by J G Jerome
It’s about six in the morning; so,I hurry through a shower and shave. I cover Trina, and then grab a cup of coffee in the kitchen, before repairing to the guest room to start work.
I take a sip of coffee and call Max Chartres at Royal Canadian Indemnity to discuss what timing he’s looking at for the new contract. We chit-chat for a bit, and I inquire how things are working out with Emily Paxton, my employee in Toronto working with Royal Canadian Indemnity.
Emily is providing system administration services for them in-house three days per week. We provide the same service off-site the rest of the week split between Emily and Marlene with Pam helping remotely from Kansas City and myself helping from wherever I am at the moment on basic admin tasks if Emily and Marlene are swamped, sick, or on vacation. Max gives Emily glowing reviews, and he adds that his staff reported that Pam’s remote coverage during their last release was a godsend. I remind him that system isn’t Pam’s forte, but also let him know I’m glad to hear the positive feedback. I eventually steer the conversation toward the new statement of work, or ‘SOW.’ Max’s project manager is planning a kick-off in four weeks. I tell him that my plan is to have an additional person in time to start, but I’d like to confirm with the project manager to ensure that I need to. He commits to get us connected, and then we ring off.
I fire off a note to Emily giving her a rundown of the conversation, and ask her to chase down the project manager to try to get an early view of the work. Then I send another to Pam to pass on the kudo’s from Max and his team, adding my appreciation, too.
I run into the kitchen for a coffee refill to find Trina puttering. I give her a hug and kiss as my coffee fills. She’s laying out small plates of bread and cold cuts, and has a pot of water boiling for the eggs waiting on the counter. Trina tells me to come back out for breakfast in about ten minutes before sending me back to work with a kiss.
I give a call to Erin Harper, Operations Exec at Hartford Casualty, to discuss some of my concerns with her, but get only her voicemail. I left a message laying out the concerns I want to discuss with her and a request she call later today. I get the same result from calling Owen Randall, Chief Underwriter for Inland Marine insurance.
Frustrated, I check email again, and then call Supreet Mishra, the IT exec’s PA. She says that Mr. Shivkumar has asked to meet on Thursday, and that Ms. Harper and Mr. Randall all plan to be there for a meeting set up in the morning, and the afternoon is set for two hours with their legal counsel and contracting folks. I thank her for her support and wish her a great day.
I fire off an email to Tom Peterson, my lawyer, to let him know I may be calling him into that meeting on Thursday. Then I pull up my travel account to arrange airfare and hotel before Trina calls me to breakfast.
I get a kiss from my beautiful, barely-dressed lover. She’s wearing nothing but the blue shirt hanging open and the pearls. “Hello beautiful! This is wonderful. You’re spoiling me rotten.”
She flashes me a huge smile. “Not yet, but give me time. My kitchen skills are very basic, but at least I learned how to soft-boil eggs. Eat!” I get up and kiss her, before sitting back down to crack an egg and start eating. She continues, “I got a text from Myra confirming that she is serious about me staying with you for the week.”
“Pet, I need to fly to Hartford, but it won’t be until Wednesday. You are welcome to come along if you wish. I would love to have your company.”
She ponders for a moment. “I would be a distraction, Jack. I know you will be thinking about how I’m doing on my own when you need to focus.”
I grimace, “I hate to admit it, but I’m going to be thinking about you anyway. You, Myra, and Kristina are running through my mind constantly. Pepper in all the stuff I learned this weekend, trying to figure out how I bring you all together into my life, my new property, plus the other accounts I have working at the moment...and oh yeah, I’m MARRIED to a QUEEN and we’re going to have a baby! Honestly, this is the worst possible time to for me to be negotiating a new business deal. What I really want to do is take the week off and take you up to Cherry for a few days, and maybe sneak a visit or two each to Myra and Kristina.”
Trina crawls into my lap, “That sounds great. I’m kind of at loose ends. I didn’t plan to be away, I don’t consider myself particularly domestic, and I don’t have any research articles to read.” She gives me an evil grin. “Master, all I want to do is get used by you!” she croons. We have a good laugh until I kiss her.
My phone rings, and I just answer it without looking. “Jack Jerome, may I help you!”
“Oh! Hello Jack! You look like a blond woman!”
I respond with my most intelligent sounding ‘huh?’ as I look at the phone to see a pretty Indian lady’s face there with a grin.
“Uh, hello. May I help you?” Knowing Trina is mostly hanging out of the shirt, I hold her in place rather than letting her spin to look, too. “I didn’t notice it was a WhatsApp call. You caught me finishing breakfast!” I adjust the phone, so it is showing my face in the preview window instead of Trina’s hair.
“Hello Jack. This is Supreet from Hartford Casualty Insurance. I think I want to move to your company if you have breakfast with all your employees like this! I didn’t know you were so handsome!”
Trina laughs and stands before spinning around to see Supreet. Of course her beautiful boobs are now flashing my prospective client. I plant my face in my free hand.
Trina immediately jumps in as she opens her shirt wide to ensure the flash landed, and then pulls it close. “Oh Supreet, you would love it here. The breakfast meetings with the boss are very productive, and as you can see the dress code is VERY relaxed!” she delivers between laughs.
I spank her ass, which elicits a surprised squeak from Trina and interest from Supreet. “Oh yes! I must definitely join your company, Jack!”
Trina puts fingers over my lips, “Honestly Supreet, I’m one of Jack’s girlfriends. I just made him breakfast, so the poor man won’t starve before lunch time. I worked him over hard this weekend; so,I think I owe it to him to help keep his strength up.”
Supreet has an ‘oh’ on her face, then she looks quickly around. “Well Trina, since Jack has multiple girlfriends, is the Hartford position available?”
My face is still in my hand.
“Actually Supreet, I believe Hartford currently has a vacancy. Jack and I were just discussing whether I needed to travel with him to ensure all of his needs are met. Are you applying for the job? His wife put me in charge of all girlfriend recruiting.”
Supreet holds a finger to her lips as she pushes backward into what looks like a bathroom door. Then it looks like she’s checking stalls. Then the phone sits on the counter, for a moment before returning to show Supreet in front of a full-length mirror with her blouse and bra open. She has a pencil skirt on and is the prettiest Indian woman I’ve ever seen outside Bolly-slash-Hollywood. She has a soft figure with medium-sized, plump breasts, medium brown skin, and thick, light colored nipples that are surrounded by areola that are nearly black. I pick up the phone and show it to Trina, as I click a screen-shot. ‘Since she’s offering!’
Trina nods appreciatively, “I think you should definitely get to interview, Supreet. And Jack, don’t start getting bashful. You need someone to keep you warm at night. It gets cold in Connecticut!”
“Supreet, I will send you my travel details. Other than the interview, is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Oh! Yes Jack. Please give me a minute to put myself together.” I see the ceiling tiles again, and then I look at Trina and shrug. She laughs and picks up the dishes after kissing me.
I ask her, “Shall we go pick my car up from the shop after this call?”
She sits in my lap facing the phone, and kisses my cheek. “Of course, Master! Your wish is my command!”
I tweak her nipple and call her ‘saucy tart’ as the picture inevitably pans back to Supreet’s face. I drop my hand to Trina’s lap, and Supre
et says, “I can be quite saucy too, Jack! Please keep this in mind!”
I chuckle. “Yes ma’am.” Trina gets up and heads to the bedroom.
Supreet continues, “Unfortunately, Mr. Shivkumar would like to meet Wednesday afternoon. Is this possible?”
“I’ll have to check. The flight for Wednesday was already pretty full; so,I don’t have high hopes for Tuesday. I will want a confirmed schedule before I change it, Supreet.”
She shakes her head as she looks around, then back at the screen. “Honestly Jack, I think you should stay firm on Wednesday arrival and Thursday meetings. The business execs have committed to Thursday. I think Mr. Shivkumar is playing games to keep you jumping.”
“Seriously? With one-and-a-half million on the table?”
She nods vigorously. “I can’t tell you details, but I think it will all be clear when you arrive. I also recommend that if you have someone in mind with technical details on data integration that you have them available.”
“Ah! I get it. Thank you for safeguarding my schedule Supreet. I look forward to meeting you in person.”
“Me too, Jack! Please give my regards to Trina, and tell her to expect my call to outbrief on the interview process!”
I chuckle, “I will. See you soon.”
I immediately call Don Kerrigan.
Don is a technical wizard that I worked with on a couple of occasions. He’s a Mensa-level genius with people skills....dangerous. He’s been working on a platform agnostic data integration platform, and was on my call list anyway.
He answers, “Hey Jack! What’s happening?”
“You know, Don. Just trying to keep my head above water and the wolves from the door. How’s the new venture coming along?”
“Eh. A couple of folks beat us into the marketplace. I have only gotten a couple of small contracts. Nothing I can really use to leverage as a powerful testimonial. I’m about to the point of having to let people go to make the bottom line meet.”
“That sucks, Don. How bad is it?”
“If I can get a decent contract, we’ll survive but I need one quickly.”
“How would you like to meet with me in Hartford Thursday. I’m going to be meeting with a prospect that is looking at doing something very similar to the inland marine use case we discussed just before you jumped off to start your own show. If I could get you on as my tech lead & data integration guy, I think it will help me bring it in. It would help you make the case why your platform is superior, I get the services contract, you get the service contract, and I pay your salary for the duration.”
“I’m in bad enough position right now that it’s tempting Jack, but you know I want to run my own show.” Trina walks in wearing a black wrap-around dress, and slides her phone in front of me.
“I know buddy. Hey hold on a sec, Don. My girlfriend is trying to get my attention.”
“Wha...Jack Jerome using the ‘g-word?’ I must be hallucinating!”
I read the headline on Trina’s phone from the local ABC affiliate. ‘Local purchases the winning Powerball and Megamillion tickets in Phoenix!’ My eyes pop out of my head as I look from the headline to Trina. She points at me!
“Holy shit!...um...Don, that’s not all...um...shit. I need to cut this call short. How about this? I need to work out the details, but I’m thinking maybe I invest in your company, and you work with me on this contract. Can you make Hartford on Thursday? I really need you on this deal, and I think I can make it attractive to you.”
“Okay, Jack. You pay the expenses, and I’ll be there. Hotel, meals, and a car. We can talk over a Yuengling or two!”
“That’s a plan. I’ll email you the meeting details. Book your travel. I’ll bring you cash to receipt, and I’ll pull a package together for you to look at. I appreciate this, Don. I’ll do right by you.”
“You always do, Jack. You always do. See you Thursday! Bye!”
“Bye!”
I look at Trina as I disconnect. She asks, “Didn’t you buy a shed-load of lottery tickets when I picked up you and Myra?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“I read the article. $756 million on powerball, and $496 million on mega millions. It’s the same place we stopped, about the same time. They’re trying to pull up surveillance video.”
“Shit. Let’s go get my car, and then we can come back here and ensure this isn’t just a coincidence. If it’s real, we will be going to see my lawyer.”
“Jack, with over $1.2 billion that’s going to be at least $500 million cash. I don’t think cash is going to be much of a problem for your new house in about a month,” she says with a wry smile.
“Let’s not count our chickens until they hatch, huhn? Let’s go.”
We fill a couple of water bottles, grab weapons, and head to the garage. We get to the shop, and I catch up with Greg. “Hey Jack! Did you hear about that lottery winner? They have surveillance video of the guy. I thought it was you for a minute, except they guy was chauffeured around in a black Lincoln SUV.”
I shake my head. “Domestic trash! I keep telling my girlfriend she needs to upgrade to a Honda, but she loves her old beater.” Pointing at Trina standing by the Yukon in the same outfit she was wearing when I first met her..
Greg is enthralled enough by Trina that he forgets all about the lottery and the video. I eventually get his attention, so I can pay my bill and collect my keys. I flag Trina down and instruct her to park in my slot when we get back. Then she follows me home. There is a vacant condo whose parking slot is close to mine. I park in it.
I grab her hand as we wait for the lift, and then we quickly lock ourselves into the condo. She goes to the bedroom and returns to the living room with an elf-tech device. “Surveillance check?” She nods.
She does her thing with it, and then affirms, “we’re clear.”
I wrap her in my arms and hold tight. “I am not mentally prepared for this shit! Would you be willing to check the numbers on all those tickets?”
“You bet, Jack. Can I use the music room?”
I nod, “Of course. The iMac is yours. I’ll get my laptop out. First, let’s get the tickets.” She follows me to the bedroom closet. I open the lockbox and pull out the stack of 52 tickets. Trina’s expression mirrors the wild look I expect is on my face. I hand her the stack.
She wraps her arms around me and kisses me. “Jack, relax. I am here for you. I will help you. I am yours, but you are mine. I will protect you.” She kisses me again.
“Thank you, Pet. I need your help. Check the two that aren’t quick picks first. Something tells me that’s where the gold is. Either the first or last two...I can’t remember how I stacked ‘em.”
I follow her back to the guest room and set on the guest bed with my laptop.
She says, “You were right on the Powerball. Let’s check the Mega…yep, you picked ‘em on both. How’d you do that?”
I laugh hysterically. “I pulled random numbers out of my ass associated with when I met Myra and Erica. I told Myra on the plane I was going to buy a ton of lottery tickets because I rarely connect with women, and I hit it off with both her and Erica within minutes of each other. I figured I was throwing it away on a grand gesture, but the sex that night was worthy of grand gestures. Same goes for every night since.”
Trina giggles, “You old romantic pervert! That’s why I love you!”
I chuckle back. “Guilty. Okay, let me call Tom, my attorney.”
“Hello Gretchen. Jack Jerome here. I need to talk to Tom urgently.”
“Right away, Jack. We’ve been expecting your call.”
“Really? Why, Gretchen?”
“Really, Jack? Have you seen a TV recently?”
“Shit.”
She asks, “Do you want to just come into the office?”
“Yeah. We’ll be there in 30 minutes.”
Trina hands me the stack, and we head for the door.
Twenty-five minutes later, Trina and I are sitting in Tom’s conference room. He walk
s in with an attractive older woman and a beautiful young woman in tow. I introduce Trina to Tom and Gretchen when she blurts out, “Megan?” to the young woman.
“Oh my!” She responds. “Trina? What are you doing here?” ‘Megan’ looks horrified to see Trina here.
“I’m here with my new boyfriend, Jack Jerome.” She looks at me, “Jack, this is Meaghan ab Liam Mac Nessus.” Megan inhales sharply at the mention of her full name.
“Ah! Myra’s younger sister! Megan, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I recently had the pleasure of meeting your middle sister. I heard you were the beauty in the family, but I didn’t believe it until I met you. Charmed.”
Trina leans in, “Cool it, perv!” I chuckle and Megan loosens up a bit with a small smile. “Myra wanted him for her boy toy, but I decided I needed to keep him for a while!”
That broke her reserve. Megan laughs, “I bet that surprised her endlessly. Has she recovered yet?”
Trina shakes her head, “No, but Jack and I put significant effort into helping her through it.”
“Oh, I can imagine,” Megan says as she blushes prettily.
Trina gives her an evil chuckle, “No, I doubt you can sweetie, but I’m happy to talk you through it later, so you don’t have to.” Trina reaches for Megan’s hands and sends her an air kiss as they clasp hands across the table.
I say, “Sorry Tom. I came down here in a lather because I am in serious need of your assistance on two separate matters.”
I sit down and fold my hands in front of me staring into the middle space. Then I reach into my coat pocket and pull out the stack of 52 lottery tickets. “Let’s address the elephant in the room first.” I lay out the two winning tickets. “Between the two tickets, there is a windfall of $1.252 billion. After taxes that leaves roughly $756,208 million. In Arizona, a lottery winner has to be publicly acknowledged. I would like to create a holding company that is the owner of this pile of lottery tickets. I would like to hire you as the legal counsel for this holding company, and have you cash the tickets on the company’s behalf.”