Julie told Mike about the donation and the NDA, and he insisted on coming out with her. "I am still your lawyer, Mary." He says. "This isn't a movie contract. If you and Jim are being asked to sign an NDA, I want to see it." He says firmly.
"Thank you, Mike."
A few days later Mike & Julie come out to LA. The Ballers don't have another home game. They won the game we went to, but I guess there is another team they have to play. That other team has a better record so it's at their stadium.
I arrange to have everyone come into Goldstar, towards the end of the day. We can use a conference room. Once everyone is here, and all the introductions are made we all sit down around the conference table. For the first few minutes the four couples talk while the lawyers & Julie compare notes and pass papers back and forth between each other.
Mike motions for Julie to look at something. They talk and Mike and the other lawyer nod at each other. "Ok. Let's review this." Mike says.
"The NDA's are all the same except for the penalties." Says Mike. "The Barker's & Warren's recognize that Jim & Mary's net worth far exceeds Nick & Nicole's, so the penalties reflect that." Says Mike looking at me. "The idea is to make it hurt if you break it. Jim & Mary if you break it, it's $25 Million. Nick & Nicole it's $5 Million and that's each. So a possible $50 or $10 Million dollar penalty if you both spill the beans. Also if you break the NDA all donations will stop. Do all four of you understand?" He asks, looking at each of us one at a time. Waiting for us to agree we understand. "If either of the Warrens or Barkers speak publicly of this, then the NDA is null and void."
Mike slides an agreement in front of the four of us. "Sign them and pass them down so the Barkers and Warrens can sign them." He turns to Julie. "This is Ben & Karen's Kids Corporate NDA. If the foundation breaks the NDA it is a $100 Million dollar penalty."
"I understand." Says Julie, as she turns to the signature page and signs it, hands it back to Mike, and Mike hands it to the other lawyer. He hands it to the Warrens and Barkers to sign. He takes them all to a scanner in the conference room and loads them in to be digitally scanned and saved.
Julie pulls out the donation agreement she has reviewed and made notes on. She goes on to explain the time frame needed to get some of these new programs up and running. The need to hire two, maybe three new staff to administer the new programs, and the administrative costs that will be paid from the donation.
I watch Tom look up for a couple of seconds to think. "With a stipulation that administrative costs not exceed one quarter of one percent of the donations." He says.
"I think $1.25 Million can cover that stuff right Julie?" I ask.
Tom looks at me and smiles. "You're fast." He says.
Mike just looks at me. He didn't want me saying anything I know. "Sorry." I say to Mike.
"Never apologize for being smart or quick on your feet, Mary." Says Tom.
"I should be used to it." Says Mike. "She has been out thinking people for a few years now. Just like her Dad, she sometimes seems to be a step or two ahead of everyone else."
Julie taps Mike's arm. "No Mary is right, and she has the right to speak up. This is her charitable foundation. I think we both sometimes forget she isn't the teenager she was when she started all this. She has become a successful businesswoman, and she is correct. $1.25 million is a fair number. I do want to address some of the reporting requirements though. Since there are ramp up times to get these programs rolling. Most of the money won't start getting disbursed for 3-6 months."
Sue speaks up. "We understand that. If at year end, you can show donations, pending donations and programs in the pipeline that all meet one of the donation requirements we will accept that." She says and turns to her lawyer. "You can add that to the agreement in legal jargon."
Sue looks at me and says. "If you can agree to that, we can sign the letter of intent and let the lawyers have a field day writing it up."
I look at Julie and she gives me a small smile and nod. I reach my hand out and smile. Sue shakes my hand with a big smile. She looks at her lawyer, and nods. He slides a single sheet of paper in front of Julie.
Julie looks at the Barkers and the Warrens, and says. "Thank you very much folks. I promise you we won't let you down."
Sue smiles at me. "No I don't think you will."
"Wait a minute. That's it. We're done?" I ask.
"Yeah. It's kind of anticlimactic." Says Nick. "I was hoping for cheering, clapping, maybe some confetti."
Nicole pats his arm, and shakes her head. "Next time." She says as she gets up. Nicole hugs me. She glances at Mike & Julie. "Go get caught up. We have to go rescue Ronald. Call me later."
"Thank you." I say.
The Barkers and Warrens leave, and it's just the four of us. Mike looks at me. "So do you want to show me & Julie around this beautiful building?"
"Sure." I say. Jim and I walk hand in hand, as we show Mike & Julie around. We get back to my office and Mike walks up the the big framed Centauri/SARHO image, and turns to me.
"Can I see the real thing?" He asks.
"Sure." I say pulling up the sleeve on my dress that partially covers it. He runs his fingers over it and then just wraps me up in a hug, and holds me.
"I am sorry that you had to go through that." He says softly.
"I know." I say and I look up at him and smile. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
He kisses the top of my head and lets me go, when a picture behind my desk catches his eye. "You didn't." He says walking towards the picture of me in the bucket up in the air next to the Goldstar sign on the building.
"I did. I remembered the picture you and Grandpa had in your offices when the corporate sign first got installed with Dad. I had to do it." I say.
Mike turns and looks at my office and smiles. "Of all the dreams your Dad ever had about you growing up. I promise you he never saw you becoming this successful as a philanthropist, businesswoman and a successful Hollywood actress. I know he is proud of you."
"Thanks, Mike." I say smiling and change the subject. "Who is hungry?"
"We have a little time before our flight." Says Julie.
"Speaking of flights, why wouldn't you let me send my plane for you?" I ask.
"Because it would have been a colossal waste. Two round trip flights for just me & Julie." Mike says.
"It's a business flight. It's all deductible." I say.
"And it's still a waste." Says Mike.
I throw my hands up in the air. "I give up. Will you at least let me buy you dinner?"
"That I can do." Says Mike.
I take us to a nice steakhouse between the office and the airport. We have a nice dinner and talk. Julie is excited and nervous about the large donation.
Anna just finished directing a popular sitcom one hour season finale. We are talking on the phone and we are complaining that our clothes are getting snug, even our loose fitting stuff. Neither of us is happy about maternity clothes, but Anna is happy to go clothes shopping. I am a rarity. I don't like shopping. We decide to make another girls trip out of it, and I text Nicole while we are talking. She agrees to join us this Saturday.
Anna picks me & Nicole up and we go maternity clothes shopping. We head back to my house after shopping. Jim is at the yoga studio for the afternoon so we have the place to ourselves. I had told them while shopping that I have started relaxing in the pool in the evening since my back has been bothering me. We can't go in a hot tub because we can't risk overheating the baby. But just relaxing and letting your body float in the pool water is so nice.
After we sort through the clothes we bought we all head to the pool. We are past caring about bathing suits. Now that we are all naked you can see all three of us are starting to show. We really can't hide it even with loose clothes and sweaters anymore.
We are all just relaxing when Anna speaks up. "Do you guys remember the last time we were all like this?" She asks.
Nicole laughs. "Yes, our husbands put babies in us."
I smile thinking about it. "Imagine if that was true. I mean we are all close with our due dates. Imagine if that night, when we were all on your bed, our husbands got us all pregnant." I say.
"Oh please don't tell them that. They will be high fiving and congratulating themselves." Says Nicole. We all just lay back and float and Nicole sighs. "Anna, I hate you."
"What?" Asks Anna. "What did I do?"
"You had to ask that question. That made me think about that night, then our spa weekend and that crazy dildo we caught you with." Nicole says.
"So it's my fault you are horny?" Asks Anna.
"Right now, yes." Laughs Nicole.
"Good. That reminds me. I have a surprise for both of you. She says getting out of the pool and running into the house naked and dripping. She comes back a moment later with a tote bag, hops back in the pool, and pulls two dark rectangular boxes out of the bag, and hands one to each of us. The only thing on the box is a logo of sorts. A circle with a snake or reptiles eye staring at you. "I wanted to give them to you sooner but they were on backorder." Says Anna.
Nicole and I look at each other and open our boxes. "Oh Shit." Nicole says.
And I gasp. "ANNA!"
"Relax. They are the smaller version of my worm dildo." Anna says.
Nicole already had hers in her hand. I pull out the remote, and as I do I accidentally turn on the thrusting action. "Oh Crap!" I gasp as the box jerks in my hand, and I almost drop the box in the pool.
"Don't worry, they are waterproof. I tested and charged them both already." Says Anna. "I got something else I thought maybe we could try."
