. I can guarantee you the guy will be unemployed soon."

He shook his head , "I never knew about that sort of thing going on. I do know some work hard."

"Those people we'll keep. I'm not saying I'm going to come in and wipe people out. What I'm saying is play time is over and I'm blowing the whistle to end recess. It's time some of those are schooled."

He chuckled, "I know we never lost money."

"No, and that's because I was out there buying the items sold here. There's enough profit, the company floated easily. It'll float even nicer if we're not dragging so many anchors. They need to know it's a business too."

"Ok, I'm understanding better."

"Another thing we'll be doing is a name badge with a bar code on the back. It's not as secure as eyeballs and fingerprints, but it's a lot better than nothing. Right now, we need to do some changes."

"What will be changing for me?"

"If you'd like, I'd find it a big help if you have a form here which people can sign in and give their addresses. They can do that when they come in and use the restrooms. I can use it to give direct marketing of our sales and special discount events."

"Good idea. I'll start doing that."

"I'm all for getting people out here and using the show as a draw, but I'm also going to capitalize upon it in subtle ways."

He nodded , "We've got two others here in our security section at night, I'll get them down here."

"Where are they now?"

"One man is on the cameras and the other walks around on patrol."

"Keep the one on the cameras, and pull the one on patrol. The upper floors shouldn't be patrolled if he's down here keeping them here."

"Any special requests?"

"If anyone comes in and flashes credentials stating his name is Ted Johns, call the police. It's my Dad and I don't want him here...not even to use the restrooms. If it happens, close up security and have him arrested for trespassing."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. This isn't some spat. It's a long standing thing since I was seven years old. I don't think it's likely to pass unless he does some passing....away."

"Oh, must be a bad character to upset you."

"A lot of abuses. Too much power in his hands and not enough in mine. Now I can control who's around me and he's not one."

"Ok, anyone else?"

"Not really. One other thing and I'll drop it. If he's spotted here, I'm to get an immediate call. He's supposed to be in South Carolina and I'd prefer he stay there or in jail."

"I'll do that."

Ev came out and got a drink from the water fountain. He made a face , "Put a fountain which has cold water on our list of improvements for this place."

"Ok"

Ev over heard and added, "And toilet rolls which don't just dispense a sheet at a time. That thing drove me crazy."

"Ok, you fine?"

"I'm fine."

I nodded goodbye to the guard and went out with Ev. "You stayed out speaking with him?"

"Giving some instructions and getting names of people I need to speak with."

"Ok, I was wondering. He seems like a nice guy."

"Damned nice. He's going to stick around."

"Good."

"The rest rooms are now open so the public can use them."

"They weren't allowed in?"

"No, and the guy told me at least twenty people a night asked to use them."

"Oh, a lot of disappointed people."

"If it had been me, I'd have watered the bushes."

He chuckled , "What if you'd had to do the other?"

"Behind the bushes. I'd have thought 'fuck 'em' and done it. I'm sure it's an oversight, but we're going to make it better."

"What's on the list of improvements for you?"

"The parking lot gets layered like a drive in theater. Lasers are going to be installed so we can tell people to turn their dials to the frequency and promote our stores at the end."

"Good plan."

"Restrooms out there and other than that, not much except we've got to get a sign on the building so it's seen by the interstate traffic as being ours."

"There's not one?"

"The guard says not. I'd not paid attention. If there's not, it's changing."

We went back out. As we went, I kept giving Ev some ideas.

"What I want to do Ev, is have Randy film the waters and have at the bottom the exit on the interstate so people can come out. For now, all I want to have is "Turn your radio to 107.9" and that's it.

Then, give that a few weeks, and we'll put TL Hobbs on the waters in lasers and it'll tell newbies it's cool and the ones whose seen it before there's now lasers. I'm sure we'll get a good draw."

He said, "I'd like to have the parking lot as you said, but undulating downward hills. It'd be cool for boarders and give them a thrill of feeling like they're riding a wave."

"Skate boarders?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, sounds good."

"I was afraid you'd say something about insurance."

"Nah, I'm not going to point at a group and tell them they can be here and not others. To me, we're self insured for the first million so if a kid gets hurt, we buck up the payment to the doctor anyways."

"I wasn't aware of that."

"Yeah, it's the deductible. If the place burned to the ground, we'd have to pay a million before the insurance company paid. The same goes if we have an earthquake."

"Really!"

"Yeah, but this building is going to stand. I checked some things out and it's built on cradles. She'll swing, but she'll settle back down and look like nothing's hurt."

"Look?"

"Some of that brick out there is going to likely come down, but she's not going to collapse."

"I'm glad you know what to look for."

"You saw me up looking at that support."

"I thought you were looking up there for a reason."

"I was looking to see if it was what I thought it was...which was an earthquake damage prevention. It was."

"What's it do?"

"Those big columns have ball bearings the size of basketballs up there. If an earthquake hits, she will roll on the bearings and then settle back down."

"I'm still not following."

"Ok, imagine a bowl and then putting a baseball in it. Now, put a board on it and then move the bowl from side to side. The movement will roll the building on the balls and she'll stay even. If it moves enough the ball comes out of the dish, then I'll tell you to worry because the world has ended and everything's flattened.."

"Oh."

"I'm not sure about the other tower, but this one is going to ride nice."

"Good. Anything else you want to improve?"

"Not here. Just getting rid of some people and that's it. Well, getting an outdoor toilet too, but for the short term, I'm not going to do much."

"Ok, I was wondering."

"What's on your mind? You want to change some things?"

He scrunched his forehead , "The top floor of the second tower has a preschool. Isn't there somewhere else to put it?"

"It could go almost anywhere, but I think it's safer there."

"Why?"

"Several reasons and I'll tell you real fast. One is when the Murrow Building got blown down in Oklahoma, the kids were within the blast range. That blast went out, not up. She stood, but those kids died. If it were me, I'd want my kid to live and not me. With a future, there's a future. Without me having my kid, there's no future."

"Ok, so they're up there for safety?"

"Yeah, the second reason is up there, the person kidnapping them has to come down and make it out. When the run is longer to the door, the asshole is less likely to make it."

"Ok, I never thought of that."

"In regards to on-site child care, I like it. It keeps the parents coming to work because they can't use the excuse they didn't have a babysitter."

"What if a kid gets sick?"

"If the kid gets sick, it's different. Some things some places do to a parent over a kid can be prevented. I'd rather do that and not penalize the parent."

"Like what?"

"Lice is a problem nowadays because of the food and drug administration taking the drug out of shampoo. Before they did that, lice never took hold because it was built in. Now it's a problem and parents are penalized by having to keep the kid home until the threat has passed."

"You want them to come with them?"

"Hon, listen..I said prevented. It's a key word there. You may not realize it, but some things can prevent other things. Are you aware a diet higher in garlic, brewer's yeast, and onions can help rid them?"

"Yeah, but a kid's not going to eat that."

"I bet they do. I know I did and thought the thing I ate was good enough I always looked forward to those days and asked for more."

"What was it?"

"My grannie cooked scrambled hamburger with sweet garlic, onions, and at other times, she made homemade Manwiches or spaghetti with them in it. Brewer's yeast has no real flavor in something, but it will get rid of problems."

"So lice won't be an issue?'

"Lice won't be an issue, but the parents won't see mosquitos flocking around their kids and any other bugs. Bugs don't bite because the kid has their tissues with it in it and less bug bites mean less scratching and complaints.'

"Oh."

"It's a diet based treatment. I'm not saying it's completely fool proof, but it's not legal for me to dose a kid with kerosene."

"Kerosene!"

"Yeah, if we so much were around a kid my grannie thought had them, we got kerosene put on our head and rubbed through. Then, we got took to the tub and scrubbed. If they were there, they didn't live and if they weren't, grannie wasn't taking chances."

"Your grannie sounds like she cared a lot about you."

"Yeah, but she had a million of those things she did which kept things away. One thing she did was kept tomato leaves in the house to keep flies out. She put crushed up broken glass along the property line to keep snakes away and on top of that, she put a good healthy mix of salt water, cayenne, and garlic."

"Why?"

"Slugs die when they hit salt. Cayenne makes eyes water of any thing which wants to come near. Garlic keeps bugs away. You'd be amazed how none of those huge cockroaches South Carolina is famous for were on her property."

"Sounds cool."

"Out here, I imagine bugs would be drawn to the water. Even that guard said the filters were a large cost of running it, so I'd say they probably are drawn. What I think is it needs some garlic oil thrown in to keep them gone."

"That would work?"

"Yeah, all that going up is going to evaporate some and that oil is going to perfume the air. It'd keep bugs gone."

"Interesting."

"What we can do is cover the smell of the garlic with another smell and folks wouldn't know it's there."

"Like what?"

"The first which comes to mind would be root beer. It's likely to make everyone hungry, but it'd cover the smell. Another is cotton candy. That's another odor cover which works good."

"Could we do other perfumes like flowers?"

"Yeah, but that might draw in a problem."

"Oh, yeah."

"I could imagine a bee having a mental breakdown over it. It'd be like red light/green light. He'd be drawn in and then smell garlic and run away."

He laughed , "We can't have psychotic bees here!"

I laughed , "Babe, we'll think of something. I do want a lot of flowers and daisies would keep bugs away too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, that's what they make a lot of bug repellants from. It's called pyrethrum or something like that."

"I learn a lot when I'm with you."

"One thing I'll teach you real fast is this and you'll be amazed. Bats eat their weight in bugs each night. You might know that, but during the day, we could have red flowers and draw in hummingbirds. They eat a ferocious amount of bugs too."

"So you're going to have a talk with the grounds guy and tell him that's what we want?"

"Yeah, his name is Rodriguez. Security's name is Big Peter Sind."

"Huh?"

"That's his name. I bet that guy has caught it all his life with a name like that."

"I thought you were joking."

"The big is an add-on, but his name is Peter Sind. He's a big guy, so people call him Big Peter."

Ev laughed, "You have a body made for Sind."

"Yeah, you better take that to a priest little boy because your Peter Sind."

"Oh man!"

"I bet he's not Catholic." I chuckled.

"I've heard some names like that but they were mostly girls. That's a new one."

"I've heard them too, but growing up in the South, we weren't the sort to call and ask if someone's refrigerator was running. We'd call anyone named Bacon and ask them if they were from Macon of the Macon Bacon's...and then we'd laugh our asses off and hang up. Nowadays, with caller I.d. Kids can't have much fun."

"You keep telling me little things about your personality and I bet growing up with you would have been a riot."

"We'd definitely fell in love a lot sooner."

"Does Ran have stories like this?"

"He probably does, but I'll have to tell him to keep his mouth shut. Some of those secrets in the hand of Sam could be dangerous."

He laughed, "Yeah, they'd have us for sure."

We walked near Sarah and Blane and apparently were overheard. Sarah chuckled , "Don't let her know because she's already got a lot of them."

Ev blushed , "Yeah, she never lets me forget some things."

We continued walking until we were at the hood. Someone from a close car asked, "Did they let you in?"

"Yeah, policy has changed and they now let people use the rest rooms. Some nice guy bought the place today."

"Oh, well, I was wondering. They've not let people in before. By the way, damned nice car."

"Thanks."

The guy went over and then came back. He got his kids and went to the door where he was allowed to go in.

When they came back, the kids were real excited about the birds. "Mister, they have birds in there!"

"Aren't they neat! Did you see the trees which looked like animals?"

"No! Dad, I want to see the trees!"

"Next time Jase."

"Ok, next weekend?"

"Yeah, this weekend is mine with you."

"Cool!"

Ev said, "Jase, before long, we'll have lasers here shining on the water. Tell your friends."

"Cool!"

The guy said, "You guys own it!"

Ev said, "Yeah, we bought it today."

"Man, you got a nice place."

"Thanks"

The guy came closer and asked, "If you don't mind, could I look in the car?"

"Sure, go ahead and sit in it."

"Thanks."

He went back and I went back as Sam and Sarah's purses were in the rear. "It's a custom order. They don't make them normally."

"It's nice. I've never seen a Rolls, much less one which is a limo. I've seen a lot of limos drive by but never a Rolls."

"A million seven is why. You could buy three bulletproof Lincoln limos for this."

"Wow!"

"Yeah, but once you've driven a Rolls, you don't want anything else. They're that nice."

"You drive this!"

"Not this one, but I've got a bunch of others."

"Must be nice."

"Listen, here's my card. If you're a single Dad, I can help if you want a job which pays a lot better than anything you've ever made."

"Working for TL Hobbs?"

"No, importing and exporting."

"The only kind of money you could make doing that is drugs. No thanks. I'd prefer to see my kid without bars between us on the weekend."

"Dude, do I look like I sell drugs?"

"No."

"Ok, you ever been to a TL Hobbs store?"

"Yeah."

"Nice stuff?"

"Yeah."

"Good, the pants are made in China and the shirts are made in the Philippines. The shirts you buy for thirty dollars at Hobbs cost twenty eight cents from the manufacturer. I marked them up and sold them to Hobbs for a dollar fifty. They marked them up and sold them to you for thirty five. Yeah, they made money, but I did too.

When you sell a million of the things, you tend to make a million two on the deal. The pants are just as good and I do that about five times a year...just from Hobbs.

In other deals, I make more and in other deals, I sell to a lot of goods which aren't marked up as much, but you make just as much on volume.

Drugs didn't buy this car unless it was Bayer aspirin which probably could have bought me this car. I've sold enough of their product to do it."

"You must be rich."

"Damned rich. You could be too. You interested?"

"I'd like to be home on the weekend."

"So would folks in China. You could be if you want that to be a priority."

"You serious!"

"Dude, I bought this company today. I also bought another. My partner out there had another. Now, have you heard of conflict of interest?"

"Yeah."

"Well, in buying these companies, I pretty much screwed the pooch doing any deals with other companies. So, I've got to get me some people who would like to make money. If you're interested, I'd work with you and teach you."

"Sounds nice. Do I gotta wear a suit?"

"It helps, but a nice pair of dress slacks and a polo shirt does good too. I'll provide the wardrobe and put you in a car which will get you noticed. I'll also help get you in a house which will also get your clients interest."

"Really?"

"What I do isn't hard. Usually the clients are already sold before they see me, but sometimes I have something new which they'd like to buy."

"I'm interested."

"Good. Give two weeks notice at where you work and call me. If you don't think the number is real, dial it now and my phone right here will ring."

"I believe you."

"Good, now, what I'll tell you is to go house shopping in either Bel Aire or Beverly Hills. Find one you like which is going to really draw the eye. Then, let me know and I'll get it for you. Don't worry about furniture because we'll work on getting it furnished and decorated."

"You're serious. What do I have to do?"

"Ok, I'll lay it out to you so you know I'm a selfish som bitch. For the first ten years, you make sixty and I make forty. That's before any other side business. You got me?"

"Yeah"

"I teach you and you learn. Then, I step back and you make money. I get my cut and you make money. It's that simple."

"Is it hard?"

"No, I could sell you anything. The key to you buying is seeing you can make money off it. If I came up to you and offered you a Hobbs shirt for a buck fifty, would you take it?"

"Yeah."

"And you could make money, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, that's how easy it is. They do it because they make money. They come back because they made money and want to make more. They come to you because you get them quality. It's simple because I teach you how to look for quality."

"Man, this sounds like there's a catch."

"That's all there is to it. If you think there's a catch to a hundred million dollar deal of me making forty percent for not having to work, but you get sixty, then that's the catch."

"It's still sweet."

"Yeah, that's how I made my money. Now, I've found someone and want to stay home. I'll still work because I bought some companies, but now I'm passing it along and sharing it."

"Is it just clothes?"

"Nope, it's everything. You'll see and you'll be amazed."

"I get nervous around strangers."

"Bullshit. You weren't nervous around me and you basically told me to go fuck myself."

"Yeah, but you're different."

"Nah, I'm the same as you. I put these pants on one leg at a time and so does most of the world unless we're in an Arab country and they wear dresses."

He smirked , "You really don't sound rich."

"Guy, listen real fast because I'm keeping him waiting and so is your kid. I come from a home where Dad was an alcoholic who beat me and Mom died. I grew up and got put in with my Gramma because the beating was that bad one night.

Somewhere in there, I learned how to go into businesses and ask them if they had anything they wanted to sell on sale and I went out and sold the stuff while doing my paper route. It worked and I learned a hustle.

Now I'm twenty seven and for kicks today, I spent over six hundred million dollars of my own money out of my bank account. Will I make money on that investment? You bet your ass because I bet mine."

"You're that rich!"

"And you'll be too. It's that simple. If you want it, you'll call me."

"What's your name?"

"Dennis Johns. My friends call me Den.

Go to a library and look on Forbes list. I'm there. Look up my name and you'll see me in Business Week and Fortune. The Wall Street Journal has done stories about me, but they like to have companies profiled and not people.

When you think you've read enough, call the local Rolls Royce dealer and ask them who bought a fleet of four of these things last year. They'll point at my name and you can also read that on the web."

"You're serious!"

"Yeah. Now, from the look of your hands, I'd say you work with your hands. It's an honest living, but your kid probably says they're rough when you hug him. I bet he wants things and you often don't have money. With the money you'll make, you'll have him in nice homes and in nice schools. He'll go to Harvard and they'll let him there because you're paying cash. Do you want to know the rest of your life?"

"It sounds good."

"From time to time, I'll throw you investments like I made today which are going to blow your ass out of the water. When they come, you'll check them out and you'll wonder why you got to make the money so easy and there are folks out there who didn't. It's that way. Those who know how to do it easy are doing it and those who don't aren't."

"Man!"

"Guy, listen. I'll let you in on the final secret because you'll probably read about it real soon. Today, I bought a hundred and forty million dollars of oil wells at two and a half million each. Them puppies are going to bring me in fifteen grand a day. When you multiply it at what I invested, you see it's a hundred and fifty six wells. That's almost twenty five million a day. If you were working for me, you'd have been called and told the deal and would have jumped on it."

"Oil wells come up dry."

"Not when they're sitting on a river of oil. Go home and look up Bennett on the computer. Add oil and Montana on that search and you'll see an oil deposit bigger than Saudi Arabia. It's there, all they have to do is drill. Until recently, they didn't know how to get it out. Now they do and the guy who knows how is wanting money to drill them. You best believe I checked it out and when I found out a friend of mine invested a billion in the things, and is already bringing in huge money, I threw what I could at it."

"You're for real." he said astounded.

"Yeah, it comes in easy. All you have to do is know how to make it. The reason the rich are rich is because things don't trickle down hill. A lot of that reason is not because we want to keep it to ourselves, but because the average person just doesn't have that sort of money laying around. You will."

"Ok, I'll call. When do you want me to call?"

"Go home and give two weeks notice. The reason I want you to give two weeks notice isn't because I give a shit about your employer, but because I want you to kiss the old life goodbye and to see what you'll miss some day."

"I doubt that!"

"You will. Believe me, I do in ways. People treat you different when you have it and resent you got it when they didn't. What they don't do is come up and ask how I did it. If they had, I'd have shown them.

Another reason I want you to wait is because the rest of this week is holding his Mom's funeral. I've promised him that next week we'd go to Italy, so that's a priority. The week after, I'll take you under wing with my cousin who's out there."

"Oh man!"

"Yeah, so trust and believe."

"Dad!"

"I got to get out of here too. Take a look around because you'll be riding in them soon."

"What do you want me to do in the meanwhile?"

"Go down here to Beverly Hills and go to Pierre Cardin. Ask for a man named Robert and then be prepared to get told there's no Robert who works there but a Row-bare. Tell them you know Robert and Den Johns told him to come off that bullshit and get you an appointment.

He'll fit you and get you suits and a tux cut. He'll also get you into some dress slacks and shirts. When he's done, he'll tell you to come back and be fitted again in the clothes he's got for you.

It's all custom made so be sure to wear what underwear you normally wear and tell him which way you hang. Whatever you do, don't be shy with him because he's a sadistic asshole if you hang. You'll find your nuts are cut in half when you sit down."

He chuckled , "You don't hide much, do you?"

"Can't afford to. You'll learn you've got one chance to be believed because time to them is money just as much as it is to you. They sure don't like playing games and if truth be known, neither do you."

"No, that's what caused his Mom and I to split up."

"One thing about it, if you've got child support, she's about to suddenly find getting screwed by you got her rich. With what you'll make, your monthly child support will probably be more than you make in a year now."

"Man!"

"Yeah, so when you go to bed with another, think of that because it doesn't take many more for you to feel like you're working for them all."

"You sound like you know from experience."

"Nope, most of my friends were rich enough to have lawyers who got them their kids. Me, I'm gay, so if that bugs you, don't let it. I've got him out there and he's all I need."

"It doesn't bother me. My brother is gay."

"There's a lot of us out there."

"Yeah, he's told me a lot of my friends are."

"Probably. Just the same, keep in mind some of your clients are, but if they come onto you, politely decline and tell them you're under orders not to. If they insist, tell them Den said he'd pull their account and I bet they back the fuck off real fast."

He laughed , "Man!"

"Guy, I'm not even knowing your name. I know you're a Dad and I know you work with your hands."

"Concrete. I pour concrete."

"You'll miss it some day, but you'll use it in a lot of your dealings. Them folks don't know an honest days work, so they don't know the value of a dollar. You do and that's what you'll use to make a lot of them.

I nodded to the door and asked, "What's your name?"

"Mike. Mike Thompson."

"Mike, glad to meet you. When you go to Pierre Cardin, tell Robert I'm buying the clothes. When you go looking at houses, give me a call and I'll get you someone who sells real estate who will treat you like you're for real. Otherwise, they treat you like you're wasting their time.

On the other hand, when you give me a call, I'll tell you to come to our house and pick up my other car. Can you drive a stick?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, there's a Ferrari convertible there. The keys are under the driver's seat. Go ahead and take it and take your kid for rides in it with the top down. No one is going to hassle you. If they do, tell them to call me and I'll tell them to stay off you. I'd tell you to drive the Aston Martin, but he's partial to it."

"You got those cars!"

"You will too. I've got a lot of cars, but they're spread all over the world. I've got to get them here. When I do, I'll get you in your first Rolls."

"What!"

"Yeah, I've got four of them identical, so you can have one. You'll believe me when I tell you once you drive one, you'll never want to drive anything else."

"Why?"

"The cars feel solid. They drive like a dream and you just know if you get in a wreck, they're built like a tank. Other cars just won't feel the same after it."

"But you have other cars."

"Yeah because Rolls just doesn't make a car which will grab you by your balls and shove them to the rear bumper. Ferrari does. Well, Aston Martin does, but a Ferrari looks cool."

He laughed , "Lamborghini are cool."

"Yeah, but drive one and see if it holds together to make it back to tell the guy selling it to fuck off and you'll be amazed at the junk they are."

"Really?"

"Dude, they sit low. You'd be surprised at what two inches will get you...well, it won't get you laid with a size queen, but the difference between a Ferrari and one is two inches ground clearance. When you scrape all over and drag a quarter million dollar car and have parts come off, you tend to get pissed. A Ferrari keeps you smiling."

"I never knew that."

"That's what the dealer said when I brought it back on a roll back. He now knows I will walk by a string of them without looking to get to a car which won't make me feel like I got fucked."

"Ok, so when do you want me to pick up the Ferrari?"

"How about you come by tomorrow? I'll still be in town and can vouch for you because I'll be there."

"Ok, what's the address?"

"Hold on a second" I paused, "Ev, what's that address over in Bel Aire?"

Ev came back and gave me the address. I wrote it down , "He's going to go into training alongside Blane."

"Ok"

Ev held out his hand , "Evan Gordon."

"Mike Thompson."

"Nice to meet you Mike. Jase and I are buddies out here. We're going to look at trees."

"Ok"

He turned to me , "He looks familiar."

"Probably. His Mom was famous and just died."

"Oh man! You guys are in the video!"

"Yeah, we did that the other night before she died."

"Everyone is watching it. They all just can't believe how cool the song is."

"Good. We're taking the money from it and building a park."

"That's a lot of money."

"It's going to be a lot of park. It'll have a lot of activities in it for all ages."

"Good, people need that sort of thing."

"How old is Jase?"

"Seven. His Mom lives over here. I live down in Belleflower."

"Oh"

"Oh! You said that like it was bad!"

"No, not bad. Heck, the first thing I thought was "What's a straight guy living in Belleflower for?"

He laughed , "Well, it should tell you I get along well with gays."

"It sure should."

"I have a neighbor who is a gay porn star. He's a cool guy."

"Well, you know someone I don't. I've never known anyone who does porn."

"He's a normal guy. He does have a huge one though."

"He walk it around like it was a dog or something?"

He laughed , "No, I heard he did gay porn so I rented one out of curiosity."

"Be careful there. I kind of want to take a dick out of curiosity and fell in love."

He laughed , "No worries there!"

He paused and asked, "What attracts you to guys?"

"You're straight."

"Huh?"

"I'll answer your question in a moment but first I'll tell you there are twenty questions people ask which immediately tell me they're gay acting straight and there are twenty someone straight will ask. That was one a straight would ask."

"My brother says the same thing."

"What'd he say when you asked him?"

"He said he knew he was gay because he looked at other guys in the shower at school. He said he started noticing boys and kept getting wood. Then he said he likes the feeling when another guy is in control."

"Well, for us all, it's different. For me, it was when I noticed guys, but you could put one guy in a room full of girls and I'd tell you anything about him, but wouldn't tell you a thing about the girls. With Ev, I instantly noticed his eyes and then his smile and the easy manner he carried himself. From there, it's been easy because he's so easy to love."

"Yup, you've got it bad."

"I've got it good."

He laughed, "I thought I had it with my ex. Then, we got married and then, the demands increased and responsibilities increased and I found out what I thought I had with her everyone else was getting too and the ring around her finger had more time off than on. Somewhere, she got pregnant with him and when he was born, my world revolved around him and we split further apart. One day, I came home and she was gone."

"Who's fault was it?"

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't mine, but it was also hers."

"Let me give you a clue. As soon as she fucked around on me, I would have been out of there. Life's too short for that nonsense."

"You're telling me if he did it, you'd be gone?"

"Yeah, just as fast as I could get away would be how fast I'd leave. IF he ever laid a hand on me, I'd do the same. There are other things in a relationship which are "thou shalt not's", but those are the big two."

"What are some of the others?"

"Disloyalty. If he tried to speak to my Dad and do anything for him, I'd be history."

"Your Dad sounds like he's got problems."

"Yep. Lots of them. He knows he's got problems now because I lived after he took some shots at me."

"Oh man."

"Yeah. Now another is him being controlling or manipulative. That's not such a high priority, but I'd give him a warning and then, if he didn't heed it, I'd leave.

Another is being too clingy. For me, it's about two independent people getting together instead of the way some people do it where they have to be around each other, or they have to have one be doing everything while the other loses their identity. It's strictly not happening with me."

"My brother does that."

"I've had friends who've done that too. Straight guys are really bad about that. They get a piece and suddenly it's like they lost their mind or something. Yeah, it's called pussy whipped, but gay guys can get dick whipped too."

"I've seen it. There've been times when I felt like it and probably would still be today just because of Jase."

"Not me. With me, if I were in a relationship like that, I'd give warning. If it continued, I'd step back and tell her it wasn't working and it needs fixed. If she still didn't get it, I'd be to a lawyer telling him to get me my kid and to leave the leech where she is."

"It's not that easy."

"It is if you make it be." I paused and then said, "Listen, I'm not going to call you anything or try convincing you anything. I wasn't there, I don't know. What I do know is if you lay down and put Welcome across you, they'll wipe their feet on you and leave you outside.

If you demonstrate you know you have self worth, they tend to hang on because they know you will find someone else a lot easier than they will."

"Do you think so?"

"Dude, you're a good looking guy with an ass and a chest to die for. You're hanging, so I know it's not little and with a style and some highlights, you'd be a clone of that one star. I imagine you've been told that out here, but it's true. Girls flock to you because of it, and you think it's because of everything else."

"Yeah." he said smiling.

"Let me tell you something. With him, we've been together less than a week and I know I'll be with him the rest of my life."

"How do you know that!"

"Because he and I haven't had sex yet. We've made out, but sex isn't something which is happening until we're ready. First and foremost, we're friends. We respect each other and we bend. We give when the other needs it and right now, he's hurting, but do you see him laying down and licking his nuts? No, he's got your kid in looking at trees. That's the way he is. So, when I know I'll be with him it's because of those things. Look for a girl who will do that for you and I bet you'll say you're as lucky as me."

"Do you worry about having money and them using you?"

"Yeah, but I don't let it hold me back. What I say is "Here's the checkbook. If you're after that, then leave because you have it...I can make more." He's not on my bank account yet, but Monday he will be. Then I will know it's not about that."

"It doesn't sound like it."

"What I will say Mike, is in time, you'll get money and you'll be hanging around a lot of nice people who are in the monied crowd. To them, you're poorer than them so you know they're not after yours. In time, you'll have more than them, and you'll know because they've got fifty million they don't need yours any more than you need theirs."

"Ok, so it gives you security?"

"Yeah, in a lot of ways it does. In other ways, it's a real pain in the ass."

"How?"

"Ok, you see that guy over there who is with Ev's sister?"

"Yeah."

"He's my best friend on this planet. He has money, but not as much as me. We both grew up poor and we grew out of it. He's talented in a lot of things and what you need to know is he's used way more than I'd ever tolerate by a lot lesser friends.

Me, people assume because Forbes says I'm rich, I'm really worth what they said I have. I'll tell you now there's no fucking way I'm worth what they said I am, but to some people that's what they think I'm worth so suddenly I'm a target to them."

"You mean Forbes lies?"

"Yes, but no. Listen to what they do and you'll see."

"Ok"

"With me, I have a lot of stuff. One thing you'll find when you get rich is that the more expensive the stuff costs, the more harder it is to get rid of it. You have a car there. You could put it in the paper and suddenly have people calling to want to see it. Right?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, this Rolls here. If I put it in the paper, you'd have people calling and asking how much I want for it. I'll tell you now it's nowhere near what I paid for it....but Forbes says it is. They're full of shit.

With me, I'll put the car in the paper and list it for three hundred thousand. It's a year old, so it'd depreciated.

Now, lets say you want a Rolls limo. Would you buy it?"

"Yeah."

"No you wouldn't because if you can afford a Rolls limo, you're going to get one at the dealer...not out of the paper. To you, seeing a limo in the paper instantly says someone's in the trunk, or there's bloodstains somewhere, or a drug dog would hit on it, or it's stolen and hotter than hell."

"Well, you're probably right."

"Yeah, so here's what Forbes does. They appraise everything out. They say, "Well, he has a villa in Italy and he paid four point eight for it. So, it's had to appreciate in value and now is worth twenty."

"What!"

"That's what I say. I say they're full of shit but because people read it in the magazine, they think it's true. Now, how much is that villa worth?"

"I don't know."

"I'll tell you to save a bunch of guessing. It's worth four point eight to me. That's what I paid and that's what I know someone else would pay because I got it for that.'

"Ok, I understand."

"The villa is beautiful, and it's nice, but who in the hell wants a sixty room house!"

"Oh man...."

"Yeah, it's awesome, but that's how it is and that's why I think Forbes is wrong."

"Can't you do something about it?"

"I could, but I won't because I like reading it for entertainment value. To me, it's like reading a joke book because I see everyone else on the list and wonder how fucked up they were about them!"

"I see what you mean."

"Now, before I get off the subject, I'm going to let you in on a secret here."

"What's that?"

"Forbes will have a field day with this business. And, in a way, this is a situation where Forbes is probably more right than me."

"Why?"

"Because I'll tell you what I essentially paid for it and you'll fall over."

"Ok, I'm ready."

"Now, listen up because it's short and fast."

"Ok"

"Not a fucking thing."

"Huh!"

"Ok, here's how it happened."

"Ok"

"In my contracts there's penalties if a business doesn't hold to their contract. They can be rather expensive. In the particular contract, I got six million dollars as a penalty check. I met a guy over in China and he's a developer. He builds apartment buildings which are really exclusive. He had a building going up and offered me an apartment at six million. I looked at it and it was nice, so I got it. Well, the building sold out of apartments and people love them so the value of them are way up. The Hobbs brothers know I have the apartment and they had this company for sale for a hundred and forty million. I was willing to buy it at that price, but they said they wanted the apartment.

I was getting ready to put the apartment on the market anyways, so I traded. So, as you see, I got the business for nothing."

He laughed, "Dude, that's the sweetest deal ever!"

"Yeah, and now get this because it gets better. When I went to buy it, the guy told me about the oil wells and I called Evan. He said he saw a thing on 60 Minutes about the Bennett and confirmed it's true. SO, I took the same hundred and forty and invested in oil wells. Now I'm going to have a lot coming in per day from them and this place is going to be paying me too. So, I think it's going to really be a situation where Forbes is probably more on the money than me because if I based it on what I gave, I'd have to tell you I didn't give anything."

He laughed , "That's the most fucked up thing I have ever heard, but I understand what you're saying!"

"Yeah, it's twisted, I know, but that's how I look at what I've got."

"Do you get these deals often?"

"Which deals?"

"Like the villa in Italy, the apartment in Hong Kong, the place here?"

"Not often, but often enough I take them and can afford to buy them."

"Will I get them?"

"Yeah. That's the way things work. You'll be offered things by me and other people. You'll get them on the golf course, or wherever, but you'll get them."

"Man, so that's how rich people do it?"

"Yeah. I can't say that's how they all do it, but that's how it works for me and worked for these guys."

We got out of the car and went to the front. We leaned against it as we continued to talk. "

He asked, "When you started out, did you have any idea what to do?"

"Yeah, it'd worked for me growing up, so I began calling local companies. They got me items to sell and at first, I was selling Laz-Z-boys on street corners. Then, it grew to where I got a contract with a chain of discount stores interested in furniture While there, I asked the guy how they bought their other goods. He told me. From that sale, I learned I had to go to the Philippines.

While in the Philippines, I made a mistake and went to a different factory than the one I should have gone. I happened upon the shirt factory which now makes Hobbs shirts. I'd already asked for their sales manager, so I decided to go ahead and see how much things could be bought. I found things real cheap, so I got a few boxes.

What happened, was I got them imported and they cleared customs. The other goods I'd purchased also cleared and got accepted by the company which bought them. However, they did reject the shirts."

"Why?"

"They never ordered them and refused to even consider buying them. So, I rented a Hertz rent a truck and took the boxes down to the beach to sell them.

While there, I met the Hobbs brothers and thought it'd be cool to have them model for me. Instead, they offered to sell them for me. I was sweating my ass off so I figured I'd go ahead and let them sell why I went to get the other boxes.

What happened is one of those weird instances where fate intervened. The Hertz truck broke down and I had no phone number for them. I figured the money and clothes I gave them were a loss, because I never showed when I said I would. So, after they got the truck fixed, the next day, I went down and found they'd sold the whole bunch!

Having the other two boxes, I got them to sell them too and then went back to my hotel. This time, I gave them my cell phone number.

I'd just gotten off into some good air conditioned snooze when my cell phone rang. It was them telling me the other two boxes had sold. Needless to say, I looked at the clock on my phone and saw it'd only been a little over three hours. I had to go check out how they did it.

When I got there, I saw people wearing the clothes and the guys with a wad of cash in their hands. I told them to keep it if they'd consider buying clothes from me and selling them. They did and as you see, they did rather good."

"So that's how you got started?"

"Yeah, so what I did was I did some checking and found the company which made most of the jeans in the country was in China. I took off for there and when I got there, I once again asked for the sales manager. He gave me a tour and I bought them sixteen boxes of jeans.

While in the city, I went to some other plants and got a lot of goods purchased for the one company I had under me. They wanted Christmas toys for kids, so I bought a helluva bunch of them. What they also wanted was some of the shirts I'd bought in the Philippines.

I went, and got them theirs and then bought shirts with the rest of my money for the Hobbs brothers. All in all, I'd bought them sixteen boxes of jeans and sixty boxes of shirts."

"Oh man!"

"Yeah, but while there, I had another day to waste before I had to catch my flight, so I decided to go touring plants. I got tours and suddenly had a whole lot of contacts.

One of the best contacts I had was a company which molds plastic foam figurines. You've probably seen them, they're Eagles and wolves, and all sorts of statues which collect dust and people collect."

"I've got Dolphins."

"I probably wholesaled them to wherever you bought them. I'm still the leading supplier of the things to the United States."

"Really!"

"Yeah, it's interesting because the company now sells so much to me, they come over and study what is hot and what is not. One thing I did get was a contract for them to make Harley items. They got it and now you see those all over the place."

"Man! I've got some of those for Jase!"

"Yeah, now I'll ask you how much you bought the thing for?"

"Ten bucks."

"Ok, guess how much they wholesale to me for?"

"Two?"

"You were close. They wholesale to me at three cents a piece."

"I was thinking dollars!" he said laughing.

"No, I sell them for about that, but get them for three cents."

"But how can you get them shipped in?"

"The cost of cargoes on ocean liners is low. They charge by the cargo and by hundred weight. A cargo cost me about four grand to get brought over, but I add it in on my wholesale rate and pass it along."

"Man!"

"Yeah, I've done good with them, but the smart thing was while I was out selling the things, I was out finding out what different companies wanted. Now, I have locations all over the planet which I go to buy from."

He shook his head. "Now I know why you're rich."

"It's not been a bad living. You're going to see things you don't think will sell become your biggest sellers. You'll see things you think won't have a problem selling be damned hard to get rid of."

"Why?"

"People's tastes change. Right now, I've got a bunch of George Foreman grills in a warehouse which I can't turn. They'll turn eventually, but it'll probably be through Dollar."

"But things are really that cheap?"

"Yeah, but remember the price of fuel has quadrupled so you've got to pass it on."

"How much do you pass on?"

"Ok, here's how I do it but don't judge based upon me. If a cargo company charges me forty eight hundred to import a cargo, then I double that and figure it into the cost of each item I have in the cargo. I'll tell you now with the foam figurines, you can get two hundred and eighty eight thousand of the things in a cargo. You divide that out and it's not much...like three and a third cents, so you add it on. You now have a cost which is your baseline...six cents.

"Ok"

"With me, there's the cost of flying over and flying back. That has to be added in and the cost of hotels. When you add those in, it comes out to where you're at about fifteen cents an item.

Yeah, I could pass them on at that price, but I'll tell you now everyone else is selling them about two fortyfive each so I undercut by fifty cents and get in there at my rate. It gives me lots of profits.'

"So when you wholesale to Dollar and Hobbs now, it's all profit for the company?"

"Yeah, but I'll tell you I am going to pass those savings along."

"What do you mean?"

"That ten dollar figurine I put out my door for almost two dollars is suddenly going to hit the market over here at a dollar. People are going to buy them and give them as gifts and we'll be making a lot of money off them.

Together between Brand and Dollar, I've got around six thousand stores. I figure if I put a hundred in each store, I'll have to buy two cargoes of the things."

"Man!"

"Yeah, but what I'm going to do is this and you'll see how you can sell the things."

"Ok"

"Wolves and Eagles are down in popularity. Now, you've got firemen, John Wayne, and a lot of the dead stars all coming up in popularity. One thing you'll always have is Marilyn, Dale Earnhardt, and some really popular ones. I'm not going to sell them at Dollar unless it's last year's model."

"Why?"

"You can put them out the door at a lot more than I can. If you put them out the door at around two bucks, then I get eighty cents and you get the buck twenty....well, minus expenses, but you get the point better if I round off."

"Oh, so we see about a buck eighty and I get sixty percent?"

"Yeah."

"Man!" He paused and asked, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Dude, I have a circle of people I hang around. All of them are rich. It's rare I get to be around someone who needs a hand, so when I meet someone I like, then I offer. Do the same and you'll always have lady luck looking over your shoulder."

"Oh"

"Yeah, but remember to apply for your passport. You're going to really need the thing."

"So I'll be flying all over the world?"

"What I'm doing is this and then you'll see."

"Ok"

"I'm hiring a bunch of people. You're but a one of who will be hired. Over there is my cousin and hes coming on. Hopefully, his sister will come on too.

What I'm doing is I'm going to probably give Blane, China. There's a lot of good which come out of there and he can cultivate it if he's just there. His sister will get Europe. She's a woman and the best buyers from there are women.

You, you'll get Japan. I'll take you over and teach you Japanese and you'll be fine."

"How am I going to learn Japanese?"

"It's easy. I'll show you and you'll really be amazed at how fast you catch on."

"Really?"

"Yeah, we spend a week there and all we'll do is walk around and I'll point at things and teach you the word which goes along with it. By the end of two days, it'll start sinking in and you'll find yourself figuring out things by hearing other people saying things."

"Man!"

"Yeah, it's that simple. I'm not real smart and I've got a lot of languages memorized. It's not excellent, but it's passable enough to make you think I know a lot.

What I can't do is read much of anything. Their symbols are way different and what I do there is I have someone come in who knows how to read it to read the contract to me.

Usually, a company will get me a contract in English. They know it's not legally binding until I have one of my own. I refuse to sign anything I can't read, so they get the English one signed."

"Ok, so they have translators?"

"Yeah, but I don't ever trust them. They're paid by the company and I never want to trust someone who is in conflict of interest."

"Ok, that's cool."

Jase came running up, "Dad, I saw the trees!"

"Did you like them?"

"Yeah, they have a lot of them! They have some which look like dinosaurs!"

Jase ran up and hugged Mike. Ev came over , "Jase had a good time. I took him up so he could feed the birds."

"One flew onto my hand!"

Ev came over , "Twenty seven people have been in to use the rest rooms."

"Good, that means that many aren't going away disappointed."

Mike said, "I usually take Jase to the bathroom before we come. I know they don't have a bathroom here, so we make it a point to stop before we come."

"I think it's an oversight. What we're going to do is redesign the parking lot here so it's like a drive in theater. People can see the fountains better. We're also going to install lasers and outdoor restrooms. Hopefully, people will want to see the trees and birds before show time and then, we can keep them entertained a while longer."

"It's nice this is here. It's free and I can spend some time with him."

"Yeah, but what we're going to do is we're going to start advertising it's here. Some people know, but not a lot. With us adding lasers, even the people who've been here will find it more exciting."

"You should add in other sorts of shows." Mike said.

"What sorts of shows?"

"The music is always the same. If you did the fountains to other sorts of songs like Christmas songs, Patriotic for the fourth of July, or even different pop songs, it'd get more people to keep coming back."

"Ok, I'll call the company and see what they have and if they'd come program it."

Ev smiled , "You just gave him a lot of different ideas. I can see the gears turning."

I looked at Ev , "Hon, do you think we could do a medley of your Mom's songs to the fountains?"

"Yeah, I don't mind."

"We could put that park over there at the end of the parking lot if you wanted."

"Ok!"

"I figure we're going to be redoing the parking lot here, so we could go ahead and have that done. I'll call the wax museum to see if we could get the measurements for the bronze statues."

Jase looked up at his Dad , "Dad. Don't you remember him from that video?"

"Yes Jase, I remembered."

"He's famous!" Jase said with awe.

Mike chuckled , "He's nice though."

"Yeah, he's neat. Do you know they have a sand castle up there with a lot of neat things in it?"

Mike looked at me and I nodded.

"Really!"

"Yeah, he let me have all the candy I wanted."

"You didn't eat too much did you?"

"No, I ate just enough."

Mike giggled , "Thanks" to Ev.

Ev smiled , "No problem. It's nice being able to be around him."

At ten pm, the radio announced the finale of the show and played a final song. After that, the lights went out on the fountains.

I said, "Ev, when I can, after the last piece of music, we're going to have a wall of those jets which shoot water up into the air and have the company name displayed on it in some sort of manner which says, "Brought to you by TL Hobbs"

Ev said, "I think we should have break somewhere in the show with those which show the lasers on the waters. That way if people want to go to the restroom, they're not missing the show."

"Ok, we'll start doing that. I'll have to find out who did the lasers for the Sydney Olympics."

Mike said, "Guys, it's been real nice. We're leaving now as I have to have him home by ten thirty."

"Good meeting you Mike, give me a call."

"I'll do that. When tomorrow?"

"What time do you get off work?"

"Three thirty. I'm home by four fifteen."

"How long will it take to get to Bel Aire?"

"Probably a half an hour."

"Ok, what I'll do is meet you there at five. If you're a little late, that will be fine."

"Ok, I'll see you there.'

He and Jase left and by then, Sam and Ran and Blane and Sarah were back. We got in and everyone was really excited.

I told Ran, "When can you come out and film it?"

"Why?"

"I want to do some commercials here locally which advertise them. If more people know, then it's seen as more publicity for the company."

"I can film it tomorrow if you'd like."

"Ok, now I've got a question you many know or find out easier."

"What's that?"

"I need lasers which move. I want multi colors."

"Oh, let me call around. I know there's a company here locally. What are you wanting?"

Ev and I told him what we thought and also about the park being at the end of the parking lot. As we spoke, they got more and more enthralled. Ran smiled , "You're going to really change things out here to being better than what they are now."

"Yeah, I've got to call a company who does our marquee lights for the front of the stores and get a huge one for up on that roof."

Sarah said, "Guys, I was thinking and it seems to me you should have a mascot."

Ev smiled , "Ok, you're it!"

Everyone laughed and then, she said, "Why not?" I'll go to the store and get some of the clothes and the Ran can film me. I was thinking an outdoors man, but why not a woman! I was also thinking of a slogan for the company and think I have a good one."

"What is it?"

"Wherever the trail of life leads you, TL Hobbs has you covered." She said. "I was thinking hiking and college, but a lot more than those two groups buy the clothes. It's outdoorsy and it's telling everyone they can get their clothes here."

I nodded , "I like it. Now, about your outfit for the commercials, could you do it more as a prospector from the olden days?"

"Sure! Get me a pine tree and a trail and I'll walk up it with a back pack a shovel and holding a pick. It'd get the impression across."

Ev said, "Oh man, I can see it. She's going to be great!"

Sarah smiled , "Who would have thought I'd be a spokesperson for a company. Heck I'll be like a Marlboro woman!"

I said, "We have to get a mule."

Ran said, "I'll get someone to tweak a banjo and then have her walk up and say the slogan."

I said, "Sarah, I want those commercials, but for the immediate time, would you do the one here in front of the fountains leading the mule? It could get them out and have people wondering who you are and get interest up."

Ran smiled , "You're doing the mystery woman theme."

"Yeah, but we've got her in the commercials and into print advertising. We need a mountain with a peak in the background and some clouds off to the left. Hold up a second...Ev, didn't you say your parents had a place in Aspen?"

"Yeah, but this time of year there's no skiing."

"No, but there's mountains and beautiful scenery."

"Oh man! I know just the spot!"

"Call them and see if they'll allow a commercial to be filmed there and if their tourist commission has a local with a mule."

"You're really going with this!" Sam said laughing.

"Yeah, it's going to be great. Sarah can make a lot of extra money from it and it'd be neat. She'd be a nationally known endorsement star."

Sarah smiled , "I've got to get an outfit made up of those clothes."

I said, "Hang on, let me call Mike. If we have Jase in the commercial, he'd pull out the kid theme. He could be on that mule!"

I called Mike. "Hello?"

"Mike, you still have Jase with you?"

"Yeah, just pulled up at his Mom's."

"Ask her if you guys can consider him to be in some commercials."

"What?!"

"For TL Hobbs. We're going to go for a back to school commercial."

"It's early May!"

"Yeah and they have to be done by June. He can make good money doing a day of filming and it'd be nice money for him."

"How much? She's going to want to know."

"Tell her it's thirty grand and then he makes a fee each time it shows."

"Ok, I'll call you back."

I hung up , "Guys, until we film the commercials, Let's run the commercials of the fountains. We can have the film of Sarah alone and then we can have the one with her and Jase."

Sarah said, "Rather than having him on the mule, I think for that one I should be standing in the background while he is in the foreground next to a mountain stream. He could be playing and then do a small TL Hobbs in the corner. It's peaceful, it's cooling to those who watch it in the hot August heat and it gets the message across."

Ran smiled , "Ok, Sarah's head of advertising!"

Everyone laughed and Sarah said, "I like the theme. It's the way I could imagine Levi's doing ads if they would. They've been around since the old days, but if they don't want it, we'll sure stand up and give the hint we've been around since then."

I nodded , "We're not hiding a thing if we put a small banner underneath."

Sarah said, "Don't go with a date. Say something which pokes fun at those who do. "Been around since people knew clothes were good." It uplifts the customer and says we're better and don't need a date on our hip to say it."

I smiled , "Whoa!"

Ev giggled , "Ok, I second it...Sarah's head of advertising! All in favor say Aye."

The Ayes filled the car. Sarah chuckled , "Ok, it's official. Now I'm boss!"

We laughed and I said, "Sarah, think of different ways we can get the different themes across. Winter, Christmas, Summer, Spring, Back to School, and even Valentines."

She nodded , "Jase does Valentines with me. We'll be in a cabin with a fire going and I'll be in a rocking chair holding up a shirt to him. It says they're sewn with care and made with quality. It can be red for the Valentines theme, but you'll have to put the Valentines over the scene in the writing. I don't want any of these to have any speaking. It's like we're bringing the print to movement and that's it."

Ran nodded , "Good idea. We can go with overlays. All we need is a soft banjo to get the feeling across. It's timeless and it's pretty. People will wonder why more people don't do it."

I said, "Guys, when we get home, a police officer will be arriving. He's going to be our guard in the house during his off time."

Sam asked, "Do we need him?"

"I'd rather he be around. We have security, but he's an inner security."

"Ok" she said."I'm not going to need a body guard am I?"

"Not yet, but you probably will some day."

She nodded , "Let me get used to it gradually."

Ev chuckled , "Sam, it's for the whole family, not just you!"

"Oh, ok. That's better."

When we arrived at the house, we went in and everyone basically went their own directions. Ev and I went to the living room as I knew we'd have the police officer coming soon.

Ev asked, "What's going on with Mike at the other house?"

"He's going to be driving my Ferrari until we get back from Italy."

"Why?"

"Because if he goes to Beverly Hills to look at houses driving a Toyota, they'll be less than cordial. If he has the impression with him he's got some money already, they'll give him a better reception."

"Oh, so he's going to be moving to Beverly Hills?"

"He's going to be buying a house. I'll pay for it, but I want our employees for the importing to have houses which they can entertain in and get the customer's signatures on the contracts. He's in Belleflower now, and if I'm assuming right, he's in an apartment. It might be good for most, but it sure doesn't say he's successful."

"Oh, ok. Why not have him do business at a hotel?"

"Because if he lives the part, it sinks in he's successful."

"I'm getting what you're saying now."

"I'll give him a start and then, he'll stick around. I'll be doing the same with everyone else, so don't fret."

"Ok, now what is he going to be doing?"

"Japan is going to be his. Blane is getting China and Blane's sister is going to be getting Europe. While they're there, they can be staying at my places over there."

"Ok, that's cool. I wanted to know."

"Ev, when we go to Japan and teach him the ropes, I want you to go with us. You can learn it so you know what all is done there."

"Why?"

"I want you to know the whole thing on my side. If there ever comes a time you need to step in to fill my shoes, you'll know it and won't have to feel like a duck out of water."

"Don't talk that way."

"No, I've got to. You're not having someone shooting at you. To me, it's real. I've got to get you trained so we're not leaving you in a spot like your Dad left you. I loved your Dad, but he didn't do you many favors by not teaching you more."

"Ok, just don't talk about dying."

"It's a possibility. I'll stop talking about it, but just help me so I can get you taught."

"Ok, but let's hope I never have to do it because of that. I like having you here."

"I like being here."

He leaned into me and I kissed the back of his head. Soon, I was nuzzling his ear and he turned his head to give me a very passionate kiss."

When we broke the kiss, he smiled , "You're doing a lot for Stuart, aren't you."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry about that jerk."

"No one's to blame except the man himself. He knows better now. I'll tell you Stuart did something which wasn't cool, but he corrected it."

"What'd he do?"

"He tried correcting it by telling the man to go home and expecting me not to blow whenever I came back into that restaurant."

"I understand. You're right, that wouldn't have been good at all."

"You don't know it Ev, but the next time I could be in that restaurant could be with a client. How's that going to look if the guy's a total dick in front of them?"

"Oh man."

"Yeah, so he saved himself a lawsuit because I'll tell you if I'd lost a million dollar contract, Stuart would be paying for it."

"Ok, so he corrected it."

"Yeah, but you need to see how little things like that could affect bigger things if they're not corrected right the first time."

"I see it. Can I switch the subject?"

"Sure."

"Our offices at the new tower. I'd like to have mine so it's across from yours."

"How do you mean? In the other tower?"

"No, I wanted that, but if the kids are safer there, then we can put ours in together."

"No, What I'll do is move theirs over to the sandlot and you can have yours in that tower. It doesn't matter to me where I have an office as long as I have one. I'll be busy buying, so it won't be like I'm really using it."

He exhaled a breath like he was disgusted with me, "You're not getting the point. I thought since we were two, we'd have each leg of the tower."

"Hon, I understand, all I'm saying is to me it doesn't make much sense for us to have two top floors. Do you realize for me to come see you to get my Ev fix, I'd have to go down fifteen floors, over and then up fifteen?"

He had a smile then. "Oh. Well we wouldn't want you to have to wait for that!"

"No, and by the time you got over to me, I'd see someone looking like the Tasmanian Devil come ripping in and then stealing a kiss and then ripping back out. I'd wonder who it was!"

He laughed , "Ok, let's have our office together and have a special kissing parlor so the winds stay calm."

I laughed too , "I love you."

Ran came running down the stairs. "Guys, we've got a problem."

Ev sat up , "What's wrong!"

"MTV wants to interview you and Sam. Tomorrow, they're going to show a special of your Mom's videos all day long."

Ev looked at me , "Ok, but they don't have them all. Do they want to use them?"

"They have two. They were wanting to use them and they wanted to interview you two."

Ev nodded , "What does Sam say?"

"She wants to do it, but only if it's here. She doesn't want to fly to New York."

"Ok, I'll agree with that as long as they have someone who's a female doing the interview."

I asked, "Why?"

"Mom said she never trusted a man to interview her. In her memory, I'm going to uphold it because it will be for her."

"Ok, I was wondering."

Ran asked, "So it's not a problem?"

Ev said, "It's not a problem to me as long as Sam gets to endorse her career and maybe get her song on. Me, I'm not trying to boost anything, but I'll probably have TL Hobbs worn and wearing a Dollar hat." He smiled , "Den would shoot me if I didn't."

Ran said, "Ok, I'll call them. That means they'd have to fly and not Sam."

I asked, "Sam doesn't like to fly?"

Ev said, "Sam doesn't like to fly because Sam's bored easily. In a plane, she gets claustrophobic."

Ran said, "The total for the day's sales is twenty one million just for Amazon's portion. We have to get the cds to them and to the other guys before it's a final tally."

Ev's eyes went big and he smiled. "She's going to beat him!" He leaned into me , "Den's only goal was to have Mom beat Michael Jackson's Thriller sales for a single."

Ran said, "The way she's going, it looks like she could beat "Candle In The Wind"'s numbers too." He paused , "I called the cd presser and ordered up thirty. They've got all they have thrown at it and said they'd go with another two companies. We should be fulfilling all the orders by next Tuesday."

I said, "Tell them to start shipping it to the clubs we have on the list."

"Already done."

"Ok, if we have people thinking it's out there, we'll have people waiting in line when it hits the stores next week."

He then paused , "There are a bunch of radio stations who are doing a lot of day long broadcast of her songs tomorrow. I've got them the single sent too so it can be included in their airplay."

I nodded , "We should have asked them to put it at the top of each hour. It'd get more attention for it."

"I can call Star and Clear Channel and get them to put it up there. The number of stations they have would definitely help."

"Ok, any other things?"

"Yeah, but I'm going to check it out because I don't know if it's legit or not."

"What's that?"

"Someone with no number registered called to ask if we'd consider a series of stamps in her memory. He identified himself as some general."

"Postmaster General. Did he leave a number?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, we'll review some photos we'd like submitted and get them to them. What I'd like is several of the entire group and then two for her. It'd make a better compilation."

Ev nodded , "Mom's going to be on a stamp!"

"Yeah, they did one for Elvis, so I imagine it'd be popular for her."

"Why? She wasn't anywhere nearly as famous as him."

"In a lot of people's minds she was. She was the first black artist to sell than many records. She was also a woman and she was a part of Motown. In hearts and minds, she broke barriers no one else did."

"Oh, do you see her that way?"

"Yeah, I'm a fan and although I got the honor of getting to know her as being real, I see her in that manner. I imagine that's why MTV and everyone else is really wanting to put her name out there."

"I guess I never thought about it. She'd already done it by the time I was born and a lot of other black women were selling a lot."

"Someone broke the path for them and it was your Mom."

"Man!"

"Look at it this way. There was her and there was Dionne Warwick. There were others, but Dionne is like a saint when she makes appearances. Your Mom was too, but she didn't do them a lot."

"Do you think it would have helped if she had?"

"Sweetheart, can I put it a way you can see her in a different light?"

"Sure."

"Barbra Streisand. I say her name and instantly, her whole career comes to mind. Those who don't even remember her in today's modern era know her career.

She doesn't have to make appearances in order to go out and fill arenas and venues. She doesn't, but look at what she did in Vegas...she filled the theaters and broke ground for those who now do it in her wake."

"What do you mean?"

"Celine Dion went there....mega money offered. Elton John....again, mega money. Your Mom was thinking about it and even more money than them was offered. No one gets offered fifty million for that short of a run. It's because for her to even consider it, she would have had to be offered what it took. They sure knew they could get it."

"Oh, is that why she agreed to do it at that last moment?"

"Yeah. I think she trusted me to go in and get her what she needed. With your Dad retiring, he could be there with her. She knew she had you kids at a point where it could be considered and it'd not make her feel so guilty to do it."

"Oh man."

I could see his eyes misting up and I said, "Babe, it was her time to leave us. God doesn't give us but his number of days and she had hers."

"It's just not fair."

"No, it's not. Think about it because if you can learn to appreciate the days you have from it, you've got a better lesson learned than a lot of people."

Ev looked at Ran , "Ran, tell MTV to start putting on the song she sang with Luther before "I dunno" and then tell them to put on the one with Rupaul afterward. It'd get serious and then show her as being a person."

I nodded , "Tell the radio stations to do that every other hour but to have "I dunno" at the top of each hour."

Ev asked, "Why not every hour?"

"It's too much of the modern stuff. They probably will only play fifteen songs an hour and if we dictate three of them, it's not getting other stuff noticed."

"Why?"

"Because I'm thinking Sam could do a duet with her on Walnut and it'd be nice."

"Do you think?"

I looked up at Ran , "Have Sam sing it with some of those high notes she sings. You might want to film it with her at a piano because you're going to get a piece of history which would knock your socks off."

He smiled , "I'll talk with her."

He ran up the stairs and Ev said, "It's a pretty song."

"It's a song in which everyone's going to bawl their eyes out. It's her saying goodbye to her Mama."

He got up and ran upstairs. I knew he was going to be practicing with her. It'd be something which would give them both some closure.

I went into the kitchen to get a glass of tea. Sarah came out , "Hi hon, I heard someone."

"Just me."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"I'm really excited about these commercials."

"Great. I know you'll be good at it."

"They're going to be pretty commercials."

"I imagine."

"Where's Evan?"

"Upstairs singing with Sam."

She looked at me , "They sing beautiful together."

"Ran's going to film them sing Walnut. It'd be good for both them."

She smiled , "You got them to do it."

"I thought it up for Sam and when I told Ev my reason, he ran up the steps."

She came over and hugged me. "Them kids are special. Ev's been a bit wild, but never any trouble. Sam's a bit wild on her own, but she's always been a good girl."

"I wish I'd gotten to meet him sooner."

"It happened when it was time. He'll appreciate you more now."

"Let's hope."

She smiled at me , "Den, for someone who can do so much to get people to believe in themselves, you sure have a hard time getting to believe in you."

"I do."

"You have the ability to sell. There's a difference."

"Well, I'm improving."

She said, "I think you discount yourself too much. Know we love you and your a part of a family who loves you. We accept you no matter what."

"I like being a part of a family....here."

"See what I mean?"

"What?"

"You have family there besides your Dad. I'm sure they're good people."

"I don't easily forgive them. They had an option to stand and they sat back and watched. The only one was my Gramma. To me, she walked on water...they sure didn't."

"Do you ever think they might have had problems with him too?"

"What do you mean?"

"Blane said his Mom absolutely was terrified of him and blamed your Gramma for letting him do what he pleased. You Gramma might have stood up for you, but I think she did it after she saw one person destroyed by him and your Mama's death as largely being helped along by his selfishness."

"Who was destroyed?"

"Your aunt. Are you aware of what happened in the house when they were little?"

"No, no one said anything to me if something happened."

"If? Where do you think the monster learned to overpower women!"

I instantly felt ill. I went to the trash can and my hands went to my knees.

"Baby, I didn't mean to upset you, but I've heard things from Blane and he's afraid to let it all out to you."

"Like what?"

"Were you aware of how your Mom and Dad got together? Were you aware why your Grandparents on you Mother's side chose not to have anything to do with you?"

"No."

"He raped her! She got pregnant and your Grandpappy told him he could either marry her or go to the end of a noose. The spineless bastard married her and then, he put her through hell in front of them."

I stood up and anger burned inside of me, "I wasn't told. No one told me a thing. I saw Mom trying hard to please him and that's all."

"You poor thing, you took it as her loving him. She was in fear!"

"She never said anything to me."

"She was afraid. According to Blane, he'd sit you up on your lap and ask you what you and mama did all day and then would grill you on really what your Mom did!"

I thought back and then leaned over to the trash basket and let go.

"The man is now aiming at you and you're protecting him. Do the world a favor and let someone kill him!"

"It's murder!" I gagged out.

"It's justice! If he's convicted in court, what happens? He's killed. Without an arrest, he feels empowered. Now he's aiming at you and could hurt those you love again, but you protect him...like your Aunt did...like your mama did...and now you."

She started into her room , "I'll tell you. If anything happens to Evan or Sam, you'll not stand in MY way!"

I started to follow her and she stopped. "Den, I love you, you need to know that. You need to talk to Blane. He's worried about you because he apparently knows more family history than you. The man was called by me personally and told if he headed this direction I'd personally set a bead between his eyes and pull the trigger. He threatened me and I told him I'd gladly be headed his way next week.

I'll tell you now, I won't be going to Italy with you because I've got an appointment in South Carolina."

"No."

She looked at me, "Don't stop me. I'm not going to ask you again. You had options too and you protected him. If you can't, or won't, I'll do it. The bastard will come at me but once. I can guarantee you with his history, I can cry attempted rape and get it carried with all who will then stand up."

"No, let's do it so he comes at me and it's done by someone who can protect themselves legally better than us. If a cop does it, it's legal. If the cop does it while defending me, it's clearly not labeled as murder."

She nodded , "Ok, but if he comes this way, you and your police have had your chances. You apparently think putting yourself up is a good idea, but I'll tell you if he succeeds, you've ripped Evan's heart out. I'll pick up the pieces, but I'll tell him of this conversation when I do. You trust that."

She slammed the door and I stood there wondering if I'd made an enemy or if she was doing it out of love.

Evan ab

"From My Keyboard To Your Heart", Retta

RettaMichaels@Gmail.com

Copyright Notice - Copyright ? 2008 by RettaMichaels

The author, RettaMichaels copyrights this story and retains all rights. This work may not be edited, changed, or duplicated in any form, media [ known or unknown ], without the author's expressed permission.

All applicable copyright laws apply. RettaMichaels does NOT give editorial consent in order for this to be published. If it is deemed unpublishable in it's context, permission must be granted before publication or changes occur.

Trademark Rights

"From My Keyboard To Your Heart", "'Retta", "RettaMichaels", "Retta","Rhett", and "Rhette" are all Trademarks of RettaVonnMichaels L.L.C.

None of these trademarks may be used, or authorized without consent.

Disclaimer: All individuals depicted are fictional, and any resemblance to real persons, locations, or incidents is purely coincidental. Persons, or places are to be taken as fictitious even though some might be conveyed as real.

Any and all responsibilities for such conveyance are born by said reader to be deemed as such. This disclaimer supersedes any claims herein.