My long-range forecast

My long-range forecast -- chapter 20

Hello to all of you Nifty readers! I continue to review, refine and write more chapters of this story and I'm seeking any suggestions, constructive criticms or positive feedback you have about the story. Please send information to cjwilson328@aol.com. For those if you who have already reached out to me - my thanks! I'm working your ideas into future storylines.

The July 4th holiday has passed, and Alex is heading to Indiana to help Ronny move to Tampa. Stay tuned for chapter 21 to witness more people being added to CJ's circle of influence.

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The evening ended earlier than I thought it would. The remaining partiers all had to be at work in the morning and left around 9:00 pm. Before leaving, Bailey gave Aaron his business card. He said to Aaron "give me a call later this week Aaron. We'll have lunch when our schedules allow it. I'll check into the sales, marketing and accounting departments for any job opportunities coming available." Aaron shook Bailey's hand and said "thanks Bailey. It has been wonderful to meet you and I have enjoyed our conversation with you tonight! I'm looking forward to lunch with you to discuss the television industry more."

Before I went to bed, I said "look at you Aaron, rubbing elbows with the boss!" He blushed and said "thanks for telling me to introduce myself to Bailey. He's a great person and has alot of connections." I smiled and gave him a hug. I went over to Wally and gave him a kiss and hug and said "join me when you want babe. I love you." Wally said "I will CJ. Thanks for a wonderful day and I love you more!" Aaron leaned over to Alex and said "they make a very handsome couple. I hope I can find someone like CJ in my future." I turned to Alex and gave him a kiss and hug. I said "my dear friend, thank you again for everything today. You enjoy yourself over the next couple of days, and bring your stud man back to us!" Alex giggled and said "I will CJ, I'm so happy to see him tomorrow. I may not sleep all night!"

Wally, Alex and Aaron decided to finish off the evening by watching fireworks from the patio. They cleaned up the patio after the show, and Alex went down to his place to retrieve his bag for his early morning departure. Aaron said his goodbyes to Wally and Alex. Alex and Wally locked everything up and retired before 11:00 pm. It was going to be an early day for all of us.

My alarm went off and I made it into the bathroom. Wally joined me and I said "go get some more sleep, and I'll wake you when I leave. He said "I'm fine CJ, besides I want a shower with my man this morning." We took a lengthy shower and both woke up. After the shower, we dried each other off. I shaved, brushed my teeth and changed into my suit and tie for the day. Wally got into his work clothes, and we went out to the living room. Alex was already up and smiling ear to ear. He said "good morning, guys! I'm doing great this morning for only three hours sleep. I get to see my man today, and I am so happy about it." I smiled, gave Alex a hug and kiss and said "please be careful today and text us when you land safely and when you and Ronny depart Indianapolis." Wally smiled and said "I also want a text of where and when you two are going to cross Indiana off your list!" Alex grinned, giggled and said "okay you two, I will keep in touch today."

We all left at the same time each of us with a travel mug of hot coffee. I gave Wally his good morning kiss and hug and gave Alex another hug too. I told Wally "Be careful driving sweetheart and if I can do anything for you today, just give me a call."

I made it to the station and Angela was the only one in the news room. She said "good morning, CJ. Ready to get back to the regular routine?" I smiled at her and said "good morning, Angela. Yes, I'm ready to get back to the routine. However, I did enjoy the two days of casual ware. It's so much easier to pick a pair of shorts and polo versus a suit and tie in the early morning!"

Angela smiled and said "thank you so much for the invite to your place yesterday. I enjoyed the party and it was nice to socialize with everyone outside of the station. You have a beautiful place CJ, I'm envious of it. That patio of yours is to die for!" I said "thanks Angela. My parents bought the condo when I was 10. They were killed in an automobile accident when I was 14. My uncle suggested I keep the condo and use it for rentals. I'm so glad I did keep it and now it's my permanent residence." Angela said "oh my goodness CJ, I was not aware that your parents are gone, I'm so sorry." I followed up with "my uncle and aunt raised me through my high school and college years. They'll be down in a couple of weeks and you'll get to meet them." She smiled and said "I'm looking forward to it."

I finished my coffee and brewed a pot in the newsroom. I got busy entering my lineup for the morning shows. The newsroom gradually came to life. Nick came over and said "CJ, thank you so much for the party yesterday. I had a kick ass time!" I smiled at Nick and said "I had a fun time also Nick and I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Do you play poker by any chance?" He said "yes I do and always looking for a game to get into." I said "perfect. I'm starting up a group in August and I'll make sure you have a seat at the table." Nick smiled and said "excellent. Will the games be on your patio?" I said "yes, the one and only CJ patio!" Nick said "count me in you dare devil. I need coffee now though!"

I had two texts before 4:00 am. The first was from Wally who said "I got Alex to the airport fine and before 3:00. He should be fine. Have a good day baby, and I love you!"

The next text was from Alex, with a selfie of him in front of the Southwest Indianapolis flight board. His text said "I'm through security guys, and at the gate. Can't wait to get my hands on Ronny this morning. Thanks for a killer party yesterday, it went so well. Talk to you both later."

I finished up my morning routine and loaded my shots to the switcher. Angela reviewed them with me and I was good to go for a 5:00 am start. The four of us took our places on set and soon we were off for the 5:00 am show. Even though I had very little sleep, I forced myself to be enthusiastic. The morning shows went well, and two hours later it was time for breakfast. Carl, Nick and I went to the sandwich place for coffee and breakfast sandwiches.

During breakfast Carl said "CJ, thanks man for the invite yesterday. For an impromptu party, that turned out to be a lot of fun. I really enjoyed myself, and please extend a thank you to Alex and Wally also." I said "I will do so Carl, and I'm glad you were able to make it out. I had a great time also and enjoyed christening the patio with all of you." I inquired if Carl was a poker player? He said "hell yes, I enjoy playing poker. Do you have a game set up?" I replied "I'm going to get a game going in August and will make sure you have a seat at the table." I asked both him and Nick "do you think 10 is a good number for poker? I'm thinking the patio table with six players, and a foursome around the high top." They both said "yeah, that will be fun. We can mix up players, tables or just make the high top a high stakes game!" Carl said "who all will you have play?" I said "us three, Wally, Alex, Ronny who starts at the station July 31, and Bruce who is a friend of mine who owns a cigar shop. I've still got to secure three more. Do you think Bailey will sit in?" Carl said "I don't think he plays poker CJ, but tell him there is a party on your patio and he will be there!" I smiled and said "okay. I'll check with Zach and Trevor the new weather guy starting on July 22. If you two can think of anyone else from the station, let me know."

We went back to the station, and I went to my office to chill out for a while. I checked work email and had a new one from Bailey asking me to stop by his office at 10:00 am. He wrote at the bottom of the email "nothing serious -- all good stuff CJ!" It was 9:10, so I decided to give UD a call.

UD said "good morning you stunt man! How are you and did you enjoy the remote shows?" I said "good morning UD. I thoroughly enjoyed both days and I have to say the parasailing was a kick-ass time." UD replied "it looked like you had a good time. I've always wanted to try that CJ; do you think I'd have any problems doing it?" I said "UD, you will be fine. You're secured into the harness and I felt very safe. It was thrilling to soar above the beach. I enjoyed the view and I will be doing it again. Maybe we both can do it in August when you come down?"

I said "I have the station tour, a live news show and the luncheon set up for August 2nd. Bailey wants to do the lunch after the noon news show. He said thank you very much for the invite and knows the staff will enjoy the luncheon." UD replied "Oh that is wonderful CJ. I have contacted a friend of mine in St Petersburg, and I have the menu all set up with him." I cracked up and said "I told Bailey you probably had it all set up already, and sure enough you do! I'll send you the contact information for Mindy who will be coordinating the lunch at the station. You two can touch base on the plans. Does that sound okay to you?" UD Said "it sounds very good CJ, thanks for getting Bailey's approval on this." I said "it's no problem UD. Bailey is anxious to meet you, Aunt Sally and the girls. He wants to introduce all of you at the luncheon, as well as new staff introductions which will include Ronny. Based on our last luncheon, I'd plan for around 75 people plus tack on five more for each of you! I'm also going to have Wally and Alex here with you five to watch the show live. We'll probably end up around 85 total people." UD said "that won't be a problem at all."

I asked "do you have your flights booked?" UD said "yes, we do. Do you believe it's cheaper to go into Sarasota than it is into Tampa from Cincinnati? Plus, we have direct flights in and out of Sarasota versus having to do a plane switch in Atlanta. These airlines are just too crazy these days. We get in Sunday morning July 30th and leave the following Sunday afternoon August 6th." I said "that sounds good UD, are you sure you don't want me to pick you all up?" He replied "No, we're fine. I have an SUV rented for the week. I'll send you our itinerary next week."

I told UD about the impromptu party at the condo yesterday. I said "the patio was the hit of the party, and everyone enjoyed themselves. I'll send you some candid pictures of the event."

I looked at the time and said "UD I need to get going for a meeting in the newsroom. I wanted to check in with you today, just to let you know that the parasailing was a very memorable event." UD said "thanks for giving me a call this morning CJ. I felt like you would call this morning, and good minds think alike! Before we leave this call, I need you to promise me we can have a guys only afternoon while I'm in Florida? When I say guys only, I want just you and me there as I have some topics I want to share with you only." I said "sure UD, you have me nervous now. I need to know is your health okay?" UD laughed and said "my health is fine. I just need a CJ/UD only session, Please don't think anything more into it. I'm fine son, and you take care." I said "I will UD. Tell everyone I said hello and that I'm fine after my dare devil stunt!" He cracked up and said "Bye CJ, let's talk at the end of the week. I'll have Laura set up a call."

I arrived at Bailey's office and knocked on his door. He looked up from his desk and said "good morning, CJ. How are you today?" I said "I'm fine Bailey, how are you doing?" He got up from his chair, shut his door and said "I feel fucking tired this morning, but other than that I am good." I cracked up and said "yes, I'm looking forward to relaxing poolside this afternoon for several hours." Bailey said "thanks for the invite yesterday. It was so nice of you to have a number of us over. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Please thank Alex and Wally also, it was good to see you three in action at the bachelor pad. I also enjoyed meeting Aaron. He's got a CJ attitude, and I'm going to see if we can work him into a position in one of our deparments while he finishes up school. I can see him in a sales or marketing position, as he has a good personality for it."

Bailey continued saying "Mindy's and Betty's phone have been ringing off the hook since the parasailing show. It's all good, and you caught the attention of a number of viewers. In fact, Betty has several requests from various community organizations to have you speak at one of their upcoming meetings. Is that something you will consider doing for the station?" I said "of course, that sounds like fun." Bailey said "great, I'll ask Betty to work directly with you on this. I also talked to Angela yesterday on your patio. She's up for this idea if you are. I want you two to do a weekly human interest remote story with the noon weather show. It doesn't have to be a staged performance like the parasailing. We scored a home run with you in the field, and I want to get you out and about town each week. Is this something you are agreeable to do?" I smiled and said "hell yes Bailey, I think it sounds like a great idea. I enjoy working with Angela, and I think her and I make a great team." Bailey smiled and said "you two do work very well together. I'm excited about this CJ, I think we can really boost ratings with having you in the field weekly on various human-interest stories. I want you and Angela to start working up ideas and when you're ready, get out there and mingle with the public!" I smiled at Bailey and said "thanks boss, this is fantastic." He grinned and said "don't thank me kid, you're a natural in the field and I'm going to capitalize off you big time!"

Bailey said "is there anything I can do for you?" I said "yes, do you play poker because I'm getting a game going in August and if you want, you'll have a seat at the table." Bailey said "I can't play poker to save my life. If you get a euchre game going though, count me in." I said "hell yeah, we'll add another table on the patio and make it a euchre table." Bailey cracked up and said "count me in CJ. I'll bring whatever you need." I said "sounds good, Bailey. I'll let you know when the first game is. Oh, I spoke to UD this morning and told him lunch is on schedule for August 2nd. As I suspected, he already has a caterer picked out and the menu is planned. He wants to thank you in advance for making this happen." Bailey smiled and said "I'm anxious to meet UD and your entire family CJ. I'm going to take a long weekend so I'll be out tomorrow through next Monday. Keep up the good work and again thanks for the party yesterday. You have a good rest of the day." I shook his hand and said "I will boss. You have a good one also. I'll talk to you later Bailey, and have a relaxing weekend."

I went back down to my office and began changes for my noon show. I received a text from Alex. It was a picture of him and Ronny in Ronny's truck giving each other a kiss. The text said "back home again in Indiana with my stud muffin! He's taking me to meet his parents before we leave the state. I'm so nervous! I knew I should have gone to the beauty shop for a makeover before leaving St Pete Beach! Love you both and we'll keep in touch." Just as I deleted the text, I had a call come in from Wally. I answered the call and said "I know, Dr. Frankenstein you have created a monster!" Wally cracked up and said "can you believe how much he has come out of his shell since you met him?" I replied "it's amazing babe. He's such a good guy. Are you feeling okay babe?" Wally replied "my ass is dragging sweetheart. The party was kick-ass, but I admit I need more sleep!" I chimed in with "me too babe. Let's take it easy tonight. There are plenty of burgers and hot dogs left. We'll heat those up for dinner and finish off the sides. Does that sound okay to you?" Wally said "best offer I've had today. I'll see you at home sweetheart. I love you." I ended the call with "love you more handsome."

The noon show went well. Ross thanked me for the invite and said "my wife and I had a wonderful time. You have a beautiful condo CJ; you should be very proud of it!" I said "thanks Ross, I have enjoyed making changes to it and I'm loving it. Ross, by any chance do you play poker or euchre?" Ross said "I dabble in poker, but I'm a kick-ass euchre player." I said "great. I'm starting a poker party up in August and have found some people more interested in euchre than poker. I'll let you know the first date and hopefully you can make it." Ross smiled and said "thanks CJ. That sounds like a good time."

I made it home and changed into a swimsuit and a tee-shirt. I did not feel like a workout today, but I did go down by the pool for a couple of hours. I made myself comfortable under an umbrella and felt a nice breeze all afternoon. I must have dozed off because the next thing I felt was Wally nudging me. He smiled and said "hey babe, are you okay? It's going on 5:00 pm. How long have you been down here?" I replied "I got down here just after 2:00. Let me do a few laps and dry off. We'll go up for dinner then." Wally said "sounds good" as he jumped into the pool. I joined him and we talked about his day. He said "have you checked texts lately?" I said "no I have not. How many do we have from the dynamic duo?" He said "one of them crossing the Ohio River, another at the Louisville Slugger Museum in honor of their sluggers in St Pete Beach, the third is from Lexington, Kentucky where they are each mounted on a thoroughbred race horse and the last one is at rest stop just across the Tennessee state line. They are going to stay outside of Knoxville, Tennessee tonight."

Wally and I went back up to the condo and heated up leftovers. We went out on the patio and watched the evening news. After the national news he looked at me and said "let's go in and fall asleep in each other's arms tonight." I smiled, gave him a kiss and said "sounds good my love." I did my morning preparatory activities, brushed my teeth and joined my man in the bed. We were both exhausted and fell asleep holding each other.

The rest of the week went fine. Alex continued to update us on their travel progress. The first text Thursday morning contained a picture of them in bed together with the caption "hey guys, going to head out for a big breakfast in Knoxville, Tennessee. Please cross Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee of the sexcapade list. We'll tackle Georgia sometime today. See you both Friday night."

Work was quiet on Thursday and Friday, which was fine with me. I slowly felt myself getting back to normal. Alex sent a text Friday morning saying "cross Georgia off the list. We're about 10 minutes into Florida now and will see you both later today. The Friday shows all went well, and I headed home Friday afternoon to get a workout in. It felt good to get back into my workout routine. I had the place to myself and got back into my groove.

I went back up to the condo, mixed myself a protein shake and went out to the patio. There was a nice breeze circulating and I felt at peace looking out towards the beach and gulf. After I finished my shake, I headed back in to the bathroom and got into the shower. I relaxed tremendously and just left the water cascade down my body. I was startled back to life when I heard Ronny say "miss me stud?" I turned the shower off and hugged him saying "so glad you are back my friend. Did your co-pilot keep you busy on the sexcapade?" He cracked up and said "best road trip I have ever taken with anyone."

I changed and met up with Ronny and Alex on the patio. I gave Alex a big hug and said "thanks for all of texts -- I felt like I was in the back seat with both of you. Are you hungry guys?" They both shook their head yes. I said "Wally should be getting back soon, and I'll treat everyone to dinner. Anyone want a beer while we wait for him?" All three of us poured a beer and sat down in front of the television. Ronny tasted the beer and said "what is this CJ, Alex could not remember the name of it?" I said "it's Sierra Nevada pale ale." Ronny replied "man it tastes wonderful after a long drive."

Wally came home, greeted us all, showered and returned to the patio saying "I'm famished. What's for dinner tonight?" I said to everyone "how does Mel's sound? We can have a few beers, appetizers and sandwiches." Everyone was in favor of the idea and we headed out for Mel's. It was strange to be here on a Friday for dinner versus Thursday night karaoke.

We placed our order for beer and appetizers first. The waiter brought our beer and Ronny said "a toast to you three. I enjoyed being home and seeing my family. However, it's great to be back here with my new family and get started on my career and new adventures." We all clanked our glasses and took a drink of our beer. Alex looked at me and said "did you survive the week?" I said "yes, I'm feeling much better today than I was on Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, though I do have weekend duty again, but at least I'll be done early both days."

I turned to Ronny and said "did Alex tell you that Bailey hired a weekend weather anchor?" Ronny replied "yes, he did. Does he really start before me?" I said "yes, but you two are just one week apart so it works out fine. His name is Trevor and you two will be introduced to the station as the new guys on the block at an August 2nd luncheon."

Alex spoke up and said "so UD and Bailey squared everything away?" I said "Bailey liked the whole idea of UD throwing us a luncheon and we agreed on Wednesday August 2nd. Did you tell Ronny about our sleeping arrangements for that week?" Ronny said "yes, he did, and that is no problem whatsoever. I'll just make sure I have most of my clothes for the week at Alex's place. I'm sure it won't be a problem to get back into the condo at some point if I need something."

Our appetizers were delivered, and we all ordered a sandwich and another round of beer. Ronny said "Alex told me the first party on the patio was a success!" I said "it went very well. It was impromptu, but we had a nice crowd from the station. Alex and Wally made new friends with their interviews on Monday and Tuesday. We all had a great time Tuesday night, but we we're missing you, my friend." Ronny said "no problem, I know there will be plenty more that I will enjoy with all of you."

Ronny continued and said "my family gave me a nice send off on July 4th. The entire family was able to make it to the farm, and we had a wonderful time. My grandparents surprised the hell out of me with a $25,000 cash gift." Wally said "wow, that was very nice of them Ronny." He said "yes it was. I received a number of other cash gifts and belated graduation gifts. I plan to use the money for initial expenses down here, and the majority of it is going to go towards a new reliable car. I think the trip almost did the truck in, so I plan to trade it in and use the money as a down payment on a new vehicle." I said "that sounds great Ronny. Any initial desires on a new vehicle for yourself?" He cracked up and said "I was thinking about a navy-blue jeep, how does that sound?" We all busted out laughing and he said "seriously though I've always driven a truck, so I'm partial to them. However, I am open to any suggestions from the group. I plan to start looking around next week."

Our sandwiches came along with our beer. We all dug into the sandwiches and ate like mad men. Everyone was satisfied and Wally said "rather than another beer here, how does everyone feel about returning to the patio and we can have a round there? CJ, if you need to crash, please do so as I know how we both felt on Wednesday." I said "I may love, but another beer and a round of darts sounds great to me to close the evening out."

We concluded the evening on the patio with more beer and a couple of dart games. I did turn in ahead of everyone else. As I was getting ready for bed, I said to myself "I will be so glad to have Saturday and Sundays totally free! Ah well, almost two weeks down and only one more weekend shift after this weekend. You can do it CJ!"

My weekend routine kicked in and all shows went very well. Alex fixed breakfast for everyone both days after he finished his morning pool checklist. It was nice to come back and have breakfast with everyone both days. Ronny and Alex were inseparable for the weekend. They picked up his suits, bought some more ties and shirts, got Ronny acquainted with the area. He also began car shopping for his new vehicle. On Sunday at breakfast, he turned to Wally and said "do you know of any car salesman you'd recommend in the area? Alex does not know of anyone, and I hate dealing with car sales people!" Wally said "are you looking for any particular brand? If not, I have someone I have dealt with on several occasions who is honest, reliable and will turn off the high-sales pressure if I tell him to for you. He's at the Chevrolet dealer in St Petersburg. They also offer GMC, Buicks and Toyotas at the original location. The dealership has grown to include Fords, Nissans, Kias and Hyundais. Keith deals with the Chevys and GMC lines, but I'm sure he will set you up with someone on the other lines that he trusts. Do you want me to give him a call and set up a time to meet? I'll even go over with you if you want me to?" Ronny replied "Wally, that sounds perfect. I was actually looking at the Chevy line for a truck or SUV. I'd appreciate your help." Alex said "I'd appreciate it also Wally. Car sales and me are not a good mix!" Wally smiled and said "happy to help out gents. I'll give David a call this morning after breakfast. He works some Sunday afternoons, so maybe we can even catch up with him today."

Alex and I cleaned up the breakfast dishes, and turned the dishwasher on. Alex turned to me and said "are you feeling okay CJ?" I said "yes Alex, I feel okay. Just tired as this seven-day schedule has taken its toll on me. I also got out of sync this past week with the July 4th holiday. I'm going to take it easy today and get prepared for another seven-day week, but it will be my last one!" Alex replied "good for you, my friend. Is there anything I can do to help you out today?" I said "no, I am good. I'm going to take Ronny's advice and go to the apparel store today to get some more dress shirts while they're still on sale. After that, I'm doing laundry and some general relaxation." Wally was able to set up a meeting with David at noon on Sunday. Ronny was excited about the idea of a new vehicle, and asked us all to join in on the selection. I declined saying "I really need to get laundry done and I'm going to get another set of dress shirts today like you did yesterday. I want to have a two-week supply on hand in case I get behind on laundry."

I sorted laundry, and began a load of clothes in the washer. I swept each room with the electronic broom, and took a wet mop to the kitchen and bathrooms. After I was finished with the floors, I hung my shirts up to dry, and began a second load of laundry. Wally, Ronny and Alex were getting ready to go car shopping, and I checked email to see what time Laura had set up the call for. The call was set for 4:00 pm, which gave me enough time to get laundry done, buy some more shirts and get dinner prepared. Wally came into the office and started rubbing my shoulders. I leaned my head to the right and said "that feels great sweetheart." He replied "your muscles around your neck are very tight. You need to go get a good massage sometime. Are you sure you're okay with not coming to the car dealer? I'll stay behind if I can help you out." I smiled, turned to face him and said "thanks baby, but I am fine. You go help Ronny out and I'm fine with not attending! This gives me a chance to rest up, get the laundry done and get us a nice dinner prepared. This week just caught up with me, and I'm so glad next week is my last seven-day week! Is some barbequed chicken okay for dinner?" Wally smiled and said "that sounds very good my love. Please don't go to trouble, I'll be happy to pick up something for the four of us." I said "no problem at all. Go get Ronny that new car, he needs your assistance on this one, trust me."

We all left the condo at the same time. I went to the men's store and my circle took two vehicles to the car dealer in case they are able to turn Ronny's current truck in for a trade in.

I found seven dress shirts and ties to go with each of them. I thought to myself "this is great. Seven more for my collection, which gives me a full three-week supply when I get back to a five-day work week." I paid for my shirts and ties and headed to Publix for groceries.

The store was very busy, but I made my way to the meat department and picked out some nice chicken breasts for dinner. I went through the aisles also getting supplies we needed for the week. I checked out and loaded all of the groceries into the jeep.

It was just after 2:00 pm when I got back to the condo. I put all of the groceries away, mixed up the UD barbecue sauce and marinated the chicken breasts. I prepared a salad, cleaned up four potatoes for baking and chilled two bottles of white wine that Ross had given me. Dinner was ready to go and I had ninety minutes before my call. I poured myself a glass of ice tea and went to the patio for some CJ relax time. I turned on the television and found my favorite home restoration show on HGTV. I settled in for an episode before I got on the call with the family.

It ended up being UD, Aunt Sally, Laura and myself on the call. I preferred the foursome anyway as Maddie and Josie can add way too much drama at times. I started off with "Good afternoon, everyone. Let me guess, Maddie and Josie are at the mall?" UD cracked up and said "you know them too well. They're getting new items for the fall school wardrobe in place." I said "it's hard to believe that they're thinking about school already. It will soon be here though! Before you know it, you five will be landing in Florida for a visit with me! I'm looking forward to seeing you all in person."

Aunt Sally said "we are looking forward to seeing you as well CJ. I can't wait to pamper you for a week, as well as check out everything you've done with the condo. Dean told us about the station tour and watching a news show live. That will be so much fun and we'll get to enjoy a nice lunch with all of your new friends at the station." I said "yes Aunt Sally, I'm really looking forward to that day. Laura, the general manager Bailey is aware of your interest in television broadcasting. He's lining you up with plenty of Channel 2 gifts and is trying to get some national network items for you. He wants to do an audio audition with you and give you some advice on your voice techniques. Who knows, maybe he'll hire you for some voice over commercials." Laura said "wow CJ, is that a real possibility?" I replied with "I never know what Bailey is thinking. When he finds someone he likes though, he makes it be known and gets them where he wants them whether it be on-air or doing a voice over commercial." I already knew that Bailey needed a female teenage voice for a local store chain commercial. I did not tell Laura that he already had her in mind if she passed his final criteria. She will be so excited if it works out.

We continued the conversation on a number of different topics. Aunt Sally said "if you and Dean go parasailing, I want to go as well." Laura chimed back in said "me too CJ. You looked so great in the air. I wish the camera could have been closer up on your face. Was it fun and exciting?" I said "Laura, it was a fantastic thrill. You'll enjoy it so much. We'll all go together while you are here."

I told everyone "Ronny and Alex returned to St Pete Beach late Friday afternoon. Their trip went well, and they are out car shopping now with Wally. Ronny received some nice cash gifts from his family before leaving, and they asked him to use the money as a down payment for a new reliable vehicle once he returned to Tampa. He's got a good start on his wardrobe for the job, and is getting settled in for his start at the station on July 31st."

UD did not have any further updates on the fire for me. He did say "Based on the community requests, Sally and I have decided to rebuild the restaurant in Florence. Does that disappoint you that we won't be coming to St Pete Beach?" I smiled and said "no, not at all. I'm very happy that the community is supporting you on the rebuild. All of you will always have a place to stay for vacation visits. You can even come down here for the holidays if you want. We'll discuss that later though on what we end up doing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'll have vacation then so we'll either celebrate here or in Ohio." Laura said "Florida in December sounds nice for Christmas!" We all got a good laugh on that and I said "the chief officer has spoken UD, so I believe it's settled!" UD replied "that's my girl! We'll discuss more and see how things work out."

I heard the gang come back in and said "the car shoppers are back." They all stepped into the office and said "hi everyone!" UD said "Ronny, congratulations on the job again son! Were you able to find a car today?" He smiled and said "yes UD, with Wally's expert negotiating skills I ended up with a beautiful cherry red Chevy Silverado. The dealership is adding running boards on it for me, and I pick it up on Wednesday. I was able to use my current vehicle for an extra trade in, so it ended up being a very good deal for me. I'm really pleased." Aunt Sally said "congratulations Ronny -- you deserve it. I'm anxious for a ride in it when we visit." Wally spoke up and said "your visit is coming up quick everyone. It's hard to believe you will be here in three weeks. UD, I'll have a batch of sunset pleasure ready for you and Sally to enjoy. We'll make up a special beach drink for Laura to enjoy while she's here." Laura blushed and giggled at his comment.

I finished the call and said "everyone, I promised these three a barbecue chicken dinner with UD's special sauce tonight. I'm going to sign off with you now. It's been great to talk to you, and Laura why don't you set this up as a recurring skype call for the next couple of weeks at 4:00?" She said "okay CJ, I'll do that tonight." UD said "goodnight, guys, it was great to see all of you and I look forward to being there with you in three weeks." We all said "goodbye everyone" and I followed with "I love you all, and take care this week. Bye!"

I shut the laptop down and got up from the chair. I gave Ronny a hug and said "congratulations on your purchase. I'm happy for you big guy!" He said "thanks CJ. It was more expensive than I thought it would be, but I used my graduation gifts plus my truck for the down payment. I secured the remaining through financing and have very manageable payments for 24 months. This will help me with my credit score moving forward, so it's a win-win situation." Alex said "I can't wait for you to see it CJ. It's beautiful. The interior is decked out and the grill is one of those fancy ones with Chevrolet spelled out on it. It has a moon roof and a lid on the bed so any contents won't get wet. If you're hauling something larger, the lid can be removed very easily. My man did well on his purchase today, I'm very happy for him and I have a great co-pilot seat to enjoy with him!" Ronny said "yep, you sure do babe" and gave Alex a kiss.

I said "let me get the food going for dinner. I've got everything prepared and ready to cook." Wally said "you take it easy and Alex and I will get everything together." Ronny said "hey, I'll help out too!" I cracked up at the three of them and said "okay no arguments from me. I have two bottles of wine chilling, but can I fix anyone a drink before dinner?" Ronny said "how about some of those blueberry gin and tonics?" I said "sounds good. I'll start on those for all of us."

We soon had dinner on the grill, the patio table was set, chef Wally was tending to the chicken basting and we all enjoyed a blueberry gin and tonic. Alex was finishing setting out the salad and dressings on the table.

I was in my own little world as the conversation flowed. I looked around at each one of them with a big smile. I said to myself "this feels so right. I've got the man I love here with me; my three dearest friends are surrounding me with pleasant conversation; we're all happy and future looks promising for all of us. CJ, you're well on your way to a very happy life. Don't screw this up as your long-range forecast looks excellent!"