The Old Man

What I can do is show you that I did truly love you in the only way that's left to me. I have no heirs, so I would have had to will all my stock in the company to charity before the end came. It is likely my corporation would have been split up and bought by people who are more interested in making money than taking care of customers.

I worked too hard and too long to let that happen. Mike will give you all the details as soon as you're ready to accept them, but the long and short of it is that you now own my corporation including The Lacy Club. Mike will have taken care of all the legal things by now so all you have to do is sign your name where Mike tells you to, and it will all be yours.

Don't worry about trying to run it. It runs by itself. Mike has been doing everything for me for fifteen years now, and he's responsible for a lot of what you'll be getting. Trust him with anything and everything.

I only ask two things of you, Vicky. Remember that night and smile when you do. I love your smile and I want you to keep smiling. I wish I could see that beautiful smile again, but remembering it will make going easier.

The other thing is please don't do anything to The Lacy Club. It hasn't made money in years, but I felt good that it was still there. I'd like you to keep it that way. Maybe if you keep it as it is, you'll remember me when you go by. You aren't old enough to know this yet, but it's comforting to know people will remember you when you're gone.

Well, that's about all I can tell you except that for a few months, you made me as happy as I was with Lacy. I lived long enough to experience a lot of things. You and Lacy were the two best things in my life. I wish you well and hope you'll smile when you think about me.

Bryce

Vicky sobbed as she carefully folded the paper and put it back inside the envelope. He was gone, gone from her life before she'd even had a chance to tell him how she really felt. Why hadn't she said something when she first realized he was more to her than just a funny customer. Why didn't she...

"Vicky?"

Vicky looked up at Michael. He was smiling.

"Before he went to sleep the last time, Bryce asked me to tell you one more thing. He said to tell you he wanted you to remember him the way he was and for what you had instead of thinking about what might have been."

"I can't. If I'd known..."

"He didn't want you to know. He wanted you to be happy, and knowing would have made you worry and be sad."

Vicky wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm sad now."

"I know. So am I. Bryce hired me right out of law school. I was with him for twenty-two years. He was like a second father to me. I know he'd understand that you're sad. He just wouldn't want you to keep being that way. He'd want you to remember what you had and be happy for that time."

"I'm going to have to cry some more before I can be happy again."

"I know. I had to as well. Why don't I take you home and let you think about things for a week or so."

Michael opened the briefcase and took out a cell phone. "

This is the phone Bryce carried when he wasn't with you. He wanted you to have it. You call me when you're ready, or if you need anything. Night or day, I'll answer. Oh, and don't worry about going to work unless you just want to. The manager understands that you probably won't be coming back. I arranged for a new bartender before I met with you this morning."

Saturday was bad. Vicky spent most of the day either crying or trying to remember the times she and Bryce had teased each other and then crying some more. Sunday was the worst. On a whim, she made pot roast and creamed peas again, but burst into tears when she tried to eat them.

Monday was a little better, Tuesday better yet, and by Wednesday, Vicky could usually think about Bryce without crying. On Friday, she called Michael. An hour later, the same black limousine pulled up at the curb in front of her apartment. The driver knocked on her door, and when she answered, smiled.

"Ma'am, remember me? I'm Jimmy, your driver. If you're ready, I'll take you to see Mike. If you're not, I'll wait outside. Just come out when you are."

The conference room seemed just as huge as Vicky sat in the same seat as before. Michael had a stack of papers beside him. He picked up the first sheet and handed it to Vicky.

"This is the document you need to sign. It's your acknowledgement that you've received what Bryce gave you. The rest is just incorporation papers and such. We can sign them any time."

Vicky looked at the paper. All it said was that she had assumed ownership of B&L Corporation. Bryce had said to trust Michael, so she signed her name and handed the paper back to him. He smiled.

"Well, you're now officially my boss. What that also means is you own sixty five percent of the stock of B&L. The rest is owned by other people in retirement plans, 401K's and the like. How does it feel to be a wealthy woman?"

"I don't know, Michael. I've never been wealthy before. How wealthy am I?"

Michael grinned.

"You should call me Mike, like Bryce did. Now, let's find out what he gave you."

Michael shuffled through the stack of papers and pulled out one of the top pages.

"Ah, here's the summary. Let's see...you already know about The Lacy Club."

"Yes."

Well, there's the main B&L Corporation, of course. Ever see one of our...I mean, your trucks on the road?"

"No, I can't say I have."

"Well, there are about three thousand of them, give or take, on the road at any given time. They haul produce, grain, about anything that will fit in or on a truck bed. That net income is about six million a year."

"Six million...like...six million dollars?"

"Well, actually that's only the trucking income. You know all stuff that comes from Japan and China and the rest of the Pacific Rim? About fifteen years ago, Bryce wondered if he could make money carrying that as well so he had a container ship built. The way it works is the container ships pick up the goods on the Pacific Rim, carry them across the Pacific, and then they get loaded onto our trucks and delivered to their destination. That adds another four million. The ships from Europe add another five, so that's fifteen million all together."

Vicky fell back into the chair.

"That's...that's...what would I do with all of that?"

Michael chuckled.

"Well, pay my salary for one thing. I expect you could do pretty much whatever you want with the rest. There is more though."

"More?"

"Well, yes. There's the compound in Florida and the townhouse here, but those are small change.

"One of the first things our ships carried was cars from Japan. It takes a lot of money to put cars on the showroom floor. Bryce thought those new dealers could use some help.

"There's a subsidiary of B&L called Lacy Finance. You've probably never heard of it unless you need to stock a lot of high-dollar inventory somewhere. Lacy makes short-term loans to people who do, like car dealerships, boat dealerships, even some of the smaller department store chains. As of last month...it's here someplace...ah, here it is...outstanding loans are just short of fifty million with net monthly interest income of about a million and a half. Oh, I almost forgot. Somewhere in this stack is a document that changes the name from Lacy Finance to Victoria Finance. Bryce wanted to let you know he was always thinking about you.

It was three thirty when the black limousine stopped at the curb a block away from The Lacy Club. The older driver got out and walked around to the curb-side rear door and opened it. The woman who got out was older, but didn't really look old. Her figure was the full figure of a mature, sensuous woman though she was seventy two.

She looked in the side mirror to check her face, and frowned at the few white strands showing at the part in her dark brown hair. She made a mental note to schedule Bernice for a touch-up, but then smiled. She looked fine for what she was going to do.

Her clothing was what one would normally see on any woman going shopping -- long blue pants and a pale blue top with short sleeves, though one looking closely would know they'd seen better days.

The woman patted the driver on the arm.

"You wait here, Jimmy. I'll only be about half an hour. After that I want to go to the cemetery. Today is our twenty-fifth anniversary. Did you remember to pick up the flowers?"

"They're in the trunk."

Her walk belied the laugh lines around her eyes, and the bartender of The Lacy Club smiled when she walked through the door, then to the bar. She climbed on a stool easily, set her battered purse on the counter, and smiled.

"I'll have -- Oh, what was that again? When you get to be my age you'd forget your head if it wasn't fastened on ...I drink it all the time and I remember it has cranberries in it. Now what was the name..."

The young man in a vest and bowtie smiled.

"Do you mean a cosmopolitan?"

"That's the one."

The bartender mixed the drink and sat it in front of the women. She picked it up, sipped it, and then set it back down.

"Just like I like them, smooth and not too sweet. You make a good cosmopolitan...What's your name? I always like to know my bartenders by name."

"I'm Jason, Ma'am."

"You make a good cosmopolitan, Jason. You're a good looking man too"

"Well, thank you Ma'am."

He grinned.

"You're pretty foxy yourself."

The woman laughed.

"It's been a long time since anyone told me that. Are you sure you don't need glasses?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, Ma'am."

"Why not. I'd think girls would be falling all over themselves to get to you. If I wasn't this old, I'd be in the front of the pack."

"I don't have time for one, I guess."

The woman sipped her drink, then frowned.

"I used to be like that, not with girls of course, but I didn't want a man. When I decided I did, it was too late. When you get to be my age, you think about things you should have done and then realize you're too old."

Justin grinned.

"Maybe you oughta try again. Doesn't look to me like you'd have much trouble finding a man."

The woman smiled.

"Well, I'd like to have a man to keep me warm at night and some other things, but I doubt I'll find one."

"Keeping you warm might be fun."

The woman's eyes flashed for a second and she grinned.

"Not as much fun as those other things would be, but you're probably as good at those other things as you are at mixing drinks, aren't you?"

Jason grinned back.

"I've never had any complaints, if that's what you mean."

"I didn't think you would have. You certainly wouldn't get any from me, but then, I won't have the opportunity. I'm too old for you, aren't I?"

"Well, I wouldn't say you're old. You don't talk or act old. I'd call you mature, and mature women can be pretty fantastic."

The woman finished her drink, put down the glass, and smiled at Jason

Well, I need to be going. I'll be back tomorrow and probably every day after that for a while. I used to live around here and I always liked this place. Will you be here?"

"Yes Ma'am, I will."

The woman grinned.

"You can explain that thing about mature women when I come back tomorrow.."

The woman turned to leave, but Jason's voice stopped her.

"Ma'am, what's your name."

The woman turned back and smiled.

"Victoria, my name is Victoria."

"Victoria, you forgot to pay for your drink."

The woman dug into her purse and finally pulled out a ten dollar bill. She handed it to Jason.

"Like I said, I'd forget my head if it wasn't fastened on. How much do I owe you?"

"The drink is two fifty."

"What do you think a good tip would be?"

"I'd say a dollar would do it, Victoria."

"That means I'd get a dollar and fifty cents back. I don't like change. It gets lost in my purse and I have to dig around for it. Let's make it a dollar and a half, OK?"

As she walked out the door, Jason mused to himself. Victoria didn't seem to be off mentally, just a little forgetful. He'd been serious about how she looked as well. She was a beautiful woman. The lines in her face just accented her smile and bright eyes. He hoped she'd come back, if only so they could talk again. He'd have her drink ready tomorrow, just in case.