Ned's Big Payday Pt. 05

Ned replied, "Beth, you told me when we first met that you were looking for a man like your dad. Do you see your dad in Mark?"

"That's the best thing about him. He's just like my dad in many ways. He's a hard worker and never contented with the status quo. Although his parents are well off, Mark is working his way through medical school. He works as a nurse's assistant at the university hospital. His dad did similar jobs to work his way through forty-five years ago. The whole family seems to be that way. His dad spent five years working in the Doctors Without Boarders organization and was in Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria. I was shocked but so happy when he told me. Mark is for real. The whole family cares about people."

"Beth, that's wonderful. I'm happy for you. As I recall, he lives in Tampa, Florida. Are you making any plans for the holidays with him?"

"Yes, he's invited me to Tampa to meet his parents. We'll be flying down on December 23. Ned, I think this is serious. I'm totally happy for the first time in a very long time. You enabled that and I love you for it. Thank you."

"I'm thrilled that it's going your way and will be thinking about you two. Please stay in touch and let me know if there's anything I can do to help. You're a jewel and have so much love to give. I'm happy for you, Beth."

***

As Angie entered Ned's condo, he could tell that something wasn't right. She was not her usual happy self.

"What wrong, Angie?"

"Everything." She began crying as Ned reached to hold her.

"Please tell me what happened," Ned pleaded. He led her to the sofa and held her until she was composed.

She said, "Mom told me this morning that she's turning the company over to me starting now and that I have two years to learn everything necessary to run it. She and Tom are getting married and she's moving to Nashville."

Ned replied, "That's a surprise, but not that unexpected, is it?"

"I guess I never connected all the dots to see it coming," Angie said. "I knew she was in love with Tom and that a marriage was likely sometime down the road. While two years seems a long time, it isn't. She's hired a consulting company Tom recommended to come in and train me. I met with the guy leading that effort today. He's developed the plan and it's extensive and intensive."

"Sweetheart, I think you're underestimating yourself. You're very intelligent and people in the company love you. You can do it."

"Ned, all my life, Mom has been my protector, confidant, advisor and a shoulder for me to lean on. My father was never a part of my life in that way. I was always under her wing, so to speak. Now she's evicting me, and I've got to learn how to run a multi-million-dollar company with over 100 families depending on me for their income. And it'll soon be over 130 families. I'm scared, really scared."

"Angie, you've watched your mom and have seen her in action. There's nothing that she's done that you can't do starting in two years."

"It's not the big, obvious decisions that scare me, it's the little things that I didn't see. How she handles personnel conflicts, how she keeps people motivated, how she decides who should be leading projects and how to monitor and influence their success without getting in the way."

"Sweetheart, all of that will come naturally to you. You understand people and care for people. That's where good management skills come from -- your heart. And your mom is still going to be available to help you as needed. But she'll not get in your way if you want to change things. Tom will also make sure you have what you need to succeed. If he recommended these consultants, it's because he's benefited from their advice."

Angie replied, "It just seems so overwhelming. Do you really think I can do it?"

"There's an old riddle that asks, 'How do you eat an elephant?' The answer is, 'One bite at a time.' Now let's look at the bites you probably should take. What is the biggest immediate challenge you see?"

Angie thought for a while and answered, "I only know about ten of our employees well enough to call them friends and supporters. I've been in the company for a year and Mom has had me working on small projects with only a few people. There are ninety I don't know other than to say 'hi' when we pass in the hall."

Ned asked, "What can you do about that?"

"I need to sit down with each and get to know them. I need to know about their family and how they like to work, what motivates them, what ideas they have to make our company better. I need to know them as a person, not just an employee that we need."

Ned replied, "That's a great plan. Now how do you make that happen?"

"Since I'm going to be in training most of the day, the best time would be over lunch. Maybe I could invite each to lunch at a local restaurant and just sit and talk as we eat. I've always thought people interact better while eating."

Ned exclaimed, "That's perfect. Give each employee their own time with you. They also want to know about you. What they know now is what other people say and what they observe in team meetings."

Angie replied, "You're right, Ned. I've got to break this big challenge into smaller challenges. I think that's what David's plan is trying to do, but I may want his plans to be broken into even smaller segments. My fears are coming from the enormity of the final goal, not from the smaller steps I can take now."

"Talk it over with your mom and see what she thinks. I'll bet she'll agree."

***

Ned spent four days in Nashville to meet with the fourteen former employees of the bankrupt video production company. He met for 30 minutes with each to discuss their background, judge their enthusiasm and gather personal information. A background check on each would be done by HR in Denver. Ned called Angie to report his findings which were all positive.

He met with two commercial real estate agents to find available office space. After looking at longer term plans for the Nashville field office, Angie and Kate asked him to find space for 40 people that could be leased for at least five years.

With Tom's local knowledge of the area and going rental rates, Ned approached each agent with offers and options for upgrades needed. He found that they were hungry for business and that led to a bidding war of how low could they go. His background in psychology paid big dividends as the negotiations evolved. When Ned told Tom the results, he was astonished. Together, they called Angie and Kate with the details. The ladies were excited when they saw the photos and location.

***

The company Christmas party was held at a volunteer fire department's banquet hall. Kate had a committee working to make it as successful as it has been in the past. The entire immediate family of each employee, along with partners or significant others of unmarried employees, were invited. A local DJ was hired to provide the music for dancing as well as a caterer for the very large buffet. A sub-committee did the decorations and hired the best-looking Santa Claus you could imagine to distribute presents to all the small children.

The volunteer firemen entertained the kids and allowed them to sit in and climb on the engines with their help, always with someone taking photos to preserve the fun memories. Kate had given a huge donation to the fire department for several years and the firemen loved her.

A Christmas bonus of $3000 per employee was deposited into their bank accounts the afternoon of the party. That helped create a very festive atmosphere and good cheer among all the families.

Kate, Angie and Ned circulated and exchanged Christmas greetings with all. Angie and Ned also visited with the children and read them stories and sang carols. As Santa was delivering the presents and posing for photos with the children, Kate felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw Tom standing there smiling. He'd arrived to surprise her a day early. They hugged and discreetly kissed cheeks as the employees looked on. Who was this guy, they wondered.

The party was another great success. Kate congratulated and thanked the committee members publicly just before it ended. She didn't introduce Tom since she planned to do that much later. Only a few employees asked about the consultants seen coming and going. Kate assured them that was only normal business practice intended to help her be a better leader and grow the company even faster. All seemed satisfied and even glad to hear that.

***

Later at home, Denise and Jason were very happy to finally meet Tom. They all had a nightcap in the family room and talked for more than an hour.

When alone, Kate and Tom sat holding hands and kissing.

Kate said, "I've missed you these last few weeks. I daydream more than I should, often during meetings where I should be paying attention."

Tom replied, "I'm guilty. This being apart is necessary, I know, but it still sucks. How is Angie doing?"

"She's handling the new situation better than I expected. Ned is a psychologist by education, and he's been helpful. He had her break down her fears into manageable portions and create an action list of how to overcome each. She immediately recognized that it was important to know each employee on a personal basis. She's inviting each to have lunch with her at a local restaurant -- just one on one. She's learning important facts about them and how they like to interact with each other and with management. Many good ideas are coming out and Angie is delighted with the whole process."

Tom said, "That's something I should have done."

Kate replied, "Exactly. I never did it and I've now realized how stupid I was for not taking that time. Our people need to feel important and respected and heard. I've no doubt that Angie is going to change how we do things. She's already learned about one insurance benefit that we should be offering. We've not been reimbursing living expenses for family members incurred while treatment is given out of the area. Two of our people have children that must receive specialized treatment out of state. Angie has made the decision that we will cover those travel and living expenses for the parent accompanying the child."

"I need to look into that," Tom said, "I'm not sure we do it. I can see how that would be a great benefit."

"She also found out that we have too many people on our video production teams. She learned that two of the jobs could be combined. Angie called the field managers and they reluctantly agreed with the idea. Seems like they were using the extra help to run errands. That will free up seven employees we can used to create a new production team."

Tom replied, "My goodness, she's embraced her new role."

"David is also expanding her mind with training on investment analysis and strategic planning. They spend at least four hours daily working on that. David tells me that she's a quick learner and has asked many great questions."

Tom replied, "David helped me on those subjects a few years ago. It made a big difference in the way I looked at potential new projects."

Kate said, "I should have had that training. It probably would have saved me lots."

She and Tom embraced again, and he said he'd heard about the massage table and wondered if Kate might like one. She was thrilled.

As she stood next to the table, she asked him to remove her clothing. With deliberate care, he unbuttoned, unhooked and unzipped it all. As her bra lowered to reveal those lovely breasts, Tom leaned down and sucked a nipple as his hand found the inside of her panties for a few minutes of "hard" work. With a series of moans and gasps, Kate's first orgasm in over two weeks announced itself. Her clit was being massaged by the most wonderful man in her life and the tingling buzzed through her body.

She asked if she could take a shower and Tom accompanied her. They had great plans for the night that should start with clean bodies.

Once she was in position on the table, Tom started with her legs and feet, devoting lots of attention to her toes. He loved having his erection rubbing against a lovely woman's feet. Kate could sense what he wanted and relaxed her feet to give him total control. It didn't take long before she could hear his moans and feel the semen hit her legs. She lay perfectly still to allow him to do whatever he wanted.

In a moment, she felt his finger rubbing up her leg, evidently to gather semen for another duty. She felt him spread her ass cheeks and kiss her anus several times. Tom lubricated her hole with his semen and slowly inserted a finger as far up her rectum as possible. The amazing sensation stunned her. As he worked his finger in and out, her temperature rose, and her face and throat flushed. She squeezed his finger with her sphincter muscle. Damn, that felt good, she thought.

Tom, being an ass-loving guy, was in a dream world. His wish now a reality, he watched his finger plunging in and out of the rectum of the most beautiful woman in the world. She enjoyed his finger and could feel the early signs of another orgasm coming. Then he stopped, turned her over and licked her vulva and clit until she moaned over and over. She squirmed under his mouth and then grabbed his head and pulled it into her crotch as the heat and tingling slammed her senses. She collapsed on the table to rest a minute.

After showering, they crawled under the covers and snuggled with her back nestled in his chest. He cupped her breast and fingered a nipple as they talked.

Kate said, "I was shocked to see you at the party. I thought you were coming tomorrow and that I'd pick you up at the airport."

"I was able to clear my schedule and take a commercial flight over. Everything is slowing down for the holidays, so it was easy. I couldn't wait to see you."

"I think I told you Ned's parents are also coming tomorrow. I'm glad to finally meet them and for them to meet Angie. It's a bonus that you can be here at the same time. They seem like just the all-American family from Iowa."

Tom replied, "I look forward to meeting them. Ned seems like a great young man and that usually reflects his parents."

Kate turned and helped him consummate their friendship once again.

***

Janet and Rob departed the baggage claim at the El Paso airport and saw his parents waiting. He'd not been home in five months.

Rob introduced Janet to Clayton and Rebecca Travis, his parents. Smiles and words of greeting were exchanged, and Janet gave each a brief good-to-meet-you hug.

The scenic drive to the ranch was interesting. The land was very different from what she saw in Denver. The West Texas area had been in a drought for more than a year. Normally green grasses were brown. The whole land looked like it was suffering from lack of rain. Still, there was a rugged beauty to it.

Clayton and Rebecca were intrigued by Janet. They thought she was beautiful, obviously intelligent, athletic and a very good conversationalist. Rob had not told them much about her other than they were dating. It was up to Rebecca to learn all she could about this young lady. Clayton was a listener, not a talker, unless something really needed to be said. Rob split the difference in the personalities of his mom and dad but was more like his dad in the way he carried himself and his mannerisms.

Rebecca said, "We're delighted to have you visit us over the holidays. Rob hasn't said much about you except that you're beautiful and a cheerleader. Please tell us a little about yourself, Janet."

"Mrs. Travis, thank you for having me. Rob and I have become dear friends and I'm thrilled to finally meet you. I'm 21 and in my third year at the university. I major in early childhood education. I have a focus on homeschooling and hope to write and publish teaching materials for parents to use with their children. With the help of my professors, I've written two manuals that are ready for publication and have a third one underway. It will be sold as a three-volume set."

"My goodness, Janet. That's wonderful. Several of our friends and two of our ranch hands are homeschooling. Their children are in the fourth grade or higher. The kids are doing well on their standardized tests, so it seems to be working. What grade levels are you targeting?"

"From pre-school age three to third grade or age nine. That's a critical time in a child's mental development," replied Janet.

Rebecca asked, "Are you from the Denver area?"

"No ma'am, I grew up in Montana. My parents were killed in an automobile accident four years ago. I now view my grandparents as my parents, and they live in Billings. I was an only child."

"I'm so sorry," said Rebecca. "That had to be devastating."

"Yes, it was. With the help of friends at school and a psychologist I know, I'm now doing okay. But it was tough to accept."

Rebecca continued, "What did your parents do in Montana?"

"They owned a chain of restaurants and a few commercial buildings in Billings. They were killed by a drunk driver who ran a red light and T-boned their car."

Seeking to change the subject, Janet said, "I understand from Rob that you have an excellent voice and sing at your church."

Rebecca replied, "I enjoy singing and music of most all genres. Rob sings duets with me and that's fun."

"He sang to me one night and I was super impressed. Any girl would love to have him sing 'Unchanged Melody' to her. He said it was a favorite of yours."

Rebecca replied, "It is. I loved the Righteous Brothers in my early years and still do. Their music is timeless."

Rob said, "We're just about to turn onto the ranch property. This drive is private and goes to our house and a bunkhouse used by our unmarried ranch hands. There are three other houses along the way that are used by our married ranch hands and their families."

Clayton said, "Since you were last home, we've started construction on a new barn and another house for a ranch hand family. One of our unmarried hands is now engaged and will be living there with his new bride."

Janet asked, "Mr. Travis, how many ranch hands work for you?"

"We've got seven right now. It varies by time of the year. Some are part-time."

Rebecca asked, "Do you ride, Janet?"

"Not in a long time. I'm a novice for sure."

Rob reached for her hand and said, "We'll change that this week. I have just the horse for you."

Janet thought, "why did I say I was a novice? Horses have always scared me to death. Oh god."

The End of Ch 15