Climbing Jacob's Ladder

"Okay, I suppose we should discuss your proposal, huh?" Jake said as he came around and sat down at his desk.

"Oh, right. Of course," Kristen said forgetting about the picture. She reached into the leather case she'd carried with her and produced a manilla folder and handed it to Jake.

"I think you'll find this is a very generous offer, Jake."

He took the folder, laid it on his desk then picked up the top sheet of paper which was an executive summary of the proposed sale.

"It is generous," he said. "That's definitely more than Jacobs Enterprises has offered in the past."

"I take it then this meets with your approval?" Kristen asked with real confidence.

"As my dad told Elmer more than once, any deal that doesn't keep the factory here is going to be a very hard sell, and this proposal still shows the factory closing."

A bit surprised but not shaken, Kristen told him, "It only makes sense to re-locate, Jake. We have larger facilities in Seattle and we can save a ton of..."

"Money. Right. You can save money, but that does nothing for our employees. Many of these people have worked here all their lives, Kristen. The tiny buy-out amount included wouldn't last them sixty days once their jobs are gone."

"Jake, I know this sounds harsh, but it's really in everyone's best interest to re-locate the factory. I can promise you the quality will be the same and we can see those cookies at a cheaper price. Everybody wins!"

"Would you mind taking a walk with me, Kristen?" Jake said as he stood up without responding to her comment.

"Are we going outside?" she asked.

"No. We're staying inside. I just want to show you the factory. Trust me, it's toasty warm back there."

"Well, in that case...sure. I'd love to see the operations side anyway, so let's take a look."

A minute later they were at the beginning of the line where the raw products were mixed together.

"Mrs. Richards? This is Ella Kimball. Ella? Mrs. Kristen Richards."

"Please to meet you," Ella said.

"Likewise," Kristen told her.

"Ella? How long have you worked here?" Jake asked.

"Oh, let's see. I took two years off when Sarah was born, but I guess I've got almost 22 years total now."

"And Sarah's what? A sophomore?"

"No, she's in her junior year at Iowa State. Another 18 months and she'll be graduating, Jake."

"Oh, right. Sorry. Time really does fly, huh? And how's Ed's back? Is he any better?"

"Not really. He's been on disability for over a year and I gotta tell you, it's been tough on all of us, but mostly on him. He's worked all his life and he hates being cooped up in the house all day."

"Well, please give him my best, will you?" Jake said as they moved on.

"Okay, I see where this is going," Kristen said. "You're going to keep pulling on my heartstrings by introducing me to people who depend on this job. I don't really think that's fair."

"Fair? This is real life, Kristen. These are real people with real families and real problems. They aren't numbers or just names on a spreadsheet. I can't pull the rug out from under them and tell them they no longer have a job. My dad would have never agreed to that and I won't, either."

"Jake, we both know you're struggling. If you go under, they—and you—lose everything. Our offer gives everyone at least part of what they want."

Jake wasn't angry, but he was no longer smiling.

"Let's go over and say hello to Mrs. Jenkins. She's now a single mom whose son was born with cerebral palsy. Insurance picks up some of the costs, but most of the expense for his treatment comes out of her pocket. We'll let her know about the um...additional 8% you've so generously offered—me."

"Okay. Okay. You made your point."

"Good. So how about we go back in and have that cup of coffee now?"

As they sipped their second cup of the day Kristen said, "Let me give my boss a call and see what we can come up with. I'm sure he'll be able to accommodate your concerns."

"By all means. Please let him know I'm more than willing to sell, but it's going to take something a lot more substantial for my people to convince me, but I'd prefer he find a way to let us keep the factory here."

Kristen's heart sank as she felt pretty sure Mr. Jacobs would never agree to let the factory stay in Iowa as it would cost well over 25% more to make the product here in Iowa than it would in Seattle. After just a year or so of making the cookies in the Pacific Northwest, Jacobs Enterprises would recoup all of the money it spent moving the equipment and expanding its line and everything after that would be profit. Still, she had to find some kind of middle ground she hoped existed.

"How about we meet back after lunch?" Kristen suggested.

"Okay," Jake said. "Or...I could take you to lunch. If you'd like." He glanced down at the huge diamond ring on her left hand and said, "Strictly business, of course."

Kristen paused and looked uncomfortable before looking up and saying without warning, "Jake, your mom told me about...Priscilla. I...I just wanted to say how sorry I am with you and Rebecca losing her and then your dad."

Jake's smile faded again as he listened.

"It has been tough. Rebecca is the one who amazes me most, though. I loved my wife dearly, but the two of them were inseparable. She was and still is very young, but the strength she's shown through all of this has been nothing short of miraculous and for the record, I don't believe in miracles."

Kristen looked at the picture again and this time said, "She was so beautiful, and Rebecca looks a lot like her."

"Thank you, and I agree. So how long have you and your husband been married?" Jake asked hoping to change the subject.

"Well, that's why I mentioned that your mom told me about Priscilla this morning. I lost my husband two and a half years ago so I know a little something about how difficult this can be, and my heart goes out to both of you."

"Oh, my goodness. Kristen, I had no idea. I just assumed..."

Jake stopped talking and said with a wry smile, "My dad always told me what 'assume' makes out of 'you and me.' I shouldn't have done that. I'm also very sorry for you and for your loss."

"Thank you, but I think I'm finally in a good place again. I loved my husband, Gil, very much, but I have my job which I very much enjoy so..."

"Did you have children?" Jake asked not meaning to interrupt.

"No," Kristen replied. "We planned to and had we had more time, I'm sure we would have. But, as they say, that ship has sailed."

"Not unless you want it to have sailed," Jake said as supportively as he could. "You're still very young and..."

Kristen covered her mouth when she laughed out loud.

"Sorry! That was rude. But when you said I was still very young, well, that just struck me as funny. I'm anything but young so I'm afraid that ship really has sailed."

"I'm not even going to venture a guess as to your age, but I can assure you you look very young and...well, quite frankly, you're very beautiful, Kristen."

"Thank you, Jake, but I'm the one who should be buttering you up. After all, I'm the one who needs to convince you to sell. But that was very nice of you to say."

Jake smiled again then told her, "I'm not 'buttering you up', Kristen. I try to never say anything I don't believe to be the truth, although I will admit to telling the occasional little white lie."

"So I shouldn't ask you if what I'm wearing makes my butt look big, right?" she said smiling happily and enjoying the light banter.

"In your case, you could safely ask and get an honest answer of 'no'." Jake smiled then quickly said, "Not that I've been looking at your butt, mind you."

Kristen laughed and couldn't remember the last time she felt really, truly happy. With Geoffrey she felt...comfortable but not so much happy. She thought about telling Jake about her boyfriend, but knowing she'd only be there a day or two there really wasn't any reason to bring it up. Besides, it was just lunch.

"Okay, I suppose lunch would be fine, but it's still strictly business," she told him.

"Fair enough. We have a small room you can use to work out of, by the way. There's a printer and fax machine in there. Just ask Carol for help if you need to use them."

Jake showed her to the room which also had a small table and two chairs and let her in.

"Give me a holler if you need anything else," he said before letting her be.

She immediately pulled out her phone and dialed the office. Kristen was frustrated to learn Mr. Jacobs was in a meeting and wouldn't be free for at least another two hours.

"Liz, can you call me the moment he's free?" Kristen asked imparting her sense of urgency.

"Are you getting close?" Liz asked.

"We have a major sticking point and I need to see if Mr. Jacobs has any flexibility left in our position. The owner—his son, Jake, by the way—won't budge."

Kristen explained how his father had recently passed away which was met with the standard statement of 'oh, that's just awful' which Kristen knew wasn't insincere, people just didn't know what more to say.

"Okay, I'll try and corner him as soon as he comes out. He does have a plane to catch right after the meeting, but I'll make sure he knows you need to talk to him as soon as possible, okay, hon?"

"Thanks, Liz. You're the best!" Kristen told her as she hung up and waited.

Her phone rang at 11:35 and she anxiously answered, "Hello?"

"Kristen? It's Liz. The meeting ran late and Mr. Jacobs just got out, and unfortunately, he doesn't have time to talk right now. But he promised to call you as soon as he lands in San Diego, okay?"

"San Diego? How long will that take?" she asked beginning to feel panicked.

"Well, he's flying the corporate jet but it's still going to take at least three hours before they land. I'm assuming he'll call you immediately after that. I could try and remind him again if you like."

Kristen was tempted to repeat Jake's quip about 'assuming' but decided against it. Liz didn't need the grief as she was only trying her best to be helpful.

"Yes, please. Let him know there's nothing left I can do on this end without his approval, okay?"

"Will do, dear!" Liz promised her.

She didn't even hear the door open when Jake stepped back in a couple of hours later.

"How goes the negotiating?"

"Oh, hi there. You startled me," Kristen told him.

"Are you by any chance ready for lunch?"

"Um...sure. Why not?" she said knowing she wasn't likely going to be getting a call during the next hour or so. She hadn't had anything to eat since dinner the night before and she was finally getting hungry.

"I'm thinking about a place you might like. It kind of captures the spirit of Davenport. Are you game for trying something a little different?"

"Well, you've certainly peaked my curiosity so yes, I'm game," she told him as they went to get her coat from Jake's office.

"I'll go warm the truck up and come get you when it's safe," he said trying not to laugh.

"I'm glad you think this polar vortex thing you live in is funny," she said trying to be stern.

"I just don't want you to hate me or this place any more than you probably already do," he said smiling broadly.

"I don't hate you," she insisted. "Now this...town...of yours is another story."

"I'll be right back," he told her giving the eye.

"Oh, no! I just did it again, didn't I?"

Jake smiled, winked at her, then walked outside, and Kristen walked back into the office.

Out of the blue Carol said, "I am so sorry to hear about your husband."

Before Kristen could respond Carol told her, "I lost mine around the same time. In fact, we have two other ladies who work here who are also widows. We're all just so grateful for this place and for Jake. He's just such a fine young man and that little girl of his is the most precious thing ever!"

"She is a very sweet girl," Kristen agreed.

"She and her mother were very close. Poor thing. She never complains, though. Just like her father, I suppose. Don't tell Jake, but I'm secretly hoping he'll find someone else, you know? Rebecca is just the most adorable girl and well, you can see for yourself what a catch Jake is. If I was your age, I'd be..."

Jake opened the door and said, "Okay, the defrosting is almost complete." He extended and elbow and said, "Shall we?"

Kristen had only seen TV shows of the Antarctic and Siberia, but other than the businesses lining the streets, Davenport looked a whole lot like how she pictured those desolate places.

"So where are you taking us?" Kristen asked trying to forgot how cold it was.

"It's called The Machine Shed Restaurant. You'll know why once we pull up. Oh, and it'll be nice and warm in there, too," he assured her with his patented smile.

"What in the world?" Kristen said as they pulled into the parking lot.

There were 'animals' made of farm tools along the side of the restaurant from one end to the other. The most interesting was a bunch of metal and machine parts that actually looked like a rooster.

"Okay, it's a little corny, but the food is great. Speaking of corn, they have the best corned beef sandwich you've ever tasted."

"I'll take your word for it," Kristen said still trying to take in all of the unusual artwork.

Jake hurried them inside to keep Kristen out of the cold and the moment they walked in, someone called out, "Hey, Jake!" Within a second someone else said, "Jake! Long time no see!"

Finally their server met them and said, "Jake, if I didn't know you better I'd ask who your date is." The woman leaned over and said, "She's awful pretty!" loud enough for Kristen to hear.

"Yes, she is," Jake said as he smiled at Kristen while she led them to a table.

"I can't believe people leave their homes in this kind of weather," she said still trying to understand Davenport and its residents after seeing most of the tables were filled with customers.

"You up for the corned beef?" Jake asked ignoring her comment as they sat down.

"Sure? Why not?" Kristen said.

"Two corned beef on rye, Hazel," Jake said. "Oh, more coffee or perhaps some tea?" he asked before ordering.

"If the tea is hot, I'll take tea. If it's cold, then I'll have coffee," she said still not willing to take her coat off.

"Two cups of very hot tea, too, please."

"Comin' right up," Hazel told him as she poured them each a glass of ice water.

Kristen looked at her glass and sat there staring at it until Jake chuckled. She looked up when heard him speaking.

"So how did your conversation with Mr. Jacobs go?" Jake asked.

"I thought we didn't discuss business at mealtime?" Kristen countered.

"Ouch! Okay, you got me. No business talk," he promised.

"I've pretty much seen Davenport on the way here and to your mom's house. What do you do 'around these here parts, pardner'?" she asked trying to do a southern accent.

"Well, first of all, this isn't the south, and we don't usually call one another 'pardner', but to answer your question we live, work, and play here. We farm, we own businesses, we sell things, we teach school, and we raise families."

"Okay, but what do you do for fun?" she asked even more seriously.

"Well, we go to places like the Machine Shed," Jake replied trying not to laugh. When he couldn't hold back any longer, Kristen also lost it.

"I don't know whether that's really funny or just 'sad-funny'," she told him as she laughed.

"Hey, don't forget about the dinner theater during the summer," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, right. No, we wouldn't want to forget about that. Talk about getting wild and crazy!"

"Two corned beef sandwiches on rye," Hazel said as she brought them their food.

"I'll bring your tea in just a sec, okay, hon?" she said to Jake.

"No hurry, Hazel. This ice water will hold us 'til you get back."

Kristen shot him a look that was supposed to be mean but all it did was make Jake laugh which got her laughing again.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you two were in love," Hazel quipped as she walked away.

"That was uncalled for," Kristen said almost indignantly after Hazel walked away.

"Sorry, but I can grow on people," Jake told her.

"Yeah, like a nasty fungus," Kristen said before a third round of laughter erupted.

She picked up her sandwich and took a first bite. "Oh, my gosh!" she exclaimed as she pulled a long string of melted provolone cheese away from her mouth. "This is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted!"

"Told you," Jake quipped. "Hmmm. Looks like someone's...warming up to Davenport! Oh, hey. Try one of those curly fries, too."

Kristen savored the wonderful flavors as she chewed then picked up one of the fries. As the spices and grease hit her taste buds, she nearly had a food orgasm.

"Oh, that is insanely good!" she told Jake.

"Just don't ask me what's in it. I know they fry everything here in old-fashioned grease rather than the cooking oil most places use nowadays."

"This is so worth the risk for coronary artery disease or stroke or...pretty much anything! I mean, we all gotta go sometime, right?"

Kristen no sooner finished the last word than she stop just as she was about to take another bite and said, "I...I can't believe I just said that. Please forgive me."

"For what? For having a sense of humor? For telling the truth? We've both lost the person we loved the most and without knowing your husband I'm sure he'd want you to not only go on living but to be happy. I know Priscilla wanted that. In fact, she made me promise I would so I try my best to honor that promise every day."

"No, you're right. Still, it just seems so insensitive."

"It might have been had you not gone through the same thing I did. But we're both in the same boat no one wants to get into so we can either sit in our boats and cry or keep paddling. Besides, I nearly replied with 'they don't put luggage racks on hearses'."

Kristen didn't want to laugh, but laugh she did.

"I like your sense of humor, Jake," Kristen said.

"What can I say? I'm just a very funny man. But let's not talk about my looks, okay?"

Kristen rolled her eyes but couldn't help laughing again.

"There's nothing funny about your looks. Trust me on that," she told him as she took another small bite.

"Speaking of good looks," he said staring at her in a way that told her he was referring to her, "are you seeing anyone back home?"

Kristen's smile and warm, fuzzy feeling faded so fast it surprised her.

"Oh, um...yes. I am seeing someone," she told him without offering any details.

"Lucky guy," he told her. "Do you mind me asking if it's serious?"

"Serious? Well, sure. I mean, I guess I'd say it's serious. Geoffrey is a very nice guy with a great job and he's a nice-looking man."

Without knowing why or even thinking, Kristen blurted out, "He's few years older than me but he's also over six feet tall."

"Age doesn't matter to me, and I suppose is tall is good," Jake commented. "Then again, I'm only 5'11" so what would I know, right?" There was that smile again.

"How can age not matter?" Kristen asked not sure she'd heard him correctly.

After yet another smile Jake replied by saying, "It obviously can matter depending on how extreme the difference is. But it doesn't matter beyond a certain point. At least not to me anyway."

"Okay, I won't disagree with you there. I suppose up to five years isn't that big a deal."

"So six is bad while five is okay?" he teased.

"No, it's not like five is the exact line. It just has to be...reasonable."

"And who decides what reasonable looks like?" Jake asked in a very friendly way.

"Well, the people involved, of course."

"I agree, and to me it's well beyond five years and well below say...twenty. But anything in between wouldn't be a reason in and of itself to say 'no' to getting to know someone better. Or at least I don't thing it should be a reason."