Broken Dreams Valentines Day

Here's a bit of a Valentine's Day dream. It's not as off the wall as my usual stuff but what the hell. I go where the characters lead me! Try to be nice in your comments. Just a cute little story.

*

I had buried my wonderful wife the previous year. I never expected what had happened. Sheila came into the bedroom one day, she had just returned from the doctor.

"Bill, I have something I need to tell you" Sheila had glistening eyes.

I was napping after I had finished the lawn and cleaning up the yard and outside chores. "What's the matter Honey?" I'd asked. Something was very wrong.

"I have cancer. I just found out last week, but I didn't believe it, so I had a bunch of tests done. It's... It's terminal. There is nothing they can do. They can do surgery and chemotherapy, but the most that would get me is several months. I remember what my aunt Clara went through, and I don't want to do it. Do you remember what she went through?"

"She said it was like her bones were on fire. But Honey, she was on super high dose, isn't there any other options? There must be." My eyes were filled with tears then too.

"Unfortunately, no. They think it might run in our family, or at least we might be more prone to it. Her case and mine are almost identical. I won't go through what she endured."

"I have four or five months. I have a few things I want to do. I want to see Karen get hitched. I want to see Paris. I want to go to Hawaii with you! I want to make every day I have left count." Her eyes were glistening.

"I want to be with you to the end my Darling. Can you take as much vacation time as you can? We are burning daylight, times a wasting!" She didn't want to waste a minute.

I had taken all my vacation and I used all my medical leave. I told my boss why I was doing it and he was able to stretch it out to five months. He told me if he could swing it, he would get me a leave of absence, I could return to work when I could.

He completely understood. His own wife had passed several years ago, I had been there to cover for him until he made it back. I never thought he would be in the position to return the favor.

So my sweetheart and I did all the things we could. We made a list of things. We did go to Paris. We went to Hawaii. We jumped out of an airplane. I didn't enjoy that too much, but we did it! My daughter moved up her wedding day and we were privileged and proud parents as she walked down the aisle on my arm. We danced and danced. We loved each other, and I held her as Sheila drew her final breath.

After that, I kinda had a little vacation myself. I crawled into a bottle. I wanted to die. I still remember the funeral. It was pouring down rain. I didn't care. I had lost the great love of my life. I wanted to jump out of the plane again, but forget to pull the cord.

My son and my two daughters came for me then. They would not leave me alone. They threw out every bottle of booze in my house. They were determined to bring me back from the abyss. I wasn't so sure that I wanted to come back. My thoughts were black as coal.

My friend Fred was there too, driving me to stupid meetings. At least at the meetings, everyone there knew exactly how I felt. I was able to tell these guys the trauma I'd been through, and they all really understood.

I was not alone in losing. These folks had all lost a loved one, so we could share misery. I could share that with them. They all understood. It somehow made it easier to bear the pain, knowing these people were in the same situation. I cried like a baby and nobody said anything, they took turns hugging me. Some of them cried too. Afterwards, I actually felt better. The pain was still there, but I felt like I could somehow bear it a little better.

**************

A year had passed. I had returned to work, although my heart wasn't in it, I was always the professional. I made my old boss look good. I got promoted twice! I wound up becoming the closer for the mergers and acquisitions division. I always made the company a few bucks. By that, I meant a few million. It seemed the less I cared, the better the deals I created. I was a matchmaker for big and little companies. It was a very strange and ironic situation. I got many very large bonuses. I told my boss I didn't deserve them. He said I absolutely did. I worked my ass off for the rest of the year, but I had an epiphany. How much time did I have left? How much time?

**************

"Joe, you know I am eternally grateful to you for last year," Joe was my boss. He had stood by me.

"Bill, I still remember when you took care of me when Mary passed. If it had not been for you, I..." He looked genuinely grateful and concerned too.

"That was ancient history Joe. Anyway, everything that has happened has got me thinking. This might apply to you too." I took a long swig of ginger ale.

"Joe, nobody really knows how much time we have left. But when I look down the road, I see the road in front is way shorter than the road behind me. I want to quit Joe. But I'm not an asshole that would leave you in a lurch. I think we need to find and train someone to take over for me. What do you say?"

"Ok Bill. Did you have someone in mind?"

"Yes, Vivienne from legal. She's smart, capable, I've worked with her on over twenty deals. And she's got the red hair."

Vivienne Durand had a very red mane, and brilliant green eyes. She had very pale skin and freckles. Her lips were red and plump and sexy. She had an hourglass figure with generous breasts and a plump behind. She was in her late thirties and she was a knockout. On top of all that, she was a damn fine lawyer. She specialised in corporate and international law.

"Why don't we call her? She could come up, or we could set up a meeting. I'll ask my secretary to handle it."

It was arranged. She could not make it at all during the day. So they politely asked her to meet at the Legal Eagle, a downtown bar right in the middle of Lawyers Row, where a large number of law offices were located, right down the street from the courthouse. The bar did a surprising amount of business on such a limited clientele, or maybe folks just liked the cachet.

I just liked the beer selection. Too bad I'd be drinking ginger ale! The beautiful young woman who introduced herself to us was definitely not Vivienne.

"My name is Carol, I work for Vivienne. I'm so sorry, Vivienne will be delayed for a while. She asked me to let you know, and either entertain you or try to reschedule the meeting. What do you say gentlemen?" She was red haired, but tall and statuesque, like a runway model.

"What did you have in mind to entertain us with?" I said with a lecherous grin.

"He's a very bad boy, isn't he?" she said to Joe, but he looked askance.

"Hell no, he's the boy scout. I'm the one your mom warned you about!" To guffaws from me. He was trying to grab her butt! She dodged his hands, laughing.

*********

Vivienne made her grand entrance. She looked like a million dollars, and when she walked men's eyes went back and forth to match her hip sway and her ass wiggle. Her black cocktail dress, drew stairs from all the men, and quite a few women too. Her cleavage seemed never ending and her nipples threatened to poke through the strained material holding in her large succulent breasts. She was a goddess. A sex goddess at that.

"Why don't you scandalous gents buy this girl a drink, and we'll go from there." I eyed the cocktail waitress, she got our drinks. "Carol, thank you for your help and patience with these two teenagers. I'll see you later." Vivienne thanked Carol. She left, her job done.

"Vivienne. I want you to take over for me in M and A. You have worked with me on twenty deals, you are smart enough and capable enough to do the job. What do you say?"

"Wow, no foreplay for you, you just get right to it don't you? Why now? Why me? What's going on?"

"I think you are the best qualified to do what I do... Period. End of story. I don't have any other candidates waiting in the wings. So if you turn us down, well, I don't know what we will do. I can't do this forever. I want to rejoin my wife soon. I'm sixty-two years old. I don't know how much time I have left. That's why I want you to take over. You have proven to me you are the best, many times over. So...Will you do it?

"Who will be taking over my current duties now?" She asked.

"That's Sean Faraday's problem, he's in charge of legal, although we have just hired six promising young lawyers. All to replace you. It's sort of amazing that we need six people to do what you do!"

"What if I don't accept the offer?" She asked looking into our faces.

"Well, I for one will be crushed. I suppose we will have to look outside the organization for a qualified person. I need to go. I'm on borrowed time now as it is. You will not be punished if you do not want the job. That is absolutely not what we are after. Come on Joe, we are barking up the wrong tree here. Thank you for your time Viv."

"I didn't say no. Why are you leaving? What kind of negotiators are you?" She looked surprised that we were getting up from the table.

"Vivienne, this isn't a negotiation. It was a simple offer, yes or no, in or out. We thought you would jump at the chance. Do you know how much I earned last year?" I asked.

"You grossed twenty-two million, five hundred and nine thousand dollars. That, plus stock options, puts you closer to thirty million dollars. What do you always say? Knowledge is power. Do you know how much I earned last year?"

"One point one million from here, three point seven-five mil from outside the organization, so technically, you have almost left us. We are well aware of your outside interests, no conflict of interest problems exist. You have been open and honest in all your dealings and we appreciate all that you do."

"So how long do I have to make up my mind?"

"I'm sorry Vivienne. I think I have misjudged you. Thank you for your time." I said very sadly.

"Wait a second here. You come in here, tell me how great and wonderful I am, and in the same breath retract the offer? What the fuck is wrong with you? Why are you fucking with me and wasting my time? Now is this a real bonifide offer, or are you just looking for a good time? Let's cut the bullshit. I'm the best there is, and you know it. No more foreplay, let's get down to it. Speak, or I'm out the fucking door in thirty seconds." She folded her hands and glanced at her expensive watch.

"See Joe, I told you she could do it! You owe me a C note, it was less than four minutes!" Both men chuckled. She had passed the test.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four-" she was getting up to walk away. I interrupted her.

"-Will you please stop your count down. It is a real job. It is yours if you want it. We need to know right away if you are the one. I apologize for the little test. We just wanted to see your skills in action, and you did wonderfully! You are the best." I fessed up.

"What if I don't like it?"

"I guess you quit. Every deal you were in on before would have taken a crowbar to pull you off the deal. You telling me you have changed?" I looked her in her beautiful eyes.

"I'm a lawyer, I'm trained to think in terms of what could go wrong and how to fix it, or avoid it altogether. I can't help it. It's the way lawyers have to think."

"Well, we go above and beyond that, we have to build bridges in thin air out of good ideas and held together with nothing more than trust. That's why we get the big bucks. It's also why we never, ever lie. One mistrust, the whole thing is destroyed, BOOM, just like that. I know that you can do this. I can feel it in my bones. That's why I chose you."

"Joe, you didn't chose me?"

"You are doing pretty damn well without us, I wasn't sure if you would take the job or not. It is the ultimate gambling job. It's high stakes poker on steroids, and a high wire act with no net. So I went along with Bill to see if you had the guts to do it. I'm gratified you are willing to try it. You are in aren't you? I'd feel better if you told us your real gut feelings, and ...ARE YOU IN OR OUT?" Joe suddenly looked gravely concerned.

"No use denying it. I'm really terrified of this job. I'm also absolutely, unequivocally, super-duper excitedly IN. I WANT THIS JOB BADLY. Does that answer your question? I have grave concerns. I've never done this by myself. I really want Bill to be there for when I fuck up. He knows more than anyone alive about mergers and acquisitions. I need him as training wheels. Plus I want to get the old guy in bed. Have my you-know-what and eat it too!"

"Wow, just tell us how you really feel why don't you. Now that we are on the same page, do you want the same wages he gets?"

"What does he get?"

He handed her a dollar. "There you go, a years salary. All the rest is two percent bonus of the valuations involved. We do provide all the other perks, and benefits, plus first class travel and accommodation. We pamper this guy. You will have an expense account, and as many assistants as you see fit. We will make it work."

"How long to wrap up whatever you are working on? We can find other attorneys to cover what you can't finish in a timely fashion." He wanted her yesterday.

"I'm going to need a week. I hope those kids you sent me are good. I'm going to load them up. I might need one litigator if I can't settle the one case."

"Ok, let's shake on it. How about a bit of bubbly to celebrate your new job?" He gently shook her hand. She held mine.

"Boss, I'd love to, but I have a thousand loose ends I've got to tidy up. But I'll take a rain check ok?" She was up abruptly. She cheek kissed us both. She was gone, a woman on a mission.

***********

Several weeks passed. She settled into her new job very quickly. She and I got along famously. We struck and closed several deals that were shoe-ins. I wanted to build up her confidence a bit. What we do is daunting, and sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's hard, and sometimes, it's impossible. The trick is knowing the difference!

I could not help noticing her very large and in charge chest. She wore impeccable office wear, with just a hint of cleavage. But there were big beautiful breasts lurking below her silken blouses and her stressed-by-big-breasts bras.

But working with her all the time, well I'm a man and we are hard wired to notice these things. Very, very hard wired. I could throw away my blue pills, she had me erect morning, noon and night. She was so very sexy.

Did I mention her beautiful behind? And her long and luscious legs? The woman was a walking wet dream, at least for me. I held back, I didn't want to put her off so early in her new job. I was also afraid she would laugh at a pass from an old guy like me.

I wasn't sure at all about what, if anything, she felt for me. After all, I'm fucking ancient. I fart dust. So anything with her is a longshot at best, unwanted attentions at worst. I would tread lightly. But I did love to watch her walk. What a perfect ass! It was hip syncopated beauty.

It was during the fifth deal where we had a bit of trouble. One of the clients had a front man, Frank Bradley, a hired gun to watch out for their interests and generally fuck up the deal. He and I had words. I went back to the hotel and changed into casual wear and called Viv's room. No answer. I tried her cell, went to voicemail. Well, maybe she was in the shower.

I walked next door and knocked. I heard "Get the fuck off me you son of a bitch!"

I heard that and flew into action. I tried my shoulder on the door. It was solid. There was a maid. I said, "I'll give you five hundred dollars to open this door NOW!" She did it, I went in. I grabbed the asshole, Frank Bradley, who was trying to disrobe and get into Vivienne. Not on my watch, no sir. He would regret his actions very shortly.

"This tears it old man, you're gonna die!" He threw a punch at me. What he did not know was my favorite sport in the world was boxing, which I did at least three times a week. That plus I started life as a Marine sargent. I cleaned his clock. I laid him out on the floor. What I did not know was Vivienne's feelings. I may have overstepped my bounds.

I need not have worried.

She was on me in a second, hugging and kissing me. She squeezed me tight. Thanking me over and over, "Thank you.Thank you. THANK You!"

"Thank God you are here! I was coming back up to change, the asshat here jumped into the elevator with me. Frank said he was going to see you and get a drink, clear the air, and so forth. I said give me a minute to change, I'll be right out. He barged in and grabbed me. He started kissing me and feeling up my boobs." She kicked Frank in the stomach. "I screamed but nobody heard me. I'm so glad you were so fast getting in here. How did you do that?"

I was counting out five hundred dollars to a hotel maid. She kissed me. The security guys were talking to her immediately. She had witnessed the whole thing! I had called hotel security, they had five guys there in five minutes. Frank Bradley was taken into custody. He would be a guest of the state soon.

"Ok, start packing." I told Viv.

"We are giving up on the whole deal?" She had a look on her face. I was livid.

"I'm not ever trading you for any fucking deal. NEVER, EVER. I would rather die. Let's go, maybe we can catch a redeye. We do want to file charges at the police station. There will be other deals. But there will never be another YOU. I should have told you, but I was afraid. I'm in love with you. There, I said it. If you had told me it was consensual with you and that fucker, I was going to kill myself. Please say something." I was way out on a limb here.

"I'm in love with you as well. I really like the job, but I love you. I'm head over heels in love with you." She kissed me again. She hugged me and would not let me go. I loved it. I held her too.

As it happened, a police captain, Captain Jenkins showed up at the hotel. He took our statements and apologized for his city having such an asshole representing a big company. We shook his hand, and thanked him.

We couldn't get a flight out until midnight. We thought, what the hell, nice hotel, nice restaurant, lets have a date! We'll catch a morning flight. And we proceeded to have a nice date.

"So we jump on a plane, and head home. Do we leave a message?" Viv asked.

"They will get the message when we don't show up for the morning fight, I mean meeting. I would give this deal about a one-in-twenty chance of happening. There is too much posturing on both sides. I'm tired of trying to talk sense, what they both know already. Fuck them. They are in their land of magical thinking. I'm going to find their competitor, see if he wants to buy both companies! I will fix their asses for them. I already have the valuations ready to go. Wait till they find out who brokered the deal!"

"Isn't that dirty pool? Fucking up one deal for another with a different principal?"

"What deal? Did you honestly think we had a snowballs chance in hell to come away with a signed contract? No, I really doubt it. Actually, by leaving we are pointing out the frustration level we have with each company. They WANT to remain separate. There is no marriage here. So fuck 'em. We have more important things to do, like go to bed and try to fuck each other to death." I eyed her up and down when I said that to her.

"I like a man with clear sense of priorities! I'm gonna rock your world, old man."

"You are my world. I'm gonna make you scream all night long!" I said.

When we got to the room, clothes were flying, my hands were all over her magnificent body. She made a really fine suggestion.

"Bill, suck on my tits. Milk me good. Squeeze them titties too!" I was only too happy to oblige.

She had both her hands on my very hard dick. She was lining her mouth up to suck my cock, when the phone rang. It was ten o'clock at night. It better be an emergency.