Sizzling Romance New York Style

by Robert C. Waggoner

  Chapter 16

  Both headed for the exercise room and went through a rigorous routine to face another day. They had their usual shower and she made breakfast again for him. A light breakfast of toast and fruit for both was enough. They would have a nice dinner tonight.

  The security guy was waiting for them when they arrived at the door. She took a taxi and he drove off to grandmothers. He had a full agenda and he was prepared for a full day's work.

  Jen meanwhile, arrived at her parent’s house. Mom was in the kitchen and dad was reading the paper drinking a cup of coffee. She kissed her dad and went in the kitchen to see her mother. Mother was washing the breakfast dishes and Jen sat down at the breakfast nook and her mother poured a cup of tea for her. Mom said, “Jen you look a little tired.’

  “Yes mom a little tired. We were out late last night with some new guys Todd hired. Mom, I know we have been busy lately, but could we take this nice late summer day and have some fun poking around some street markets?”

  Mom laughed and said that sounded like fun to her. “Do you want to call Beth and ask her to come along?”

  “No, I think just the two of us and we will have lunch somewhere nice,”

  Todd’s plan this morning was to go over his speech and have Nancy proof read it. The reason for an afternoon meeting was to make sure all the heads were sober. A lot of grumbling was anticipated and the vocal complaints didn’t need the fuel of alcohol.

  He picked up his phone and called Mario. Mario answered with, “Good morning young Todd, what can I do for you so early in the morning?”

  Todd told him about the two new guys he hired and said in a couple weeks, he wanted to introduce Damion to him. Mario asked him if he had a chance yet to scan the files on the lawyers he gave him.

  “No I haven’t yet, but will later this morning I will take a look at them.”

  “Ok, my friend, talk to you later.”

  Todd drove into the driveway shortly after eight. Nancy was there as usual. He walked through the door and grandmother was just coming out of the kitchen. Before he could say anything, grandmother said, “I’m fine my boy, never felt better.”

  He grinned at her and gave her a big hug and kiss. Grandmother followed him into the library and he said hello to Nancy and sat down at his desk. Grandmother sat next to his desk in a chair reserved for only her. He told her the doctors from Europe would be here this weekend and run some tests on her. She said, “I know what is wrong with me, my doctor is good enough. Why do I need some guys who can’t speak good English probing me and mumbling to the other doctor? You know what my disease is; can’t you take care of me?”

  Todd laughed and said to her, “Grandmother you are getting a little crotchety in your old age.”

  They both laughed and got down to business. She read his speech and said it was a good one. “There will be a lot of opposition to your ideas. Are you prepared for rebuttal?”

  “I’m ready,” and gave the speech to Nancy for proof reading. He and grandmother went to the kitchen for tea. They sat down and he told her all about yesterday and his hiring the two guys from Seattle and Chicago. He told her about Damion and felt he would be a great asset to Lincoln. Pete on the other hand, would be a strong back up and make sure nobody got out of line. A desk man who will demand we play by the rules: “My kind of guy.”

  Grandmother told him she would take a rest and excused herself. Todd returned to the library.

  He was deep in thought when the phone rang. Alex was on the line. Actually, Todd had not thought much about the press since Glenda’s press conference. He hadn’t noticed any unusual activity outside the house. Alex said good morning and gave him a report on the week’s activities. He told him he would have a budget on his desk on Monday. “That is good work Alex. I have a special job for you.” Todd gave him the three lawyer’s names and asked Alex to check them out. He would give him the files this afternoon when he came to the downtown office.

  He opened up the files and looked at the lawyer’s vita. All appeared qualified. They all met his criteria. He studied the pictures carefully. Then he reread Nancy observations of the meeting with the stock transfer and thought he should give these files to Nancy and have her opinion. She finished the speech and gave it to him and he gave her the lawyer files and told her to study them and write a short note to him about her observations of each one.

  He said to her, “Nancy, meet me at the downtown office after lunch. Bring those files with you and a copy of the speech. Put the file of the lawyers on Alex’s desk please.” He put his copy of the speech in his briefcase and left the house. As usual he called his lovely Jen.

  He found her shopping with her mother at a street market in China Town. They were having fun and spending the day together. She wished him well at the big meeting and said she would wait for him at her house to pick her up. They signed off and he motored to an Italian deli for lunch. It was just before noon and after a lunch of salami, cheese on rye, he went to Central Park and walked around with his hands in his pockets thinking about the upcoming meeting. It was still hot and a little muggy. He had no coat on and loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt at the top.

  Ambling along he kicked a rock and said out loud, “Someone should kick my butt for doing what I’m planning.” An old man on a bike rode up along side of him and said, “Hey fella, you always talk to yourself about kicking your butt?”

  Todd smiled at him and said, “I’m in a tough situation and I’m out here to get some confidence back.” Todd continued walking slow with the old man struggling to keep his bike from falling over due to the slow pace.

  “I think you are strong enough to kick anybody’s ass,” he said with a twinkle in his brown eyes.

  “Well old timer, you remind me of my grandmother and if the two of you got together, I would be running around like a chicken with its head cut off.”

  The old man, now off his bike and walking along side him said, “I remember those days and now I don’t have to worry about them anymore. I can give you a small piece of advice if you want to hear it?”

  “Sure do. I need all the help I can get,” he answered.

  “First let me ask a question. Have you ever failed at something you set your heart into?”

  Todd thought a minute as they rounded a corner and some skateboarders almost crashed into them, “No can’t say as if I have,” he said with a confident voice.

  “Well then my new park friend, you have my piece of advice and now if you will excuse me, I have to get my ten miles in today.” At that he rode off into the trees looking very fit.

  Todd picked up the pace and stood a little straighter. Head held high he made for his car and ready to take on the fight coming up. No doubt he would be persuasive and in the end, have his way with the Lincoln Group.

  An hour later, having run through his mind top to bottom his plan; he strolled back to his car. He made a few mental changes, but nothing drastic. He felt good about his plan. His thoughts drifted to Jen. In his mind he could see her big smile and golden hair flowing down to her shoulders. He felt her strength within his mind. She was his pillar of strength to make this plan work for the Lincoln Group. There was no doubt in his mind he could pull this off. He was building group of people who would see to it the plan worked.

  Arriving at his office he found Nancy in his office working on some papers. Alex was in and Todd talked to him on the phone, asked him to come to his office. Glenda was in her office and he wanted her to come too. They would have a meeting in his office.

  Alex spoke first and said he had looked at the lawyer files and would put the necessary inquiry out on them; very discreetly of course. Glenda told them she would video the meeting at the hotel’s convention center. No one would know it was being videoed. Todd wanted a record of the meeting. If one the Head’s got out of line, he wanted clips to show them in the future.

  Alex told him he had security taken care of. Fifty men were in and around the ho
tel. The media had been notified and they had promised to behave. “Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think we are ready. Nancy I want you in the front somewhere close. Glenda, you go where you think best and Alex too. I’ll meet you all there later at four.”

  They left and he took a shower in his private bathroom and put on a new suit he had ordered. He looked at his watch and it was almost time to leave. His secretary wished good luck to him and he smiled back at her. He took a taxi to the hotel and at precisely four he walked in to the convention hall. Strolled down the middle with all the Heads standing and looking at him. They were all here to the person; not one had failed to show up for this monumental meeting of the Lincoln Group. Silence went with him to the front where a two step up to the podium awaited him.

  Todd asked them to please sit down and welcomed them to New York. Thanked them for dedication to the Lincoln Group and pulled out his speech and began to talk. For the next hour he laid out his plan to them. Not a sound was heard save his voice. At the end of his speech, he said that he knew there were many questions they had for him and he said to them, “I’m sure there is not enough time today to answer all of your questions but he would for the next hour field some questions one at a time. “One at a time please and say your name and where you are from and what division.”

 

  A loud buzzing sound of voices could be heard. He let it go on for a few minutes observing the more vocal ones, and then asked for quiet please. The hall turned quiet and the first of many stood up and asked a question.

  For the next hour he fielded questions and gave his answers. At precisely the end of an hour, he said that would be the end of the session and said good bye and thanked them for coming. If they would all retire to the special room set up for them, a dinner would be served and the bar was open. Taxis would be ready for taking them back to their respective hotels after dinner at eight o’clock. He walked out the door to a smattering of applause. He had expected no expressed gratitude, but smiled when he left nonetheless.

  He called his future wife from the taxi and said he would see her in a little while. He had to pick his car up and then he would drive over and pick her up. She asked him how it went and he said he would tell her all about it later in the car.

  In the car on their way home, he told her how it went, “Well the speech sounded good to him, but it was received with mixed emotions. Most were concerned about their jobs. Scared would be a good answer. I opened the floor up to questions and most of the questions were specific about their own divisions. A few excellent questions and I were happy about those. A few clapped at the end when I walked out.”