Luke and Jon settled in for the drive home. It was still light out and Jon enjoyed getting the feel of the Corvair. It even smelled like a new car with the interior Jon's father had installed.

They were nearing home when Jon put his hand on Luke's thigh.

"Luke, we need to talk about something with Rocky."

THE INN - Chapter 28

"Like what?"

"He's getting older, and it's about time we think about neutering him."

"You mean cut off his nuts? What for? He's fine the way he is."

"He is right now, but we can't have an unaltered cat. It's not fair to him or us. We'll all be a lot happier and he'll be a better pet."

Luke was exasperated. "How do you think he'll feel about that? Would we be happier if I neutered you? Would you be a better husband?"

Jon looked at Luke. "I'm not going to start marking my territory and looking for mates, but he will. We have to do it."

"He hasn't done any of that yet. Maybe he'll be happy with us the way he is. Just us guys."

"Not a chance. He'll be a better pet and he'll be healthier. He won't miss a thing."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've gone through it with cats and dogs. It's no big deal."

"Not for you, maybe. But what about them?"

"Luke, I'd never do anything I didn't think was good for Rocky. I love him, too. But it's one of those things we have to do. Trust me, it's not that big a deal and it's the right thing to do. Do you want him roaming the neighborhood, getting into fights and being frustrated half the time or fathering loads of kittens? If you don't believe me, talk to the vet. You trust her."

"I'd kinda be proud of him being a father. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just hard for me to take--it seems so radical. I just never thought about it. Are you sure we have to do it?"

"Yes, I'm sure and I know the vet will agree. It will only take a day or so, and Rocky will be fine. You can't satisfy your paternal instincts vicariously through your cat. We don't have to do it tomorrow, but it's going to have to be done one of these days."

Rocky poked his nose against Luke's chin because he had heard his name mentioned a couple of times. Luke held him. "It's all Jon's idea, Rocky. I have nothing to do with this."

When they got home, Luke took Rocky inside and then helped Jon with bringing in all their stuff. Once that was done Luke collapsed on the couch.

"Want a beer?" asked Jon.

"No, just a Coke. I'm going flying early tomorrow; I want to get in as much practice as I can before I take my test. I hardly thought about it the past few days because I was having such a good time, but now I'm starting to get nervous."

Jon handed Luke his Coke as he kissed him. "I'm glad you had fun. I know my parents were thrilled we were there, and I loved it, too. And don't be nervous about your test. I'm sure you'll pass it, and even if you don't you can take it again. You're going to be a full-fledged pilot before you know it. Where should we go the first time you take me flying?"

Luke kissed Jon. "Wherever you want. Where would you like to go?"

Jon thought for a moment. "What about DeKalb? I haven't seen Northern Illinois University since I graduated and that would be fun. Can we do that? The DeKalb airport's not far from the university."

"DeKalb, here we come. You can give me the grand tour of the campus."

"That'll be fun. I wonder how much it's changed since I was there. I'll probably feel like an old man with all the college kids around--kids that age don't trust anyone over 30."

Luke put his arm around Jon and gave him a squeeze. "They don't know what they're missing. Jon, I've been curious about something."

"What?"

"I know how you worry about me all the time, at work especially. But you don't seem to worry about me flying. Why is that?"

"I'm not sure, I guess it's because I know you're good, and I don't see flying as risky. It's safer than maneuvering the expressways. I've always been interested in flying, and now I can let you do all the work and I can enjoy the benefits. I'm completely comfortable with flying."

"Oh, so you married me for my aviation skills?"

"Maybe. But more likely for your bedroom skills. And the fact that you're the most wonderful and handsome man I've ever met doesn't hurt, either."

Luke smiled at him. "You keep telling me things like that and I'm going to start believing you."

"Believe it. You know, you're adorable when you smile. And you've been smiling a lot more lately."

"I guess marriage has been good for me."

"It's more than that. I think flying has been good for you, and marriage, and Rocky. And maybe not having to go to work. I know it was stressful for you."

"Yeah, but I'm going to have to go back one of these days. My forced vacation is coming to an end. They'll be calling me back in a couple of weeks."

Jon put his arm around Luke and hugged him. "You know you don't have to go back. You can just keep flying. Why don't you do that? I know you're planning on going for your Instrument Rating and the Multi-engine and Commercial. That's a lot of time and it will take forever if you try to do it while you're working. Why don't you just resign yourself to it. You'd make me a lot happier and I know you would be, too."

"I don't know, Jon. I don't feel comfortable not working. You'd be busting your ass every day earning a paycheck, and I'd be playing and spending money."

"No, you wouldn't. You'd be enjoying learning a new skill. What's wrong with that? You're thinking of making it a career, so you should put everything into it."

Luke turned to Jon. Jon said, "There! You did it again--you smiled!"

"I can't help but smile when I have you next to me. I'll give it some thought. Once I get my Private Pilot rating, I'll think about it some more."

For the next couple of days Jon and Luke more or less relaxed. Luke spent most of his time flying and Jon enjoyed the lax work schedule between the holidays. It gave him a chance to take care of loose ends and spend time with Cecil, getting him better acquainted with procedures. Cecil had turned out to be a great asset, and Jon wished he had hired him some time ago. "Some time ago" Cecil probably wouldn't have been available, but Jon was glad to have him now. The two worked well together.

New Year's Eve morning Luke awoke with the sun. He had only been able to sleep a couple of hours all night. He tried to go back to sleep but it was fruitless. He got up and started the coffee and sat on the couch. His test wasn't until 2:00 and he wondered how he was going to make it until then. Jon walked out of the bedroom in his robe, stretched and gave Luke a quick kiss. He could smell the coffee and went into the kitchen to get two cups. He sat beside Luke.

Jon said, "Let's go into town and have breakfast. I don't feel like cooking and I'm sure you don't. Come in the shower with me and I'll wash your back."

Jon and Luke took a leisurely shower, Jon soaping and massaging Luke's shoulders and back. Luke's muscles seemed a little tense to Jon, but he kneaded them and thought Luke seemed a little more relaxed. When they were dressing in the bedroom, Rocky poked his head out from under the covers and meowed.

"I'll feed him and then we'll go. If we sit around here, you're just going to get all worked up again."

Luke and Jon were seated in a booth at the restaurant and ordered coffee. When the waitress asked for their order, Luke said he'd just have some toast.

Jon looked at the waitress. "We'll both have the steak and eggs, rare and scrambled, and whole wheat toast."

"I'll never eat it all," said Luke.

"You can't go all day with nothing in your stomach. You'll eat it, and I have a plan for us to work some of it off." Luke raised an eyebrow. "No, not that. We'll save that for later."

On the way home Jon pulled into the bowling alley. "Here we go, a little exercise to burn off some of that breakfast."

"Jon, I haven't bowled in ages."

"Neither have I. Come on, it's just to kill an hour or two."

The men spent the next couple of hours bowling and even though their scores weren't terrible, they were in no danger of being recruited into leagues. They laughed and kidded each other and Luke almost forgot about his test for a while. Jon drove back home and parked the car.

"Thanks, Jon. That was fun and I needed it."

"I know you did. I just hope you do better flying than you did bowling!"

"Hey, you didn't bury me. I think we were about even."

Luke was getting ready to go to the airport. He wore the sweater Jon's parents had given him, his bomber jacket and the Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Jon stood and hugged him. "If the examiner is gay, you're a shoo-in! You look so hot, I don't want you to leave. Luke, whatever happens, I'll be proud of you. But I know you're going to come back here with your wings. In a few hours you'll be back here in bed with me, and we'll both be flying."

"We'll see, babe. Thanks for everything, I love you. I'll see you later. Love ya."

Jon gave him one last kiss and a hug, then Luke was on his way. Jon didn't know what to think. He was so proud of Luke, but he worried what it would do to him if he didn't pass his test. Luke wasn't that thin-skinned or fragile, but Jon was worried it would set him back if that happened. Jon sat on the couch and picked up his phone to call Cathy.

"He's on his way, come on over. Do you need any help?"

"No, I'm fine. This is so exciting! I can't wait until Luke gets back."

"Me neither, but get over here--I'm going crazy."

When Cathy got to Luke and Jon's she rapped the door with her foot a couple of times. She had her hands full with a large, foil-covered tray. Jon opened the door and took the tray from her.

"Damn, it's getting cold out!" exclaimed Cathy.

"Where's Joe?"

"He'll be here soon, he's making his deliveries."

"What deliveries?"

"He has a few neighbors who are older, and he brings stuff home from work that's left over after their parties. He had a ton of stuff. He makes sure they're okay, he fixes little problems for them and makes sure they have wood to make a fire in their fireplace. Can you believe that? I never knew he did that kind of thing, but apparently he's been doing it for years. He didn't want me to help, he told me to just come over here and he'd meet me."

"Joe does all that? I had no idea!"

"I didn't either, but the more I get to know him, the more I realize he's a saint in his building. He never talks about it, though. I only found out because we've been seeing each other and everyone tells me how wonderful he is and how lucky I am to be with him."

Jon looked at Cathy. "Are you falling in love with Joe?"

Cathy looked at Jon. "God, I don't know. I mean I've known him for a couple of years and until recently I never even thought about it. But lately...I don't know. He's a great guy, and a wonderful lover--I feel I can say that to you--but I just don't know. How did you know with Luke?"

"The first time I saw Luke, I knew there was something. I didn't know if we'd ever be lovers, but I knew he was a man I wanted to get to know. Before we really got serious and before I knew it could even happen, I was sure I'd never meet another man like him. And I never will."

"I remember that, the day you came home and could hardly see straight. I was worried you'd get your heart broken. You were a mess! It took a while, but you two finally got together. Okay, so when you're in bed at night and snuggling, do you feel like nothing wrong could ever happen? That's how I feel when Joe holds me."

"Absolutely. It's my favorite time, just the two of us. Well, the three of us--Rocky's usually there. But if things get serious, Rocky splits. He doesn't seem to like the commotion. I don't know what he does, but he's back in bed with us when things are more quiet."

"But what about when you come home and you've had a shitty day and you're in a bad mood? Do you bitch about it?"

"Sometimes, it depends. If I've had a bad day and I think Luke might have some insight, we might talk about it. Usually we don't, and I try to put it behind me. But I'll just tell him it was a rough day and we try to relax each other. He does the same thing. So are you going to answer my question?"

"Do I love Joe...?" Cathy looked at Jon. "You're the only person on this earth I'd tell this to, but yes, I think I do love Joe. He's wonderful and I've never felt like this about anyone else."

"Not even me?" asked Jon with a wink.

"No fair, Jon. Unfortunately you're not a candidate."

Jon kissed Cathy on her cheek, then picked up the tray she had brought. He peeled back the foil and was amazed at the detail in the decoration. There were fluffy icing clouds and a blue and white Cessna, complete with the plane's identification number. Cathy had asked Jon to snap a picture so she could get the details right.

"This is beautiful, Cathy! I had no idea you were so artistic."

"I took a cake decorating class once. I enjoyed making this cake for Luke."

"You did a great job! It look's just like the plane Luke flies."

Cathy said, "I called a bunch of our friends, and they'll be here in a while. We're going to have a big party for Luke. Don't worry, they'll bring all the food and refreshments."

"Cath, that's great, but what if Luke doesn't pass his test? He'll feel even more like shit if we do all this."

"Hell, I'll just take the spatula and smear over the cake. We'll turn it into a New Year's party and we'll all get drunk."

Luke walked into his condo and was surprised to see all the people there. He shut the door and sank back against it with his eyes closed; he was mentally and emotionally exhausted. Jon stood and began to walk to him, then paused and his smile faded.

"Oh, Luke, you didn't get your license?"

Luke arched his back to push himself straight and smiled at Jon as he hugged him.

"Of course I got it. Do you think you're married to some flunky? I am now officially a pilot!"

Jon hugged and kissed Luke, then he turned toward everyone else and with his hand on Luke's shoulder he said, "May I present Captain Sorensen, Private Pilot."

Everyone stood and congratulated Luke, hugging him and clapping him on the back. Cathy poured champagne and there was a toast to Luke. He smiled, raised his glass and thanked everyone for their support. Jon noticed he only had a sip of his champagne.

"Why aren't you drinking?"

"Because I told you I'd take you flying as soon as I got my license. So we're heading into the wild blue yonder tomorrow."

"Is the airport open on New Year's?"

Luke smiled at him and pulled a plastic key fob with a single key out of his pocket. "No, but I have the key to the plane. We can go anytime we want."

Jon hugged and kissed Luke again, then they rejoined their guests. Cathy handed Luke the spatula and insisted he make the first cut of the cake. Both the men enjoyed the company of their friends, but after midnight when things started winding down, Jon was glad to see most of the crowd disperse. Cathy and Angie helped clean up and Luke thanked them.

"Luke, I'm so happy for you," said Angie. "I'm waiting for my airplane ride!"

"We'll do that. We'll all go somewhere and have lunch or dinner."

After everyone left, Jon and Luke fell into bed. Jon put his arm over Luke and held him.

"I knew you'd get your license, and I've never been so happy for anyone or so proud. I want to scream to the world that my husband is the greatest guy on Earth!"

Luke positioned himself over Jon and teased him with his cock. "Would you be satisfied telling the world your husband is the greatest lover?"

"They already know. At least, I think our neighbors have heard. Come here, Captain Sorensen."

The men had a quick breakfast and headed to the airport. They walked up to the plane and Luke went through the pre-flight inspection, explaining each step to Jon. When he was done, Luke climbed into the cockpit and Jon followed.

"Nervous?" asked Luke.

"Not with you next to me--I can't wait."

Luke started the engine and they began taxiing to the runway. "Do we have heat in here?"

"Give it a minute, it'll warm up. Are you ready to put your life in my hands?"

Jon leaned over and kissed him firmly. "I'd follow you anywhere."

Luke checked for traffic and taxied into position on the runway. He smiled at Jon and eased the throttle all the way forward. Jon stole a couple of glances at Luke as they accelerated, surprised at how calm he appeared to be. The plane began climbing and they were airborne. Jon watched as the ground gave way beneath them. He didn't say anything to Luke, not wanting to distract him, but he couldn't help looking at him. After a few minutes Luke glanced at him and smiled.

"I know, you can't believe I'm doing this. I can hardly believe it myself!"

"I just love watching you fly. You look so...studly!"

Luke chuckled. "Do you still want this stud to take you to DeKalb?"

"If you want, but I forgot it's the holidays and there won't be much going on."

"Let's go anyway; you wanted to see the campus, so we can still do that."

After landing in DeKalb and securing the plane they walked into the flight office. They still weren't sure exactly what they were going to do.

"Jon? Jon Addison?"

Jon looked at the man behind the counter. It only took Jon a couple of seconds to recognize him.

"Les! Oh my God, how are you?"

"I'm doin' okay, still here working on the farm and I'm a flight instructor now. What about you?"

"We live about 40 miles east of here, I'm production manager for an aerospace company. Oh, this is my partner, Luke. Actually, we're married. This is Les, we were roommates for a year."

Luke and Les shook hands. "Jon was a great roommate--we had good times, and I didn't have to worry about him stealing my girlfriends! I think a couple of them wished he had, though. So what brings you guys out here?"

"Luke just got his Private, so we decided to see my old stomping grounds. I haven't been back here since graduation and I thought I'd show Luke around. Hey, are the campus buses running today?"

"No, nobody's here during break. But I'm stuck here until dark--take my car. I won't need it."

"Are you sure?" asked Jon.

"Of course. Help yourself--there's not much you could do to hurt it. It's the brown Ford wagon. Well, it used to be brown, it's kinda dull beige now."

As he watched Jon and Luke walk to the lot, Les was intrigued. He'd always liked Jon, and during college they were good friends. Jon spent a lot of time with him, helping him with his coursework. Les hadn't been a model student, mostly because his free time consisted of helping on the family farm and flying when he had the chance. But Jon was patient and instrumental in helping him pass his courses. Les had been wary of Jon once he found out he was gay, but that was never a problem. He still didn't understand it, but he did notice Jon seemed more happy and energetic than he was even in college. He was glad to see Jon seemed to be doing so well.

Once they were in the car Luke said, "No wonder he's not worried about it."

"Hey, it's a car. I think it was great of him to let us use it."

"I know, I'm not complaining. Les is kind of cute; did you ever do anything with him?"

"No. He's straight and we were just roommates and friends. He knew I was gay, but he got comfortable with that after a while. Once he realized I wasn't going to attack him we just had a normal roommate thing going. In the beginning he wouldn't go into the showers if I was there, but he got over that."

They approached the university and Jon turned down a street into the campus.

"This is Faraday Hall where I took some chemistry and physics. Up ahead is the I&T building where I spent a lot of time having fun with all kinds of what I thought was cutting-edge equipment at the time. Maybe it was, more or less."

Jon continued the tour, pointing out various buildings. They were approaching a complex of towers.

"Here's where I lived for three years--Grant South, seventh floor. You can't see my room from here, it's on the other side of that tower."

Luke enjoyed seeing the campus, and he could sense Jon's excitement at being back in his collegiate environment. They stopped at the Student Center and walked through. Jon was a little dismayed at the changes but he enjoyed showing Luke around. After a while Jon figured they had seen enough and he knew Luke was anxious to get back to the airport. He drove back, stopping to fill up the car's tank. When they returned to the airport, Jon thanked Les for letting them use the car and promised they'd be back soon.

Jon watched as Luke went through the pre-flight and explained what he was doing. They were soon in the air again, heading home.

"Maybe I should think about flying," said Jon. "It would be great if we were both pilots."

"Once I get a little more experience, I'll teach you. You wouldn't be able to log the hours, at least not until I'm an instructor, but I can show you the basics and if you ever do start lessons you'll be that much further ahead."

"I still can't get over it, Luke. Think about how we've changed in the last year! We're married, we're living together, you're a pilot! It's almost scary."

On Friday Jon was getting ready for work when his phone rang. He glanced at the display and saw the call was from work.

"Jon, it's Fran. Get your ass in here right now. Connie is in the hospital, and the brass are here, wanting to know how we're doing with the new contract."

"What's wrong with Connie? How is he?"

"I think he's okay, maybe a stroke. He's not critical. But all these government guys are pulling up and I can't stall them much longer."

"Okay, Fran, I'm on my way. Hang in there for a few more minutes."

Jon pulled off his Izod top and jeans and put on a suit. "Shit, how am I going to handle this?"

Luke woke up and looked at Jon. "Who died?"

"Not that funny, Luke. Something happened to Connie, and I have to get to work."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I hope everything's okay."

"Me too. But in the meantime I have to get there and run interference. I don't know what the fuck is going on."

Jon made it to work in record time. He screeched into the parking lot and into Connie's parking spot since it was closer to the front door. Jon took a deep breath and walked into the office. Fran met him.

"Anything new on Connie?" asked Jon.

"No, not yet." Fran was brushing off Jon's shoulders and straightening his tie. "Let's just get these guys out of here--they're driving me crazy."

Jon had no idea what he was going to do. He'd met with some of these men before, but never on this level. Connie had always led the meetings. Jon steeled himself, squared his shoulders and walked into the conference room.

"Gentlemen, I apologize for keeping you waiting. Mr. Rigas was unavoidably detained and asked me to extend his regrets. I know you all have a busy schedule, so I'll be happy to entertain any questions you may have."

There were some questions, which Jon was able to answer easily. When that was done Jon invited the group to tour the production area. When they arrived at the production office Jon was surprised to see Cecil stand and greet them in a suit. Jon was at a loss for words.

"I'm sure you're eager to see our production lines," said Cecil. "Please follow me and I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. If I don't know the answer, I know Mr. Addison can help you."

Jon brought up the rear of the group, chatting a little with a couple of the military men, but his mind was on Cecil. He was shocked at how at-east he seemed, and also how much he knew about production. Cecil hadn't been with the company all that long, and Jon was amazed at how much he knew, not to mention his presentation. After about 45 minutes they had seen most of what interested them and finally left. Jon turned to Cecil, smiled, and gave him a hug.

"My god, Cecil, how in hell did you do that?"

"I don't know, I guess it was just ad lib. I was in theatre and sometimes you have to do that. I'm not sure I was totally accurate in my descriptions, but it seemed to work."

"Did you know they were coming today?" asked Jon.

"No, not at all. But Fran was in a tizzy and told me. I thought I should prepare as best I could."

"But why are you wearing a suit? You must have known something."

"Look a little lower, Jon."

Jon glanced down and saw Cecil was wearing running shoes. He laughed. "Oh, now I get it. You put on my suit that I keep here."

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind. I was afraid you wouldn't get here in time and I'd have to wing it. Fran said to go with it. I don't think anyone noticed the shoes. Thank heavens they're black."

"Cecil, that's one of the most amazing things I've seen. I'm sure all those guys were satisfied with our work. Great job, man. I'm going to visit Connie. You need any help?"

Cecil gave Jon a pained look. "No, I guess you don't," smiled Jon. "Okay, I'll be back in an hour or so."

Jon asked Fran which hospital Connie was in. It was Good Samaritan, which was only a couple of miles away. He jumped in his car and went to the hospital. Jon found himself looking for a parking place that seemed safer, as far as the car was concerned. He had never bothered to do that before. Jon walked into the hospital and found out which room Connie was in. He took the elevator to the third floor and asked a nurse for directions. He suddenly had a sickening feeling--this was too reminiscent of when Luke was in the hospital. When Jon walked into the room, Connie and his wife greeted him.

"Great to see you, son! This is a hell of a way to start the year, isn't it?"

"Don't worry, Connie, everything is okay. We had the meeting this morning and it went well. Cecil practically handled the whole thing, he did a great job. But how are you?"

"I'm fine, I feel fine. They say I had a minor heart attack. I'll be okay in a day or two."

"A 'minor' heart attack? I didn't know there was such a thing."

"Yeah, they said if you're going to have one, mine was the kind to have. It only affected a small part of my heart, and with medication and diet I should be okay. I can only imagine the diet they're going to put me on."

"I'm glad to see you're doing so well. Is there anything I can do or get for you?"

"I don't think I'll be back to work for about a week. In the meantime, I want you sitting at my desk and taking care of clients. I don't want any customers getting the idea anything is wrong. Fran already knows you're in charge, and by now everyone else does, too. Don't be afraid to make decisions, Jon. I trust you and I know you can do it. You are authorized to sign anything for the company, including checks. My attorney has the papers and he faxed them to the bank and everyone else that needs them."

"Thanks, Connie, I won't let you down."

"I know you won't. Now don't you think you should get back to work?"

"Probably. I'm relieved to see how good you look, I didn't know what to expect. Okay, don't worry about anything. I'll take care of the company and everything will be just like normal."

As Jon drove back to work, the enormity of his situation began to sink in. He was in control of a multi-million dollar company. That Connie would trust him so completely was mind-boggling. When Jon was back at work and in Connie's office, he asked Jim to come in.

"Yes, Mr. Addison?"

"Stop that. I just wanted to have lunch with you. I'll drive you in my new car."

Jim freaked when he saw the Corvair. "My God! One of my friends had one of these, but it didn't look half this good even then. Where did you get it?"

"My dad restored it. It was my Christmas present. Pretty cool, huh?"

Instead of a fast-food place, Jon drove to a more quiet neighborhood restaurant. He and Jim sat in a booth and ordered soft drinks.

"Jim, I'm worried. Connie expects me to take over while he's gone. I don't know how to do that."

Jim could see Jon was tense. "I think you were only working here for about a month, and Connie told me to keep an eye on you. Not to watch out for you, but because he felt something. He told me you'd wind up running the company some day. That was fine with me, I didn't want any more responsibility than I had so I never resented that you were some new young buck. I've enjoyed seeing how you've matured and learned. So has Connie."

"But I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not used to working like this, with clients and dealing with executive decisions."

"You know how to deal with clients. And I saw how Cecil handled those military guys today. You have a lot of good people behind you, Jon. Depend on them. Especially Fran. She can defuse just about any situation. I don't know how she does it, but she does."

Jim and Jon finished their lunch and headed back to work. As Jon walked past Fran's desk on his way to Connie's office she stopped him.

"Jon, I put a couple of things on your desk. If you have any questions just ask me."

"Thanks, Fran."

Jon was a little surprised and unnerved that Fran had called him "Jon" and not "Jon-Boy" like she always did. It gave him the feeling things were more serious than he thought. At least she didn't call him "Mr. Addison."

That afternoon Jon had to meet with two clients, and both meetings seemed to go well. Fran brought in some checks that had to be signed. Jon had never signed a check that was in six figures. After making sure everything was in order and grilling Fran about it, he reluctantly signed. He thought, "No wonder Connie had a heart attack."

Jon opened the door at home and found Luke sprawled on the floor, playing with Rocky. He felt just a moment's annoyance that he had just had one of the most stressful days of his life and here Luke was, playing with the cat. Luke stood and hugged Jon.

"How's Connie?" asked Luke.

"I think he's okay. But I don't know about me. Connie wants me running the show at work next week. I'm not sure I'm up to it."

Luke could see Jon wasn't himself. "Here, I'll get you a drink and we can talk about it. Go take your suit off and get comfortable."

Jon came back to the living room in a sweat suit and sat on the couch. Luke handed him his drink and sat beside him.

"Okay," said Luke, "what's happening?"

"Connie had a heart attack. Apparently it's not that serious, but he's going to be out all next week. So guess who's sitting at his desk and making all the decisions."

"I'm proud of you, babe! That's a big company and you're in charge! I know Connie has faith in you, but this is really something."

"I wish I wasn't in charge. I don't know how Connie puts up with the pressure. I had to sign two checks today, one for 75 grand and the other for almost 200 grand. I was shaking--I don't know how they'll match the signature, it didn't look like mine when I was done."

"You signed checks for over a quarter-mil in one day? I'll never do that in my lifetime!"

"I was scared to death. I still am. I don't know how I'm going to make it through next week."

"It's only one week, and I know you'll be all right. Connie wouldn't have put you in charge if he had any doubts. Just take things one step at a time and trust yourself. How much could go wrong in one week?"

"Oh, thanks--now you've done it, you jinxed me."

"Once Connie sees what a great job you're doing, he's going to take a lot more time off. Didn't you say you don't even remember him taking a vacation?"

"He'll take a couple of days, or an extended weekend. He never stays away any longer than that."

"I think you should get used to it. After a close call like he's had and seeing you can handle things, he will probably think about taking it easier."

"That's assuming I haven't trashed the company by then."

"Come on, babe. You know you can do it."

Jon made his way to work on Monday and wondered what he would have to face. He put his head in his hands and allowed himself a moment of silence.

"Jon, Connie's out of the hospital and he's doing okay."

Jon looked up. "Oh, that's good, Fran. I've been worried about him."

"And I've been worried about you. Do you know how long I've been working for Connie? Practically forever--since I was 18. When this all happened, and he told me you're the one he wants running the company, I was relieved. It's scary that he's not here, but I'm comfortable with his faith in you.

"Thanks, Fran. I'm not so comfortable, I never imagined myself in this position. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."

"Relax. I can practically read Connie's mind, and I'll help you all the way. Anything you want to know, just ask me."

"Fran, why didn't Connie put you in charge?"

"Because he knows I wouldn't want to do it. I have no problem being on the sidelines, but I don't want to be running the operation. I know what I do best, and that's being the backup support. I'm not one who likes to be in the limelight."

Jon's week went better than he thought it would. He negotiated a new contract for steel, and that made him a little nervous. The current supplier was miffed and tried to snow Jon, but the salesman realized he had made a mistake--he thought Jon would be a pushover. Jon was able to get a significantly better deal with a company they had dealt with a couple of years ago. He hoped Connie would agree. By the end of the week Jon was exhausted and couldn't wait to get home on Friday. He'd had a headache most of the day and as he was leaving, Fran stopped him and talked for a few minutes. Jon drove home and sat on the couch. Rocky looked at him and jumped into his lap.

"I guess Luke's not home, huh Rocky?

Jon stretched out on the couch with Rocky next to him. Within about five minutes Jon fell asleep. About a half-hour later Luke arrived. Jon and Rocky both woke up and looked at him.

"Hi, babe," said Jon a little listlessly.

"Hi. What's wrong?"

"Nothing--why?"

"Because Rocky knows something's wrong, otherwise he'd be wanting me to pick him up, but he's staying with you."

"I'm just tired and I have a splitting headache. I took some aspirin a few hours ago, but it didn't help."

Luke went into the bathroom and got one of his Vicodin and a glass of water. "Here, try one of these. You don't get headaches very often."

"I must be making up for it now."

"You relax. You made it through the week and you did a good job. You should be happy with yourself."

"Yeah," said Jon ruefully, "I did such a good job that Fran told me Connie's wife convinced him to get out of town so he could relax. He's not going to be back for another week!"

"Don't think about it, hon. You did okay this week, and you'll do a good job next week. I'm going to make something for dinner."

Luke went into the kitchen and got Rocky's dinner, then decided he'd make spaghetti. They had some of Cathy's sauce and he felt Jon wasn't up to a big meal. He was surprised that Rocky didn't come for his dinner--he knew it was there. Luke put the sauce on low and thought he'd wait for a while and see if Jon felt better. Luke sat at the kitchen table and studied his aviation books. After about 20 minutes he went back to the living room and kissed Jon gently on his forehead. Jon opened his eyes.

"Feeling better?" asked Luke.

"Yeah, I think so." Jon sat up and Luke sat beside him. "Actually, I'm starting to feel pretty good. Thanks for the pill."

Jon sat up and Luke sat beside him. When Rocky was satisfied things were back to normal, he went into the kitchen to eat.

"Jon, please don't get yourself so wound up about this. Anything you're not comfortable with can wait, or you can get in touch with Connie. You don't have to feel you need to shoulder all the responsibilities."

"But I don't want to bother Connie, he has his own problems."

"And one of them is the company. I don't care how much they're paying you, it's not worth it if it's going to affect your health. The next thing you know, you're going to get ulcers or worse. I'm not going to let you do this to yourself."

"Even if I wanted to quit--which I don't--I can't quit. You're not working now, what would we do for money?"

"I'll be working again pretty soon. Maybe I should put flying on the back burner for a while until things settle down.

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