David & Jessi Ch. 06

The next day after getting their marriage license and visiting Jessie's apartment and deciding to just pay another month's rent on it rather than have to move in until it was time to move into their new home, and that as they would be taking a honeymoon trip anyhow, they would just stay in the hotel, but Jessi did take some clothes and her laptop, passport and a few other items with her and then they locked up and left.

On the way back to the hotel he stopped at an office supply and computer store and they went in. He bought some tablets, spiral notebooks, pens, mechanical pencils, a high speed all in one printer, and then two of the most powerful and fastest laptops they had and had the ram extended to the max on them and then they left for the hotel. Once there, they ordered sandwiches and soft drinks from room service and David told her that vacation time was over for a while and it was time for her to earn her keep.

"If I am now on the payroll as the Chief Financial Officer, where is my Mercedes?" and she laughed heartedly.

"Not gonna be one my dear. What you will get will be a top of the line all-wheel drive SUV of some sort that we will pick out when we get back from our honeymoon. Where are we going again, I forget?" And laughed as she elbowed him in the ribs.

David called Thom and asked if he had time to talk personnel for a few minutes and Thom said that he always had time for them and David put them on speaker phone. Then he said that they wanted to get an idea of how many of Thom's employees he would offer transfers to and what position they were in and how many might just come out on their own expense and what about key people like the HR director and the safety and security coordinators and supervisors. He also told Thom that they bought new notebook computers for company business and Thom said to hook into the hotel Wi-Fi and to email him something so he could get their address and then he would email him all the information they had just talked about as he had made a list that was as current as possible detailing the projected moves, offers to move and positions to be filled. He did say that the existing HR director would not be making the trip as her husband had a job there he would not leave, so perhaps David and Jessi could interview and possibly hire an experienced and sharp HR person that understood all the different aspects of what they would be doing once they were up and running. A good receptionist and a secretary or two would also be needed from day one plus office equipment galore. And then the killer. Thom asked about the possibility of the two of them delaying their wedding trip for a week or so until they could get the company there at least functioning on a solid basis.

Jessi said that they had already had lots of time alone and could get by without a special trip for a few weeks if need be, and that she would contact the Denver Post and also a headhunter company about finding a good HR director and asked what sort of salary and perks they might get. Thom thought a minute and said that he had no idea in that area so to let the candidate pitch a request and they could go from there, but to remember that the HR person was one of the most important people that would be on their payroll, so pick a good one and try to keep them happy once they got them. They said their goodbyes and hung up and Jessi got her phone and the yellow pages out and called the paper to place an ad that would for sure be noticed using a number the hotel business had that they could use for a few days. They also listed the address and room number of the suite they rented from the hotel. They also had a borrowed, rented actually, receptionist also supplied by the hotel business unit.

After she hung up they looked at the list and also thought about what they had seen at their new office building and started thinking about who might go where and making notes of those ideas and observations. Shortly it was bedtime and they fell fast asleep after what had become the usual kisses and hugs.

Early the next morning, they almost could not get to eat breakfast due to the phone calls about the job. They decided to quickly rent a meeting room and one of the business assistants and have the interviews there. The first applicants started to arrive with resumes in hand shortly after 9 that morning and by evening had close to 100 resumes to read and sort into piles. This was going to take more time and be more work than they had thought, but it was so important that they dedicated themselves to the task.

After two days of accepting resumes, they closed the door and started to look at the ones they had. Later that afternoon, there was a knock at the door and when they answered there was an attractive and professionally dressed woman about 40 standing there and she apologized for being late getting there but that she had driven in from Grand Junction on the far west side of the state and had blown out a tire near the Eisenhower Tunnel and had to get a tire brought to her from Dillon. She said that her name was Willow Leigh Sutton and that she had almost 20 years in the HR and personnel business and thought she was very good at it, but that her old company had been taken over and everyone in management had been let go and that she really would like to interview if possible. If not, she would be disappointed but would understand. This last statement impressed both David and Jessi so much that they put things away and held an interview right then and there. After talking to her and explaining what they were doing and what they had planned and what types of people they were going to be needing she said she did not see a problem and when she asked to use the restroom David looked at Jessi and said he thought they had found their HR director and she agreed. When Willow came back into the room and started to thank them for the quick interview, David stopped her and asked what her plans were and if she was going back to Grand Junction that evening and she said that she wasn't as it was too far and that were countless numbers of deer on the highway at night and so she would just get an inexpensive motel here in Denver for the night and go home the next day. David asked if there was anyone at home she needed to notify and she said no. that she was a war widow and her son was away in the army right then. David smiled and told Jessi to get her a room there and then slid the stack of resumes towards Willow and told her to find her assistant and then get ready to find a couple of personal assistants and secretaries and maybe two receptionists. Willow asked why two and he told her that they had a reception area on the executive floor besides the main one on the ground floor, but they would need to talk about the HR positions first.

David told Willow that he and Jessi were getting married on Saturday. which surprised Willow somewhat but she did not say anything. After a while David asked if Willow would like to accompany him and Jessi to supper someplace outside the hotel as their guest to visit and talk and get better acquainted and she agreed and Jessi took her down to the front desk to check her in and get her room key. When she got back she told David that she didn't think that Willow had much money left from her separation money, and asked if David could somehow help her. He counted out 25 one hundred dollar bills and put them into an envelope and told Jessi to give it to her and say it is a signing bonus they always paid to executives so they would not hurt her pride by simply offering her some assistance money. Jessi again told him how wonderful she thought he was and kissed him passionately, and they left to meet Willow and then go to supper. Once they met down in the lobby and went outside Willow said she had to get something from her car and left them by the entrance but David noticed that the car that Willow went too appeared to be on its last legs. During a nice dinner at the Red Lobster, David told Jessi that she needed to take Willow to the local Ford dealer and let her pick out a new Expedition and title it to the company and notify the insurance company of the purchase. This made Jessi's eyes mist as she looked at David and Willow looked like she was in shock at the moment. He told her that they would use her old car as a trade if she did not need it and she said she didn't. She asked why they were being so kind and he told her it was all a part of the service that they wanted to present and that all the key players were treated especially well and she was now a key player. He also said that the company would help her move and offer housing assistance as she was moving from far off. He told her that most of the other people in key positions were already employees that would simply transfer and the rest she would hire and they would deal with that as necessary.

When they were through eating, they returned to the hotel and Willow excused herself to go to her room and David and Jessi went to theirs and after a nightcap and several hot kisses and a hug they went to bed saying "Two more days? Jessi asked David if he still had the other rings or if he had lost them yet." He snorted and told her goodnight and turned into her and went to sleep. The next morning Jessi called Willow and asked her to meet them downstairs for breakfast at 9:00 and she said she would.

When she got there David noticed that Willow had again dressed very professionally and looked like the executive she now was. David asked if he could ask how long she had been out of work and she told him almost 18 months as there just was not any work in the Grand Junction area as all the ranchers and rural dwellers all sent their daughters to Grand Junction to work to keep them out of the fields, thus really narrowing the job opportunities, and keeping wages low.

David told her to go home and pack what clothes she needed and also her personal items and to come back as she could use Jessi's apartment for the time being. This brought a look and a smile from Jessi and she agreed quickly. David asked if Willow had looked through the resumes he had given her and she said had looked at close to a hundred and still had that many to go and had eliminated all of the first group but about 6 for one reason or another. She did ask if she could ask a few personal questions of them and they agreed.

"First, tell me about yourselves. What are your backgrounds? How did you meet and why the hurry for this move, and Jessi, please tell me about those scares on your head if you would?"

"Okay, I guess we can tell you. David is a medically retired Green Beret captain and a highly decorated but disabled (by army standards anyhow) combat veteran and while he was getting his master's degree he degree he developed a software program to find and identify tax cheats and others hiding ill-gotten gains and it seemed as if almost every bad guy west of the Mississippi was after him so he hid out in the mountains west of here where his Indian grandfather had camped with him and shown him many tricks white people just do not know to wait for things to settle down. I am a former FBI agent that was working with the organized crime unit or OCU and got too close to one of the Dons and he ordered a hit on me and 4 of his goons abducted me and took me way out in the desert near where David was hiding and shot me three times. Twice here in my head, neither of which penetrated but knocked me out for several days. I was also shot in the side. He found me and then he got me to the top of his mountain hideout and doctored me and nursed me back to health and then took care of me and protected me the next two times the mob tried to come and find me. He is my knight in shining armor and I love him dearly. So does my family and I had to threaten my own sister with bodily harm to keep her away from him. He has retired my mother so she can work on some books she wants to write and has offered sponsorship to my little sister so she can pursue a position on the US National Women's Soccer Team and play in the next Olympics. His software program was fantastic and the feds bought it from us and we decided to move here and set up another company dedicated to security for our customers. That is the Readers Digest version and about all you are going to get.

"Wow! I could tell he was special and that you were head over heels in love with him, and now I know why. Thank you and congratulations on your wedding tomorrow. Don't you think we ought to go get my SUV so I can get home and I do want to be here for your wedding tomorrow so I will need an address and a key to your apartment." Jessi wrote the information down and drew her a map to get to the house, church, and also to the office if she wanted to be there on Monday.

David gave her the envelope with the money in it and explained it was a signing bonus for key players. He also gave her a new I Phone 7 and told her to pick what she wanted at the dealership and to make sure it as an all-wheel drive or a four-wheel drive due to the snows they would see during the winter. He got a hug from Willow and one from Jessi, who told him she would see him in a couple of hours and to give her the checkbook so she could pay for the car.

He told her that after she had bought Willow's car that she needed to stop by a bank somewhere close and open an account and move maybe $20 million into it but to not get checks printed until next week so they could get the phone and fax numbers on the checks. Then he had a thought and told her to go ahead and get Willow's car and he would call and get the phone, fax, internet, and satellite TV scheduled and then call her when he got the new numbers and that the bank should be able to print enough corporate looking checks right there to use until they could get their permanent checks in. They exchanged their loves and hung up and David called and had had the phones scheduled with a main number, an 800 number, a private line for Thom, David, Jessi, and Willow with the possibility of getting others later if needed, and 8 fax numbers. After the girl at the phone company had given him the new numbers with a promise that someone or a team of people more likely would be there on Wednesday of next week to hook up equipment and test the lines. David asked about the phone equipment and was told that his company had to furnish it all but that they could run the lines and test them with only a few pieces on hand, but that a good switchboard would sure be helpful. The lady then asked about how many extensions they might need and he could not even guess other than to say a bunch, a big bunch. This brought a laugh from the phone girl and he thanked her and they disconnected.

Next was the high-speed internet provider and he ordered the fastest internet service on the market with a multitude of access points to be available, without the availability to access porn sites. He was told that maybe they would need a super large dish and a distribution setup kind of like a cable TV company has and that they would come and look at it on Tuesday. Then he called the cable company and ordered cable for the office saying he wanted full service in the executive offices and conference rooms and the news and weather channels in the others he designated.

That done Jessi called and told him what a super nice guy he was and that Willow was almost in tears when she left. Jessi told him that she thought they had a new dedicated company employee that would die before failing the company and thanked him for his generosity and compassion. David then gave her the phone and fax numbers and asked about the internet address and she told him that only the main phone and fax number should be used for now.

Then David's phone rang and it was Thom saying he had arrived in Denver and was renting a car and was going to go to their hotel. David's mom and sister also arrived and went to the hotel. David called Rose and asked if he could get the keys to the building or if she could come and get Thom and give him a quick tour either that afternoon or sometime Sunday before the Monday signings. She said she could do it about 11:00 Sunday morning and to call her about where to meet and who might be there to go on the tour. He told her no problem and called everyone to meet in the lobby later for a get acquainted supper meeting with both families and Thom present. A good time was had by all and they returned to their hotel to get ready for bed, which they did go to after a round of hugs and kisses by everyone.

Finally, the day of the wedding was upon them. The women all shooed David and the other men down to Thom's room for David to dress when the time came. Until then the men would be content to just watch David pace back and forth and look at his watch every few seconds it seemed.

"A watched pot doesn't boil I always heard." Thom said and then suggested they go down to the lobby and get some coffee and maybe a sweet roll or some toast. Just something to do and to help settle the groom before he made everyone around a nervous wreck.

While they were sitting there with their coffee, David's phone rang and it was Willow saying she in town and on the way to their hotel and he told her to come to the coffee shop on the ground floor so he could introduce her to Thom and his new father-in-law and to talk a short bit of business before he sent her up to the room with the ladies.

David looked at Thom and told him that he had found a jewel of an HR director and that they had not even talked salary and perks yet, but that they had hired her and wanted to let Thom know that she was a war widow that had had a good job before her company was bought out and all the executives let go and had been having a rough time of it for about a year and a half and that he had given her a $2500 "Executive signing bonus" and as she would be an invaluable executive, had purchased her a company SUV so she could get around town and to the airport or wherever without trouble. David told him that was fine with him. Anything David thought was necessary would always be fine. Then David saw the look on Thom's face change into one of what he did not know, but he suddenly became very interested in something by the door and David turned and stood up and went to get Willow and bring her to the table and introduced her to Thom and his new father in law.

It was almost comical. This same Thom that had stood toe to toe with highly placed government types and let them have it was almost tongue tied in the presence of Willow. Even Jessi's father had noticed and was smiling at Thom. Willow seemed not to notice but David suspected she did not let much go unnoticed in her life. David could not wait to tell Jessi when he saw her later.

In just a few short minutes the introductions were made and plans for the afternoon discussed and the meeting the next morning to go to the new office made, Willow excused herself politely and made her way upstairs to David and Jessi's room.

After she was out the door, Thom looked at David and said, "Fire her!"

"W H A T? What did you say? Why?"

"Because there is no way I can work around someone so beautiful and exciting and enticing. I want to get to know her and maybe date her and who knows, but I or rather we don't need a sexual harassment suit filed against us before we even open. Little did the boys know that a very similar discussion was taking place on the 8^th floor of the hotel.

About noon, David and Thom went to Thom's room to dress and then head to the church. Jessi's father was going to ride with them to show them the way. All the women would ride in two cars with Jessi in one giving directions and her mother in the other doing the same. Everyone arrived about 1:45 and proceeded to the appointed waiting rooms. Someone had placed flowers at the front of the church for them.