Real Love Ch. 26

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

* * * * *

Kelly gets on her phone and informs Debi to join them after the break. Not yet letting Brad go, she gets him away from the group and pins him against a nearby wall.

She says, "I never, ever want you to feel scared and alone again, not on my watch."

Her eyes begin to water so he knows she's serious, and concerned about him.

"You're never alone as long as I and/or your team is with you. Are we clear?"

Brad grabs her, spins her around pinning her to the wall, and gives her a passionate and intense kiss that answers her question. She pushes him away from the wall and mounts him as she continues to kiss him while shockingly, Brad's hands go to their usual places. She gets wet quickly and breaks the kiss shortly after. She lays her head on his shoulder and holds him as tight as she possibly can. She even whimpers a little, but Kelly is so proud of him. She wasn't aware of all he experienced and the struggles he overcame to reach his goal, until now.

"We are very clear Angel. I love you so much and I never want to be separated from you," Brad says.

Kelly smiles, raises her head, looks at him and says, "I love you Baby. I never want to be separated from you, ever. I want to be included in your future struggles, whatever they may be. I also want so bad to fuck your brains out right now. However, I will settle with hugging, kissing and loving you, but I will need to do it as often as possible until the training is over for the day, then I'm going to fuck your brains out."

"You will be involved. That's a given now. As far as fucking my brains out - later, and I will hold you to it," he says smiling. "You may hug me as often as you like. I just might have to hug you as well... But, what got into you anyway?" Brad asks.

"I think it was the combination of the struggle you went through for us, the engagement story you told us, and nearly losing you earlier this week that overwhelmed me. I was so emotionally affected that something inside drove me to do what I did. It has never happened to me before either. I'm blaming it on you because you have changed me so much," she says.

As she smiles at him, she drops her legs down but Brad holds firm to her cheeks while kneading them. Then he lets her drop to the floor. She retrieves a tissue and dries her eyes as she smiles at him.

"You have a great ass Kelly Miller. I love it, and I love you."

Her smile grows as they continue on to rejoin the group.

As they return to their guests, hand in hand, they partake of a delicious snack and fresh fruit drinks. The guests are treated like family by the staff, then they return to the business suite and Larry starts it off by asking Debi the first question.

"Debi, does it bother you to have your leaders in the room while you answer questions about them and your job?"

"No, Mr Strait, not at all. Matter of fact, they may learn something I haven't told them, or even better, I might learn something they haven't told me. I have their undivided attention now, which is rare because Kelly spends so much time on the phone," Debi replies, smiling and perky.

"That's a very unusual response, Debi. It's a first for me," Larry says.

"If I were you, Mr Strait, I would get use to that kind of answer. There's a few other people here that will give you the same or similar answer," Debi says.

"Debi, we are all on a first name basis during the training, okay?" Kelly says.

"Okay Kelly, thanks" she replies, smiling.

Sandi asks, "Debi, were you told how to respond to our questions in any way?"

Debi replies, "Yes."

"What were you told?"

"We were told to answer your questions to the best of our abilities from our perspective. Also, we have been given right of refusal so if there is a question we don't want to answer, we are to tell you so and the reason why," Debi replies.

"Okay Debi," Sandi says, not really believing her.

"Debi, you and Kelly both have said Brad is a great leader. Would you tell me what makes him a great leader?" Larry asks. "Helen, take notes please."

"I can, Larry, but they will not be in any order. I will say them as they come to my mind. Above all, Brad wants me to be happy working here, and I am. No other employer ever asked or expected that of me. He has respect for me as a person and as an employee. He allows me to think and do things my way, as opposed to micro-managing me. He gives me a task, I do it and give him the results. He's courteous. He's abnormally correct. He's proud of me and tells me so. He has a sense of humor that can't be beat. We have a family here and because of him, my work doesn't feel like a job. He's full of self confidence. He's a thinker and has good foresight. He tells me the truth as he knows it and doesn't lie to me, because he's honest. I have a great relationship, both personal and professional, with him. He's affectionate. He compliments me on work well done. He appreciates what I do for the Packard Empire. I treat him like a friend and a leader, but I still know my place. He's a professional and demands the same from the people that work with him. He runs a tight ship. He has empathy and compassion. He's performance and results oriented. He has a sense of urgency. He has a great attitude. He's fair. He's apologetic, if need be. He listens to the thoughts and ideas of others. He's a good communicator. He constantly thinks about making things better. He's success oriented. He looks into the future ahead of everybody. He created a great team and supports his team and the individuals that make up the team. He helps us if we need it. He provides the equipment we need to make our job faster and easier. We have fun as a team. I have a low stress level. He strives for excellence. Did I mention he makes me happy to work here?"

"I believe you have Debi. Thank you. Kelly, have you anything to add to that?"

"Debi covered the bulk of the them, but I will add that he's trustworthy. He's an outstanding teacher and he cares about people, especially his staff. He also protects us as best he can. That was very evident when he fired the last Island manager. I don't seem to recall any others at the moment," Kelly says, "however, as soon as the subject is changed, we may remember more. My only other comment is -- he's just a 23 year old kid," she says and laughs.

"Good one Kelly..." Larry says as they all laugh.

He gives her a hi-five. So does Brad and Debi.

Looking at Helen, Larry asks, "Did you get 'em all?"

Helen nods and Larry smiles.

Looking back at Brad, he says, "Brad, would you agree with that?"

"Up to the 23 year old kid part," he says smiling. "Thank you Debi and Kelly, I appreciate you saying those kind words about me. I hope to live up to them one day. Also, I don't give out brownie points either."

They giggle and Debi says, "Why not?"

"If I start giving you and Kelly brownie points for everything you do in your job, I wouldn't have any brownie points left for anybody else," Brad replies smiling.

"Funny Brad... You have already lived up to all the things we mentioned. That's why we mentioned them," Debi replies. "I mean it too, but I wasn't expecting brownie points. I'll settle for a hug though. But, if I can exchange brownie points for hugs, I'll take the brownie points please."

"Okay Debi, I owe you a hug. I'll accept that as a fair trade, but still no brownie points. Sorry. I would spend the rest of my life giving you and Kelly hugs."

He thinks for a second.

"Hmmm. Very interesting thought though. Maybe I need to re-evaluate that again," he says with a smile.

They laugh, then smile.

"Hopefully, down the road, I will agree with you about the words you two said, but right now, it's still too early for me to make that call."

"Based on what I want to be as an owner, a great leader means you treat others the way you want others to treat you. I'm no different than anybody else. I get up and get dressed the same way every other man does. I have feelings too and I'm also an affectionate person. Always been that way and that's the way I treat people. That's one thing that makes my staff happy and happy people go out of their way to help out. They give their all to the job not because they are paid, but because they have the desire to do so."

"Face it. Without employees, this company would not exist. The three of you would not be here. Because you must employ people, you may as well enjoy the time you spend with them. It definitely beats being pissed off at them all the time," Brad says, "That can make you a miserable person."

"Thank you for your answers. They are indeed profound," Larry says.

Sandi asks, "Debi, how does your boss let you know how you stand?"

"First of all Sandi, I respectfully submit to you that Brad isn't my boss, he's my leader, both of them are, and so is Stacy and Peggy. I learned that in your office, Larry. I thought Brad didn't like being called boss because he wanted to use it as joke material, but now I understand differently." Looking at him, "Brad, I will never call you boss again, okay boss?" Debi says smiling at him.

Brad says, "Fine by me Debi, as long as you don't mind getting thrown in the pool."

They all break into laughter.

After they get control back, Helen asks, "What's the difference?"

Debi answers, "Brad says a boss orders or dictates, and I agree based on my past employment history. A leader listens, leads, guides and directs and that's what he has done with me and the rest of the team. My personal thought is, a boss demands respect, but a leader earns it. I also base this on my past experience with other bosses as I compare them to what Brad has accomplished. He's the only one that has earned my respect and because of that, I want to respect him in return."

"That's a different and an objective evaluation Debi. Thank you for that," Helen says.

Debi smiles and continues, "You're welcome Helen... To answer your other question Sandi, they let me know my standing in several ways. They tell me I'm doing a great job, often. They thank me when I finish a task. They give me hi-fives, sometimes for no reason. When in a Team Brad meeting, they give me compliments and tell me they are proud of me. I also give them compliments. They go out of their way to help me if I need it, especially if I have to carry a lot of stuff around. They give me hugs anytime they feel like it and that makes me feel the best. I work for hugs, but that's just me. It's great."

"I'm hoping they don't use that against me either, but they probably will," she says smiling and they nod with a smile. "I know Brad and Kelly pretty good now and I know they're already thinking about how to do that..."

Brad and Kelly chuckle.

"I also give them hugs whenever I feel like it and I do so quite often because it makes me feel good, and them as well. Also, they have done something for me that I really don't want to discuss because it's personal," she says and lowers her head, realizing she shouldn't have said that.

"Well, that just let the cat out of the bag so I need to explain so you understand."

Brad interrupts saying, "Debi, you don't have to explain and I would rather you didn't."

"Brad, I'm sorry but I respectfully disagree. I do have to reveal this. I just screwed up and opened up pandora's box here, and I don't want them thinking about anything other than what I'm referring to. I can already see their brains going berserk and they are already skeptical as well. Not telling them specifically what I'm referring to will only exasperate their skepticism."

"I understand that Debi and I don't care if their brains are going berserk, or they are skeptical. That's their problem. This is personal for you and I don't want you exposing yourself to that degree. It's not necessary for this training. They have to accept the training as it is, not direct it."

Larry says, "Brad, you're the boss! Just tell her the way it's going to be whether she likes it or not!"

Sandi and Helen are shocked by Larry's outburst. So is everyone else. Brad is especially annoyed.

"Larry, you have the right to run your company any way you want as long as it remains productive. However, do not come into my house and tell me how to run it. I don't take kindly to that. I don't consider myself a boss. I'm a leader. I encourage my staff to speak their mind and I listen. I consider their side of the argument before I make a final decision. When you interrupted, I was listening to Debi's side."

"I'm sorry I did that, Brad. I just wanted to get your reaction to my statement. I don't work that way either," Larry says.

"Did you just do to me what I did to my staff in your office back then?" Brad asks.

"Guilty as charged."

"Sneaky bastard," Brad says smiling.

Larry adds, "It's hard for me to grasp that I'm learning from someone half my age."

Brad nods.

"You mean a 23 year old kid?" he says and laughs.

They all follow suit.

Sandi and Helen laugh and are also relieved at the outcome, relaxing and smiling. Kelly and Debi light up at the realization as Brad thinks for a minute.

"Based on your response, Debi, and against my better judgement, I'm going to allow you to proceed. I understand where you're coming from and why you feel the need to explain. What I don't know is whether or not it will change anything, but, if you want to explain, go for it and we will support you. Just be careful what you reveal please."

"Thank you, Brad. I will, and thank you for your support..."

Debi turns to Larry and says, "To begin, part of the agreement I made with Brad upon being hired is he wants me to be happy to work for the owners, Kelly and the other assistants at the Packard Empire. If I was not happy for any reason, I am to talk to either Brad, or Kelly, or both, to get any problem resolved. He actually made it a condition of my employment, as weird as that sounds. I was surprised to hear it. No other company ever expected that of me so I agreed whole-heartedly. Who doesn't want to be happy at work?"

"As for myself, I had a self confidence problem but I didn't have a work confidence problem. I'm very good at what I do. It was the day I signed my new employment contract when Brad and Kelly ganged up on me," she says smiling.

"Kelly did most of the planning and Brad did most of the talking. Their plan was to teach me a life lesson about standing up and fighting for myself. Personally, it was not something I was good at and I got the short end of the stick as a result. I was frustrated with my career, but did nothing to change it. This wasn't something they had to do, but they knew it would help me going forward, so they did it. I was not expecting it either, nor did I know they were doing it. They completely planned the scenario, but understand, this was very real to me. I had no clue they were setting me up."

"When Kelly gave me the first contract, I read it and signed it even though I was disappointed with it, and it showed. Kelly questioned why I was disappointed because they gave me everything I asked for in my interview, which is true. I explained to her why and Kelly told me to rip up the contract if I was not happy with it..."

"The truth is, I wasn't happy with the contract, but I couldn't rip it up, either. This is my dream job and I explained to them I would be devastated if I lost it. I even told them I'm willing to sacrifice to stay. Then, Brad reminded me of my agreement about being happy and the interview went downhill from there. I couldn't do anything right. I felt so stressed."

"I was in tears and eventually, he asked me what I really wanted in my contract. After I told him, he said the Packard Empire wasn't willing to give me what I asked for. That's when I knew. He had me convinced I was going to be fired and I didn't fight for myself."

"I could see my dream job slipping away right in front of me and was crying my eyes out, but still, I didn't fight for my dream job, or myself. I didn't believe he was doing this to me after all I've done for him. I was absolutely devastated at the time, feeling I wasted so much effort proving my worthiness to this company, and I thought I was doing a great job to boot, now all for not. I had no hope for my future and felt like a total failure."

"After three or four attempts, I finally ripped up the contract. At that point, the contract was meaningless to me because I was going to get fired anyway. I had nothing more to lose. That was when they started supporting me."

"When Kelly put the second contract in front of me, I was surprised and read it in total disbelief. They gave me a promotion and a raise more than what I asked for."

"Not believing what I was reading, I looked at Brad and asked, 'You're not going to fire me?' He shook his head and replied, 'I'm sorry, Debi. There is no way in hell we would even consider firing you.'"

"I got off my chair, literally crashed into him, and hugged him so hard I may have cracked a rib, but he never complained. He's such a trooper. I cried and cried and cried as I continued to hug him."

"After I recovered enough to speak, Brad told me this is the contract you get when you fight for yourself. Then he asked me if I was a happy girl, and I will modify my response. I said, 'Brad, I'm a very happy girl. You gave me everything I wanted in a contract, but was afraid to ask for'."

"Brad responded saying, 'No Debi, that's not what just happened. We didn't give you anything. You earned that contract based on your performance and attitude. You just don't see it that way yet.' He was right, I didn't."

"Once again, after I recovered from crying several minutes later, I asked Brad why he and Kelly did this for me and I will never, ever forget what he said. 'Because you're worth fighting for', was his response. They were willing to fight for me even when I wouldn't fight for myself. I don't know how long I cried after that. No other boss in my entire life has done anything like that for me."