Evan

Evan Chapter 4

Evan

The Fourth Chapter

By

RettaMichaels

Disclaimer:

If you are dumb enough to believe this story is true, please stop, shut off your computer and then go to the nearest mirror to repeatedly slap yourself back into reality. You'll thank yourself afterward, I assure you.

IF you are below the age of 18, please don't read the stories on here. Your presence jeopardizes those of us who do so legally.

Personal Disclaimer:

Many of you wrote to tell me how much you enjoyed the stories beginning. I appreciate those emails.

In my reply, I told you I'd received word from an attorney forbidding my continuing with the story. I'm sorry, but after a nice enjoyable vacation, I've come to the conclusion legal censorship of what I “might” write really pisses me off. So, with that said, I'm writing what I please and if it's not to their liking...fukem.

Evan

Chapter Four

The next morning, I got up and ate an early breakfast. At nine am, I was at their office ready to begin my phone conversations overseas. I had waited because I strongly suspected they started their days at nine a.m.

As soon as I got there, Bran called me into his office.

“I suspected I'd see you this morning at the house.”

“I'm sorry, I hadn't received permission so I wasn't going to stay.”

He smiled and said, “That's some of the Southern upbringing showing through once again.”

“That's my upbringing by my gramma. She insisted me to have the person spending the night at her dinner table so she could get to know them and be sure there was sufficient permissions granted. I think it's a good policy.”

He nodded and said, “I'm sorry I didn't make it more clear. You were welcomed into our family and I expected you to think you were granted rights as another member.”

“Yes sir, and that would have been fine, but when I asked where the dogs were, I was told they were put away when guests were there. As a member of the family, I'm not a guest. It sent a mixed message. Rather than err, I chose caution and told Ev there'd be other nights.”

He laughed and said, “He and I had quite a conversation on the way to work this morning. He told me what he'd found out about you from you and about you two deciding to wait. I think that's great.”

“Thank you, I'm glad you support us.”

“You make it easy. It's I who felt like I'd failed you. Please don't think you have to stay in a hotel when there's a guest room available in our house.”

“Thanks, I'll stay at the house, but I need to conduct my business here since you have a satellite link.

While I'm one the subject of my business, I'd like to speak with you about leasing an office in this building as I'm told it's yours.”

“Sure, pick which one you want and let me know.” he said smiling.

“What are the rents?”

“Nothing, so take as much space as you need and I'll get you what you need.”

“I can't do it that way.”

He looked at me steady and asked, “Why not?”

“Internal Revenue guidelines for my business. If I'm receiving personal favors from a client in the Import Export business, then I could be passing along some of my duty free status.”

“Oh hell...”

I smiled and said, “I'm sorry, but I'll pay for the space. It gives me a piece of paper I can show them.”

“Ok, I should have known there was a reason for your being so steadfast.”

“I learned a hard lesson when I was doing it from my gramma's house and she was benefitting from my purchases abroad. After paying my fines and hers, I've made it a point of never crossing those people again.”

“I hear you loud and clear. It's hard to believe guidelines they have.”

“Yes, but I'm sure they have a reason.”

“Ev said you were going to be going to get a car or cars today.”

“Yes, I do need to do that as soon as I have my calls made.”

“He'd like to go with you if you don't mind.”

“Sure, it'd be fine. I never asked him to go since I didn't want it to impose upon his business.”

“I understand. I'd be as wary about imposing upon yours too. My position is if I can make it so you two get closer, it is a blessing for us to see him as happy.”

“Thank you, I wouldn't have asked.”

“It's interesting because you have a very military view of how you see things. You don't tread across lines and you sure don't budge in yours.”

“Learning where the gray area are isn't something I have found I need to do. I find the laws and I check them before trudging ahead. It's the same with permissions.”

“Which brings me to another situation.”

“Yes sir.”

“D and I talked a lot last night after we went upstairs. She's amazed at how you respect our family. She's also impressed with Sam's talents as I am.

What we've decided is to go ahead and push forward with everything and that include Sam's career if that's what she wants. We would like to speak with you about it later, but I wanted you to know.”

“Can I give you an update as to what I've got going on that?”

“Sure.”

“As you know, or at least D knows, I have a friend named Randy who is in the business of making videos. He does commercials for me, but he does a lot of different things.”

“I'm aware.”

“Well, after we were finished, I called him and got the songs sent to him. I hope you don't mind.”

“Go ahead.”

“What I told him was work with them, but to be absolutely sure he knows and anyone else he works with there's no contract signed and all of this will stop if there's no permission granted.”

“What did he think of the songs?”

“To be honest, I left him in the dark as to who it was on “I dunno” until he heard them himself. As soon as he heard, there were questions rolling out of his mouth like crazy. Once again, I told him we have no contract and what it will be if there's anything agreed.”

“She and I spoke about that too. I'm fine with what you've said and I've agreed to. I'm even fine with her doing a stint in Vegas if it's got a cap of four months. By then, I'll be retired so I can be there with her.”

“Ok, I'll keep that in mind, but that's all I have on that front. He is blown away by the song and has agreed to do the DVD interview if it becomes a go.”

He smiled and said, “Thanks for keeping our needs prevalent.”

“No thanks are necessary. This is my family and I'm not going to overstep bounds.”

He nodded and asked, “What about the song done by Sam?”

“Do you want to know his exact wordage?”

“If you want.”

“He got pissed. His feelings were hurt because he viewed my work with the songs as surpassing his. I'll tell you now, I think it's a great compliment, but I learned from him so he's in need of amnesia therapy or an Alzheimer's unit.

In regards to Sam, he is in complete agreement she's got more talent than anyone out there now and thinks we should get her damned good management who will work with our guidelines.”

“Any ideas?”

“One and that's all it should be. She's managed a superstar and she's now retired that act. She's available and not only I believe she's a perfect fit, but Randy's one suggestion was the same person.”

“Who is that?”

“She's Cher's sister, Georganne.”

“Oh, that's a big act.”

“Yes, but it's one Sam could easily become.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Sheer talent. The ability to make any song she sings her own, and an ability to listen and learn from what she's been told instead of being headstrong to make mistakes.”

“And those are?”

“She's heard loud and clear about D's career and the snakes who will take advantage of her, her career, her financial status, and not have her goals in mind when they do it.”

“Good. Now, what do you suggest?”

“I think we need to take her free agent and get her own music released on her terms instead of what others dictate.”

“Good, now can I ask you something?”

“Sure”

“Were you serious about opening a label to showcase D and Sam?”

“By all means, yes. I don't want to head it personally, but I'll gladly throw my money into it because of one reason...that as a member of the family, I don't want to have someone I know and care for taken for a ride.”

“Ok, we talked about that last night. She wants to do it under her own label, so I thought I'd tell you you would be asked.”

“No problem. I'll tell you now, Ev and I need to go to Nebraska to get signature cards signed for my bank account, and then he'll be able to sign checks too.”

“Are you serious about that?”

“Listen, you're giving me your two treasures and I'm giving mine. So, if you trust me with yours, what the hell's not to trust about you?”

He laughed and said, “Here's the next and last thing I want to state and then I'm done.”

“Ok”

“D is glad to have you. She knows you understand her Diva mentality and she doesn't think you'll be hard to deal with. I'll tell you now she's not going to be allowed to work hard.”

“Ok, from what I've seen, I'm not going to let that happen either. What she and I discussed was a studio album and the DVD interview. As for Vegas, I think what would be neat is to take the DVD and make it a stage act. Instead of a lot of singing and dancing, she answers questions and shows the videos and could do some light numbers if any.”

“I'm getting a mental picture of it. Do the video of the number and when the lights come back up, have her doing the number like it was done then.”

“Right.”

“That's good. She's not dancing and not wearing herself down.

What about the new songs?”

“The video for “I dunno” is going to be a walk through of her singing and everyone else dancing. It shows style and says she's got enough rank she doesn't have to sing and dance anymore to get the job done.”

“Tell me some examples.”

“Tina Turner did it on “What's Love Got To Do With It” and Madonna did it on several videos.

“Ok, all you had to say was the one and I like it. I know she'll love it.”

“In regards to the other song, Randy has no real clue what to do with it. It's so unlike her. I have an idea, but it's entirely up to you and she.”

“What's that?”

“At the end of the DVD, we can show outtakes and have that as a plus. It can show her being herself at home and show she's not taking herself as a diva. It'll give her a human face.”

He smiled really huge and I could tell his eyes got misty. “Do that! I'll call her now and tell her because she said last night by doing that song, she was having a blast. You don't know it, but she said she's never once in her life played an air guitar until then, but she thought the song warranted it.”

“Really!”

“Den, that's what you've done to us in the short time you have known us. We feel free to be ourselves with you and I'll tell you now, the woman told me if she'd known I had that voice inside of me, she'd had me on stage with her a long time ago. Had I known, I would have done it just to be out there with her.”

“I can tell you love her a lot and it's returned.”

“She knows the hell I've been through.”

“And she's told me with such pain in her eyes it's haunted me. I don't want it to happen again.”

“Has it affected the kids?”

“Ev's more affected by it than Sam. He told me a bit of it, but I think he was more hurt by what other people did than about her.”

“I know what he's referring to. It broke his heart when it happened.”

“People can be such dicks.”

“One thing I want to tell you is this...he told me your stance on the Michael Jackson situation and how you looked at it with open eyes. I want to tell you until he told me how you perceived it, I looked with biased eyes too.”

“I'm not saying he was in the right. I'm saying a lot of things probably got taken out of context. One thing I will state is he put himself in a dangerous situation.”

“Do you think he thought he was safe because he had other adults around?”

“I imagine. Until I actually spoke with him, I'd not know. All I'm going off is supposition and putting myself into the situation.”

“I don't think everyone has done that. They stop and pull themselves back from thinking of themselves doing anything with a child. Maybe he had honorable intentions, but I'll also tell you I think he's not the best person to do things mentally.”

“I don't know him.”

“D had a situation where he adored her.”

“I know, the way I perceived that was he sort of stalked her.”

“Not necessarily that, but it was something she didn't like.”

“Why?”

“Let me tell you about him and you'll understand. He has a way of watching someone and studying them to the point he's a perfect mimic. She worked hard to get her stage persona down and thought if he actually wanted one, he shouldn't rob hers. Others said he did the same thing to them. One of them was Fred Astaire.”

“Several have mimicked him though.”

“Yes, but none have made the actual star feel threatened.”

“Ok, I understand.”

“To clarify, I'll say this. If I studied you and went into your line of business and copied you to the point I even twirled a pencil like you, you'd feel threatened. It might be me trying to be flattering, but it's spooky when it happens.”

“I imagine it was.”

“Let's get off that topic.”

“Ok, I'm going to bring up one and I want you to not be offended.”

“Ok”

“In our relationship, I'm looking at you as a father-in-law and father figure in a way. I'm doing that as a lot of respect, but I also want you to know I have my own resources financially and don't want you two as a couple to feel like you've got to step in and spend money on us.”

“What are you meaning? The office?”

“No, last night, I gave Ev my opinion of household help. I really don't want any.

Those that we need, I plan on hiring temporarily like grounds services, pool maintenance, maid service, and so on and so forth. I know you love him and want the best for him, but I don't like the thought of having a staff of people living there.”

“D said she thought you were offended by it.”

“Not offended as much as I find it an intrusion into privacy. This morning, I chose to go ahead and ask you for an office so it's not at the house. I figure if it's a problem down the road should we adopt and have a child and need a nanny, then I'll go ahead and get an office and work here.”

He nodded and said, “D thinks you're really a private person.”

“I had to be. My dad stole money from me not once, but twice. The second time, I sued the bank who gave it to him and got reimbursed, but the first time, I was out of what was then a lot of money to me.”

“He violated your personal space?”

“Yes, in more ways than one. He saw me going someplace with my life and thought I should pay him instead of going forward.

The second time, I went to New York, did business, and should have been on a flight when 9/11 happened.

One of the planes I should have been on. Instead, I had to stay there for business and missed the flight. He never waited to see if I was actually dead before he went to the bank and got all that was in my account.”

“Oh man...what an asshole.”

“Yeah, so what I did was I sued the bank, moved out, and moved in with my gramma. Since then, each time I'm around him, he's been more and more threatening.”

“Do you feel you need protection from him?”

“No, but I've grown up and now feel I can handle him. It's sad I have to think in those terms, but that's why I've been private.”

“Ok, hopefully, you'll feel freer here.”

“I am going to protect myself and Evan by getting a Will drawn up and get his signature on the cards at the bank. I don't want my dad to get a thing when and if anything happens to me. Please don't think it's a slight on you guys by me doing that.”

“No, what I'm doing is seeing you two as a couple and seeing you protecting him. What I'd like to do is to protect you too by making sure what he has goes to you if anything should happen to him.”

“Please don't. Give it to Sam.”

He looked at me and said, “You sure don't take very well, do you?”

“No sir, I don't. I've earned what I've gotten and feel since I'm single, I'd rather give it to whom I want than having whom I don't want to receive it.”

“Ok, so you planning on building a relationship with him?”

“Yes.”

“Then learn to live and think as a couple. There's an awful lot of you's going on in your relationship when there should be we's, us's, and ours.”

“I'll do that.”

“Lastly, don't call me sir. It bugs the tar out of me.”

I smiled and said, “Ok”

He came around the desk and hugged me. “I'm calling D.”

“When you do, tell her Jimmy Jam is probably going to call her seeing if I have permission to send him that song.”

“You've already done it?”

“We're wanting it so when I presented it to you guys it was a completed package. That way, when it was a go, there wasn't any time wasted.”

“I understand. Your business side of it was showing through. She'll appreciate it.”

“Nothing else has been done, but we are calling Cher's sister to have her listen to the songs by Sam.”

“No problem. I see that as a good thing. I'll let her know and I'm sure she'll be happy. She was really apprehensive about going to Clive or Quincy.”

“The way I'll do it is when we have our party, I'll invite them at her request and make sure they know it was because of my association with Evan that I was picked and not something personal.”

“Do you think that will ease hurt feelings?”

“It might not, but it will cease the finger pointing at her and get them directed towards me.”

He laughed and said, “I'm glad he's got you. I would have done it for the same reason.”

I went out into the office and over to the satellite conference. In no time at all, I had the calls made I needed, but noticed I had been in there longer than anticipated.

I went to Evan's office and said, “You done?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, let's run. I had no idea I was so long.”

“Ok, I'll be but a second.”

He went to his dad's office and told him we were leaving and told the receptionist on our way out. We went down to the car park and got in his car.

“You're not upset I told my dad.”

“No, not at all. I'm glad we can count on each other to work on the other's behalf.”

“Good, I was worried.”

“I can speak freer at lunch now.”

“Really?”

“Did you remember to invite your dad?”

“Yeah, but he wants to bring mom.”

“Ok, that'll be fine. I'll tell Ran to plan another.”

“No need, they're going to surprise us and pick the restaurant. It's going to blow you away.”

“Why?”

“Because mom might not shop in low end stores, but when she eats, she doesn't mind being seen in places like Wendy's.”

“You sure?”

“They're one place which has baked potatoes.”

“Ok, that's nice to know.”

“You sound like you didn't know that?”

“The last time I was at a Wendy's was probably in college. Even then, I think it was for a frosty and that's it.”

“Oh man, we've got to make home made Frosties one night at home.”

“You make them home made!”

“Yeah, there's nothing to making them. A lot of ice cream, several heaping scoops of Nestle's Quik and a dash of milk.”

“Good to know, I love them.”

“Why don't you go there more if you love them?”

“Where I go, there's a Dairy Queen on the way. I get stopped there for a German Chocolate Blizzard with Mocha flavoring.”

“Mmmm, sounds nice.”

“Expensive, but I soon forget about it when I've got it on my nose.”

He laughed and said, “I bet you take the dogs to get ice cream too.”

“Yeah, well, Gyp knows what McDonald's is and she orders for herself. I used to take her to White Castle's, but she learned she could jump through the window there and get all sorts of treats in the kitchen before I could get in there.

Because she's Black and White and their colors are that, they've took her as their mascot at that store.”

“Oh, I bet she's adorable.”

“She thinks she is and I've told her she is enough, but now that Brad is in the picture, we don't go to eat as much.”

“Why not?”

“People think a cocker is cute. When a pit bull is going insane to get to their window, they're a bit more scared.”

“I bet!”

“What you don't know is Gyp has a more fierce side to her than him. She's hell on a mail man.”

“Why?”

“I had her on her rope out front one day and a mail man stomped at her. He didn't see me standing there and when I jumped him about it, he said I had a fierce dog. It caused a rift between me and the post office to the point I took the mail box off the house and got a PO Box and told the post office if they stepped foot on my property again, it was trespass.”

“Can you do that?”

“They're a business like any other. IF you request they not be there, they can't come. It takes a form to fill out, but I did it.”

“You had to be upset.”

“Yeah, wouldn't you be?”

“I don't know.”

“Tell me you're kidding. If we have kids, are you going to let anyone come on our property and threaten to hit one of them?”

“No.”

“Well, consider the dogs our kids. If anyone messes with one, they better be prepared to mess with me because I'll do a severe kicking of ass over one.”

“What did the guy do exactly?”

“Gyp was on her rope. I gave her a nylon rope because a chain seemed too harsh on her. I had her out in front under the shade tree and she couldn't even reach the sidewalk. She came to the end by the sidewalk, and the guy stomped at her and threatened to kick her.”

“Oh man, I'd probably been out there getting crazy.”

“I was. He told me she was fierce. She's only fierce towards them and no one else. It's not a uniform, but that uniform. I don't know what the difference is, but dogs can tell.

The only thing I can say is now she's got cataracts and doesn't see so well.”

“Why don't you get them removed?”

“I took her but the vet said they have to get “ripe” before he'll do the surgery or whatever that means.”

“Sounds stupid.”

“Me too, but she's waiting patiently.”

“When you going to bring them out here?”

“As soon as the fence it put up. I won't think about doing it until then.”

“Why not bring them out to our house?”

“I think it'd confuse them.”

“Who watches them while you're gone?”

“A friend. It sure will be nice to be home more.”

He smiled and said, “I'm going to get a car today too.”

“Ok, just tell me what you want.”

“No, this is going to be mine from my dad for the business.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok, you must've spoke with him about it before I talked with him.”

“Why?”

“I told him it bugged me he and your mom were giving us things.”

“Why?”

“Hon, in our relationship, it's you and I. I've got money and feel it shouldn't be me and my money and you and your mom and dad's money. You're growing up now and need to let them know it.”

“This is a business car.”

“Which you'll drive home. I'm not going to complain, but I really don't want them to support us.”

“What did he say when you talked with him?”

“He understood.”

“So you think because I get a car, it's taking money from them?”

“I do, but I also understand if it's listed in the business' name.”

“He told me to list it in mine.”

“Then it's a gift.”

“You're upset.”

“Listen, take the car and take the house. I'll buy a car and I'll buy a house. You take the staff they give whether I like it or not, and I'll live life as I want. I'll be your lover, but I guess I'm ass out on someone who refuses to cut the apron strings.”

“Then what is it if I take your money?”

“A relationship. You give, I give, and it's us. Right now, I feel like if we do ever climb into bed together, there's just going to be too many people there for me to feel comfortable.”

“You actually think that?”

“I love your mom and dad. They've invited me into the family, but it bugs me because I've got money. If I was down to the last dollar I had, I might think about taking money, but until I need it, I don't think I want to live that way.”

“Ok, I won't take the car.”

“Now I feel like an ass.”

He smiled and said, “Hon, I don't see it that way. For a long time, I've been saying I need to be more independent, but then they offer and I take it.”

“So how do you feel if I buy the car?”

“Like you said”

“Ok, please work with me on this. I'm not going to demand much, but taking money from people I don't earn just bugs me.”

“How are you at Christmas time?”

“Christmas is different. Let me tell you a small story and then you'll see what I mean.

When I moved in with my gramma, she insisted on putting gas in my car. She said it was because I ran her places, so I did it. She'd fill my tank and each time I would take her someplace, she'd insist upon filling the tank. Finally, one day, I got told by my old man I was using her. So that day, I stopped doing it and decided unless I earned a dollar, I wasn't taking it from anyone. That way, I wasn't using anyone.”

“Do you see me as using you if you buy me a car?”

“No!”

“Why not? I didn't earn it.”

“We're together. We're in a relationship and that's the way that goes. I give, you give, and each of us feels like we put into it. When outside sources put into it, I don't feel right.”

“Ok, so you want a joint checking?”

“If you want, I'd be happy to.”

“What if we add your name onto mine?”

“Out here?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok, but we've got to fly to Nebraska and fill out signature cards for my accounts there.”

“Nebraska!”

“Yeah, the middle of nowhere USA! Who would think about putting money there?”

“You put the money in Nebraska!”

“Yeah, hilarious isn't it.”

“My God, that's a hell of a long trip to a drive thru window.”

“I told you the situation there. It might be a long trip for me, but it's a long trip for a dumb ass from Beaufort, South Carolina to go searching for accounts he has no clue where they're located.”

“That man really messed with your brain.”

“Yeah, call it his only claim to doing anything for me.”

We pulled onto the lot of the car dealer.

“How do you want to do this?”

“Watch and you'll see.”

“Ok”

A salesman came out. “Hi, what can I do for you today?”

“First of all, I need to look at cars and get them fast. I need to be in a car in an hour. Can you do it?”

“You got the money?”

“Yeah, if you take a bank wire.”

“I'll ask.”

“Ok, While you're asking, I would like to test drive that Yellow Ferrari over there.”

“That's an awfully expensive car.”

“Listen, get your manager out here and take my driver's license to go get him. Do the credit check on my name and I bet you shit yourself.”

“We don't normally do business this way.”

“I've got over seven hundred million in a bank in Nebraska. It's there because I want it there. They know me and they know if I say send money someplace, they get it sent. Call them, and then, do the credit check. I won't be financing, but I want it handed to me so I can use it later. While you're doing that, see what he wants to drive and get him what he wants too.”

“This doesn't sound right.”

“Ok, fuckin' forget it. I'll call the Rolls factory and order my own God damned limo. They'll tell me I can get it from you and I'll tell them I prefer not to do business with people who don't want to do business my way. Now, get your manager out here because I want him to know what he just lost the sale on.”

“I'll be right back. I am taking your driver's license.”

“Remember the keys to that Ferrari.”

He went in and Ev said, “You're too much like my dad. You spend money and order people around.”

“Ev, I would have been here at seven am this morning, but they don't open until eleven. I would have been at your office, but you don't open until nine. We've got a very important meeting at one and I've got to shove as much into it as I can.”

“We don't need the car today.”

“You might not, but I sure as hell do! There was fucking puke in the back of that taxi last night!”

“Oh man.”

“Yeah, so when people are hauling me around and I have money to buy a car, I would rather not wait.”

“Why didn't you say something?”

“It's not real nice telling you what I went through after I left.”

The manager came out and said, “He's doing a credit check on you right now. I recognize him as I've done business with his dad before.”

“Good, a credit check takes fifteen minutes. Can he go ahead and test drive a car while I wait?”

“Sure.”

“Ok, while I wait, I want to tell you I was going to order a Rolls limo, but I'll not do it here. That man should have realized if I asked to drive a Ferrari, I can afford the thing.”

“We have no clue who you are.”

“Ok, you'll have a clue when you have that credit check. You'll also have a clue when you call my bank. If I didn't need a car, I'd be asking you where the next Ferrari dealer is so I could get it there.”

“I'm sorry you feel slighted.”

“I'm sorry you didn't get the order for that limo. Believe me, I know how much the things cost because I ordered three of them last year.”

“Only one person ordered three last year.”

“Then remember the name because I did. Each of the fucking things cost a million seven. One went to Hong Kong, the other went to Paris, and the other to New York City.”

“Oh man.”

“Yeah, I'll get it someplace else. You know they charged me an extra three hundred grand each to get them done in two weeks. You know as well as I that money went to the dealer who ordered the cars.”

“Let me go get the keys for that Ferrari.”

“No, let's wait so you're absolutely sure you're completely fucked out of a Rolls limo.”

Evan coughed next to me. “Den, I bet you really were hell when you were playing the frogging game in the back seat because you kept frogging the same spot.”

I smiled, “There's another way than that to play the game?”

He laughed and said, “I want to drive that Phantom convertible over there.”

“The black one or the beige?”

“That white convertible.”

“Ok, that's a beige” the man clarified. “I'll go get the keys.”

“Ev, they will give you the keys because your dad made an impression on them. Think about that because by the time I'm done, they'll be breaking their neck to get me the keys in the future.”

“Nearly Seven hundred million!”

“That's in the bank. That's not what I'm worth.”

“You're worth a lot more, right?”

“Nah”

He looked at me strangely.

“Ask your dad if you should have been a blond.”

He smiled and said, “OH you!”

The man brought out the keys and gave them to Evan. Ev went over and hopped in.

“They're printing out your credit check now.”

“Ok, call my banker when I'm on that test drive because I'll need to give him a password to pay for these cars.”

“Why?”

“If I spend over a million, they require a password. You should know that. And, You're accusing me of being the imposter.”

“I think you're legit. No one else but an import/export agent ordered three limos last year. It was in our newsletter.”

“And the most which has been ordered has been a dozen and they were ordered by a hotel over in Hong Kong. A hotel by the way which gave that order because I recommended the dealer to the man. It was I, who got that commission on them.”

“I didn't read that!”

“Well, let's just say your company paid for one of my limos.”

“The limos you ordered sure sounded nice.”

“Yeah, now, you want that order?”

“I think I'm not going to get it. You made it clear.”

“No, you're going to get it, but you promise me one thing. In the future, when I come on this lot or he does, you remember our faces and you shit me some keys when I ask for them. A man coming to steal a car doesn't wear a suit of this quality. He doesn't wear shoes of this quality. He might attempt to mess with your head, but he's not going to tell you things I can tell you and have.”

“I'm realizing the mistake.”

“Ok, then what you need to do is go look up the specs for those limos and get me one sent here. Add on your extra fee for getting it here in two weeks and throw yourself a large pizza party where my picture is up there getting memorized by everyone at this place because when I rip the clutch out of that Ferrari, I'm going to pull in here and need it fixed real fast too. I'll be damned mad when I have to show I.D, to get it done.”

“Here he comes.”

“Mr, I'm sure sorry.”

“Don't worry. Your manager knows how to alleviate the problem. Start the paperwork on the Ferrari and on whatever car he wants when he gets back.”

I turned to the manager and said, “Call my banker and tell him I am ok-ing the transaction. When he asks to speak to me, tell him I said Horseshit and he'll give the money.”

“Your password is horseshit!” The manager said smiling.

“It fits. Nowhere else in this country can you step in it walking into the bank on main street. In Bumfuck, Nebraska, you can.”

He snickered and said, “I imagine you made quite an impression making that much of a deposit.”

“My deposit was over a billion. I've since bought houses. They quickly called me Mister.”

“You make that much importing?”

“In five years, I've made that much. I had made nearly a third that when it got stolen from another bank by an ex family member of mine.”

“How?”

“He claimed I was dead. Needless to say, I'm claiming he is now. I've got a car to drive.”

“It's an automatic. There's no clutch.”

“Do me a favor. See if there's one that color of yellow with a white top and interior. Sitting on a black seat after the top has been down out in the sun will roast a set of nuts.”

“I'll go make a call. I know we've got one at our other dealer.”

“Get the VIN for it and start the paperwork and tell them to drive it here. I'll buy it sight unseen. Tell them I need it ready as soon as the paperwork is finished.”

“What's the hurry?”

“I have a lunch appointment at one pm with his parents, a producer, a star, and a manager. The contract we're discussing is probably worth more than I'm worth now.”

“Oh man, no wonder you're in a hurry.”

“I'm sorry for being such a dick, but that's why.”

“Go ahead and take the cars. Come back tomorrow and we'll take the paperwork down.”

“You're not going to mind?”

“No, I've got this and I've got enough information.”

“Dude, order that limo and make sure it's got those run flat tires on it. If you see the specs for the limos I got, you'll see only one of them had the Michelin Run flats on it.”

“They've got a new run flat out now, would you like it?”

“What's the difference?”

“It looks different, but it's made so it has a softer ride.”

“Ok, that'll be fine. Be sure to call that other dealer.”

“I'm on my way.”

I went over and opened the door on an Aston Martin. The lines and look of the car were totally perfect. The cost of it was too high, but the car was beautiful.”

“We can sell you that car if you'd like?”

“Too high and not the color I want. If it was in red, or gray, I'd bite, but white isn't a color I'd want for a sporty car.”

“Let me call our other lot. We've got a red one there. I think they have a gray one too.”

“A red convertible and tell your manager I'll buy it if he knocks a hundred grand off the limo.”

“I'll be right back.”

I sat in it and saw Ev pull back in. I got out and came over. “Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

“What did your mom do with her Rolls?”

“What Rolls?”

“I saw her on some show getting out of a White Rolls.”

“It was probably Barry's.”

“Ok, maybe. She was driving.”

“You looking at that car over there?”

“No, he's getting a red convertible from the other lot for me.”

“What about the Ferrari?”

“I'm getting a yellow one from the other lot. It has a white top and interior.”

“And you're getting this car here?”

“And that Rolls limo. He's promised to remember my face.”

“Man!”

“Ev, I'm taking this as my home base. I've got the same cars at other places, but since I won't be there as often, I'll need to have them here.”

“Why two sports cars?”

“To be honest?”

“Yeah.”

“The red one is probably your sister's birthday present from us.”

“Mom and dad will be upset.”

“Ok, they can give her the car and I'll get her a house.” I said smiling.

“You're throwing it back at them to show them you don't need the money.”

“Hon, your dad is going to keep giving you things because he wants you to not feel indebted to me. It's a father's role.

When he realizes I'll throw it back, then he'll stop. It's a macho bullshit sort of thing, but I understand the man.”

He laughed and said, “You're right.”

“I know. It's psychology.”

“Don't get the car for her.”

“You want it?”

“I'll probably drive the wheels off it.”

“Ok.”

“You don't have to get the Rolls convertible if you don't want.”

“Do you want it?”

“I love it.”

“Then get both. Drive whatever you want and I'll drive whatever you're not driving except the limo.”

“Tell me again why we're getting the limo.”

“Ok, here's why. When we bring in people, they know a rental limo is a Lincoln or a Cadillac or in cases a Hummer. Rolls don't get bought for rental fleets because the person renting isn't going to pay that much. They'll know it's ours.”

“Ok, but I thought you said we'd rent a limo.”

“We'll rent the driver of the limo. He'll come and we'll have him like we would for that period of time. They do that.”

“I never knew you could.”

“The advantage of having a Rolls limo versus any other is a Rolls can be owned forever and no one is going to judge it as an old car. You can see a Rolls limo that's forty years old and it'll still show, but an aged Lincoln or Caddy will show it's age.”

“Ok.”

“One you keep having to rebuy and the other you buy once. It's the same with that Ferrari convertible and that Rolls. You can drive that thing for thirty years and people are still going to be slack jaw when they see it. That Aston Martin over there is going to drop in value like you wouldn't believe, but I've got a good friend who has one and he'll be here often.”

“Who's that?”

“His name is Patrik. He's a professional poker player. He now lives in Monaco, but he comes to the Bellagio in Vegas to play.”

“You sound like you're in awe of him.”

“Let me tell you something. When you see him, you're going to wonder why he's not out here making movies he's so fucking good looking. When he opens his mouth and his accent hits you, you're going to cream your jeans. But, when he smiles and doesn't show you one bit of judgment, you're going to worship him as your friend.”

“Really?”

“He's married and I truly love his wife. They've got a little girl and the last I heard another on the way.”

“Ok, so he's around you often?”

“We play hit and miss. I go to Monaco to find out he's in Vegas. I go to Vegas and find out he's in Monaco. When we do track each other down, we have a great friendship. As soon as I can, I'll tell him I'm here and I've met you. He'll come running because he's going to see if you're good enough.”

“Why?”

“He just does. He did it to Fung and what's funny is he married Fung's sister.”

“Oh man.”

“Yeah, so don't take it as an insult, but he's protective of me and I'm protective of him.”

“I don't think I could play high stakes poker.”

“Why not?”

“All that money.”

“Hon, let me put you in on a secret. The first time I was in a huge poker tournament, my fear of the money is what caused me to lose. Afterwards is when he came over and we began our friendship because he saw me get nervous.”

“Was he playing against you?”

“No, he got knocked out in a previous table. I was in on the final table.”

“You that good?”

“It's luck and cards. You don't have to be good to get there, but it helps to know how to play.”

“What do you play?”

“Texas Hold'em. In certain instances, I play Omaha, but I don't like it.”

“Why not?”

“Too many cards. Too many chances for the other guy to get a better hand. In Hold'em, it's more clear that either you have the better hand or the other person does.”

“I've watched it on television.”

“Then you've probably seen Patrik. He's the gorgeous Finnish guy.”

“Does he always wear black?”

“Yeah, but most of them do. It's sort of a tradition.”

“Why?”

“I don't know, but if you go to see them play, they all have it on.”

“Hmmm, I never knew that.”

“What we'll do is I'll get you onto FullTiltPoker.net and you can play for free. It's a great way to learn.”

“Why?”

“Because once you learn and you're not afraid of the pot size, then you'll be good.”

“How much do you play for?”

“What I do is I go and get in a ten thousand dollar tournament. They play forty five people and top place is a quarter million.”

“How'd you get nervous?”

“I had seven hundred thousand dollars sitting in front of me. The other guy had like a hundred and forty. He bet and raised me and I was sitting on a full house. There were three clubs out there and I knew he could have a flush. He bluffed and pushed all in. Rather than match him, I folded. The pot had eighty grand in it. He knocked me off that full house with a single pair of 8's.”

“And you lost?”

“Yeah, when the cards don't come your way and the blinds are forty and eighty thousand, it doesn't take long to run out of money.”

“Man, that's a lot of money.”

“Hon, here's what Patrik taught me. When you go in, you buy in with ten grand. No matter what you have in front of you, all you're losing is the ten grand. All you're going to win is what's the prize for first place, so don't think of it as money in front of you, but points in a video game and you'll be fine.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

The manager came out and said, “The cars are on the way.”

“Ev, what's the address to the Bel Aire house?”

“Why?”

“If we're going to lunch, then we can only drive one car. They'll have to deliver the others to the house.”

Evan looked at the manager and asked, “Will you do that?”

“For you guys, we will.”

I said, “Write up that Aston Martin which is coming too.”

“Ok, but what I'm doing is you're getting that car from us compliments.”

“Ok, that means you're keeping the three hundred grand on extra.”

“I have to keep that on as company policy. What I do with it after you take delivery isn't company policy. Instead of keeping that money, I'll roll it over onto that car and give it to you compliments.”

“Still give your guys a pizza party and make sure they know our faces.”

“It sounds like you've been hurt by one of our dealers.”

“Man, I bought a Porsche. As you know, the older ones had a trick clutch. I burnt the thing out and then took it in to be repaired. Three months later, I got the car back. Two weeks later, I had it back in with a burnt out clutch trading it in on a Rolls.”

“Have you driven a Ferrari?”

“No, but I want one.”

“You'll see it's a lot different and easier to drive than what you've driven. They realize the cars are made to be driven fast and at those speeds, the driver sure doesn't want to mess anything up.”

“Ok”

“What I'm also doing is getting you complimentary car covers so when you need to park one out in the sun, you won't have difficulties.”

“Thanks.” Ev said.

I smiled at the guy and he winked. We stood there and talked about the cars for about ten minutes when the cars rolled onto the lot. I went over to the Ferrari and saw it was a stick and had white interior.

“Ok, it's like what I wanted.”

“I'll get your cars delivered to that address.”

“Put a dealer plate on the Aston Martin as he'll be driving it tomorrow.”

“Ok, I'll do that. Would you like me to get your plates ordered for you from the DMV and pay the taxes for you?”

“Sure, put it on that bill and it'll be fine. I'll separate everything I need so my corporate account pays for what is going to be used in business and what isn't is coming out of my main.”

“I could separate them if you'd like and then pull them both out of the account under one invoice.”

“Ok, put the Aston Martin, the Ferrari, and that Rolls Limo under my corporation and his Rolls under personal.”

“Ok, they've got the plates on the car for you.”

“Thanks, now I'm covered until I get insurance in this state, right?”

“Yes, I can call your insurance company and get them added if you'd like.”

“It's Geico. Request to speak to a supervisor and tell them you're needing to put them on my account. They do enough business with me they better know who I am.”

He looked at me and Ev said, “The most famous lizard in the world.”

I smiled and he said, “You're invested in them?”

“To about fifteen percent of the company.”

“That's where they get the other figure!” he said. “And you thought I was blonde!”

The manager laughed and said, “I'll get that done sir.”

“Ok, if you need anything, call my cell number. It should be there for you to get.”

“Ok, I'll leave the paperwork on the seat of the Rolls when we drop them off. You can sign and I'll be here tomorrow.”

“Thanks.”

Ev and I got in the car and I zoomed off. “Where are we going?”

“Take a right up here and you'll see a Wendy's.”

“Ok, I'll have to call Randy and tell him to bring her there.”

“No problem. Do you want me to call him?”

“Ok”

He took my phone and called Randy. I pulled in and parked next to his dad's Rolls. He got off the phone and we went inside.

His parents were sitting towards the front which is really the back of the restaurant. We went and sat down.

I reached over and patted D's hand. “Good noon mama”

She laughed and I said, “Papa, you're going to be upset with me, but I bought his car.”

Bran nodded and said, “Ok, after our talk, I wondered.”

Ev smiled and said, “We're together dad and he said if he had to do that, he'd buy Sam a car and if you insisted upon getting her a car, he'd get her a house.”

Bran nodded and smiled at me. “I'm getting to know you more and more.”

D said, “Sounds like you to me.”

Bran chuckled and said, “I'd probably do the same thing.”

Ev laughed and said, “He said you would. He also said that'd be what it took to get you to understand.”

D said, “It's that we love you dear.”

“I know mom, but I'm growing up. He and I are together.”

She nodded and said, “Ok, I'm fine with that.”

I said, “Randy and our guest of honor are on their way.”

“Bran told me. I'm impressed. I know of her and think she's got a great reputation.”

“Did Jimmy Jam call you yet?”

She smiled and said, “Yes.”

“You're not upset, are you?”

“I was, but Bran explained it to me and I understand better. It's interesting because I think you and he do business a lot like each other.”

“I hope. I want you to know no matter what, I'm putting your interests in front of all else...well, maybe Sam's too...but what I'm saying is nothing gets put into the contract unless you want it there.”

“Put in the contract that rather than a sign on bonus, I'm doing it as a special favor to the owner of the label. They have a way of finding out what is in the contracts, and I want them to know I didn't sell myself short.”

“How about what we do is we put fifty percent of the label in your name and value it for double what I put in.”

“Is that legal?” She asked.

“A private corporation is valued at whatever the owners value it as. If you put in your reputation and I put in a hundred million, then you're valuing your reputation as that.”

“That's way too much money.” she said.

“Not from where I'm sitting. It means I put in not enough and you're devaluing your reputation.”

Bran smiled and said, “Hon, he's got you there.” He turned to me and asked, “Do you have that much?”

I nodded and said, “Ev, hand them the credit report on me.”

She looked shocked. Ev handed it to Bran and I said, “Bran, I just spent a few million, so that's not entirely correct.”

He looked up at me and said, “Man!”

“Pops, business has been berry berry good.”

He laughed and said, “This is correct?”

“They don't lie on those things.”

Ev cleared his throat and said, “Go ahead and tell them.”

“What?”

“Dad, Mom, we now have a joke between us about who is blond. He thinks I should be blond and I think he should be because he can't figure out how Forbe's has him in their Top 500 wealthy people.

That list there is what he has in the bank and his worldwide addresses. What he's not telling you or considering into the equation is his ownership in an insurance company.”

I said, “I don't think you're figuring that to be that much. I didn't invest that much in it.”

He rolled his eyes and said, “Den, investments improve and you're now worth that much. Ok?”

“I don't think I could sell it for that much. I bet if I went out and dropped that much of the company, all the other shareholders couldn't get that much for theirs either.”

D looked at me and said, “You own a lot of an insurance company?”

“No, it's not that much. It's fifteen percent.”

Bran's eyes bulged out and he said, “This says you have seven hundred million in the bank. It says your houses are worth four hundred and you're telling me you're owning fifteen percent in an insurance company.”

“Yeah, but how they came up with the figure for the houses is wrong. If I sold them, I'd not get that much. I didn't pay that much for them.”

Ev said, “Dad, he bought into the units over in Asia when it was cheap. Now they're worth a lot more because the places are full. He thinks because he paid a little it's not worth a lot. When he invests, it's what he bought it for and not what it's went up to.”

Bran said looking at me, “Son, listen, I'll tell you now you're worth probably at least what Forbes says you're worth. If you don't believe me, call and see how much you could get for the insurance stock and I bet you they'll tell you your appraised value of it is going to send shivers along Wall Street if they think you're wanting to sell.”

I said, “I don't know. What I do know was I was advised to invest in it over a game of golf and I've never gotten good advice on a golf course.”

D laughed and said, “It sounds like you did this time.”

I patted her hand and said, “All I'm saying is I can invest the money into the label. Ok?”

She laughed and said, “Oh, I believe you!”

Ev said, “He's like listening to Jed Clampett!”

Bran said, “It's interesting because I understand his point of view. If he did drop that stock, he'd not get what it was going for today, but they'd have to piece it apart and he'd not get as much, so he's right. BUT, he'd get at least what he had invested.”

Ev rolled his eyes and said, “And then some.”

I said, “Well, it's never the matter there, what I'm saying is I've got enough to invest and what I invested in that stock isn't that much.”

Bran asked, “Just out of curiosity, how much did you invest in the stock? You don't have to tell us if you don't want, but I'd like to hear how a poor kid turned himself into a billionaire.”

“I had sixty million from a huge sale. What happened was the supplier didn't get all their product to Kmart like they said they would. My take on the deal would have been a penny each, but when they went bad, they had to pay me five bucks each. They thought because Kmart's tit was in the wringer I'd not make them follow the contract. I did and had that much money unexpectedly.

Well, what happened was I was out on the golf course with this guy and he told me to put it into this insurance company because it was about to expand into more than cars, so I did.”

“So you invested sixty million you had just laying around and it's now worth something like four billion dollars.”

“They say that, but I'll tell you I'll get sixty million for that stock or I won't sell!”

Bran laughed and said, “Hon, quick, hand me your checkbook. I'll buy that stock for that and put the boy out of his misery. We'll then smile.”

She laughed and said, “Den, face it, you're loaded and I'm done thinking you're going to run out of money anytime soon.”

“Ok, that makes me happy. Does that mean your not mad because I bought him the car?”

“Yeah, it's ok you bought him the car.”

“Good, because I also bought an Aston Martin he wants to drive too.”

Bran snickered and Ev said, “He picked it out.”

Bran started laughing and said, “Hon, they sound like a couple of kids, don't they?”

“Yeah, but I'm happy for them.”

I heard Randy's voice and stood up. “Ran, this is D and Bran. This is Evan and I'm me.”

He turned and introduced Georganne and I went over and hugged her. “Glad to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you.”

She smiled and said, “I've heard a lot about you. Please tell me it's all lies.”

“If Ran told you, then understand ninety five percent of what he said is pure falsehood. The other five are things he knows if he tells it wrong, I can tell things on him which are worse, so it evens out.'

Everyone laughed and I said, “Sit down...sit down...”

Ev said, “Hon, this isn't a sit down place. We have to go up and order.”

“Oh, ok. Stand up! Stand up!”

Everyone laughed again and I said, “I knew that.”

D came over and linked her arm with me. “Hon, is he the one who is going to do the DVD?”

“Yeah, you don't mind, do you?”

“No, not at all. I didn't know you knew him, or was referring to him when you were talking about your friend. He's like the most famous videographer in town.”

“Well, we've been friends forever. We've known each other since we were in high school.”

“Then he's another that made good.”

“He's done good. I hold on.”

She laughed and said, “You're so surprising.”

“Hang on mom. Let me say this. You don't like me talking about your career and I'm feeling a little weird. Maybe I'm rich, but I don't feel it. If you ask me, I still have to hide money from a certain asshole and that don't make me feel real good.”

“Ok, I'm sorry.”

“All I want you to know is I can afford to be with him.”

“I'm not worried about that.”

“Ok, what I'm saying is this and maybe you'll apologize when I'm done. You don't realize how you are. You consider yourself a kid from a little town in the south and I'm blown away by what you've done to get where you are. You casually mention friends and I'm seeing one of the most famous guys in the business.”

“And I have a mother in law who is my mother in law, but everyone else sees you.”

“Oh man, I've messed up.”

“Both of us have. Maybe I should put a dollar sign next to people's names to get my friends more prestige, but to me, they're my friends no matter what. It's me who slights them, but I do it for a reason. I don't want people to view you as being one of the most famous singers of all time because I want people to see my mama. I don't introduce Bran as the owner of one of the most famous minority owned variety stores in the country because I want them to see my papa. Ev, hell, I see a gorgeous guy whom I'm beginning to fall head over heels for, but they'll see him as your son. Ran, I see an asshole buddy of mine and you see someone famous. She to me is Cher's sister and everyone else sees her as famous. So, it's all how we look at people.”

“It's interesting because I was starstruck myself.” she said laughing.

“Yeah, and let me tell you that I chewed him a new one before he even met you of what parts of his anatomy I'd remove if he treated you bad.”

She hugged me closer and said, “So he's as starstruck over me as I am him.”

“Yeah.”

“You did it nicely, but you chewed me a new one a second ago.”

“I'm sorry.”

“No, I deserved it.”

“Just treat him as my friend.”

“Ok, thank you by the way.”

“What for?”

“You have a way of being everyone's lucky rabbits foot and you don't know it.”

“If that's so, pray it holds with us.”

She laughed and said, “Hon, I'm so impressed it's amazing.”

“Why?”

“Sam needs someone, you get her the best. I need someone, you get me the best.'

“I get you my friend and he got you his friend. He doesn't see her as the best, he sees her as a friend. I understand because I see her as Cher's sister, but you see her in her business capacity and are impressed.”

“Yeah, we need to remember when we're starstruck that the person is someone's friend and someone's sister or brother and we're judging them differently than others.”

“True. Look how people see you. I saw you the same way, but what's funny is I met Ev and he told me not to treat you that way. I had a decision to make. I could be starstruck, or I could be Evan's love and have you for a mother in law. Now I've got you, I'm as protective of you as he, so I understand.”

“And you've changed us for the better because of it.'

Ran came over after he ordered. “Is that your new ride out there?”

“Yeah. I just got it.”

“As soon as you order, let's go look at it.”

“Ok”

I went up and ordered and then asked for a receipt. The girl gave me a number and I went out to the car. Ran was sitting in it.”

“Dude, this is a sweet car.”

“Yeah, but think of it as a California car and that's what I bought.”

He laughed and said, “You still got that old car of yours back home?”

“Yeah, I'll have it until it wears out. They don't make them like that no more.”

“They didn't want to! Who the hell would want a Pacer?”

“Man it's a cool car. You can't wear them out..”

“Only because your gramma bought the one with the good engine.”

“Yeah, but no matter what with these new cars, you can't get the air conditioning that cold anymore.”

“Why'd you get a stick?”

“Because the automatic had black interior in it. Do you know how fried your balls would be sitting on black seats out here? Besides, when I dreamt of driving a car like this, it was a stick.”

“How much?”

“I didn't ask. It probably was a lot, but that's ok.”

“The kid loves you.”

“I know. I'm starting to fall hard for him too.”

“I can tell. His mom adores you.”

“They just found out I'm loaded. There was a tense moment right before you got here.”

“Dude, you need to face it.”

“Dude, you know how I feel about money! All it's caused me are problems.”

“Well, the good thing is they've got money too, so you're not getting a gold digger.”

“It wouldn't matter if he was as long as I loved him.”

“No, I agree.”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Yeah.”

“She's as starstruck over you as you are her.”

“Really!”

“Yeah, so please treat her like she's normal people and understand you have fans in the business who think you're great. I never told her otherwise.”

“You're a dick.”

“Nope, dick sucker...You're a twat.”

“I am what I eat.”

“Thank God...”

“I talked to Gar'.”

“Ok, did you tell him I love the dude.”

“Yeah, he's shittin' himself over there. He's making calls today, but you know their day and ours are fucked up.”

“Don't I know it. I called over there and it was way late.”

“The good thing is they don't have strokes when we do that. Gar' doesn't and he explained most of them don't.”

“Think of it, we don't do it here either when they call.”

“True. So, how's things going?”

“She'll do it and Sam's on. It's a green all the way.”

“Ok, so we just drop the contract like she wants it and we're fine?”

“Alike for her and Sam. You explained that, didn't you?”

“Oh yeah, she's great. She understands and she's completely happy. She heard the songs and she's just blown away...as I am.”

“Good, we'll get the contract going and as soon as it does, I want that printed and out so it can be drumming up business.”

“Let me wait for the call from Gar.”

“Ok, but they're only going to do a week promotion on both the album and the DVD. They'll do the morning shows and Oprah, so be aware of that. The good thing is she's agreed to do a stint in Vegas.”

“How long?”

“Four months. That's what they do now.”

“She could get years there and make it forever if she wanted to.”

“Don't do that to them.”

“You're really in love with him, aren't you.”

“Hon, I've fallen for the whole family. For the first time, it feels like I'm in a real family.”

“Your daddy isn't going to like them.”

“My daddy isn't going to meet them. The second he pulls up out here, I'll have more people on him than he could get off.”

“I'm just saying...”

“I know what you're saying, but I'm not seeing color. I'm seeing my heart.”

“I'm not judging. Don't think that. I'm just worried about what the man will do when he finds out.”

“Keep your eyes open out there and I'll keep mine. The second he makes an effort to fill his gas tank beyond half, I'll get a call.”

“I doubt if that old truck of his would make it.”

“It'd be nice if it'd take him out into the swamp and make itself sink.”

“Don't say that. The moment it happens, everyone's going to point at you.”

“Do you think he'll hear if I'm out here?”

“Not from me. I told Gar', but I know he's not tellin'”

“Ok, well, we need to get back in there. Be sure to let me know if you hear anything.”

“You're paranoid.”

“Hey, my last one totally disappeared. I don't want this one to...”

“He won't. Hire yourself some security.”

“I'm not going to live like that.”

“Dude, how much would you pay to get Fung back?”

“You know that.”

“Then put that much out on protecting this one and call it done.”

“It's a helluva lot cheaper to get rid of that man out there.”

“You keep talking that way and I'll have to worry.”

“Dude, you know he's well enough hated that it could happen any time and the only thing I'd be would be pissed off.”

“Why?”

“Because I'd have to go and check that fuckin' casket to be sure he's not wearing anything flame retardant.”

He laughed and said, “It's clear enough which direction he's headin'”

“He ought to be thankful I don't bury him face down so if he tried diggin' himself out he'd only dig deeper.”

“There's sure no love lost between you two.”

“Put yourself in my place. Would you have any lost?”

“No.”

“Good, because if I had traded with you, you'd get him and I'd have your brother as a brother. What's that sexy motherfucker up to nowadays.”

“Strippin' up in New York the last I heard.”

“He had the body for it, that's for sure.”

“I can't see what you see in him.”

“What I'd like to see in him is below my belt buckle.”

“Gross.”

“Not from where I'm standin.”

We went in and I got my tray. Ran grabbed his and we went back to our seat.

I said, “Sorry, we got to talking about the car and stuff.”

Ev smiled and said, “What's he think?”

Ran said, “It's a California car. It's nice, but back home it'd not make it long.”

Bran laughed and said, “Your accent is a whole lot more than his.”

Ran laughed and said, “He had reason to lose his. His got knocked out of him and landed in South America.”

D asked, “You know his daddy?”

“I know the man who spawned him. If he's spoken bad of the man, he's spoken too highly of him. My advice to Den was to get security out here.”

“Thanks Ran, you're getting them worried.”

“No problem man, I saw what he does to you.”

“I'm older now. Let it drop.”

“Ok.”

I said, “Is it ok if I talk about what we want in the contract?”

D nodded and I said, “Ok, the deal we're doing is we're going for one studio album and one DVD.”

D interrupted and said, “If he wants a double DVD set, I'll go for it.”

“Ok, let's just say a one package deal on the DVD.”

Ran nodded and said, “Ok, that's fine. I'll need time to interview.”

D said, “I've got archive footage of everything. It's all been signed to me to use for a lifetime period.”

Ran smiled and said, “Great.”

“In there is archive footage of us at Motown and us recording. It's never been shown before. We've got Ed Sullivan and we've got a lot of different concerts taped all the way from the Apollo to the Sands. We've got tour bus stuff and we've got stuff all the way until the late 80's.”

Ran nodded and said, “Getting it edited down is going to be hard. I'll want to use it all. Have you thought about how you want to do it?”

“What I'd like to do if you don't mind is do an intro showing my baby photos and me growing up. Then, we'll show the projects then and the same buildings now in color and fade into going up the driveway of my house and me welcoming the viewer in. Then, we'll do the interview in the living room.”

“Who do you want to interview you?”

“It doesn't matter. I can work with anyone.”

“I can call around. I can think of a lot of people. Do you want a man or a woman to interview you?”

“It doesn't matter.”

I said, “Excuse me, may I suggest something?”

“Sure.”

“D, let me give you a piece of advice here. Everyone right now is having a mental picture of Barbara Walters interviewing you. Personally, I like the shot, but the mental picture of one of the old Motown greats interviewing you would be more powerful.”

She smiled and I said, “Smokey would do it.”

“I'm not sure. He's getting pretty bad the last I heard.”

Ran said, “Ok, that's a way we could go. Let's forget about the interviewer now and go on.”

“Ok” D said.

Ran asked, “What is off limits?”

D turned to Bran and asked, “You going to be there for me?”

“All the way.”

“Ok, I'll face it and say nothing's off limits. Truths will be told and everyone's going to think I'm lying, but I'll rest at night knowing I actually put the rumors to bed.”

Ran looked at Bran and said, “I want you there holding her hand when we film that segment. Is that going to be ok?”

“Sure. I know the truth and I'm fine with it.”

Ran nodded his head and said, “Ok, now, how much do you want to tell about other people?”

“Like what do you mean?”

“Do you want to keep it light and fun, or do you want to bare knuckles, or do you not want to go there?”

“I'm willing to touch on everything. I'm aware I was made out to be an insensitive bitch by the girls and I'd like to touch on it and finally say my side of things. I'd like to take on the Diva persona and I'd like to also confront what people thought about me in that context too.

A lot of people have said things through the years and I've held my head high while they gave me black eyes. Now it's my turn and I'm not going to be as kind.”

“Ok, that's what I'm wanting to know. I can get footage of them saying things and you can confront it. They can't deny it when you're showing it.”

“Ok, thanks.”

“Ok, what I'm seeing here is you're wanting a 'tell all' biography, and instead of book, we're going to have it on DVD. What I'll say is we've got four decades and it's going to be a long long road.”

He turned to me and said, “Make it say one package in the contract because I'll be upfront. What I'm seeing is probably going to be either a four or five DVD set.”

She looked surprised and Ran continued. “D, I can edit it all to hell and people will feel like they got just part of the story. I can tell the whole story and people will think they finally got their money's worth and heard the truth. I'd rather go that direction because nothing you're going to say can be refuted...too much footage has been put out there and there are a lot of rumors.”

“I'm baring my soul about everything. My kids know. My husband knows and if it can sell, great. If it doesn't, then I know I retired in truth and honesty and they can all kiss my ...”

Bran interrupted and said, “Guys, I've got a lot of home movie footage. It will give her a home life and a sense of the woman behind the music. I'd like to get that out there.”

Ran nodded and said, “Ok, now, what about me interviewing Barry's daughter.”

D looked at Ev and said, “I'd rather you not. Barry had his say and he said it. If you were doing an interview with Barry, would you come to my son?”

“No.”

“Then leave the younger generations out of it.”

“Ok, she helped run Motown. I was wanting to go that direction.”

“She did that and she took it on into the ground. In doing so, she happened to take a lot of my royalties with it. If she insists upon getting a say, remind her I'll kindly take that check as will a lot of the other stars and then, she can have a say. Until then, her morals are in question behind a lot of money she took.”

Ran asked, “Can I use that and get corroborating opinions?”

“I'll cover it. If you want, do that because it puts us all in the same boat when it was over. What you'll be showing up until then is everyone being in a life raft attacking each other and me sitting in the back next to Barry being told to keep my mouth shut.”

“Is that what happened?”

Her eyes were blazing. “Yes! They all took pot shots and they said I must be screwing him because I was getting favorable treatment.

Well, I wasn't. I wasn't out there biting the hand that fed me. I wasn't out there attacking others who manned the oars who were busy putting needles in their veins, popping pills, and snorting coke and then bitching about the welfare they had to take.. I wasn't out there bitching about the boat. I was looking forward trying to find the fucking shore! Ask them if they were!”

I sat back and listened. Listening to her speak had a strange effect on me. Someone a long time ago told me I must have PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) because of what I lived through. Listening to her speak, I heard the pain, the abuse, and the suffering coming to a head and it really sounded like PTSD.”

Ran nodded and I said, “Guys, a Motown person isn't going to be a good candidate to do this interview. If we do that, it's going to wind up being more about war stories of Motown instead of about a woman's life.”

She looked at me and said, “It was like war. They were all out there bitching about being in the infantry while in the back, you had new enlistees being happy to sign up.

I'll tell you now, I've got my first contract I signed. I've got the lawyer's notes of where I renegotiated. And I've got the notorious contract where I got more than anyone else, but I also have my notes to the lawyer telling him to get me that amount or I'd come home.”

Ran looked at me and said, “You know, this is going to be a lot of stuff. I'm going through all the different ways I've seen it done before, but I'm going to say what I'm thinking and you can forgive me.”

D said, “Randy, you were asked here. I understand you and he are friends, and I'd like to let you know you're a friend here too. Friends tell each other the hard cold truth and others won't.”

“No, it's not like that at all. What I'm thinking is this...

You know when you see a book where there'a a foot note down at the bottom?”

“Yeah, I hate them.” I said,

“Thanks a lot dumb ass, you just blew my thought out of the water.”

“No, go ahead dildo..as you were saying...”

Everyone who wasn't he and I busted out laughing.

“As I was saying, what I'm thinking is having an interactive DVD where the interview is given and instead of going into a lot of these details, we pop up a box which allows those who want to see the details to see them, but those who will rather believe you to go ahead and watch. That way, we're presenting all the information, but we're not getting bogged down by you telling a lot of the stuff which would bog it.

Either that, or on that footnote, we can have video of you telling the side note story in your words and us having the documents shown close up.”

She said, “I like that. What I'd like to have is a button up front which has an option of all the side notes being opened up and played if they want to do that because if not, it'd get monotonous.”

“Ran nodded and said, “Great idea.”

I said, “Guys, can I interrupt and put the cart in front of the horse here?”

“You usually do, but it usually makes sense.” Ran said

“And that folks is my bastard brother Ran. He claims someone else as his dad, but we know the truth.

Just the same, what I was thinking is when this is released that we have it premiere like a movie and have a lot of the stars of the era there.”

Ran said, “I don't know about that. It'd be like a gang war.”

“Not just music stars! Movie stars!”

“Why?”

“In case you missed it, it was the same way when the studios had the contract system. Some stars were A list stars, some were B list and so on and so forth. She's facing criticism by B list stars because she was A list.

The average person doesn't know that studio system stopped for the movies, but for music, it's still alive and well.”

Georganne said, “I understand it better now that you said that. I also understand where she's coming from. Everyone bitches, but they weren't bitching when they wanted in the door. She was smart enough to get a good contract and they weren't.

It sounds to me like grade school and the kids who were too dumb are the ones who are being allowed to get press to talk about the students who passed.”

Ran smiled and said, “I want to use that. Can we? It'd make it a lot easier to understand for the viewer.”

D smiled and said, “Ok, anything which would help is something I'll be glad to do. You don't know how much I've wanted this to get out.”

Bran said, “I'll say something and maybe you can think about it in that way of thinking for a moment.”

He turned to D and said, “She and I got married young. The average person doesn't know that. They weren't allowed to put it out there because the studio didn't view it being beneficial to her career it be known. I sat back and I let it all go by and I didn't say anything because I wanted her happy.

In the context of her and Barry, it was like she had a boyfriend outside of the prom and they had her go to the prom with the head of the football team so she'd be popular.

What you don't know is it caused problems for she and I and it caused problems for her because everyone was throwing a rumor out there. It got so bad that when she did get pregnant, he was said to be the daddy.

That's where I drew the line and told him if he dared to show his sorry ass at the hospital, I'd throw him out a window. Of course, she had hell to pay because of that, but rightfully then, I didn't care. She wasn't making any money and that's when we switched out to get her better deals.”

Ran said, “So that's why you left Motown?”

“Motown had me being an unmarried mother rather than showing me being married and happy. What made it bad was I had sung songs about unmarried motherhood and it all came back to bite me.”

Ran shook his head and said, “Ok, I need to regroup and think. There's just too much stuff.”

Bran laughed and said, “Why don't we take this out to the house. We're meeting here because we weren't sure we could trust you guys and now I know we do. Let's go there because if you want to see too much stuff, you can see the archives and you'll just go into meltdown.”

“You have the archives at your house?”

“Before I left Motown, Barry said I could go in and get what I wanted from their archives. He had been drinking a lot and kept threatening to burn the place down, so when I went in, I took nearly everything under the blanket permission he gave me by memo.”

Ran said, “Do you realize a lot of people have been looking for those things?”

She nodded and smiled. “Barry definitely knew. He told me I single handedly fucked him because I took all their contracts, and all their confidential memos from Barry to them which directed them to say something about another to get the other to leave.”

Ran looked shocked and said, “Oh man!”

“Yeah, so when they want to come back and throw something at me, I can now use those memos to show who they talked bad about and why they did it..and what they were paid for it along with cancelled checks.

Of course, not all the hatchet jobs were done by our people on our people. There were situations where people's careers were made by letters to magazines and confidential investigations into the person's personal life and used as blackmail when it came time to renegotiate their contract.”

Ran said, “Oh man, I've got to get out there and scan that stuff.”

D said, “It's already done. That's the good news. The bad news is by last count, it filled almost four hundred sixty gig hard drives.”

Ran nodded his head and said, “Ok, I'll stop by and buy a computer which has a large hard drive and get another so we've got it backed up.”

He paused and asked, “Do you guys have that insured?”

D nodded and said, “On my insurance, there's rider which has my collection being worth a hundred million should it be damaged or destroyed in any way.”

Ran mumbled to himself. “That doesn't even begin to have the value of what it's worth.”

He looked up and said, “D, here's what I'm going to say and please know I'm being honest with you. Ok?”

“Sure.”

“I have no real clue how to go about this right now. To me and to music historians, that amount of information is like being told to go film a General of the Civil War's life and then finding out he's got all the hidden notes and plans of all the battles and all the information on all the soldiers.

The amount is historic and for me to just sit down and say, “Ok, we're going to do a short Dvd now is like trying to cram a basketball into a thimble. I've got to do it, but I have no clue how.”

“I could tell you how.”

“Well, Sir Brainiac, please tell me.”

“Ok Master Dumbfuck, I will. What you do is you put in a file on the dvd which has the player seeing it as a file much like something you put on an Ipod. It plays along and instead of having that segment in the background pop open, it opens that other file and makes it big.

Think about shoving the basketball down into the ocean until it implodes upon itself and it'll fit into the thimble.”

He smiled and said, “See, that's why I love you. You pull something out of thin air and I'm able to do it. You explain it so I can understand it and all I need to do is make a phone call and have the wizards up there at Apple figure it out for me.”

“Thank you. You may kiss my ring later. Let's blow this pop stand and go to the bat cave.”

Ev said, “I'm supposed to go back to work.”

“Oh, ok, well, what I'll do is I'll go back with you.”

Bran came up and said, “Guys, come on out to the house. We're taking the rest of the day off Ev.”

“Ok, I think we're going to go by the other house and get my car.”

“That's fine, I didn't want you to think you had to go back to the office.”

“Thanks dad. Do you think it'll go fine?”

“As soon as we can figure it all out, it'll be great. I don't think they had any idea your mom's a pack rat.”

Ev laughed and said, “When they see that room, they're going to run from the house screaming.”

I laughed and said, “Ran's in total awe of her now.”

Bran laughed and said, “I could tell. He's calling her historic and she's over there allowing him to do it. I think she's really glad to finally have a chance to do a show and tell session.”

I said, “Bran, when this comes out, my advice is to get it all moved to someplace safe even if it means lending it to the Library of Congress or the Smithsonian”

Bran asked, “Do you think they'd take it?”

“I don't think that's a problem. I'm worried about legalities of her having some of it.”

“Why? She's covered isn't she?”

“On paper, what does it say for her to go in there to get it?”

“I'm not sure of the exact wording but it does tell her she could go in and get whatever she wants.”

“If it says that exactly, she's covered. If it says anything else, she could be made to give some of it back.”

“I'll show you the paper and read it to our legal department. In all this time, I never thought of that. To me, it was hers and she had it.”

“My main concern is the number of people who will harrass you after it's known you have it. You'll have to hire full time help just to work the room and look up information for other stars who are writing bios.”

“Oh man, I bet she's never thought of that. I'll talk with her on the way home.”

I said, “Bran, I need to speak with you when we get home.”

“Ok.”

Ev looked at me strangely and I said, “It's a father son talk. I need advice.”

“About me?”

“About what I should do.”

“About what?”

“Hon, when I know what to do, I'll tell you. Until then, I don't want to worry you. It's not about you.”

“Ok”

We got into the car and I put up the top. “I'm putting up the top to be sure it fits and everything's fine. It's getting warm enough I want to be sure the air works too.”

“Ok.”

“Besides, it'll be easier to speak with it up.”

“Ok”

We put the top up and rolled up the windows. I turned on the air and it came out cool.

We pulled out and I said, “When we get to the house, put the top up on the other cars and I'll drive the Rolls while you drive the Aston Martin. I want to be sure the air works in them.”

“What's going on?”

“Ran knows everything about me and he can pretty much predict the future with my dad. That's a good thing, but in something he said, I have to be worried.”

“About what?”

“Let me just say my dad is a racist. As soon as he see's I'm with you, he'll get into a drunken stupor and will come out here to knock some sense into me.”

“You scared?”

“No, but what I'm thinking is to make sure I've got a detail on him there to be sure he's not coming this direction. Right now, Ran's got people with their eye on him and I do too.”

“Ok”

“Not ok. I want paid people there now because friends who do it only do it when they think of it. Paid people have to be there and that's what I want now.”

He nodded his head and said, “Ran didn't say anything good about him at all.”

“No, Ran's been there after I got beaten up by him. He's the one that got me out of the house and over to my granny's.”

“Oh, so you guys have been friends for a long time.”

“Closer than friends. He and I are like brothers. When I said that in there, it was a joke style put down to you guys but at the same time it was me telling him he was as close as a brother.”

“You two really dog each other.”

“Yeah, but let me tell you something so you don't hear it and get upset.”

“Ok”

“The first guy I knew I was gay for was Ran's brother. The guy was put together in all the right places.

Ran won't say he's gay and won't say he's not. What Ran does is he runs interference because I think he's been afraid I'd get together with the guy and it'd mess up he and I's friendship.”

“Oh. Ok”

“So if you ever hear him refer to me being hot for his brother or you hear me saying it, know it's true, but please know I now think of you as my partner and that's all it is is talk.”

“Where's he at now?”

“Ran says he's up in New York stripping.”

“Man, he has to be built good.”

“And hung like a stallion.”

“Man.”

“I just wanted to let you know so you didn't ever hear something and worry.”

“I'm fine with that. I've had a lot of guys who I thought were fine out here and other people know it. Heck, some of them even know it themselves.”

“Ok, I want us to talk these things through so there's no problems.”

“Thanks. Turn right up here and I'll show you a shortcut on how to get there.”

“Ok”

I turned right and he directed me in to the house from the other direction. When we pulled up, the cars were there. I parked the Ferrari and went over to the Rolls. The door was unlocked and the paperwork for all the cars was in a file folder with a Rolls logo upon it embossed. Underneath the file was the collection of keys to the cars.”

Ev came over and I handed him the key to the Aston Martin. “Oh, ok, I didn't see it in it. I was wondering.”

“What we need to do is put these on our keychains. For security, I guess we'll have to start locking the cars.”

He nodded and said, “Do you think we need to add to the household security?”

“I'll handle it. I'll get a whole gamut of things and then on top of everything else, we'll have Brad here soon to rip him to shreds.”

“If we only have a fence around the back, he'll come in the front.”

“No, I don't think it will be here. He's long told me the place someone is most vulnerable is their vehicle. He also has told me they don't know how to drive defensively and anyone can be attacked in their car and not put up a fight.”

“Well, let's get someone hired.”

“I will. I hate this, but I'd die if he did something to you.”

“I'm not feeling so good about if he did something to you, so worry about yourself.”

“I have to worry about both of us. I just spent all this money on cars and not a one of them was bullet proof.”

“One thing is they're fast enough we can outrun him.”

“Let me say this and then I'll leave it be. Until the time comes, let's not worry. Let's get someone hired to keep an eye on him out there and if he makes a move, then we make a move to get protected more out here.”

“That's not a good idea. By then, we'll only have but a few days to get this place it's guard up.”

“If he comes this direction, we're not going to be here. I'll take us back to your mom and dad's so there's a gate and a wall.”

“Do you think we need to buy a house which has that?”

“I like this place.”

“Hon, it's a house. We can find nicer or have mom design us one.”

“I'd rather keep this place and keep an eye on him out there.”

As I spoke, I put the keys on my key chain. “Remind me to get a key to the house from your mom.”

“Ok, I've got one. If she doesn't have a spare, I'll get a copy made from mine.”

I said, “While I'm here, I'm going down to the tennis court. You want to walk with?”

“Yeah”

He came up beside me and I took his hand.

We got down there and looked for the entrance. It was so overgrown, it was hard to find it. There were Poplar trees so close together, they were growing like a headge

“Remind me to get a grounds crew out here and get this cut out. All these roots are probably not doing it any good.”

We went in and I said, “Oh man, it's a mess.”

“Maybe that's why they left the hedges.”

“It's what caused the mess. They have to be cut out. This has to be redone and it's got to be repacked. We'll save some of this grass and use it to transplant when it comes back.”

“Why save the grass?”

“The only other sort of grass usable is the sort of grass they use for greens on golf courses. Whoever built this used the right stuff.”

“How do you know?”

“Look at the color. The grass they use for greens is a lighter shade of color. This is the deep rich dark which is what they originally used. See how it stays low and appears almost as short as moss?”

“Yeah, it's like it never needs cutting.”

“Not really. I'll tell you something. A cow or a sheep could starve to death on this stuff, but it'd never be able to mow it all down.”

“You know about livestock?”

“I read a lot of westerns. As I walked out in France, I spoke with sheep herders and they taught me a lot.

Back here, out in Nebraska, I saw a lot with a bunch of cattle and decided to stop. They taught me the difference and the animosity between sheep and cattle.”

“Animosity between animals?”

“No, between those who raise them. A cow will chew down so far. A sheep will chew down to the point it's killing the grass. A cattle rancher doesn't want sheep near his place.”

“Oh”

“Over in France, I'll take you to a place where they have both amongst the vines. They make the most wonderful wine and their cheeses are amazing. They use both the milks together.”

“Oh man, I bet that's nice.”

“Have you ever had cheese curds?”

“No, I don't think so.”

“Do you like cheddar or American?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok, here's what they do. If you spin milk, the fats separate and start forming butter.”

“I didn't know that either.”

“What happens is you have little globs of fat like the size of grains of sand. They take that and they run it through cheese cloth. It strains it and you get the cheese curds which is like cottage cheese.”

“Ok!”

“What they do then, is they pack that into molds and press out all the excess whey. Whey is like real light buttermilk...almost as thin as water. It goes to a different processing area to be made into other things, but the cheese in the mold then gets pressed until it starts binding together and forming cheese.”

“If you leave it separated, you have cheese curds. The kind I like are about the size of peas. They're crumbly and you just eat them and drink the wine. It's awesome.”

“Oh man, fattening as all get out.”

“Yeah, but who's thinking about that when we're out there in a glen like this having a romantic picnic and making out?”

He smiled and said, “Why don't we just leave this alone and have our own private make out area?”

I smiled and said, “Hon, why not make a tennis court and put up Olives and have them so thick we can come in here and make out or play tennis?”

“Ok, the key is us making out.” he said smiling.

“Ok, that's a deal. Now what I'm going to do is along the edges of the sidewalks and in between the flagstones, this grass is going to be planted. You don't have to edge and it's not going to be overgrown on the walkways.”

“You know quite a bit about landscaping.”

“It's cross referencing. Taking something for something else and using it where it can be used usefully.”

“I bet you have a lot of those.”

“Yeah, I used to help my granny with things like that.”

“How?”

“She would pay by the afternoon to go out and collect Pecans (Official pronunciation is Pea Cans). She'd be out there bending over and not doing much. I always got drafted to help so one day, when I knew she was going to be making me do it, I went over to the golf course and asked the man if I could use his golf ball sweeper. He let me and I drove it over to where we were to pick them and swept the place. You should have seen the man who owned the place. He was mad!

“Why?”

“He charged too much for people getting too little. In one full swoop, I had them all and granny only paid what she normally did.”

“Oh man!”

“From then on, granny had me go out and get that machine.”

“Thinking about it, those could be used for a lot of things.”

“Yeah, all sorts of nuts and smaller fruits which hit the ground when they're ripe.”

“The guy at the golf course didn't mind?”

“He got a share of the nuts. His wife loved them. I'd love to have some of the trees out here.”

“Ok!”

“We could put them over there to the side of the driveway. The trees really suck up moisture, so you want them where there's going to be a lot of run off.”

“I didn't know that.”

“Here's a tip. In South Carolina, our soil is really sandy. There's a deep dark clay underneath. I think that's because we're so close to the ocean. What we did was we grew strawberries and melons there in abundance. I never grew tired of going out and picking them.”

“You're going to have me farming here, aren't you?”

“That hill out behind the garage would be perfect for a berry patch. You plant them every six inches and they fill in themselves after a few years. Think about that because I'll have all sorts of things like strawberry jam, preserves, wine, and just plain.”

“How much land is here?”

“I think this is probably six acres back here. Up front is probably three or four. It's a big yard.”

“How much do you think they'll charge to mow it?”

“A lot, but out front is zoysia grass. Someone was smart when they planted it.”

“Mom had the yard landscaped.”

“She didn't have the grass planted. It's too well incorporated to have just been done.”

“No, she had all the trees cut out up there.”

“Oh, and I'll probably be having trees planted. She'll probably shoot me.”

He laughed and said, “We need to get over there.”

“Ok”

“Do you think they'll make Sam sing when she gets home?”

“I don't think they'll be there that long.”

“You don't know the archives. Once they get in there, they'll be lost for hours.”

“Where's it at?”

“Mom had the garage built. Underneath it is a basement. That whole thing is the archives.”

“Interesting. It'd be like a bunker...concrete everything.”

“Yeah, mom said it's the safest place we have.”

“Ok, that's cool. Ran's going to be really amazed.”

“The good thing is mom's got everything sorted, labeled, and classified. You can go there and find anything.”

“I have a friend who has old music like that.”

“Really?”

“He was over a bunch of radio stations. All the while he was working for them, they'd send demo records to him to play and he'd put them on the tapes and then take them home. If you saw that archive, you'd just be amazed. There's stuff there which is so obscure it's got to be some of the only stuff known. Which reminds me I need to call him about that DeFranco song.”

We walked back up to the driveway. “I'll see you over at the house.”

“Ok”

“How heavy is that bed?”

“HEAVY!” he said with great emphasis.

“Ok, we need to get it brought here. I'm wanting to get this place finished so we can get moved in.”

“I'll tell mom. She'll get them to move it over.”

“Who does she use, I'll call them and get them hired.”

“They're on staff.”

“She keeps people on staff to just do that!”

“They do other things.”

“I'd certainly hope so! Man, her upkeep at your house has to be a lot.”

“Probably, I don't know.”

We got in our cars and drove. Driving the Rolls was nice. The car is so quiet and firm, it just oozes control and power.

When we got to the house, we pulled into the garage. Besides he and I parking there, there were enough for their cars and four other spaces. A sixteen car garage...only in California.

He took me around to the archive and we went in. The room was air conditioned and dehumidified. The racks were endless and looked like one huge overloaded library.

Ran was there smiling like he'd found the mother lode. D smiled and said, “He's liking what he's found.”

“I imagine! This place is huge!”

Ran looked up and I said, “Dwayne would have a field day with a space like this.”

“I was thinking of him a moment ago about that song you asked about last night.”

“Me too. I'll call him.”

“Go ahead, I'll probably be a while here.”

“Where's Georganne at?”

“She's in listening to the masters.”

“Oh, is Bran in there?”

“He's back in the archives. He said he wants you to see something.”

“Ok”

“Your dad's name came up on something.”

“Probably nothing good.”

“It doesn't look like it.”

Ev looked at me and I shook my head. I looked at D and said, “Whatever he did, I'm sorry.”

“You didn't do anything hon. It wasn't even anything I remembered.”

“Just the same.”

She came over and said, “You need to let the man go.”

“No, I've got to speak with Bran. He's likely to cause more problems and I don't want that.”

“How?”

“He's a racist pig. Him finding out Ev and I are together is probably enough to send the man over the edge and on a bender. He'd come out here and be nothing but trouble.”

“Well, hire some security and we'll pay for it.”

“I'll hire them. I want to put some people on him just to make sure he doesn't move outside of that town. If he does head this direction, I'll hire an army who will forcibly take him back to where he belongs.”

She shook her head sadly. “It's what's in our hearts which matters.”

“And that sounds like the line from a nice song.”

She smiled and said, “I like it. We can work on it.”

She turned to Ran and said, “I'm going in the house. You know where everything is.”

“That'll be fine. I'll probably be busy for a long time.”

She went out and I went back to find Bran. I found him and he was reading an article.

“Over there is a story I wanted you to read.”

“Ok, we need to talk.”

“What's going on?”

“I just spoke with D and told her, but Ran and I think my dad will probably come out here and cause troubles when he finds out Ev and I are together.”

“Ok, so tell me your plan.”

“I'm going to hire some people to keep an eye out on him twenty four seven. If he moves outside of town, they move with him, and I get called.”

“What if he decides to go shopping someplace else?”

“He never makes it past a bar. My only hope if he flies that he doesn't make it past the lounge at the airport. It'll give me time to get a bunch of security here if it happens.”

“I'd go ahead and hire them.”

“No, there's no use having a bunch of people for what might not happen. The only reason my guard is up is Ran knows now and he could inadvertently say something to someone back home.”

“There are a lot of people in this world. What if someone you don't remember is out here on vacation and see you two?”

“That's why I want people on him. He's that dumb.”

He came over and hugged me. “You're so strong and independent, but when you talk about him, your whole body posture changes and even your tone of voice. That's sad.”

“You're right. I shouldn't let him have control, but there's too much which is bad.”

“I know...I know...I have a daddy like that.”

I looked up at him and said, “You do?”

“Yeah, I left home much the same as you. I got the tar beat out of me and told to get out. I left and as I was walking away, I was told I was dead to him. Since then, he's tried contacting me and I tell him I'm dead to him and to never call again.”

“How's he get your number?”

“I'm in the press a lot for the company. He can call there and does.”

“Did he stop calling after you finally spoke with him?”

“No.”

“Does Ev know?”

“No.”

“Tell him. He needs to know because there'll be a time when he gets a message his grandpa called and will speak with him. What would you do then?”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, so get your chance to tell him before that man does.”

“You're not telling me to turn the other cheek and speak with him?”

“Do you want to?”

“No.”

“Then you heard my advice. Some people aren't compatible and shouldn't be around others. I'll never tell someone to go around someone else.”

He nodded and said, “That's the most polite way of saying what you said.”

“I don't know your dad. You don't know mine, but with mine, you'll never hear polite come from me.”

“Nor Ran. Hearing him speak the same about your dad wasn't good.”

“He saved me. I got beat and hurt bad. Ran came and got me out of there and took to my granny's. That's when I moved in with her. Ran had a lot of problems after that simply because he helped me.”

“That's ridiculous.”

“The man was over the town. He made everyone be afraid of him. It was his ego trip.”

“He wasn't so good to the tour either. That there tells what happened.”

I went over and picked it up. “What's in this that I should read?”

“Read it. I wouldn't normally tell you to read something like that, but you need to know.”

I looked at him strangely and he nodded his head.

I went back and leaned up against a table and read. It was an account of a police stop. While they were stopped, all sorts of charges were found with a huge fine levied. While the money was being collected for the fine from a promoter in a distant town, my dad raped one of the singers. Reading that, it took my breath. I looked at the person's name and the date. By the time I was done, my hands were shaking.

He came up and said, “Here's the rest of that file. If you see down at the bottom, those numbers say there's more.”

I opened the second file. It was a birth announcement and adoption records.

Instant sickness hit me. I found a waste basket and lost it.

Bran came over and comforted me. “You have the record and the name of the people who adopted the child. I'd not press it, but it's your blood.”

“Oh man, what do I even say to that poor girl?”

“She probably doesn't know. I imagine she'd find you as much of a walk out of the dark as she is to you.”

“Do you think I should cotact her?”

“It's entirely up to you. The reason I'm telling you is you've got blood out there. If it were me, I'd want to meet her and get to know her.”

“Thanks. I'll get an investigator to look her up. I'll want background before I go. She could try to use this against me.”

“That's what D said. Just the same, I thought you should know either way.”

“Ran knows?”

“No, I'm not going to put that out there to damage you.”

“He needs to know. He's one of my closest friends from the past.”

“Ok, I'll be there for you and him.”

I took the files and walked up towards the front. When I got to the table where Ran was sitting, he took one look at me and said, “What the hell happened to you?”

“Read this.”

“What is it?”

“I'll let you see for yourself.”

He took it and began to read. His eyes got big and he looked at me. I nodded.

He began reading again and said, “What do you think?”

“I've got to find her. I'll hire someone to go investigate.”

“Den, you take everything that pig does so personally. I imagine if he did this, there are others.”

“Oh man, I never thought of that!”

Bran said, “Guys, here's what I can't get about all this.”

Ran turned to him and asked, “What?”

“There were abortions ordered if anyone got pregnant. If a girl didn't, it probably ended her career. This girl was kept on and allowed to give birth. It doesn't make sense unless it was someone who was someone of importance's main girlfriend and he had gotten permission from Barry.”

Ran looked at me and said, “So this girl might or might not be related to Den?”

“I imagine as soon as the baby was born, they saw the skin of the baby and knew. That's probably why she was put up for adoption.”

“Who's the mother?”

“She won't be of any use. She dropped out, and died of heroin not long after.”

“Oh man.”

Bran shook his head. “I hated telling you, but there's everything in these files.”

I looked at the state the adoption was filed and said, “I'll start doing a search on her.”

“Come on, I'll get you the best investigators I know.”

Bran walked with me and we went into the house. When we got to the kitchen, he punched in a number on the phone and spoke with someone. He told them what was needed and then reached out his hand for the file. He gave them the information and after another short conversation, he hung up.”

“They'll give us a call as soon as something picks up and registers.”

“How long could that be?”

“I'd say they'll be calling back within the hour. For a complete file, they'll be a day or so.”

“How extensive?”

“Come here and I'll show you.”

We went into his office and he sat on the desk. “This here is because I love my son. Please know that.”

“Ok”

He handed it to me and it was a file on me. What he had on me was amazing. It went from birth. Who my mom was. Who my dad is. Where we lived. Where I went to school. Police reports of my parents. My mom's death certificate. My dad's police training certificate. My high school transcript. My college transcript. Photos from grade school on up. Credit reports. Bank reports. Housing reports and appraisals. And on up until the day he requested the report.”

I looked at him and said, “That report is bullshit.”

He smiled and said, “No, it's not.”

“The appraisals of my houses aren't nearly as much as they stated.”

He laughed and said, “You probably bought low and now they're high.”

“I'm not worth that because some of that money in the bank I can't possibly touch.”

“Why?”

“It's a bond. In order for me to deal with customs, I have to be bonded. I can either use a company which charges a lot or I can do it with my own money in an account. However much business I do with them, I have to have in that account. The only thing I get off it is the interest.”

“You're not understanding that money is yours and could be used once it's unfrozen, so you're worth that.”

“Well, it'd take time to get and I'd have to be totally out of the business.”

He nodded and said, “What I'm showing you is how extensive they'll go.”

“Ok, order one of those on her. I want to know what kind of life she's had.”

“It's already ordered.”

“Thanks.”

“I want security on you two.”

“I don't. Put someone on Ev, but not me.”

“Why?”

“Do you realize how expensive that will be? Do you realize how suspect that will make me look? And, a lot of places I go is with clearance, you know that! It'd be expensive as hell and we'd be paying for someone to vacation all over the world on my dime!”

“Oh. How about here stateside?”

“As you saw, I'm a Department of Defense Supply Contractor. I'm also a NASA Supply Contractor. In order to deal with those places, I've got to have clearances and no one else gets to go there with me who doesn't have an equal clearance or higher.”

“Ok, let's just leave it so you have someone here and if you go back home. I do NOT want you taking Evan there. You hear me?”

“Yeah.”

He looked at me and said, “It's not that I don't want you two together, but I can't forbid you going yourself. I would if I could because I don't think anything is that important there which is worth your life.”

“I have to go there and get my dogs and shut up the house.”

“When will you be doing that?”

“I'm not sure. We need to build a fence at the house so I can have my dogs there. Before the fence can be built, that tennis court there needs a complete overhaul.”

Let's call a landscape company so we can get this going.”

“Ok, I'm paying.”

He smiled and said, “Nope.”

“Then put the phone down.”

He put the phone down and said, “Listen, I'll tell you once. I will not allow you to put money out which I've already got out. I own a landscape company. They'll do it.”

“Oh, I wasn't aware of that. Maybe I need to get an investigation on you so I have more knowledge.”

He chuckled and said, “Stick with me son and you'll learn it all.”

“I like being a part of your family.”

“I know. I like having you a part of it. I think you got handed the toilet paper in life after it'd been used and told it was your daddy, but we don't get to pick and choose.”

“I'd really like him to go away and never be worried about again.”

“I understand. He's young enough, he'll probably last a while yet.”

“Not with the drinking he's doing.”

“It doesn't tell me that.”

“Do a credit report on him. It'll probably say he's got excellent credit with bar bills.”

“I understand. One thing of note and I won't say anything more.”

“What's that?”

“Had you bought your house with your credit cards, I wouldn't have found a thing. He could have ran that same report and got everything I have here. The only safety I have is he doesn't know you're living at that house over there.”

“So you're saying to buy the cars on a credit card?”

“Yeah. It's something with cards which go that high. They don't put out what was purchased with them.”

“Ok, I had no idea.”

“I'm getting one myself because of what I found with yours.”

“They're pretty handy.”

“Son, one more thing and I'll leave it be.”

“What's that?”

“Put security measures all over that house over there. I don't want him having anyone sneak up on you two.”

“Ok. I'll need to call someone.”

“Here's their number. They're a division of my landscaping company.”

“You've got them?”

“Yeah, but I'm not going to get intrusive with what sorts of alarms you install. It's not I who is going to be living there.”

“I'd like advice.”

“Ok, let's call and get someone to tell us what we should do.”

He picked up the phone and called. He spoke with someone and then hung up.

“They'll be over there by the time we get there.”

“The landscape company too?”

“He'll tell them what needs done.”

“Ok, I've got some things I want done on a personal note.”

“Ok, now what I need to tell you is I don't think I should go. I want it to be you and Ev's thing.”

“Why?”

“It's you two's house. You two should be the only ones who know what it is which is protecting you.”

“But I thought you were going to help?”

“I did. I called the best. If you do everything he tells you, you'll be sitting as good as or better than the White House.”

“Ok”

I went out of the office and saw a maid. “Do you know where Ev is?”

“Up in his apartment. He told me to tell you when you got out of meeting.”

“Ok, thanks.”

I went up to the apartment and went in. Ev was in his bedroom laying on the bed.

“Hon?”

“How'd it go?”

“We need to go over to the house again.”

“Why?”

“We're speaking to someone about security and landscaping.”

“Ok, it's getting close to rush hour.”

“Why don't we tell your parents we won't be in for dinner and go out?”

“Ok”

We went down and told D we'd be leaving and wouldn't be back for dinner. She seemed perplexed and I filled her in. She told me to tell them to look at the records of the house to get what security was already there. I took that in and we left.

At the house, we met the guy who was head of that company. He smiled at Ev and asked, “How's it going?”

“Fine, I'd like you to meet my lover Dennis. It's us who will be living here.”

He nodded and asked, “What is it you guys need?”

“I have no clue. What I'll do is tell you what we've got as an issue and you tell me what you think.”

“Ok, that's fair.”

“I've got a father who is a real racist horse's ass. He's not here in the area, but just the same I need this place set up so he can't get in and if he tries, we have detection all over the place.”

“Ok, has he made threats?”

“No, not directly, but he has beaten me, stole from me, and been a problem all my life. Today, I found out he's been known to rape people he pulled over as a law officer, so I put nothing past him.”

“He's a law officer?”

“Yeah, retired, but just the same, he knows all that stuff.”

“Ok, what I'd advise is a wall down there.”

“No walls. You can put a fence, but no walls. I want the house seen from the street.”

“Ok, we've got a wide variety of fences.”

“May I ask something and then we'll go on?”

“Sure.”

“What's the purpose of the fence or the wall?”

“A non movable barrier which makes it hard to get across and differentiates private space from public.”

“Ok, so any wall will do?”

“The easier it's gotten over, the less secure.”

“I want a wall about three feet tall built of the same type of stone as this house. At the drive way, you can have columns and a black wrought iron gate, but I want it to look like it's been here.”

“Can I put black wrought iron on top?”

“Yeah, but nothing higher than two feet...make that three feet.”

“Ok, do you want points at the tops of the pickets, balls, them left square?”

“Them arrow things. You might make them so they're pointed all directions.”

“Ok, now, I'm going to go there with an idea.”

“Sure.”

“What we can have every twenty feet is a column of that stone which has infra red beams. If someone attempts to cross, they break the beam and you're alerted.”

“That's fine.”

“Ok, next item, push pads. What they are is if someone steps on them, you're alerted.”

“Can they be outside of the fence?”

“Yeah, we can go all the way from the fence to the sidewalk.”

“Ok, do that. At the sidewalk, I want a shorter wrought iron railing. That way, no one steps off and sets it off by accident.”

“Good thinking.”

“Inside the fence, I want a good wide space with a short wrought iron fence as an inside perimeter. Put that pad in between.”

“That's nice. You'll have several zones in a short area.”

About three feet inside that inner perimeter, put an electronic dog fence. I've got a pit bull which will be released when that inner zone gets violated.”

“Oh man, that's nice.”

“Up close to the house, I want that same stuff put down so anyone making it that far will not be up next to the house peeping windows.”

“I don't advise it. Anyone that's made it that far, I've got a different problem with being that close period. If they make it there, you're in more danger than you'd imagine.”

“Ok, how serious can we get on them inside the perimeter?”

“We can't kill.”

“Can we maim, injure, and do what it takes to stop them?”

“Within reason. We can't use bear traps.” He said smiling.

“Damn. I'd like to.”

“What I suggest is have a zone up so high which the dog jumping isn't going to break. A man walking upright is going to break it. We can put motion detection and infrareds.”

“What about if the dog's not out there? Can we go lower?”

“I can go all the way to the ground then.”

“Ok, put that in and then, put in an alarm speaker which tells the person they have to leave or the dogs will be released. After that, I'll not give a shit if the dog kills him or not. Accidents happen.”

“That's do-able.”

“Now, what I need to show you for out front here is a bunch of little stuff, but I'm told you're the one I can speak with about it and you'll get it done.”

“Ok”

Over here, I want a solid wall all the way down the side property line. You can do the same over there. Make it tall enough it's not going to be seen over, but whatever you do, make it so it matches the house and isn't an eyesore to the neighbors.”

“Ok, how long?”

“Take it all the way out back to the back end of the property line.”

“That will cost a lot.”

“I've got the money.”

“Bran's not paying for it?”

“Nope. If he told you he was, then change that so I'm billed.”

“Ok”

Over here to the other side of the driveway, I want Pecan trees. Put in five of them. Then put in five peach and then some filberts.”

“I'll have to look up a Filbert tree.”

“It's a nice tree. Well behaved. And doesn't talk back.”

He smiled. Ev giggled.

“Now, all along the drive, sidewalk edges, and in between the flagstones, I want that grass from the tennis court back there. Put in a foot wide or eighteen inch wide swatch along the drive and sidewalks. Doing that, it doesn't need edged.”

“What sort of grass is back there?”

“The original grass they used to put on tennis courts. I'll need you to take that up and redo the tennis court. You might farm the stuff and get me a good growth so we can completely cover the court when we're done.”

“Oh man, you talking about the old stuff and not the new?”

“Yeah, I'm happy about it too.”

“Oh man, you let me farm that stuff and I'll tell Bran this is on the house. We'll make enough with that grass, he'll not think twice about it.”

“Well, come take a look because it's a mess back there.”

We went up the drive and over the crest of the hill. “That poplar grove over there is what was the tennis court. We need those trees pulled out and I want a fence put up with Olives put out and around.”

“Real Olive or ornamentals.”

“Real. They have a low growing variety which is what I want.”

“They've got a lot of varieties, you need to help me there.”

“I can show you better than tell you. You'll have to go with me to Rome.”

He turned to me and smiled. “ Bran's not going to allow that.”

“I'm paying the bill. Tell him I'll only have those Olives and none other and once he's had them, he'll know why.”

“Ok”

“I own a house over there. It's got them. If you want, we can take cuttings and bring them back.”

“You know the gardener who did it?”

“Yeah, I know the man, but he's dead now. He worked his whole life on the place.”

“Does he have relatives working for you now?”

“His son, but I don't know if he'd know or not. What you need to know is that variety has probably been there for centuries. The villa is like several hundred years old. They transplant the things all over the place and use them because I really like them and they sell the hell out of the things.”

“I bet.”

“Their flesh is so pale it's nearly white when fully ripe. I thought they were albino gooseberries, but they weren't. You'll see them and be begging for them too.”

“I don't get much call for them over here. People don't like to pit them.”

“Tell them to drive a golf tee into a hole drilled in a board and then use a rubber hose to push the olive down on it. It's perfect.”

“How big do they grow?”

“The olive or the tree?”

“Well, both.”

“The olive is about the size of a quarter. The tree is probably thirty feet tall. They grow tall and narrow like this poplar, but are just loaded with the things. I'll have to pick them or the neighbors will complain about the smell.”

“They stink?”

“It's not a stink as much as it is a musky sweetness. Over there, they only pick once and that's because they don't have the men to do it and they've got so many groves it's not possible to get them all.”

“How much land do you have over there!” asked Ev.

“Seventeen hundred acres. I had to buy the whole place in order to get the house. I'm not complaining because the yearly incomes are nice. They support the whole little village on the place.”

Ev giggled and said, “Trent, ask him how much he paid for the place.”

I looked at Ev and said, “Trent, my name's Den. He makes fun of me because he thinks I'm rich.”

“Are you?”

“I'm wealthy, but that's based upon an upbringing from being a poor kid in South Carolina.”

“I was thinking you were from South America.”

“Yeah, South Carolina..that's in America.” I smiled.

“No, your accent.”

Ev giggled and I said, “Trent, I'm messin' with you. If you want southern American accent, I can do it, but I do what I can to stay away from there mentally.”

“How much did you pay for the place over there in Italy?”

“Oh, back on that. I paid less than a thousand an acre.”

“For seventeen hundred acres?”

“Yeah, a million two for the place.”

Ev said, “If you saw the villa, you'd shit yourself. It takes up the whole top of the hill. The little village he speaks of is a fishing village and he owns it. The land in between the ocean and the house is his. All along the coast is a road and it's his property line.

I've seen the photos and it's beautiful. The closest thing I can think of over here is Hearst Castle in comparison.”

Trent looked at me and said, “That's worth a lot more than a million two.”

“Yeah, but the guy was on hard times and he'd lost a bet, so he had to pay up and offered it to me for that. Since then, the monies I make from it have paid for it several times over. So, it's treating me well.”

Trent shook his head.

Ev said, “Trent, here's the way he is. He'll tell you he's only worth the amount of money he's got in the bank. He forgets he's worth what he owns too.”

Trent smiled and I said, “He makes fun of me, but I know that. The problem is if you can't sell the stuff, you're not worth much.

Most of what I buy is like that. If I put that place on the market now, I'd not be able to get many people to even look at it because people just aren't that rich.

The people over here who are that rich would look at you and ask you what the hell they would do with a place clear around the world, so they're not going to buy it.”

Ev said, “He'll leave you shaking your head.”

I said, “Just the same, we need to get these poplars cut down and then that grass taken up.”

Trent said, “How do you get in there?”

“It's over grown. The entrance is over here.”

We went in and Trent immediately went to his knees feeling the grass.”Oh man!”

“Yeah, it's the good stuff.”

He looked at me and smiled. Let me take this and farm it. I'll get Bran to do this place how you want for no cost.”

“Tell Bran it's a gift back from his son-in-law, but I'm still paying.”

Trent shook his head and said, “Man, the last bunch of this I saw sold for a whole lot by the square foot.”

“Well, you know they over paid. We've got it here for free.”

Trent laughed and said, “I'll get my guys in here. You're right, whoever planted these trees did this place a disservice.”

“What I want under here is all the roots removed and then the clay repacked and this grass put down. The olives will allow air to come through, but not prying eyes. I do want a tall chainlink fence put in and up top, I'll want bird netting because those Olives are going to draw them in.”

Trent nodded and asked, “Do you want a suggestion?”

“Ok”

“Put outriggers out off the poles and have the netting out over the trees.”

“No, put fishing line out there and not netting. Birds get caught in the netting and it's a mess. Fishing line just scares them. Use aluminum anodized black so it doesn't rust.”

“Ok”

“The same for the poles. I want a lot of light out here, but I don't want the neighbors to bitch. The trees shouldn't allow much light out.”

He nodded and said, “You know this stuff.”

“I've seen it done. Now, out on the edges of the court, use the clay but import that clay they have down there in Mexico which looks white. This dark green next to it will look nice.”

“Ok”

I took him back out and looked at the back wall and hill behind the garage.

“Over there, I want strawberries planted on that hill. Where the drains come off the roof, put on french drain and take it on across that hill top. It can water the berries. Up on the back of the garage, put up some four by sixes and have holes drilled every four inches just big enough to have rope strung through. I can put the melons up that trellis and they can hang. It'll be easier to pick them that way.”

He nodded and said, “Back here, I'm not seeing much for security.”

“No, but here is more security for the dogs than against people. That pool needs the same wrought iron fencing around it. Take out that filter and put in the blue light so we don't have to chlorinate. Put in a spin filter and the bugs and stuff will be filtered out.”

“Spin filter?”

“It's a vortex made of concrete. You shoot a pipe in the bottom and the water spins up and out. It clings to the outside of the concrete and the bugs and heavier things are flung out further. It works more efficient than anything you've seen. If you don't have them, I'll get you one. It's over in Italy too.”

Trent shook his head and said, “They perfected water handling over there before anyone. I imagine someone in his wisdom didn't think it was good.”

“It's good. They aerate over there and clean the fountains with it.”

Trent smiled and Ev giggled. Ev mumbled. “Just really a little place. Only fifty or sixty rooms.”

“It is!”

Trent laughed and said, “I bet it's nice.”

Ev said, “It's beautiful, but it's a little place because the servants take up most of the rooms, therefore it's little.”

Trent laughed and I said, “You can't count rooms you can't use. It doesn't make sense. It's not even like I own the place. I own it and I just get to use part of it.”

Trent laughed and said, “You have a lot of these places?”

“A few.”

Ev said, “Twelve, but he's not done. He wants a little ranch in Brasil and one in South Africa.”

I came over and hugged Ev and said, “You said you'd help.”

“I'll help, but you're talking hundreds of thousands of acres.”

“Yeah, big enough for a game park...speaking of which, how much do you get that fencing for wholesale?”

Trent looked at me and asked, “Which kind?”

“I need that wrought iron fencing. It has to be sturdy enough I hold in game.”

“You planning on hunting them?”

“NO! I'm wanting them so no one else will hunt them! IF I buy up the place, then they can live there and no one else can hurt them. They can thrive and future generations will have them.”

“How are you going to protect it?”

“I don't know yet. I'll probably have helicopters. We can have sensors in the fence and if we dig a big moat and pour concrete around it, no one can drive through it.”

“That will cost millions if not more to build.”

“So be it. I'll have to make more money.”

Trent asked me, “Is there anything else?”

“Up at the pool, I need a retractable cover strong enough the dogs can stand up and get off it if they get on it.”

“Ok, how about a hard cover?”

“That'll be fine, but the track has to be the sort which isn't sharp. I've got a friend with kids and their little fingers in a track which is sharp isn't good for a nice day except for an emergency room.”

“Ok, I'll check.”

“At the far corner over there, I'd like a bar b que center. In the other corner, I want a bubbler. Make it like a tall pile of rock with the pipe coming out the top and the water cascading down to the pool. If it's too far, then cut into the concrete and put in a pipe and put concrete over, but I want it so the water from the pool is what's aerated.

Over there towards the house, I want an above ground hot tub. We've got one in the basement, but I'd like one over there next to where the table set is. Other than that, I want this lit so it's not shadowed at all at night. You might see about putting some bat colonies over behind the garage.”

“We don't do bats.”

“Ok, I'll build one. IT's not hard. All you have to do is put up a bat barn and they come.”

“I can get the bat houses they sell commercially.”

“That's all it is. They eat bugs, so they'll come.”

“I've never dealt with bats.”

“Once you have them, you'll want them. In Italy, we've got them all over the place. They're what keeps the Olives free of pests.”

“I'd be interested in seeing how they do. It'd be nice to offer them to clients if they're viable.”

“Let's do this. Tell Bran you're going to Italy with me and we'll go the week after next. That way, Ev can clear his schedule and he can see the place isn't that big. I'd like to stop by my place in England so you can see it and get some ideas from it for the trees I'll want in the front yard. Then, we can put you guys in the hotel in New York while I go get my dogs from South Carolina and come back.”

“Can I go?”

“No, I promised your dad you can't go to South Carolina until my dad's dead. Maybe with some luck, he'll step out in front of a bus before then and I can make going back there a good trip and bury his ass.”

Ev chuckled and said, “Then can I go?”

“You can, but I'll probably be too happy to be much use.”

Trent laughed and asked, “There's no love lost there?”

“Nope. It wasn't that kind of party when I was there and it sure hasn't been in my heart since I've been gone.”

Ev said, “Trent, his best friend speaks worse than that about his dad. My dad doesn't even know the man and has found things about him which are terrible.”

Trent nodded and said, “What are you doing about security to protect yourselves.”

“I want Evan protected. Me, I don't want anyone on me.”

“That's not advisable.”

“I spoke with Bran and he agreed with me. My business is all over the world and our threat is immediate to me. He doesn't know about this house, so it's unlikely he'll come this direction, but it doesn't mean that once he learns about Ev and I, he won't come out here.

It might seem foolhardy, but my business is in some instances very classified, so a man with me would have to be as classified and that takes a lot of paperwork with both the military and NASA.

What I want instead is to hire some people and put 'round the clock surveillance on him so we know he's there and not heading here.”

“Ok, do you want me to hire them?”

“That will be fine, but I'll tell you now, I'd prefer it not be your people because if he shows up gone, I'll be suing the fuck out of who was supposed to watch him.”

“Ok, I assure you the people I work with won't mess up.”

“You need to know the Sheriff in the county and the town Marshall are his puppets. Whoever goes in has to be really under the radar. That means absolutely no out of state plates and anyone looking suspicious.

If they hang in the neighborhood, they'll be suspect because the people who live near him have lived there for a long time.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Nothing I'd suggest with absolute sincerity is legal. What I think would be a transmitter on his truck. That would tell us if it's moving and where it is. Other than that, if you could get someone into the bar where he frequents as a bartender, they'd be able to tell us when he didn't show. He'd most likely tell them if he was upset and about to move.”

“That's a thought. What's the bar he goes to most?”

“Every day without exception he goes to the VFW. He gets his kicks by talking with other Vietnam vets.”

“Ok, that's probably not a possibility since those bartenders usually come from within.”

“I'd not suggesting planting someone in and having them go there. Most of the people who go there are real loyal to my dad. They served in the same unit and pulled the wings off the same bugs.”

“Ok, anyplace else he go every day?”

“Mabel's, there's a chance they could work there, but they'd have to work their ass off or Mabel would fire them.”

“What's that?”

“Its a restaurant which is a homestyle buffet. She turned her house into a restaurant a long time ago and is about eighty years old. She's nice, but she runs the place like a drill instructor.”

“Could you call her and have her tell you when he's not there?”

“Not likely. The place is busy. You don't know it, but that place probably serves a couple thousand people a day. She gets them in and out and fed in no time at all.”

“Man, it sounds like a chow hall.”

“The only people who work there are girls out front and guys in the kitchen. The girls have arms this big because they carry around pitchers of all the sodas and sweet tea all day long. The guys in the kitchen aren't allowed out front unless it's to refill the bowls.”

“Bowls?”

“Instead of a normal buffet, she has big bowls of food. It's done up like a Sunday dinner at a house where the person has a huge family.”

“Oh man, I bet she draws them in.”

“What draws them is the food is really good. The biscuits are like five inches tall and as big as a soda can. They come out hot and are gone like a herd of locusts hit them.”

He said, “Let me go there with you and I'll look the place over. Maybe we can get a video camera put in there and it'll tell us when he's there and not.”

“I don't know. The neighbors would see and then he'd be het up at me.”

Trent looked at me and said, “Those beatings you took weren't just the normal kind of spankings were they.”

“Unless you count flying across the room and getting the shit punched out of you if you walked in front of the television normal, nothing was normal in that house.”

“Oh man”

“The best day of my life was the day I got the shit beat out of me and got took out of there, but it was the day I started looking over my shoulder. He didn't dare fuck with my gramma because she wasn't afraid of him and that's the only reason I got to stay until I graduated.”

“She have something on him?”

“She was his mama. If he'd laid a hand on her, the town would have lynched him. It might be fine to kick your dog and beat your kid in the South, but you touch your mama and it's all over.”

“Was she decent to you?”

“She was the best. I just wish I lived with her longer. What pissed him off was she died and left her house to me. Since her death, it's been open warfare. I sneak in and sneak out and even then, I don't get there too often without being noticed.. The last time, it took me ramming my car into his truck to get away.”

Trent looked at me and said, “You can't press charges.”

“He's the law.”

“Sounds corrupt as hell.”

“Yeah, what I want to do is go in and put up hurricane boards over the windows and get my dogs. Then, I'll shut down the water and electricity and be gone until happier days.”

“How about if I have my guys go in and put up hurricane shutters and do that for you?”

“That's a thought. Then all I have to do is get my dogs and be gone. Whoever does the job has to be licensed and probably will have to pay extortion to the Sheriff and town Marshall though.”

“They do that?”

Ev said, “His daddy pulled over and raped someone who was on tour with my mama. On top of all that, they had to pay him fourteen hundred dollars and that was back in the sixties!”

Trent's eyes got big and he said, “Ok, let me call some people I know. I'll let you know what I find out.”

“Ok”

“If I need anything, I'll give you a call.”

“Whatever you do, don't disturb the hornets nest and I won't get stung.”

“You're a friggin' billionaire and you live in fear!” Ev said.

“I don't live in fear from anyone except one person.”

Trent said, “You live an open and shut way of life. You look at things like you're looking through the eye of a needle.”

“Nope, this needle doesn't have an eye. It's got a syringe and it's loaded to kill me. Be sure it doesn't because if he gets pissed off, it'll either be me or him and if he comes at Evan, it'll be him.”

“He's not going to get this far. I'll promise you that. Let me make a call and I'll see what I can do.”

We went up to the car and I said, “Thanks Trent. I want a wrought iron gate down there and lamps on top of those stone columns which match that one on the house.”

“Ok, I'll get someone over here to draw it up.”

“Another thing and then I'll leave you be. That front yard out there is going to have trees in it. You find out how big you can get a transplanting truck and I'll tell you how big I want the Maples and Oaks out there. I want them tall enough so no one can see those bedroom windows from the street.”

“Ok, it might take a screen of them out by the street to do that.”

“I want the house visible. I don't like walls and having a beautiful house behind one where it can't be seen isn't cool to me. Me having to put up the wall I am is irking the hell out of me and it's only because of my dogs getting more run of a yard that I'm doing it.”

“Ok, I understand that.”

“Lastly, see if you can install a doggy door up there. I know they're not safe, but with all this protection, if that doggy door isn't safe, then nothing is.”

He nodded and said, “You mentioned a Pit Bull, you planning on going bigger than that with a dog?”

“Ev's mom and dad have big dogs. He might want a big dog, so you might think about that size. I'm not of a mind to have a dog bigger than a Pit, but if I could breed a Pit with a Pyranese, that'd be cool.”

“Oh man, that'd be a killing machine.”

“Nope, Pits aren't mean unless you want them to be. Brad sure isn't. He thinks he's a cocker spaniel.”

Trent laughed and said, “Ok.”

We got into the car and I said, “This has been depressing as hell. Where do you want to eat and please make it a sit down meal.”

“What are you in mind for?”

“Food...filling food which isn't a greasy burger. I'm not doing so hot after lunch.”

“Would pasta be fine?”

“That'd be cool.”

“Ok, there's Chili's which has excellent Alfredo. The Olive Garden. Friday's has some good pasta. Applebee's...”

“Here's the deal on Applebee's. If you want to eat there, then do it when I'm not in town because I'll never step in one again.”

“Why?”

“I've been in five of the places and each time got messed up food. One place, I can blame the manager. Two places, I'll still say it's a problem. Three, Four and Five, I start blaming myself for being dumb enough to go there. I call it Apple freebee's because that's how much I get from them when I call home office.”

“Ok, you're fine with the other places?”

“Chili's I could go to all the time. Whoever hires for them hires hot guys. The other places you mentioned are great. I like Bob Evans, but Country Kitchen, the one blue roof Inn, and Casa Guillardo's are definitely out.”

“Ok, I don't like those either. Do you want to go to Chili's?”

“Sure. You going to drink?”

“No.”

“Ok, I might have a beer.”

“Beer with Pasta?”

“Beer because it's cold. This heat is a killer in this suit.”

“How about if we go to your hotel and get you into something casual.”

“Nah, you might see this body and have your way with me.”

“You only wish.”

“I do.”

“Then let's go!”

“No, let's do that afterward eating.”

“Really!”

“I don't want to make love, but I'd really like to make out with you.”

“That's fine with me. Can we put the top down?”

“Sure”

“I love this car.”

“I could tell. Your eyes told the story as soon as you got back with it.”

“I love the Aston Martin too. That car is hot!”

“Yeah, what's interesting is the total day and night difference between this Rolls and that one.”

“Yeah, but both are excellent cars. You know how to pick them.”

“You picked this one.”

He smiled and said, “I knew you wanted a Rolls.”

“You didn't want one?”

“I didn't say that. I love it, but...”

“Ok, there's a but...what car did you want Evan?”

“You're getting upset!”

“I bought an eight hundred thousand dollar car because I thought you wanted it. Now I find out you really wanted something else. Wouldn't you be upset?”

“I'm sorry. I only wanted it because you wanted it.”

“I've got one already. I was thinking about bringing some of the cars down here which are different.”

“Where are they at?”

“All over.”

“Then I'll drive this until I see what you have. We'll get our money's worth out of this and then, when we get another one, we'll get a Ferrari like yours but in red.”

“White top or black?”

“White. White interior, but an automatic.”

“Ok, that's a deal. I'll give your mom this car and ask her if we can trade in her car towards a Ferrari.”

“She'll be upset.”

“Why?”

“Because in order to do so, you'll tell her I wasted your money.”

“Our money and no, if it's a gift to her, it's not wasted. She'll love it.”

“Please don't tell her I wasted your...”

“Our”

“Ok, our money.”

“It's not wasted. I'll tell her we got it as a surprise and that will be that.'

“Dad will know.”

“Hon, I'll talk with your dad. He'll be fine.”

“So you're not upset?”

“I'm upset you didn't tell me what you wanted the first time around. If we can come out of it and do good for someone, then that's great.”

“You're not going to retire anytime soon, are you?”

“Is that a question or a statement?”

“I think it's a statement.”

“Ok.”

“Well, are you?”

“Then it was a question.”

“It's both.”

“No, I probably won't retire soon. If I have to have more money in order to do what I want over there, I'll have to make a lot more money.”

“Does that bug you?”

“No, does it bug you?”

“No...well, yes...it bugs me in the fact you might not be home all the time.”

“I'll try to be home a lot. I can't promise all the time, but I'll be home a lot. Do you think your dad will let you clear your calendar for a week to go to Italy with me?”

“I imagine he will.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Maybe it's a statement...just the same, I really wish you would stop making fun of me about the way I see my financial situation.”

“I'm sorry. I find it humorous.”

“How?”

“You don't see yourself as that rich.”

“Let me tell you an example of how I see myself and then you're going to see it with me. Ok?”

“Sure.”

“Here'a 7-11, I'll stop here to make my point.”

“Huh?”

We pulled into a 7-11 and I parked. I ran in and got two bags of M&M's. I ran back out and said, “Here. You've got M&M's.”

“What!”

“Eat them!”

“Why?”

“I want you to see what I think about money.”

“Ok”

He opened the bag and I opened the corner. He took out a bunch and popped them into his mouth. I ate one and put it in my pocket.

“You're not going to eat yours?”

“Yeah, I'm going to eat mine. Now, do you see the difference?”

“That you like to save money?”

“No, here's how you look at me spending money. You're me and I'm you. I spend money and I'm over there eating away and spending it. It's going into my bloodstream and some of it is turned into calories and burned and some of it's turned into fat and put on my ass, and other parts is converted to waste and expelled from my body.

You're over here hanging onto yours and you're looking at me having a good time with mine and yet, you're telling me I have just as much as you.

I'll tell you I don't. You're insisting I do. You tell me I have more than I do and I'll show you the number I have and you're telling me the ones in my stomache are just as good as the ones you have. I'll tell you that you're wrong.”

“You think that?”

“Hon, On paper, I'm rich. Ok, I'll switch tactics for a moment and put it over to you and your dad's business. Ok?”

“Ok, because that wasn't very clear.”

“How much is your dad worth?”

“I don't know.”

“Ok, the stores. They're worth x amount of dollars, right?”

“Yeah.”

“The inventory on paper is worth amount an x amount of money, right?”

“Yeah, retail.”

“Ok, now, let's say someone walks up to you and says to you. “Oh man, you're rich! You're worth x amount of dollars!”

“Ok”

“You're not worth that.”

“Why not?”

“Try selling it all right now and sell everything in every store and all the store buildings at once and how much would you get?”

“I don't know.”

“Nope...right now. This second...not putting them on the market and letting them sell when a buyer is found who wants it...it's total liquidation. You'd have to discount the hell out of it in order to do it, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, to me, whatever that amount is it has to be discounted down to in order to liquidate is how much I'm really worth. You and Forbes are up there saying I'm worth all that money and I'm down here saying, “This is really what it's worth.”

“Oh man.”

“You see?”

“I'm seeing it.”

“And yet, you're making fun of me because I'm not seeing that number up there. It's not the truth!”

“And that's the way you look at things. Why?”

“Because the truth is what you get and the false is what it's worth to everyone who looks inside.

To me, I got that house in Italy because it was worth what I paid for it to get that man out of debt that fast. Yeah, I might be able to get more if I wait and the right buyer comes along, but I know I can get this because I was willing to pay it.”

“Oh man.”

“Yeah, so please don't judge me because of what I see I'm worth. I know it's different and don't like lying and having people think I'm worth more than I am.”

“I feel like a jerk.”

“No, you feel like me now. At least you can see it.”

“My mom and dad aren't seeing it the way you see it either.”

“Nope, no one sees it because they aren't seeing it from inside.”

“We have to tell them.”

“Hon, I'm sorry for getting upset, but it was really bugging me bad.”

“I bet. I'm sorry.”

“Ok, let's eat and then, go make out.”

He smiled and said, “You're not upset with me anymore?”

“Why?”

“You're strange.”

“Hey, it was a lesson learned. You learned it. I taught it and now it's over. Holding onto anything afterward is gloating and I'm not going to do that.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem. The problem is when it happens again. Then we've got big issues.”

“We have to tell my parents.”

“You can. I don't want to embarrass them.'

“You view it as embarrassing them!”

“Hon, your dad is a businessman. He really should have been seeing things the way I do. For me to tell him would be embarrassing him. For your mom, she was a star. In a lot of ways, she's still a star. Her viewing me as someone because I have money is stupid, but I understand people do that. What happens when it's all gone? Ask your mom that because the fame has left the building and she doesn't really want it to come back in. She's doing it so they're more secure than they are now. I understand because with all the money I've got, I still can't buy what I want to make some animals safe.

It's weird because all this today has shown me I can attempt to make another human safe from another human, and yet, I can't afford to make it so an animal is safe from a human.”

“The only cheap way to do that is a cage.”

“Yeah, and that's what we've done to that house. We made it a cage and whoo hoo slap some locks on the door and it's friggin' prison!

What's messed up is look at how it is. How many thieves are prowling around out there aimed at that house? None. It's safe. And yet, put me in it, and it's suddenly got to become Attica.”

“It's not you, it's your dad.”

“Yeah, but what should be illegal is the fact I have to spent more than a million dollars to be safe from someone because it's illegal to do it for the price of a five gallon bucket and a piece of rope.”

“What?”

“Hang the fucker upside down and let him drown. It's over for the cost of whatever that was. Where's the justice?”

“Murder is illegal.”

“Terrorism is too when you're aiming a missile at someone, but aim a fist at your kid and it's fine and dandy because he's above the age of 18. I had rights up until that age against being beat but after that age, it's all fair.”

“You could press charges.”

“No, I can't. You have to press charges in the town or county where it happened. When you can't get justice, then you're not going to get it.”

“You can't go to anyone else?”

“No, I could sue him but I'd have to prove he violated my rights. When no one wants to see a thing because the harassment is so bad if they do, then there aren't any witnesses.

Let's not talk about this anymore because it bugs me.”

“Ok, right up here on the right is a Chili's and an Olive Garden. It's entirely up to you which one we eat.”

Evan

ab

“From My Keyboard To Your Heart”

Retta

RettaMichaels@Gmail.com

Copyright Notice – Copyright 2008 by RettaMichaels

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“From My Keyboard To Your Heart”, “ 'Retta”, “RettaMichaels”, “Retta”, “Rhett”, “Rhette”, “Vonn Michaels”, “VonnMichaels”, and “Vonn Michael's Stud Service Night Club” are all trademarks of the RettaVonnMichaels L.L.C.. None of these trademarks may be used, or authorized without consent.

Disclaimer: All individuals depicted in this story are fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, characters, locations, or incidents is purely coincidental.