15 Days with the Smith Family Pt. 01

15 Days with the Smith Family - Part 1

The first 6 days from Greg Smith's perspective

Day 1

Greg was sitting at his desk in one of the tallest buildings in the city's business center. Their office is on the seventh floor, high enough to flood the minimalist, chic, modern office with a generous amount of natural light, but not high enough to provide a breathtaking view of the city. While the office itself is inviting with two desks, a sofa, two armchairs, and a small coffee table--conducive to business conversations. The entrance foyer to the office, supposedly for assisting staff and the secretary, was a gaping, empty space with its door always open. On the left side of the office is a door leading to a bathroom and a small kitchenette.

Currently, two men, Greg and his business partner and friend, Trevor, were sitting in the office, each at their desk. Greg was leaning back, deeply immersed in his thoughts, swiping his jaw with his thumb. Lunchtime is approaching, and I'm hungry. Trevor is, as usual, too busy with work to think about a break, and he certainly won't say we're going to rest. I know him very well, and I know how to work with him tactically. Trevor is a workaholic. And not only that. He has a plan for every move, even the most trivial one. He never does anything if it's not planned. He's the complete opposite of me, and that's why we complement each other perfectly. We've known each other since high school. We didn't hang out in the same company then, but I often invited him to hang out with us. When he asked him out on a Saturday night, he would hesitate and plan for days, and when he did decide to go out with us, the date would be fantastic. When I asked him to play tennis with us, it took him 4 days to decide. He studied everything about tennis, and when he finally decided to play with us, he would beat us.

Greg shifted in his chair and continued his musings. I'd been trying to get him to ask Megan out for months, and when he finally did... Megan became his wife. Trevor and I went to college together and became best friends there. I liked his hard work and responsibility, and he took everything seriously, but he needed someone like me. I see everything as fun and can solve all the tasks easily, without much effort, just relying on resourcefulness and having a good vision of goals. After we graduated, we got jobs at INCLA. As soon as I was informed that I had been hired, I immediately went there and accepted the job without a second thought. Trevor, on the other hand, thought and weighed the job offer for days, and only then did he agree. I remember working diligently for the company for years. When I saw that even after more than 10 years of hard work, neither he nor I had been promoted, I persuaded him to start a company together and start working for ourselves. It took several years before he finally decided to listen to me and start a joint venture. The past year has been very turbulent for Trevor. He has not yet recovered from his divorce from Megan, and starting a company has not been easy for him at all.

Trevor and Megan had been married for 20 years, a little less than Greg and Helen. The two families were close. Their daughter Lisa, who is only a month older than Mia, stayed with her mother, but she is in daily contact with Trevor, who takes great care of her, while Megan has never called her former best friends Greg and Helen since the divorce. Last year, Trevor met Susan online, who is also divorced and has a 20-year-old son. Susan is a hairdresser from a small town on the other side of the country. Soon, Susan moved in with her son to Greg's place, and their relationship worked well. Susan settled in well in the new city and soon became the owner of a small hair salon and is doing quite well.

I know what he's like. I understand him. We've invested a lot of money in our company, and he's the kind of guy who pays attention to the smallest details, but I'm here to take care of him, ha-ha. Greg concluded his thoughts and then turned to Trevor.

"We forgot lunch today, Trevor."

"Yeah, I just want to finish this, and I'm not really all that hungry."

"No shit. Stop now, and let's go downstairs and get something to eat," urged Greg.

"Okay, but give me 10 minutes," agreed Trevor finally.

Greg stood up and stretched. He closed his laptop and nervously waited for Trevor. When Trevor finished, the two men left the building and went to a nearby restaurant. Many people from the business district come to this restaurant for lunch. The waiter directed them to a vacant table. They sat at the table, and each ordered a steak and a glass of wine.

"How's Lisa? Has she definitely decided not to go to college?"

"Yes, definitely. Unfortunately. I told her she could still be free this summer, but then she has to find a job."

Now is a good time to tell him; he's relaxed now, Geg thought, while overtly broaching the subject he had been mulling over the past few days: "Yeah, I understand. I'm in the same situation. What do you think about hiring them both in our office? Do you know how long it takes us to answer the phone and make appointments? Also, our customers will think better of us if they see that we are a serious company with a secretary."

"That's all true, but right now we have to save money, and we can't hire anyone," Trevor voiced his concern.

Greg tried to point out the possible gains: "That's true, but it's not the same to hire someone versus our daughters. They're not working right now, so we have to give them money anyway. If we hire them, they'll earn their own money, and we'll have solved two problems. We don't have to hire them full-time; we can each hire them part-time."

"You're damn right. Let's do it!"

"See, you can think much better eating a good steak and having a glass of wine, ha-ha..." Greg chuckled, making light of the situation.

The two friends raised their glasses to toast their daughters and continued eating. Trevor ate and read a text on his phone, while Greg silently congratulated himself. This was easier than I thought. You just have to know how to use it. Everything at the right time.

When they finished eating, Greg called the waiter to pay the bill, and they went back to the office. They continued working hard without interruption.

After a while, Greg needed a break.

"I'm going to take a short break. Do you want a coffee?" Greg offered.

"No thanks, no need."

Greg got up and went to the kitchenette. While making coffee, he looked at his watch and realized Helen must have arrived home from work, and he should call her. He took out his cell phone and called Helen.

"Yes," Helen answered nervously.

"Honey, I have good news," Greg started with a smile in his voice.

"No, no good news today. I can't take it," Helen said anxiously.

"What happened, dear?"

"He failed, he failed..." Helen lamented.

"Who, what? What are you talking about?"

"Daniel, that's who."

"Failed? What? What are you talking about?"

"He failed the exam, for God's sake; you don't even know Daniel had an exam," Helen harrumphed impatiently.

"I know the exam is this week, but I didn't know it was today," Greg replied calmly, hoping to appease his wife.

"Yes, of course. There's something wrong with him."

"Calm down, it's okay; it's just an exam."

"Well, it's not. This has never happened before." Helen dug her heel in.

"There's always a first time," Greg tried to placate Helen.

"Is that your answer? That's your answer?!" Helen became more agitated.

"Honey, we'll talk at home. I just wanted to call you to tell you that Mia and Lisa can start working in our office next week."

"Mia? Work? What are you talking about?"

"Did you forget? We talked about it last week."

There was a moment of silence, and Greg mused, Oh, she completely forgot we talked about it. But I completely forgot that Daniel has an exam today. Well, that's normal. We're both busy, and it's normal to forget things sometimes. Helen is upset now, and I have to calm her down.

"Oh my God, I completely forgot. We have shared responsibilities, it seems: I take care of Daniel, and you take care of Mia, but I've clearly failed as a parent."

"Nonsense, you're the perfect mother. Anyway, I'll try to come early tonight. Bye, honey, kiss kiss."

"Bye, honey."

After the line disconnected, Greg gathered his thoughts. I feel guilty because I forgot that Daniel had an exam today. Helen also feels terrible about Daniel's failure and because she forgot about Mia's job. I didn't want her to feel guilty. As soon as I finish work, I'll go home to calm her down.

He went back to his desk and continued working. Time passed quickly. Greg looked at his watch. It was already 6:30 p. m., and Greg announced, "Okay, I'm done for today. I'm going home; Helen is waiting for me with dinner."

"I'll stay a little longer."

"Don't be long; see you later."

"Bye."

As he was parking his car in the garage, Greg was thankful the traffic had eased up by this time of day, and he got home relatively quickly. Helen met him at the door, as usual.

"Hi, dear," Greg said as he kissed his wife in greeting.

"Hi, honey," Helen replied, snuggling into Greg's arms.

"Dinner is ready; you can change, and I'll call the kids," Helen offered.

"Okay, I'll be coming in a moment."

Daniel and Mia had arrived, and they all sat down at the table.

Helen opened their usual evening exchange of news: "Okay, do we want to start with the good news or the bad news?"

Daniel started the ball rolling, "As you know, I failed the exam. I apologize. I ignored the last material outright, but I've already managed to analyze it, and I know where I went wrong."

"Daniel, it's okay; you don't need to apologize. Mom is upset, and that's understandable. You'll have another chance in the fall, and now you have almost 3 months to prepare." Greg attempted to put everyone's mind at ease.

"Yes, it won't be a problem, I promise," Daniel affirmed.

Helen kept the ball rolling. "Greg, tell us what's new."

"I talked to Trevor today and determined that we need help in the office, and we decided to hire Mia and Lisa."

"Dad, that's great, yay! Thanks, Dad."

Mia stood up and kissed her dad. She was overjoyed.

"Lisa is your friend, and you can arrange your working hours with her. You don't have to be in the office 24/7. One of you in the morning, the other in the afternoon, or you can alternate daily. It's up to you two to arrange it."

"I'm so happy, and I can't wait to get started," Mia enthused.

"You can start in a few days as soon as we get the office, desk, phone, and computer ready and get the paperwork done..."

"I can't believe my little sister is going to start working. Congratulations."

"Daniel, be polite," Helen warned.

The dinner was a pleasant affair. Daniel and Mia got up from the table and went to their rooms. Helen cleared the table and took out the dirty dishes.

"Let me help you." Greg offered.

"No, take this bottle of wine and sit in the living room."

"Okay, that's a good idea."

Greg made himself comfortable in the living room and turned on the TV, and Helen came in shortly after.

"Sorry, dear, this has been a hard day for you, as has this whole period." Greg commiserated.

"Wait, I'll be back in a minute." Helen got up, fisting her hands alternately.

Helen went up the stairs, and Greg was flipping through the channels on the TV when Helen came back after a while and sat down next to Greg, still wringing her hands.

"Darling, I think Daniel is fine." Greg attempted to comfort Helen.

"Maybe, but it's not right that it's just me. You didn't even know he had an exam," Helen said with hurt in her voice.

"True, just like you didn't know Mia was looking for a job." Greg kept his voice smooth and calm.

"It seems you care for Mia, and I care for Daniel."

"Daniel is a man, a grown man. He doesn't need his dad anymore in the sense of needing protection and being taken care of. He needs me as a friend. To give him advice, to have a beer sometimes, and to talk about manly things, but Mia is a woman, naive and sensitive. She's easy to hurt, and it's normal for me to worry about her more."

"Ha-ha, I have the exact opposite opinion. I think Mia is resourceful and mentally strong, while Daniel is the one who needs more attention," Helen retorted.

"Yes, that's what we do. Our kids are great, and I don't see any problem with it."

"The problem is that you're never home."

"I know, but that's going to change soon."

"That's going to change right now. We have to do something; we have to get closer again. I hoped we could take two weeks off and go to a seaside resort." Helen continued the steamrolling.

"That would be great, but..."

"Trevor? Is he a problem?" Helen queried.

"Yeah, he's still worried that something will go wrong at work."

"Here's how we'll do it. Tell him we're having them over for dinner in honor of Mia and Lisa's new jobs, and I'll talk to Susan first. We'll definitely talk him into it."

"Honey, you're a genius."

They spent some time talking and watching TV, and then Greg leaned over and kissed Helen. Helen kissed back passionately.

"We haven't kissed like that in a long time," Greg whispered into Helen's ear, drawing her close.

Helen untied her robe and was left in only her sexy underwear.

"Ugh, you're fucking sexy," Greg murmured.

Helen put her hand on his crotch. She felt his erection. She took it out of his pants and gently took it in her hand.

"Mmmm, what are you doing?"

"Shh! Feel."

Greg realized he had to be quiet as Helen gently stroked his cock. Helen lowered her head and took him into her mouth. She sucked his cock passionately. She paused for a moment, took off her bra, knelt in front of Greg, and continued to suck his swollen cock. She took it deep, and Greg, holding her hair, pulled her even closer to him. They were both breathing rapidly and making loud sounds of pleasure. They completely ignored the fact that they were in the living room. Helen paused for a moment.

"I want to feel you inside me!"

She stood up and took off her thong and lightly touched her pussy. She was already quite wet.

Helen sat on Greg and ran her hand over her wet pussy. She began to ride him passionately. Greg played with her tits, pinching and pulling the light-brown tips of the white globes. She rode him harder and harder. Helen hadn't felt like this in a long time and couldn't help but moan loudly. She became louder and more passionate--a sign that her orgasm was coming. Greg knew Helen would come, so he made her even hotter by slapping her ass. Helen came screaming, and Greg released his grip and started filling her wet pussy with his cum. She sat on his cock until it became soft, and when she stood up, her cream mixed with his cum flowed from her pussy. For a moment, they both lay on the sofa and just looked at each other and laughed.

"I think we should get out of here," Helen whispered and nudged Greg.

"Yeah, let's go before the kids see us like this."

They hastily dressed and went upstairs, Greg to their room and Helen to the bathroom. Greg fell asleep very soon before Helen came back from the bathroom.

Day 2

Greg woke up lying in their bed, thinking about the previous night floating in his head. I feel good. I've finally fucked my wife after a long time. No, actually she fucked me, ha-ha. We should do that more often.

Helen had already left for work. Greg went downstairs to the kitchen, quickly ate a portion of cornflakes, and went to the office. Trevor was already there.

"Hey, were you here all night?" Greg chuckled.

"He-he-he, I wasn't. I came early to see how we will set up the girls' workplace."

"Okay, I see you've already planned everything."

"Yeah, I know you won't bother with details like the size of the desk, the connections, the computers..." Trevor replied somewhat forcefully.

"Of course not. Why should I? I don't need to; you're always on top of things." Greg admitted, while acknowledging his business partner's and friend's attention to detail.

Greg sat down at his desk and started working. Two hours into the workday, Greg pondered, I'm feeling good today. Perhaps it's because of last night's sex. He looked at Trevor, who was working tirelessly on his computer.

"What do you want to eat today?" Greg interrupted Trevor's thoughts.

"I don't know, maybe just a sandwich."

"Okay, let's head down to Roy's bar, have something to eat, and drink some coffee," Greg proposed.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

Greg was startled that Trevor had agreed so easily and remarked, "We haven't been there in a few days."

"Yeah. I wanted to go, too." Trevor reaffirmed.

Roy's bar is on the ground floor of their building, and they often stop by. They went inside. A beautiful young girl, Becca, worked at the bar. They sat down at the bar, and Becca immediately came over to them.

"Look, look, who came to visit me?" Becca enthused.

"Did you miss us the last few days?" Greg asked in a flirtatious tone.

"We were overburdened these last days, so we didn't come, but now it's a little easier," Trevor added with a smile.

"It's always nice to see you. What would you like to order?"

Trevor ordered, "A tuna sandwich and Coke for me."

"A ham and cheese sandwich for me and a large cup of coffee." Greg piped up.

"Coming up!" Becca turned to the other side of the bar to prepare her order, and the two men instinctively looked away from her hot pants.

Heh heh, Trevor is looking at her ass; now I'll make a little joke. "So Trevor, where are you looking? She could be your daughter."

"Who? Me? No, no, I'm not looking." Trevor was confused and embarrassed. He blushed with embarrassment.

"I'm just kidding and ribbing you." Greg laughed.

Becca turned to them. "I hear you, pervert daddies."

Oh, she heard me; now I'm embarrassed too. Greg pondered feeling a little less comfortable in his skin. For a moment, both of them fell silent, and soon Becca brought food and drinks.

"Here you are, guys," Becca chirped.

"Thanks, Becca."

"Becca, did you know that we decided to hire our daughters Mia and Lisa to work at our company?" Trevor introduced a new topic to lighten the mood.

"Really? That's great! Now finally someone my age will come here for coffee. I wish I were your daughter, and I could do a normal job." Becca sighed wistfully.

Greg looked at Becca. "You don't like this job?"

"I like working, but I know it's not my job for life," Becca expounded.

"True, but you're still young, and you'll have many opportunities in life," Trevor remarked encouragingly.

Becca went to serve the other guests.

Greg turned to Trevor: "Oh, I almost forgot. As both our daughters are now working for us, Helen has decided to invite you to dinner at our place. Is tomorrow okay?"

"Yes, I think so, but I'll have to talk to Susan first."

"Okay, let me know."

They ate and drank in silence, each in their own world, and then Becca came back.

"Was everything okay?" Becca asked politely.

"Yes, as always," Greg replied with a smile, hoping to make Becca forget his previous comment.

"Sorry I can't talk to you; I'm just busy right now," Becca replied, shooing them away.

"Don't worry, we'll come for a beer one evening, and then we'll have time to talk." Trevor smiled at Becca amicably.

Becca went back to serving the other guests.

The ever-forward-planning Trevor turned to Greg. "So, Greg, how's the deal going? Can we have clients for appointments on Monday or Tuesday?"

"Yeah, I'll send the deal tomorrow morning, and the presentations will be ready for the weekend. Everything is going according to plan."

"That's good. Shall we go, or do you need more coffee?"

"Let's go then."

Both men turned toward Becca and said, "Bye, Becca," in unison.

Becca waved. "Bye, guys."

They went back to the office and continued working. After a while, Greg was already taking note of everything he had to achieve before the weekend and thought, maybe I should stay at work longer to finish this. I'm doing splendidly today, and Helen won't be home anyway. Even Trevor will go home before me.

It was evening, Trevor was getting ready to go home, and Greg was still working. "Are you staying longer?"

"Yes, I want to finish this," Greg answered with his brows drawn in concentration.

"So we're not going for a beer?" Trevor needled Greg.

"No, not unless you wait until I'm done." Greg sighed.

"No, I'm going home; we'll do it tomorrow. Oh, yeah, I didn't show you what work equipment and furniture I chose for the girls."

"Never mind, I'll see what you have chosen tomorrow."

"The girls will undoubtedly like it." Trevor enthused.

"If you choose it, then I'm 100 percent sure they won't like it, ha-ha-ha..." Greg chuckled.

"Ha-ha, very funny. I'm going now."

"Goodbye,"

Greg continued working for a few more hours before looking at his watch. Uh, I think that's enough for today. I'm tired and hungry; it's almost 9 o'clock.

It was dark outside when Greg left the office and was home by car in a flash.

Dinner had already been prepared and was ready to heat in the microwave. Helen is probably out; Daniel too. Mia is probably in her room. I won't disturb her. She probably wants to be alone.

With that in mind, Greg sat down and ate. Mmmm, this is really delicious.

When he was done eating, he put the dishes in the kitchen. He took a bottle of wine and filled a glass as he cozied himself in the living room and flipped through the channels on the TV. I think I'll go to sleep. I feel tired. Helen could be staying out longer with her friends.

Greg goes to the room and sits on the bed. Maybe I can watch some porn. He takes out his phone and opens a porn site. Ugh, this threesome is good.

He takes out his dick and starts jerking off, never taking his eyes off the videos playing on his phone. Oh, I'll be out of luck soon. I'd better go to the bathroom. I'm afraid someone will see me with an erection. But I have to do it.

He dashed down the hall. His erection was visible. He went into the bathroom and continued to jerk off. He quickly ejaculated. He returned to their bedroom and lay down, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Day 3

The next morning, Greg and Trevor arrived at the same time and met in the parking lot in front of the building.

"Good morning!" Greg greeted Trevor.

"Good morning! Did you see that idiot?" He took up two parking spaces," Trevor grumbled.

"Hah, that's nothing new."

When they arrive at the office, Greg shares his plans. "I'll hurry up and finish by noon and send the bid."

"Okay, finish it, and I'll take care of the deliveries when the things for Mia and Lisa arrive."

Greg started working diligently. In the meantime, a steady stream of deliveries with tables, phones, and computers for the new office arrived, and Trevor took care of it.

Greg finished completing the bid. Now it's time to eat something. All I have to do is send the bid and arrange a time for the presentation. Greg stated, "Okay, I'm done; come check it out before I send it."

"I'm coming, and you come to see what the new office looks like."

Greg went to the room outside. Everything was in its place: the phone was connected, the computers were in place... He sat down in a chair. It's comfortable. The girls will be happy.

"Everything seems to be fine. So, can I start working on Monday?" Greg asked.

"Yes, I just need the accountant to send us the papers so I can start working. The bid is fine anyway, and you can send it and arrange a date."

Greg, pressing a button on his laptop with a flourish, commented, "Here. All done. It has been sent."

"Okay, now we can have lunch. Where should we go?" Trevor expectantly looked at Greg.

"I'd rather wait here for their answer to arrange a meeting and start preparing the presentation, so it would be better to order pizza. You can go out for lunch if you prefer to," Greg offered.

"I'll stay too. Pizza is always a good idea." Trevor smiled.

Uh, if we were to realize this bid, a contract worth half a million would solve our financial situation for the whole year.

"Yes, with our existing clients and 2 new clients, we could have a good profit next year."

While waiting for the pizza, Trevor made coffee, and Greg started planning the presentation. The pizza arrived soon, and when they had finished eating it, Greg sat down at his table. Oh, I have an email; they've already replied.

Greg opened the email and laughed happily. "Hey, they replied."

"Already? And what did they say?"

"They are satisfied with the terms offered and want us to sign the contract as soon as possible."

"Great, tell them we can arrange an appointment at any time. Even better, invite them to come to our place," Trevor suggested.

"Okay, I'll send the invite."

Greg got up from the table briefly and went to Trevor. "Give me a high-five, friend!"

Their faces showed satisfaction with the result of their efforts as their two hands met in a resounding clap.

"Greg, I almost forgot to tell you we are coming tonight."

"I guess the girls agreed."

"Yes, they have."

Greg looked at his phone dinging. He smiled as he read a message from Helen. "Yep. Here, Helen sent me a message."

"I have to finish early today if we want to arrive on time," Trevor announced.

"No problem, I'll work on the presentation, and I can finish it over the weekend."

"Yeah, okay."

Greg continued working, and Trevor was done and going home, calling out, "Okay, I'm done. I'm going home, so I'll see you tonight."

"I'll stay for another hour. See you soon."

Greg stayed to work for a little while longer before heading home too. On arriving home, he was promptly welcomed by Helen. "Hi, dear."

"Hi, darling. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm just finishing making lasagna."

"Let me help."

"No, you don't have to. Just check our wine and beer supplies."

"Yeah, I'll do that right away."

I'll go downstairs and get the wine and put the beer in to cool. I'll take Trevor downstairs for a drink first.

Greg brought up 2 bottles of wine and beers from downstairs. He put the beers and white wine in the fridge and left the red wine outside.

Oh yeah. I should go explain the purpose of this dinner to the kids, Greg remembered and headed towards their rooms. He first knocks on Mia's room door.

"Feel free!" Mia called out.

Greg entered the room. Mia was lying on the bed.

"How is my princess?"

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Anyway, I came to tell you something about dinner and work."

"Yes, when do I start work?"

"Your place will be ready on Monday, but your mom and I have other plans."

"What plans?" Mia asked cautiously.

"We want to go on vacation," Greg explained. "That's why we called Trevor and Susan to convince him to let me rest for 2 weeks. He would have to accept staying in the office and handling the business alone. Lisa would be there, of course. She will start working on Monday, and you will start when we arrive from our trip."

"Wow. I didn't expect that. So are we all going to the seaside or somewhere else?"

"Yes, that's right. To the seaside. I hope you can spend ten days with us, ha-ha." Greg stifled a laugh.

"I'll do my best, ha-ha."

"Okay, be ready for dinner around 8 o'clock." Greg reminded Mia. "I'm going to talk to Daniel now."

"Shall do," Mia replied chirpily.

Greg left Mia's room and knocked on Daniel's door.

"Come in!" Daniel shouted.

Greg entered, and Daniel was sitting at his desk.

When Greg noticed his son's fatigued expression, he asked, "How are you?

"I'm trying, ha-ha."

"Ha-ha good or ha-ha bad? Mom and I are planning for the whole family to go to the seaside for ten days. That's why we invited Trevor and his family, to convince him to stay here and handle the company alone while we're on vacation."

"Great. I hadn't planned on a vacation, but it sounds good. And where would we go?"

"We haven't decided yet. We'll see when we know the exact date."

"I hope you'll include me in choosing the place..." Daniel muttered.

"Of course we will. Okay, see you downstairs when Trevor and his family get here."

"See you."

Greg went back downstairs, and a little later the Smith family was waiting for the guests on the porch. Trevor's family arrived soon, got out of the car, and everyone greeted each other. The women exchanged compliments about their looks and entered the house.

Mia and Lisa immediately went to Mia's room, while Helen and Susan, Trevor's wife, went to the kitchen. The men's section stayed outside a little longer. Trevor brought Greg a bottle of finely aged whiskey.

"Thank you for this fine gift. Let's go downstairs first to leave the whiskey in my collection," Greg suggested.

Greg and Trevor headed downstairs while Daniel and Tim stayed outside. Greg called out to them to join them in the "den." Greg proudly showed off the bottles of expensive liquor and had something to say about each bottle.

"Trevor, which one should we open?" offering Trevor a choice.

"It doesn't matter. They're all good liquors; open the one with the least value."

"Nonsense, we'll open the most expensive one."

Greg picked up a bottle of rare 70-year-old French cognac.

"How much is this bottle worth?" Tim asked.

Greg guessed, "I don't know exactly, but it's probably a few thousand."

Tim's eyes bugged out. "Wow. Is it really worth that much? I've never had such an expensive drink."

"We'll see if it is worth it." Greg poured four glasses so the men drank, and then Greg refilled their glasses.

"Uh, this is fucking good!" Trevor exclaimed.

Tim's eyes rounded. "Mmmm, much better than regular whiskey."

Daniel added, "I feel a fire in my belly."

Greg held up the bottle and turned towards the other, "Let's have another one."

After finishing off their glass, Trevor cleared his throat. "I don't mind staying here all night, ha-ha, but I don't think the women's section will be happy."

Everyone laughed, and Greg proposed, "Okay, one more, then let's go upstairs; it'll be easier to handle the women's complaints, ha-ha."

Everyone laughed again and had another glass. They came upstairs and sat down at the table. Greg poured everyone wine.

Greg started talking about the wine. "This is a 2012 Merlot; it's ideal to drink at room temperature--"

Trevor interrupted, "Greg, we know you have great knowledge of wine. Let's drink it first, and then we'll see for ourselves."

Everyone laughed.

"Yes, I actually wanted to say on what occasion we met here--" Greg started.

Trevor interrupted Greg again. "Well, it's because of your cognac, not the wine, right?"

Everyone laughed again. Trevor and Greg were in the mood to joke around, and the cognac obviously had affected Trevor.

"Shut up, Trevor. Let Greg finally speak his mind," Susan interjected.

"Thank you, Susan. We are gathered here in honor of Lisa and Mia's employment. On this occasion, I propose a toast," and Greg lifted his glass.

Everyone raised their glasses, and Greg continued. "Girls, may your work in our company be successful."

Everyone echoed, "Cheers!"

Helen brought the lasagna to the table. Susan offered to help, but Helen declined.

Helen cut the lasagna and put it on plates while Susan passed plates to each person. They started eating.

"Mmmm, this is sooo delicious," Susan gushed.

"Thank you, Susan." Helen was happy that others had appreciated her hard work.

"Even Lisa is finally eating," Trevor poked at his daughter.

"Ha-ha, very funny." Lisa countered.

"Mrs. Smith, it's really delicious," Tim added to the discourse after swallowing a huge forkful.

"Thank you, Tim. I'm glad you like it."

"And... hey, do you remember when Greg and I were..." Trevor started the old stories that everyone already knows. Everyone ate every last piece, and Trevor and Greg made everyone laugh with their stories.

"Okay, Lisa and I are going to my room. We need to talk a lot about work." Mia promptly took Lisa's hand, and they went to her room.

At the same time, Daniel announced, "Tim and I are going to my room."

The parents were left alone and continued talking.

"I'm happy for the girls, but I think they should have gone to college," Greg reiterated his previous standpoint.

Helen just shook her head. "Come on, Greg, it's always been known that Mia doesn't want to study. She developed her worldview early, and it should be respected. She would rather volunteer in Africa for a year than graduate from any university."

Susan piped up. "That's right. Just like with Lisa, I saw her talent for drawing. She doesn't want to be a doctor or an engineer, but she needs to be allowed to draw and develop her talent."

"I agree," Trevor stated. "Look at Tim. Susan told me Tim had started earning money as soon as he started high school. And as soon as he settled here, he found a job within 2 days. He has his own life goal, and that is to have his own private bar. It's just a matter of time before he achieves it."

"Yes, that's right. The important thing in life is to do what you love. I'm sure Helen is very frustrated with the work she has to do. Isn't that right, Helen?" Susan added.

Greg tried to keep a straight face. What is this now? What's going on? Susan. WTF, what are you talking about? Hmm. Maybe this is part of the plan?

"Yes, you can't imagine how hard it is. It drives me crazy sometimes," Helen complained.

Greg felt relief filling his body. Oh yeah, I get it now, ha-ha. Luckily, Trevor doesn't get it yet, ha-ha.

Trevor was surprised. "Really, I didn't know that was the case. So why don't you change jobs?"

Helen huffed. "It's not that simple. First, you have to think it through and make a plan. Greg is at work all day. I never see him, and we don't have time to talk. With all the responsibilities at work and at home, I'm not ready to make such a decision on my own. And then there are the children too, of course."

"Of course, you can't make such a decision by yourself. You are sharing responsibilities for the family." Susan nodded knowingly at Greg.

"I need two weeks of vacation to think it over," Helen griped.

"Greg, you should take a few days off and be with your wife. Go somewhere," Susan urged.

"Yes, I should. If Trevor can shoulder responsibility at work alone," Greg said tentatively.

"I don't know; we have a few customer meetings and a project presentation... It's going to be a financially crucial contract..." Trevor mused.

"Come on, Trevor!" his wife urged him.

"The presentation is ready. You only need to study it," Greg pressed the issue.

"Lisa will also be in the office to help you," Susan added.

"Okay, maybe I can take care of that," Trevor folded under the pressure.

"Besides, you'll go on a holiday after me," Greg dangled the carrot before Trevor.

"Let me see the presentation!" Trevor demanded becoming all business.

"Let's go to my home office," Greg offered, standing up and ushering Trevor towards his home office.

"This is simple. It's all in the instructions, the whole plan. You know better than I do what we're offering, and there's a plan for how to present it. Look!" Greg opened the documentation and pointed to the remarks.

Trevor took the documents and started reading. Around 11 p. m. Trevor looked up from the papers, satisfied. "Yeah. Everything's fine. I'll take these papers with me. We should go home now."

When everyone settled in the living room, Trevor announced, "Okay, time to go."

Trevor, Susan, Tim, and Lisa headed for the car, with Helen and Greg following behind. Daniel and Mia slowly followed behind them.

Susan was the first to thank the hosts: "Good night, and thanks for a great dinner."

"Thanks for coming," Helen said while air-kissing Susan.

The men wished "Good night," and the kids all waved to each other and echoed, "Bye."

Greg hugged Helen, and they entered the house. They laughed contentedly.

"This was a success," Helen sighed.

"Yes, very successful. Thanks to you." Greg nuzzled Helen's neck.

"Susan helped a lot."

Greg snickered, "Yes, I think the cognac helped a lot too, ha-ha."

Helen laughed with him.

"Now, we can really start planning our vacation. I still have to go to the office tomorrow to get everything ready, and then I'm finally free after such a long time of constant work."

Helen agreed, "Yes, and I'll let the company know tomorrow that I'll be on vacation for the next 2 weeks."

"Great. I need to take a shower now to help sober up. The combination of cognac and wine has affected me," Greg commented.

"Yes, it had obviously affected Trevor too.

"Yes, it did, I have to admit."

Helen petted Greg's shoulder. "Go take a shower and go to bed. I'll finish cleaning."

They parted ways--Helen to the kitchen, Greg to the bathroom--and wished each other "Good night."

The whole evening went really well. I'm going to take a vacation... Helen is happy. Everything is fine. I'm a little drunk. I'm going to shower and then go to bed, Greg thought.

Day 4

Greg didn't have to go to work at his usual time. He had planned to go in later, to sleep a little longer, but that didn't work out. He went to the office like he does every day. Today, I only need to extract all the important information and email it to Trevor. I hope he can finish it by noon.

As planned, he was done by 11:30. He hadn't met Trevor, who had obviously slept in as he had originally planned to. He checked again to see if he missed anything and then left the office and went home.

"Hey!" Greg greeted Helen with a peck on her lips.

Helen welcomed him with a beautiful smile. "Hey, you're already done, huh?"

"Yeah, finally. I can't remember the last time I had free time.

"I don't remember either. I slept until 10 o'clock, ha-ha. And I've been drinking coffee until now, ha-ha-ha."

"That's right, you deserve a break."

"My sister, Marie, is coming today. I don't think I told you."

"Wow, I haven't seen her for a long time."

"Okay, I'll start making lunch; she'll surely be hungry when she arrives."

"Are the kids upstairs?"

"Probably, I haven't seen them today. They're probably looking for holiday deals online."

"Okay, I'll be in the office, call some people for advice, and check out the offers too."

Greg went to his home office to surf the internet. Hmm. There are good offers and excellent prices, but I'd better leave the decision to Helen and the kids. Whatever they choose, let it be. I don't care more or less; the important thing is that we're together. I'll have to see what the prices are.

Greg looked at various offers from various websites and compared prices. He also looked at the prices of airline tickets. After a while, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," Greg shouts without getting up from his desk.

Marie entered the room.

"Oh, the little sister is here!" Greg opened his arms and smiled.

"Yes, I've come to kill you because you're making my sister angry."

"Ha-ha-ha." Greg laughed. This woman is always in the mood for a joke. "Come here, let me kiss you."

Greg and Marie hugged and kissed, and Marie decided to up the ante with the joke.

"Get your hands off me, you pervert! You can touch my sister like that, but not me!'

"Ha-ha, you're always the same, always joking."

"Ha-ha-ha, of course, I am. And what are you doing from home now?"

"No, I'm looking for vacation destinations. I've worked on the security network for some hotels, so I have some acquaintances..."

"You've finally decided to take the family on vacation?"

"Yes, we really need it. You know, she was really upset about Daniel."

"Yes, that's why I came to sort things out."

"Thank you so much for coming. I'm always glad to see you."

"Yes, yes, blah blah... Okay, I'm going to Helen; see you."

"I'll be coming soon too."

Greg mused a bit while staring at the screen. Helen is taking it much too seriously. She loves her kid sister, Marie, so much. I hope Marie will cheer her up. Although a serious college lecturer, Marie is always joking and looks at the brighter side of life. She likes to party too, although her personal life regarding relationships is not going too well.

A little later, everyone was sitting at the table and having lunch.

"How can your meat always be so tender?" Marie complimented Helen's cooking.

"Ha-ha, not always..." Helen laughed.

"I still only know how to fry eggs," Marie lamented.

"Yeah, and that's why you are not married yet," Greg joked.

Marie laughed and pointed her middle finger at Greg. Everyone laughed.

"Okay. I came here expecting a war zone in the house, but everything seems perfect."

"That's easy. We lied to you just so you would come and see us." Daniel grinned.

"I would think you might have just done that, ha-ha. Just shut up; you are the one who caused the problems." Marie retorted.

"Who, me? Nooo, ha-ha, not me!" Daniel went along with the ribbing.

"Mia, you are the only bright spot in this house," Marie added, looking lovingly at Mia.

Greg enjoyed the banter. Oh, this woman is always so cheerful and always joking. I like that.

After lunch, everyone was in the living room suggesting where to go on vacation. Maire had a bunch of pamphlets in her lap.

"Helen, look at this..." Marie waved a pamphlet.

"Let me see. Oh wow. It's so beautiful. Mia, Daniel, look!" Helen exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, it's great!" Mia agreed.

"I like it," Daniel added with a grin.

"I've seen that resort in Angel's Bay before," Greg remarked.

"It's beautiful, but it's daylight robbery," Helen said, perusing the pamphlet.

Greg looked around expectantly. "Hey, if everyone likes Angel's Resort, let's go there. It doesn't matter how much it costs. Anyway, we can go by car, so we'll save money on plane tickets. Is everyone okay with it?"

There was a cacophony of affirmations: "Yes!" "I'm in!" "Oh, yeah!"

"Okay, we've decided; let's go. When do we go?" Greg asked, clapping his hands together.

"Yes, we can go on Monday. 10 days should be enough." Helen mused aloud.

"Why Monday? Can't we go tomorrow?" Greg was hyped by the thought of getting on vacation as soon as possible.

"Yes, why not?" Mia pressed on.

Daniel joined in, "I don't mind."

Helen pondered, "Oh well. We have time to get ready today."

"Yes, you should go as soon as possible, ha-ha-ha," Marie laughed.

Greg took out his phone and booked a three-bedroom apartment at a resort in Angel Bay. "Okay, they have room starting tomorrow. Our reservation is from 6 p. m. Okay, I'll get everything ready, and I'll need to rest the rest of the day with the TV. I don't want to start driving tomorrow tired."

"Yes, take a rest, darling." Helen hugged Greg.

First I'll check the car, then give Helen the clothes I'll need, and then watch TV. I need to rest and get a good night's sleep today.

He washed the car and checked the oil and water. Then he took out the clothes he planned to take. Okay, that's it. Helen will put the clothes in the luggage as she wants. She'll add something else anyway. Now I can rest a bit.

Greg went downstairs to the living room. He lay down on the sofa and turned on the TV. He changed a few channels but soon fell asleep.

Day 5

The alarm went off at 6 a. m. sharp.

Greg woke up. Oh, and the day has come. Is Helen up already? I'm going to take a quick shower. After the bathroom, Greg went into the kitchen, kissing Helen on her cheek. "Good morning, are you ready?"

"Everything is ready. You can take our things to the car while I prepare breakfast."

As Greg and Daniel carry the bags and other things to the car, Greg says, "Daniel, let me tell you something, just between us, of course."

"Tell me, Dad."

"Well, we're men. Women on road trips can be really tough, so we have to stick together and support each other. Otherwise, everything will go their way, and then we're screwed."

"I understand. Ha-ha, no problem, Dad. We'll stick together."

They went back to the kitchen and sat down to have breakfast.

Greg summarized the day's plans. "Okay, it'll take 11-12 hours to get there. I figure if we stop 3-4 times, we should get there around 10-11 pm, considering the time difference. Daniel and I will take turns driving. Is that okay? The women will sit in the back seat and sleep, ha-ha."

Daniel smiled widely. "Great, thank you for trusting my driving skills on such a long trip. Anyway, I've prepared some music for you to listen to on the way."

"Oh no, we'll probably listen to heavy metal." Mia groaned.

"No, there are a few rock tunes for me, 80s disco for Dad, ballads for Mom, and New Age for you," Daniel hurried to reassure everyone.

"Oh, thank you very much. I'm sooo relieved," Mia grumbled in a mocking voice.

Helen tried to settle everyone down. "Great, now can we go?"

The trip was pleasant and without any unexpected events. As planned, they arrived at the hotel just after 8 p. m. They checked in at the reception and were given the key to a large apartment on the top floor of the hotel. It was a large apartment with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a living room...

Daniel looked around. "Wow, this looks perfect!"

Mia yawned. "Great, every room has a bathroom. Guys, I wish you a good night. I'm going to take a shower and sleep. I'll unpack tomorrow."

Daniel was tired from driving all day. "Good night, I'll do the same."

"Good night. I need a warm bath and sleep." Helen joined the others.

"And don't forget the agreement. Ten days without a cell phone. Right?" Greg called out to his kids.

"Okay, ha-ha, I'll hold you to it, though." Mia chuckled.

"Agreed." Daniel nodded solemnly.

Greg did a little research around the apartment, TV, beds, minibar, and phone... Thoughts flutter around the edges of consciousness as Greg falls asleep, tired from the trip. "It's really perfect here. I could stay here for months. While Helen is in the bathroom, I'll lie down."

Day 6

Early in the morning, Greg woke up to someone knocking on the door and calling his name. What the hell is it now? Greg got up and opened the door.

The receptionist stood there, wringing his hands. "Mr. Smith, I apologize profusely, but I've got an urgent message for you. It seems something happened. The lady who called me was very upset and crying, so I didn't understand very well. I just understood that you should call Susan."

Greg, baffled, just mumbled, "Oh, okay, thank you."

The receptionist, with a slight nod of his head, said, "I apologize again; goodbye," and left.

Greg closed the door. Everyone woke up and looked at what was going on.

Helen was the first to formulate thoughts. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Greg admitted, "he said to call Susan urgently."

He took his phone and called Susan, and the others waited with bated breath.

Susan picked up her phone on the first ring. "Oh, Greg!"

"What happened, Susan?"

Susan was sobbing so hard that it was difficult to understand. "Trevor and Lisa were in a car accident."

"Oh my God, are they okay?"

Susan took an audible breath. "They're both in the hospital. They told me they were both seriously injured. I don't know what to do; they won't let me in. Now I have to call the hospital again. I hope they'll give me more information."

"Okay, call them. I'll call you back in a few minutes."

Helen was nervously pacing during the phone call. As soon as Susan disconnected, she asked, "What happened?"

Greg summarized the call. "Well, Trevor and Lisa were in a car accident this morning. They're in the hospital. There's no concrete information, but the most important thing is that they're alive, although they have serious injuries."

Helen went as white as a sheet. "Oh, my God, that's terrible!"

"Oh, my God!" Daniel exclaimed and went to embrace his mother.

Helen asked the obvious question, "What shall we do now?"

Scratching his chin, Greg replied, "I don't know. Trevor has a meeting tomorrow about a half-million-dollar contract."

"Oh no, does that mean you have to go home?" Helen asked anxiously.

"Yes, I have to, but if Trevor isn't seriously injured then I needn't. Or I can go anyway and come back in two days." Greg sighed.

"Yes, I understand. You have to go back." Helen closed her eyes briefly as if drawing on her inner strength.

"I'm furious now," Greg huffed.

"I think I should call Susan again." Helen fumbled and shook as she punched Susan's number into her phone.

While Helen was talking to Susan, the three of them sat there waiting for her to give them more information.

"And?" Greg asked impatiently.

"Um, Trevor is going to have surgery," Helen said flatly.

"Shit. And what about Lisa?" Mia asked, but her question remained unanswered.

"Okay, I'll get ready and go." Greg turned around to go and pack.

"Wait, you can't do it alone. Someone will go with you. I don't know, maybe I should go with you, and Daniel and Mia should stay here," Helen suggested.

"Well, honey. You deserve this break, and you need it. I'll go alone."

"I can go with Dad, and Mum and Mia stay here," Daniel interjected.

"Yes, maybe. But it might be better if Mia went with Dad because she can help him at the office and home," Helen argued.

Daniel, nodding his head, agreed, "Yes, that's true."

"I agree, but I think Mom can provide more emotional support. Mom should go with Dad, so they can return in 2-3 days," Mia reasoned.

+++++

Dear Reader!

At this point, you have three alternatives to choose from regarding how to continue reading the story:

Start reading the story from the perspective of another family member:

- Part 2 if you want to start the story from Helen Smith's (mother/wife) point of view.

- Part 3 if you want to start the story from Daniel Smith's (son/sibling) point of view.

- Part 4 if you want to start the story from Mia Smith's (daughter/sibling) point of view.

OR

Read about how Greg had a good time with a family member in the last 9 days:

- Part 1A is about what happens when Greg and Mia return home early from their holiday to work (from Greg's perspective)

- Part 1B is about what happens when Greg and Helen return home early from their holiday to work (from Greg's perspective)

- Part 1C is about what happens when Greg and Daniel return home early from their holiday to work (from Greg's perspective)

OR

You may choose to read another part based on the list in the Table of Contents, or the Overview at the end of Part 0: Introduction can help you decide where to continue.