Sizzling Romance New York Style

  Chapter 11

  Dinner was great and he cooked the fish exactly like he said he would. They probably drank too much wine, because they went to bed and slept the night away.

  The next morning they weighed anchor and set sail for Millie’s place. Todd was a little quiet. She knew he was thinking of his grandmother. He was standing at the tiller; and she was holding him around the waist. His free arm was around her holding on tight. She knew he needed her right now and she was determined to be there for him no matter what. His eyes remained on the water. He was in command of the sea. She thought he could be a captain of any boat on the sea. She was proud of her man and she wanted to shout to the world that Todd Lincoln was the greatest guy on earth. Nothing she wouldn’t do for him. She was his totally. She would let nothing stand in their way having a life of happiness and full of children.

  They docked and went up the trail to Millie’s place. They still had on their boating clothes: shorts and T-shirts. Millie greeted them with a large smile on her face. She said, “I knew you two would be here today. I saw your boat coming and made up your coffee. I even took the liberty of starting your breakfast of omelets; I hope you don’t think I was a little presumptuous.”

  “Not at all”, Todd said to her.

  Millie looked down at Jen’s ring and made the usual congratulatory comments. Asked when the wedding was scheduled and Jen told her in the spring and that she was invited. An invitation would be coming after the first of the year. Millie had some small tears in her eyes. Todd stood up and gave her a hug and so did Jen. Millie walked away with her apron in her hand wiping her eyes. After the hearty breakfast, Todd said to Jen, “Honey I have something for you.”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled a small jewelry box. He handed it to her and she sucked in her breathe. The bow on the box was kind of beat up from being in his pocket, but she didn’t care. She tore of the gift wrap and opened it up. A new diamond Rolex stared back at her. Her eyes started to water up and people were staring at them, but Todd didn’t care and neither did Jen. He said, “That should go nicely with your ring and other jewelry.”

  Jen wanted to jump up and give him a big kiss and a hug. “Hell with it”, she said out loud. Stood up and went around the table and gave him a big kiss on the lips and the whole restaurant clapped and said, “Bravo.”

  They hurried out the door waving and saying, ‘”Thank you, thank you.” They ran to the boat and quickly cast off the lines and made sail for the marina. Jen went to the cabin and changed into some nice clothes. She looked at her hand and wrist and marveled at the beauty of the jewelry. She knew Beth would have envy dripping off her face when she saw her new watch. The other night when Beth came over after coming back from her trip to California they talked late into the night. Beth was speechless most of the time as Jen told her every detail of their trip. From the time at the airport in New York until the flight back landing at home. She only left out the intimate details but gave Beth enough hints to suggest the relationship was sealed with a kiss.

  Jen with her hair up in a ponytail came up on deck. She held on to the mast looking at the marina. Todd was busy coming in to the dock. The guy who tended the boat was waiting for him. Jen moved to grab a line and prepared to toss the line to him. Todd shut off the motor and drifted into the dock. The boat secure and after Todd talked to the guy for awhile, they made their way to his car for the trip to grandmother’s house.

  Jen called her mother to fill her in on their plans and closed her phone up. The drive up was nice as the top was down and a hot wind blowing through her now down hair, felt good. She lowered herself in the seat and moved to his side of the car and put her hand on his leg. She smiled up at him and he squeezed her hand in return. He was deep in thought as they drove the rest of the way to grandmother’s house. They parked on the street as the driveway was blocked with other cars. Todd was sure grandmother’s doctor was there and probably a nurse.

  They entered the house without knocking and announced their arrival. The housekeeper met them in the foyer and said grandmother was up in her bedroom with the doctor. Jen looked at her new watch and saw it was eleven thirty. They climbed the stairs and entered grandmother’s room quietly. The doctor was standing at her side and talking to her softly. Grandmother turned to see Todd and Jen come into the room. “Todd, my boy, glad you could come and see a tired old woman. Jen, you are welcome too. You both look lovely and the windblown look on your skin is becoming. Or, maybe that is love showing itself on your faces?”

  She laughed and told them to come next to her and sit down and they would talk.

  Jen moved a chair up next to the bed and took grandmother’s bony hand in hers. Todd motioned the doctor to the door and they went out into the hall way. Grandmother was aware of what they were doing. She had not told Todd about her disease. In due course they both came back into the bedroom. Todd had found out from the doctor that his mother had a rare blood disease, but not fatal and maybe treatable. She would have periods of being bedridden, but there would be times she would be up and around. No more golf and grandmother was sad about that, but understood her need to save her strength to guide her grandson in the future.

  Todd and Jen talked to grandmother for a few minutes and the doctor left. The nurse remained and from now on a nurse would be on duty twenty-four hours a day. Todd asked the nurse to leave for a few minutes and he pulled up a chair and they talked to grandmother about business. Grandmother said that her cousin Mario would be here for lunch tomorrow and the house would be empty of people except her and Todd. Grandmother saw the worried look on Todd’s face and said to him, “I’m fine, a little tired, but I plan on being around for many years to come.”

  Satisfied with her condition, they said good bye and left for the city. The drive back was uneventful. Todd was deep in thought and she listened to the radio and thought about the coming week. She would be busy with her mother and the hired people making plans for the wedding. She realized she would need to give him his space. From what he told her, he would be very busy for the foreseeable future. “I’ll just have to make do with nights and weekends,” she said to herself. “I can live with that,” she said aloud.

  Todd turned his head towards her and said, “Who are you talking to?” She laughed and told him she was just thinking out loud.

  Lucky they put the top up at grandmother’s house, because it started to rain. She moved closer to him and put his hand on her leg to reassure her that all was well. By the time they pulled into the underground parking garage, a deluge of rain was falling. Up they went to his apartment and she headed directly to the shower. Luke was in the kitchen and he and Todd talked for awhile and then he came into the shower with her. It had been a long weekend and the shower felt good. She gave him his usual back wash and he had the pleasure of soaping her up too.

  The next day, no rain was visible and the weather looked cloudy and glum. After breakfast they went their separate ways. She to home and he went to his grandmother’s house. A lot of work was needed before Mario arrived. He also needed to make some phone calls. An architect was needed and he wanted that office project on the front burner. Also he needed to start looking for a second in line to him in power. He wanted the best finance officer he could find. Thinking of that he called his New York office and talked to his new, but old secretary Ann. She had been with the firm for years and had worked closely with his grandmother. He told her what he wanted and she said she would contact the employment agencies that specialized in very high management positions.

  He said, “I want a short list by the end of the week.”

  “It will be ready Mr. Lincoln,” she replied like the professional she was. He put his phone away as it started to rain.

  A nasty day and the traffic not as bad as he was moving against the flow headed north. The rain was still falling when he pulled into grandmother’s drive way. One car sat at the curb and he figured that was the nurse’s car. He picked up his brief case and went
into the house. Surprisingly, grandmother was sitting at her desk in the library. He knocked on the door and she looked up from a file she was reading and smiled at him. "How are you today," he asked. She told him she was feeling better and much stronger. But at ten she would go upstairs and take a nap before Mario came. Meanwhile they would discuss the upcoming meeting. She called for tea and soon the house keeper arrived with tea and cookies. She had moved to a chair and he sat across from her with a small table between them.

  He poured the tea and they took a quiet moment to sip the tea and have a cookie. He waited for her to speak. Todd had patience. His mother and grandmother had instilled patience in him since he was a little boy. That virtue would be his saving grace as the years unfolded.

  Grandmother sat her cup down and began a long story about Mario and the family. Some of the story he had heard before from her, but parts of it were new and it filled in the gaps. She told him Mario was coming to listen to him and him alone. “This is your time Todd to show him what a Lincoln is made of: strong, shrewd and most of all an insight to the future of the world economy. He will want to know what direction you plan on taking the Lincoln Corporation; and what are the ups and downs you see for us.”

  Todd told her he had a plan and he outlined it briefly to his grandmother. She nodded her head and said she would support him and then she excused herself to take a nap.

  Sitting in his office at exactly twelve o’clock, Todd heard the front door chime. Grandma had come down just a few minutes ago and was sitting in a chair relaxing waiting for Mario to arrive. He hung up the phone and walked around the desk to help his grandmother up. They walked to the foyer and in the door way stood a flower man in coveralls. He was talking to the housekeeper and had a big bouquet of flowers in his hand. He took his hat off and grandmother recognized him immediately. She laughed and he gave the flowers to her and bowed.

  “Top of the morning to you LL,” he said. She took the flowers and introduced her grandson. Todd shook his hand warmly. The old man with gray hair had a smile that would warm an Eskimo. A real charmer he thought. He was shorter than Todd had imagined. A full head of silver gray hair, deep brown warm eyes looked through glasses and had a quiet way of talking. But, left no doubt there was power in the air.

  He took his coveralls off and in the back door came a team of guys with tool bags and other assorted instruments. Mario said, "Please forgive my guys. They are going to sweep the house for listening devices. Just a precaution and they will be finished in a few minutes." Another guy walked in and looked the twin of Mario. He put on the coveralls and hat and waited for the other guys to finish before leaving. The other guys dressed the same had went around back with pots of new flowers. Todd was impressed and stuck the security team in the back of his mind. Mario asked that grandmother to clear the house of help as they walked into the library.

  Grandmother complied and soon the house was empty except the three of them. The housekeeper, cook and helper, along with the nurse left the house grumbling to no one in particular. Meanwhile, back in the library, Mario made some small talk and asked about her health. He had heard about her illness and was very concerned. They had done business with each other for over forty years. They were close and the way grandmother looked at him, wondered why they had never gotten married. He had been a widower for many years and never remarried. Todd remained quiet and watchful. Mario noticed his eyes and saw the concentration that would be a hallmark of Todd’s in the following years. Mario turned his attention to Todd and said to him, “Todd your grandmother and I have been meeting and talking about you and the present and future of you taking over the Lincoln Corporation. I’m here to listen to your ideas and plans for the company.”

  An hour later after Todd had outlined his plan and where he wanted to take the company, the projections of a two year loss, then a slow recovery and finally a major profit after five years. He continued saying, “The stock of Lincoln would take a major hit. He and grandmother would buy as much stock as possible expecting a steep rise in the stock in a few years,” Todd fell silent.

  Mario listened and said nothing for what seemed a long time. He looked at grandmother and smiled and then he turned to Todd and stood up. He said, “You’re a spitting image of your grandmother. She had the same look in her eyes many years ago. She never made a bad investment. We and I mean we will support and give you the four years to show your stuff. I will meet with the boys and tell them the plan. I think your conservation ideas and the relocation of some manufacturing plants, scares me a little. However, all indications of the seas rising from global warming are emanate.”

  He shook hands with Todd and a warm and friendly look was evident and it would appear that they would be friends. He hoped that he had proved his case. Mario said his good bye to grandmother and left out the back. Todd looked out the front window and no sign of Mario. He just disappeared.

  Grandmother said, “Well the die is cast. No turning back now.” She smiled at him and he gave her a hug and said “I’m going to take a nap.”

  Todd returned to the desk and loosened his tie and gave a sigh of relief. He went back over his plan from start to finish. Looking for mistakes or miscalculations and felt he made a strong case for Lincoln’s future. Now all he had to do was to implement the plan. No easy task as some heads of companies would put up a fight. His enemies would call him ruthless and his friends would be few. It would be lonely, but for Jen. She would be by his side and his staunch ally. His plan for her running her own advertising company with only Lincoln Corporation as the sole client would strengthen his public image. His upcoming marriage would soon hit the society pages. The public would be impressed with his marriage to such a lovely respectable lady. She was the daughter of a well know doctor from an upper middle class family. They were everybody’s dream of an all American family. A twin sister who was a fashion model of some notoriety was living in France. Pictures of the two of them would soon grace the tabloids, further increasing his public image. All would be to his advantage as he moved Lincoln into the next few years. Image was second only to performance. Just like a Porsche: beautiful and its performance was second to all but a few more exotic machines.

  Todd was ready for lunch. He wondered what Jen was doing. He picked up the phone and rang her cell. She answered on the first ring. “I knew it was you,” she said.

  “I’m hungry, have you had lunch yet?”

  “No, mom, Beth and I are starving. We were thinking we would go out and have lunch.”

  “How about I take your girls to lunch?”

  “I thought you were busy with your meeting?”

  “It’s over and grandmother is sleeping. I called the nurse and she should be back in a few minutes and then I can leave. It will take me an hour to get there. How about I meet you at Luigi’s Italian restaurant in an hour? Take a taxi. He will know where it is.”

  He hung up and put his coat on and left the library. The nurse and staff were just walking through the door as he was starting to leave. He told them to tell grandmother he would call her later in the afternoon and that he would be in the downtown office after three.

  He met the girls at the restaurant. He was ahead of them as Todd gave the Porsche its head, like a race horse running to the finish line in the Kentucky Darby. He took the liberty of ordering for them while he waited. He had a glass of red wine. The bottle had Lincoln Winery on the label. Luigi’s restaurant had been one of his favorite places for a long time. Small, but the atmosphere was second to none. Checker table cloth gave the impression of a real Italian restaurant. The smell of homemade spaghetti and garlic was wonderful. He munched on a breadstick while waiting, listening to vociferous snatches of Italian or Sicilian and loud laughter.

  Jen, her mother and Beth walked in. Jen looked ravishing. He stood up and greeted them. Beth looked embarrassed and he eyes were down cast. He asked them to sit down and filled their glasses with wine. Jen’s mother had a nice smile, much like her daughters. Bowls
of minestrone soup arrived. Jen said she was starving and dug in with relish. Mother was more timid and Beth just played with her spoon in the soup. Todd asked Beth, “Are you always so shy?”

  Her face turned red, but she looked up and he smiled into her eyes and she felt more at ease. Beth thought he was strikingly handsome. More handsome than Jen said he was. They finished up the soup and the spaghetti arrived. Jen dug in again and used the garlic bread as a pusher. Mother and Beth did the same. Todd took his time enjoying their company.

  Jen asked him what his plan for the afternoon was. He told her he had to go to the corporate office at three and would meet her at his apartment at six or so. He planned to stay the night in the city and tomorrow morning would return to grandmother’ house.

  Just then Luigi came up to the table and Todd introduced him to the girls. He told Jen she was a lucky girl to land the big fish Sicilian. She laughed and said, “He was the lucky one to catch her!”

  After lunch, they went their separate ways. Todd drove to the corporate office and parked in the garage. He noticed the place had good security. He parked in grandmother’s place and took the elevator to the top floor. It had been a long time since he was in the building. He knew when he walked through the door people would be staring at him. What better time than now to begin the long sojourn he planned for the corporation.

  The receptionist rose up out of her chair when he arrived. She smiled at him and said, “Your secretary is waiting for you. She has the information you requested.”

  He thanked her and made a mental note to replace her. She was not what he wanted to greet business associates from around the world. Too young and overdressed and she looked like she was constipated.

  He walked back to grandmother’s office, but now his office. The secretary was waiting for him and she was all business. He asked her to follow him in and they both went through the office door and he took his seat behind the desk. One thing he had asked for was all of grandmother’s paper work sent up to her house. Her desk removed and a new Nara wood desk from the Philippines was in place.

  The secretary set a file in front of him and he said, “Thank you, that will be all for now.”

  She left quietly and opened the file up and looked at three names followed by their vita. He made a phone call to Mario and gave him the names and asked him to check them out. Mario told him would be pleased to help and to call him anytime he needed his help. He went on to tell Todd that all he did was sitting in his office and watch TV. “This gives me something to do,” he said to Todd.

  Todd thanked him and hung up the phone. He returned to the file and read with interest the three names of his potential Chief Financial Officer.

  One thing that will never happen to his corporation was an Enron disaster. Or, for that matter the French company that went broke a few years ago because of bad financial management.

  His phone buzzed him and it broke the reflection he was having. His secretary told him that an architect was here and that you had requested some preliminary drawing. “Show him in please”

  The secretary showed the architect in and closed the door. He was clean cut and dressed well. Young and he looked fresh out of school. Todd had requested a young and progressive architect. He had some ideas what he wanted for his new office in the neighborhood that Jen had bought her new clothes in a few days ago. He introduced himself and gave Todd a business card. They moved to a rectangle wooden table Todd had requested and the architect laid out some drawings for him to look at. The office complex would be a square with a park in the middle. The latest in solar heating and cooling; materials that were earth friendly; and no parking lot for the employees. The plan there was to have park and rides scattered about the area and have Lincoln and city buses bring the staff to work. Only a select few would be able to park at the complex and that would be hidden underground.

  He went on to tell the architect that he wanted the latest in security. No expense spared. Todd told him that he wanted this done immediately. Finished before Christmas and ended the conversation by telling the architect to go back to his office and think about it. Call him at this number on his cell phone whether he could do it or not.

  “Mr. Lincoln, I don’t need to think about it. We can do it. I anticipated your needs and if we work twenty-four seven, we can have it ready to occupy by the twenty fourth of December.”

  “Good,” said Todd. He gave a map of the area to him and it was out-lined in red where the office would be built. Todd told him to not worry about permits and such things as he would take care of that part of the project. Actually, he wouldn’t, but grandmother would make a phone call.

  That taken care of, he returned to thinking about his search for a second in command. The phone buzzed him and his secretary told him a Mario was on the line. Todd punched him up and said “Hello.”

  Mario told him he had some news about the three guys. “It comes down to two: a middle age guy in Chicago and a young up start from the Pacific Northwest. The forty-six year old guy in Chicago was straight as an arrow. Clean background and has worked for a major corporation for ten years. A family man with three kids and no history of the kids in trouble or drugs; two kids in college and one in middle school; and a wife that is a homemaker.”

  “The guy from Seattle is a different story, a young free spirit who has made a name for himself in the food industry from California to Washington. Some say he is too smart for his own good, but is respected and well liked. Others say he will crash and burn any day now. My money is on him. I’ll send over the reports on these two guys tomorrow morning; anything else my young friend?”

  Todd said, “Yes, one more thing. I watched with keen interest this morning with your security team. I want a security company built from the ground up for Lincoln.”

  Mario said, “Give me until tomorrow and I will have someone who can do that project for you.”

  Todd gave him his office private number and his cell phone number. Only Jen, grandmother, Luke and Alice had his new cell phone number. He only today had made an addition in cell phones and had the secretary contact each one with the new number. That cell he kept in his brief case. Hi tech provided him with a vibrator on his watch to alert him to a call coming in.

  The time was about six o’clock. He closed the file and put it in his briefcase. Turned out the light and left the office. He told his secretary he was going home and asked her to turn out the lights on her way out.

  At home now, waiting for Jen to arrive, he poured a glass of wine and sat down in front of the TV. A local station had some news on and after a few minutes a piece on him surfaced. The announcer said, “One of our investigative reporters has found out that New York’s most eligible bachelor, Todd Lincoln, heir to the Lincoln Corporation’s vast empire, is getting married to a local girl. The details are a bit sketchy, but watch our eleven o’clock news for more details. In other news……..”

  Todd told himself, well it’s started. The flood of his upcoming marriage would hit all the news media and he must be ready for it. He would discuss it with Jen when she arrived. He shut off the TV and went into the kitchen where Luke was fussing about. He told Luke that the story had broken of his and Jen’s upcoming wedding in the spring and that the phone, even though it was unlisted, would be ringing off the hook. Reporters would be hounding the building. Luke told him, “Well we can handle that, no problem.”

  Todd was sure Luke could and would keep the reporters and phone calls at bay. Todd picked up the phone and called his grandmother. He told her the results of the day and the subsequent news report. She should expect some reporters at her door and annoying phone calls. He told her she will see him in the morning and also told her to follow the doctor’s orders. He went on to tell her to have the cook answer the door with a knife in her hands. The cook had a colorful history of saying what was on her mind. He laughed, and said good bye.

  Jen walked in about that time. She looked tired, but beautiful. She told him
she would take a long hot bath. He said he would make dinner and Luke disappeared out the door. Half an hour later, dinner prepared, he went to the bathroom to find his bride soaking in a bubble bath. He brought her a glass of wine and sat on the edge of the tub. He told her some of the day’s events and she murmured some words of encouragement. She sipped her wine and then took a shower. He returned to the kitchen and finished cooking. She came in wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt that said, ‘I love NY.’

  Todd made chicken burritos with all the ingredients to put on it: cheese, onions and a hot sauce brought back from California. A special sauce the cook had put in his bag with a note on it: Beware. They had cokes with the burritos and she told him about her day. He listened attentively and made comments where necessary for a good conversation. He was a good listener and she loved him for that trait. He told her all about the newscast. She appeared a little out of her realm and nervous. He went on to tell her that he would hire a publicity agent and all information would go through her. He made a mental note to call his secretary the next morning and have her take care of the situation.

  They finished up dinner and went to the library instead of the TV room. Jen plopped down in a comfortable chair and he sat across from her. “I’m beat,” she said.

  “Honey I have just the thing for your tired body.”

  She opened her eyes and he had a grin on his face and the devil in his eye. “I’m game,” she said.

  He went to his desk and picked up the phone and called his secretary. He thought, “Why wait until morning to call her?” She answered on the first ring. She was all business and listened to his request. She told him someone would be ready in the morning to take the position. He hung up and thought that maybe he had found a diamond in the rough. “Let’s see how she performs in the next few days,” he said to himself.

  “Jen follow me please.” He led her to the exercise room and told her to take off her clothes and lay down on her stomach. She quickly obeyed because she knew what was coming. He took the massage oil out of the cupboard and proceeded to give her a rub down. She moaned and groaned and whispered endearing things to him. He teased her in the sensitive areas and had her turn over. She had a small towel over her eyes to protect from the light. He started at her feet and worked slowly up, paying particular attention to her toes and the bottoms of her feet. Jen felt she was in heaven. He moved up her legs and rubbed her calves again. Higher and higher he went until he came to the sweet spot. He teased her a little and then moved up to her stomach. Lightly rubbing the oil in and telling her sweet things about his need to love her.

  She was making sounds of pleasure and he softly massaged her breasts and her nipples stood up with the delicate massage of his fingers. “Doctors know best,” he said close to her ear.

  She tried to grab him, but he moved away. He massaged his way down again to her stomach and finally to the inside of her thighs. She opened her legs a little and pleaded for him not to stop. He was ready too. He dropped his shorts and climbed onto the table.

  They both headed for the shower. She was so tired and satisfied he had to help into the shower. He soaped her all over her body and she stepped out and he took a quick shower. She was combing her hair when he stepped out and said, “Doctor Todd, any more of this type of therapy and I will have to take a few days off for bed rest.”

  He smiled at her while toweling off and then they went to bed. Snatches of the nightmare haunted him early in the morning as he eased himself out of bed and headed for the exercise room.

  A half hour later Jen came in and went to the treadmill. She angled it high and began to walk slowly and then she began to jog. For the next thirty minutes they both worked out and then headed for the shower. Both of them were in a hurry. Now it was seven am and they ate a quick bowl of oatmeal and toast. She took a taxi and he began his drive to grandmothers.