Diminishing Wrath of Jackie Stone

So Jackie told him more of her hitherto undisclosed concept. "We'll get the upgrading plan boosted, get a new marketing person who knows what they doing and a team of four sales people including a competent manager."

He grinned. "Achieve that and I promise you I'll pump out as many units the boss tells me to make."

"The production boss would be Brad. Are you comfortable about that?"

"He's a bit green behind the ears but he knows this operation because he worked here from when he turned sixteen. I'd feel even happier if you and he got together. You appear to have vision and that's something this outfit lacked. I formerly worked in vehicle assembly and so am familiar with the need for the business to be driven from the top if a plant it to meet its targets."

"Well said. I take it that Johnson Jones is a lightweight?"

"He couldn't organize a kid's kite-flying day let alone increase in sales but Brad's father won't get him out of here."

"Why not?"

"Because Johnson called in his brother, a union area organizer, to sign up our guys in the plant and they elected Johnston's pal Benny as union delegate. Johnson dominates Benny.

"God that's contorted."

"What does contorted mean?"

"Um it has slippery Johnston operating like a snake in the grass."

Nick laughed and said, "Yeah right. You have a great way about you Jackie and a great butt, pretty too."

"Oh come on Nick you are getting all romantic," Jackie said, attempting to speak plant language. "I say pull your finger out when you're required and your job will be safe."

"If move to get your vision off the ground I'll do anything for you Jackie. I mean that."

Lunch went well and Brad's parents listened to him relate what he and Jackie had discussed the previous day.

"So the plan is to dump me in the office"."

"Yes and a great idea Alec," said his wife. "Perhaps that will be reviewed when you get off your ass and walk.

"Oh good one Laurel," Jackie laughed.

"Fucking women," Alec growled. "Well young lady you've seen the heart of our outfit and Brad has spilled our confidential information to you. Can we have your decision now?"

"Dad, cool it."

"No it's okay Brad. Why sit on our butts contemplating? Alec will you right now appoint Brad director of production and me director of sales and marketing. You can appoint yourself chairman and director of administration and get your attorney to reform the company with those three positions plus Laurel as a director and named as company secretary. Also have the board empowered to appoint up to two outside directors as they could be needed as we grow the business. Do that and I'll place two million bucks into the company's bank account. My only other requirement is that from tomorrow the production line be shifted to the left hand side of the plant and rushed back into full production of existing lines. What happens to output will be my responsibility."

Alec rubbed his chin. "Jesus young lady you are taking one hell of a risk."

"That's my worry Alec. Well?"

"We do as you have outlined. Nick and I will drawn up the production outlay plan this afternoon and I'll get my attorney to draw up the legal agreement to protect you and your investment as best we can."

Jackie beamed, "Excellent, let's drink to this auspicious day."

CHAPTER 3

Jackie began working for the company that evening. As Nick came out of the yard in his pick-up she waved him down and got in beside him. "Take me to a bar around here where you're not known Nick. I wish to conspire with you to rid ourselves of Johnston Jones."

The vehicle served. "I-I'll not murder him."

"Oh Nick, all we need to do is to scare the shit out of him."

Nick laughed nervously. "I'd picked you for an ideas girl Jackie."

"Is this guy Jones married?"

"No but a line of women pass through his clutches. It's said he's a little rough with them."

"Oh great."

"What?"

"I tell you what I want from you Nick."

The next morning as Johnston Jones spat on the road and unlocked his car to drive off to work two guys in hoods grabbed him, gagged him and pulled him into an alley where they bound his arms and feet.

"Can you hear me?" snarled one of the guys and the terrified sales and marketing manager nodded furiously.

"Asshole you have been shafting my girlfriend. You have twenty-four hours to get out of this neighborhood. Fail to do this and we'll make a concrete jacket for you and drop you into the Hudson. Understand."

Johnston nodded furiously.

"Okay slimeball. You have twenty-four hours to get paid off at work and to give your landlord notice and pay overdue rent. Just in case you are not taking this seriously I'm going to cut the tip off your cock, just a couple of inches ought to do it. Hand me the knife Charlie."

"You have the knife boss."

"Oh shit, I have a spare in the car. Oh shit there's someone coming. Let's get out of here. They dragged Johnston so his feet were sticking out on the pavement where he'd been seen and 'the boss' kicked Johnson's ribs but not too brutally because the woman had said not to rough him up too much.

They then took off and met Jackie who made no effort to conceal her identity.

"How did it go?"

"Great," said Ian, a retired semi-professional wrestler and one of Nick's poker night buddies. I think he pissed himself."

"Oh excellent work boys. Here's the second five hundred bucks for each of you. My sister will be pleased that creep will be no longer around to fuck her but she said she'd needed the money. My baby sister needs better guys than that."

"That's for sure, I could be interested."

"She's eighteen."

"Oh god no. My wife would kill me if she found I was shafting a babe that young."

Jackie arrived at the plant next morning and smiled when she saw Johnstone Jones arrive looking stressed. He failed to answer any of the half-hearted greetings and hurried over to Alec's house. She never saw him leave but when she checked found his car had gone.

A few minutes later Brad came to her and said, "Dad just phoned me with a very lucky development. He's just paid off Johnston Jones who appeared very anxious to quit. All he'd say was woman trouble."

"Oh then I can work in his office instead of here in the lunchroom?"

"You sure can babe. I can then come over for lunch, pull down the blind and knock you up because I don't have condoms."

"Do that and I'll have some guys call on you."

"What?"

"Just joking. I always pack condoms sweetheart. Lunch time you say""

"I was just joking but if you are in the mood let's see how we go. Although there's a lock on the door unfortunately there's no blind."

Brad's phone went and the call was brief. "Bad luck; no sex sandwich for lunch. Dad wants you and me over at the house at 12:30. The company's attorney will be there for a business lunch."

* * *

During the next two weeks Jackie called on re-sellers, most of whom complained they hadn't had anyone from the company contact them for months. She spoke to them about the production line upgrades and increased capacity but made no mention of the new range because her mission was to secure orders for the growing inventory of pools coming off the production line. Each day spent soliciting on-sellers she'd come back to the plant with orders.

Brad gaped each time she handed across a batch of orders and after ten days the company had orders for 489 units. Brad had been out-of-state inspecting the production lines and output of three of the country's leading manufacturers of spa pools and signed up to make eight types of new-age pools under license.

"Oh fantastic, you're amazing," Jackie said.

"Sure beats trying to design our exclusive range at this stage of my limited knowledge of converting pool design into efficient production and winning over market acceptance."

"True darling but I now have a sales manager and two assistant sales people and the marketing administration assistant I require. We'll be full throttle before you get the new production lines commissioned. As soon as you say hi to your folk I want you to see this apartment I'm thinking of purchasing, only fifteen minutes from here overlooking the river."

"Right on. Um what about sex?"

Eyeing him through narrowing eyes and licking her top lip, Jackie asked, "What about it?"

As Brad walked over to his parent's house Jackie thought damn it, she knew there had been something else to tell him. She'd organized a venue for their wedding next month and her granddad's attorney Mr Mason had agreed to give her away. But she ought not rush into telling him that. Best she casually ask did he think they should marry soon, er, before she became pregnant. He knew it would be advantageous to be married, having been elected junior vice-president of the regional Association of Pool and Spa Professionals and had been asked if he were interest in taking an active role in the Chamber of Commerce.

Brad returned from talking to his parents saying he thought his dad took the news they would make pools under license very well. "Dad admitted part of the company's hiatus had been the lag in innovation in the pools he and Nick had combined to come up with. Now sex or see the apartment first?"

"Oh darling, since you brought up the subject of sex could I talk to you over a glass of wine. "I've had this thought about your being a little overdue with your proposal of marriage."

"But you won't want me; I have no money."

"True but you have something else I rather like darling. I think we should sit down and let me explain to you that marriage is about sharing."

THE END