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“It’s all about us,” exclaimed Michael. “It’s about everyone in this room and everyone working at the plant.”

Michael made eye contact with each person. His mother was there. She had suffered so much in the past few months. First, she lost her oldest son, Milton, in the attack of 9/11. Then, two months later, the man she was to marry died in an airplane crash. The company, her late husband had left her, was struggling to stay in business. The company’s problems were created by the mismanagement of her oldest son and the times following 9/11. Added to this was her refusal to acknowledge the problems that Milton had created. This had caused a definite rift between her and her youngest son, Michael.

Next in the room was Michael’s trusted executive assistant and right-hand-man, James. He had started working for Michael’s father some time ago. James had maintained his loyalty to the company even during the hectic last few months. He had seen first hand many of the atrocities Milton had brought upon everyone. Michael had come to depend on James’ wisdom more and more.

Also in the room was Dot. James hired her a couple of years ago to be the secretary in the main office. She had proved herself a valuable member of the team. Michael knew she had actually tried to find other employment when Milton was CEO. For some reason, she seemed to have received most of Milton’s verbal abuse.

Byron, the plant’s General Manager, was also present. He had masterfully kept the plant’s employees’ morale at a high standard through all the hardship. Michael thought this probably helped save the company more than anything else that had been done. With their morale high, the employees had kept productivity at an all-time high.

Also present was Peter, chief accountant with the outside auditing firm that had been auditing the company’s files. It was Peter and his staff who had made Michael aware of the financial difficulty that the company was having. He was able to uncover much of the corruption that Milton had tried to hide. Michael knew if Peter had not found all that he had, at the time that he did, then it would have been too late to try and save the company. Also, it was Peter and his staff who had found his father’s personal notes and papers that had exposed Joel Baines and his motives. Michael had no doubt that Joel did not truly love his mother. Instead, he was sure, that Joel was manipulating her just to gain control of the company. He would have succeeded if fate had not dealt its hand. Michael wished his mother could realize how she was being used. But he knew, she was blinded by love. Love for Joel and love for Milton.

“Here’s to everyone involved in the signing of the contract with the good people in the Dominican Republic,” Michael said as he raised his glass in a toast.

“Here, here,” everyone repeated.

“Well, this new contract, and the cash up front from the banks there, gives us a good start,” offered Michael.

“It gives you some breathing room,” Peter said.

“But it’s only the beginning,” reflected Michael. “We are still about $3 million short in staying solvent until new contracts can be signed.”

“Well, I’ve got my people still working on that,” explained Peter. “With the Dominican Republic coming on board, the banks here should loosen up some.”

“I sure hope so,” replied Michael. “All we need is a little more time and it will all come together. The contracts that are pending are some pretty long-term projects. They would keep us employed for the next decade.”

“Michael, I’m just not sure about all this,” his mother said. “I know everyone here is behind you, but that’s their job to do so.”

“Mom, it’s all true,” implored Michael. “I know we will make it.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re sure,” objected his mother. “I’m not that certain. If only Milton was still here. He would know what to do.”

“Madam, I for one, am sick and tired of you degrading Michael,” spoke up James. “It’s about time someone set you straight about this company and your sons. If no one else is going to do it, then I will take it upon myself to do so.”

“Well, I’ve never in my life,” responded Michael’s mother.

“Then it’s about time you did, sister,” interjected Dot. “You’d better listen to what the man says. Go ahead James and tell her.”

“Without a doubt,” James continued. “Your son Milton, may he rest in peace, was one of the meanest, rudest, and vulgar men that I have ever known. He stole from this company. He stole from the employees and he even stole from you. Milton never said “Please” or “Thank-you”. All he could do was order people around like they were his personal slaves. He would tell you very quickly that everything was ‘about him’. The financial woes that your company is having are due in a large part to his misdeeds. He spent lavishly on himself and any woman who would spread her legs for him. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that really knew him, that if he were still alive today, and running this company, you would be filing bankruptcy.”

“He’s telling you the truth,” offered Dot.

“Then, madam, you have your other son, Michael,” continued James. “He has done nothing short of a miracle in keeping this business afloat. He has worked his ass off. He has refused his paycheck so the money could be used to keep the company solvent. Michael has the same business sense that your late husband had. Any success we are enjoying today, and any that will come our way in the future is due in large measure to the leadership Michael has displayed. He is ten times the leader that Milton was. You should never in your wildest dreams ever think of replacing him as CEO. It would be one of the worst mistakes that you would ever make.”

“That is a fact, ma’am,” interjected Peter.

“And how could you ever think that Joel Baines could run this company?” continued James. “He was a cad that was playing you like a cheap hooker.”

“Now, James, I think you’re going too far,” objected Michael.

“Oh, hush Michael,” his mother responded. “I haven’t had a man be this honest and candid since your father was alive.”

Michael’s mouth dropped open.

“James, I’m afraid I have ignored you all these years,” she said. “I certainly would have paid more attention if I knew what a wise man you are.”

“That is kind of you to say so, madam,” James responded. “A woman of your class, and shall I dare say, beauty, should not concern herself with these trivial business matters. You should be out traveling the world, enjoying yourself, and seeing all that this world has to offer.”

“I would if I had an intelligent and gentle man leading the way and sharing it with me,” offered Michael’s mother.

“I might know one that would be willing to go with you,” replied James. “Shall we discuss this in more detail over lunch?”

“By all means,” she responded.

Michael’s mother gave him a kiss and walked into the outer office.

“James.”

“Yes, sir?”

“You and my mother?” asked a bemused Michael.

“We’ll see sir,” James said. Then with a gleam in his eye he looked at Michael and said, “You know, she is quite a fox.”

James left to join Michael’s mother for lunch.

Michael looked at Dot.

Dot looked at Michael.

All they could do was shrug their shoulders.

A couple weeks later Michael was sitting at his desk looking over potential contracts when Dot came into his office.

“Well, how is our new executive assistant?” asked Michael as he looked up from his desk.

“I’m still learning the ropes,” confessed Dot. “James left some big shoes to fill.”

“Yes, he did,” replied Michael. “But I know you can do it.”

“Thank you,” replied a reassured Dot. “Molly is here to see you.”

“Really?” asked a surprised Michael. “Please show her in.”

Molly was the widow of his brother, Milton. Michael had not seen her since the memorial service.

“Hello, Molly,” Michael said as he kissed her on the cheek. “How are you doing?”

“I guess I’m all right,” Molly said but then broke down and started crying as Michael hugged her. “I’m sorry, Michael. I don’t mean to be a burden.”

“You’ve never been a burden,” reassured Michael. “You’re part of the family. You always will be.”

“I wish Milton had spoke like that,” reflected Molly.

“Well, my late brother never stopped and counted his blessings,” offered Michael. “So, how are you really doing?”

“You mean my drinking.”

“Well, now that you’ve mentioned it.”

“Michael, I’m an alcoholic,” confessed Molly. “It took losing everything for me to realize it. But thanks to AA I haven’t had a drink in three months.”

“That’s great!”

“It hasn’t always been easy,” continued Molly. “I take one day at a time.”

“That’s all anyone can do,” smiled Michael.

“You know, sometimes I miss Milton,” Molly said. “Then other times I’m glad the bastard’s dead. I guess I’m evil.”

“No, no. You’re not evil,” corrected Michael. “You’re human. That’s all. You have to work those feelings out. You can’t let them smother you. Believe me, I have mixed emotions about him, too.”

After a long pause Molly said, “Michael, I need to tell someone what I did.”

“Go ahead.”

“I, uh, cheated on Milton right before he died,” confessed Molly. “I had no intentions of doing it, but I was lonely, and the drinking didn’t help.”

“I can see that.”

“Milton rarely came home anymore,” Molly continued. “He was either on a trip or who knows where.”

“I remember.”

“There was this man at the plant that took an interest in me,” Molly said. “He was older than me, but he knew how to push the right buttons.”

“Let me guess. That man was Joel Baines,” offered Michael.

“How did you know?” a surprised Molly asked. “Did Milton find out?”

“Oh, no. It was a lucky guess,” reassured Michael. “Actually, it was more of an educated guess.”

“I just feel terrible about it,” a teary Molly said.

“Well, I don’t have the answer for you, Molly,” Michael said. “The only thing I know is that time helps heal wounds. We have to keep living and moving forward, and things will be better. We owe it to ourselves and the ones we’ve lost.”

“I know you’re right,” reflected Molly. “Sometimes it’s just so hard.”

“Yes it is,” agreed Michael. “On another subject, how are you doing financially?”

“Not good at all,” confessed Molly. “Milton always took care of everything. All I know is I don’t have any money.”

“Well, maybe we can help,” said Michael. He went into the outer office and asked Dot to join him and Molly in his office.

“Dot, you know better than I do, but isn’t there some money for Molly?” asked Michael.

“I’m sure there is,” replied Dot. “For one thing, the government is going to give money to families of the victims of 9/11. Then there’s Milton’s pension. We can check his bank accounts, and I know he had plenty of company stock. Molly, I believe when we figure everything out, money will be the least of your concerns.”

“Michael, you and Dot are the greatest,” declared Molly as she was wiping her tears.

“No, Molly. People like you who’ve endured after 9/11 are the great ones,” Michael said. “Dot and I just want to help.”

“Come on Molly,” Dot said. “Let’s go to my desk and we’ll see if we can’t get you straighten out.”

Michael watched Dot and Molly leave his office. He could not help but think what an imbecile Milton had been. He could be alive today and have basically everything, if he had only been interested in someone beside himself.

The next day Dot entered Michael’s office with a person Michael did not recognize.

“Excuse me, Michael, Dot said. “I wanted to introduce you to Rachel. She’s taken my place as secretary.”

“Nice to meet you Rachel.”

“Nice to meet you, too, sir. Thank you sir,” replied an overwhelmed Rachel. “I hope, sir, I can do the job for you. Sir.”

“Well, if Dot hired you, then you’ve already got my vote,” reassured Michael.

“That is very nice of you to say, sir,” replied Rachel.

“I do need you to do one thing for me, please,” asked Michael.

“Anything, sir.”

“Please call me Michael,” he said.

“Oh, yes sir. I mean, Michael, sir.”

“Go out to your desk and take ten deep breaths,” suggested Dot. “You’re going to be fine.”

“Yes, ma’am,” replied Rachel. “Oh, I almost forgot. Here is a number your mother wanted you to call her at.”

“Oh, thank you,” said Michael. Rachel turned and headed to her desk, slightly tripping on her way out of Michael’s office.

“Was I that bad when James first hired me?” asked a laughing Dot.

“Worse.”

“Well, let me leave so you can call your mother,” replied Dot. “I hope the newlyweds are doing well.”

“I’ll let you know.”

“Hello.”

“Hello, Mom.”

“Oh, Hi Michael,” giggled his mother. “Now James, let me talk to Michael.”

“You two having fun?” teased Michael.

“Oh, he’s incorrigible,” laughed Michael’s mother. “The things he has been able to show me are amazing. I never knew James was so worldly.”

“He is a good man,” agreed Michael.

“And the sex is wonderful,” confessed his mother.

“I don’t think I want to hear about that,” replied a bemused Michael. “Are you two coming home anytime soon?”

“Oh, we might stop in for a few days,” his mother replied. “But James has plans for so many things, we just will not be able to stay long.”

“Well, I just called to see how you were, and to say ‘I love you’,” Michael said.

“I love you too,” his mother said before bursting out laughing. “Now you quit that James, I’m trying to talk on the phone.”

“Mom, I’ll let you go,” laughed Michael. “Give my love to James.”

“OK, dear,” replied his mother.

Michael hung up the telephone as he heard his mother break out into hysterical laughter. At least things were working out well for James and his mother.

Rachel came into Michael’s office and told him that Peter was on the phone for him.

“Hello, Peter,” Michael said. “I hope you have some good news.”

“Indeed I do,” Peter replied. “My people have found a bank who is willing to give a loan for $1.5 million.”

“Man, you are my hero!” shouted Michael.

“Well, they’re starting to see that this company is about more than one man,” explained Peter. “They’re starting to see the whole picture.”

“We’re getting there,” exclaimed Michael.

“Yeah, you can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel,” surmised Peter. “The lawyers are drawing up the papers and you will have your money by the end of the week.”

“Peter, I can’t thank you enough,” Michael said. “And I know we don’t pay you enough.”

“Yeah, we’re going to need to talk about that,” offered Peter.

“Well, you give me a couple more months, and there will be no talking about it,” laughed Michael. “You’ll be able to just name your price and we’ll be able to write the check.”

“Good deal.”

“See ya.”

Dot came into Michael’s office.

“Did Peter have good news?” asked Dot.

“Yes he did,” exclaimed Michael. “We only need $1.5 million and we’re home free.”

Michael reflected for a moment and then said, “I act like $1.5 million is nothing, but in reality, it’s still a major hurdle.”

“Well, after what we’ve been through, $1.5 million doesn’t seem that much,” surmised Dot. “Oh, before I forget, I’ve been talking with our client in Toronto.”

“What do they say?”

“It is looking so good, Michael,” smiled an excited Dot. “They are so close to inking a very long term contract with us.”

“There it is,” exclaimed Michael. “We get that contract, Dot, and this company can run profitably for the next decade.”

“Yeah,” agreed Dot. “Then someone could take a nice long vacation and leave the mundane daily chores to us here at the office.”

“You know, I’m starting to feel like I could really use a break,” confessed Michael.

“I’m glad you said that,” replied Dot. “Because I have made plans for you for dinner.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there is this young lady by the name of Millie, who is in town for a few days,” explained Dot. “And she has agreed to have dinner with you.”

“I don’t know, Dot, I mean, I have all this work to do, and, . . .”

“Now don’t start,” interrupted Dot. “I am going to personally take you to the restaurant, and you are not going to stand Millie up.”

“I just don’t see why someone like Millie would even look my way,” protested Michael.

“Don’t sell yourself short, young man,” corrected Dot. “Yeah, you’ve started to look a little haggard over the last few weeks, but nothing that can’t be fixed.”

“You really think so?” asked Michael.

“Michael, you are really a handsome man,” replied Dot. “Haven’t you noticed the girls in office blushing when you walk by?”

“No.”

“Why, if I weren’t married, and if I were a couple years younger, I’d give you a tussle,” confessed Dot.

“A couple years?”

“Now don’t turn on me,” laughed Dot. “Look, do you like Millie or not?”

“Yes, I really do.”

“Then come on, let’s go. She’s waiting on you.”

“OK. Can I drive?”

“No.”

Millie was waiting in a restaurant a few blocks from her hotel. She looked up just as Michael was entering the door.

“Well, hello, stranger.”

“Hi, Millie,” replied Michael. “God, you look great.”

“You’re not looking too bad yourself,” replied Millie.

Michael took his seat and for a few moments he and Millie just looked at each other.

“You know, I have missed looking into your eyes,” confessed Michael.

“Really?”

“Yeah, from the day I first met you, your eyes have always held me spellbound,” observed Michael. “I mean, the rest of you is beautiful too, but even after I got to know what a great person you are, your eyes just blow me away.”

“Well, I always thought that you liked me,” Millie said.

“How did you know?” asked Michael.

“Well, you would always give me bigger and better flowers than you did the other girls in the office,” revealed Millie. “And of course, my box of chocolates was always bigger than everyone else’s. I got teased about that.”

“I didn’t realize I was that obvious,” confessed Michael.

“Well, I liked it,” Millie replied. “I’ve always liked you.”

“I really didn’t know until James told me Dot tried to get us together,” Michael said. “He said you didn’t want to because of Milton.”

“I was afraid of him,” confessed Millie. “He was constantly wanting me to go with him on one of his trips, but I wouldn’t go.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, finally I had to threaten to go to a lawyer before he left me alone,” Millie said.

“That explains why he wanted James to fire you,” reflected Michael.

“I’m not surprised,” replied Millie. “But 9/11 changed that.”

“It’s changed so many things,” Michael said. “And your mother dying on the same day.”

“I know,” reflected Millie. “It’s ironic, but her death saved James, Dot, and my life. If we hadn’t left the North Tower when we did, well you know what would have happened.”

“Yeah, but I’m so sorry she passed away,” Michael said.

“Me too,” confessed Millie. “I miss her so much. And then I find out she’s got all this money hidden away in the European market.”

“You never knew?”

“I didn’t have a clue,” replied Millie. “I knew we never really wanted for anything. But if she bought something she always had an explanation as to how she got the money.”

“So how does it feel to be a beautiful, rich, eligible lady of the world?” teased Michael.

“You can stop that kind of talk right now,” shot back Millie. “Except for that part about being beautiful. I’d like to hear you say that anytime.”

“I only say it because it’s true,” Michael said with dreamy eyes.

“You’re evil, you know that.”

“Thank you.”

“Listen,” Millie said in a more sober tone. “I know the company has been struggling lately, and I want to loan you some money to help out.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious,” replied Millie. “You and the company gave me a chance and I want to return the favor. Besides, Peter says it would be a good investment.”

“I should have known Peter would be in on this too,” reflected Michael. “You sure you want to do this?”

“Oh, I’m sure,” replied Millie. “Peter said you need another $1.5 million. So I’m having my lawyers and accountants draw up the paperwork.”

“Gosh, Millie, I don’t know what to say, but thank you,” replied Michael.

“Well, you can say that you’d walk me back to my hotel after dinner,” smiled Millie. “Then we could talk about you and me and our future.”

”Aren’t you afraid I’d only be after your money?” asked Michael.

“Well, a girl has to take some chances,” laughed Millie. “Besides, I was hoping you’d be after the sex.”

“I suppose that would be a perk,” smiled Michael.

After dinner Michael and Millie strolled along the sidewalk leading to her hotel. Their small talk gave way to silence as they kept walking. Finally, Michael broke the silence.

“You don’t know how great it is for everyone in the company that you’re putting that much money in it,” offered Michael.

“Michael, I want you to realize one very important thing,” Millie said as she turned to face him. “This is not about the company. It’s not about business. It’s not even about the money. It’s all about us. You and me, buster. Nothing else. Nothing. Do you have any problems with that, mister?”

“Uh, well, only one little one.”

“And what would that be?”

“You’re standing on my toe.”

The full moon shone brightly over Manhattan as two lovers walked hand-in-hand laughing, stopped, turned and kissed a kiss that made the post-9/11 world appear a little brighter. 

THE END 

Copyright ©2003 by Jerry W. Crews