Second Chance

I try to mark sudden shifts in POV. If you see ******* it is one of the more abrupt ones.

There are references to the film Friday The 13th. This is where the hockey mask reference comes from.

I repeat a lot of names as I have mental images of certain names looking a certain way. Unless noted, this story has nothing to do with others.

There is a reference to a video inspired by the Youtube video 'Banned Dodge Commercial'

Though not used as much as in the past, 'johnson' is an idiom for penis.

Ft. Smith Arkansas is real. Specific places they go like 'The Little Bow', are not nor is the town of Weston.

Nothing all that new. Just a fall and rise story with lots of common tropes.

Second Chance

The day could not possibly get worse... shit.

Thursday, October 6, 2022

"Matt Culver?"

Twenty-six year old Matt looked at the woman standing before him at the exit of security of Terminal C at Newark International Airport and shrugged, "Uh. Yeah?"

She was cool at best in her demeanor, "You have been served. Note that there are two envelopes The second one is a restraining order. You may not approach within five hundred feet of your domicile at 412 Reynolds Lane, in Parsippany nor may you approach your wife's workplace in Denville."

His first thought was that he had misheard, "Uh. What?"

She was impatient, "You have been served with two legal actions. The second one is a restraining order. You may not come within five hundred feet of your home or your wife's workplace."

Before he could argue further, she walked quickly away, leaving Matt in a daze still in disbelief.

He found a bench just outside the security area and sat down, looking at the first paper. It took a bit of reading of the typical legal papers listing his wife as the plaintiff and himself. It claimed irreconcilable differences as the cause then went on to describe his marriage in legal terms.

He was badly shaken when he opened the second envelope which contained a protection order, citing physical abuse and several incidents several months ago of him hitting his wife, Brittany. He mumbled to himself, "But, I never raised a hand to her."

He sat there another fifteen minutes in disbelief until he forced himself to take action and find a hotel for the night. Sleep did not come easy and it all felt like a bad dream.

Friday, October 7, 2022

Matt stopped his car, looked at the six-story glass panel building, and sighed. Today was not a good day to be going to work, but his boss had made it clear before he left that he wanted an update on the meeting he had in San Jose with PRJ Systems. They were considering replacing the software for the email system and he had seen some live demonstrations at one of their customer's facilities.

He forced himself to face the day and got out of his car then walked numbly into the lobby of Callate Capital and found his boss, Tony, waiting for him.

Tony looked unhappy, "I'm sorry, Matt, but we cannot have anyone associated with this firm involved in domestic violence."

Matt was shocked and wondered how his boss could know and protested, "It never happened!"

Tony sighed, looked down then back at Matt, "I know you wouldn't. Damn, I know you couldn't, but..."

Matt looked for mercy and found none in Tony who looked like someone assigned to a task they despised. Tony pointed at a box with an envelope on top. I pointed out that you have not been convicted so we are calling this a reduction in workforce. You have two weeks of vacation accrued which has been deposited into your account."

Tony was still uncomfortable, "Give me any expense receipts you have and I will make sure you get the money.

Matt took the receipts and sighed explosively as Tony paused, then said regretfully, "I'll need the laptop you are carrying."

Matt handed over the laptop and wondered how the day was going to get worse.

Tony shook his head sadly, "And the company phone."

Matt handed it over and realized that his personal phone was in the apartment he was not allowed to enter. He had forgotten it on his way out to the meeting.

The day got worse. Barry Gross, the CEO opened the door abruptly, "Tony, Mary said you were out here. I need..."

Barry glared at Matt, "What is he still doing here?"

Tony half apologized, "I am retrieving company property."

Barry scowled as Matt looked at him. The frown had something behind it; a smirk?

Barry grew impatient, "How long does it take to get a phone and a laptop?"

Tony gave an apologetic sigh, "I got them just now, sir."

Barry looked at Tony, "Go to the server room. Something is up with the networks on the third and fourth floor."

Barry switched his gaze to Matt, "If you are not off this property within a minute, I will call Wayne Police."

Matt looked at Barry who clearly thought of him as no more than a gnat. He turned and walked out the door then to his car and drove away.

A thought came to him, "Fucking Friday the thirteenth. Figures." He half wondered if a guy in a hockey mask and a chainsaw would suddenly appear to continue the descent into hell that his life was headed.

Matt went to the closest place he could think of to figure out what to do with the disaster that was his life. McDonalds was not fancy, but it was a place to think. He ordered a small soft drink and waited as he swiped his debit card.

"I'm sorry sir, it has been declined."

The card had worked at the Parsippany Hampton Inn the night before right after being served with the divorce complaint and the restraining order. He sighed as it was clear that someone was working against him.

He tried the joint credit card and the girl behind the counter shook her head, "Sorry sir, declined."

He pulled out his personal credit card, one that he did not share with his soon-to-be-ex wife and swiped it.

The girl behind the counter only shook her head.

He pulled two dollars out of his wallet and gave them to the girl and she returned his change. She gave a polite smile, "Thank you, sir."

He sat at a table well away from the counter near the window and by the entry staring. He thought forlornly, "Maybe a psycho with a hockey mask and a chainsaw would be a blessing." He had twenty-seven dollars in his wallet. He had nothing and even his personal credit card had been canceled.

*******

Lisa Barnes turned from the counter with her hotcakes and sausage then scanned the room for a table. As she scanned, she saw Matt and a memory surfaced. A letter written twenty years previous came to her mind. A man named Ed had written her a letter and for some reason, suddenly, she remembered it with startling clarity.

'Lisa.

You should have known better than to challenge an old goat like me...'

The letter had contained a prediction and a request. Somehow... some way... she knew this was that moment.

The man she saw had the hopeless thousand-yard stare of someone whose life had just fallen apart completely. Lisa approached the man, "I know this is going to sound crazy, but a man sent me to help you... twenty years ago."

He looked up, not comprehending.

She asked gently, "May I sit?"

His mind moving a thousand miles an hour in a dozen directions at the same time, he half nodded, shutting his eyes, forcing himself to not break down in front of this woman.

She left him alone as she quickly scarfed the food down, letting the man settle his mind as best he could.

Finally, he said in a quiet hopeless voice, "My life... is gone."

That startled Lisa because Ed's letter was eerily prophetic.

She looked at him, "Gone. How?"

He looked at her. She was pretty and in her early forties. It was clear that as a twenty-year old, she had been a stunner.

He sighed then paused trying not to fumble the words, "My wife. She is divorcing me. She says I beat her up."

That alarmed Lisa and she asked, "Did you?"

He sighed, offended, "Of course not. My parents taught me to not hit girls."

She studied him, thought, and believed.

She thought for a second and she realized, "She said that to help her in the divorce."

It was a statement, not a question.

He nodded.

She thought for a second then asked, "No family?"

Matt shook his head, "My wife is... was my family. My parents were hit by a drunk driver. There really wasn't much to their estate. It paid for our honeymoon a year after they died."

Lisa shook her head in stunned disbelief and mumbled, "It really just happened."

Matt asked, "Pardon?"

Lisa sighed, "Nothing." She looked at Matt, "We have a small in-law suite in our basement..."

*******

Matt stopped his car at the turnaround end at the bottom of the driveway of a Wayne, New Jersey Mcmansion and was startled at the size of the house. It was a four or five bedroom, two story home of considerable size with a three-car side loading garage. Lisa put her Grand Cherokee into the garage and came out as a man came from the rear of the property and up some stone stairs at the side of the parking spaces where he was parked.

The man was wary until he saw Matt then relaxed.

*******

Tom Barnes had just finished moving several boxes of old lady clothing out of the mother-in-law suite into the storage room of their large basement when he heard the hum of the garage door opener announcing his wife's arrival.

"What has my wife got us into?", he wondered, then decided to have faith in his beloved wife's judgement. Still, he would judge the man... and get a picture of his driver's license. Due diligence and all, he would forward the license to a friend in the Lincoln Park Police to run a quick check.

He walked out the door and made a left to the stairs that led up to the parking pad at the end of their driveway. As he approached, a man got out of the car and looked around. Tom studied him for two seconds and read him. The guy was completely defeated and something had gone horrifically wrong. He would still run the license, but he relaxed. His mind had a simple thought: Threat level zero.

Tom approached from the stairs as Lisa approached from the now closing garage door and Lisa introduced them, "Tom, this is Matt. Matt this is my husband, Tom"

Matt smiled weakly, his look still of someone whose life had been torn completely apart. He said quietly, "Uh... I'm Matt... uh Matt Culver."

Tom held out his hand and they shook.

Tom looked at the man, "You understand this is temporary, right? New Jersey has pretty awful laws about getting people to leave if they don't want to. You won't do that to us, right?"

Matt nodded, "Of course not. I will be gone as soon as I can get access to enough money. My wife... has apparently taken all of our money and even somehow canceled the credit card that I had only in my name."

Tom nodded, "Sorry. Final, last unpleasant part. I am going to take a picture of your driver's license."

Matt only nodded as Tom studied the reaction closely. Matt was not trying to hide anything as he reached for his wallet. The same thought came to Tom: Threat level zero.

Tom pointed down the stone steps and said, "We have a mother-in-law suite in the basement. The door is in the back because we have a daylight basement. Lisa's grandma lived there for about five years until last year when she passed. It's not big, just a bedroom, a living room-kitchen, and a bathroom."

Matt sadly chuckled and looked at Tom and Lisa, "Compared to my car, it's a palace."

The suite turned out to be exactly as described. Beige carpet and off white walls. The 'kitchen' was just a six foot counter with a sink, a small refrigerator-freezer and a two burner cooktop. There was a couchand a TV on the far wall. The bedroom was perhaps twelve by twelve with a bed with a pile of clean sheets and pillows sitting at the edge, a line of closets at one end, and a reading nook with a rocking chair.

Tom softly apologized, "Sorry a lot of the furniture is gone. Family took things like the kitchen table and chairs. They left the TV, though. Just one of those low end ones you find everywhere like discount stores. You can use it though."

Matt looked at them and simply said, "You're doing me a huge favor so I won't complain. Thanks."

Tom saw Matt's defeat and smiled, "You're welcome." He paused, then said, "Matt. Things will get better, but you cannot let today dictate tomorrow. Whatever and whoever is behind your plight, you need to push forward."

Matt nodded and Tom noted to keep pushing Matt... but not today. He looked at Matt and said, "We will leave you alone for now."

Matt nodded and simply quietly repeated, "Thank you."

Lisa smiled, "Tom is right, you need to start fighting back... but not today."

They left and Matt looked around. The decor of the suite was plain, but it was safe and that was the main thing he needed right now. Safe. He sat on the edge of the bed then laid back trying to figure out what had changed recently with Brittany. Things had changed little though she seemed a bit cold maybe the last couple months... two? Three? More? He drifted off.

Knock Knock. Knock Knock.

Matt roused. Shit! He had fallen asleep from the exhaustion of the lousy night's sleep the previous night. He got up and headed to the door, looked out the door and saw nothing.

Knock Knock.

He realized there was another door leading to elsewhere in the basement. He opened it to find Lisa standing with a pleasant, almost motherly smile, "Matt. Dinner is soon. Come on up and eat."

Matt started to protest when Lisa cut him off, "Don't make me put you in time out!"

Matt chuckled, "Yes, mom."

Lisa scratched her nose with her middle finger and Matt laughed. Lisa had a seriously snarky side. He followed her up the stairs to what smelled like heaven.

Tom greeted him, "Matt! Lisa makes an uh-may-zing lasagna!"

Forty minutes later, the lasagna had been amazing. Tom got serious and said, "Matt. I want to ask you some serious questions. I'm not mad, it's just that the way your wife got you kicked out and all seems... odd."

They went to the living room and for the next twenty minutes, Matt told them all he knew from being met at the airport to being fired and that his boss knew of the restraining order.

Tom sat back and looked at his wife, "Doesn't the whole thing seem like some kind of setup?"

Lisa nodded, "I've known more than a few divorces. Yeah, the part about being served happens... but in the airport complete with a restraining order with no history of violence? Weird."

Matt looked up and Tom shrugged, "Sorry, Matt. Can't be too careful. I have a friend in the Lincoln Park Police and I had him run your background from your driver's license. I know you have nothing worse than a speeding ticket in Rockaway three years ago. By the way, don't speed where you got caught. Rockaway police live in that little hidey spot on the corner and write a ton of tickets."

Tom continued, "Also. The restraining order is real. It was signed by Judge McDole in the Morris County Courthouse on the Saturday before you went on your trip. THAT is weird that it happened on a Saturday. Please don't get all Rambo on us and repay us by doing stuff so we get visits from the sheriff."

Matt nodded, "You have been too nice to me and I won't do that. Thank you."

Lisa smiled, "You are most welcome, Matt."

Matt was about to get up when he paused, then looked at Lisa and asked, "Why me?"

Lisa asked, "Pardon?"

Matt shrugged and asked, "Why did you help me?"

Lisa gestured for him to sit back and said, "Twenty-two years ago, I was a senior at Rutgers. Life was great and all that, until the summer before my senior year. My father's steel business had won a contract to supply steel for an apartment tower going up in Jersey City. Well, turns out the construction contractor had been taken over by some bad people and did what they call a 'bust out'."

"That is, they use a company's previous good credit and reputation to get supplies with no intention of paying. They run the company into the ground and run with the payments they have received from their end. The shorter version is that my father never got paid, it killed my father's business and I was faced with taking loans for that last year's tuition."

"I was a waitress at a place called Gray's Diner and I had a regular customer named Ed. He came in several times a week and had lunch. Some days he would come in just as we opened and things were still slow so we would sometimes talk. He was just a sweet but lonely widower who had lost his wife a few years before I met him."

"He was the former owner of a small electrical contractor he had sold off. He wasn't filthy stinking rich, but had enough he could buy a fifteen dollar lunch and tip me a fiver every time and that was probably four days a week or so."

"Well my dad had told me I would need to take out loans and I had mentioned it to Ed. it was one of the many things we talked about. Well, about a week later, Ed came in and said he was moving to Florida in a week and that day was his last day coming into Gray's. We talked a bit and he thanked me for being nice to him."

Lisa laughed, "Imagine how grim the world is that he thanked me for being a decent human. Anyway, he tried to give me a two hundred dollar cash tip the last day and I told him I was being nice because I thought he was a great guy. He pushed and I pushed back and finally after going back four or five times, he smiled then took out the usual twenty and said to keep the change, a fiver, just like every other time."

Lisa got a distant look, "I can still remember that final conversation. I told him that the two hundred dollar tip was ridiculous. He countered he could afford it and I told him to take a nice widow out to dinner in Florida with the money. He looked at me and the look in his eyes changed and he said... I still remember those exact words, 'Us old people always get our way in the end."

"I chuckled, kissed him on the cheek and said, "Not today, old man!""

Three weeks later, I went in to check the status of the loans and there was a woman behind the desk in the bursar's office. When I said my name she did a double take and had this funny look. She went back to her desk and brought back an envelope. The envelope had the words, 'Lisa The Waitress' written in a man's handwriting and below it, written in a different handwriting, was my maiden name, "Lisa Ann Reeves."

Lisa teared up a bit, "Turns out Ed had come to the Bursar's office and paid my tuition in cash. Inside the envelope was a receipt for the entire tuition paid in cash and five hundred dollars in cash with a paper band around it with the word, 'Books'."

Lisa went to her room and brought out the letter from Ed and handed it to Matt.

'Lisa.

You should have known better than to challenge an old goat like me. Thank you for being the pretty young waitress that is willing to talk to a lonely old man while he has his lunch. Being treated like I mattered meant a lot to me.

Problem solved and your tuition has been paid. I am sorry your father lost his business. I cannot fix that, but I can solve your tuition problem.

Do not try to return the money. Good luck finding Ed Smith in Florida. There are a thousand of us with the same name living in the state also known as God's waiting room.

You will pay me back. Some day, far into the future when the problem I just fixed is but a distant memory, you will see someone and remember this letter. That person will desperately need your help. Just as I have reset you on the right path, you will be the beginning of this person's new path.

Pay it forward!

Ed'

Lisa smiled. I saw you and it hit me like a tornado and I remembered Ed's letter though I had not thought about it in years. This was the day I was going to repay Ed though it is likely he has long since passed on.

Lisa smiled, "So you see. You owe me nothing. I am repaying my debt to Ed."

Matt looked down, "Still. Thank you."

Lisa nodded and smiled warmly, "You are most welcome, Matt."

Saturday, October 8, 2022

Matt was sitting in the living room of the in-law suite going through Lisa's grandma's streaming list history on the TV. 'Black on Blonde 25, One Hard Foot and Two Big Balls', 'The Hung Like A Horse Whisperer'. These were two of a number of similar titles in the history list on the Roku. Lisa's grandma had been a pistol. He shook his head and looked up Maine Cabin Masters.

Knock Knock

Matt went to the interior door to find Tom with a polite smile, "I've been digging a bit. Come upstairs."

Matt followed him upstairs and took a seat on the opposite side of Tom. Tom tossed a phone on the table, "It's an Iphone 11. It's been sitting in a drawer unused for three months since Lisa and I got the Iphone 14."

Matt protested, "You have already..."

Tom cut him off as Lisa joined them, "Lisa is dead serious about paying Ed back."

Lisa nodded and Matt was about to protest further when Tom said, "Now you aren't going to set something up where you and I both have to argue with my wife... ARE YOU!?"

Matt sat back and shook his head.

Lisa brought out her purse and tossed a sim kit onto the table along with a 6 month silver unlimited time card. 'Straight talk silver unlimited. 6 months. 210 dollars.'

Matt just shook his head and Lisa said, "Do not try to stop me from repaying Ed. He paid over five thousand dollars. Tom and I have enough income that this will not affect us as long it is just this once."

She held his eyes, "I owe Ed. You are releasing me from a debt I had long forgotten I owe."

Matt shook his head, "I won't need five thousand."

Lisa smiled, "I know. Besides, I figure the suite downstairs is worth something and I was living at home while attending Rutgers."

She held his gaze, "We are going to give you a launching point. A place to back up and relaunch your life. I finished school and had my degree, met Tom and life has been a dream for me. You will do most of the work. That being said, my husband has useful friends who can be of some assistance."

Tom nodded, "First thing you are going to do is port your phone onto Straight Talk. Lisa bought the SIM card and time at Walmart with cash. It's about as generic as you can get. I have some information for you when you are done."

An hour later, Matt was finished setting up the phone which was now on the Straight Talk network.

Tom sat down and looked at Matt, "I don't have a lot, but what I have is concerning. The Judge McDole thing is odd that it was done on a Saturday before you left town. Your wife does not sound like she is someone who knows a judge, let alone someone who can get a judge to do something on a Saturday. Someone is guiding her. It may be as innocent as a wealthy friend of something worse and possibly a lot worse. I just don't know. My point is to be careful"

Matt said, "Well she works for the lawyers at McMillen and McMillen."

Tom nodded in recognition, "Ahhhhh. Pretty high-end firm. Likely that is where the trouble starts. The partners may even play golf with the judge and who knows who else. It's a conflict of interest that gets ignored in New Jersey as long as no direct monetary payment is involved."

He plopped down a business card, "I have a friend that owns a no-tell motel out on Route 46. When you are asked about your residence, tell them you live at that hotel, room 152. He handed him a paper that said Starlight 46. 1555 US-46 E, Little Falls Township, NJ. My friend will take note of anyone who asks for room 152."

Matt crooked a brow, "You are friends with an hourly hotel owner?"

Tom nodded, "He uses it as a center for all his businesses. He mans the desk and also runs the other things he owns like a used car lot and a dozen coin operated laundries."

Matt asked, "Why are you renting a room? That is too expensive!"

Tom laughed, "Matt, the highest number room is 150. Technically room 152 is the maintenance room where the maid keeps the supplies. If anyone is seeking you and asks for that room number he will play dumb and call me."

Matt laughed, "Tom?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Tom nodded, "No problem. I don't like this one bit. Something is off and I don't know what. I just get the feeling some bad people are involved."

Matt was alarmed, "Like mafia!?"

Tom shook his head and scoffed, "No. Stay away from certain areas and certain businesses like the port and you will likely never deal with them on a one-on-one basis. More like some asshole with more money and ego than sense. The kind that gets off on fucking people over. Monday, call her lawyer and give the fake address over. Let's see what happens."

Monday, October 10, 2022

Matt called into McMillen & McMillen. It took several minutes, but he was eventually passed to a younger sounding lawyer who was a bit more than abrupt, "Matt Culver. We will need to have an initial meeting with you to go over a proposed settlement at our earliest convenience. I would like you to be here next Monday at eight in the morning sharp."

Matt noted the man's abruptness and asked, "And who are you?"

The man sighed as if it were an inconvenience, "Aaron Klein. I am your wife's counsel. If you have any counsel, I advise you to bring them."

Matt protested, "If you have talked to my wife, you know darn well she has taken our entire savings and canceled the credit cards. I note, even the one where she was not named."

Aaron kept on being abrupt, "We can discuss any arrangements for those things at the meeting next week. I don't have time for this. Be at the meeting next Monday to receive a settlement offer."

The line went dead. Matt shook his head and thought, "Well fuck you, too."

That night at dinner, Matt mentioned that he was going to his wife's lawyer the following Monday for an initial divorce offer. Tom sat back and thought...

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

At dinner, Tom said to Matt, "We have a few things to discuss after dinner."

After dinner, Tom and Lisa sat across from Matt. Tom spoke, "So. Interesting. A rather shitty arrogant dickhead with slicked back hair came to the Starlight and asked for room 152. He looked harmless and did not identify himself. My friend played dumb. Well, Mr. Arrogant and shitty left after looking around the parking lot. I don't know what he was planning, but he sure seemed interested in finding you."

Tom tossed an Iphone 8 onto the table, "We are going to headfake them."

Monday, October 17, 2022

Matt walked into the office of McMillen & McMillen and gave his name to the receptionist.

A large security man approached in a blue suit and an earpiece. "I need your phone. No recording."

Matt handed it over then man tapped the screen showing that the recording app was going. He smirked. "Nice try." He patted Matt down, finding nothing.

They led him to a conference room where Brittany sat looking uncomfortably next to a younger man who addressed him, "I am Aaron Klein and I am representing Brittany Culver. You will address only me. Do you have counsel?"

Matt shook his head, "She took all of the money. You can't get a lawyer without money."

He realized he had seen Aaron's face before then looked at Aaron in shock. He was the man from the stills at the Starlight. Aaron noted his demeanor and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Matt said, "Nothing" and changed the subject, "Well, you asked for this meeting."

He noted that Aaron smirked. He deliberately looked defeated at his wife and asked, "Brittany, why would you lie?"

Aaron spoke up before she could say anything, "You will address me and not your wife. If you do it again, I will report you for breaking the restraining order."

Matt looked at Aaron, "Okay. Then why are you having her lie about me? I never harmed her in any way."

Aaron looked at him and said, "You have physically assaulted your wife on three occasions and we have her written testimony to that effect."

He switched gears, "We could make that part go away. All we need is for you to sign this divorce agreement."

He shook his head, "Let me guess. She gets everything and I get nothing."

Aaron smirked, "Well, not EVERYTHING. She gets seventy-five percent and, of course, spousal support."

He looked at Aaron, "So all I have to do is give her the lion's share, pay her for her lies, and she will withdraw the complaint? You both know I never harmed her."

Aaron nodded, "We see it differently, but yes. She will withdraw the complaint. Your possessions have been placed in a storage locker. We will give you the key after you sign the agreement and not until then."

Matt looked over and saw William McMillen looking in through the glass door to the conference room and a light went off in his head. Matt sighed, "SHIT! Now, I see."

Aaron thought he had made headway when Matt looked at Brittany. So I was right. You WERE too familiar with William at the Christmas party. How cliche. Fucking the evil rich lawyer. My life is like a shitty internet story written by a deranged amateur author."

Brittany's gasp answered the question as Aaron raised his voice, "You will address only me."

Matt stood up, frustrated with himself as much as Brittany, "I see it all now. How could I have been so fucking stupid? HOW!? I wish to leave now."

Aaron pushed the agreement forward, "This is a one-time offer."

Matt shook his head, "Take this bullshit agreement and shove it up William McMillen's ass."

Matt walked out of the building and got into his car to drive away, leaving the decoy Iphone 8 at their office. He needed a job and fast. He remembered that McDonalds was hiring. Two miles later he grimaced in the McDonalds parking lot. The phone 11 sitting inside his underwear in front of his penis was uncomfortable. He laughed, there was one place no straight dude was going to pat him down and it worked like a charm.

He pulled it out before getting out of the car and read a text. 'We heard everything and the recording looks good. Not much to go on and they did not admit much. It certainly casts your wife in a bad light.'

It was a tiny victory. They admitted nothing, but it showed bad faith on the part of his wife..

He stopped and walked in, was about to ask for an application then realized he had wasted his time. There was a table with a QR code paper that said 'Help Wanted'. It was all online. He headed back to the basement to plan a trip to the library to use one of their computers.

Two hours later, walking out the door of the basement to head to the library, he approached his car and a policeman approached, "Matthew Culver?"

Matthew nodded, "Matthew Culver, you are under arrest. Anything you say..."

Lisa ran out of the house as they led him toward the car, "Matt!"

Matt looked defeated and she said, "We will figure it out. I called my husband."

Matt was defeated as he was put into the police car.

Thursday, October 20, 2022

The bailiff called, "All rise. Morris County Judge Letitia Washington presiding."

Letitia, a large black woman, sat down at her bench and read the complaint, "I see that a public defender has been assigned to this case and we can get on with this."

She thought for a second and asked, "Why is he represented by the public defender? Is he unemployed?"

His public defender, Timothy White nodded, "His wife has removed all the funds from the joint account and canceled their joint credit card. It also appears she canceled his personal credit card account on which she was not listed. We are waiting for an inquiry from the credit card company as to when and how the request came through and indicated they may be able to rescind the cancellation after an investigation."

"As for his job, he was let go from his job at Callate Capital as an IT manager and network engineer. He was told that it was for his pending domestic violence charge."

Judge Washington looked at Aaron, "She has until noon tomorrow to return half the money in the form of a bank check."

Aaron conferred with Brittany, "Your honor, most of the funds were used to pay the retainer on her legal counsel."

Judge Washington glared at Brittany, "Not a good look. Did you cancel your husband's personal credit card?"

Aaron quickly whispered and Brittany said, "Upon the advice of my lawyer. I am pleading my right against self incrimination."

Judge Washington sighed angrily.

Timothy said, "Your honor. These charges stem from an upcoming divorce. Note that a million dollars for bail is extremely excessive for a person with no record of violence."

Judge Washington did a double take and looked at his lawyer in disbelief, "His bail is a million?"

She paused then exclaimed, "A MILLION!? Where did THAT come from?"

His defender shook his head, "Judge McDole. I could not find out why and he was too busy to take calls. His staff would not return my calls."

Judge Washington shook her head, "I see that Mr. Culver has lived in New Jersey his entire life and has no previous record. Anything else?"

Timothy said, "His wife has filed a divorce petition and he was called into a meeting with her and her counsel. He has no access to any funds so was forced to attend without it. We have evidence to enter that shows malfeasance on the part of Brittany Culver and her representation. We have a recording of the meeting."

Aaron Klein shouted, "Objection! We know nothing of any recording! We took his phone from hi..."

Judge Washington raised one eyebrow, "You prevented him from recording... why?"

Aaron answered just a bit too slowly, "We... do not allow recording."

She looked at him, "You do know perjury can get you disbarred. Right? You record all the time and you know darn well that New Jersey is a one-party consent state. You took his phone to prevent that?"

She rolled her eyes, "Uh huh"

She looked down and thought for a second, "I note you work for McMillen and McMillen who has represented the governor and his staff and he is close to Judge McDole. I think I can connect more than a few dots. How can someone from a middle-class background afford McMillen and McMillen?"

Aaron shifted a bit uncomfortably, "She works for us and are doing it to support an employee."

Judge Washington raised an eyebrow, "Uh huh. How convenient. As a bonus his employer found out about the domestic violence allegations before any charges were filed. Mr. Klein, the ice keeps getting thinner. I will be hearing the divorce, too, and your team is not looking good."

Tom Barnes came into the courtroom and talked to the bailiff who then talked to the judge. Tom looked at Matt and nodded. Judge Washington looked at Matt and asked, "This man, Tom Barnes, says he has information to share with the court. Do you consent?"

Matt nodded then Aaron objected, "Your honor. This person is not on a witness list..."

Judge Washington looked at Aaron, "This is a hearing, not a trial."

Judge Washington repeated, "Do you consent to hearing what Mr. Barnes has to say?"

Matt repeated that he did. After being sworn in, Timothy approached the bench, "Could you state who you are and what your interest is."

Tom said, "I am Tom Barnes and my wife and I are friends of Mr. Culver. He has been staying in our basement since the protection order prevents him from going home."

Timothy asked, "I'm afraid you have us at a disadvantage. Why Are you here?"

Tom placed a small device on the edge of the bench, "I was wondering how the police knew where to find Matt since no one knew at the time he was living with us. I looked at his car and found that."

Timothy asked, "What is that?"

Tom said, "A GPS with a magnetic mount. I found it on the frame of his car."

Aaron said, "Objection! Mr. Barnes is implying we put that on his car. The police could have placed it."

Tom smiled and looked at Aaron, "You know I have friends on one of the police forces. Their GPS trackers look nothing like your internet spy store versions. Since they did not know where he was living, it seems likely that it was placed on his car while he was at McMillen and McMillen."

Tom looked at the judge, "THAT man..." he pointed to Aaron Klein, "Came to a fake address I had arranged for Matt to use until we formally filed. Mrs. Culver's lawyer and his boss are shitbags. Er sorry."

Aaron Klein shouted, "Objection!"

Judge Washington agreed, "Sustained. Please rephrase."

Tom laughed, "I apologize to shitbags for the unfair comparison. Shitbags are much better than anyone involved with Brittany Culver."

Aaron Klein shouted, "Objection!"

Judge Washington scolded Tom, "Just one more and I will make you an overnight guest of our county lockup."

Tom nodded, "I do not believe that Brittany Culver's counsel have been acting in an above-board manner. I have some video stills of Aaron Klein looking for Matt's car at the Starlight 46 Motel."

Aaron Klein objected, "You gave us that address and can't provide us with false information!"

Tom laughed, "Matt has not made any legal or official statements. You requested a meeting and you got one. Matt has not made any false statements to this court. Why were you looking for Matt at the Starlight 46?"

Aaron seethed, "Objection!"

Judge Washington agreed, "This hearing is not about Mr. Klein."

He looked at the judge again, "They made an offer that if he signed a very unfavorable divorce, they would drop the domestic violence charges. It's all on a recording we made. We would love to play it for you."

Aaron shouted, "Objection!"

Judge Washington looked at him and shook her head, "You realize this is not looking good for you, right?"

Ten minutes later Matt was with his counsel and Aaron Klein in the judge's chambers listening to the recording. After hearing she sat back and said while rubbing her temples, "I've heard enough. Bail is set at one hundred dollars."

Aaron shook his head strongly, "Your honor. That is far too low for someone accused of domestic violence!"

She looked at him, "Your client took all his money and somehow his bail is more than some previous murder suspects. Why is that?"

Aaron was about to try a different argument when she looked sharply at him, "I expect Mrs. Culver in here next Monday to provide details of the alleged abuse. I find it very interesting that she is willing to let the whole thing go as long as she gets a favorable divorce and I find it interesting that in contrast, her petition for dissolution of their marriage is for irreconcilable differences. I heard the part about her involvement with William McMillen and we might just ask questions about Mrs. Culver's relationship with one of the senior partners at her place of employment. This is all too convenient."

She looked sharply at Aaron, "The logistics and coordination of this whole mess is comically poor, Mr. Klein. Your whole team looks like cartoon characters."

She provided an out, "Of course, she might find it in her heart to... rethink her testimony before then, and I remind her that this will be under oath and subject to possible perjury issues should it be proven she did not tell the whole truth."

She looked down at her notes, "She will return ALL of any leftover money by noon tomorrow. How much is left?"

Brittany said, "About three hundred dollars."

Judge Washington sighed explosively, "And how much was the retainer?"

Brittany said, "Ten thousand."

Judge Washington was angry, "I see. Starting next week, you will pay back half of the ORIGINAL amount at the rate of five hundred dollars per week as a bank check delivered to the office of his counsel."

Brittany gasped, "But that is almost half my weekly check!"

Judge Washington glared, "You should have thought of that before you left your husband with nothing."

Judge Washington thought for a second, "He has stated he was left with nothing. Where are his personal items like his clothes?"

Aaron very carefully said, "A storage unit in Fairfield."

Judge Washington frowned, then looked at Matt with a more neutral look, "Mr. Culver, I understand you are staying at the residence of Lisa and Tom Barnes of Wayne Township. You are restricted to staying within the confines of Wayne Township until you pick up your items tomorrow then head straight back to Wayne Township without stopping. You will be allowed three trips to wherever the storage unit is in Fairfield."

"You may also leave Wayne Township for next Monday's hearing when you will travel directly to this courthouse here in Morristown and maintain the five hundred foot distance from your former residence and your wife's place of work. We do take charges of domestic violence seriously and need to investigate further. That being said, she is required by this court to turn over all keys to the storage unit where his possessions are stored by noon tomorrow. You may come directly to this courthouse to get them then return directly to Wayne"

She glared at Brittany, "All items IN TACT and undamaged!"

She looked at Matt, "I mean it. You are to stay within Wayne Township until you pick up the money and the key from the clerk's office tomorrow or the hearing. Wayne has all of the stores you could possibly need. Do you understand?"

Matt nodded and Judge Washington said, "Pay your bail at the clerk's office."

Tom walked out and sighed as he approached Matt, "Well, the cat's out of the bag on where you are staying. Let's hope things stay quiet."

Friday, October 21, 2022

Matt drove to the storage locker in Fairfield with Tom and Lisa behind with their SUV, stopping at unit 1015 at Moo-ving Storage. Matt looked at the sign with a caricature cow pulling a wagon of stuff and shook his head at the silly mascot.

The unit was only five by five feet and contained perhaps thirty boxes and his fishing gear. His tools and a number of personal items were missing.

Matt received a call from his public defender, "Matt. Good news. Your wife has decided to drop the allegations of spousal abuse. You still need to stay five hundred feet away from your old home and her workplace, but the other restrictions have been ended pending a final ruling."

Matt sighed in relief, "What about the rest of my things like my tools? She kept a lot of my stuff."

Timothy sighed, "I'll get an order from the judge. Email me a list."

After dinner, Lisa dropped a card on the table, "I know you mentioned McDonalds, but he's a friend of ours, Ronald Kowalski. He owns a small beer distribution company. He needs picker-packers. It's only Twenty-two bucks an hour, but..."

Matt smiled, "I'll take it!"

Lisa smiled, "Call him. He'd like you to start tomorrow. A couple of his employees left suddenly and he is a bit short. Sorry it's a Saturday, but..."

Matt smiled, "I'll be there! Let me make the call."

An hour later Matt was looking through the boxes for a pair of jeans and t-shirt. There was no dresser left in the room, so he was living out of the boxes. He sat down with the jeans and T-shirt in his hand and thought, "I was an IT manager and now I'm excited about going to work as an order picker for a beer distributor."

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Matt arrived at Bru-ski Beverages and steeled and talked to himself, "It's not going to be fun, but small steps, Matt. Small steps forward."

He walked in the door and per instructions, he went to the office at the immediate left side and knocked on the window. The man at the desk inside looked up and motioned him in.

After an hour of paperwork and two hours of safety videos and an online safety quiz, he was introduced to the floor supervisor, Giovani Carlucci who showed him around and explained the job. It wasn't glamorous, but it was work and he was told there was plenty of overtime coming up with the holiday season coming up.

Matt sat down at the lunch table alone and brought out a chicken sandwich when he heard, "Hey new guy. Are you too good to sit with us peasants?"

Matt looked over at a giant man, probably six foot five and just as big around. Matt Stammered, "Uh I just..."

Another man, skinny with tinning brown hair and in his fifties, admonished him, "Truck. Go easy on the guy. Jeez."

The skinny man approached and stuck his hand out, "I'm Gordon."

Matt took his hand, "I'm, uh, Matt."

Gordon shrugged, "Look. If you want to be all standoffish you can, but most of us get along pretty good so why don't you come on over and sit with us? None of us bite, well except maybe Dog. If he doesn't like you, Truck will just sit on you."

Matt asked, "Dog? Truck?"

Gordon laughed, "Dog is actually Doug, but that's his nickname. He can bark like a dog." Godon thought about it for a second, "Pretty useless skill if you ask me."

On cue, Dog started barking like a St. Bernard.

Gordon shook his head and rolled his eyes at Dog then led him to the lunch table with a dozen people at it, "You've met Truck, unfortunately."

Truck gave him two middle fingers as Gordon continued, "That's Carl, Frank, Hank, Dog, Sam, Chuck, Booger... don't ask, Nick, Vito, Allen and Gary."

Matt sat down as Truck asked, "So how did you end up here? It's obvious you used to work in an office somewhere."

Matt sighed, "Yeah. Then my soon-to-be ex wife destroyed my life."

There was silence which was broken by Truck, "Well... don't leave us hanging!"

Matt told an abbreviated version of his troubles, ending with the charges of domestic violence being dropped. Dog looked at Booger, "And you thought your ex was a bitch!"

Booger shook his head, "He can have that title. Ex-husband of the world's biggest bitch."

Dog asked, "So you are staying with friends now?"

Matt nodded, "Until I can get some money together. The ex took all of it but the judge is making her give half back. I'm in a basement apartment with almost nothing in it. It's not much, but it's a place to get my feet under me to get going again."

Allen thought for a second and said, "Gary. Didn't you say you got a new kitchen set?"

Gary nodded, "Yeah... oh... hey Matt, you want my old kitchen table and chairs? It's just cluttering up my garage. It's pretty nice, but my wife wanted a new one. You can have it, free."

Nick raised his hand, "I don't have a truck, but if one of you guys can swing by, I have a chest of drawers he can have..."

By nine that night, Tom was helping him to carry in an older chest of drawers off Dog's ancient F150, "Fifth delivery today. Looks like you made a few friends."

Matt smiled, "Yeah, I did."

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Matt walked into work to hear Dog exclaim, "Matt! Bro! WOOF!!! WOOOF!!! WOOOF!!!!!!"

Matt smiled then made a wolf howl. He had indeed made some new friends. The work was hard, but overtime would quickly help his situation.

He sat with his new friends at lunch and the day passed well.

Thursday, October 27, 2022

Matt opened the paycheck and thought, "When was the last time I had a paper check?"

He looked at the check. The gross was 198 dollars for the nine hour Saturday of the previous week then he caught a second number, 'Case count Saturday 1175. +11.75."

Gary pushed Matt gently out of the way, "You're standing in the way of the door."

Matt shook his head, "Sorry. I was just looking at my check. What is 'case count'?"

Gary asked, "You don't notice we all hustle? Ron pays each of us a penny per case shipped. We don't bug people unless they slack off. I figured the way you hustle. You knew about it. It's an extra eighty to a hundred a week, but every little bit..."

Matt smiled then marvelled that an extra hundred dollars a week could feel as awesome as it did.

His luck held out, near the entry of Tom and Lisa's neighborhood was an old laptop with a 'free' sign on it. He sighed. Garbage picking and castoffs was his life story now.

Monday, December 6, 2022

"All rise. Morris County Judge Letitia Washington Presiding."

Judge Washington rubbed her temples, "Everyone be seated. What a mess. This past week, five different people from Trenton called on behalf of Mrs. Culver and McMillen and McMillen. Why would that be? The answer is obvious and it is obvious what is going on. The good old boy network is working hard and I really don't want to delve into Mrs. Culver and William McMillen and infidelity does not matter under irreconcilable differences. So. In the interest of just getting this case done I am finding the following."

"The divorce will split assets 50/50. Mrs. Culver is going to finish returning half the money she stole from their joint accounts at the rate I mentioned previously. You will return his tools... ALL of them, and any other items you 'accidentally' forgot to include in the storage unit."

"You helped get him fired. Bad move, Mrs. Culver and I should fine you for that, but that is also going away in the interest of ending this awful quagmire. It was also a bad move because his income is a small fraction of what it was so you will be receiving no spousal support. Mrs. Culver has withdrawn her complaints of domestic violence and I am not going to dig any further into her relationship with William McMillen at the center of this disaster."

She looked sharply at everyone, "I think everyone needs to just let this go and allow this awful mess to get behind us. I THINK EVERYONE AGREES... RIGHT?"

She looked at the back of the courtroom, "That goes for you, too, Mr. McMillen. Nice try hiding in the back. Dumb move showing up by the way. I'm also a member of Heron Mill Country Club. Black women do golf, you know, and by the way, my handicap is eighteen less than yours. You need more golf lessons."

She smirked, he didn't.

She looked sharply at William McMillen while addressing everyone else, "There is a nice picture in the bar of William McMillen golfing with Barry Gross, the CEO of Matt's former employer... and Judge McDole."

William McMillen shifted uncomfortably but did not lose his arrogant frown.

She looked at Matt and said, "Half hour recess before the next case. Mr. Culver, please meet me briefly in my chambers."

She closed the door and said, "This is off the record. Do yourself a favor. Leave. Go to a different state and start again. McMillen has a lot of friends and even more friends of friends. I know you want to win, but it's not going to happen. One of the calls I got on behalf of McMillen and McMillen was from the governor's office. It wasn't the governor himself, but... "

Matt nodded, "So take what I got and run. It's not right."

She nodded, "I know but that is my advice. Run. I think you have some time, but not a lot before they start looking for other ways and pulling other favors. He probably won't do much besides harass any employers you apply to, but who knows. McMillen is a multi-millionaire with ties to Trenton. I'm pretty sure his reach ends at the state line so even Pennsylvania should be okay."

Matt walked out of the courthouse defeated and angry, talking to himself, "Run? I'm not the bad guy. Fuck... She's right."

It was garbage day in Wayne as he pulled into the neighborhood on a cold and rather breezy December day. One of the houses in this neighborhood of very nice McMansions had a pile of moving boxes which included a pile of Balsam Hill boxes at the fear side and at the end, A Christmas Tree standing forlornly inside its Walmart Box with a 'Free' paper flapping in the cold December wind.

The garbage truck was coming two doors behind.

Something snapped in his mind. He hit the brakes hard and reversed, stopping as the truck approached the house. He ran to the tree and spotted a couple of boxes marked, "Christmas decorations' behind it. He popped the trunk and went to the back of the car hurrying as the garbage men had arrived at the house and started loading the moving boxes into the recycling portion of the truck.

Matt yelled, "I GOT IT!"

The garbage man picking up the moving boxes smiled, "Relax, pal. We see ya. You gonna take all the Christmas stuff?"

Matt nodded.

The garbage man smiled, "Good. It's a Walmart tree, but looks like one of their better ones and the date on the year stamp on the box is only three years ago. Seems a shame to waste it, but I guess it was replaced by the one that came in the Balsam Hill boxes we just put into the recycling."

That hit Matt hard. The Christmas tree was just like him. Replaced by something 'better' and higher end.

Matt put the boxes of ornaments into his trunk then realized there was zero probability of him getting the Christmas tree box into his car.

The garbage man read the situation and asked, "You in the neighborhood?"

Matt nodded and pointed five houses down, "The light gray brick house. I'm in the basement."

The garbage man laughed, "You must be freshly divorced! Happened to me twenty years ago. First wife went for the guy that owned the used car lot she worked at. Well, don't do that math for very long and she traded up and I was replaced."

She shrugged, "It does get better, I promise. My current wife is not the beauty my first wife was, but treats me like a conquering hero every night when I get home and that woman can cook! Tonight is Chicken Parmesan! I can't wait!"

He chuckled, "Then again, I'm not much to look at and, honestly, I am happy with and love my wife."

He laughed at himself then realized, "Shit! We gotta get moving. Look, I'll stick the tree on the hopper but not with the garbage and drop it on the treelawn when we get there."

Matt pulled into the driveway and parked at the end then started walking back up the drive toward the now approaching garbage truck. The garbage man dropped the tree box on the treelawn then took the garbage and waved, "Merry Christmas!" as they went to the next house.

Matt walked to the box, "I got ya, buddy. I know what it is like to be replaced and won't throw you away."

He shook his head and thought, "I just talked to a fake Christmas Tree. I'm losing my fucking mind."

He started dragging the box toward the back and once he had everything inside, he pulled the tree out of the box, set in in a corner and thought, "This tree really is me. Thrown away and discarded like trash... replaced" Then he thought, "But somebody wants it. Me."

He looked in the decoration boxes, seeing that it was not going to be enough. Most of the decorations were plastic or plain single color glass bulbs. He plugged the tree in and all the white LED lights came on and he shook his head thinking, 'There was nothing wrong with the tree.'

He began to decorate his tree and for the first time in a long time, he had good thoughts.

A half hour later, he had emptied the two boxes of decorations and the tree was still quite sparse, but it was time to get things done on a rare day off. He turned on his computer then walked to the small refrigerator to get a bottle of water, vowing to get something that was not so old it took ten minutes to boot.

He sighed explosively as he leaned against the refrigerator. It would have been nice to beat Brittany and her lover rather than fight them to barely a draw. Spending three days in the county jail had been zero fun, but gave him an appreciation of just how much worse things could have gone.

It was David vs Goliath except Goliath had an unknown but large number of other Goliaths behind him waiting to take up the fight.

Ten minutes later, the ancient laptop showed the desktop and he clicked the Firefox Icon then waited another two minutes. Another five and he was finally in his email. Only two responses to his resume, both starting with 'Thank you for...'

Those were the worst words and universal for 'Go away and fuck you' on a job application. Judge Washington was right, time to leave New Jersey.

He sighed, grabbed his car keys and headed to Home Depot since they already had half off Christmas decorations. It was hard to spend the money, but somehow decorating the tree was the normality that was salve for his broken soul.

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Matt sat back on and binged Ben's Workshop on Discovery Plus until noon. Tom and Lisa were on a trip to St. Lucia until January 4th and they asked him to keep tabs on the house, something he happily agreed to, even watering Lisa's plants.

He had a single gift, one from Lisa and Tom; a gas card. It was exactly the kind of thing he needed to slowly build up his life back enough to get out of their place and not become a burden. After getting everything caught up and last he looked, he had eight thousand in the bank and few expenses. Three or four months tops and he would be ready to leave with just a bit of cushion.

He looked on the table at his new laptop. As much as it pained him to spend the money, he needed a computer that did not take so long to boot. After binging the show, Matt went to the refrigerator to get himself a nice cup of chocolate milk and sat at his computer.

He perused the news section on Google News which reads the IP of the user to feed local news for the user.

Montclair zoning commission allows new shopping center.

Paterson Man arrested on drug charges

William McMillen Hospitalized in public dispute

Matt did a double take and quickly clicked the story on NJ News 12.

It was a video report that started with a video from Friday.

"YOU!!!!!"

He was greeted by the screech of his ex-wife in a full out cat fight with another woman. They fought like wildcats kicking and scratching. The video was, of course, full of bleeps as they censored all the swearing. Neither woman was willing to end the fight as William came up, trying to separate them.

Brittany was pulled away but was pulling toward the other woman then the other woman who had been prone on the floor was free. She launched herself at the two and the threesome fell backwards hard with the other woman on top. The women quickly stood, looked at each other then switched and attacked William.

Matt smiled. It was glorious as the women rained kicks then dropped to the floor to start hitting and scratching. It only lasted a minute before two very large men who looked like hotel security arrived and pulled the women with force they could not resist.

The video ended with a News12 reporter talking about the injuries to William and the disorderly conduct charges awaiting the women with both of their booking pictures shown.

Matt smiled. THAT was the best Christmas gift!

Tuesday, February 4, 2023

Matt checked his email to find an email from the company he was supposed to interview the following day. He sighed explosively, William McMillen strikes again and the interview was cancelled with no explanation. There was no luck on any of the resumes he had sent out of town.

He texted his supervisor, Giovani Carlucci, if he could cancel the day off as his plans had fallen through. Giovani could figure it out and was gracious, 'Of course. Sorry it didn't work out.'

The only bright spot was checking the NJ News 12 site.

The headline read. 'Two women were sentenced to thirty days imprisonment for assault and battery on William McMillen.'

He chuckled at the photo of William. A scar ran down his cheek. He would have it fixed with a plastic surgeon eventually, but the scar marred his normally handsome face. He wondered, "Wonder which one of them gave him that scar on the cheek. Too bad the sentence wasn't longer, but I guess the first timer sentence and all that shit."

He laughed to himself, "William looks like a pirate. Too bad one of them didn't put out one of his eyes."

He laughed out loud, "HARRR!"

Wednesday, February 12, 2023

Another rejection letter, this one even more generic than many of the previous. Over a hundred resumes out and no real interest. He sighed, feeling down, but pushed on and sent our four that evening after work.

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

As Matt sat down for lunch with his friends at work, he received a text from Tim, his public defender. While not a true friend, they were friendly and he received a text.

'Just reminding you that as of today you are a free man from your now ex-wife. It was actually a pleasure defending you as I often have to defend people who are not quite so 'not guilty'.

'Good travels to you and I wish you good luck. Tim'

With seventeen thousand, five hundred in the bank, he was going to tell Tom and Lisa that the following week he had a day off on Wednesday and he was going to begin searching for a new place on a short term lease and he now had enough to move out then move again when he found permanent work out of state. He still intended to leave the state, but had lingered enough and he remembered his promise to not become a burden.

Friday, March 17, 2023

Sleeping in until eight in the morning was a rare treat as Bru-ski kept him working and this was a rare day off. March Madness meant lots of beer and his case count bonuses were a nice added bonus. He was going to start looking for housing after he checked his emails.

St. Patrick's Day was lucky indeed. An email arrived at 7:25 AM from Cassie Cartwright of Harry Johnson Boats.

This letter started differently, "HJB Corp, DBA Harry Johnson Marine has received your resume and would like to schedule a phone call..."

Matt closed his eyes, trying to maintain composure. The first response by someone outside of William McMillen's influence. It was the first crack in the wall. That first tiny ray of light...

Thursday, March, 23, 2023

The flight into Northwest Arkansas Airport had been uneventful, but late as Matt pondered, "Am I really doing this? It pays a third less than my old salary and has more responsibilities."

The sign greeted him as he took the second exit after I49 split and he took I40 West. The day was sunny and warm in the mid seventies as he drove, the trees showing buds earlier than they did in New Jersey.

'Welcome to Weston'

'Home of the Bobcats'

The road south was straight, not wandering like they did in New Jersey, and lined with the occasional mom and pop business until he came to the first of five stop signs that defined 'downtown' Weston. Most of the buildings were from the 1880s to the turn of the century. One thing that surprised him was that most of the buildings were occupied by small businesses and not empty as that had happened to many smaller towns.

At the third sign, he made a right and on the next block were two industrial parks, each with perhaps fifteen to twenty modern industrial buildings and their attached offices of varying sizes.

He nodded and thought 'Pretty smart putting the new industrial parks so close to the downtown."

Once at the visitor spot at the rather large building with the HJB Marine sign in front of it, Matt got out of the rental and walked toward the lobby door at exactly four o'clock as a shift clock sounded, marking the end of the day as three dozen people filed out of the steel door next to the glass lobby door next to it.

He heard one person ask in a loud voice, "Jer! You headin' to Bubba's?"

He did not hear the answer as he was walking through the door and it had closed. He pondered, "Bubba's? This sure isn't New Jersey."

The receptionist was packing her purse before she looked up upon seeing his movement. She was a distractingly gorgeous natural blonde with a large chest. Her top neither hiding them nor emphasizing. She knew how to work them without being obvious. She smiled, "Good thing you got here. I was just leaving. Then again, you just could have rung the bell. Are you Mr. Culver?"

He nodded. She smiled, "I'm Cassie! Andy is in his office."

She punched a number into her desk phone, "Andy, Mr. Culver is here. Yeah. Free food? Yeah of course I am, Jake is coming, too."

A tallish lanky man appeared as Cassie walked out the door then locked it from the outside, "You must be Mr. Culver. I'm Andy Johnson, just call me Andy. Everyone else does!"

Matt shook his hand, surprised at the informal dress and demeanor of the man who called himself president of the company so he replied, "Call me Matt."

He followed him back as Andy sat at his desk, "Sorry the airline flubbed. Glad we scheduled this for a skills test tomorrow.

"So. Why did you apply here? You know the salary I am offering. It's very good for here but pales in comparison to what you earned at Callate."

He nodded, yeah, but it was uh..."

Andy laughed, "I already know the story. I had someone look into the court case. Can't be too careful. I'll save you repeating the story. Let me guess, one of the McMillen brothers was banging your wife? Rich New Jersey Lawyer being a scumbag screwing a married woman. Call me shocked!" he rolled his eyes.

Andy refocused, "Still, why here?"

Matt looked at Andy, "The judge in my upcoming divorce advised me that the McMillens were well connected to Trenton and they might try to make trouble or persuade employers to get rid of me. She told me her best advice was to leave New Jersey. I saw your ad on Indeed and I matched up to your list of required skills."

Andy said, "Your story is not as rare as you think except the part about her working for a man who is friends with the governor. Rich guys do that shit because... well because they can." Andy frowned at the mention of rich guys screwing other men's wives.

Andy pursed his lips then said, "Your resume was the best one I received by a long shot so we flew you down. Still, due diligence and all."

Andy looked at his watch, "Half hour. We can do this."

Andy got up from his desk and walked him over to a room simply marked 'server room'

The network was not a tenth the size of the one he was used to working on. Andy asked, "Think you can take good care of this?"

Matt nodded then listed some of the IT certificates he held in addition to his MS in Computer Science.

Andy nodded, "Now the job does require a lot more. Our system is not that big. Can you build a PC? We buy parts from Microcenter and stay with certain manufacturers for consistency."

Matt nodded and answered a dozen other computer hardware questions before Andy launched into the various software systems they used. Matt knew all but one of them and fortunately, it was not a key to their systems.

Andy leaned back in his chair and looked at him then smiled, "Can you do web pages?"

Matt equivocated, "I've done a few."

Andy asked, "We use Altair for our web ordering system, along with Ebay and Shopify to generate traffic. If I send you to a class on Altair, think you can pick it up? The network is not all that big and that is why all computer work is part of this position. Understand, all management wears multiple hats and you will too. There are several of our pages you will be responsible for like the current news, job openings, and specials page. We hire out for the front page, art and presentation part of our website, but you need to keep certain pages current.

You will also be responsible for keeping the pricing database current and even hit Ebay and Shopify with ads. It's expensive, but they generate a lot of traffic for us."

Matt nodded and noted that Andy was nodding. A good sign. Andy smiled, "We have a good thing here. Our biggest boat is only twenty five feet and we produce just under eight hundred a year. We have two hundred eighty employees and a lot of our process is as automated as we can make it. The hulls, inserts and decks are fiberglass and still done by hand. We do around seventy-five million a year, more or less up from just over sixty a year ago. Things are going well and we are expanding into related, but areas less prone to economic cycles."

Andy was thinking, "We will do the.... SHIT I'm late! Come on."

Andy picked up his car keys then pocketed them and walked out the door, re-securing it behind him.

Andy walked quickly and surprisingly passed right by the blue Ford F150 Limited with the 'Andy1' license plate and walked to the end of the driveway and toward downtown.

Matt asked, "Where are we going?"

Andy said, "Oh right. Sorry. First and third Thursday bossman pays for Bubba's for three hours. It was a bet I made with my employees that we couldn't grow ten percent. We grew twenty. We're breaking ground on the lot next door in September. We bought Red Razorback Fishing Gear. It will expand us in a direction less prone to the ups and downs of the boat business."

They walked to a large two story Victorian building with a turret on the corner. It was not lost on Matt that many people nodded at Andy and some even gave a friendly "Andy!" and he called them back by name.

Bubbas turned out to be Bubbas Brewpub and it was the opposite of what he thought it would be. Modern, clean, not high end, but not low either. It was the kind of brewpub that families would go to and a fair number of families were seated on the lower floor. It was a modern conversion of an old department store building with natural light coming down through the large skylights that had been installed in the ceiling two floors above. They had turned the second floor into an open-lobby style loft and he could see stairs leading up to a second eating area on the second floor.

They walked up the stairs past a sign that said 'Reserved for HJB'.

Matt noted he was greeted warmly, even by a few of the people he recognized coming out the door of the factory floor.

Andy asked, "Have you heard of us before you applied?"

Matt shook his head and said, "I did some research..."

Andy said, "So just basic internet research?"

Matt nodded, "Why?"

Andy laughed, "Just curious. In 2014 we caused quite a stir during the Superbowl. Two of our ads were pulled for being inappropriate. You probably couldn't even think about doing commercials like them today but we had them made, paid for the time slots. Just two days before the Superbowl, they were rejected after previously being accepted. The idea was to get noticed. Even though the ads were pulled, thanks to Youtube, we got noticed."

Andy smirked, "They are pretty popular today on Youtube so we got our money's worth."

Matt pulled up a Youtube link and hit play

*******

A man in a flannel shirt walked into a bar and took a seat near another man in a black shirt.

The flannel shirt man said, "Hank. My wife says you have a Harry Johnson."

The man nodded, "Well, Joe. I do indeed and I have a picture to prove it. Take a look at this."

"Wow. That is a very nice Harry Johnson. Black. I like it."

"Yeah, I know. It's a twenty-five footer."

"Your Harry Johnson is twenty five feet? Impressive."

"Yeah. My wife loves it!"

"I'll bet she does."

"My mom too!"

"She's been on your Harry Johnson?"

"Hell yeah! She loves it as much as my wife does."

Joe nodded, then Hank said, "My dad loves it, too."

The camera view slowly came closer to and focused on a picture of a twenty five foot center console boat with a black hull and the commercial faded to black.

*******

Matt laughed, "Damn. You could never do that now."

Andy laughed then he hit a link to a second clip.

*******

A man focused on two men standing side-by side. in a parking lot, facing away, they fill the frame of the video.

"Wow. That is the biggest deck I have seen."

"Yeah. I love my deck. It's so big, all my friends can stand on it!"

The other man nodded, "I bet. Is a very nice deck, too. I bet it gets a lot of use."

He nodded, "I had nine people on my deck last Saturday. My dad loves it too! Wanna see my deck pic?"

He nodded, "I'd love to see a deck pic!", and looked at the picture. "Wow, maybe you would let me take a ride on your deck."

The camera zoomed out and it showed two men standing in front of a twenty-five foot deck boat

The end had the text, 'The HJB 25 foot deck boat has the largest deck area of any twenty five footer in its class.'

*******

The commercial faded to black.

Matt chuckled, "Definitely could not do that today."

Andy smiled, "We don't take ourselves too seriously here. Life needs to be lived."

The food at Bubba's was excellent and the chicken tenders were contenders for the best ones Matt had ever had. People mixed and people talked. Various people would come up and talk to Andy and he noted he knew all their names, even people he later identified as people who worked on the production floor.

After two hours at Bubba's, he headed back to his hotel hoping... The job was different from his former job at Callate in all the right ways.

Friday, March 24, 2023

Matt drove his rental car into the lot and walked into the lobby to find Cassie at the window. She smiled brightly then hit a button on her phone, "Andy. Matt Culver is here. Yeah. I'll send him back."

Andy had Matt sit at a computer station, "This test is a networking test. The questions start out easy then get tougher. I'll be in my office when you finish."

*******

At noon, Andy came to Matt after his second and final test and asked, "I don't think I would have to twist your arm to head to Bubba's."

Matt's smile and quickly standing was the answer he had expected.

Matt wanted to appear friendly so asked, "I saw a picture in your office of you with the clubhouse at Augusta with an older man. You belong?"

Andy laughed, "Me? No. My father does and that is who is in that picture with me. He's the CEO of Linnhoff Financial."

Matt did a double take, "Linnhoff!?"

Andy chucked, "Yes That Linnhoff. I was born with a platinum spoon. Please don't look at me that way. I can't stand sitting around doing nothing and I loathe trust fund babies who do nothing so I took over my grandfather's business when he passed after I had my own personal issues in New York City. My grandfather was Harry Johnson, my father made his money after college on Wall Street. I hate the Northeast and always loved to visit my grandpa back here."

Matt nodded, "So that is how you knew so much about me. You have people in the area."

Andy nodded, "I called my old man. By the way, he says William McMillen is a dick."

Andy got serious, "Look. I was gonna tell you this after lunch, but if we can come to terms, the job is yours."

WHAM! Matt shut his eyes, trying desperately to not lose it in front of Andy.

Andy was good at reading people so he let Matt digest the news then said, "You said you were advised to leave New Jersey. Whoever told you that is right. McMillen knows the governor and a ton of people in Trenton and even more than a few in New York City. He's not like some mafia guy who will come gunning, but he can persuade people to not hire you and if hired, to fire you. He's rich, but not as rich as my father and his reach does not really go past New Jersey and New York City."

Matt nodded, "Uh, yeah. Let's talk about me coming here."

That first big win after crushing defeat. It was glorious.

Andy was very adept at reading the room so changed the subject to lighter topics, "So let me tell you about some of the great things about Weston and Fort Smith!"

"Weston is great! You see most of the store fronts have businesses in them? That is by design. Walmart wanted to build a supercenter on a lot by the interstate. We came to terms, but we had them build on the immediate block East of Main Street facing sideways so the parking lot sides behind the Main Street businesses. The service alley also became the freight drive for Walmart. Main Street was dying at the time so they tore down the largely dead blocks on both sides of Main Street and left Main Street. Center Avenue is the only through street and the one that feeds to the front of Walmart."

"We work WITH the retail monster, not against them. Being adjacent to the Walmart lot sends foot traffic to Main Street. You can't fight Walmart, so we worked with them to locate where we would both benefit. Mayor Crane came up with that idea back in 2000. Two years later, Home Depot located across Center Avenue across from Walmart and again, Main Street feeds them and they feed Main Street. It's just the retail version of what we did on the West side of Main Street by locating our two industrial parks close enough to walk to Main Street."

Matt nodded, "That is smart as heck!"

Andy smiled, "It is indeed!"

After lunch where Andy extolled the virtues of the area, Matt was across from Andy, "So. Let's talk numbers. I offered eighty, but you were making one twenty in New Jersey. Look. I can't match that. I just can't. Were a mid sized fun boat maker in Arkansas. I pay the factory people well and they are the lifeblood of the company. Our lowest paid employee is sixteen bucks an hour after the probationary ninety days and most are in the low twenties which is above the average for the area. They turn out a great product decidedly free from warranty issues and I pay them for it."

He ran a number on his computer, "Seventeen hundred a week. I'll go eighty eight thousand four hundred and think about it. The people here are a lot more open and a lot more friendly. It's a great place and if you get married and want a family, this is an amazing place for kids to grow up in."

Matt made a face at the mention of getting married and Andy cautioned, "It's none of my business, but you are sitting inside my company so I'll say it anyway. If you let your ex-wife dictate the rest of your life, she wins. Simple as that. She wins and you lose. I lost a fiance to a Wall Street guy while I was living in New Jersey after college. Classic bullshit. He is richer than me, and about as rich as my dad. She traded up and I swore I would never get close to a woman again. I was replaced and I felt like shit."

Andy laughed, "Then I came back here, took over my grandfather's company. A year later, I went next-door to Walton Pneumatic to see if they had some parts for our air system. As I said, we all wear many hats here and I am not above going to get something the factory needs. I was waiting at their snack vending machine for their parts guy and met Danielle who works in customer service. We talked a bit and... Well, she had other ideas and is my wife now. Let's shorten this to I have two kids with her and I'm happy. I swore I never would do the love thing again and fortunately met someone who decided I was going to be hers and my opinion on that subject did not matter."

Andy laughed, "Lecture over. What do you think about the job? Eighty eight thousand and... Bubbas twice a month for free! For the rest of the year. I might just make it permanent. It builds team cohesion. I love the way office and factory people mix on those nights and honestly, I don't have my dad's multi-billions, but I can afford it."

Andy smiled, "Oh, and because it does not look good for senior staff to not use our products, I'll throw in an extra twenty thousand as a signing bonus which should be roughly fourteen after taxes because you'll need a down payment on your boat."

Matt stared blankly, "My boat?"

Andy nodded, "Once every seven years, every employee gets a fifty percent discount on the base cost of a boat with the only restriction that they cannot sell for three years. We own land down on the Arkansas River on an oxbow where we have a marina. We rent docks to employees for a fraction of what they are worth. Nothing is a better testimonial than your own employees using your product."

You can go for our twenty five footer, but our twenty-one foot bow rider is forty four grand with a two hundred horse Mercury Outboard. You can go to three hundred horse pretty reasonably though you wont get a discount on that addition. Four hundred horse is not only a bigger motor, but needs some structural stuff so costs an extra thirty-five thousand."

Andy smiled, "Relax. We're family here. Weston is not New Jersey and we have fun on our weekends not working. People are nicer and life is slower here. We work to live, not live to work. If you got the one I mentioned, your boat is only twenty-two thousand base price and I'm giving you fourteen of it... And the company will carry the loan. It's fifteen years at the lowest rate we can charge without getting the IRS beating on our door."

Matt savored this win, nodded, and stuck his hand out to shake Andy's hand. Andy pressed a couple of keys on his desk phone, "Cassie, get an employment offer made up. The standard one. Yeah. Seventeen hundred a week. Have him start the first Monday in May."

Two hours later, Matt drove out of the industrial park then back through town and three miles later, stopped at the light just before the onramp to I40. He could not contain it any longer and he started screaming, "YEAH! YES! YES! FUCK YES! YES! YES YEEEEEEEESSS!"

The people in the car next to him surely thought he was a lunatic.

Friday, April 28, 2023

Matt woke early with a smile. He had a life to live!

He looked out the small window beside the door at the U Haul truck with his car sitting on the car dolly.

He thought, "It's really happening." Two days of driving... Two LONG days. It would have been twenty hours in a car. In a truck with a car dolly trailing. Two UGLY LONG days.

He looked down at his trip notes and resolved 'Time to start living again'. The trip was meant to be cathartic and the formal start of a new chapter. He had made notes of a few good places to stop. One place he had heard of called Buc-ees where people raved about a number of snack items. It occurred to him silly shit like a stop at Buc-ees for a brisket sandwich was a good sign of good things to come. Simple things like wanting to try a good sandwich at a new place.

He picked up the sleeping bag and rolled it, leaving it next to the pillow Tom and Lisa had provided him and took a last look around and even a few pictures of the now emptied mother-in-law suite. An in-law suite in a suburban New Jersey home had been a refuge and a place to recover. The job at Bru-ski as an order picker had been an eye-opener. Sometimes 'ya gotta do what ya gotta do'. His coworkers had treated him well and a lot of their castoffs were making the journey to Arkansas with him. No point in wasting a perfectly functional if rather plain kitchen table and chairs... right? That Christmas Tree? Damn right, it was coming, too.

The final picture taken, he pulled a letter from his back pocket and put it on the kitchen counter. A simple thank you to Tom and Lisa for their help. Help that got him back onto the road of life to push forward. The keys to the Penske truck in hand, he walked to the door and looked down. An envelope with his name written in Lisa's elegant writing with his name had been pushed under the door, 'To Matt'

He picked up the envelope and read.

'Dearest Matt

CONGRATULATIONS!

Today you begin your new path. We both work today so won't be able to see you off and are happy that you are getting to restart your life.

You asked how you can repay us and we deferred. Tom and I have a very good life and we want for little and need nothing from you.

You will repay us. I told you the story of Ed Smith and how he paid my last year of college tuition after my father's business failed. I graduated, met Tom, and have a life I cherish.

So this is how I am asking you to pay me back. Ed asked me to pay my debt by paying it forward so I helped you. I am asking you to do the same. Someday well into the future, you will see someone at a very bad crossroads in their life. You will pay me back the day you help that person.

PAY IT FORWARD!

Lisa'

He walked outside on the cool, partly cloudy day, took a last look at the door, snapped a quick picture with his phone, then walked to the truck. Getting in he started it and smiled then drove out of the neighborhood for the last time, getting on I287 South at Montville then slowly bringing the truck to sixty-five miles an hour. He was a rolling roadblock to the drivers wanting to go eighty, but driving fast as an amateur driver in a truck while pulling a car dolly in New Jersey traffic... Yeah, that's not going to go fast.

The miles rolled behind him.

At half past seven, he pulled onto I178 West, one interstate down and onto the second. At half past eight, he passed over the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. One state down and most of six to go.

The miles rolled behind him.

I78 merged into I81 in Pennsylvania. The miles rolled behind him.

At a quarter until noon, he passed from West Virginia into Virginia.

The miles rolled behind him.

'Flying J first exit in Virginia'.

His notes were handy and truckstops would provide him easier driveways for him to maneuver the truck. He parked near the rear of the truck lot, finding a double spot so he could pull all the way through and not have to try backing a car dolly. To truckers, that was easy, but to him...

The mood was good.. Scratch that... excellent. Here in Virginia, it was a bit warmer in the mid to high fifties. A quick burger at the Denny's, fuel and he was moving again.

At a quarter until seven that evening, I81 ended at I40 and he continued on I40 West... another interstate down!

'New Buc-ees. I40 Sevierville'

Another note paid off and he arrived at a quarter past seven to a brand new Buc-ees. The brisket sandwich was all that it was hyped. Fuel and food then keep moving! A few miles on and almost fourteen hours driving, The Strawberry Plains Pike was a busy highway, but offered the easy wide turns and a Hampton Inn with a big parking lot at the rear where he could turn the truck.

More than half way and down for the night.

Somehow

Some way.

That mood just kept getting better!

Saturday, April 29, 2023

He woke early at five. His mind awake and pushing him. GIT R DUN! The free breakfast was a blessing and he was gone by half past five. That mood... kept climbing.. At a quarter until noon, he passed over the Mississippi river and into Arkansas.

He thought, 'Arkansas?'

Now it was home.

Home. He was going home.

A Wendy's in a Pilot Travel Center just over the river in West Memphis, fuel and go by a quarter until one that afternoon. Fuel and go!

That evening, he looked down at his watch: 6:05:25 and the image stuck in his head. The moment he shut the engine off and looked down at his watch. 1656 Redbud Lane, Weston, Arkansas. Home.

He realized for the first time in months, he was truly home. He pulled the key from his pocket, HIS key to HIS place!, savoring this win. He walked inside and looked around. One bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen/ living room. It wasn't much, but it was his and there were no neighbors above. A tiny garden apartment at eleven hundred a month. The extra two hundred versus a three story walk up. Worth it.

He looked at a corner and thought, 'Definitely for the Christmas tree'. Someone had left a nice TV mount on the wall. One less thing to do. He pulled his car off the dolly and parked it in the assigned space then pulled an air mattress and a blanket out of the cab along with his duffel and put them in the apartment. After parking the truck in the back and locking it, he headed to his car.

Bubba's chicken fingers for a late dinner?

Yes please!

And that mood just kept climbing.

Sunday, April 30, 2023

With two helpers he got from Uhaul, It was surprisingly quick to unload the fifteen foot truck. No couch, no bed. He thought, "Shit I need those."

He had a truck for the bed, the other stuff could wait. The trip to Mattress Masters in Van Buren solved the problem. One mediocre quality queen mattress and base plus frame. Headboard? That could wait.

Monday, May 1, 2023

Matt woke early and arrived at work at half past six to find there was no one in the lot for another ten minutes until Andy arrived in his F150. Andy walked to Matt's car and laughed, "Matt, relax. You don't have to impress me more. You already have."

Andy motioned him to the door, "Cassie has all your stuff and she'll kill me if I go rifling through her desk screwing everything up. I guess she can't complain if I show you your office."

Andy led him back through the lobby down the same corridor Andy's office was on to the end to the second last door on the left, one conveniently next to the last one on the left marked, 'Server Room.'

Andy shrugged, "I don't have anything for you, yet. Cassie has it. She comes in two minutes early and leaves one minute after."

Matt nodded and Andy Admonished, "Matt. This isn't New Jersey and I am not evil. Beating on people for twelve hours a day is a good way to get people to hate their jobs. Do your job and you will be fine. Let Cassie drink her morning water and eat her banana then about ten after seven, bug her, but let her eat her banana."

Matt nodded as Andy left and again thought, "This sure as hell is not New Jersey."

The office was a ten by ten foot square with his L shaped desk near the center and a credenza behind. His computer was a desktop mid tower with dual twenty seven inch monitors sitting on the right side of the L. The room was otherwise empty except for an empty bookshelf and his chair.

White walls with numerous subtle shadows showed where pictures had formerly been hung.

Cassie was at his office at twelve after seven and knocked on the doorframe with a smile, "Welcome! Busy day for you. I have a list. After I give you your items, first up is your tour of the office then Hank will give you a tour of the floor."

She dropped several items on his desk, "You keyfob and side door keys. If the power is out, the side door by the gas meter can be opened. The small key is the door handle. The big one is the deadbolt. Your fob is one of three that can open the server room. Mine and Andy's are the others."

"Health insurance. We all get a silver health insurance plan, including Andy. Not perfect, but sure beats one of those bronze plans. You get a vision and a dental plan. Neither is a gold plan, but don't look the gift horse."

There are the usual seven holidays plus three floaters. You accrue vacation at the rate of ten days per calendar year. If you don't use them, you can carry one from year to year. He pays out one at the end of the year if you don't use it but if you accumulate more than a week, you lose it. Oh, if you don't use your floaters, you lose them."

"At ten, you are meeting with Mary Ann Carson, the sales manager. She is selling you your boat and going over the options. Listen to her. She isn't going to push to make your boat into a hundred thousand dollar sale and she knows what she is talking about. This is a big deal for us. When one of us has a boat made, the whole floor takes extra care building it"

At half past eleven, is your welcome lunch, "We're bringing in Frankie's Pizza which is the best around. Don't laugh, they aren't cheap and they are amazing!"

She smiled, "While I'm thinking of it, a little advice. Walmart has killed off most of the regular grocery stores. They are good for staples, but seriously head to Van Buren Butchery in Van Buren for meat. They're closed Sunday and Monday and don't go Saturday if you want to get out in less than an hour. Oh, we do have Aldi so go there for what they are good at."

"Anyway, At one, we have Altair coming in to get you the basics on their system and that is the rest of the day."

She dropped the list on the desk and said, "Andy will be by in a few to take you around."

Five minutes later, Andy knocked on the doorframe, "Ready? I'm sure you're going to like working here. We're family."

As promised Andy came to take him on the tour of the office and Matt followed Andy who went to the office next to Matt's. Two women were inside, "Matt, this is Susan Miller, our CFO and Terry, our accounting clerk."

Both women waved as Susan laughed and rolled her eyes, "Chief officer of one direct report, Terry the book keeper."

The next office was an older black man sitting at a desk with an old fashioned drafting table behind him, "Matt, this is Morgan Robinson, our Engineering Manager."

They walked through a side door into the engineering room with four people in it and Andy introduced them, "These are our two engineers and our two drafters, Jason, Ben, Calvin and Riva."

Matt was more and more impressed with Andy in that he seemed to make the effort to know everyone's name.

Across the hall was the sales department, a large room with an office to one side and a line of four empty cubicles on the other. Andy explained, "They have cubicles here, but spend the day at the sales building at the front of our property."

Next up was the customer service department which was similar with one office and four cubicles in a row opposite it.

Cassie came in and patiently waited as Andy introduced Matt to the customer service team.

Matt, "This is Melanie Boyer, the customer service manager. These are our four customer service reps, Ravi Shah, Tanya Graham, Allie Barton, and Hannah Higgins."

The customer service team all smiled and greeted him as Andy turned to Cassie, "Yes?"

Cassie was distracted then startled and said, "The Mercury district manager is here with the prototype engine. They are setting up in the conference room."

Andy nodded, "I'm almost done. Give me five."

Cassie went over to Melanie and talked a bit, they looked at Matt several times.

Andy led them out of the room and headed down another hall and to a door into the factory, "We have two hundred eighty employees and the factory is two hundred ten thousand square feet. I'll let Hank fill you in."

They went to the center where a modular office stood on a mezzanine overlooking the production floor.

"Matt, this is Bill Young, Plant Manager, Doug Fleming, Operations Manager, Ann Carter, Facilities Manager, Jerry Nye, head of maintenance, Mike Jensen the molded fiberglass production supervisor, and Hank Mather who runs the rest of the floor."

Andy looked at Hank, "Okay, I have to go into a meeting with Mercury, you can show him the floor."

Hank led him down the stairs of the plant office and pointed over to a room full of molds, "We make a top quality good, strong thick hull with a strong insert then put a good Mercury motor on it. The seat bases are top quality stainless as are all our anchor points. We make a budget friendly boat so where do we save? You don't get carpet or runners, but that is easy to take care of if you want it and the templates for every model are on a PDF on our website if you don't pay extra for us to put it in. There are very few extras. A bimini top is extra and you will want one, but you can live without it. You will want a nav system and we don't include it, but you can get that from us when you buy it or anywhere when the time comes. Our gauge panel is basic with the basic gauges, but it has knockouts so you can put whatever you want in. There are four blank panels at four points on most boats. Again, there are knockouts and you can put whatever you want in and the raceways are not hard to get to. For example, one is at the rear seat so you can put in USB ports or whatever at a future point."

The seat mounts are top quality and we mount everything with top quality hardware. We have a tower mount standard but towers are expensive so they are not included. Still, top quality mounting plates and underneath a cover that you remove. The seats themselves are very basic and we only give you two plus the cushion for the back., but again, you can add or replace those easily aftermarket and get anything from cheap to high end according to your own tastes. We get you into the boat and give you a base that will last a long time. New carpet is cheap, a new motor is not."

He pointed over to the other end of the building, "That's my area. We use as many automated machines as we can and most of those are in my area. We use computer controlled CNC, plasma and water cutters, you name it. It saves on cost and most machine operators know at least two or three of the systems so we can cover when people are on vacation or whatever."

"That's the door to the on-site daycare. It's a double sallyport to keep kids from wandering into the production floor and it has a door to the lunch room. Having that saves us probably eighty percent less absenteeism. Most employees know they will never get as good a job as HJB nevermind the cost is a pittance compared to regular daycare. That alone drops out employee turnover by a ton and having it onsite means they and by extension we are not subject to the whims of a random provider. A lot of parents have lunch with their kids. It works out. Andy hires students from the county college teacher program so they get experience and he gets people to mind the little monsters."

Hank smiled and looked at Matt, "If you haven't figured it out, HJB is just about the best place to work anywhere."

He continued, "Over there is receiving..."

At ten, Mary Ann Carson knocked on his door frame, "It's time. Come on! This is a big deal for us!"

Matt followed Mary Ann to the separate sales room building at the front of the property. Each model was proudly displayed on a fixed base with the model at the bottom. Mary Ann asked, "Have you ever owned a boat?"

Matt shook his head and Mary Ann nodded, "Well none of our boats are particularly hard to pilot, but you should take a basic course on seamanship." She handed him a card, "Andy pays half so it's one hundred fifty bucks for you and we get two hundred off the regular five hundred dollar cost. It includes a two hour on-river lesson with Frank guiding you and that includes going through one of the locks so you know what and what NOT to do."

Matt nodded and asked, "Locks?"

Mary Ann nodded, 'The Arkansas River has a series of locks and one of them is right next to the outlet of Little Bow which is where the company docks are.

Matt nodded and asked, "We send Frank that much business for the discount?"

Mary Ann shook her head, "Andy gave him the boats with the deal that we always get a discount. Not sure how they worked it out, but they did and it works for us."

Mary Ann asked, "So what do you want to do with the boat?"

Matt shrugged, "I guess fishing and running it to see things... you know, explore."

Mary Ann nodded, "That doesn't really narrow it down too much. You can fish from a deck boat, a bow rider or a center console. Do you plan on ONLY fishing?"

Matt shrugged, "Right now... maybe?"

Mary Ann probed, "You have a significant other?"

Matt shook his head with a bit of a grimace. Mary Ann saw the grimace, "You must have had a bad divorce. I recognize that sour look."

Matt looked at her and Mary Ann laughed, "Matt. I am very good at sales and very good at reading people. My ability to read people is why I am so good. That being said, perhaps flexibility is the key. A center console is best at fishing and not all that great for other things as our base center console does not come with a lot of seats. Are you taking a large number of people fishing?"

Matt shook his head and Mary Ann said, "So be flexible. A deck boat or a bow rider is more flexible and two or people can fish easily from either a bow rider or deck boat, but a center console would be much better for five people fishing. Someone running a fishing charter would pretty much always want the center console."

She asked, "So that leads me to ask though I already have half an answer. Do you plan on running larger groups of people and doing slow cruises?"

Matt shook his head, "Probably not and certainly not that often. Not sure if I want something slow."

Mary Ann nodded, then asked, "How much do you plan on spending?"

Matt thought for a second and said, "I dunno. Andy suggested the twenty-one foot bow rider was easy and fun and not all too terrible to afford."

Mary Ann nodded, "That is what I was leaning toward. The Azure 21. It's a fun little boat. Easy to run. You don't need a twenty five footer for a lot of people. It's pretty quick. The hull is a bit heavier than usual, but we have a very good hull design we had tested before it ever reached production, so speed evens out. It's forty four thousand base price."

Matt nodded and said, "You know best." He noted Mary Ann did not disagree with him.

Mary Anne nodded, "So my advice, take it or leave it but I have sold many thousands of boats, Get the three hundred horsepower for twelve thousand, but not the four hundred. Three hundred gets you a top speed of fifty-five and an easy forty miles an hour cruising speed versus thirty two miles an hour cruising speed and a top end of forty four on the base engine. Four hundred gets you an easy forty six miles an hour cruising speed and a sixty two mile an hour top end, but it costs thirty five thousand because we have to put a different transom reinforcement in. The three hundred is easily worth every nickel of the twelve thousand and sorry, no discount there as that is pretty much the additional cost for the motor."

"I get several calls a week from people inquiring about the trade in value of the two hundred horse motor and very rarely on the three hundred. It's a diminishing return on horsepower. We had an experimental five hundred horsepower on a test boat. It only went three miles an hour faster at the top end versus the four hundred. A hull has only so much speed in its basic design."

Matt winced a bit and nodded, "Go with three hundred horsepower."

Mary Ann smiled and consoled him a bit, "It was the right choice. Again, Matt, thousands of boats. I have sold thousands. I know what I am talking about."

Mary Ann said, "Next. Matt, most of the summer, it's ninety five in town and ninety two down by the river. You want the bimini or a T-top. The T Top is solid and four thousand dollars. If you want the bimini, buy the good one, your boat can go fifty five miles an hour and you don't want it failing. It's eighteen hundred for the good one."

Once again, Matt winced and nodded, "Bimini top... the eighteen hundred dollar one."

Mary Ann smiled, last thing before I get into things you might want. Matt, get the advanced control package for twenty five hundred. That does not include the nav, but it will make adding things like that much easier and it's built to take industry standard components including the nav. It also adds all of the pre-wiring and wiring harnesses which are mounted high to keep them out of any water that comes inside the boat from rain or if you hit a wake oddly."

Matt agreed, making a tight smile, this was adding up too fast.

Mary Ann said, "So far so good. Let's get into optional equipment. You will want a nav. The Garmin Echomap 94 is seventeen fifty."

She coughed, "It's twelve hundred on Amazon and the advanced controls you already bought make it prewired."

Matt looked at her and smiled...

An hour later, he had ordered another twelve hundred dollars of options. Matt walked out of the showroom, "Thanks, Mary Ann. That was surprisingly non-painful for spending sixty-one thousand three hundred dollars..." He sighed, "Plus tax."

Mary Ann smiled, "Matt. With your down payment your loan is just over twenty thousand you will love your boat and hey! You don't pay the shipping charge! Andy will get your boat to Little Bow for free!"

She winked, "Might help you get a girlfriend."

Matt made a tight smile and Mary Ann clucked a bit. "Matt, I don't know your story but I can see that a woman hurt you. Think of the good things that happened before whatever the bad thing was that happened. I'm fifty-two and I have never deliberately hurt my husband nor have I ever even seriously thought of stepping out on him. The best part of being human is loving someone and them loving you back. My twenty-year-old son just had his heart broken by a slu... er girl and that is exactly what I told him. Lecture over. Enjoy your boat."

She laughed and looked at Matt, "Yeah, I'm a bit of a mother hen. Matt, HJB is family, okay. We're family. There is no better place to work."

*******

Andy came out of his office to find Cassie talking in hushed tones with Melinda, "What are you two conspiring about?"

Cassie gave him a sly look, "Oh. Just women stuff. Nothing to worry about." Her look was cunning and her smile scheming.

Andy gave her side eye, "Cassie, I know you and that is why I am worried."

Cassie smirked at Melinda then they both smirked at Andy, "We're just working on something. Something good. We promise."

*******

Monday May 8, 2023

At five after ten in the morning, Allie knocked on Matt's door frame, "Melinda sent me to ask what name we should paint on the back."

Matt thought for a second and came up with nothing and said, "I'll email her."

Allie nodded and said, "I'll tell her.", then walked back to customer service.

At five after two, Allie knocked on Matt's door frame, "Melinda sent me to ask to confirm what color you want the sides of your boat."

Matt thought for a second and said, "I'll check our website for the color list and email her."

Allie nodded and said, "I'll tell her.", then walked back to customer service.

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Allie knocked on Matt's door frame, "Hi. Um. Sorry. Again. Question twelve or so. Melinda sent me to ask if you wanted the new four cup, cup holder holder on the left side next to the steering instead of the old two cup one? She says it's free and nicer than the old style, but needs your permission to change it."

Matt laughed, "She sure seems determined to make me love the boat."

Allie smiled, "That's our job! You chose well on the stuff you bought. They meant the part about getting you into the boat and letting you add stuff later, but for example, the stainless rod holders you bought will last as long as the boat where the plastic ones... well... I get calls on them. They are looking to find a new supplier."

Allie paused, closed her eyes and said, "You know. I like fishing."

Matt looked up. There it was. She smiled nervously as Matt looked at her, "Pardon?"

She sighed, "Please don't make me say it again. I'm scared to death and I can't lob an easier one for you than that."

Matt laughed and she looked even more scared. He had never looked at her that closely. Barely five feet, shoulder length natural blonde hair. Smallish chest and tight waist. She was downright adorable. The thought struck him oddly that the cutest girl in the world was scared of what Matt Culver might say.

Matt smiled, "Allie, my boat won't be ready to take you fishing for another two weeks, but would you like to head to Bubba's after work?"

Allie beamed and nodded vigorously, "Yes!"

*******

As Allie and Matt walked out the lobby door toward Bubba's, Cassie and Melinda were standing by Cassie's desk in the lobby. They fist bumped and Melinda said, "BOOM!"

Cassie nodded and said, "I think we need to call our guys to take us to Bubba's so we can spy on them!"

Melinda nodded, "Damn right!"

Cassie had her phone out immediately, "Jake. Hi. Everything is good. Look, I'm working on a project and we need to eat at Bubba's tonight. Never mind what kind of project. It's at Bubba's and we need to go. Yeah, okay, Oh, stop, you know I will pay tonight. I pay you four or five times a week and it's not like you have to twist my arm. Love you."

*******

Allie sat across from Matt at a two person table near the edge of the Mezzanine. Matt smiled, "So you lobbed an easy question for me to ask you out, so I will reciprocate. Tell me about Allie..."

*******

Andy walked into Bubbas with his wife and two kids, spotting Melinda and her husband along with Cassie and her fiance, Jake, sitting at a table for four on the mezzanine level. He greeted them, "Hi everyone!"

Both women had been intent on watching something and turned to Andy a bit startled, "Uh. Hey Andy!"

Andy asked, "So what are you two so intent on? I saw the huddles earlier and just now, you were clearly studying something."

Cassie smirked, "Don't be obvious, but look about six tables over at the edge of the mezzanine."

Andy looked over, then finally saw what they were talking about and said, "Matt and Allie?"

Cassie said, "Uh huh!"

Andy looked again, "Holy shit! Er sorry. Is Allie actually smiling?"

Cassie and Melinda nodded, "Uh huh! Look closer."

Andy said, "She hasn't smiled like that since..."

Melinda finished, "Before Conner did his number on her."

Cassie rolled her eyes at Andy, "See! It was a good thing. Both Cassie and I noticed when you introduced Matt to the customer service team, that Allie... she lit up! She's been so sad for so long and she took one look at Matt and lit up like a Christmas tree."

Melinda laughed, "I had to send her to ask Matt a dozen questions about his upcoming boat build before something happened today and well... TA DA!"

Andy smiled, "I didn't say this officially of course but uh, yeah uh, if the company needs to do anything not too obvious..."

Cassie smiled warmly at her boss, "Andy. That is why you are such a great boss. We're family!"

Friday, May 12, 2023

Allie smiled, "A girl could get used to this." She held his gaze telling him to read the message underneath the words.

He smiled, "Bubbas, Frankies and now dinner at Meridians. I'll take your word that it's good."

Allie nodded, "Best steakhouse in the area."

Allie was animated and Matt realized, very easy to talk to.

Saturday, May 13, 2023

Matt drove to a typical three story, twelve unit apartment building on the Northeast edge of Weston and walked up to the third floor and knocked on unit 3B. Allie answered the door wearing shorts and a half shirt over a bikini top. Matt had to tear his eyes away to not stare where all men want to stare. He had a bare midriff and Allie was a tight little thing, likely tipping the scales barely over a hundred pounds. He stammered a bit, "Wow, Allie, you're gorgeous!"

He shut his eyes, it was corny as heck but she loved it having spent the earlier part of the morning deciding on how to impress Matt. She kissed him on the cheek, "Why thank you kind sir! Care to carry my fishing gear down?"

Matt was a bit surprised. The tackle box was not some brand new thing and her fishing rod was a St Croix. Not top end, but not a big box store cheap one either.

He opened the door and with deliberate corniness said, "Your chariot awaits, madam!" That earned another cheek kiss before she sat down in his Highlander with a smile.

Matt asked, 'Want lunch before we head to the lake?"

Allie nodded, "I sure would love some chicken. Where are we headed?"

"Robert S Kerr reservoir. There's a fishing pier at the Wilson Point State Park. I bought the licenses for us, they are in the center console."

Allie smiled, it was obvious he had put in as much effort as she had.

At ten that night, he walked her up to her apartment. She thought for a second and said quietly, "I had the most amazing day today. I'm just... not ready for... you know. That being said..." She leaned in and kissed him hot, even with a hint of tongue, then broke the kiss and smiled, "I'd love to have another day like today with you. Maybe... very soon...?" She smiled, hoping.

He smiled, relieved. Her polite turndown of sex was simply that she was not ready. Not a rejection of something possibly in the future.

He thought for a second, "Perhaps at a state park I heard about that's about a half hour north of town? You like hiking?"

She kissed him hot again, "I would like that very much, Matt. What time?"

He shrugged, "Ten in the morning?"

Sme smiled, "That sounds wonderful. I will see you then."

Monday, May 14, 2023

Andy came to Matt's office to find Allie sitting in a chair close to Matt, both eating off the lunch truck that came everyday at half past eleven, "Hey Matt. Mercury... Nevermind, I'm bugging you at lunch. I'll email you."

Andy smiled and passed his office to come to Cassie's desk, "Well looks like your little scheme is working. She's in his office having lunch with him."

Cassie beamed as Andy walked away. Cassie then called Melinda, "They're eating together!"

Cassie smiled in a very self satisfied manner.

Tuesday, May 15, 2023

They parked at Matt's place and Allie followed him inside.

Allie sat down as Matt asked, "Want something to drink?"

Allie shook her head, thought for a second then said, "Matt, please sit."

He sat with a nervous expression. Was she breaking it off before it was anything to begin with?

Allie sighed, "I know about the three date rule and sorry, that has already passed and it's not happening tonight. Look. This is not easy and I'm not easy. It's complicated. Hell, I'm complicated. Something humiliating happened and it has taken me forever to recover."

Matt nodded, "Want to tell me about it? Will it help?"

Allie steeled herself, "Okay. Well, last year my boyfriend dumped me in a very bad way. He did it publicly and humiliated me. He replaced me and didn't have the courtesy to do it quietly and before he started seeing someone else."

Matt nodded, "I can identify, but keep going."

Allie sighed, "Okay. So last summer, Conner, he was my boyfriend, started skipping out on dates with me. We had been together for four years since I was eighteen. It was subtle at first but got to happen more and more. He lives in Van Buren and there is a place called Wilson's Necklace. It's formerly part of the Arkansas River that got cut off and is now a lake. Well, every July around the fourth, there is a big party there. It's not official and probably illegal, but the police don't bother unless someone starts getting violent."

"We had plans to attend, but at the last minute, Connor canceled on me for the thing at Wilson's. This was on Sunday, which was July third before the holiday on the fourth. Well, I was mad and I was going to give Connor a piece of my mind. I figured he was down at Wilson's with his buddies instead of me so I drove over and started looking around."

She shut her eyes and steeled herself, "Well, the crowd was pretty big so I looked around for quite a bit. I found him. Unfortunately, I found him making out with Megan Farnesworth. I marched over furious and yelled asking her what she was doing with my boyfriend."

"Well, it's pretty obvious, but when you are blindsided, you're not thinking right. Pretty much everyone heard me and the place grew silent. He just looked at me, puffed up his chest and said, "Megan is my girl now. Lose my number."

She sighed, "Well I wasn't thinking too well at that point and asked, 'What do you mean?'

"Megan looked at me and smirked something awful and said, "You've been replaced." She stuck her boobs out and pulled her shoulders back and said, "He found better.""

"I just stood there humiliated. Megan lifted her top, shook her oversized balloons on her chest a couple times then said, "Better!"

I was crying at that point. Most people were laughing. I got a few looks of pity, but everyone started to ignore me until Connor looked over and saw me standing there and he said far too loud, "You're dismissed."

Everyone looked again and most laughed. I couldn't move. It took a couple minutes and someone must have reported it, but one of the female officers from the Van Buren Police came to me and led me away. She got me composed enough to drive home, but I must have sat there in the parking lot for over an hour crying and crushed. She even followed me home to make sure I got there safely."

She looked up, "I know I'm attractive, but I can't compete with a double D cup and I won't try to convince a guy if that is what he wants. Guy's have always wanted me, but after that and for a long time, I felt less than. Less than Megan and her giant boobs."

She pursed her lips and looked at him, "I'll give Andy and Melinda a lot of credit. They put up with a lot of me crying at my desk, but Melinda kept telling me HJB is family. That is what I latched onto. HJB is family. I got better. Kind of. You're the first guy... Shit. This is embarrassing. You're the first guy I wanted to go out with since that day."

Matt smiled at her, "I'm honored."

Allie smiled, "Thanks. The thing is, I'm complicated and I really just want to stop talking about my crash and burn over the last year. It's been a year and I'm okay, but it's a scar I carry. I hope this kind of explains why we're not intimate yet. I'm scared out of my mind."

Matt nodded and said, "I can relate. I was replaced by a rich guy."

Allie looked at him incredulous, "Replaced? Is that how you ended up here?"

He nodded, "It started at my wife's company Christmas party. Yeah, I know cliche number one of a thousand. Well I saw she was hanging around one of the senior partners too much. She works at a law firm and his name is William McMillen. Evil rich lawyer. Cliche number two."

"I told her I did not like it and she told me I was crazy. Cliche three."

He shook his head and sighed, "Well in October of the following year, I was greeted at the airport by a process server who gave me divorce papers and a protection order preventing me from going home."

"I got fired the next day. Turns out that had been arranged by William McMillen who golfed with the CEO of the company I worked for. Evil rich guy knows other evil rich guys who make eivl plan. Cliche four."

"I was rescued, yes really, by a nice couple who let me live in their basement. I got arrested for domestic violence, that also was arranged by William alleging I hit my ex-wife. I spent three days in jail."

He looked at Allie, "Allie I have never hit a woman in my life."

"Well the charges of domestic violence fell apart pretty quickly. I got lucky I got a judge who could figure things out and William's plan was cartoonishly poor in execution. Still. I ended up divorced, but the judge was very fair to me. I applied for work all over New Jersey, but William knew pretty much everyone and would put the bad word in since my former employer was in on it so I had no references. That is until I applied to HJB and I am here today."

Allie laughed ruefully, "So we were both replaced."

Matt laughed, "By 'better'"

Allie rolled her eyes, "Better. Too bad we can't inflict your evil ex-wife on evil Connor."

Matt laughed, "That would serve them."

Allie shrugged, "So that is why I'm still not ready to take that final step with you."

She looked serious, "I'm trying and I really want to. I mean I REALLY want to. My head is not on straight, but let me be clear that I am very attracted to you. Just give me time."

He nodded. They binged a Youtube fishing channel. Kissed quite a bit until Allie got up, "Okay. I have to go or I'm going to do stuff I'm not ready for. I promise I'm close. See you tomorrow for lunch?"

Matt nodded and walked her to her car. She gave him one last hot kiss then forced herself to get into her car to drive away."

Friday, May, 18, 2023

A twenty five dollar pizza at Frankies followed by a walk along the river was a perfect evening with Allie. Allie thought for a second, sighed then said, "Maybe we could go back to your place and watch another Youtube channel."

A half hour into watching the channel, they made out and Allie came up for air, "Matt. Here's the thing. You have a choice here because I am quickly reaching a point of no return. If we do this, you're my guy. No excuse, understand. It's complicated and I'm complicated."

Matt was just beginning to realize that Allie had turned the corner.

Allie said, "Ask me to be your girl and I will say yes and once we are a couple, I will take that final step with you. Understand I am very complicated and I won't compromise on what I need from you."

"If I'm your girl, you don't see other girls in private settings. It's a sore point from the way Connor set me up."

He nodded, "Uh. I rather like that one. My ex sure did a number on me the same way."

She smiled, "Yeah, but there is a lot more. If we become a couple, it means you are open to the idea of the relationship going all the way. It means that you think of me as a potential wife. It is not a promise that you will ask me. It is a promise that it is a possibility."

He smiled again, "Allie you are amazing. How many girls actually like to fish and I enjoy my time with you."

She smiled, "Simple rule. I'm not a drive-by lay. You put that thing in me, I get to spend the night and I get lots of cuddles afterward and breakfast the next morning. I like sex."

She giggled, "I REALLY like sex. "

She got serious, "BUT! I NEED cuddles afterward. I don't like feeling like a cum dump and cuddles make me feel like I am more than that to you. I understand that men need relief and I will give you as much as you can handle, but I NEED you to meet my needs at the same time."

He nodded and smiled, "Allie gets her release as much as I do. Got it."

Allie laughed, "Not gonna happen. Sometimes I get close and just can't quite get there. It's no biggie unless it becomes a pattern. My orgasm is way more complex than yours is. You realize the act itself feels very good to me? It does. I enjoy sex. Orgasm is the bonus at the end, but if you are my guy, I will crave being with you in the most intimate of ways."

She said, "Here is a hard one and I mean very hard. Think about this one. I'm not a low effort girlfriend. Hell, I'm the highest effort girlfriend there is. Your spare time belongs to me and we do stuff together. If you're not my best friend, you're not my lover. PERIOD!"

"I'm not going to make you go shopping, shit, I hate shopping. I like fishing. I like going places. I like seeing things. Just take me on a nice hike and I love that."

He asked, "So our time together would be just like this week with fishing and hiking and fun adventures?"

She nodded, "Of course. I won't change the rules on you. I really do love those things and I love exploring to see new things."

He smiled and nodded, "Agreed. Anything else?"

She shook her head then said, "Well now we have to talk about... history. Two before you. High school boyfriend and Connor. High school boyfriend ended because he went to college. Connor ended... well, you know how that ended."

She looked at him seriously, "I never stepped out on any of them. I promise."

Matt said, "Three before you, High school girlfriend, college girlfriend junior and senior year and my ex-wife. High school girlfriend for the same reason as you, college girlfriend because she got a job in Denver, and you know about my ex-wife. I never cheated on any of them."

She smiled then asked, "Anything I should know about?"

He shook his head, "I guess you could look up to make sure I'm telling the truth about my divorce and jail time."

She laughed, "Andy would never have hired you and he has WAY more resources than I do. Besides, I can read you like a book. You're not lying."

Matt laughed then thought for a second, "I guess we need to be careful and discuss what we think is cheating."

She smiled, "Your climax will belong to me and mine will belong to you. I don't care what you see online, but your dick better not be in your hand while you're looking. Guys will show you shit. I get it. Men are pigs."

She stuck her tongue out and he said, "Oink."

She said, "No private time with any girl. You can only lip kiss me. No touching any girl on any part covered by a bikini. Period. I won't share or be shared. People who share... eww!"

"Oh, no strip clubs. I've been to one and can imagine what the female version is like."

He asked, "You've been?"

She laughed, "Yeah. Short version. 21st birthday celebration at Male Delivery in Little Rock after too much drinking at a few bars. Connor's birthday is two days earlier so his buddies took him to one for his 21st. The guys pushed it but the girls agreed if they could have a girls night. My friends bought me a lap dance. This guy comes over and he's half hard and his thing had to be a foot long bouncing it a foot from my face. White guy, by the way. I opened my mouth and he thought I was going to blow him so he brought it closer... The real reason my mouth was open was I was about to upchuck and well I... puked all over his one foot long thing. We were asked to leave."

He laughed, "really?"

She laughed, "Really! He was mad!"

Matt laughed, "I thought I would hate that story, but it was hilarious."

Allie nodded then gave him a serious look, "One last thing. Sorry, but if you try to stick your dick up my ass, I'll clobber you into next week."

Allie looked him in the eye and said, "One last chance to back out. I'll be okay if you back out now, but understand I fall in love far FAR too easy and I will fall long before you do. I won't go spouting it off early on to freak you out and it's just a thing with me. I'm clingy as hell and I will take up your time. I'm not hiding this from you, but another week of even these casual dates and I won't be able to back away. I'm very attracted to you so I need your answer now."

Allie sighed, closed her eyes and then opened them waiting for his answer.

"Allie, would you like to be my exclusive girlfriend?"

She flew into his arms, kissed him and drove her tongue into his mouth then stood and almost dragged him toward the bedroom. Timid Allie was gone and she was already unbuttoning his khakis. His boxers half came down as she pushed his khakis and he sprang free of them.

"Allie, it's been a while..."

She nodded then engulfed him in her mouth as she licked the underside, knowing exactly what she was doing. He lasted perhaps fifteen seconds before he groaned and had his release. Allie knew how to suck a dick and go for an extremely quick kill."

He was amazed, "Damn. that was amazing."

Allie smiled, "I'm not a virgin. Just because there is not a long list of guys does not mean I have not had a lot of sex. I love sex and yeah, I got very good at BJ's. Honestly, I will use it if you are randy and I'm on one of my lady's days or just don't feel like it. I like sex, A LOT, but some days... no. A BJ gets you a quick release and you won't complain."

A quick cleanout suck and swallow as she went to the bathroom and swizzled her mouth out then came back slightly in more control standing in front of him expectantly. She raised her hands and he removed her shirt. He reached back to the strapless bra she wore and she gently said, "Front clasp."

As the bra came off her perfect firm and full B-cup breasts were exposed with their perfect round quarter sized areolas and her nipples sticking out firm and hard. Her sports shorts and panties were quickly removed as she backed onto the bed and scooted back, relaxing her legs. Her vulvae were shaven below a wide, but nicely trimmed 1980s Playboy style fluff of natural blonde pubic hair. Her vulvae were a distinct pink color, indicating she was aroused and her small inner labia were almost red and very moist

He got on top, she relaxed as they kissed and he got hard again, faster than he believed he could. She felt him harden up and reached down to align him and he pushed in slowly, back and forth until he was in fully. She smiled, "No backing out on me now."

He smiled, "Not a chance."

She smiled and closed her eyes and they kissed wetly, thrusting just enough to enjoy the coupling as long as they could. She tensed up. It took a bit of time, but she had a nice release. Not a toe curler, but a longer and nicely satisfying flutter of her most intimate area. He was close and once her stomach muscles relaxed, letting him know she had climaxed, he had his release."

She put her ankles over his ass, "Stay inside. I need it. Just come down from it with me."

A couple minutes later she laughed, "Okay, now you're getting heavy. Get off me."

He rolled off then she rolled onto his chest then scooted off, not wanting to make a wet spot. Five minutes later, they had both cleaned up and she laid her head on his chest then scooted up and cheek kissed him, "That was magical."

He squeezed a hug, "Yeah. It was."

Monday, May 22, 2023

Allie walked into work past Cassie at one minute to seven then Cassie called Melinda, "Melinda. Success. They did it. Allie has that kind of smile...."

Just to be sure, Cassie came to Matt's office with more than a bit of a smirk, "Did you have a nice weekend?"

Matt looked up, unable to hide the smile of a guy who had been laid enough to be out of bullets. Cassie laughed, "You know, she is a great girl."

Matt realized Cassie knew and nodded, "Yeah. She is."

Friday, May 26, 2023

At half past eleven, Andy knocked on Matt's door frame with a big smile and said, "Matt, please come to the end of the production floor."

Allie was a little more than conveniently standing next to the boat at the end of the production line. Everyone in the office was hoping for them to work out and Melinda had made sure Allie's day was more than a little easy. Matt saw Allie, smiled, took her hand and walked to the stern where the name of his new boat was painted in faux cursive:

'Second Chance'.

All of the employees of the factory were at the exit door for Andy to formally present the boat to Matt and hand over the keys. When it was clear that Andy was ready to speak, the floor was eerily quiet save the sounds of the air system and some of the computer controlled machinery humming in the background.

Andy smiled, "These are the days I most enjoy when we turn over one of our own products to one of our own. Matt... you ARE one of our own."

Allie kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "I have my bikini bottoms in my purse." He looked at her. Her smile was adorable... and predatory.

He whispered, "What about the top?"

She smirked.

Andy had two keys on floats in his hand. He handed Matt a key then deliberately snatched away the second one and handed it to Allie. He smirked at Matt., "We're moving your boat to our marina on Little Bow, dock one forty four."

Andy smirked again, "Don't be surprised next Friday when your June monthly dock rental comes out of your paycheck. I hope thirty two dollars does not break your budget."

The price was a steal and they both knew it. HJB never ceased to be an amazing place to work.

Andy walked over with a deliberately dramatic pace and pushed the open button of the bay door. An overhead crane moved, lifting Second Chance off the production cradle into the air. The production cradle was rolled to the side and a day cab semi with a lowboy trailer backed into the door. The warning beeping the only noise as everyone watched what they all loved the most about their jobs. One their own was getting something of which everyone had contributed a small part. Once the trailer was in place the overhead crane gently lowered the boat onto the trailer then the boat was secured with padded straps.

Andy clapped Matt on the back, "If I see you before Tuesday morning, Well... if I see you HERE before Tuesday morning, I'm gonna fire your ass. I'll be at Little Bow with my family and so will most of the company."

*******

Saturday, June 8, 2024

Lisa went to the mailbox and went through the pile. Bill. Bill. Solar company offering me 'free' solar panels...

Fancy envelope. On the back was a fancy script A+M and Weston Arkansas.

Arkansas!? Who? She froze. It dawned on her. Could it be... She opened the envelope.

'Together with friends and family

Alexis Anne Barton

And

Matthew Anthony Culver

Invite you to share the joy of their wedding

Saturday, October 25, 2024

Little Bow Park And Boat Club

16 Little Bow Lane

Weston AR'

Lisa walked back into the house shaking as Tom walked into the kitchen and saw his wife, "What's wrong?"

She held out the invitation. Tom took the invitation from Lisa's shaking hand, read it and smiled then hugged his beloved wife, "He made it!"

Lisa was crying and nodded vigorously.

Tom hugged her again, "Lisa, your debt to Ed has been repaid in full. He made it. Thanks to you... he made it."

Lisa nodded still crying as she opened the folded two page invitation with a photo inside. Five foot one Allie was standing close to six foot two Matt on the back of Second Chance, her hand possessively latched onto his arm.

'Informal attire for a steak barbecue wedding and reception at 16 Little Bow lane, Weston AR. RSVP by July 31st.'

Lisa exclaimed, "She's adorable!"

Tom knew enough of being married to change the subject any time the attractiveness of another woman came up. He hugged her again, "Go ahead and make the reservations. The phone number is on the invitation. Maybe you should call him."

He smirked and he said to her as she turned, "Maybe mention how William McMillen has mysteriously disappeared. He will probably like that."

Lisa, still crying, hurried to her computer to book the hotel and the flight as Tom remarked under his breath, "Dumbass probably screwed the wrong guy's wife. Not a smart move in New Jersey."

Tuesday, May 10, 2034

Matt was driving home in the early evening from an IT conference with his mind going to a too many different things:

New pricing from Mercury. Get it loaded into the database. 500 horsepower? Who the fuck puts that much on a small boat? Too many.

Damn, I sure would like some Bubba's chicken tenders right now.

Update the job information webpage to reflect the jobs going on Indeed on Friday.

Get Allie's car tires replaced.

Email the photos of the new deck boat model to our web design company.

Get the kid's play pool cleaned off for the summer.

Why the heck Hank the supervisor put me in his will? Why his house trailer? Was he trying to repay me for pulling him out of the way of that idiot backing into our facility without authorization? What the hell am I going to do with it? Wonder what it would sell for. I could get that radar and tower for Second Chance... maybe?

Shit, the garage is so full of crap. Need to clean it out. Should we have a garage sale?

One of the network switches is more trouble than it's worth. Replace it after hours mid week?

Pick up the mega pack of toilet paper. Does my family secretly eat the stuff while I'm at work?

A red dashboard light turned on and caught his eyes. Shit. Thinking of all the random things had caused him to miss the fact he needed gas and needed to do it within about sixty miles while home was over a hundred sixty. Ten miles later, fate intervened in a good way and he got off the exit and pulled into an Exxon.

He got out of his car then looked up to see a woman perhaps twenty-five years old, leaning on an ancient Camry crying as a five year old girl was plaintively hugging her leg and saying with more than a little uncertainty, "We'll be okay, Mommy."

Matt remembered Lisa's letter from the day he left New Jersey... and he knew...

Authors notes:

Little Bow Park does not exist. They are cut off meanders of the Arkansas river where access has been restored via dredging. The google term is 'river meander' Locks are a real thing on the Arkansas River.

The idea for Little Bow Park is based on a real life facility owned by a real company that no longer exists. Back in the 1950s when the DuPage County IL was much less developed, a company I dealt with bought land on a small lake and had a company recreation facility with a pavilion and dock. I was at a conference for them in the early 1990s and we had a picnic dinner at the pavilion. It's been gone 30+ years and they sold that land for who knows how many millions.