by Gene P. Abel
Jerry picked up the charts and financial statements and headed for Mr. Hagman’s office. Barry Hagman was a very successful man who made sure others knew of his achievements. Everything he did was first class. His office was no exception. As you approached the area surrounding his office, the first thing that greeted you were two junior secretaries. For most people that was as far as they got. You had to either be very important or have been summoned by Mr. Hagman to reach the second plateau: Miss Finch, his private secretary. In the waiting area was a series of tables and leather furniture as well as an eighteenth-century grandfather clock. Just by the way the outer office was appointed, you knew you were in the middle of success. Jerry was the number-two man in the firm, and he went directly to Miss Finch’s desk.
“Hello, how are you this morning, Miss Finch?” Jerry asked.
“Fine, Mr. French. Would you like some coffee?”
“No, thanks. I’m trying to cut down a bit. However, I would like a glass of orange juice,” Jerry said. Miss Finch picked up the intercom and asked the steward in charge of the executive dining room to bring a glass of juice.
Almost immediately, the steward appeared with a tall glass of orange juice and a linen napkin. Jerry thanked him, and just as the grandfather clock struck ten, Mr. Hagman opened his door.
“Come in, Jerry.” He turned to Miss Finch and asked her to have the steward bring fresh coffee, juice, sweet rolls, and fruit into his office.
Jerry sat at the large conference table located in such a way that one could look out the windows onto Wall Street far below. All of this was in keeping with the success that the firm had enjoyed.
Everything in Mr. Hagman’s office was the best, from his huge desk to the exquisite oriental rugs on the floor. To the left of the office was a door that led into the executive dining room, and there was a huge bathroom, complete with a sauna, on the right side of the office. On the other side of the bathroom was a large bedroom with a projection TV and sound system.
Barry Hagman sat across from Jerry, and they were about to get started when the steward brought in the refreshments Mr. Hagman had ordered. “Jerry, what would you like for lunch?” he asked.
“Bring me a chicken Caesar salad and assorted cheeses,” Jerry answered.
“Bring me a steak,” Mr. Hagman said, and the steward left the room and closed the door.
The discussion lasted until lunch, and they retired to the dining room about noon. Mr. Hagman had asked the CFO, Ben Decker, to join them to discuss the financing options for the proposed acquisitions.
By the time Jerry and Mr. Hagman arrived in the dining room, Ben was waiting for them. He had ordered a salmon steak for his lunch and was enjoying a Scotch before his meal.
“Hi, Ben, glad to see you,” Mr. Hagman said. Jerry went over and shook Ben’s hand, and the three men sat down at the table. Mr. Hagman ordered a glass of wine, and Jerry had a whiskey. The steward arrived in a few minutes and served the noon meal. As usual, it was outstanding, for the steward’s only responsibility was to ensure that Mr. Hagman and his guests had only the very best meals possible each day. On occasion, the steward would also prepare dinner if there was a late meeting scheduled.
The men didn’t talk business during lunch, as Mr. Hagman believed this was a time to relax from the morning business and get ready for the remainder of the day. After lunch was finished, they returned to Mr. Hagman’s office and began reviewing the financing options for each acquisition. Ben favored using long-term debt because the interest rates were so low. He didn’t see the rate dropping much further, so there was no reason to start with short-term funding and later convert to permanent options.
They reviewed the purchase ranges for each property to ensure they were all in agreement with the parameters that Jerry would use to negotiate the final purchase of each property. They had set a tentative range when they evaluated the properties earlier. At this point, they were still interested in all the acquisitions on their list, and it was just a matter of fine-tuning the ranges. In reality, Jerry had the authority to exceed the ranges, but they were thought of as targets to help in the negotiations. The only property that they reviewed in detail was the shopping center in Florida. That was the largest dollar project and the most complex to analyze.
Ben kept notes on their discussion and told them he would have the summary ready for them early the next morning. Both Jerry and Mr. Hagman wanted to review it over the weekend, as the negotiations on the first few properties were to begin within ten days. Jerry hoped to have all the purchases finalized by the early part of January, with settlement in February.
They completed their meeting about four o’clock, and Jerry and Ben returned to their offices. Tiffany told Jerry that he’d had a call from Dave, who had asked Jerry to call him back as soon as possible. Jerry closed his door and returned Dave’s call. “Well, you are the owner of twelve thousand shares of Optiscan. The final price was fifteen dollars per share, as we expected,” Dave said. Again, every detail was precisely like Jerry’s dream. Dave indicated he would fax him the confirmation. Dave thanked Jerry and again told him that this was going to be a very profitable investment.
Jackie arrived home from school about four and placed a call to the inn. She asked to speak with the owner, but since he was unavailable, she asked that he return her call when he had the chance. She also mentioned that they had stayed at the inn and had enjoyed their weekend.
Jackie started dinner, and the kids changed into their play clothes so they could romp in the snow before it got dark. At about five o’clock Jackie saw that the light was waning and called to the kids from the back door. As they bounded in, she reminded them to take off their wet boots and clothes and put them in the laundry room. After they got their wet things off, Jackie told them to start any homework they had. Lisa didn’t have any, but David had a science project due in a few days. Jackie tried to make sure they didn’t let things go until the last minute.
She allowed Lisa to watch TV and had David begin his work in the kitchen so she could keep tabs on him. It was a cold day, and the night was expected to be in the low teens with a high wind. Jackie prepared some frozen beef stew that she had made several weeks earlier. She also decided to bake some brown-and-serve bread to go along with the stew. It was about six thirty when Jerry arrived home. Lisa and David greeted him at the door with big hugs.
Lisa said, “Don’t forget to clean your boots and put your wet clothes in the laundry room, Dad.”
“Yes, Mother,” Jerry jokingly said. He knew she tried to imitate her mother about keeping the floor clean. Jerry asked them how school went, and they told him all the details of their day.
Jackie was pleased with the progress David was making on his science project and told him he could put it away and get washed for dinner. They all sat down, and Jackie served her homemade beef stew. When they finished dinner, the kids carried their plates to the sink and went into the family room to get ready to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Jackie and Jerry remained in the kitchen as they cleaned up the dishes.
“I talked with Dave just before leaving the office. He purchased the twelve thousand shares at fifteen dollars, just like in the dream. Now we’ll have to wait until March to see if it all works out according to the dream.”
Jackie asked him when in March he was to sell the shares. Jerry told her it was at the very end of March and the final selling price was eighty-eight dollars per share.
“I called the inn this afternoon, but the owner was unavailable. I asked him to please call me when he had a chance,” said Jackie.
Not long after they finished the dishes the phone rang. Jackie was greeted by a friendly voice that identified the caller as Mr. Douglas, the owner of the Inn of Destiny. Jackie explained they had stayed there last February, and she wanted to talk with other guests who had stayed in room D. Although agreeable, Mr. Douglas replied that he couldn’t give out infor
mation about other guests. Jackie was a bit vague and only told him they’d had a unique time and wanted to share their experiences with others. Although she didn’t mention their dreams, it was as though Mr. Douglas knew what she wanted.
“Are you aware of the history surrounding the inn?” Mr. Douglas asked.
“No. What history?”
He continued, “When the inn was being built, we discovered it was on an old Indian burial ground. As the excavation began, some human remains were uncovered along with some Indian artifacts. Work stopped until the extent of the burial ground was determined, and a second site was chosen next to the burial ground. There has been a lot of speculation by some of the guests about the bad karma from disturbing the burial site.”
“Did anyone experience anything?” Jackie asked.
“Some of the early guests at the inn said they heard strange sounds like someone walking, and others claimed they saw a ghost that looked like an Indian chief with a headdress who was holding a tomahawk,” answered Mr. Douglas.
“That sounds scary,” remarked Jackie.
“We haven’t heard of anyone seeing anything like that lately,” he said. “I would like to help you, Mrs. French. The only thing I can suggest is that I will include a note from you in the newsletter we’re getting ready to prepare. This letter goes to all our former guests, and if you can email me a short message, I’ll see that it’s included. In that way, you may be able to get in contact with some other guests that stayed in room D.”
“Thank you, Mr. Douglas. I appreciate your suggestion. I’ll send you an email tomorrow morning,” Jackie said. She hung up and told Jerry what the owner had suggested.
They sat down and began to compose their note. They didn’t want to make it sound like they were a couple of nuts. At the same time, they wanted to encourage anyone who may have had a similar experience to get in touch with them. They worked on the message while the kids watched Rudolph, and by the time the show was over, Jackie and Jerry had all but completed the message. They got the kids ready for bed, and after they were settled, Jackie decided to send the email that night. She knew how busy the mornings were and wanted to make sure Mr. Douglas had it for the newsletter.
About two weeks passed before the newsletter from the inn came in the mail. Jackie quickly looked for her letter. It was on the front page. Mr. Douglas had added a note encouraging other guests in room D to contact Jackie French. When Jerry arrived home, she showed him the newsletter. They both hoped this would enable them to see if others had had a similar unnerving experience. It would surely enhance their acceptance of the third dream if they learned they weren’t the only guests to be given a glimpse into the future.
16
New Year’s Eve
Christmas was a busy time in the French household, and this year was no exception. Jackie had all the normal preparations for her family as well as events at school. Her class was part of the school play, and the reception for parents was the last Tuesday before Christmas.
Christmas was good for most Americans, and this was certainly true for the French family. Everyone was well and the economy was the best in history. As for Jerry and Jackie, they both had successful careers and were living the good life. To top it off, their investments were outstanding, and the outlook was for more of the same.
Jackie and Jerry made a determined effort not to allow the potential impact of the market crash to spoil their holiday. They tried to put it out of their minds and enjoy the holiday season. Jackie did hope that she would get some responses from the article in the newsletter. However, she knew that most people had other things on their minds at this time of year. Jerry was able to keep track of Optiscan, and, as expected, it was increasing in price almost daily.
For the past several years Jackie and Mary had joined forces to host a New Year’s Eve party. It had become one of the social events in Princeton. Having been started about ten years ago, the party had steadily grown to the point where it required a lot of planning and the efforts of both families. This year they decided to hold the party in both homes to accommodate the number of guests. To ensure that it was one party and not two celebrations, Mary suggested they consider renting a tent that would tie the two houses together. Jackie agreed, and Mary arranged to have a tent rental company come over to assess their needs.
It was early Saturday morning when Mary knocked at Jackie’s back door. They had coffee, and about eight thirty Mr. Brown appeared at the front door. He looked at the homes and the back yards and listened to what they wanted to accomplish for the New Year’s Eve party. He took some measurements and began to draw a sketch of the back yards. After a short time, he called to Mary and Jackie to look at his idea. The tent he proposed would connect the family rooms via their sliding doors. This would not only tie the two homes together but also provide a focal area for the party outside the actual homes. Both kitchens would be able to feed the party, and guests could enter from either front door. Mr. Brown suggested a dance floor to be placed in the middle of the tent, and he planned to locate a heater to the rear of the French yard. This would keep the noise at a minimum but make the tent comfortable.
Mary and Jackie liked the plan and decided to have Mr. Brown draw up the rental agreement. They also selected serving tables and decorations, including several potted plants. Mary suggested they locate the DJ in one corner and place the food around the edges on two sides of the tent. They would also use the living and family rooms in both houses for added space.
Most of the other details had long since been settled. The invitations were mailed in early fall. Many of the guests were regulars, and the invitation was only a formality. The food would make most caterers blush, but everything except the beverages was homemade by either Mary or Jackie. That was one of the things that made this party so special. The girls put themselves into it, and it showed. Despite its size, this wasn’t another commercial affair. The husbands did the grunt work and made sure the ice, beverages, and furniture were on hand.
Given the size of the tent, Mary suggested she contact the temporary help company to see if they could get two more servers. They had arranged for two kitchen helpers and four servers. If they could add two servers, they would have six people circulating among the guests. As it turned out, the temp service was able to supply the additional help. Jackie and Mary had carefully planned the food to be served at this year’s party. Each year they tried to introduce a few changes, although some things were annual favorites that couldn’t be forgotten. It was almost noon when they finished reviewing the many details. “I guess I had better get moving,” Mary said. They agreed to call each other if other questions came to mind.
Two days before New Year’s Eve, the tent company arrived to set up the tent. It took four hours to set it up and install the heater. Mr. Brown was on the scene to supervise the work. He wanted to make sure his company did their part to make the couples’ party a success. Jackie and Mary were pleased with the tent and thanked Mr. Brown and the workmen for their help. The crew would remove the tent on January 2, weather permitting.
After they left, the girls continued what seemed like an endless series of tasks to prepare the large number of culinary delights that awaited this year’s guests. Some of the items had been made earlier and frozen. Other things had to be completed closer to the night of the party. Jerry and John had gone to a friend’s to pick up another refrigerator as the girls were closing in on their final preparations. Finally, the guys arrived with the refrigerator. They were a welcome sight to Jackie since her kitchen resembled a large food storage room. Mary’s kitchen was not much better. After the refrigerator was set up, Jerry and John began placing the food in it. Even after they completed this task, it seemed every cold-storage area was filled to capacity.
Jerry decided he had better call the icehouse since they were late in delivering the needed ice. He was assured that they were on their way and not to worry. At that, Jerry and
John took John’s truck and headed for the liquor store. They found that the beer and soft drinks were already cold, which simplified icing them down. The temperature was in the upper twenties, so the ice was in no danger of thawing. While the guys were at the beverage store, the ice finally arrived. Jackie showed the men where to place it, and in short order they completed this last and most important step. Jerry had set up a backup supply of ice at his parents’ and several friends’ homes. He would be glad to know they wouldn’t be needed.
Jerry also had a backup for the DJ: a Wurlitzer jukebox in the family room that he planned to locate in the corner of the tent should the DJ fail to show up. That, too, was unneeded, as the DJ arrived soon after the ice delivery was completed to set up and test his equipment. By the time the guys returned from getting the beverages, everything was ready. All that was needed now were the guests. The weather was clear but cold, so Jerry cranked up the tent heaters soon after he returned home.
The party was to begin at nine thirty, and the servers and kitchen help were to arrive at eight thirty. By seven o’clock, the two couples decided that everything was in order and it was time to get dressed. Mary and John left for their house, and Jackie and Jerry headed upstairs. Jerry shaved and got into the shower. Jackie got undressed and decided that she would start the evening’s festivities off a little early. She stepped in the shower with Jerry and decided he needed some help washing his package. Jerry’s face showed how great Jackie was at sex.
