One Man’s Vision

(Set in England, the main character is a sexist pig with some charm)

Ross Innes, chief executive of the Fraiche Sports and Recreation Centre, was declared the large English town's 'Outstanding Citizen of the Quadrennial' in recognition of his four-year stint in salvaging the town's ailing public sports and recreation facility.

The centre was now regarded as one of the best council-owned or subsidised amenities of its type in smaller communities in England.

The first thing Ross, a cheerful and conscious-free womaniser, had done when appointed CEO after assessing the ailing centre now under his management, was to devise a rescue scheme for the centre with the help of an architect.

When the Borough of Fraiche approval Ross's plans and cost-estimates for the redevelopment plan, he arranged for the erection of a 30-foot steel tower on top of the Events Hall to carry an automatic re-igniting gas flame that was financed by his wealthy parents who'd devised, had manufactured in China for the company to distribute nationally Unisex Slimming-Effect Under Garments for Everyday Wear.

When his neatly corseted mother Barbara ignited the flame for the first time by turning on the gas supply, Ross told the small gathering of cynical media corps "This flame signals a new era for the Fraiche Sports and Recreation Centre as a public amenity that will be the pride of this community."

"Bullshit," muttered Lionel Walsh, sports editor of the Fraiche Times.

"Lionel you doubter," Ross smiled. "As soon as we have renovated the men's gym at the cost of £83,000, you will be invited to officially open it and will receive a complimentary 5-year subscription."

"Now, is there anyone here prepared to say something uplifting about this innovative project that could become the beginning of a renaissance for our entire town?"

"I think the concept of this beacon is quite cool, Ross," said Mary Innes, a reporter working for Fraiche TV. "It stands as a landmark for what will become Ross Innes' triumph or possibly Ross Innes' folly."

The media knew that Ross and his married sister Mary had conspired for her to deliver that little 'uplifting' titbit. After free beer wine and buns, reporters left to write up or prepare to broadcast their little piece about 'Ross's Folly'.

Mary's film-clip on local TV news that evening was the only supportive reaction from the local media coverage.

But that negativism produced an extraordinary backlash that triggered a groundswell of public support.

Ed Culver, a building contractor and a former Mayor of Fraiche, featured on the front page of the Times two days later, ripping into the media for being so negative about one of the most brilliant developments the town had seen in 150 years.

No one was sure why Ed had picked 150 years, because that far back, Fraiche was only a village then with a dairy factory that processed fresh milk and cream as the village's only significant local employer.

In the newspaper interview, the ex-Mayor alleged, "This city is in danger of becoming a backwater unless citizens rally and assist the redevelopment of the sports and recreation centre as it potentially stands as a renaissance within our community as a whole."

"I'm hurting my back pocket and promise Ross and his team that my company will donate £50,000 in labour costs in doing work on the refit of the centre and all materials we supply will be at cost plus 10%."

In the following morning's newspaper, Philips and Sons Plumbers and Philpot and McArthur Re-roofing Contractors, announced they won contracts there would be no charge for labour for their work at the centre's restoration project, and that ignited a huge flow of public support (mostly talk) for the huge project.

* * *

Ross, a former champion road cyclist and, at just thirty, was still not interested in marriage, lay beside his occasional girlfriend, Mrs Wendy Marsh, architect, after two hours of rutting.

"Omigod, I wish I could take you home to show my husband Ted how to perform."

"That's a bad idea Wendy."

They laughed.

Ross tweaked a nipple and asked, "Is your firm coming through with a big discount to the council for your work on this project?"

"I'll take my proposal to the partners at our fortnightly admin meeting on Friday."

"Good and I'm backing you, Wendy."

"Oh, does that mean that at last you plan to have backdoor sex with me?"

"Um, yes. Ah that's a positive yes."

They laughed.

Ross left the motel last and thinking that Wendy really wasn't too bad. At forty-three. she was the oldest women he'd ever banged, by far actually. He mused that she was much better than many of the younger women he'd bedded over the years. He'd tried hard to inspire her to develop his concepts for the centre restoration and upgrade, and his passionate belief in his dream had led to her making a pass at him.

Gee, she was a mother of three and his mom found out that he was banging Mary, she would want to remove his nuts.

Wendy had gone against the flow in his sexual preference, he smiled. The fact was his preference for the age of females tended to flow in the opposite direction to the norm.

At present, he was occasionally banging a recent university female graduate in treasury at the council whom he'd met when out running one Sunday morning and they popped in for a comfort stop and coffee and she'd taken an obvious fancy to him.

Taylor was not quite twenty-four. God his mom would really berate him if she found that out. The thing about Taylor was she enjoyed being titty fucked and managed it like a veteran.

He arrived at his office and his admin manager, the elderly Mrs Stokes rushed in and said, "Don't remove your jacket. You've been summoned to the office of the chief executive."

"I don't make house calls."

"At 9:15 sharp she said and snarled 'sharp'."

"Hmm, what do you think Mrs Stokes?"

"I do wish you'd call me Carol."

"What, and have everyone thinking we were having an affair?"

Carol, conductor of her church choir, turned white and she choked, "Sue said the boss appears wound up."

"Ah I get it. The Mayor will be angry that Ed Culver has said publicly that this town is in danger of going to the dogs and he's ripped a strip off Barbara and instructed her that no contracts are to be let to Ed's company."

"Oh god, Mr Culver was inspirational in speaking out like that. What will you do?"

"Tell the council's most senior officer. the Chief Executive, what she expects I'll say, which is get fucked."

"Don't you dare be so naughty Ross. Now I'm speaking on behalf of your mother, please exercise diplomacy."

"Oh right, give me a kiss Mrs Stokes."

"Get stuffed," she snapped and left, leaving Ross looking as little shocked.

Barbara Jones, her voice tight, said, "Good morning Ross. Two coffees please Sue, (her PA), and we're not to be disturbed."

"Has World War 3 broken out?"

Sue giggled and Barbara scowled and pulled her linen jacket across her chest protectively, aware she was dealing with Ross Innes who preferred looking at breasts to looking at female's faces.

"Ross, now listen very carefully and without interrupting me. Mayor White has had a word in my ear..."

"Tell him to get fucked. Christ Barbara if you do what he wants you two could be charged by the anti-corruption authorities for local authorities with conspiring to give unfavourable treatment to companies tendering for contracts with the council."

Barbara looked horrified.

"Has Mayor White been talking to you?"

"No because he has you as his henchwoman. It's just I know how he thinks. He's a grocer although he owns our town's largest supermarket, but he's still has a grocer's mentality. Ed Culver deserves to be awarded Freedom of the City rather than shafted for his boost to the centre upgrade that could initiate a renaissance within this town. Christ Barbara, wake up and stop being a mouse."

"Ross Innes, how dare you speak to me like that, I'm your superior and you are out of order," shouted the Chief Executive just as Sue opened the door to bring in the coffee and she said, "Mrs Jones, everyone out in the foyer and in the general office can hear you."

"I don't care and..."

"Mrs Jones, please. Mr Innes is not to be feared and this is not the best way to handle him."

Ross and Barbara looked at the 24-year old PA who was also assistant media relations officer with some astonishment just as Barbara's office manager entered and said, "Barbara this interview with Mr Innes is creating a disturbance."

Barbara leant back in her chair, wrapping her jacket even tighter and said, "I need coffee. And Felicity please arrange for Sue to be replaced immediately."

Sue looked dismayed and Ross, already impressed by her, said, "Felicity, have her transferred to my project's support team from the council as my um chief liaison officer. I need a trouble-shooter unafraid to exhibit authority."

"Barbara?"

"Just do what Mr Innes says Felicity."

"Don't I have any say in this?" Sue asked calmly.

Barbara said no and Ross said he guaranteed she'd love her new demanding job and she'd work with him rather than for him.

"This is not an impulse position," he said. "I've been looking for the right person to fill that position."

"How do you know I'm the right person?"

"Intuition I guess and if you are the wrong person for the fit then I'll admit my mistake and ask that you be transferred."

"I think I like you already," Sue smiled.

Barbara said, "Omigod we can do without this. Off you go Felicity and Sue."

When they left, Barbara said sternly, "For one person Ross, you are an amazing disruptive influence."

"Yeah, well it may appear that way to people who think like bureaucrats."

"Just be careful you don't push too far, Ross. Now, where were we?"

"We were discussing the possibility of you and the Mayor ending up in jail."

Barbara sighed.

"Thanks for winding me up Ross, and that tells how to come out of this avoiding failure. I'll tell the Mayor I made the request as diplomatically as I could and you threatened to send him and me to jail. I'll then say I backed out saying I was only testing the water and you departed smiling and you kissed me and said thanks for being sensible."

"Could that be amended to kissed you and felt your boobs?"

"No, it could not. Don't be so disgusting. I have no idea why I put up with this crap from you. Off you go," she said standing and shaking her head.

"Oh, I can't make a liar out of you. I'll have to kiss you."

He kissed the 55-year old on the lips and met no resistance, not even when he glided a hand over her right tit and squeezed.

"I suppose that I have just experienced my most unusual time ever in any workplace," she smiled as he turned at the door and winked.

Ross walked to his office in the centre immediately behind the council admin building thinking he got away with such disarming behaviour because he was a risk-taker and had a good smile.

Carol his admin manager said, "Mr Culver called inviting you to lunch at 12:30 at the Red Lion. I accepted on your behalf."

"Thanks."

"And don't forget to note in your diary if he pays. You won't wish to be accused of accepting hidden bribes from a potential tenderer of council contracts."

"Correct and thanks for being so thoughtful."

"Are you about to apologize for speaking to me the way you did earlier?"

"No."

"I thought as much. Some women would have reported you to HR for behaviour that was sexist and unbecoming for a department head."

"Yeah but you know and I know you are not one of those cry-babies. You also know that I'm a contracted officer of the council, not a salaried officer which means I'm elevated above rubber-stamping permanent employees."

Carol sighed and smiled and he said, "Sue is coming to work for us as my trouble-shooter."

"Omigod, she's such a delightful person. Um, what did our big boss want?"

"To be kissed and have a tit squeezed."

Carol sighed and returned to her office.

* * *

Ross was locking the chain to his bicycle in the parking area behind the Red Lion when Ed Culver drove up in his old black and dented Jaguar. They shook hands. Ed wife was formerly Annie McArthur, daughter of the late Harry McArthur, a land developer who became a millionaire as a land developer after buying 27 acres of mudflats at the mouth of Fraiche Creek that he redeveloped over 15 years to become Fraiche Harbour.

"You haven't resumed dating my daughter."

"She inconveniently married."

"Yeah, well I didn't think that would stop you."

"Well Ed, Amelia has something you have no knowledge of and it's called ethical behaviour."

Ed laughed and with his big meaty arm smacked Ross heavily on the back, almost winding him.

During lunch of red wine with both of them choosing pork pie with mashed potatoes and peas, Ed said, "The reason for this lunch is to tell you that my darling Annie has warmed me that in launching a full-blown upgraded Fraiche Sports and Recreation Centre, council bureaucrats will needlessly stifle our freedom to proceed with the revival plans we intend to proceed with panache. We need to know what you think."

"I think it's a truly a great idea to water-down council direct involvement in the development of my vision, but as council money is involved, we accept some supervision.

"Ah, and that raises the point that everything we do must be above board, just as you will be paying for this lunch to avoid me paying and having that being regarded as a bribe."

"Ross, it's good that you approve Annie's concept because she's due to announce on the local TV news this evening she's plans to set up a group of six influential citizens including the Mayor to apply for the group to be registered as a charity trust to take over the administration and running of the centre as a charity when redevelopment is completed, thereby removing it from direct council control."

"What, remove it from council control to the control of a bureaucratic trust?"

"Oh, we may have to tinker with that control concept and you've raised that objection with excellent timing. Um, Annie has arranged for you and me to appear on the 'After the News Half-hour program tonight at 7:00 to be interviewed about the need for the entire community to get behind this development."

"The new aim is to complete development of the Sports and Recreation Centre within 2½ to three years, instead of the timetable of five years insisted by the Council."

"Jesus," Ross smiled.

They laughed and Ross said the Mayor would be pissed off with community enthusiasts re-setting the agenda.

"Oh, don't worry, Ed said. "Our people will escape the wrath of the Mayor. Annie will have just announced it was your idea Ross to halve the time for completion because you are the of guy who likes getting things done expeditiously."

"Oh, great idea," Ross said. "The Mayor will now know he has only one butt to kick."

Ed thumped the table and laughed and despite not being the host, ordered two more pork pies and two glasses of red wine for their table.

Ross said, "The trouble with that suggestion is if we don't get the upgrade completed within three years, I'll get the credit for that flop although it wasn't my idea."

"No problem," Ed said expansively. "In public life the wrong people receive the credit all the time. It's how the system works. You arrived here, saw what was wrong with your centre. You grabbed the city's most creative architect and gave birth to a concept that is now on the roll to becoming reality. The fact is three years or five years to complete, does that really matter at this time when work has yet to start? You are the instigator of all this Ross and not even the Mayor can steal that credit due to you."

"But I'm not seeking any credit, a renaissance is what this city needs."

"Yeah, well young man just be careful with those big words if you wish to be understood. Fortunately, Annie told me what a renaissance means and I don't know why but all of a sudden, I saw the light and knew I had to get in behind you and pull in others with me. And then Annie offered her support and had even bigger ideas and as they say, we were away."

* * *

That night on TV, the interview Gloria Perkins asked, "And what enticed you to back Mr Innes in this project, Mr Culver?"

"Well Glory, um Gloria, the Culvers have been in Fraiche before there even was a village as 10-square miles around where the town now lay was Culver farm. Then the family head of the day, Christopher Culver, decided to build a milk processing plant to bottle milk and cream as he'd seen being done in other parts of the country. That was a great success and led to the establishment of a village housing factory workers and their families and over time that tin pot village grew into our present day-town, a distinctive regional centre."

"Then do you know how the settlement got its name?"

"Yes, Christopher Culver had married a beautiful French woman called Emanuele and when given the first bottle of milk produced at the factory she sipped and cried, "Ah Chris, this is milk is so fraiche."

"Ah I see, she lapsed into French and said fraiche instead of fresh."

"Yes, and Christopher, a former cow herder, said to guys at the factory, that really was only a small shed, "Let's call this locality Emanuele."

"Oh no," cried Emanuele according to the written account my mother possesses, "The English don't like the French. Call this new place Fraiche."

"Omigod, Gloria cried, "Why have we have to wait until now to learn the origins and the name of our town that now has a population of 47,717?"

"I guess because until now no one ever asked a Culver. That descendent of mine, Jonathon Culver, was the first Mayor of Fraiche."

"Should I go?" Ross said. "You two appear to be set to fill the full thirty minutes allocated for this interview."

"Oh no, my apologies Mr Innes and please answer this question: "Why did you decide to bust a gut and strive to substantial upgrade the Sport and Recreational Centre when you could have just sat back and taken life easy as director of that centre."

"I just awoke one morning with a hard on and a vision."

"Omigod."

"Are you allowed to say 'vision' on TV?"

Gloria giggled.

"Woops, but I'll get away with it because this is a great interviewer. You are the first person to ask me why and so drew that disclosure out of me. And you have opened up Ed here to get a missing part of the founding history of this town."

"Gloria, you'll be remembered as the astute TV interviewer who unlocked a 150-year old naming secret and what triggered me to begin something that I hope will continue on a roll and become the renaissance of the town of Fraiche. The town doesn't deserve its backwater status, don't you think?"

"I'm not permitted as an interviewer to editorialize on air."

"Gloria let go and say it. The sky won't fall in. We need people in highly visible positions to look to the future instead of wallowing on their backside like so many people around here who are against progress without knowing why. You have a cute backside Gloria."

Gloria flushed and said thanks rather shyly.

"Right here goes. Generally speaking, this city is an untidy dump as if no one cares. Several times I've thought of leaving for a more uplifting environment, but my parents and my grandparents live here and my own family live comfortably here with good friends and they can't wait for the Sports and Reaction Centre to be redeveloped into a modern-day centre."

"Yes, I Gloria Perkins put my hand up as a supporter for the progressive overall upgrading of public buildings and amenities in the town of Fraiche. And now Mr Innes, please tell us more about your vision."

Ross scratched behind and ear and said. "Well this is the strange thing. There were no bells and whistles, vehicle horns blaring and fireworks lighting the sky and an image of me standing in white aglow of light like some kind of Messiah."