Real Love

Writer's Notes:

'Real Love' is my personal tribute to JammyJimmy's (JJ) story, 'Threads: The Island'. I give JJ credit, because credit is due, for this story and for my own inspiration and entrance into writing. 'Real Love' is actually the first story I wrote, even before 'Tale of Two Teens', my first published story.

As I was writing this story way back when, I was hoping JJ would be the editor. Having been unable to make contact with him, I have been reluctant to release it. Some say JJ has passed away, but I don't know. JJ, if you read this and want this story removed, please contact me. Several readers have relayed to me, both publically and privately, that they would like it released.

Therefore, 'Real Love' is an unauthorized, reimagined rewrite and sequel to JJ's story, 'Threads: The Island'. The general storyline in JJ's story is embedded in this story. Several of the character names have been changed because this is my story. Anyone who has read JJ's story will identify the characters quickly, starting with my main character, Bradley Weber, formerly known as Kyle Watson in JJ's story.

This story is long, but tolerant and filled with several emotions. If you stick with it, you will experience euphoria, happiness, sadness, sorrow and it will make you horny. You'll be disgusted, pissed off, scared and you'll grieve, cry, frown, smile and sometimes, you'll laugh, I hope.

'Real Love' starts off slow, but gains speed with age. Feel free to leave comments about what you like and what you dislike about the story. Feedback is a good thing for those writers who want to know what reader's like and dislike about their stories.

Please don't be mean in the comments because those that put in many hours over a period of several months, and thought into designing and writing these stories don't appreciate it, nor do they deserve it.

I do hope you enjoy the 'Real Love' series. Just don't forget one important detail -- it's fiction. Please do give us 'not so professional' writers a little slack.

JJ, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, fair winds and following seas my friend.

Let the saga of Bradley Weber continue...

MDSW

* * * * *

Kelly asks, "Larry, do you know the reason why you didn't know Chuck was going to say what he said to Brad?"

"I think I do, but tell me, I'm not going to venture a guess."

"It's because you didn't have a close personal relationship with him,"Kelly says. "My guess is you had causal conversations with him about business, but you didn't discuss things personal to him or close to him or have guy talk. This is just one of many reasons why a personal relationship is as important as a professional relationship."

"Very true, Kelly. You are right about the relationship I had with Little."

"So, how well do you know your Vice President?" Brad asks.

Larry exchanges glances with Sandi and says, "Not well enough, but we will work on it."

"How long have you been working for Packard Records Sandi?"

"Nine years, Brad."

"What did you start your Packard Records career as?"

"I was the company receptionist."

"And you worked your way to Vice President in nine years! That's an incredible achievement! Congratulations! You must be extremely proud of yourself. Has anybody else told you how proud they are of you?" Kelly asks.

Larry jumps in and says, "Not yet, but I'm working on that as well."

"Don't wait Larry," Kelly says. "Being a leader means you should be there and do it. Don't let anything stop you or slow you down. Giving people compliments isn't only rewarding for them, it's also rewarding for you. You will feel happy when they are happy. The sooner you start making it part of your personality, the easier it will be for you to just spit it out. Same goes to you Sandi. Just do it. Helen, you as well."

Larry says, "I agree Kelly, now that you mention it. When I told Helen how I felt about her working for me back then, I did feel pretty good. Thanks Kelly. I needed that reminder... Debi, what do you expect from your leaders going forward?"

"Just that they keep doing what they are doing. I remain happy with that alone. Beyond that, I can't say that I would expect anymore from them. They have already exceeded my expectations by a long shot and I have no plans to trade them for anybody."

Kelly breaks in and announces, "It's time for dinner. Time flies when you're having fun!" she says, so off they go to have dinner with the team.

* * * * *

Kelly is all over Brad as they walk to dinner. She stops him and gives him a very tight hug.

"Baby, I need some lovin'."

"Okay. Hang on just a second and I'll get Larry. Be right back," he teases as he starts to leave.

Kelly bursts out laughing as she stops him from leaving her and hugs him so tight he grunts. She pours a little love on him as she kisses his neck in several places. All that time, Brad is laughing his ass off as he holds her tight. He got a good one on her and she knows it.

As they proceed to dinner, they hold hands and she leans her head on him. Before they sit down to eat, Debi walks over to Brad and Kelly and gives them a hug with Sandi taking notice. She also sees Kelly give Brad another kiss and hug. Nikki comes over and also gives Brad and Kelly a hug and speaks to them a bit. Sandi is skeptical and wonders what road this Packard team is on. Then Rick comes over and Brad gives him a hi-five just before he returns to Nikki. Sandi is thinking Brad may have an orgy going on with the female assistants, but Rick just blew that theory out of the water. Now that Sandi has been challenged and is questioning herself, she's not sure where this is going.

Dinner is delicious and everyone feels fat afterwards. After a while, they move away from the dinner table and go out and sit beside the pool for the team meeting.

Nikki asks, "Is this the same company that had the VP encounter?"

Larry speaks up and says, "That's the one! But today, we have a new and a much improved VP."

Brad and Kelly take note of the compliment he just gave Sandi and they can see the positive affect it has on her, then Craig unexpectedly joins the group.

"Mind if I join you guys?"

Kelly introduces Craig Alden as the company attorney. She made the introductions and they exchange greetings. She also tells everyone they're on a first name basis.

Larry asks, "Craig, have you witnessed any changes in the assistant staff since the new owners took over?"

"I have, but more as an observer. I don't normally see the behind the scene events, but I saw this one. You can't miss the difference. It's like night and day. The relationship this team shares is one you will not believe unless you see it first hand. When you think you understand this team, guess again because you really don't. I'm one of a very lucky few to have seen them change," Craig says. "I could not believe it myself. I've never seen it before, either, and won't likely see it again in my lifetime."

"Would you tell us about what transpired at Debi's contract signing, from your point of view?" Sandi asks.

"Debi, if I'm going to say anything about it, I want your permission to do so."

"It's okay Craig. They already know quite a bit. I told them the story earlier, but left out some details to shorten the explanation time and to remove some personal content. Thanks for asking."

"Okay then, from my point of view, sure. After Brad left to get Debi and before they returned to the 'interrogation room', Kelly told us a special training was going to take place and asked the three of us, meaning Peggy, Stacy and myself, not to interfere. That was all we knew because there was no time to get into details before Brad returned with Debi in tow."

"As the scenario progressed, it was hard not to interfere. Brad laid the stress on Debi pretty heavy during the first part of the scenario. However, they planned it to perfection. Awesome, is the best description I can use to describe it. It started with humor and progressed to tears to the point where Debi knew she was going to be fired. Kelly asked her to rip up the contract if she wasn't happy with it and after deliberating for a long time, Debi still struggled time after time to rip it up, but finally succeeded."

"She was devastated. All she could do was cry. I felt so bad for her I had tears in my own eyes. Then, they turned the tables and supported her. They explained she had to fight for herself whether she wanted to or not because if she doesn't, people will take advantage of her."

"After more explaining and supporting her, they placed another contract in front of her and she read it between tears. From there, it was all about a happy Debi. Wow! I have never seen anyone happier than she was at that time... Well, maybe except for Kelly after she got engaged. They're both pretty happy girls to this day. Since then, Debi has been, and continues to be, a very confident person. How confident is she you ask? Brad told her she was fired a couple days ago, to prove a point, and she didn't even believe him... And here she is."

"Thank you Craig. Stacy, what parts of that would you disagree with?" Larry asks.

Stacy shifts her attention to Debi.

"Debi, may I talk about your contract signing as well?"

"Yes Stacy. Thanks for asking."

Looking back at Larry, "Not a single word, Larry. I was also concerned about the pressure Brad laid on her, and I was equally impressed Debi was able to handle it, whether she knew it or not. She is one strong lady."

"To me, the interview went so well it's hard to believe it was planned and acted out. It was just unbelievable to watch as it proceeded. Kelly's plan was executed by perfectionists and it achieved the desired results with Debi's personal interest at heart. Team Brad is a special and strong team, the three of them. As a result of that and other things I have observed, I started looking at Brad in a different light."

"Thank you Stacy," Larry says.

Sandi asks, "Rick, what made you change your attitude?"

"First, it was Brad, then Kelly, then Debi, then Stacy and Peggy, but somehow, it all seemed to happen all at once, like a snowball effect, if that makes any sense. I didn't believe how much Debi changed. I was amazed."

"At first, I didn't understand what Brad was doing. I thought he was just being himself, and he was, but he was also being a leader and that's where I didn't connect the dots at the time. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I could see and feel something good happening, especially when Peggy changed. She started treating me more like a friend than an employee, like somebody with a brain, something I never before experienced from a boss."

They giggle.

Nikki says, "Stacy did the same for me, basically at the same time."

Rick continues saying, "Brad has always talked about a team ever since he's been here. Now I understand why it's so important to him. There are no individuals in a team. It is a group of people that works together to get the job done. Even the owners pitch in. Of course, we manage to get some fun out of it, somehow, but the job gets done as efficiently and as quickly as possible, but that's only part of what makes us a great team."

"Thank you Rick. There's no doubt in my mind that you manage to get some fun out of it," Larry says smirking.

Larry continues, "Nikki, will you come work for me?"

"Not a chance, Larry... Sorry. It's not personal. I like working here too much to throw in the towel and leave. This is my home and I love it here."

"Rick, same question."

"Larry, same answer," he replies smiling as the rest of the group laughs.

"I can't get a single one of you to leave your job. Do you guys know how frustrating that is?" he says and laughs.

"You didn't ask me, Larry," Debi says.

Larry responds by saying, "Debi, there is no way you would leave this job, not after hearing what you've told us today. It would be a waste of time to even ask you and I completely understand why you feel as you do."

The whole team laughs with Larry, especially Debi.

"But, why? Why won't you leave your job, Rick? Nikki, Debi?" Helen asks. "Most people will change jobs for a better offer."

Nikki jumps in first saying, "Because this is my dream job Helen. Most people spend their whole life looking for a job like this. I... we, are lucky enough to have found it at a young age. Once you find it, and live it, you will refuse to let it go. That's where everybody you see here is at. It's all about our relationships and leadership. Our owners are the perfect leaders and I will include Kelly in that mix as well. They're a rare breed of owners. Working for the Packard Empire isn't a job to us. It is our reality, our future, our family, our life, our home. Don't expect any of us to leave this job, voluntarily that is."

"Rick, do you have anything to add?"

"Five words Helen. Brad, Stacy, Peggy and Kelly. They're the ones that created this family, and it was started by Brad. It's all about their relationship with us assistants, both personal and professional. They have created an awesome place to work, but it's so much more than that. It just doesn't feel like a job any more. We are a family, and that's very important to all of us... All else aside, Nikki said it all Helen. I feel the same as she does and I'm okay with that," he says.

"Excellent answer. Thank you. Nikki, what do you want your leaders to do for you?" Helen asks.

"They have already done so many things for the team that it would take about a day to list them, if I can even remember them all. How many other owners have done so much for their staff? Not many, I think. Probably closer to none. Now, it's time for the team to reverse the table and do some things for the owners. We can support them the same way they support us," Nikki says. "I don't know if there's anything else they can do, but they keep surprising us somehow. Usually, when they do, it's noteworthy and when it's noteworthy, it also includes wet eyes, hugs and fun," Nikki reveals.

"How do they keep surprising you?" Helen asks.

"One example is, they're taking all of us to the States next week for our first ever shopping trip. No other company has done that for me, including this one prior to the current owners. We appreciate everything they do for us so we decided to do something for them a short time ago," Nikki adds.

"Debi came up with the idea to give Brad and Kelly a surprise engagement party here on the Island. Even though it wasn't really a surprise for them, it was for most of the guests. The idea itself was great, but Brad threw a monkey wrench into the plans. Not only did the owners invite their families and Kelly's family, they also invited all the assistants' families as well. To top that, each one of us rode on the plane that picked up our families and surprised them so we could spend some quality time together on the trip back to the Island. That was a big surprise to all."

"After getting owner approval of our plan and with Debi in the leadership position, the team got all the plans figured out, completed and confirmed in six hours. The whole weekend was special for us with our families here. Have you ever felt so proud of your leaders that you look forward to introducing them to your family? I am, and I did. It's a feeling I will never forget. I gave Brad, Stacy, Peggy and Kelly the biggest hug I could after my family departed for home," Nikki says. "I felt so special and very proud of them."

"Thanks Nikki. Has Brad and Kelly's relationship given you any problems dealing with them, the team or the company?" Helen asks.

"No problems Helen. Their personal relationship is embedded into this company. We expect them to be affectionate, but it doesn't interfere with day to day operations. They display their love for each other occasionally, inconsistently and control their displays of affection, but they do hold hands just about everywhere they go. Their antics have gotten funny at times but nothing bad and sometimes, they're a comedy team. If they don't show affection for one another, I start wondering why, but that has yet to happen and I don't believe it will. We can tell they're in love and it just makes us happier for them. I believe in my heart that it has brought us closer as a team."

"Thanks, Nikki," Helen says.

"Sandi asks, "Peggy, do you feel you have accomplished what you want here?"

"I may not be the right person to ask that question to but I'm pleased that Brad has accomplished it. His plan changed me along with everyone else and I adopted it as my own. It has worked very well and I'm very pleased. There has been more rewards that I can count. It's just amazing what happy people are willing to do to get the job done. I even want to help the staff get the work done. They inspire me as well."

"Thank you Peggy."

Larry asks, "Stacy, what's your job as an owner now that Brad has taken the lead?"

"Same as it was before he took the lead. Nothing has changed in that regard. Peggy and I talked between us about giving him a promotion and we expected to make it legal. Brad would have nothing of it. He made a decision and stuck to it, but he did take the job. He made it clear to all of us if he takes the lead, we all have to continue doing what we have always done, because we are a team. He even made us vote on his new role before he would accept it. The team had to remain and do its job because it's that important to him. We, as a group, wanted Brad to take the lead because he excels at it. It's a natural talent he has and it's also important to Peggy, myself and the rest of the team going forward."

"Thank you Stacy," Larry says.

Helen asks, "Debi, do you feel like you fit into this company?"

"Before the new owners arrived, we, meaning the assistants, didn't feel like we were part of this company. We were employees hired to do a job, plain and simple. That's all we were. The owners and Kelly treat us as equals. That alone made us feel pretty damn special. We're not as smart as the owners, but we do contribute to this company in many unseen ways, most of which you will never see or hear about. This team is important to them, which makes it important to us. We help them process lots of paperwork that keeps this empire operating. I don't believe the owners can do it without us, and they would be the first to admit it. So yes, I definitely fit in and I'm happy to be here," Debi says.

"Does Brad's relationship with any team member ever get in the way of them performing their job?" Larry asks.

Kelly says, "I haven't noticed that. Anybody else?"

Rick says, "Not that I've seen."

Stacy speaks, "As far as I can remember, it has not stopped or slowed any of us, unless..." she says as her voice trailed off and looks down at the table.

"Unless what?" Sandi asks, perking up, thinking she caught Stacy in a slip of the tongue.

"Well, unless he throws one or more of us in the pool," she says with all seriousness.

All of them break out in a hysterical laugh and it takes a few minutes to recover from that one. Brad gives his sister a hi-five. Peggy does the same.

"I really love the way your team uses the pool as a joke," Larry says, recovering from his laughter. "I understood before, but it has insider meaning now. It's a lot of fun and a very unique part of this team."

Brad smiles at his response. As the laughter subsides, they notice how quiet and peaceful it is on the Island as a breeze blows in their faces.

"Kelly, first of all, I would like to congratulate you on your recent promotion. My question is this, nothing personal intended, but were you given your recent promotion because of your relationship with Brad?" Larry asks.

A smile comes over Brad's face as he looks down at the table and shakes his head. Everybody smiles and shakes their heads as Stacy interrupts.