Justin Thyme Ch. 16

"Yes, Tom called her just after I got there, and they talked out a couple of things on the phone. Thank you for sending me over there. I really think it helped her. Now, Rosemary, you know better than to be in your brother's room dressed like that. Where's your robe?"

"I was hot, Mom, and I couldn't sleep, so I came over to talk to Justin about stuff. He doesn't care about this."

"Young lady, he is still male, even if you are his sister, and yes he does care. I'm not saying you two are doing anything wrong, but you shouldn't be dressed like that in front of him."

"Yes, Mom." Rosemary got up and started for her room before turning back to me. "Thanks for talking with me, Justin. I needed that," and with that she and Mom were gone. She was gone, and I was stuck with a hard cock that didn't want to go down!

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It was a bleary eyed Michael that stumbled out of his room to meet Pete and Dave for breakfast at six-thirty Chicago time. Pete led them to a Denny's next door to the motel, and said to Michael, "It's not Coco's, which is where I usually try to go when in the Phoenix area, but it will do. I've done a lot worse, and at least you know what you are going to get."

"It's definitely not Bill's, either. I like Coco's, and it is one of my Mom's favorites, but since I found Bill's I haven't been back there."

"Oh, yeah. I've got to remember that place when I go back to Phoenix, too. You need to check it out next time you are down that way, Dave. Good stuff! Not fancy, just good food, and a lot of it."

Dave looked over at Michael when the waitress came for their order, "Michael, does it bother you if we drink coffee in front of you?"

"Oh no. Not at all! I don't tell others how to live their lives. It's a personal decision, and I don't have any say over what others do or don't, nor do I look down on anyone for anything they do that I might not."

Dave nodded and said to the waitress, "The biggest cup of coffee you can give me, and you can leave the pot if you'd like!"

Pete laughed at him, and then said to the waitress, "If you can put it in an IV it would be even better. Last time he was at the Dr's they found too much blood in his caffeine system."

Once the orders were placed, Pete called their attention to the upcoming visit to the IT department head. "I'll admit I was quite angry when Michael told me of Abernathy's phone call, and I'm still pissed. My first thought was to walk into his office this morning and fire him on the spot, but after thinking on it overnight, and sleeping on it, I decided that would not be the best route to take."

With an apologetic nod at Michael he said, "I have to admit if I was told a 'snot nosed kid with no real world experience in transportation' was coming in to help my department I wouldn't be really happy about it either. However, that does not mean I'm going to take his insubordination lying down. I am going to go in there and try my best to give him a fair shot at explaining himself. Perhaps he was just having a bad morning and popped off without taking real thought for what he had to say. We'll see."

"Michael, you are going to have to be very careful of what you say and how you react to things. I want you to take a look at what we are doing, and what is more important is Ben wants you to take a look. You will take a good look at our programming, and I want your honest evaluation. Your job is not to pick it apart and find fault. Your job is to evaluate it and if there are areas we can improve I want to know about them. These evaluations are to be delivered to Dave's attention here, not to David Abernathy. If you don't see any material areas in which we can improve our performance I will not in the least be disappointed to hear you say so. Understood"

"Yes, Sir." Michael grinned, "Maybe you should have let him have his first cup of coffee before he called me."

Pete chuckled slightly. "Maybe so, and I'm going to give him enough rope to hang himself this morning. I'm not taking rope for the hanging with me. As far as you are concerned this morning, you know nothing about this whole kerfluffle, and you will be just a very junior intern along for the ride."

With breakfast over the three men rose, walked back to the motel, and got in their rental car for the short drive over to the offices.

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Mom looked rather tired when she got up to join us for breakfast. When Mom came in, Dad, Rosemary and I were at the table eating omelets Rosemary had made us. I jumped up and grabbed her a cup of coffee and Rosemary quickly heated the skillet to make Mom an omelet.

"Thanks, kids. I've got the best kids in the world, and I want you to know how thankful I am for you." She gave Rosemary a big hug and a kiss on the forehead before stepping over to me and giving me the same. "I've hardly slept all night thinking about Mary Weathers and all she has been through. I've been so blessed! She hugged Dad from behind as he sat in his chair. "You know we hear about the guys in our military giving their lives, but we don't often think about the families they left behind. We have our freedoms because of people like them, and I think we ought to do more for the families. I think I'll get together with Mary and Tom and discuss setting up some sort of foundation or something for their families. We obviously couldn't fund it ourselves, but what do you think of the idea?"

"Something like a Big Brothers/Big Sisters for military orphans?" Rosemary asked. "I like the idea. Stephanie has really missed her Dad, and I know she always looks up to you, Daddy, when she is over here. She asks about you all the time."

"Oh really? I didn't know. I don't know what I can do for her, but all she has to do is ask."

"She was really appreciative of what you did for her when Paul attacked her a while back. She has talked about it several times, but now Justin has kind of taken that role." Rosemary giggled at me. "A little different than a 'father figure', but a male role-model perhaps."

As for myself, I certainly hoped it was more than a Daddy fixation. It sure seemed to me to be different than that. Rosemary's comment sure got Mom's gimlet eye on me though.

"Now Justin, you be sure to treat her right. I wouldn't want you taking advantage of her vulnerability."

Rosemary popped to my defense quickly, "Oh, no worries there, Mom. Stephie loves him, though I don't know why, and Justin has been very good to her. She's my friend, and I'll be sure to let you know if he gets out of line." Rosemary winked at me over a lop-sided grin and set Mom's omelet on the table in front of her.

When I finished my breakfast I got up to go over the Jim's and settle up with him for the work he did at the house for me, but Dad said, "Hold on a moment, Son. I'd like to ride over with you, if you don't mind."

"Cool! I'd love to have you go along!" I never get to spend as much time with Dad as I would like. He knows the line between being a parent and being a friend, but yet he has always been my best friend. I know I'm a bit of an introvert, and I just don't make friends that easily, and Dad has always been there for me.

"Do you mind driving? And using your Mini?"

"No problem! You can drive it if you want." I knew what he really wanted! He was grinning like a little boy being tossed a bag of candy when I tossed him the keys.

We were just a few minutes early, before the store opened, but I knew it was OK to go in the back door, and I knew the code for the keypad, so Dad and I went in that way. Harry and Tom were both there, so of course Harry had to yell something about riff-raff using the front door. I just thumbed my nose at him and walked to the office, with Dad right behind me.

"Justin! You didn't have to run over here this early in the morning to pay me! I know you are good for it. Hi, Pete, haven't seen you in ages."

I pulled out a checkbook and asked him what the charges were as I started writing out a check. He rummaged about on the desk for a minute muttering to himself about "where did I leave that paperwork," before he found it and handed me the invoice. Without even looking to see what all he had charged me for I wrote out the check and handed it over.

"Not much of a business man there, Justin. I might have put anything on that invoice."

"The day I have to check your bills will be the day after they bury you, and you know it. There is only one other person I don't check his bills, and that is Grandpa. But of course, he doesn't charge me." I gave him a grin to say "Thanks," and said, "I've got something else I'd like to run past you and see if you are interested. In the past you've talked about how the Phoenix area would be a great place to expand. Do you have anyone in mind that could run a store up there, and would you be interested in a silent partner? I am going to need a place to stash some cash, and I don't know anyone I'd rather do business with than you."

Jim looked at me silently for a few minutes before asking Dad, "Is this the kid I saved the life of when he took apart a brand new projection TV?" That got a grin out of Dad. "Did you know he had this in mind?"

"Yes, I did, Jim. He and I talked about it last night, but I told him it was strictly an investment option. He doesn't have the time to work like I know he would like to and do well in school. I told him he will be working for a living all his life, not to be in a hurry to get started."

"Yeah, and I have an idea after looking at that harem setup you'll be plenty busy keeping that house going. That many girls are going to keep you hopping keeping the drains open from all their hair." He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers while looking over them at me. "What are you looking for?"

"I really don't know. I'd like a working partnership, but that is out of the question. I like the way you do business and I think that would be a good market for one of your stores, and with the surrounding communities I could see three or four stores doing well if you could find the right people. I really don't know what is fair, so I thought if you were interested you and Grandpa and I could sit down, Dad, too if he's interested and figure it out. I'm not lawyering up with Grandpa. I just like his advice on doing it fairly for both of us."

Jim stood up and stuck out a hand. "I'd love to do business with you, Justin. Let's get together sometime after graduation when you have half a day or so and work something out. I've been looking at that market for some time now, but haven't had the capital, nor did I want to go to the bank for it. I have a young man in mind that I've been trying to find a place to put him, but he's worth more than I can afford as just a salesman or tech. Let me see if he's interested in the possibility." He looked over at Dad. "You know, I'm really glad I saved his life when I did!"

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Susie texted Michael, "I'm eating my first piece of fudge, but I don't know whether to eat it slowly to think of you, or if I eat it quickly will you be home sooner? Miss and love you!

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Tom Meechum awoke with the alarm and began his morning preparations for work, but it wasn't until he was nearly done with his shower that he realized he was humming. He did not remember being as happy as this since returning from Iraq. The heaviness and the shadow were still on his mind, but they seemed to be lighter and less frightening than most days. His thoughts returned to the evening before and the way he broke down with Mary and Stephanie. Perhaps the therapists he saw had been correct, that he needed to get it off of his chest and talk to somebody he could trust.

Last night was some of the hardest times he faced since returning home, exacerbated by the experiences of the day. He always felt as if he had to hide from everyone because they didn't understand, they couldn't understand, and to break down and to bare one's soul showed weakness and made him less of a man. Last night he couldn't help it, yet they didn't revile him or push him away. Instead, they drew him closer and held him, trying to comfort his grief even in the midst of their own. Stephanie, bless her heart, trying to connect with her Daddy through the last man with him when he died, and Mary, who held him to her breast even as she wept, her tears dripping on his head.

Tom knew he didn't understand women. Since he returned home he had done all he could to shut himself off from women, afraid they would think any contact with him to be dirty because of all the things he had done and experienced. His contact with nurses was very proper and professional, and while he was friendly he did all he could to discourage any contact that didn't revolve around work. Why he had even bothered to pick up Mary's pocketbook in the cafeteria puzzled him, especially when he took it by her home rather than just to turn it in to lost and found. Was that an omen that he was supposed to meet her and through her resolve his grief over Winters' death?

Even as these thoughts coursed his mind he couldn't help the feeling of lightness and... could he really call it joy that flooded his soul? And besides all of that, Mary said she wanted to pursue a relationship with him, and said that Stephanie wanted them to. Winters had every right to be proud of his girl. Mary had obviously done a great job with Stephanie, but there was good stock there to work with. Suddenly, Tom interrupted his preparations for work to dig in his closet and pull out an old Eagle, Globe, and Anchor insignia one of the men in K Company gave him the last day before Tom rotated home. Corporal Ramirez shook his hand and took the EGA from his collar point and pressed it into his hand. "Doc, you can't wear this, but I just want you to know I think you ought to have it. You've earned it in my book. You would make one hell of a Marine!" Ramirez then turned and walked away.

Tom remembered sadly he had heard Ramirez was killed the next week in a firefight, dragging a wounded buddy to safety, and he wondered if he had been there if he could have saved him. He slipped the EGA into his pocket where he would feel it throughout the day, but he would give it to Stephanie this evening. It wouldn't be from her Dad, but it would be from one of his comrades, and maybe that would be something she would treasure. Looking at his watch he hurriedly got dressed and rushed out the door without even taking time for his Keurig to make a cup of coffee. He hated being late!

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Michael carried his laptop case in his left hand as they entered the UP office building, hoping he looked the part of a seriously intent intern trying to learn his position in life and the pecking order of a large company. Having never had a job, other than cutting grass and a short one delivering newspapers before they started using drivers in cars to deliver them, he wasn't really sure how he was supposed to act. Basically he just followed where Pete led and tried to keep his eyes open.

Pete and Dave both had corporate ID badges, but Michael obviously didn't, so they had to stop at the Security desk and he had to sign in as a visitor. "Don't worry about it, Mike," Pete said just before he signed the register. Was he trying to remind him he was Mike Thibodeaux for the day? "We'll get your badge taken care of just as soon as we get back to the office." 'Mike' signed in and clipped the 'visitor' pass to his collar.

The security guard looked up at Pete and said, "This isn't good for everywhere in the building, Mr. Fleming. If you plan to take him with you inside he will have to stay with you, or else you will need to call us and get him an escort."

"I forgot that. Is there any way we can work around this? I have a couple of meetings lined up that I don't need him for, but I was going to have him working on a project that will need some flexibility."

"Just give us a call, and we will be happy to send someone along with him. It doesn't keep him from doing whatever you want, but it will have to be spelled out to the guard. I'm sorry, Sir. I don't make the rules, but I'll lose my job if I don't follow them."

"I understand. We are the ones that make the rules, but then we gripe when our own rules inconvenience us, don't we?"

"Thank you for understanding, Sir. Not everybody from headquarters is so understanding."

Pete reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a card wallet and removed his business card, which he handed to the guard. "I don't want you passing this around, but if you get any grief from anyone from headquarters call me. Understand?

"Yes Sir! Thank you, Sir!"

"Tell me, do you know which office David Abernathy is using this trip?"

"Mister Abernathy is using 113 this time, Sir. Would you like me to have him come out to meet you?"

"No, that won't be necessary. Thanks. Would I be correct in guessing Abernathy is one who gives you grief?"

"Sorry, Sir. I shouldn't have let on."

Pete nodded and led the way into the office area. When they arrived at 113 he opened the door without bothering to knock and found a rather harried looking secretary behind a desk typing furiously at a computer terminal.

"Can I help you, Sir?"

"I'm looking for David Abernathy."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but Mr. Abernathy went to the Elk Grove Village office to meet with the GE Electromotive reps. He will probably be gone all day. Is there anything I can assist you with?"

"I thought that meeting was scheduled for one o'clock this afternoon?"

"Yes, Sir, it is, but Mr. Abernathy said he needed to go over early. I'm trying to get the paperwork finalized for the meeting now."

"Thank you. We will get out of your way and not detain you any longer. I'll find him over there. If you speak with him, please don't mention I was here."

"Yes, Sir."

A thoughtful look was on Pete's face as he led Dave and Michael from the room and out to the Security desk.

"Go ahead and sign out, Mike. I don't know if we'll be back or not." He turned to the guard. "Can you tell me if David Abernathy signed out of the building and where he went?"

"No sir, he didn't sign out, although I saw him leave a little bit ago. Sometimes he steps across the street to get coffee and something to eat in the mornings and comes right back."

"Do you know which car he is driving, and is it here?"

The guard walked to the door and looked out across the lot. "No, sir, it isn't here."

"Thank you very much. We won't detain you longer. Oh, yes, one more thing. What car is he driving, and do you by any chance have the plate number?"

"Certainly. We had to give him a temporary pass since he is here for a week." He walked back to his kiosk and looked in his records. "By the way, nice wheels you Execs get. He's driving a silver Lincoln Towncar with a Colorado license plate."

"Towncar?"

"Yeah, I asked him that and he told me it was an Executive upgrade, and that it was none of my business."

"Interesting. Thank you. By the way, take a look at my Executive upgrade. It's a Nissan Versa. I know we get frequent user upgrades to mid-size, but I've never been offered a Continental. Thank you very much for your assistance."

Pete's temper was building rapidly, although he tried his best to control it as they got back into the car. Michael spoke up from the back seat, "Pete, in fairness to Mr. Abernathy, Dad once rented a mid-size car that had a bad tire, and they didn't have anything smaller than a Towncar on the lot to give us. He may have had the same experience."

Pete took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Alright, Mike. I'll give him the chance to explain, but a lot of things are stacking up against him right now. He may have an explanation, and I'll give him that chance. Dave, you'd better be prepared for meeting with the Electromotive people if this goes down badly."