Michael or Mac Ep. 02

"Yeah, it will be fun to see Emma's reaction." We move at a speed so nobody would miss us too much. Luckily it was just a case of clearing the sideboards and covers out of the way, arranging my equipment, and switching everything on. After a couple of minutes, I am ready to go. From the family room, there are two sets of patio doors. I give Ron a nod to say I am ready, the lights are turned out, and Ron opens both sets of doors.

Emma turns, looking a little confused, "Dad, why have you opened the patio doors, I thought........." Emma stops as the first notes of Brown eyed girl resonates through the open doors. Then Ron flicks one last switch, turning a spotlight on me and a couple of disco-type lights.

Emma has both hands up the sides of her face, and a cheer goes up from the friends. Emma's expression is priceless, and I beam out at her as I start singing. That breaks Emma out of her shock; she screams, grabs hold of her nearest friend's hand, and starts dancing.

I had much of the night's entertainment pre-set on my keyboard. Doing this helps me to blend one track into another. I play a complete mix of older and newer tunes, and people are dancing all over. Usually, people would leave and go on to a club, but the place seems to have got busier if anything. Donna even shows up with her boyfriend. She came over and said hi; as she walked off, I even got a kiss on the cheek. I also got a not too pleased look from her boyfriend, but Donna pulled him away before he could say anything.

I play for about an hour and a half before I decide to play a couple of slow tunes. I put my guitar down and opened my arms towards Emma. She jumps up and down, bubbling with excitement. I beckon her over, she moves naturally into my arms, and we start to dance to the track I had set going and looped. I look into Emma's eyes and begin to sing to her.

"I found a love for me,"

"Oh darling, just dive right in and follow my lead."

"Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet."

"Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me."

I hear Emma gasp at the lyrics. She sees that I have chosen this song for the words I was singing to her. I look around and realize that we are the only ones dancing. Everyone else is watching us; couples are holding each other, just swaying. I look back into Emma's eyes, and she has tears streaming down her face. I seem to make this girl cry so much. I bent forward and kissed her tears away as whoops go up around the room. A smile spreads across her face, and she pulls me in for a hug.

"Okay, Mac, you've surpassed Wednesday."

******

Sunday, I wake up later than expected and set about doing my usual Sunday chores. Paps is busy organizing his trip up to the Ranch. As I pass him in the kitchen, I put my hand on his shoulder, "Paps, you do know I have someone very good at organizing travel?"

"Yes, but I don't like to put Olivia out."

"Paps, she would be more than happy to help. It makes her feel she's earning her salary."

"Yeah, but still," Paps says as he slams the phone down.

"You want me to call her?"

"Okay, but just this once." I pull out my mobile and phone, Olivia. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and she has everything sorted before I have finished breakfast. She even organizes a ride from the airport. I get half a smile from Paps as I clear the kitchen sides and set the dishwasher going.

The first stop is Emma's to pick up my equipment and help Ron put the furniture back. Unfortunately, Emma's not in; she has a Sunday morning job at a local café, but I already knew this.

Ron is quite a diplomatic man when talking to me about Emma and how he went about asking what is happening this evening. "So Mac, I hear that Emma is having dinner with you tonight."

"Yes, Ron, she's starting to realize that I'm a little more complicated than I seem."

"Kim and I have kept clear of mentioning your family. We thought it would be better coming from you."

"I thought she already knew, so I didn't bring it up. It wasn't until we were talking about the Ranch the other day and a comment Emma made that I realized how little she knows."

"It's an awkward conversation to have at the best of times."

"Ron, how much do you know about it?"

Ron goes a little embarrassed, "well," he starts, "we know that when your parents died, they left everything to you."

I think for a moment but realize he didn't give me the answer I wanted. "Yes, but do you know what the word 'Everything' means?"

"Well, not really. I presumed it was the Ranch. That's where you were living when the accident happened." Ron gives me a smile that tells me he's reaching.

Now I'm in the awkward position; I'm now in two minds about what to tell him. I'm sure that now is as good a time as any. "The Ranch is my family home. Ron, on your travels around, have you heard of a company called The C&W group?"

Ron looks at me as though I've asked a stupid question. "Of course, I've heard of them. They're a large conglomerate. I have been trying to get in the front door of two of their electronic divisions for years." He's now got his business face on, "Why do you mention C&W?"

"Well, Ron, and obviously, I don't want this broadcast, but C&W is 'Everything.'"

Ron sits down, "Holy shit Mac, so how does the dynamic work?"

"Most of the companies are run by CEOs and are governed by a central committee. All the companies are affiliated and financed from a central hub. The committee consists mostly of family members, and each family member is responsible for their part of the business. Each family member can use the central hub to finance their ideas or support a business in trouble. They cannot own any businesses outside of the C&W name. It helps to avoid any conflict of interest. All ideas have to be means-tested and put through a panel of experts before going ahead. The central hub will always own the majority share of any company created with its money. That percentage is decided by how much the main hub has to support that business on startup. Now, the central hub and majority holding of C&W is controlled by the heir of the founder. The two companies were created by my great gran pop on my father's side and my great gran Paps on my mother's side. This then got handed down to Pops and Paps, followed by my parents. Then my parents amalgamated the company to become C&W. When they came to their premature end, it was passed down to me. Paps will look after it until my twenty-fifth birthday, and then it's all mine."

"Christ, is it much to govern?"

"Not these days. We have a great team of CEOs keeping the everyday running away from us. So the only thing I will have to do is the monthly board meetings and any problems that arise that the CEOs can't handle."

"So the question begs then, Mac, can you help me get my foot in the door of any of your Electronics divisions?"

"Sorry, Ron, I haven't been involved in that part of the business yet." Ron's face drops, and he is looking a little discouraged. "But, I know the very woman you should talk to."

I get my phone out and, for the second time today, call Olivia. "Wow, Mac, second time today. I'll be earning my salary and asking for a rise at this rate."

"Hey Olivia, you are on the speaker at the moment. I have Emma's dad here, Ron Johnson. He works as an electronics person who goes around working out solutions for companies. He's been trying to access part of the Electronics division. Can you have a quick chat with him to see if he can be of use to us, or we can be of use to him?"

"Yeah, no problem, hand me over. It sounds like something I can get my teeth into." I hand Ron the phone, and he goes and sits in the family room. There seems to be a good dialect going on, so I finish packing my gear into Paps SUV.

By the time I am packed, Ron is walking out looking like a happy man. "Thanks, Mac, that woman is incredible. She will make some phone calls on Monday for me and hopefully get back with some appointments. Although I must admit, she knows what's what. "

"Yeah, Olivia is a great help to me. I wouldn't know half the things I told you without her input. I'm hoping that she will be with me when I am running the business." With that, I look at my watch and make my excuses and leave.

It doesn't take long to get home and unpack the SUV. Paps is in his room looking for his bag for his trip and seems to be in a good mood. "Hey, Paps, what do you want for dinner tonight. Emma's coming over for dinner, and we are going to have a long conversation about us.

"Are you going to tell her about your wealth?"

"Yeah, she cottoned onto something last night when one of her friends commented on her necklace."

"Well, it was going to come out sometime, Mac."

"Yeah, I know, Paps. So, anything got your taste buds dancing?"

"I fancy some of your mash tonight, Mac. Is that okay?"

"Sausages, Mash covered in thick gravy Pap's?"

"Now you're talking." It's about the only time he smiles is when we talk about food. Not as though Paps is fat; there isn't an ounce of fat on the man. Christ knows where he puts all the food, though.

I message Emma just to make sure that's okay for her as well, and when I get overwhelming yes, I check we have enough ingredients for all three of us. Unfortunately, we haven't got any potatoes in the house, so I ask Paps if he wants to get the groceries for the week. I usually would take Paps on Monday after school because it always seems to be a lot quieter. Lately, though, I have been getting home late on Monday.

Being Sunday, the shops are packed, and it takes longer than usual to get what we need.

We put the groceries away, and I turn to Paps, "what time do you want to eat, Paps?"

"Anytime, Mac, I am hungry but not desperate. I can wait for Emma to get here.

"Let me go up and clean up. Then I'll be straight down." So with that, I run up the stairs two at a time.

As I get to my room, I get my phone out and ring Emma, but it goes to answer-phone. So I leave a message and change clothes. Then, after washing my hands, I make my way down to start peeling the spuds.

I'm about halfway through peeling when my phone starts to ring. I've got wet hands, so I put it on speaker on the side. "Hi, Em." With that, Paps perks up.

"Hi Mac, did you want me?"

It flashed across my mind just how much I've got attached to her. "Uhh yeah, I just checking we are still on for tonight, and I've just started peeling."

"Yeah, as far as I know, Mac." She says, sounding a little out of breath.

"Is everything okay, Em?"

"Yeah," she sounds like she's still outside. "It's just I've got back from my run, and nobody's in."

"Well, you can always come straight over here," I said before thinking.

"What really?"

I look at Pap's who just shrugs. "Yeah, as long as you don't mind me, I'm cooking."

"Sounds great. Do you mind if I shower there?"

"Mi Casa es Su Casa," I say, but as soon as it left my mouth, I wish I hadn't.

"Okay." Emma laughs out of sympathy, I think. "See you in five minutes."

Paps looks at me and shakes his head. "Mi Casa es Su Casa." He mumbles.

I grab a couple more potatoes and finish pealing. Finally, I get the potatoes on to boil and start preparing the sausages. Now I have a little trick up my sleeve when it comes to cooking sausages. It's a trick my Grammy showed me when I first moved in, and Paps is always happy when I make this for him. It's simple, really; before you grill the sausages, you need to brush them with Worchester Sauce then a little virgin oil, giving it a slight tang.

Just as I am ready to put the sausages under the grill, I hear a knock at the back door. I can see Emma through the glass with a backpack.

"Hi Em, come on in."

As she walks into the kitchen, she looks at Paps. "Hello, Paps."

"Hi Emma, how's the leg?"

"Feeling much better, I even managed a light run today." Emma turns back to me. "Right, where can I shower?"

"I guess you can use mine," I say. "Come on; I will show you how it works."

Emma raises her eyebrows and smiles at Pap's as she turns to follow me to my room. "Sorry, Em, my shower room is the most up to date in the house. Pap's shower is from the stone age." I open my bedroom door and quickly show her the shower room and how to operate the shower. "Right, I need to finish dinner and will leave you to it. The towels on the bed are clean if you need one." I am good at looking after myself as well as Paps.

I go to exit, but Emma grabs my hand. "Mac, are we having our talk after lunch?"

"Yes, of course, we are," I said with confidence.

"Great," She says with a smile. After a quick kiss, I turn and quickly make an exit and head downstairs.

As I re-enter the kitchen, Paps has that goofy look on his face that looks like the cat who got the cream.

"What's that look for?"

"Ah, nothing." He quickly grabs the crossword puzzle he is doing and pretends to be busy. I get back to grilling the sausages.

Twenty minutes later, dinner is ready, but Emma is still not down. I go to the bottom of the stairs and call up. I wait for a moment, but there's no answer. Again I call, but a little louder and wait. I let out the breath that I'm holding and walk up the stairs; all the time, I am listening for any noise to let me know she heard me. I get to my door and knock, still nothing. So I call, again but still nothing. Finally, I put my hand on the doorknob but hesitate before I enter.

"Emma?" I call as I look into my room. I look around the door and see Emma lying on my bed. All she has on is a pair of grey cotton panties and a thin cotton vest. Her head is wrapped into one of my pillows; I can hear her breathing in and humming as she exhales. Even I have to admit that this is the sexiest sight I have ever seen. I quietly back out of the room and close the door. I'm not sure what I should do. I realize that if I had interrupted her, the embarrassment for her would be unbearable.

I stand at the top of the stairs, wondering what to do when I hear her walking around the bedroom. Saved, I call out again. "Emma?"

This time she answers. "Be there in a minute."

"Okay, I'm just dishing up."

"Okay." She calls back. With that, I head back downstairs.

Paps gives me a look when I walk back into the kitchen. "Don't ask," I say. "To either of us. Some things are best not talked about." Paps gives me a confused look but shrugs and goes back to his crossword.

A couple of minutes later, Emma comes down the stairs happily. I'm pleased to see that she hasn't heard me and is acting as nothing has happened. I put the steaming plates on the table. The smell coming off the food is truly mouth-watering. I put a jug of water on the table with enough glasses for everyone. I sit and set the glasses in front of each person. I pour Paps glass then offer Emma some. She nods her head and smiles. We all tuck in, and the ensuing silence tells me everything I needed to know about my offering.

Emma helps me clear the dishes and wash them up. Then, finally, Paps gets up and leaves us to it. I hear the TV go on and am a little surprised. It's a rare occurrence to see Paps sat watching TV.

We clear the kitchen and make our way upstairs.

I go to walk into my recreation room, but Emma stops me. "Do you mind if we go into your bedroom, I don't want to risk Donna seeing us and coming over?" I nod, and we enter the bedroom.

There's not much furniture other than storage and my bed, so Emma sits down on the bed. I walk around and sit on the other side with my back against the headboard.

Emma seems to be a little nervous now. "Where would you like to start, Em?"

"I'm not sure; maybe you should start with your family history."

I smile at her, and she gets on the bed sitting next to me. "Shit," I just remembered something. "Hang on, Em, I forgot something." I jump off the bed and get the company prospectus that I had left in the rec room. I come back into the bed and sit back down, putting the sizable booklet next to Emma. I then proceeded to go through the family history. Once I get to the part about the amalgamation, I can see that Emma has already got to the conclusion, but I finished it anyway.

There was silence for a second, "so you own the entire company?"

"Well, majority shareholding, but that just about sums it up."

"So, how much are you worth?"

"On paper or in personal wealth?"

Emma doesn't expect this question and just stares at me for a second. "Ummmm, both?"

"Right in my bank at this moment, I have around three and a half million....."

"What dollars?"

"Uhhh, yes, dollars and invested in my name in all sorts of bonds and shares is about fifty million. The Ranch on top of that is worth around a hundred. "Emma's eyes are just staring at me, "Now my worth, including the business, is estimated at around one point three billion dollars.

There is silence, not even a holy shit. Then, finally, I look into Emma's eyes, and she is in shock. "Em, are you okay?" Emma nods, so I sit there, giving her a moment.

"So your other car really is a Lamborghini?"

"Yeah, that's Mom's old car under the dust sheet."

"What really, does it work?"

"Yeah, got to take her out at least once a week to keep her running right. She's due a service, and the Engineer likes it to have been run." Emma seems to be satisfied with our conversation about my family history and my wealth. "Em, is there anything else you want or need to ask me on the subject?" Emma shakes her head; she is starting to look a little nervous. "I suppose it's time for the important part of the conversation then. Would you like to start?"

There was a silence while I let Emma compose herself. "Mac......." She blows out the air in her lungs and puffing her cheeks up. I can see she is wondering how to say what she wants. "Mac," she says in a lower voice. "I want to ask you something.......But I'm not sure how to put it."

"Well, I've been honest and open up to now, so I guess that would be a good start."

"Honest?" She looks at me for a second and shifts a little uneasy. "Well, If we are doing this whole honesty thing. I need to tell you that I laid on your bed to dry off when I came out of the shower. Your bed is so comfortable I snuggled into the pillow. It smelt of you.......and I immersed myself in it." She looks into my eyes for my reaction, expecting me not to be happy or something. But, instead, all she got was a calm, understanding smile; I was pleased she had confessed that to me. I'm not sure why, but it set me at ease.

We are sitting closer together now, holding hands. "Okay, if it's confession time, then I knew that you had laid on my bed with your head buried into my pillow. Because when I called you for dinner and got no answer after three shouts, I came up to see if you were alright. I saw you on the bed, didn't know what to do, so left you to it. I didn't want you to get embarrassed and to affect our evening together by becoming awkward."

Now it was my turn to look into Emma's eyes for a reaction. All I got was the same understanding smile I had given her. "You're still as sweet as you used to be." Emma finally said. I just went red and had to look away. "So Mac, yesterday reaffirmed something in my head." She is now staring at our hands, and her nerves are almost getting the better of her. "When we used to hang out, my dreamed was to call you my boyfriend." She paused for a moment. She looks back up at me and keeps steady eye contact. "We were so young, but I felt something there; we just seem to fit. Each time we have hugged and kissed, I get the same feeling. You even smell the same. Then yesterday all my friends and family referred to you as my boyfriend. The necklace you bought me and the way you sang that Ed Sheeran song. The way we are together naturally, but you haven't asked, and I would like......" Emma trails off, "sorry, I'm babbling on."