by M T Stone
“Oh, god, stop, stop!” came flying out of my mouth while I simultaneously felt the release from Jack that had been so long in coming. Jack let out a groan as loud as if he had just been hit by a line drive and then simply held me.
Neither of us said a word as I just sat there in his arms. I was overwhelmed with emotion and could feel tears streaming down my cheeks. When I finally turned to face him, Jack began kissing me with almost more passion than before we began. A couple of weeks before, I swore I had reached the highest possible level of physical pleasure, but this experience left me wondering if there actually were any limits. When we finally struggled to our feet and exited the tub, we were both like wrinkled prunes.
“I haven’t had wrinkled fingers like this since I was a kid,” he laughed as he grabbed our now cold food.
I had finally regained enough presence of mind to grab the champagne and glasses before following him into the bedroom. Jack set our food on the bed and pulled back the covers to allow me to crawl in before going back for the ice bucket.
“We don’t want warm champagne to go along with the cold food,” he said with a laugh.
Warm champagne, cold food…. After what I had just experienced, none of it really mattered. I had so many endorphins flowing through my system that he could’ve poured the ice bucket over my head and it wouldn’t have fazed me. I pulled the covers up and simply relished the extreme state of bliss. I remember thinking at that time that his was a feeling to be cherished. It was definitely something quite very, very special.
Jack
If it’s possible to be stoned on endorphins, Kate and I were both there. When I re-entered the bedroom, the look on her face reminded me of a porcelain angel. She had a look of complete contentment that made her look as if she was glowing. It reminded me of the glow Eva had on our wedding day.
“Would you like something to eat?”
“I don’t care,” she responded with a sigh and a lazy stretch.
“Maybe we’ll just enjoy this feeling first,” I said, sliding in to spoon her.
Lying there, I could feel the subtle tingling of my skin and my warm, flushed cheeks against the pillow. Eva and I had some phenomenal sex over the years, but nothing that topped what had just occurred between Kate and me. After enjoying the warmth radiating between us, I was suddenly awoken by my growling stomach. Looking at the clock, I realized that we must’ve fallen asleep.
“I take it you’re hungry?” Kate asked as she stretched to wake up.
“I’m starved. I waited to eat with you, so I haven’t had much of anything all day. Let me call and get a fresh round of food. Should I order the same as before?”
“Sure. It smelled great.”
~~~
Gerard gave me an amused smile when I answered the door in my robe and traded him the hot platter of food for the cold version. I gave him a $100 tip and told him I appreciated all he had done for us the past few weeks.
“It’s truly been my pleasure, sir. No tips are required.”
“I know.”
As I closed the door and returned to the bedroom, I realized that I was actually becoming comfortable with other people knowing what Kate and I were up to. It had really bothered me those first few days, but over the course of the month apparently I had loosened up. I began to see how other people had pulled off dating or marrying people half or twice their age. It’s just a matter of overcoming what everyone else thinks. At that point, Brandon and Jayne popped into my head. The butler is one thing, but not caring what those two thought would definitely be a major hurdle to overcome.
~~~
When I awoke at 7:00 A.M., I was amazed by how deeply I had slept. I hadn’t woke up once during the night, which was very rare for me. The combination of hormone therapy and all the incredible sex seemed to be good for my sleep cycle. I gave Kate a kiss on the cheek before getting up to take a shower. Brenda was coming in from Allentown this morning and would be arriving at my office at approximately 8:30. I sent Brandon a text to make sure he was going to be there as well.
After a nice hot shower, I came out to find our lattes on the counter and Kate for some reason was still in bed.
“What’s wrong, hun? We need to be at the office in a little over an hour.”
“I know, I was just laying here thinking about everything.”
“I should know better than to ask, but what are you thinking about?”
“I was just thinking about how awesome everything is when we’re here and how complex it all becomes the minute we walk out the door.”
“I know, I’ve been thinking about it, too. Especially since you’re going on your first date with my son tonight,” I said teasingly.
“Not funny, Jack, I’m serious. We only have a couple days left and then what?”
“Let’s go meet with Brenda and Brandon, enjoy the weekend and then we will take one day at a time. I honestly have no idea what to do, either, except keep moving ahead. Everything will work out, Kate.”
“I know, but I’m terrified.”
“Terrified? About what?”
“I don’t know, losing everything?”
“You aren’t going to lose everything; I’ll make sure of that, Kate. I’ve told you before, you and I will always be part of each other’s lives one way or another. There’s a reason why all of this happened. We are both going to be better off as a result of meeting each other. It’s not a one way street Kate, far from it!”
~~~
Kate
Based on the sincere look on Jack’s face, I knew he meant what he was saying, but I still wanted to cry. All indications were that Jack still wanted to leave the city after Monday and where would that leave me? The business was all coming together just as he had promised, but I didn’t want to run it without him. Sure, we could talk on the phone several times per week, but that was no substitute for being held in his arms. As Jack leaned in to hug me, I just wanted to stay right there. However, I could feel his restlessness as he pulled back and looked me straight in the eyes.
“Trust me, Kate.”
“I do.”
“Alright, then put on your best suit and meet me down in the restaurant as soon as you’re ready. You have an exciting day ahead of you.”
~~~
Arriving at Jack’s office, we were greeted by Kristen. “Everyone is in the conference room, and Brenda is on her way up.”
“Excellent, thanks, Kristen,” Jack replied as he motioned for me to go in ahead of him.
As we walked into the room, I was stunned to see more than a dozen people gathered around the conference table. Only three seats remained open, which were apparently for Jack, Brenda and I. Why didn’t he tell me all these people were going to be here? I feel completely unprepared.
“Welcome everyone,” Jack said, as he guided me to my seat and looked out over the gathering. “I’m sure you all know my daughter Jayne, but I want to introduce you to my son Brandon and my new business partner Kate Westby,” he added, as everyone exchanged greetings with the two of us.
“This is Brenda everyone,” Kristen announced, as she opened the door to show her in.
After a round of introductions on Brenda’s behalf, Jack began to tell everyone the reason behind the Friday meeting. He explained how Brandon and I, along with one of Ryker Fashion Merchandising’s founding investors, had purchased a defunct garment factory in Allentown, PA and were going to spearhead a renewal of the U.S. fashion industry.
“Each of you were invited here today because you will play a key role in the biggest product launch we’ve been involved in to date,” he emphasized while Jayne began a slide show that unveiled my line.
“Over the coming weeks, Brandon, Kate and Brenda will lead the retooling of the factory and the retraining of the workforce. By May 15, production will be in full swing and pre-orders for the fall season will begin June 1,” he announced as several people murmured amongst themselves.
“Over the past week, I’ve personally selected each of yo
u to work with Jayne, to make sure Kate and Brandon’s clothing line receives as much initial attention as possible. This group is responsible for nearly eighty percent of our sales and all of our largest accounts, so that’s why I want to make sure each of you understand why this line is so exciting and different.”
At that point, Jack asked Brandon to join him in the presentation, which was another surprise. Jack and Brandon began by showing the eighty percent decline in U.S. garment manufacturing that had occurred over the last 25 years. Next they went through several slides demonstrating the growing demand for high quality, reasonably priced options for female consumers. Brandon then went over the entire American Made For American Women campaign that Andrew had just finished putting together. Once he finished, Jayne’s presentation covered how the line would be rolled out in stages beginning with two major department stores in early June. If all went well at the factory, a full roll-out would be complete by August 5th. This meant that several retail chains, along with two or three major department stores, would carry our full line for the fall season.
Finally, a woman named Jennifer Mitchell, who I had never even met, joined them to talk about the functionality of my line and how it was perfectly positioned to fill this growing niche. Everyone in the room was engaging the three of them, asking questions and taking notes. On one hand, I was extremely excited to witness everyone showing this much interest in my clothes. On the other hand, though, I felt as if they had hijacked my entire line out from under me. I just sat there as if I wasn’t even part of the process. I was honestly a little dazed and confused! Jack had been watching my expressions throughout the entire meeting and knew that I was becoming frustrated. It wasn’t until the end of the question and answer session that he finally addressed the reason I had been left out of the loop.
“I want to thank all of you for coming today and helping me put on this presentation for the founder and creator of Kate’s Collection – Miss Kate Westby. Kate, I want you to look around the room. This is your team! As you have seen, they know your line, your story and they share your passion,” he said, while panning across everyone in the room.
“Kate had expressed concern that she didn’t have the experience to launch this line, so thank you all for helping me show her that she has nothing to fear,” he added, as everyone rose and gave a round of applause.
I simply sat there in awe of what I was experiencing. This group was responsible for billions of dollars in retail sales, and they were going to be promoting my line. This is absolutely amazing. Oh shit, now Jack wants me to stand up and say something. I’m completely unprepared.
“Thank you, everyone. As you can probably tell, I’m completely overwhelmed. This has all come together so fast that I really haven’t had time to acclimate to my role at this point. You can rest assured, though, that Brenda, Brandon and I will do everything within our power to ensure that you guys have the best possible products to bring to your customers. Delivering high quality clothes that represent great value for the working women of this country is my only priority. If you ever have any problems or have some creative input, my door will be open to each and every one of you. I want to sincerely thank you for being part of my team!”
As everyone gave me yet another round of applause, I graciously accepted the adoration and took my seat. Wow, that was pretty good stuff for off the cuff. Maybe I can do this after all!
Jack
I couldn’t have been more proud as I watched Kate and Brandon interact with Brenda and the others throughout the rest of the morning. Once again, it reminded me of when Eva and I first met with designers to pitch them on selling through us. They played to each other’s strengths. Brandon handled the marketing and technical questions while Kate handled all the details concerning how her line would be manufactured. It was that same synergy that had made Eva and me such a dynamic duo in the early days. As the meeting came to a close and the attendees began to filter out of the room, almost all stopped to express their appreciation for being invited.
Kate’s line is going to be a home run!
“Jayne, I know Julian’s still in Chicago. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” I asked when she came over to chat.
“Sure! You don’t have any plans on a Friday night?”
“No, I’m completely free. Brandon and Kate have a date, so I’d be a third wheel.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot about their big date,” she replied, shooting me a crosswise glare.
“Yeah, I think they’re good together,” I added, knowing I was twisting her mind.
“I have to admit, I thought maybe you two… you know.”
“Kate and me? No, she’s way too young for me.”
“Hmmm, that’s kind of a relief, but I’ve hardly seen you since you two met. Where have you been?”
“I’ve been busy, hun. Do you think all this just fell together in the last three weeks?”
“Well, no. I suppose not.”
“Dinner or not tonight?”
“Yes, and I’ll bring you my keys tonight. Kate will need them if she’s going to move in.”
“Alright, great. See you tonight, honey.”
~~~
“Hey, Dad, let’s grab lunch. I want to talk to you about something,” Brandon interjected as soon as Jayne and I finished.
“Sure,” I said, seeing that Kate, Brenda and Jennifer were deep in discussion. I walked over to tell them that Kristen would order whatever they wanted for lunch. Brandon had put on a good presentation, and it would be nice to discuss it with him over lunch.
~~~
Chapter 26: The Confessions Begin
Jack
“I have a confession, Dad,” Brandon began as soon as the server walked away with our order.
“What’s that?”
“Well, I know it’s not ethical to date someone you work with, and I know we’re not going on a real date tonight, but I’ve been thinking about Kate a lot the past few days.”
“You have, huh?”
“Yeah…. In case you haven’t noticed, she’s pretty hot.”
“I’ve definitely noticed, Brandon, I’m not that old.”
“I know, Dad, but you know what I mean. If you were my age, you would be all over that and you know it.”
“Brandon, you have no idea.”
Brandon sat there looking at me for a moment, but I really didn’t want to add anything to my statement so I changed the topic.
“I was really proud of you this morning, Brandon, you did well.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Rich tells me you handled the negotiations like a pro as well.”
“Maybe Harvard was worth the money after all!”
“I believe it was. You and Kate are going to do very well. By the way, as we discussed I’m giving you twenty five percent of the business. Just so you know, those ten people who were gathered around the table with us are all getting up to one percent, based on meeting some rigorous performance targets.”
“Really? Isn’t that some type of conflict?”
“Having your best sales people own a piece of the business? Not at all.”
“But they aren’t actually employed by our company.”
“Trust me, son, if they hit their targets you will gladly give them some ownership.”
“Okay, I’ll have to trust you on that.”
“Rich is in for five percent, so that leaves ten percent of my stock still up for grabs. I’m giving that to you, but if Jayne decides to join you guys, I want it to go to her.”
“Okay, she’s more than welcome.”
“I’m also going to talk to Kate about using part of her stake for a few key executives and to fund an ESOP for the rest of the employees. Giving your employees a stake in the game is the way to create a loyal workforce, and that’s hard to do now days. I’ll help you guys set it up.”
“That’s fine with me, Dad.”
“One thing I want, though, is that you, Jayne and Kate always maintain f
ifty two percent control. So if you ever have to go beyond that, make sure it’s non-voting stock you’re giving away. Alright?”
“I understand.”
“Now, back to your initial concerns. No one understands your dilemma better than me. When I first began concocting my business plan, way back in college, I was obsessed with your mother. I vividly remember pitching her on my ideas and trying to convince her that she should go into business with me. Of course, she kept saying no because she thought I was just trying to get in her pants. Which was the honest truth, but I also knew we would make great business partners.
"Watching you and Kate today reminded me of the early days when your mother and I would pitch designers. Please don’t rush into anything, but if you work together for the next six months and your feelings continue to grow don’t be afraid of them. There is nothing greater in life than meeting someone who can be not only your wife, but a true life partner. That’s what I had in your mother!”
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about how you and Mom spent all your time together. It’s scary, though, because when you lost her, you lost your wife, best friend and business partner all at the same time! That really sucks.”
“It did, Brandon. I was completely devastated. In fact, only now am I beginning to recover from it, and it’s been over three and a half years. But you know what? It was worth it. We were married, built a business and raised the two of you together for more than two and a half decades. Those will always be the greatest years of my life, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I was devastated when I lost Eva, but where would I be if I’d never taken the chance? I know for a fact I wouldn’t be where I am today because she was my other half. The two of us together made it all work. You and Kate have a similar synergy. I’m not saying it will turn out as great as it did for your mother and me, but if you find yourself falling in love with her don’t hold back out of fear.”
