Real Love Ch. 22

Writer's Notes:

'Real Love' is my personal tribute to JammyJimmy's (JJ) story, 'Threads: The Island'. I give JJ credit, because credit is due, for this story and for my own inspiration and entrance into writing. 'Real Love' is actually the first story I wrote, even before 'Tale of Two Teens', my first published story.

As I was writing this story way back when, I was hoping JJ would be the editor. Having been unable to make contact with him, I have been reluctant to release it. Some say JJ has passed away, but I don't know. JJ, if you read this and want this story removed, please contact me. Several readers have relayed to me, both publically and privately, that they would like it released.

Therefore, 'Real Love' is an unauthorized, reimagined rewrite and sequel to JJ's story, 'Threads: The Island'. The general storyline in JJ's story is embedded in this story. Several of the character names have been changed because this is my story. Anyone who has read JJ's story will identify the characters quickly, starting with my main character, Bradley Weber, formerly known as Kyle Watson in JJ's story.

This story is long, but tolerant and filled with several emotions. If you stick with it, you will experience euphoria, happiness, sadness, sorrow and it will make you horny. You'll be disgusted, pissed off, scared and you'll grieve, cry, frown, smile and sometimes, you'll laugh, I hope.

'Real Love' starts off slow, but gains speed with age. Feel free to leave comments about what you like and what you dislike about the story. Feedback is a good thing for those writers who want to know what reader's like and dislike about their stories.

Please don't be mean in the comments because those that put in many hours over a period of several months, and thought into designing and writing these stories don't appreciate it, nor do they deserve it.

I do hope you enjoy the 'Real Love' series. Just don't forget one important detail -- it's fiction. Please do give us 'not so professional' writers a little slack.

JJ, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, fair winds and following seas my friend.

Let the saga of Bradley Weber continue...

MDSW

* * * * *

"Congratulations on your relationship you two!" Craig says shaking Brad's hand. "I've never seen Kelly happier than she is right now. She's glowing, but... Even you're a little different than the first day I spoke with you. You have confidence you didn't have when I laid that bombshell on you. I must say, you handled it better than most people do and I'm favorably impressed with your performance as an owner."

"Thanks, Craig, I feel like I have grown up during my time here and somewhat grown into this job."

"You have... Are you and your sisters ready for the contract reviews?" Craig asks.

"Sure. Let's do it."

Brad collects his two sisters and Kelly and follows Craig to the business suite. On the way, he tells Debi where they'll be if she needs them, and also tells his sisters what they're going to be doing.

"Kelly, why are you so teary," Craig asks after he notices Kelly with wetness in her eyes as they enter the business suite.

Brad replies quickly, "I just kicked her out of her en-suite."

"That's not the whole story Craig," Kelly says. "He just asked me to move in with him. I'm just a little happy right now is all."

Peggy and Stacy hug them both before Brad starts the meeting.

"Before we get to the reviews," Brad says as they take their seats, "I would like to discuss a few things."

Craig nods.

"First, is my desire is to end contract termination dates for specific employees so I'd like to ask you about open employment contracts. Do you have any problems with them?"

"Not if they're properly worded, Craig says. "Who do you have in mind?"

"All the assistants," he replies.

"May I ask why?"

"Of course you may. Go ahead, ask... Just kidding."

They all smile. Craig chuckles.

"First, it removes some of the stress involved in this job, knowing their employment doesn't automatically terminate at some point in the future," Brad begins. "Second, my goal is to reduce the turnover rate at this level because every time we have to replace an assistant, it slows us down while the new assistant catches up. Third, job performance and attitude should dictate salary. That way, everyone gets a similar evaluation based on those and other factors. Fourth, the better negotiators get the better salary, which may not reflect their abilities as an assistant. Fifth, my two assistants don't like termination dates. Peggy, what do you think about this?"

"As you put it, Brad. Five good reasons. Rick doesn't like termination dates either."

"Stacy."

"Same with Nikki," Stacy says.

"Sounds like we all agree!"

"Wait Brad, you didn't ask Kelly," Peggy says.

"Not so, Peggy. She was the first person I asked, before we departed for our trip. Debi was the second. They're the fifth reason I gave."

"Oh. Okay then. You're off the hook."

She winks at him.

"Brad, I like it. It also saves me some work. Let me think about the words for the contract and I will get back to you."

"One down," Brad says. "Next up is the 'no hanky panky rule between professionals' in the company rulebook. I would like it removed."

"Again, may I ask why?"

"Primarily because you can't control who you fall in love with, or in lust with for that matter. Kelly and I are a perfect example of that. It's completely out of our hands. Telling people they can't fall in love is ludicrous. If the attraction is there, it happens, with or without a rule opposing it. I do not agree that it is necessary to fire people just because they fall in love either, but they should always act in a professional manner while at work, nor should their personal relationship affect their work performance. Also, assistants need personal relationships with their leader so they communicate better. Some people may consider that hanky panky."

"Peggy, Stacy, what do you think?"

They both agree, but says they are learning this and it's too soon for them to offer an opinion on the matter.

"I won't argue that, either. I will get it done... May I make an observation?" Craig asks.

"Sure, go for it."

"You're making changes here that are out of the norm. My only problem with that is I can't find fault with them, other than to say 'it's not normally done'," he says smiling. "Good philosophy, Brad. I'm beginning to think that people will like working for you. Just be careful, however, your companies don't turn into orgies."

Laughing, Brad says, "Thanks Craig. Great advice. Let's make sure there's something in the rulebook to deter that from happening please and we will resolve this issue at a later date... Next up, is Craig Alden. You're getting to the point where you may want to enjoy the fruits of your long commitment to living. Do you have your replacement in the works yet?"

Craig replies, chuckling, "Nicely put, Brad. I was going to talk about that very thing at the end of this meeting, but we can do it now. I have five individuals I'm evaluating as my replacement. When I do decide on one, I will set up an interview with the team and we will go from there."

"Thanks Craig. Always thinking ahead."

"Done."

"Next up is Kelly's promotion. I would like to promote her to lead senior executive assistant. She will handle all matters pertaining to assistants and will oversee their performance, training and reviews. She will have total authority over them, including employment decisions. Literally, she will be their boss. Specifically, she will be overseeing Debi, Nikki and Rick and any others hired as an assistant for the three of us, plus, maintain her current contract duties. What's her current salary?"

"If I may interject Brad. Do you want to discuss this in her presence? It's not usually done."

"I'm not a usual boss either, as you have learned. Besides, I have already discussed this new position with her and we have no secrets. She knows my salary by now and I'm about to find out her's so there are no problems as far as I'm concerned," Brad replies.

"No problems here either," Kelly says.

"I'm beginning to see that," Craig says. "Her salary is $70 grand a year, Brad."

I would like her to get the new open employment contract and increase her salary to $85 grand, effective when the new contract, which includes her promotion, is signed. Her current contract doesn't expire for two more years, so if she signs this one, it will terminate all others. Stacy, Peggy, you on board with this?"

"Sure Brad. She's your assistant. You can do what you feel is right by her," Peggy says and Stacy agrees.

"Got it," Craig says.

"Next is Nikki. How long has she worked here, when is her contract up and what does she make?"

"Nikki has been here for a year and a half, roughly. She has no marks on her record, her contract terminates in 6 months and she's earning $54 grand a year," Craig replies.

"Stacy, you're up."

"I don't feel I'm the best qualified to evaluate her performance and because of that, I don't want my inexperience to stop her from getting what she deserves. At minimum, my desire is to raise her salary to $58 grand. However, in Kelly's new position, I would like her to make that decision. I feel she's opening up to me and becoming more effective at her duties, but because I don't really know what she's capable of doing yet, I don't know what to ask of her. I'm not even sure what I should expect from an assistant, either. I'm use to doing most everything myself and it's not that easy for me to change that quickly. My bottom line is, I want to keep her with me. Kelly?"

"I have very few problems with Nikki. She continues to improve her performance so I will agree with you," Kelly says. "But I would like to push her salary up to $60 grand though. We need to keep her talent in the family."

"Stacy, may I give you and Peggy some advice?"

"Absolutely, Kelly. I would welcome that very much," Stacy says giving her a shoulder bump and a smile.

Both Peggy and Stacy have grown to like Kelly better since the announcement and are willing to give her a more favorable outlook. Brad is no dummy and, after all, he picked her, so they decided it's time for them to follow his lead when it comes to Kelly, whether they like it or not.

"I would appreciate it also Kelly," Peggy says.

Kelly smiles, putting them at ease.

"Ninety-nine percent of assistants are born to assist. For the more serious of them, it's in their DNA. They have one primary job goal -- performance. Helping you get your job done is the mark of a great assistant. It makes them happy to accomplish that because of a strong desire to do this job. Rick and Nikki fall into this category, Debi too."

"The biggest problem they face is the fear of insulting their boss, which normally results in instant termination. So, it can be said, looking through their eyes, if they do their job, they risk getting fired. They may even insult their boss without knowing they did it. Next thing they know, they've been fired. They live in fear of that unwritten rule above all else."

"So, it makes them cautious about what they say, and therefore, what they do. This conflict is their reality and it impedes their performance. The other problem they face right now is, after working here for about a year, they're starting all over with a new boss. To them, its like starting a new job."

"If you want to help Nikki and Rick, the best thing you can do for them is to remove that 'getting fired' barrier. They have no desire to insult you, nor do they want to get fired. Give them boundaries they should not cross, but at the same time, don't hold it against them if they do cross one because nobody is perfect. Do let them know and discuss it with them if it happens, however."

"Helping them means don't bring it up with a list of rules they have to follow. Get to know them personally then bring up the subject in casual conversation. Be their friend. Learn what makes them tick and your relationship will go a long way."

"As I just said, one of the best ways to break down that barrier is to get to know them. Have a personal and professional relationship with them and get to know them on both levels. Become best friends. Earn their trust. Tell them a problem you are facing and ask for help. Then, let them do what they are trained to do. They will feel better about their performance, better about their job and better about you."

"Don't be afraid to admit your shortcomings. They know you have never done this before. Ask them how they can help you. Then, just give them the opportunity and they will love you for it, not to mention help you in more ways than you will ever know. When you have achieved a great relationship, you will have both laughed and cried with them. That is the mark of a great leader, and a great assistant. I have achieved that with Brad, but it was a rocky road for me, as you well know."

"Let me share a short story with you, hoping it will help you relate to me as an assistant and the assistant's job. This is a very important lesson I learned about two weeks ago, the day before your father's funeral. It's important to me because I knew, at that time, I was doing a perfect job. But suddenly, Brad got very pissed at me in an instant and things changed in a heartbeat."

"Part of my job is to protect my boss, Brad," she says, smiling and motioning to him. "Upon learning that his parents were going on a hiking trip, I dispatched a security team to protect them as they hiked in the mountains, but for whatever reason, I neglected to explain to Brad what and why I did it. It's a normal response for me based on my training, but I failed to complete the second half of the training by not explaining why I did it to Brad."

"When his parents called his personal phone, I answered it because Brad was busy... Before I continue with my story, I must insert that I'm trained to answer phone calls as part of my job. I had Brad's phone and when it rang, I answered it by reflex. I was not thinking about what phone it was, I just answered it. Brad viewed this as me encroaching on his privacy, something I was not intentionally trying to do. I spoke to his parents and checked his emails without thinking it would cause a problem. I just wanted to help him get his work done and keep him moving to stay on schedule. That was one of the things that set him off, but that wasn't the worst thing that occurred."

"Back to the story. I chatted with his parents for a while and they told me they were hiking with a father-daughter pair they just met up with. I told Brad that and he wondered about the father-daughter. It sounded strange to him. They were the security team that was assigned the job. His parents had no clue, but Brad picked up on it immediately because we talked about security prior to this, but not about ransom."

"When Brad realized I put a security team on his parents without his knowledge, he went to immediate anger because he wasn't aware they may be in danger. It suddenly dawned on me what I didn't do. He was mad at me for two reasons, not one. He didn't yell at me, as Danny always did, but in an instant, his words were very forceful, very direct, very meaningful, very unmistakable, even a bit louder. At the time, Brad didn't understand that his parents could be targets for ransom and may possibly be in danger of being kidnaped for that purpose."

"The moment he spoke, I knew I screwed up and he was going to fire me. I was still building my relationship with him and I was suddenly aware I wasn't doing the perfect job I thought I was doing. I was very insecure and he was major mad at me. I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his tone. He thought something he did put his parents in danger and I should have warned him about it."

"He was right. I should have."

"Brad laid down the law about friends and family that day. I apologized for not explaining it to him in advance, but the argument did not stop there. Brad continued badgering me about any topic I brought up, one of which was his personal phone. I did not feel I deserved the badgering so I got mad at him as a result. Later, he apologized for going off on me. I learned about one of his triggers as a result of that, and that one trigger, to this day, has been his biggest."

"Danny Packard never apologized... about anything. Brad chewed on me for three minutes for screwing up. Danny would chew on me for an hour after I screwed something up. Anyone of us for that matter."

"This argument was a huge relationship builder for the two of us, unlike previous arguments. To this day, it's the most heated discussion we've ever had. I believe a normal boss would have fired me because of it."

"I had already made two mistakes when I apologized to Brad. When I made my third mistake, I did not realize I was doing it, at the time."

"I felt relieved when he apologized. He removed the 'getting fired' barrier for me, without realizing he had done it. Was that our last argument? No. We've had several discussions since. Matter of fact, we had another one the next day, the morning of the funeral of all times, about taking time off. But, because we have established a personal relationship, we can have disagreements and still maintain a level of professionalism for our jobs. Brad understands he doesn't know everything he will face. Part of my job is to inform him based on my experience. I was Danny's assistant for five years and have seen and heard many things."

"My point being, different people react different ways. So, in order to have a good relationship with your assistant, you need to talk to them and take mental notes. Talk about anything and everything, including personal stuff. A personal relationship with them is as important as a professional relationship. Nikki will soon be your right arm, Stacy. She needs to know you as well as you know you. The more she knows, the better she can assist you."

"Wow... Thanks Kelly. Greatly needed advice. Very educational. I'll do that. I was not aware that you two had that argument either. Now I understand why Brad wants to make you lead assistant and trainer," Stacy replies.

"Understand? What does that mean, Stacy?" Brad asks.

"Well, not knowing Kelly all that well, I just assumed..."

"Assumed what? Of all people, did you really think I promoted her because she's fucking her boss?" Brad blurts out, his mind flashing back to Kelly's comment about other people's perception of her new position.

The room went completely silent as Brad's face changes expressions.

"Truth. Yeah, I sorta did."

"Peggy, you too?"

"Yeah, sorta."

Brad is pissed, and they can see it. He covers his face with his hands, not knowing what he wants to do next. After briefly thinking, he engages the problem before him.

"Let me understand this. Both of you thought the absolute worst of our top staff member and myself, based on an assumption, with no facts to back it up. Is that what I'm hearing?"

"I'm sorry Brad! That sounds terrible when it's put that way. I'm sorry Kelly!" as they both speak at the same time.

His sisters begins to feel extremely bad about what they have done. Brad is in shock at this revelation. He can't believe his ears. His demeanor changes instantly and he's not happy and even more pissed off.

"Oh my god girls! I can't believe you would think that. Shit! I thought you knew me better than that. My communication skills must really suck," he says as he gets up and stands behind his chair with his hands on the back rest. Then his hands wander over his face and through his hair, not believing what he's heard.

"God dammit!" he yells out in pure frustration.

He thinks for a bit and returns to his seat, leans back in his chair, crosses his arms in front of him as Kelly moves her hand toward him. Brad ignores her hand and she knows he's fuming. Then Brad gets himself under limited control. He thinks about the problem again, and responds.