A Fantasy about Love Pt. 09

This was personal now and I could either hit him or walk away. Mr. Cunningham stood there with an expression on his face, as if he could not believe what he heard. His colleague had joined him as I turned away.

I heard Mr. Bush yelling and he grasped me again on my shoulder. "You don't walk away from me, boy. You stand there until I dismiss you and I didn't do this."

I whipped around. "I warn you: you touch me once more and I'll break your arm!"

He laughed. "You and who else? Your team of fucking fools? Let me tell you one thing when we are in Sydney, you better heel at my commands or I make your life in this company very short! And I make certain that you will not find another job."

He was completely out of control but continued to advance. "I'll show you who is the man here!" and tried to push me. This was too much even for my patience and my martial training stepped in. I slapped his arm aside and was ready to hit him hard, when Mr. Cunningham yelled: "No, James!"

I stopped my movement at the last moment and turned to him.

"Mr. Cunningham, I believe that I can save Mr. Bush the effort to make my life hell in Sydney. Sir Allan will have my Letter of Resignation in 15 minutes. And by the way, Mr. Bush, I have a standing order to become the CEO of our main competitor: let's see who the man is!" and walked away.

All I heard was Cunningham and his colleague yelling at Bush. "Are you out of your fucking mind? Are you drunk again? What will we do now?"

Well, that was not the resolution I had searched for, but it was done. I went to my room, called Allan and asked whether I could come over in 15 minutes. I wrote my Letter of Resignation, thanking the company for the wonderful time I had, the training I had received and the people I had met who always motivated me to become a better person. I especially thanked Sir Allan for the guidance he had always given me, and which would stay with me for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, I would be unable to work with Mr. Bush. Without any reason given, he had managed within a few hours to insult Australia, the 'fucking hillbillies' who lived there, called the staff of our company a bunch of fucking incompetent fools, had insulted me personally by stating that I had slept with a prospect to get an order, and that my Assistant probably slept with all men in the company. and that he would make my life hell working for him. I could certainly work with a tough manager, but I could not accept a drunken man, out of control and who spouted insults after insults. I wished the company the best of luck - it would need it to survive Mr. Bush, and signed it. Then I walked over to Allan's suite.

He opened the door immediately. "Bill called me. What happened?" I gave him the Letter.

He read it twice. "Wow! What did this idiot do?" I told him verbatim what he had said and my responses.

"Do you want to go through with this? Bill said that he'll make Jeffrey Bush apologize."

I shook my head. "This is too late now; he'll remember and so will I. If he comes to Sydney as arranged, I cannot work there, and the Chairman will certainly not forget what I have done to the reputation of his dearly beloved nephew. So, unfortunately, my career has ended in the company I love so much..."

"James, sit down and let us discuss this. I agree that the situation is not very promising. Can I call Bill to come and join us?"

I nodded and a few minutes later he appeared.

"What a mess this idiot has created! James, I apologize for his behavior, but he created a problem that is not easily resolved. This is even more stupid than the last time he got drunk, but every time the uncle protects him. I believe, however, that this time the publicity is too great. On the other hand, you'll not be able to stand down after all this fool said. I could take you to NY, but your career will be on hold for a long time until the Chairman forgets or retires. That is not something I can recommend. So, what will you do? That offer you mentioned is real?"

I nodded. "That offer is standing, just waiting for my answer. The money is good, much better than here. The signing bonus is very generous and there are long-term share options, delayed pension benefits, etc. etc. Up to now, I said no, since I love our company. You realize that I still say 'our' company? ... Burroughs? They are bigger than we are, have more money to invest, but their people are weak. Who knows what could happen with the right guidance? Would it not be fun showing this idiot the way to failure and hell? Under these circumstances I might reconsider."

Allan stepped in. "James, you cannot take a decision this night. Sleep on it, talk to Maureen and Mrs. Monahan. I would prefer you as the CEO of NT rather than the CEO of our competitor. So, what will you do?"

"I shall call my people tomorrow morning and tell them about this disaster; then I'll take the next plane back to Sydney and leave you to clean up this mess."

Bill looked at Allan. "Allan, Jeffrey will obviously not substitute you tomorrow. He'll also be back on a plane to NY. Could you stay another two or three weeks until we have found a replacement?"

Allan reflected on this for a moment. "My intention at this moment would be to take the same plane as James and leave you to the mess, but I've given most of my life to the company and I agree to stay two more weeks. Just don't expect me to make major decisions! I have to look after my wife and most of the time you'll find me at her side. She's seriously ill and I don't know how long I'll have her."

Bill agreed, satisfied that at least at short term a solution had been found.

"Thank you, Allan - I understand your sacrifice. And you, James: thank you, too. I know and I'll tell everyone that you tried to avoid this confrontation at all cost; only when he insulted you and your family you finished it. When you tell your people, try not to hurt our company too much!"

I agreed and he left. Allan looked at me.

¨There goes a promising career, but another opens up. You've so many options but promise me one thing: before accepting the offer of our competitor, think twice. It'll hurt you to be successful against your previous colleagues, and it'll hurt me to see it go down because of one man's stupidity. Whatever you do, however, I'll be behind you and I promise that Ellen will stand beside me."

He got up and embraced me and there were tears in his eyes; I admit I had to wipe my eyes dry also. "Go to bed and tomorrow is another day, for better or for worse. Make the right decision!"

I said goodnight and went to my room. I saw that there was whiskey in the fridge and had a good shot, but it did not resolve the problem. I wondered whether I should call Maureen, but looking at my watch, she was probably helping Ellen to go to sleep, so I would call her tomorrow. I asked the reception to reserve a large meeting room for me at 8:30 am and call all the people from Australia to a meeting: they should make certain that everyone received the message and that they knew that it was urgent. Then I went to bed and to my surprise, fell asleep immediately.

The reception called me at 7.00 am as requested and I packed my luggage; there was a 10:40 am flight to Sydney and I made a reservation first class (why not?) for me. I had room service breakfast and at 8:20 I went to the meeting.

Most were there already, and everyone was in the room at 8:30. German discipline! They all looked at me asking for an explanation.

I closed the door. "Friends, that is not easy for me to say, but I resigned last night from this company."

There was a moment of silence, but then pandemonium exploded. I waited for a moment and when they calmed down, I explained the situation.

"You have probably already gossiped about the tension between Mr. Bush and me. During the day he was already rather unpleasant, threatening me with all kind of implied actions and until this moment I've not the faintest idea why he did this. Last night, after the dinner, he tried to intimidate me, threatening to make life hell for me in Sydney. He insulted Australia, its people and especially you as fucking incompetent bunch of fools, stating that he would personally audit every step I would take to make certain that I behaved properly, and then he implied that I had to sleep with a prospect to get an order, and that Miss Parker was probably available for general enjoyment. The only reason I did not hit him was that Mr. Cunningham stopped me at the last moment, and that Mr. Bush was drunk."

They were stunned and you could have heard a pin drop in the room.

¨I handed my Letter of Resignation to Sir Allan still last night. He and Mr. Cunningham tried to convince me to find another solution, but seeing that Mr. Bush is the nephew of the Chairman and that he has always been protected by him, I saw no other possibility than to resign. I'm very sad about this disaster; I've given all my adult life to this company and I believe that I gave as much as I received, but it hurts me to leave you, my friends. We had difficult times together, problems and successes, and we always protected one another. You've all changed during the last year, my friends, and I'm certain that even without me you'll be successful. I shall not go to the other of the world and if you ever have a problem, don't hesitate to call me. If there is a chance to help, I'll do it. I´m not very good at saying goodbye and I've a plane in two hours, back to Sydney and to think what I'll do with my life ... So, all I can say now is the best of luck to you and enjoy the weekend as much as you can. Remember the company pays for it!"

I stepped away from the dais and immediately was surrounded by my friends. They were quite emotional: they would resign, too; they would make certain that Australia was hell for Mr. Bush, but I managed to calm them down. "Mr. Bush is flying back to NY and I don't believe that he'll be back."

"Why don't they make you the president?" Peter asked.

I laughed. "Do you believe that the Chairman would ever approve this?" He agreed and I reminded them that I had a plane to catch. I looked for Jenny; she was sitting there staring at me. "Mary Ann, would you please come with me to the airport. There are some matters that you´ll have to resolve for me."

She jumped up and became Mary Ann, Executive Assistant to the (ex) Director of Marketing.

"Yes, James. Just let me get my purse."

A car was waiting for me at the entrance, but it was difficult for me to get there; everyone wanted to say good bye and touch me one more time. It was a very emotional and for me a wonderful feeling: they really liked me as a person and a friend.

Jenny appeared and we got into the car. She waited until we were out of sight and jumped into my arms. "What happened, my love? What will you do now? Do you want that I go back with you? My things can be forwarded."

I explained that I preferred for her to stay, because I wanted to know how this mess would play out. I would call Maureen from the airport about my arrival time; it would be around seven o´clock in the evening and I would sit with her and Ellen to explain the situation. Allan had probably already called, but certainly Maureen wanted to know all the details in this sordid story. I would also give her the same information, but at this moment I really did not want to talk about it. She nodded and just snuggled into my arms. At the airport I gave her some directions what I would wanted to have done and kissed her goodbye. When I entered the plane, I suddenly realized that this was it: I was without a job.

The champagne in the first-class lounge was welcome and when I entered the plane, I took another glass and decided to relax. Lunch was great with a really good wine: it had to be to survive the low pressure in the plane, and a snifter of French Cognac made me sleepy. I closed my eyes and to my surprise had to be woken up by the stewardess. The exit was painless, and Maureen was waiting at the gate. She was bliss for my eyes; dressed in a green blouse with a white frock, her hair in a ponytail, and a big but worried smile on her face. She jumped forward when she saw me and hugged me.

"Darling, what happened? Allan called, but we didn't understand the problem. Let's go to Ellen's place; she is waiting for some answers, too. " The Porsche was waiting on the curb with some young kids admiring it. When Maureen stepped in, they were all over her.

"How fast does it go, Miss? How big is the engine? What is the acceleration time? Have you ever driven it over 120 miles/hour?" etc., and it went on and on. She looked at me from her side when she mumbled something on the over the 120 miles/hour speed. I promised myself that I would inquire more in a quiet moment, since at that speed any accident was scary.

Ellen received us at the door. She was a lady and dressed accordingly: white blouse, long black skirt, decently closed shoes, and as with Maureen, a big but worried smile. "Give me a kiss, James. You must have gone through hell, dear!"

She embraced me and kissed me sweetly. "Come in and have some tea. In an English home tea is always available and welcome."

She told me that Allan had already called her and the situation in Hawaii was disastrous. Mr. Bush was shunned by everyone and even his NY colleagues were furious. It had been decided that he would go back to HQ to wait what would happen. Allan thought that even the Chairman could not help him anymore and that he would have to retire. It also seemed that the Chairman was rather furious with me.

Tea was served and drunk, and when the conversation came back for the fifteenth time on the same subject, I asked to be excused. I wanted to go home, have a shower, a glass of wine, and go to sleep. Ellen just looked at me.

"James, you´ll have your shower, your glass of wine and go to sleep, but you´ll do this here. Don't you remember that you are family? Do you want Maureen to decide which one she has to leave alone: me or you?"

I knew better than to dispute this with Lady Ellen and did what I was told. A shower, a light dinner with a glass or two of a good red wine, and then to bed. I was already gone when Maureen joined me, she took me in her arms and whispered: "Go to sleep, darling. I'm here and protect you, and when you wake up, the first thing you'll see is my face. I love you so much!"

The first thing I saw in the morning was her face smiling at me. "You forgot local rules last night, but I forgive you. You better not forget it this morning, though! " and she slowly drew the blanket down offering her beautiful breasts for my pleasure. I feasted on them, but when I started to become adventurous, she stopped me.

"James, Ellen is waiting for us with breakfast. We´ll be at home tonight and you can take whatever you want and soon whoever you want, since Jenny will be back also tomorrow."

I got up, showered and ready to have breakfast and go to the office. The ladies looked at me.

"James, have you forgotten that you have resigned? By the way, this is Sunday! You don't have to rush anymore; relax and let's discuss what we'll do today."

I agreed that it would be better to go to the office on Monday afternoon, when Allan was back, as it would be less weird for everyone. I reminded them about the dresses and the coronet, and both agreed immediately to go and check on the progress of these projects. I also realized that we had forgotten to get Eileen into the picture. I called Maureen and she told me to call her.

She was at home and when I told her what had happened, she was irate. "I'll cancel the contract with that stupid company! How could they do this to you? What are you going to do now?" I heard a smile coming into her voice. "Call me tonight, dear. There are options we should discuss with more tranquility."

We had lunch at the Quay and then we went first to the dressmaker. He had opened his atelier for us, and Maureen's gown was coming along beautifully. It tightly followed the curves of her body, showing off her firm breasts and her tight waist and hips, and temptingly offering a look at her long legs through a slit at the side. There was a long slit in the front offering room for her pendant and a taste of what was hidden beneath the fabric, with the glittering green and blue threads intertwined to form an image where your eyes could get lost. Jenny had followed a similar style only a bit more courageous: a daring décolleté, an almost non-existing back and also a frame for a very beautiful woman. Ellen was pleased. "Maureen, you'll look stunning, and Jenny will give you a good race for the most beautiful woman of the evening. You'll have fun!"

Maureen had called the private number of the goldsmith and as a favor, he had also agreed to show us the coronet on this Sunday. He had the coronet almost ready; the opals were of the same color and hue, and the main big opal in the middle was a beautiful stone. The setting was simple, but exquisite and the red gold circle was showing off the engraving of our family´s coat of arms. For Jenny´s tiara I had told the guy to use white gold for the circle and jade as an adornment. Jade is a translucent emerald-green jadeite, which is the most valuable variety of these crystals; the white gold and the greenish stone complemented each other very well.

I looked at Maureen to see her reaction, but she smiled satisfied and only said: "My coronet wonderful, James, and I forgive you that it's not a crown. But you really should have tried more, Count de Winter! The tiara is beautiful also, and I already see the joy in Jenny's eyes. She never had anything beautiful and you'll certainly enjoy her fun and gratitude! " It would look stunning on her, with her beautiful blue eyes and her long black hair complementing the gold and the jade.

We had tea close to the jeweler and then went to the airport to pick up the rest of the family Since Ellen accompanied us, I had called the driver who was normally serving us. Allan's driver was already waiting at the curb; nobody would question the driver to stand in a no-parking area: the Bentley demanded attention and permission. We found a parking lot close by and waited for the passengers to disembark.

Allan was the first to come and immediately went to embrace Ellen. "Are you well? Did they treat you properly?" She nodded and laid her head on his shoulder. "I was treated like royalty, darling, but I missed you very much!"

We stepped away to give them a moment of privacy and then I saw Jenny coming with a bunch of our guys. I was greeted with enthusiasm and all tried to talk at the same time about how they had shown this idiot what they thought of him, how they regretted that I was not there to enjoy the weekend with them, and whether I really would leave. I tried to avoid any official statement about my intentions and promised to stay in touch.

Jenny was standing there, just smiling at me. She knew that her welcome would be much more intimate in our home, when we were alone. We said goodbye to everyone, and I told Allan that I would be in the office on Monday after lunch. This would give him some time to look at the paperwork necessary to process my resignation, and then we could go out and discuss my future. He suggested to call him on Monday, and we might go for lunch in his club.

I got Jenny's luggage and we went home. She waited until we closed the door and then threw herself into my arms.

"James, I´m so furious about this idiot, but you know: nobody talked to him, he sat on his own at the table, and somehow he vanished to go back to NY without any goodbye. Serves him right! But I need a kiss now to know that I´m home!"

She put all her love into that kiss and Maureen had to cough several times for us to part.

"Jenny, you need a shower and a change; please try to be decent because we have to talk seriously about our future."