Chapter 103
Departing the Villa in a convoy to the train, it felt like we were escaping, which in a sense we were. Nothing was booked under our names, and the police were escorting us as far as Paris, where we were due to change trains. From there we were on our own. I was pretty relaxed to have everyone on board with us, and I was looking forward to being on the Yacht. Even after what had happened on there last year, Jackson and I always felt a sense of calm when we sailed about. The trip from the Caymans for like a second honeymoon, and whilst I would be doing a lot more work this time, there would still be a chance for some fun on the high seas. Chris was lead security for the trip, and was handling things well.
"Chris, please, just sit for 5 minutes, you will wear a path in the floor" I said as he paced looking at every one thing that went by, thinking we were about to be ambushed
"I know Boss, I will soon, my mind and body is still on high alert"
"Promise me that when we get to the yacht, and we are far at sea, you will take 10 minutes to breath."
"Shit yeah, I want to ride those damn jetski's again"
"Good, but only if you're a good boy" I joked with him. I did get him to sit eventually, only because the police were also now pacing and checking everything.
As we arrived in Paris, it was only 30mins before we departed onwards to Barcelona, and whilst this was a fast train, we seemed to be going slow as we left the city. Once we were outside the city, we took off, and I really enjoyed the experience having not had this experience before now.
Our second leg was just over 6hrs, and whilst I enjoyed the trip, my bum was sore when we finally arrived, and I wanted a shower and a snooze. Our convoy of vans were waiting for us, and whilst Chris and Corey escorted us to the vans, Marcus & Karl had the job of collecting all the luggage and catching up to us later.
Pulling up at the Marina the Lady Lucia looked as beautiful as ever. Her navy-blue hull with gold stipe was in stark contrast to the brilliant white of her upper decks. Every time I saw her I was taken back by her sheer size and beauty.
"Tom, good to see you my friend, I hope you're well"
"Always Sir, great to have you back on board. Once the luggage arrives, we will depart about 5 mins after. Did you have a location in mind?"
"We are here for about two weeks, so I was thinking we'd like to go to Santorini, as last time we didn't get a lot of time there. Mykonos perhaps, around the Aegean? Is that possible?
"Ample time, perhaps, Monaco for some shopping, Nice for some Seafood, Rome, we can call past on the way."
"Actually, lets skip Rome and go to Athens. I have never been there before"
"Done, I will co-ordinate with the crew, and kick off when we are full. Come up to the wheelhouse when you're settled, we've had some new security equipment installed. Bring Chris with you, and I can talk you through it. We are now well equipped for any scenario."
"Ugh, I dread to think the cost"
"Haha, it was at James' request, but we are really happy with it"
"All good, I will come out once we are out of the harbour."
"Excellent, Sir"
As we all went to our cabins, I walked out on our private deck. The smell of salt air filled my senses as Jackson came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me
"What you think, handsome."
"I think my body is just slowly starting to switch off. Our live is so hectic and I am stressing about so many things. I am really overwhelmed at the moment, and I just need to switch off"
"You know bub, you've always been too busy worrying about everyone else, but you never take the time to worry about yourself. You need to self-care for a while. You need to unwind. We had a family holiday and all you did was work, look after me, stress and not relax. Even sailing back to New York, you were distracted. I see it, I feel it."
"I know you're right, but it is just me. It is who I am."
"OK, so, lets change that. Short of me of throwing your laptop overboard, I want you to give me you're phone."
Without questioning him, I handed over my phone as he went through my contacts, before hitting a number.
"Hi Sam, Jackson here. I have made a decision. Unless it is extremely urgent, unless it is life or death, Grant is now offline. Please make sure Steven, James, Johan & Klaus know. I need him to have a break, and I need him to unwind, or I won't have a husband, and you won't have a boss."
"Yes Sir!" he exclaimed.
"So, no daily briefings or check ins, you can email him, but he won't be responding. He is completely off the grid for at least a week, if not two."
"Wow. How does he feel about that" Sam asked with a giggle in his voice.
"I'll tell you in a week!" Jackson said as he hung up the phone.
"There, all taken care of. See it was easy"
"But, I still need to ......."
`Shhhh, it will be there later. You pay these people a shit ton of money to look after everything. You need to step back. You cannot manage everything. But, I can guarantee you one thing. I know these people, and not one of them will let you down. They are all high intelligent and the best at what they do."
"Fair call. Let me just check my email and make sure......"
"You're not listening. I will throw it over board if you touch it."
"OK OK. Well, I guess I am forced vacation then"
"You are, and I have some amazing things planned."
"Alright bub. I trust you."
"I know, so go downstairs, sit on the deck and have a cocktail with the guys. I am sure they could all need it"
"Let me shower, then I am seeing Tom up in the Wheelhouse, you should come too. He has new security systems installed. You need to grab Chris too. Once we are out of the Harbour."
As we parted one of the cabin crew with the bluest eyes walked in with some suitcases of ours.
"Oh sorry Sirs, I didn't know you were in here, I should have knocked"
"Hi there, you must be new. I'm Grant, and this is my husband Jackson" I said as a way of introductions. "There is no need to call us Sir. Not as formal as people think we are."
"Hi, I am Nicholas, or Nic, if you like."
"Good, Nic, nice to meet you. South African I assume by that accent?"
"Very good Bru" He laughed in his reply.
"The last company I worked for, my boss was from Cape Town. So yeah, I am familiar with the accent."
"Ah nice. I am from J'burg, so not as cool as Cape Town" He added
`Well, I will leave these here and the stewards will be up to unpack for you shortly"
"Great, oh, and by the way, welcome to the crew. They are a good bunch"
"Thanks guys. Talk soon I hope"
As he left Jackson looked at me and I looked at him.
"Oh my fucking god. Did you see his eyes? They were amazing" I said as Jackson just stared back at me.
"Honey, I was too busy checking out everything else about him. His legs, his arse, and that package in front, he has it all happening"
"Behave," I said laughing as I looked in our closet for a pair of shorts and T-shirt to throw on after my shower.
"I'll be out in 10. And no, do not join me, you can later"
"Haha, Ok, I might go give Nic a hand working the lines."
"Smooth, very smooth" I said making my way into the bathroom.
Having showered and feeling refreshed, I had noticed that we were well underway. As I grabbed Chris and Jackson, we headed up to the wheelhouse to chat with Tom.
As we arrived he talked us through the new sonar equipment, the vessel radar detector and other bits that made no sense to me, but Chris was fascinated.
"Boss, what it means, that at night when we are asleep and there is only a watch on in the wheel house, this acts like an alarm and it senses a vessel regardless of size upto 100m away. It gives us warning and places on flood lights around the vessel if anyone tries to come near us."
"Oh, alright. Nice" I felt a lot safer having this technology on board. Knowing that Chris was happy with it, also rested my mind.
"By the way Chris, Dr Jackson has put me on leave, so I am not working. Looks like it's holiday time"
"Sweet. Good, about time too"
Chapter 104
I was on a holiday, so I may as well enjoy it. I laid back in the sun with only my shorts on grabbing that glorious Spanish sun on my tired body. As the crew kept bringing me cocktails, I knew I had to slow down a bit before I lost my sea legs. As we cruised into the sunset, I could feel the layers of stress that had consumed me of late peel away.
"Marcus, have you got a moment?" I called out across the deck.
"Sure boss, what did you need"
Discretely I whispered to him so Jules wouldn't hear, "Did you want to do a spot of shopping in Monaco tomorrow?" I asked hoping he picked up on my subtle hint.
"Oh, yeah, if you're free, that would be great. I see what Jules had planned"
"Marcus, think about what I just asked you, and then reconsider your answer"
Marcus was a lovely guy, but sometimes I needed to guide him to the correct answer.
"Oh, oh, yeah. But I don't know if I can afford anything there, you know."
"Marcus. Again, you are about to be family. Please, let me help."
"OK, we will see what they have. What do I tell Jules"
"Just tell her I had one meeting planned that I couldn't cancel. It's not really a lie, she's just not invited" I winked.
"Ah, OK. Yep."
As I put my shirt on I made my way up to the wheel house.
"Tom, my cell doesn't have service at the moment, what time tomorrow will we be in Monaco. I have a little trip I need to make."
"We dock around 9am, so after that, you'll be free around 9:15am or so. Did you need a car."
"Yes, I also need to make an appointment with Chaumet Jewellers in the Casino. Can you please let them know I will be there with my detail at 10am."
"Certainly Grant. And the rest of the entourage?" Oh, they can shop if they choose, but Marcus and I need a 15-20min head start before they depart."
"Done Sir. Leave it with me"
That night as we sat around the table on the aft deck we ate like royalty and drank like sailors. The spirit of everyone onboard was relaxed. I was watching and Chris & Corey out of the corner of my eye, and could tell that they had even let their guard down slightly. Whilst I knew they were on duty 24/7 in their roles, I never expected them to not be a part of the family, especially at meal times, and especially when there was no thread around us.
After dinner, I wandered the yacht and ended up in the Crew Mess, where a few were eating and just talking. As I entered, they all stood.
"Oh sit down, don't be so formal." I said as I smiled and slid in next to Nic. He was the only newbie on board since out last trip, and it was good to see some of the deck hands and just find out how working life on board the Lady Lucia was.
Natalie one of the stewards was the first to talk "We all love it. The boat is the best. Everyone is so relaxed and nice, makes life easier when you like the people you serve. Mr Jackson is the funniest"
"Watch out for him, he's also the cheekiest, and if there is trouble, he's the one to normally start it" They all had a good laugh before Nic added his take.
"I have been doing these 5 years, and I have worked on some big yachts. Most have too many crews, and the owners aren't always nice. But the one thing I love, on here we all get our own rooms and bathrooms. That blew me away."
"Well, there's a reason for that. I don't need 50 people tending to us. We never fill to full capacity, and if we did, we would get some temp crew on. Plus, this is also your home in many ways, so your own space is important."
Tom walked in at this moment. "Ah, Grant, I see your firing my crew" He said as gasps sounded around the table.
"Shit Tom, I hadn't got to that part I was just talking them up" They laughed more so as a sign of relief than anything else.
"I know, I shouldn't really be down here, but I like to talk to all my team. The cook in Munich chases me out of the kitchen yelling at me. If only I spoke fluent German, I'd probably understand what he's saying"
As I stood to leave, I was sure I felt a brushing of Nic's hand across my thigh. I smiled, winked and left to go annoy Jules and Jackson.
Not finding them I returned to our stateroom and found Jackson naked in the hot tub on the deck. I dropped my shorts and took of my shirt before sliding in next to him.
"How about I get a bottle of champagne up here, and we relax under the star for a while" I said out loud.
"That sounds amazing to me"
As leant over and pushed the call button, it was minutes before Nic appeared on our deck.
"Yes Grant, what can I get you"
"Some Champagne and three glasses would be nice. Maybe bring two bottles up, just to be safe. Has everyone else retired for the night."
"I believe so sir, I am on night call alone."
"OK, I will see when you return." I smiled
"3 Glasses?" Jackson looked at me.
"Well, I thought we would toast Nic's new job with him"
"Oh, yeah, I thought as much" giving me a smirk
"We don't even know if he is gay"
"Trust me honey, he stroked my leg downstairs. I have a feeling he is right at home around cock" I laughed
As Nic arrived back with a couple of bottles of Dom in an ice backet he placed the stand next to the hot tub where Jackson and I where lounging
"What you like it opened" He asked. I could sense his nerves as he popped the bottle.
"Pour yourself one. Your new, let's celebrate you joining us" I said motioning to the empty glass.
"I'm on shift Sir, and I do not want to get in to trouble.
"What are you going to do, wait for a boat full of sleeping people to page you"
"I see your point" he said, pouring himself a glass of the delightful bubbles.
"Cheers, welcome. If you would like to hop in and join us you are more than welcome. There is ample room in here." Jackson smiles with his trademark grin.
"Well, I guess it could, but if the captain says anything you need to take the blame he laughed."
Stripping down to his boxers he neared the steps as Jackson spoke softly
"We have zero clothing policy in the hot tub"
As Nic realised we were both naked, he turned and slid his boxers down to the ground, and as he turned to the stairs, we could see that his nice 7" cut cock was semi hard. His pubes were blond and beautifully trimmed as we got a closer inspection as he slid down in to the warm water.
"See, it wasn't that hard. Now close your eyes, have a sip of your champagne and let the water relax you"
As he closed his eyes, I could see Jacksons foot make it's way to Nic's inner thigh. Nic did not move except to further spread his legs slightly letting the jets massage his balls. Jackson maintained his rubbing for a few minutes, as Nic lifted his foot, gently sliding his foot just under my balls.
I knew things were going to heat up soon, and I watched as Jackson slid across the Hot tub
and started to kiss the young stud with passion and vigour.
I was happy to sit back and watch this unfold, and as my cock rose, I allowed myself to stroke it slightly, just enjoying the buzz I was getting from this, as well as too much champagne.
As Jackson rose the buck out from the water and on to the edge of the tub, he wend down and started to lick his balls as Nic could be heard letting out slight groans as the passion of the moment over took him. I could see that the enjoyment was overwhelming him, and I knew Jackson was enjoying.
As Jackson lowered him back in the water, Nic opened his eyes. Disappointed I guess that Jackson had stopped.
"Did you like that Nic." Jackson asked smiling at the lad who was loaded and ready to explode.
"Yeah, it has been a while since I fooled around with a guy. I am Bi, and have been mainly playing with woman lately, but that reminded me how good guys are at oral"
"Well, for tonight, I think we might leave it there. There will be ample time to finish this off at a later stage, if you would be interested"
"Yeah, that would be cool. You guys are hot daddies. My preference when it comes to guys"
"How old are you Nic" I asked out of curiosity
"24, 25 soon"
"Fuck, I thought you were way older than that" I said that not hiding my surprise.
"I hope that doesn't change anything"
"Definitely not." Jackson said before adding, "Do you like big cocks"
"Yes Sir! I love being fucked by them"
As Jackson rose out of the water, I could tell that Nic may have bitten off more than he could chew.
"Do you reckon you could take this monster" Jackson said as he grabbed his cock at. The base and gave it a few tugs.
"Well, I have never taken that much, but I'd certainly like to try"
"I am sure you will get your chance. All we ask for is 100% discretion and not a word to anyone"
"I completely understand and agree" Nic said.
"I suppose I should get back to work" Nic said as he began to rise up.
"Do not be silly, have a drink, unwind, let's get to know you more." I addd encouraging him to stay in the tub longer.
1am and 4 bottle later, we were all pretty hammered. As Nic was due to sign off, we stumbled out of the tub drying each other off. As we reached our bed, I slid straight in, and before Nic had even finished talking to Jackson, I was out cold for the night. The stress, the warmth of the Hot tub and the bubbles had taken it's toll. I was stuffed.
Being awoken by Karl at 7am with a breakfast tray and coffee was not what I thought my first day of holidays would be like, but, well, here we were.
"What the fuck, I am on holidays" I bellowed as he draw the curtains and opened the windows to let the beautiful Seabreeze in. As he surveyed our private deck he could see the empty bottles, and counted the 3 glasses.
"3 Glasses I see. I assume an interesting night was had"
"Shut up you" I laughed.
"Do tell. I am your trusted man servant" He carried on.
"We just welcomed Nic to the family. And no, I did not have sex with him"
"You didn't. Mr Jackson, what was your involvement"
"Fuck off it's too early 101 questions. I need sleep"
"Oh, I see Groucho has his bitch on this morning"
"Don't poke the bear Karl" I laughed as ruffled Jacksons hair, kissing his cheek.
"I shall leave breakfast here, I just had cook prepare you some poached eggs, smoked salmon, Hollandaise a bagel. Now here's your coffee, I will bring you a second one shortly. I hope to see you on deck soon, the arrival into Monaco is stunning on a day like today"
"Ok, we will eat here, shower, and be up. Please bring some more coffee, a couple of Bloody Mary's and some Tylenol for the dying one next to me."
"No prob boss, give me 5mins"
"Hey sleepyhead, let's get up. Breakfast will get cold, and I want to spend the day with you"
"Yeah yeah, but aren't you taking Marcus ring shopping."
"Oh shit, I forgot. Did you want to come"
"Not really, I was thinking of running decoy with Jules. She will need some extra fat clothes now she is having twins, plus I wanted to order a few suits at the tailors we went to last year. I need to dress the part when I get back to New York. Is that ok?"
"Honey, for thousandth time, you don't have to ask me. You have your own cards. You have an ebony AmEx for fuck's sake. That thing is unbreakable. Go buy what you want, I will meet you guys at lunch somewhere, and we can spend the afternoon shopping if you want. I know you love it"
"OK," he said with a smile. "I love being rich LOL"
Chapter 105
Marcus and I departed the yacht on time and jumped in the car to go to Chaumet Jewellers, a place I knew would overwhelm him, on purpose. I needed him to understand he wasn't marrying just a normal girl, that her lifestyle was different to what his was. I wasn't worried about this, but I did have some plans for Marcus that I was throwing around in my head.
As we pulled up out front of the ornate building and walked in, the store manager met us, and ushered us. In to a side room filled with cabinets and nice velvet stools we could sit on.
"Would you like a coffee gentleman?" He asked.
As we said yes, an assistant ushered off, whilst the manager asked us some questions.
"What can I do for you today, Mr Von Garbner"
"Please, it is not for me, it is for my son in law to be. We need an engagement ring."
"Certainly, what did you have in mind"
"Well, I was hoping for something classical, not too big, but not to small. Something that says I want to spend my life with you"
"Well, we have a few pieces you might like. Give me a moment and I will be back"
As he said that the young assistant returned with our coffee that was rich and aromatic. He was the type of coffee I live for. Sipping on our coffee Marcus was looking at some of the bracelet's rings in the cabinet.
"None of these have price tickets on them. How am I supposed to know what I am spending."
"You don't Marcus. If you have to ask, you cannot afford to be in here. Just relax"
The manager returned with a sparkling array of rings that were brilliant in cut and finish
"Wow, they are so beautiful. This isn't going to be easy" he said as he cast his eye over the selection.
There was that stood out amongst the rest. A brilliant platinum band with a centre set emerald cut 3ct diamond, with 3 1ct stones each side. There was nothing wrong with it.
"That's the one," he said pointing to the same ring I was eyeing off.
"We will take it Jean-Claude, could you please also bring me a tray of watches to look at. I'm in the need for a new time piece."
"certainly" he said, ushering the assistant off after a quick talk in French we didn't understand.
The assistant returned with a tray of men's watches. They were just beautiful. Breathtaking.
I fell in love with a platinum time piece with 4 emeralds set in the face and 8 small diamonds. It was heavy piece which I preferred. I was not a fan of yellow gold, so this fitted the bill. As I watched Marcus, he was eyeing off a gold hand crafted divers watch with a leather strap. Very masculine, and very fashionable. The type you could wear for dinner, or in every day life.
"Can we take that one, and the platinum one as well, thank you" I said as I handed over my AmEx to Jean-Claude.
"Thank you, Mr Von Garbner, now please, take your time and finish off your coffee, I will have your purchases boxed for you"
"I must say Grant, this is a weird way to shop. I just normally go to the mall, grab what I need and get out"
"Marcus, this is what I am trying to explain to you. Whilst this is not something I do every day, it is something that will happen to you more and more in life when you marry Jules. Fashion designers call her to wear their clothes. Jewellers contact her if she is going out to wear their pieces. People want to see what an heiress is wearing. The media will hound you as well once You are married, if not before."
"I'm still trying to get my head around it all"
Jean-Claude arrived back with our purchases and discretely slipped me the receipt which I put in my pocket.
"Are you staying in town long, gentleman"
"I think just tonight, but I know my daughter will be in later to find a neckless and earring set for an event in a few weeks. Please make sure she gets what is needed and charge it to my card"
"Certainly sir, I have placed it on file"
As Marcus and I walked out in to the sunlight, we hopped in to the car. Pulling out the receipt I whistled as I looked at it.
"Fuck, that was dearer than I. I may have to cut back on some things"
As I showed Marcus the receipt, he could only stare and turn white.
"Fuck Grant, take them back, he has overcharged you"
"Actually, I am kidding. He has been very generous in his pricing. $350,000 Euro was a good buy for what we picked up. As for me running out of money, we have enough that Twins won't even spend it all in their lifetime" I said trying to ease him a little.
"Now, put that watch on I bought. That's my engagement present to you."
"I cant accept this, it is way too much. It's worth more than people make in a year"
"Marcus, put the bloody watch on and enjoy it. Driver, please take us to the Blue Bay Bistro. I need a drink"
As I texted Jackson our whereabouts, he sends a message back. "We will still be an hour. Jules is being a fucking princess"
"Haha. Oh baby, enjoy the time. I am going to chat with Marcus"
"Go easy on him hey"
"Always bub"
We arrived at the Bistro and it was only around 11am. I asked the Matriè De for a table of 8, the rest would be an hour, but we wanted to rest out of the sun. a quick slip $100, had him moving quickly to seat us. I ordered a Vodka lime as Marcus ordered a sparkling water.
"Marcus, we need to talk. I need to help you out. I have come to like you a lot, and I want to discuss your future"
"You are not firing me are you." He asked in a panicked tone.
"No no, just listen. Marrying Jules is a big step. I don't want the father of my grandchildren taking a bullet for me, or anyone else. You have a family to care for. Currently I have 4 different foundations that support different causes in different countries. It is a lot of people working on common goals, separately. I want to amalgamated them under the one philanthropic arm, and I want you to work for that organisation. You are a deeply caring soul, and I want to harvest that care and I want you as a person to grow. What do you say about that?" I asked as he tried to take it all in.
"I had never thought about that, but it makes sense."
"Initially I want you to work with your father, and get an understanding of the work he is doing to repatriate the stolen gems we discovered. This will give you some legs whilst I organise the greater philanthropic organisation, and from there you will work under some really genuine people, and I would like one day for you and Jules to run it."
"Shit. Wow, I don't know what to say."
"Just say yes, and by the way, your salary will enable you to support Jules better. Trust me on that"
"I guess ok, thank you"
"Just excuse me one moment, I need to make a call I forgot, but talking to you just reminded me"
As I picked up the phone, I dialled Cath.
"Hi Cath, Grant here, how's your day"
"Oh, what do I owe the pleasure of your call"
"As you might recall, we were all supposed to go to Berlin this weekend, but current events got in the way. I was hoping that you and Diana would join us on Friday and spend a long weekend with us. I will have the jet collect you and bring you and bring you down to Athens, before we head to Santorini"
"You drive a hard bargain, but if you insist, I am sure Diana can be convinced"
"Done, I will organise a driver to collect you"
"Thank you so much. You are such a kind man"
"My pleasure"
"Who was that" Marcus enquired
"It's your new boss, but she doesn't know it yet" I said with a grin.
Jackson, Jules, Corey, Chris Michael and Karl joined us moments later.
As Jackson sat next to me, he leaned in and kissed my cheek. "Heya Handsome"
Marcus was sitting opposite me, with Jules on his right. And everyone else filtered around the table as the waiter came to take our drinks order.
"Champagne all round please" I instructed as the waiter approached. "Dom Perignon would be best, a 1997 if you have it, 6 bottles" The waiter looked stunned that at $2,500 a bottle, he would certainly be receiving a tip later on.
I gave Marcus the nod, that everything was set. It was now up to him to pull it off.
"Can I have everyone's attention." He said as he tried to get the table to quieten down.
"There is something I would like to say" Jules was starting to turn red, as she knew what was about to happen.
"6 Months ago, I met the most extraordinary woman. 3 months ago, we found out she was pregnant. In 4 months, we are set to become parents to two little boys." His face was beaming with pride at this moment, as the waiters returned to table and started Champagne service. Yesterday I spoke with her dads, and today, in front of you all, I would love to ask Jules if she will be my wife" As he said this, he bent down on one knee. "Will you marry me Jules?"
"Yes!" she said as tears filled not only her eyes, but mine and Jacksons as well. The now crowded restaurant all started to applaud as we toasted the happy couple. It was now that Marcus pulled out his ace card.
"I thought I would get you something to show you how much I love you" he said as the beautiful blue Chaumet box open to reveal what was a stunning engagement ring.
"I am breathless" she said. It is so beautiful.
"I am glad you like it" he said before kissing her. "I had a helping hand"
As everyone got up to congratulate the happy couple, I looked at the ring on her finger. It was perfect. It was stunning, and maybe I am biased, but Jules was radiant in the summer sun that shone so bright.
"Jules, Chaumet is expecting you this afternoon. They want to make sure it fits fine, and I also mentioned you need a neckless and Earrings for the Munich Gala Launch in a few weeks. Just charge what you need.
"Love you both so much"
"We love you too kiddo" Jackson said beaming with just as much pride as me.
As we ordered lunch, I whispered in Jacksons ear, "I had the most brilliant idea about half hour ago. I need to fill you in"
"Well, spill" I hate it when you say that and don't talk he laughed.
"We have 4 different charitable foundations; we have 4 different administration wings to service them. Everything is done in 4's and no one talks to the other. So, I was thinking, how about we merge them all in to one Philanthropic arm of our holdings, and have it headed by one person, and a CEO under that person that does the day to day running."
"That sounds pretty amazing, but where do we find such people?"
"Do I need to hold up a mirror?" I asked hoping he would catch on.
"Ha, I don't get you?"
"Well, you would be chairman. Your baby. I know you love the work we do. And as far as CEO goes, I have a perfect candidate. Someone that shares our values, someone you respect and someone I know would do a killer job. I am thinking about asking Cath, if you think it is a good idea"
"Shit, she would be perfect"
"Good, glad you agree, they are joining us for a long weekend on Friday, I am flying them down to Athens"
"Damn you are good. I never thought of it."
"We are a team bub, and I know you will be perfect in your role. I also asked Marcus to work in with you and Cath, I don't want him carrying a gun every day. He's family, he needs protection."
"Yeah, that's cool, I think in time he will excellent"
"So do I. He will need some guidance though"
"And I will make sure he gets it"
As lunch was finished, we changed around a bit. I allowed Marcus to go with Jules, and Corey as they had to return to the jewellers. They also took the car as it was up hill, and i didn't want Jules walking up there in the heat. The rest of us spent a leisurely afternoon shopping the plaza's and boutiques of Monaco buying everything from shoes, to hats, to bags, to clothes. The woman in Louis Vuitton thought she hit the Jackpot as I bought all of the team an LV Back pack, and Karl got a wallet and document folder as well.
"Fuck me Boss, I didn't expect this." I am in a good mood. Enjoy it
I also bought Michael a pair of LV Sunglasses, which he thought were the coolest he had ever seen, and whilst not my style, they suited him perfectly.
"This is what all the cool bitches are wearing now" He joked as we left the store.
For Chris, we stopped by Armani and ordered him his first tailor made suit, to be delivered to Munich when completed.
"That is just too much guys" He thanked us as we exited.
"Guys, you know how much we appreciate you all. Let us spoil you on the rare occasion when someone is not trying to kill us. Enjoy it."
Arriving at the Marina, we noticed the yacht had moved off shore. We knew this was going to happen, and as the tender was waiting for us, we pilled all our bags in and headed back to the yacht to relax.
I stripped down to my swimmers the moment we returned and hopped in the pool to cool off.
"That looks good, I might join you" said Michael
"How are you feeling, it's been a few days since we've had a chance to talk" I missed his familiar figure next to be all the time, and the casual manner in which we spoke, often.
"I'm good. I guess I managed to unload a heap of shit that I have carried for too long."
"That's good. I have asked Cath to join us this weekend, I was hoping you could have a session with her. Whilst she hasn't spoken to me about anything, she did say you were glad you had someone there to unload on"
"That would be good. I appreciate everything you have done for me, boss, I see you as a father figure, and it means a lot to me. Both you and Jackson. I'd like kids one day, and seeing you two, the girls etc in action as a family, shows me what I want in life."
I reached over and embraced the younger man. "You mean the world to both of us. I want you to take these few weeks and heal. I bought you along because I knew the sea air and being away from the Hussle and bustle would help." Just as I let go Jackson appeared.
"Oh, is this fun open to anyone" He asked smiling
"My horny husband. Where have you been. I was just catching up with our big boy here. He thinks you're a hot daddy." I said jokingly knowing Michael would blush.
"Oh, shit boss. Don't say that, you'll embarrass me"
Jackson slid down on the other side of Michael as we chatted about the next few weeks, and some of the things we would do. I was glad he was feeling better, but I could tell that he wasn't yet his old self. That worried me in ways, but I knew with Cath's help we would get him back. In fact, I was counting on it.