The Wrong Way Road Trip

The Wrong Way Road Trip - Part 9 - Success Creates a Crisis

Weeks quickly passed as the blog audience continued to grow. As did Jeremy, who added ounces almost daily and developed a loud voice when he wanted something. Kate and the baby were back in bed with me, and the interruptions to sleep were fewer.

"When does the book say he will sleep through?"

"Don't get your hopes up. Could be six months." We were lying in the dark at 4 am, with Jeremy feeding noisily.

"The more he feeds, the faster he grows." Her finger poked my side. "Ready to dump me yet?"

Motherhood was good for Kate. I was defensive about the impact of Jeremy's care on our extended family of hard workers, but my apologies were rejected by the nannies. Even Natalie was caring and protective of her new little friend. "Baby good," she cried out.

Chooli was in her element. The Scout title had energized her to leadership of our planned forays to the red rock country north of the Colorado River, ending up in snowy Telluride at Christmas.

Jeremy was alertly absorbing his surroundings and I suggested to Kate that she consult the pediatrician about travel.

Later the same day, we had an answer. "He is ok to travel. But not more than two or three hours a day. Too much bouncing in the car is bad for his insides."

"What about my insides from all the bouncing you and your friends do?"

"Be careful. I'm almost ready to bounce on that terrible stick again!"

A laughing face was at the door. "No sex until Chooli permits!"

Scout sat on the bed and I asked, "What about an easy trip to Monument Valley? We can overnight in Kayenta and do blog filming. Get a lot of cliche footage at sunup and sundown. Jeremy can act himself. Henry can be introduced in blog as new Deputy with Tribal Police."

The only trouble with my idea was that when the others heard about it, I was informed that a major outing, for all staff, was required. Things got worse when Chooli knocked me to the floor and took a place on my chest, announcing that there was a nice tourist spot north of Kayenta, east of Navajo Mountain, that had cottages and a grocery. Also, it was famous for taking care of Hollywood film crews and would be kind to our blog requirements.

Kate was looking over Sharon's shoulder at the website for the Lodge. "Jeremy will be happy. There is a laundry and lots of paths for walking with him."

ML pulled me out of Chooli's grasp, saying, "Bruce and I will mind the store. There is plenty of work for our little company right now."

On a chilly October morning, just a month after Jeremy's birth, we set out in two vans, headed north. The Nannies wanted to be near Kate and the baby, so I was sent to the other van to keep Sharon, Ellie and Natalie company. The cute little girl was excited to be on her first real trip, standing on my legs and waving her arms. "Trip, trip!" she had picked up from the adults. I kept an arm around her for safety, and wondered about the text I had received from Jody first thing in the morning. "Got strange phone call, we need to talk." She was in LA, dealing with our lawyer, who had turned out to be necessary to protect intellectual property rights, and planned to catch up with the group in a day or two.

I convinced Natalie that it was ok to sit in her special seat with its belt, showing that I had a belt too. I texted Jody, "Talk when we meet, or sooner?"

Nearly an hour later, Sharon was driving and I was dozing next to Natalie in the back. My phone chimed with a text from Jody, "Just finished with lawyer, call me."

I punched in her number and got an instant connection, asking "How is life in tinseltown?"

"I am heading for LAX this minute and will be with you by tonight. Hold on to your hat, but somebody big wants to buy us!"

Feeling shocked and a little numb, I asked, "You said no?"

"I bluffed. Said our business plans were at an early stage, but if it was a serious offer, we would consider it."

"Meaning we should see what kind of action is out there?"

"Yes. Buyout proposals are a dime a dozen in Hollywood. If someone wants to put money on the table, let's see the color of it and the conditions."

"You earn your pay every day, hot stuff."

"There better be a warm bed for me. Don't advertise this, ok?"

"My lips are sealed. Will Jeremy be pleased when he hears?"

"Damn, you are bad." Click.

I told the front seat, "Jody says she will be with us tonight. Wants a warm bed."

Ellie turned and smiled at me. "Buster, you are a father now. Watch that catting around."

I weakly fisted her and mumbled, "You're right."

Sharon looked over her shoulder at me, "Brian, the new mother has told us we may attack from time to time, so don't feel bad." Her smile was brilliant. I sat there holding Natalie's hand and fuming at the idea. Talk about female tyranny! A little voice said some sex with my hot women was better than no sex.

Chapter 28 - Monument Valley Foray

The reserved cottages were at one end of the Lodge property. The views toward the monument towers to the east were superb. The blog scriptwriters would have to get busy with something more than just images that millions have seen. I told everyone we would use the Lodge dining room tonight and worry about preparing our own food tomorrow.

A weary Jody knocked on our door at ten pm. Kate let her in and said I was to assist her with a quick shower. "Mind you, no bad behavior."

I covered her head and soaped everything else. She clung to me and said we needed to talk. I rinsed and dried and folded her in next to Kate. Jeremy slept through it all in his travel crib. Until 2 am, that is.

Sucking noises had Jody and me both awake. She said, "That is such a nice noise. Probably not so much for the mommy with the wrecked sleep?"

Kate said softly in the dark, "My body takes lots of naps and it works out. He is up to every four or five hours from two to three hours, so there is progress."

I pulled Jody to my chest, so Kate and I each had a body on top. My fingers worked up and down Jody's spine and she made low happy noises. I asked, "Is this an ok bed?"

She hummed and fell asleep right where she was. Kate reached a hand and whispered, "Good Daddy."

I kissed the hand and whispered back, "Too much mush."

The sun was well up when we stumbled outside to find a portable stove with frying pans and eggs going. The big coffeemaker filled preheated mugs and life was fine. Jeremy thought so too, gurgling in his sack on Kate's front.

Jody kissed my cheek and poked me in the back. "Where do we talk?"

With a plate of eggs in hand, I circulated. Nothing but smiles. Very low desire to confront blog work. I declared a free day and encouraged trips in all directions. I wasn't surprised that Henry and Chooli wanted to follow the dirt road west to the foot of Navajo Mountain, and made sure they took a camera to capture the great views of Lake Powell and surrounding wild country.

By ten, the group had dwindled to Jody, Kate, and me. Sleepy Jeremy was in his crib in the shade.

Jody began, "I'll give you the whole story. Our lawyer took me out for coffee and we sat with a friend of his who is an agent for several stars and companies. For an agent, I thought she was pretty laid back. In the middle of the conversation, she said that our blog was getting local attention and one of her clients asked if she knew any of our principals. She said she didn't but would inquire of her boyfriend, the lawyer.

"Anyway, about this time, I smelled a setup, and called her out. In a nice way, of course. Our lawyer said he had a conflict of interest and volunteered to go back to the office. I gave him a hard time and asked if the agent was any good in bed."

Kate broke in, "Did she slap your face?"

"I got a fierce look and after that a big laugh. She sat in his lap and said he wasn't going anywhere.

"It turns out that the agent has a friend who works for one of the Disney companies, and he was the source of the question about us. After more conversation, the girlfriend asked if we might be interested in a buyout. I said not likely, but would inquire if she thought there was something serious in the air."

There was an awkward pause as the three of us looked at each other. I tried to remember how our company structure was put together. "Kate, who owns stock in our Ajax Ventures company?"

"You and I own 51%, 30% is owned by current employees, and 19% is not issued. Isn't the CEO supposed to know this?"

"I'm still recovering from being too dumb Mac."

I gestured to Jody, "Protect me."

She laughed, easing into my arms, "I got the warm bed last night, but not the rest of the promised reward."

I worked on head and neck. "So tell us what your negotiating position should be."

"Keep doing that while I think."

Several minutes later, she said, "Our only real assets are people and their ideas. So any offer would have to be contingent on the people staying. Which means we end up with money in our bank accounts and taking orders from someone in Hollywood."

"Jeremy would not approve." Kate didn't smile.

I said, "We will talk it over at dinner. But if others feel as Kate does, then no point in going further."

Noticing that Jeremy was moving around, Jody said, "Let's change and get on a trail. Jeremy needs more scenery."

Inside, I grabbed the naked Jody body trying to get into her shorts. "You can't escape me forever, woman."

Kate was changing Jeremy and said, "Take her in the bathroom and watch her face in the mirror as you deliver the special reward!"

Jody was nice and juicy but pretended to resist. "No, you can't. I am a Vice President!"

Her face in the mirror was laughing at me until a big cock jammed itself in her wetness.

"Ohhh. Damn, you are big." She gave me that star struck look, eyebrows raised and mouth open. I banged her hard against the counter, forcing him deep inside.

"Devil. Just taking me. Where is the romance in this?"

I nipped at her ear, "Romance costs extra, lady."

She turned around and told me, "I want a proper fuck in bed. Take me in there, I don't care if they watch."

Jeremy was in his mother's arms. Both of them gave us a curious look. Jody wailed and Brian pounded. Kate applied a hard swat to my ass and that sent us over the top.

Going to the door, Kate announced, "We will start out. If you ever finish, come and find us."

I was still hard and still buried in warm welcoming flesh. Jody gave me a long kiss. "It's nice to come back from work and receive your kind of reward."

Cleaned up and headed out in running clothes, she said, "I have one other idea, Brian."

"I get great sex and great ideas, both?"

She butted into me and surged ahead. "Be quiet and listen. I've thought of a counter-proposal. By the way, our lawyer's girlfriend is named Julie. She is hot. We need to invite them out here. Let the clean air wash Hollywood away."

She went on, out of breath from leading, "One non-people asset we do have is the series of blog episodes. What if we offered to license them as the basis for a film or TV series? Perhaps only a few million upfront, but a big share of future royalties?"

Brian felt like Mac. Only a few million? I tried to remain calm. Out of breath but calm. Kate and Jeremy were still in the distance, with a sandstone spire or two beyond.

"I like your thinking, sexpot. Maybe you go back to LA in a few days and test the water before we let that loose with the group?"

She punched my shoulder, "If this amounts to anything, there have to be unlimited rewards!"

Having caught up, Jeremy in his sack got transferred to Daddy, and we hiked until noon, when he and we needed lunch. Kate sat topless on the porch of our cottage and Jeremy helped himself. He was visibly bigger than a week ago.

"He's growing like a weed, Mom."

"You may not believe this, Brian, but he answers back my happy talk. He even has a special happy gurgle." She looked up with a smile. "This is sure a better outcome than I ever imagined."

Jody brought sandwiches and the three of us relaxed in the mild October sun. The incredible distant expanse of red towers gave the Valley a timeless feel. Humans and their babies were a minor footnote.

Jody said, "We should tell Kate about my idea. She is a big stockholder, after all. And you've always said she is smarter than you are."

I hung my head, "Go ahead."

Kate and Jeremy came to my lap so they could pull hair and inflict other abuses as Jody described the royalty scheme.

While Kate digested the idea, I got kisses instead of hair pulls. Jeremy gurgled.

"This is called having your cake and eating it too?"

I held a wiggling Jeremy while Kate put her top back on. Jody said, "Sort of, but we have no idea if there will be interest. Julie and Hank are probably good people to try it out on. I told Brian they should come here for a weekend."

Exerting male dominance, I said, "Make the phone call!"

Kate poked me and said, "You are such a joke. But a lovable one. Do you want to put that package down for a nap? See if he will allow it?"

Jeremy and I left the two babes giggling in the sun and went inside. "Kiddo, I need a nap too. What if we lie down together on the bed instead of your crib." Snuggled into me, we both were asleep in moments.

Lips were kissing my neck. "This is not authorized. The book says babies can get crushed if the parent turns over in their sleep."

Jeremy and I still shared warmth. I pulled Kate down for more kisses. "You are right, but he seems to like snuggling with his dad. Just like a certain Mom."

When I looked at him again, the blue eyes were open and an arm lifted toward me. I was an instant pile of Daddy mush, grabbing tiny fingers.

"Brian, this is too sweet. But about the Jody business, I asked you before if we could just walk away from the blog."

Jeremy was wiggling and got transferred to my chest. His Mommy tickled and he gurgled.

I said, carefully, "If we add up the pros and cons, the pros lose badly. Everyone is working hard, learning a lot, and having fun. Money in the bank is not much of a substitute for that."

Kate snuggled to my side and Jeremy fell into her arms, making baby noises.

"Brian, I am so happy to hear you say that. I shouldn't really have a vote. You rescued me from nothing. But look at Jeremy. Every wiggle says he likes what his parents are doing. If he could talk, I'll bet he would say, "Don't mess with success!"

I sat up with arms around my family. "Good words. Let's find Jody and tell her that is our motto."

Jody was sacked out in the sun, with floppy hat over her face. I knelt behind and whispered, "Don't mess with success."

I could see toes wiggling. She was thinking. Kate deposited Jeremy on her chest. "That's what he told us a few minutes ago."

"So how do I run with that advice?" She sat up and hugged our son to her fine boobs. "I would have one of these in a minute if you would let me. I'm not too old." Her eyes were wet.

I handed Jeremy to Kate and took Jody to my knee. "Put that on the list. Ask us again when we are less of a ragamuffin gypsy band."

That precipitated a long long wet kiss. Something like love was going back and forth.

Jeremy interrupted with a pooping sound. Jody said, "give him to me, since I am not supposed to mess with success!"

Kate and I sat next to each other in the sun, holding hands. When Jeremy and the wannabe Mommy returned, she said, "I called Hank. He checked with Julie and they will come day after tomorrow for a long weekend."

She sat and closed her eyes, making a mommy noise. Kate said, "Stop that. You will set him off again."

Jeremy got to sit in my lap while they talked. "I guess my marching orders are to concentrate on a royalty deal and tell them no equity arrangement is currently available?"

Jeremy gurgled and I said, "He says you have a nice way with words."

Sitting in the Monument Valley sun, it was hard to get worked up over a possible Hollywood deal. I smiled and closed my eyes. Jeremy's tiny fingers grabbed my hand. By the time we got to Baja, he might be crawling.

Kate said, "He's smiling and thinking. That is probably bad."

I changed the subject. "Ladies, are we shopping for our own dinner tonight?"

While they worked on that, I brought Jeremy's crib nearby and put him in it. Having seeded the grownups, he closed his eyes and slept.

Kate poked me and said, "A barbequed red meat dinner for a work discussion?"

I stared at her, "You want meat?" Which earned me impudent looks suggesting a dare.

They jumped up and said, "Look after your son and we will shop!" Two fine behinds wiggled as they disappeared toward the grocery.

Later, I was dozing when a familiar voice said, "Look at this, the babysitter is sleeping on the job." Jeremy's eyes were open and his arms moving. Chooli scooped him up and kissed his forehead. "This is the finest baby. Henry says I am not to get pregnant for a year. He is such a dear. We have terrific sex and he tells me my blog career comes first for a while longer."

Jeremy seemed to have a special happy gurgle for his Navajo mommy. She took one of the loungers and let him play on her belly. Henry and I looked at the happy pair and then at each other.

I shook my head, "You are done for, buddy."

We smiled and fisted, "Mac, you dummy, I am trapped by this woman. It's all your fault."

Chooli gave him a stare. "Navajo, the grandparents say we were meant for each other."

He knelt down and gave both of them a kiss. "Be careful woman, or I will run off with that French girl!"

She laughed, "The scriptwriters already wrote that. I am going to chase the Deputy Sheriff to Mexico and film him having sex with her on the beach!"

I joked, "It will never get by the censors!"

Kate and Jody were back with full grocery bags. "What is this talk about bad beach behavior?"

My lover yanked on my hair and said, "I require a warm night with a full moon for sex on the beach!"

Hugging tight, we watched Chooli and Jeremy playing on the carpet. He already had strength in his arms, doing a tiny pushup on her boobs.

"Stop! little devil." She looked at the rest of us, laughing.

"We have news to share," I said. Before the others returned from their hikes, I thought it a good idea to see what our Navajo friends thought about a buyout.

"Get a beer and sit for a minute." The sun was behind us and the air cooling. Kate took Jeremy inside for feeding and I described recent events. Indian eyes were curious but bodies passive.

At the end, I said, "You have a special role in our work. What do you think?"

For long moments, they sipped their beers and were quiet, hands clasped. Henry looked at Chooli and squeezed, deferring to his woman. She smiled and kissed him. "You will speak for us."

He pulled her into his lap, poking and tickling. She went limp, waiting for her mate to speak.

"This one," he said, "is special. First, strong and tough and not deferring as she should. Then soft and loving, telling me to speak for both of us. Do I dare marry her?"

There were several quiet minutes of kissing and squeezing. Finally, he said, "Brian, you have taken all of us for a fine ride into cyberland. Even here in the wild places, we can have fun and make money. It seems very soon to surrender our freedom."

He offered an almost perfect reflection of the thoughts Jody and I shared.

I answered, "Jody and I are in the same place. When Julie and Hank come, we will entertain them and ask their help."

Before dinner, I provided drinks and asked everyone to gather for a short business talk. The atmosphere was very relaxed until I said the magic 'buyout' words. Bodies stiffened and sat up straight.

I held my voice level and calm. "This is good news and bad news. It validates all our hard work, which is nice to hear. But the idea of giving up control for a fat bank account this early in our work together doesn't sit well with Kate and me. Jody has an interesting idea, but first, I'd like to hear from you. Tell it to everyone straight. We haven't been dodgy with each other up to now, and I'd rather not start."