by M T Stone
“It sounds like an overload of lactic acid… you were definitely working out way too hard,” she replied, shaking her head and still looking a bit shocked.
“I’m starting to feel better. I just need a protein bar or something,” Jack said, as he staggered to his feet. “Maybe we should go have some breakfast.”
Even though Jack hadn’t admitted it at first, I immediately knew that he had done the whole workout. He had watched those video several times and I knew that he wanted to get started as soon as possible. I never imagined it would be this soon. As Jack wiped the sweat from his brow and threw on a clean shirt, I began to realize that he was completely convinced that there was nothing wrong with his heart. In a couple of days, he will be back on that elliptical machine. Hopefully, he will use a little more restraint.
Jack
Ever since my experience with the light, I somehow knew that there was nothing wrong with my heart. I knew that Kate and everyone else around me still looked at me as being sick, but I wasn’t. I know that this wasn’t the safest way to prove my point, but there is definitely nothing wrong with my heart. It didn’t skip a single beat!
“You did the full workout, didn’t you?” Kate asked as we sat down to breakfast.
“What do you think?”
“I know that you did. I could tell last week that you were dying to try it out.”
“You’ve already got me figured out, huh?”
“Yeah, I’ve almost completed the six week crash course,” she replied with a shimmer in her eyes.
“I was able to hold my heart rate between 145 and 165 for the full workout,” I admitted, as I dug into another less than spectacular egg white omelet.
“Seriously, Jack? Were you trying to kill yourself?” Kate asked with the same look of shock Carla had displayed earlier.
“No. I knew that the pacemaker would kick in if anything got out of whack; otherwise, I wouldn’t have done it. I just needed to prove it to myself, as well as to you. I don’t want anything to stand in the way of the adventure we’re about to embark on.”
“Okay, but keep in mind that you’re 49, not 29,” she said in a motherly tone.
“That may be true, but I just might surprise you. The main difference between someone 49 and someone 29 is their level of growth hormone. If I do this three times per week, I can get my levels close to where they were 20 years ago.”
“Really… that’s pretty unbelievable,” she said not sounding convinced.
“I’m serious. In fact, over the next eight weeks I’m going to replace my testosterone therapy with this workout. I knew that those shots were a quick fix. Quick fixes never work out well over the long run.”
“Now that’s awesome news!” Kate replied enthusiastically. “I want you to feel good and if you can do it naturally I’m behind you one hundred percent.”
In two days I’m going to do that workout again, although this time I’ll back off after four or five cycles... six at the most. I’m not sure what that whole lactic acid thing was about, but I’m just impressed that I could work my heart like that. I haven’t done anything close to 170 beats per minute in at least two decades. Actually, that probably explains the lactic acid thing. After my stem cell injections on Friday, I’m cutting back on testosterone and going 100% natural.
Kate
Even though I told Jack that I had him figured out, he still blows my mind on a regular basis. Just over a week ago, he basically coded and had a pacemaker installed. Yet, he came home totally energized by the experience. Today he practically kills himself exercising; again, he’s exhilarated by the fact that his heart didn’t give out. He’s definitely wired differently than anyone I’ve ever known. Maybe that’s what makes him so awesome.
After breakfast and a quick shower, Jack flipped into business mode. He had a rather long conversation with Rich about raising additional capital for the corporation. Then we had a quick conference call with Brandon to see how things were going in L.A. Since they were three hours behind us, it was finally 8 am on the west coast. Jack never called anyone before 8:00 am, unless it was something urgent. He always expected everyone else to return the same courtesy.
“Get the hell out of bed,” Jack jabbed, as it instantly became obvious that Brandon was still asleep.
“What do you want? It’s only… shit it’s eight already?”
“It’s time to get up and get to work, buddy. Were you out partying last night?” Jack continued with a big smile on his face.
“Yes, actually. Deidra heard that I was in town, so she invited me to the agency Valentine’s Day party.”
“Agency party, huh?” Jack’s smile faded a bit because Deidra was the head of the modeling agency where he had sent Jackie.
“Yeah, she said it would be a blast, so I went and checked it out. It was mostly bimbos and boy-toys but I did meet a few cool people.”
“That’s good, how is Deidra?”
“She’s doing great, but she tried to hook me up with one of the new models,” he replied, causing the remainder of Jack’s smile to disappear.
“Let me guess. Her name is Jackie?” Jack speculated.
“Yeah, Jaclyn… she said you were good friends.”
“Jackie was my roommate,” I interjected.
“Okay, that’s the connection. She wasn’t really clear on how she knew you guys. Did you go to Paris together?” he asked, as Jack’s former smile turned into a definite scowl.
“Yeah, she went to the Paris Fashion Show with us,” I replied knowing that Brandon would be clueless about such a thing.
“Okay. She acted like it was some big secret or something. What happens in Paris stays in Paris or some damn thing.”
“That’s Jackie, she likes to be dramatic,” I added, hoping to end the line of questions.
“She’ll fit right in with the other models then,” Brandon concluded, before giving us a quick business update. He had met with two of the largest west coast agents earlier in the day on Tuesday and both had made a soft commitment to participate in the launch of our new line. “They both loved your designs, Kate, and that ‘Made in the U.S.’ tagline appears to be a stroke of genius, Dad.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear Brandon,” Jack said, as his grin resurfaced.
“I’m meeting with two smaller players today, and then I have the big meeting with Fashionista on Friday when I’m back in New York.”
“Sounds good, keep up the good work. Also, steer clear of Jackie, she’s bad news,” Jack added, not able to resist.
“I wouldn’t worry, Dad. You know my history with models,” Brandon replied with a laugh.
“Yeah… I’m not too worried about you. You’re definitely wise beyond your years,” Jack replied with a glimmer of pride in his eyes.
~~~
“Brandon meets Jackie on his first trip out to L.A. What are the odds of that?” Jack asked immediately after we hung up with Brandon.
“Well, he did say that Deidra introduced them to each other.”
“I know. I guess I’m just a little shocked at having such bad luck. You might want to check in with her and make sure she stays cool. I would hate to see her modeling career derail the way her mother’s did,” Jack stated in a completely different tone than I had grown accustomed to hearing.
“Don’t worry about her, Jack. I’ll take care of it.”
“Good. I’m going to check in with Alan at the ad agency and see how our media campaign is coming along. Touch base with Brenda when you get a chance and see how things are progressing in Allentown.”
“Alright, I was already planning on calling her this afternoon.”
“Tell her that I’ll be sending over some information on 3D printing technology next week. I’ll have the supply chain figured out by Monday; Tuesday at the latest,” he replied with a far off look in his eyes.
I couldn’t wait to see the unveiling of the plan that Jack had been working on. He never did fill me in on any details regarding 3D printing, so
I knew that it was still in the formulation stage. Whatever he’s working on must be game changing, based on his level of intensity. It’s weird to think that he just sold off a $4 billion business in order to ride off into the sunset. Instead, now he’s working on some sort of plan to take on some of those overseas manufacturers. I have to admit that I’m happy about the change of heart. He was way too young to even think about retirement. He would’ve been bored after the first week and he knows it.
I sent Jackie a quick text just to see where her head was at:
Me: Hey, Jackie, I heard you met Brandon last night.
Jackie: Ya… He’s hot. Where are you?
I knew that Jackie had a tendency to be jealous, so I took a moment to craft a response. I didn’t really want to tell her that we were on his yacht, anchored just off the coast of Grand Bahama. There’s no need to aggravate her.
Me: I’m with Jack down in Freeport. He’s having stem cell treatments for his heart.
Jackie: OMG, really? Is he alright? What’s wrong with his heart?
Me: Genetic problem. He’s doing great. Just keep quiet about Paris so he doesn’t have another heart attack.
Within seconds my phone rang:
“Another heart attack?” Jackie practically screamed as I answered.
“Yeah, he says it wasn’t a heart attack but he literally coded during his first stem cell treatment. They took him right into surgery and installed a pacemaker,” I explained, being a little overly dramatic.
“Wow, that’s terrible. Like I told Brandon, what happens in Paris stays in Paris,” Jackie replied with a girlish giggle.
“Yeah Jackie, that’s the type of thing that you shouldn’t say to Brandon or anyone else who knows Jack.”
“I know,” she said with a hint of remorse in her voice. “You tell Jack that he better cool it or you’ll be pushing him around in a wheel chair by the time you’re 30.”
“I think I’ll do you a favor and pretend that I didn’t hear that.”
She intended it to be half joke and half jab, but I chose just to laugh it off. If she thought, that Jack was getting old and in poor health, she would be far less jealous. At the time, it seemed like a good way to throw the bloodhound off the scent, as my dad used to say. Dad… the other thorn in my side. I saw that he had replied to my text message saying: Don’t blow me off Kate. We need to talk.
No, Dad, we really don’t.
~~~
Jack
I should’ve known that out of 3.8 million people, Jackie would be the first one that Brandon would meet when I sent him to LA. At least Brandon isn’t a model chaser. He most likely won’t get to know her all that well. If she says anything more about Paris, though… son of a bitch!
Instead of wasting any more mental bandwidth on her, I went to bring Captain Alexander up to speed on our communication systems. Anthony had lined up a tech guy from Miami to deliver some new cell phones. I got Anthony on the phone as well, so we would all be on the same page. I didn’t want any more mistakes.
“We need to be able to make secure calls from our cell phones, even when we are at sea. This satellite phone is global, but they are obviously too easy to track,” I reiterated to both of them as we began our discussion.
“Your phone was most likely compromised by the person who set up the satellite connection,” Anthony confirmed. “The new communication system on your boat should provide totally secure coverage 95% of the time.”
“I was told that I need to get one more piece of equipment to do secure voice calls. There wasn’t enough time to complete it when it was docked in Puerto Rico,” I explained, having already spent $750,000 to upgrade the entire GPS and communication system.
“Yeah, that’s the piece that Rolando is bringing with him,” Anthony replied knowingly. “By the end of the day, you’ll have broadband internet access and secure cell phone calls.”
“And for when we are out of range, an encrypted military grade satellite phone will cost a couple of grand?” I inquired.
“Yeah, I can get you a top of the line one for around $2500. Then you just need to keep that number private and only use it when you’re off the grid,” Anthony explained.
“Alright, that sounds good. So just get me one satellite phone. The rest of the time, we will use the phones that Rolando is bringing with him,” I confirmed. “I’ll have my current satellite phone delivered to you on Friday. You will be able to use it as we begin to execute our game plan.”
“Why would you want them to be able to track me?” Anthony asked sounding confused.
“No, you’ll just use it to draw them out or throw them off-course. We could send the phone on a side trip or leave it sitting at the office in New York while we do our reconnaissance,” I explained. “They are under the assumption that I will be taking that phone everywhere I go.”
“You’re right, that’s a good idea,” Anthony agreed.
“Captain Chuck and Tim are flying the Gulfstream back to LaGuardia late Friday morning, so I’ll make sure my phone is onboard. They’ll deliver the phone to the office by late that afternoon. A few hours after they depart, we’ll head the ship south. I’ll have you send my new satellite phone via courier to Santo Domingo, where I’ll pick it up when we arrive,” I instructed.
“I’ll have your phone ready to go by tomorrow evening,” Anthony replied. “I’m sure you won’t have any issues going forward.”
It’s hard to describe how it feels to know that you are under surveillance, to know that someone is watching your every move. I see what they mean when they say that you don’t appreciate your freedom until it’s gone. There is no way that I’m going to let anyone impose on my freedom. I’ll take every measure possible to ensure that Kate and I can roam this world freely. Then I’ll be able to turn the tables on Sau- Ming. That greedy little bastard…
Chapter 19 – Hello Mr. Intensity
Thursday – February 16, 2012 6:50am
Jack
I know that it’s crazy, but I want to get right back on that elliptical and see if I can handle at least six cycles without any ill effects. I have always considered myself a person who worked out, but I’ve never done anything quite like this. I could feel the heat radiating off my thighs when I woke up during the night. This is going to be amazing. To think, I’ve always avoided cardio because I couldn’t stand the thought of spending hours on those stupid machines. I can’t believe that I didn’t start doing something like this years ago.
“You aren’t going on another suicide mission are you?” Kate asked, as she rolled over and saw me pulling on my sweatpants.
“No… I’m just going on the treadmill for a little while.”
“Nothing over four miles per hour,” she said, reverting to that motherly tone.
“Yes, dear. I’ll peak out at 3 ½, just to make sure that I don’t end up with my head in the toilet,” I replied, leaving her with a kiss on the forehead. I love how she giggles.
~~~
As I warmed up, I began to go over my mental checklists. The only thing on my agenda for the day was a ten o’clock video conference with Anthony and the Ricci brothers. I’ll have to start off by apologizing for sending Anthony after them. As if I haven’t already put them through enough pain. I’ll make it up to them over the coming years.
Next, my mind turned to the manufacturing process. I had done all of the preliminary research and had talked to a few of the key manufacturers. There were three cutting-edge companies to choose from and the front-runner appeared to be a company based in Amsterdam. It would take a few face-to-face meetings in order to determine whether they were the right fit. All three were capable of building the machines that we wanted, and had similar time lines, as well as prices. The deciding factor was going to be whom we felt most comfortable working with and that is best done in person. I wish it was later so that I could give Brandon a call. I always get bored on the treadmill.
Kate
I’m going to have to start forcing him to stay
up later, so then he’ll sleep in until at least 8:00 am. It’s hard for me to sleep when I know that he’s working out. I guess as long as I can hear him plodding along on the treadmill, I can just lay here and relax. He’ll sneak by me on the way to the shower and that’s when I’ll get up and give him a little morning surprise. Between his plan for revenge, and setting up the manufacturing platform, he has been getting more and more absorbed by the business. I need to make sure he has a little fun.
After snoozing for another half hour to the rhythmic beat of Jack on the treadmill, I awakened the second that it ceased. I threw off the covers, rolled onto my stomach, and kept my eyes closed. I stretched out my legs knowing full well that my little shorts would provide him with an advantageous view when he re-entered the room. I’m getting wet just thinking about it…
“Now that’s a refreshing view,” Jack cooed, as he walked toward the bed. I didn’t make a sound in hopes that he would simply take advantage of the situation.
My skin tingled as he ran his fingertips along the back of my leg, but I remained silent. It was kind of a fantasy of mine to have someone like Jack take advantage of me while I was sleeping. Even though I was wide-awake, it was still fun to pretend. It would also be fun to see how Jack would proceed if I didn’t open my eyes. I’m pretty sure he’ll stop, not wanting to disturb me. Much to my surprise, I felt his weight easing onto the bed. Now I’m completely turned on. I could feel how drenched my pussy lips were as he coaxed my shorts to the side and ran his warm fingers along the edges.
As subtle encouragement, I gave him a soft moan when I felt his breath tickling my ass cheeks. Once again, my body strained in anticipation of the arrival of his hot, wet tongue. I love how sensual he is in bed. He moves in slowly but deliberately, which definitely peaks the sexual tension. If Jack was surprised by the fact that I hadn’t really responded up this point, he certainly didn’t let it show. He pushed my legs further apart as his tongue and lips began explore and taunt every square inch of sensitive flesh between my legs.