Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 00:53:50 +0000
From: Jacob Latson <jacob_latson@hotmail.com>
Subject: Agony & Ecstasy Chapter 25

Disclaimer:

This story will describe the life of John Miller from his time as
a divorced man who has been devastated by the divorce and into a new
life of wealth.  This story will include descriptions of male sex,
including M/M, M/T, M/b, T/b and b/b.  If stories involving sex between
consenting males of all ages, including mainly gay sex, offends you, go
back to the Archives and pick a different story for your reading
pleasure.  Don't expect constant descriptions of erotic sex in this
story.  I always want to develop a plot and characters before the hot
action starts.

There has been minimal research for this story therefore, names,
places, and events are mostly fictitious and similarities to real life
are coincidental.

Some companies and organizations mentioned actually exist, but
references to the activities, policies, programs and procedures are
fictitious. This story will include references to the United States
government, the FBI, CIA and other agencies.  Any references are purely
fictional, and only used to develop the plot and characters.

Bill is my editor and I thank him for his time and efforts.  Bill knew
about this story a long time ago, and he encouraged me to start writing.
He's been my friend for several years, and I value his friendship and
encouragement to continue writing.  We've never met, but he has helped me
through some tough personal times.

For those of you that haven't taken the time to write to me about this
story, I'll share some information.  I'm an engineer, and was trained to
write boring reports based on data.  The reports were devoid of any
emotions, so writing a story about love and sex is a real challenge for me.
Bill started helping me when I was still writing "CJ" in the Gay/College
area of the Nifty Archives.  He pointed out some areas where I needed to
improve my style, and I hope that I've learned from his constructive
criticism.  I still like my previous story, "Washington Academy" that you
can find in the Bi-Sexual/High School area of the Nifty Archives.  I've had
a few negative comments from readers, but the overwhelming positive
comments have convinced me to keep pounding away at my keyboard.  I write
stories that I would want to read, and hope that I develop the plot and
characters so my readers will be entertained.


Agony & Ecstasy Chapter 25 Announcements


When John and Mike arrived at the Nassau Airport, Philippe and Christina
greeted them.  Both Christina and Philippe had been working hard to make
sure that everything was perfect for the media cruise, and they hoped that
John would be pleased with their work.  Instead of going to the villa, the
limo took the group to the pier where the Sea & Jungle IV shuttle was tied
up.  Out in the harbor, John could see his ship, and he was awe struck by
the beauty of the 240-foot yacht.

Master Captain Dimitri Kostas welcomed the group aboard the luxury ship.
"Mr. Miller and guests, I welcome you aboard!" Dimitri said while saluting
John.  He introduced the other three captains and asked, "Would you like to
see the schedule of event so you can make changes?"

"Please call me John, and I have no intention of making any changes to what
you, Christina and Philippe have planned," John replied.  "I still can't
believe how beautiful this ship is and how well it's maintained."

"Thank you for your kind comments," Dimitri said.  "You will be in the
Jungle Stateroom unless you wish to choose a different room."

"I love that stateroom!" John admitted.  "I'd like to meet more of your
crew before things get crazy."

Dimitri was surprised that John Miller wanted to meet all of the crew.  He
remembered when James Stanton was aboard, and James never met anyone
besides the captains unless he wanted one of the male stewards to warm his
bed.

All of the crewmembers were wearing name badges, and John met everyone and
marveled at the handsome young men.  The only women on the crew were the
kitchen staff, and in the tradition of Greek ships, handsome young men had
been selected for all of the jobs where the crew would interface with
passengers.

John saw that Mike was very interested in one of the handsome young
stewards, and guessed that Mike would find a way to get the young man into
his stateroom for some intense intimacy.  He knew that Mike was always
horny, and laughed when Mike saw that John was watching him.

When John got to his exotic stateroom, he saw that his luggage had been
delivered and two handsome stewards were unpacking everything.  Nikkos and
Constantine sorted out John's clothes and promised to press everything that
showed even the slightest wrinkle.

"Thank you!" John said to the two stewards before they left.

"It's a pleasure to serve you, sir!" Nikkos said.  "If there is ANYTHING
that we can do to make your time aboard more pleasant, please let us know!"

John laughed at the obvious sexual content of the offer from the handsome
steward.  He looked around his stateroom and again marveled at the exotic
furnishings.  He put on casual clothes of Dockers and a polo shirt and
walked around the ship.  Everywhere he went, the crew stopped working and
greeted him warmly.  John took the time to meet everyone and ask them
questions about their responsibilities.

Most of the crewmembers had been working on the ship for several years, and
they all remarked how different John Miller was in comparison to James
Stanton.  James never talked to the crewmembers and spent most of his time
in his stateroom alone or with one of the handsome Greek stewards.

John walked into one of the bars and saw that Philippe was having a drink
with Christina and Master Captain Dimitri Kostas.  The captain was drinking
iced tea because he was on duty.

"You had a package arrive from Amsterdam," Philippe said to John.  "I took
care of the fees from Customs, but the U.S. Customs will go nuts when they
see what was inside."

John laughed and ordered a Manhattan before asking Philippe to see the
package.  He was pleasantly surprised when he tasted the drink and realized
that the handsome bartender knew his special recipe for his favorite drink.
John and Philippe left Christina and the captain for a few minutes while
they went to Philippe's stateroom.

"I had to open the package, and I've never seen any jewelry that could come
close to the magnificence of what you had made in Amsterdam!" Philippe
said.

"My God!  It's beautiful!" John said when he opened the velvet-lined cases.
"This set is for Christina and the other set's for Helen.  Do you think
that they'll like what I picked out?"

"How could they not like what you created!" Philippe said.  "The man from
Amsterdam delivered the jewelry personally, and said that he had never seen
necklaces and earrings made out of such perfect diamonds!  He said that
each set would be appraised at over $750,000 but he listed the values at
$50,000 each to reduce the duty fees."

"I'm going to talk to Tom Baxter before I give Helen her jewelry," John
began.  "I sure don't want to cause any problems in their marriage by
giving Helen such a valuable gift.  She's going to wear a beautiful black
evening dress, and these diamonds will set it off beautifully."

"Christina's going to wear a red dress that will show off her fantastic
body," Philippe said.  "She was planning on wearing a pearl necklace and
matching earrings, but she'll go crazy when she sees these diamonds.  Every
woman in the world dreams of owning diamond jewelry like this!"

John took the jewelry boxes back to his stateroom and locked everything in
the safe.  His own jewelry was locked away until the big event on Saturday
evening, and he was getting excited.  He returned to the bar and listened
to Christina listing the names of the magazines, television networks and
newspapers that would be covering the media event.

"I had to turn down a bunch of requests," Christina admitted.  "Every major
publication in the world wanted to be here, but I had to draw the line
somewhere.  I gave preference to the companies from the United States
because that's where you live.  I've prepared media packages that detail
the backgrounds of everyone who will speak during the announcement
activities.  Your ex-wife might go insane when the news hits that you're a
billionaire!"

"I've been worried about her reaction," John admitted.  "Bobby Goldman told
me that she can't get a cent from me, but she'll probably go berserk and
try to sue me.  I'm more afraid of how she and her sisters will go after my
son, daughter-in-law and grandson."

"I have friends who can take care of that problem for you," Dimitri
offered.  "I wasn't always an honest captain of this wonderful ship!"

After considering Dimitri's offer, John replied, "Bobby Goldman's the best
lawyer in the world and Roberto Mendez, my Security Chief, will work with
Bobby to handle any problems that Margaret causes.  I have some other
friends who could handle Margaret and her two nasty sisters if things get
out of hand."  John was thinking about Mario Genovesi, Michael Costanza and
Paolo Carpetti, the three Italians who said they would do him any "favor"
that he asked for.  He hoped that he would never have to use their offers.

The rest of the day was spent welcoming friends and family aboard the
luxury yacht.  John and Dimitri greeted the arrivals and made sure that
everyone was escorted to their staterooms.

"We have four helicopters here to shuttle people aboard if the two launches
are busy," Dimitri told John.  "Some of the guests prefer the launches, but
others like the chopper ride!"

John was excited when Helen Baxter arrived in the shuttle launch along with
Bobby, Mary and Justin Goldman.  He was concerned when he didn't see Tom
and Wesley Baxter, but Helen laughed and said, "Tom and Wesley have been in
a boat before, but have never been in a helicopter!  They're landing right
now, and I hope you don't mind that Wesley brought his best friend, Carter
Benson."

"I told you that Wes could bring a friend," John replied.  "I'd like to
take you on a tour, but I should be here to greet my guests, so Constantine
will show you around.  I'm excited about my family getting here!"  John
picked up his godson, Justin, and took the boy into the bar to get him a
drink of Mountain Dew.  He knew that Justin loved the beverage, but was
always arguing with his parents about his love for the high-energy drink.

"You're spoiling my son!" Bobby teased while hugging John.

"Uncle John's my godfather, and he can spoil me if he wants to!" Justin
blurted out.  He loved the special attention and gulped down the Mountain
Dew and then gave out a huge burp!

John laughed but Bobby and Mary were embarrassed.

"This is a pleasure cruise, and everyone gets to relax and have fun!" John
said to Bobby and Mary.  His two friends had sheltered him during his
terrible divorce proceedings, and he wanted everyone to have a great time.
"There will be all kinds of activities for you and the other children,"
John said to Justin.  "We have a video arcade, shuffleboard, basketball
court, swimming pool, bowling alley and game rooms where you can get all of
the pizza and Mountain Dew that you could possibly consume!"

Bobby and Mary groaned when they heard about the pizza and soft drinks.
Their son was hyperactive, and they knew that he would be a handful to
control during the cruise with unlimited access to the restricted food.

John welcomed Tom and Wesley Baxter and asked them how they liked the
helicopter ride.  He shook hands with Carter Benson and welcomed him aboard
the ship.

"Tom, after you get settled in your stateroom, can we talk for a minute?"
John asked.

"Is everything okay?" Helen asked when she heard John's request.

John just laughed and said that he and Tom needed to "man talk" for a few
minutes.  Tom promised to return after they unpacked their luggage and got
Wesley and Carter settled into their adjoining stateroom.

John's attention was focused on the next arrivals, and he welcomed Roberto
"Butch" Mendez aboard along with Butch's wife, Elizabeth, sons, Robert and
David, and daughter, Samantha.  It was the first time that John had met
Butch's family, and he was thrilled to meet them.

"Thank you doesn't seem enough for what you've done for our family,"
Elizabeth said.  She hugged John and was pleased when he returned the hug.

"We were lucky to find your husband and offer him a job," John replied.
"You have a beautiful family, and I can tell that the children got their
good looks from you, not Butch!"

Elizabeth laughed and saw that her husband was rolling his eyes at John's
comments.  She immediately liked John for the way he graciously welcomed
her and her children to the luxury yacht.  She couldn't wait to tour the
ship and see what Butch had told her was the most expensive personal yacht
in the world.

John left the Mendez family and welcomed Aunt Betty and Aunt Martha aboard.
He hugged and kissed his two aunts and wished that he could take them on a
personal tour of the boat, but other guests were arriving.  He welcomed Tom
and Judy Jeffries aboard and they walked to the upper deck where a
helicopter was arriving with Jamie and his boyfriend, Hunter Harwood.  The
boys were in orbit after taking their first helicopter ride, and were so
excited that John was afraid that they would wet their pants!  John hugged
both boys and welcomed them aboard the boat before whispering, "You guys
have a private stateroom so you can have some fun together."  The two boys
were in orbit when they realized that they wouldn't have to share a
stateroom with Jamie's parents, and that they could indulge in their sexual
desires in their own private space.

"My God!  This ship is unbelievable!" Tom said while hugging John.

"How's business?" John asked.

"Everything's perfect!" Tom replied.  "Thanks to you, everything's ahead of
schedule and we already have contracts for over 80 percent occupancy when
the mall's finished!"

"We owe everything to you!" Judy added while hugging John.  "You saved
Jamie's life and I've never seen Tom so happy!  We're both spending a lot
of time with Jamie and Hunter, and we've never been happier!"

John knew that Judy had quit her full-time job as an interior decorator
when Marcel offered her a part-time job that paid three times more money.
His attention was distracted to an argument on the helicopter pad.

"I'll never forgive you for making me fly on that monster!" William
Fillmore yelled at his life partner, Marcel Green.

John hugged the two obviously gay men and laughed at William for throwing
up on the short helicopter ride.  He looked at Marcel and said; "You might
find some of the Greek boys on this ship very interesting if William
doesn't forgive you!"

"Yipppeeeee!" Marcel swished.  "I love Greek!"

Both of the gay men looked at the handsome stewards who were taking their
luggage out of the helicopter, and they both lusted after the handsome guys
in the impeccable white uniforms.

John returned to the stern of the ship just in time to see his son,
daughter-in-law and grandson coming aboard.  He ran and grabbed Little
John, and was thrilled when the tiny child said "PAPA!" and gave him a hug
and kiss.  John loved all of the guests, but having his family aboard was
the most important thing in the world to him!  He held his grandson while
he welcomed more guests to the ship.

Jeff and Karen Walker, parents of Kirsty, Johnny's wife, came aboard along
with Brad Martin, John's deer hunting friend and his wife, Cathy.  Next was
Taylor Coleman, the Private Investigator who had done so much work to
uncover the corruption in the company.

John was a gracious host, and welcomed everyone aboard and made sure that
stewards were handling the luggage and taking the guests to their
staterooms.  Now he understood why the skeleton crew of 60 had been
increased to 275 for the cruise.

Next to arrive were Mike Smith, John's neighbor at the lake, his wife,
Amber, along with their children, Tim and Amanda.  He had never told his
neighbors about his new job, and they were shocked when they got the
invitation to go on a Caribbean cruise.  When they went to the Detroit
Metro Airport, they expected to travel on a commercial plane, but were
excited when they saw the 737 with the unique logo of the Sea & Jungle
Imports waiting for them and other guests.

Thomas Kendrick, attorney for Millie and Betty arrived and was impressed
with the beauty of the yacht.  He knew that James Stanton owned several
expensive boats, but had never been invited aboard the Sea & Jungle IV.

Mario Genovesi came aboard with his wife, Carmella, and Michael Costanza
and Paolo Carpetti with their wives.  It was the first time that John had
met the wives of his important Italian friends, and he welcomed them
aboard.  They were all impressed with the private jet flight and the beauty
of the huge yacht, and John promised to show them around the next day when
his schedule wasn't so hectic.

The ship was coming alive with arrival of all of the staff members from the
NAO Headquarters, along with their families.  To John, one of the most
important group of guests arrived when Howard Cole, his wife, Mary, and
their five children came aboard.

"Howard!  Welcome aboard!" John said while hugging the former janitor at
the NAO Headquarters.  John was going to shake Mary's hand, but the large
black woman pushed his hand aside and gave John a big hug and kiss on the
cheek!  All five of Howard's children hugged John and thanked him profusely
for inviting them on the fantastic trip and for giving their father an
important job in the Training Department.

John was thrilled that Howard and his entire family had arrived, and he
thanked them for coming on the important trip.  He knew that Howard was
back in the Training Department and was making a major difference in the
morale of the entire NAO organization.

All of the Vice Presidents of the World Wide Operations arrived, along with
all of the members of the Board of Directors.  With four levels of
staterooms, the ship could easily accommodate 400 passengers along with the
crew, so none of the guests were forced to share staterooms unless they
wanted to.

John finally went back to his stateroom to shower before the evening meal.
He heard the announcement over the speaker system that supper would be
served in one hour, and he wanted to relax with his family before the meal.
He fussed over Little John and loved hearing his grandson chattering away
with strings of sounds that might be words.  The little boy was grabbing
everything and trying to put it into his mouth, and John knew that his
grandson was hungry.

Dress for the evening meal was informal, but John wore a dark blue Armani
suit with a red shirt and stripped silk tie.  He walked up to the Captain's
table where Dimitri Kostas was waiting along with Aunt Martha and Aunt
Betty and John's family.

Guests were seated at round tables that had room for eight people.  The
children had the choice of eating the meal of lamb and grilled potatoes
with flaming cheese, garden salad, and green beans or selecting a meal
suitable for their age and appetites.  John was happy to see many of the
children eating hamburgers and French fries, or chicken nuggets or pizza.
While the adults were treated with a variety of wines and mixed drinks, the
children could choose from soft drinks, fruit juices or malted milk shakes.
After dessert was served, Dimitri Kostas stood and addressed the
passengers.

"My name's Dimitri Kostas, and I'm privileged to hold the title of Master
Captain of this vessel.  It's my pleasure to welcome you aboard the most
beautiful yacht in the entire world!"  The audience cheered and applauded,
and he waited for everyone to quiet down before he continued.  "We are
underway and will cruise around the islands of the Bahamas tonight and by
tomorrow afternoon; we'll arrive near Miami Florida where more guests will
come aboard.  With the beautiful weather, you might want to be on deck to
enjoy a beautiful sunset, or just relax and tour this ship.  It's my
pleasure to ask your host, John Miller, to stand up and say a few words."

John stood up and accepted the cheering and applause from his guests before
saying, "A few months ago I was struggling to pay my mortgage back in
Michigan, and tomorrow you'll be my guests when my new job's announced to
the world.  Philippe Ducharme told me that with immense wealth comes
immense responsibilities, and I've learned that I need the help of people
like you to make this world a better place for mankind.  Each and every one
of you is special to me, and I'm thrilled that you were able to join me in
this celebration.  Please feel free to tour this ship and use the
facilities during our cruise together.  Dimitri and his crew will do
anything that they can possibly do to make your cruise enjoyable.  Again,
welcome to the Sea & Jungle IV and enjoy the cruise!"

When the meal ended, John went to one of the four bars on the ship to have
a Manhattan and talk to his family and friends.  The sun was setting, and
the view was spectacular!  He circulated around the bar area to talk to his
friends and loved every minute of the informal conversations.  It was 1:00
a.m. when John saw that everyone was leaving the bar area.

"I'm going to relax in the hot tub in my stateroom and then go to bed,"
John said to Christina.  He knew that the next day would be very busy and
wanted to get a good night's sleep.

"Would you like some company?" Christina asked with a smile.

At first, John was shocked, but the look on Christina's face told him that
she was serious in her offer.  He nodded and smiled at the beautiful woman
and headed for his stateroom.

That night and the next morning, the crew was buzzing about their most
important passenger spending the night with Christina.  Nikkos and
Constantine, stewards for John's stateroom were celebrities among the crew
when they reported the moans and groans from the Jungle Stateroom.  The
professional crew would never reveal what they had observed or heard to any
of the other passengers, but they did tell Dimitri Kostas what had
happened.  The captain just smiled and reminded his crew to say nothing to
any passengers.

Christina gave John a kiss before leaving the Jungle Stateroom at 6:00 a.m.
She went back to the Sea Stateroom and showered before facing a day filled
with events and deadlines.

John showered and dressed in casual clothes to head for the breakfast
buffet.  He still couldn't believe that he had been intimate with
Christina, and remembered how he had lusted after her when she was a
swimsuit model.

"I think your old man got lucky with Christina last night," Mike Mahon
whispered to Johnny Miller.

"Holy shit!" Johnny exclaimed.  He wanted to ask his father if it was true,
but he respected his father's privacy and just smiled.

John ate breakfast with his family and then circulated around the ship to
talk to his guests.  He saw that everyone was enjoying the cruise, with the
children taking part in a series of activities that included Arts & Crafts,
friendly competition in volleyball, basketball, shuffleboard and swimming.
The parents were relaxed and knew that their children were safe and under
the close supervision of the crewmembers.

After lunch, John found Helen and Tom Baxter and asked them to follow him
to his stateroom.  All of the passengers had been allowed to tour the yacht
and everyone was awestruck by the original oil paintings, priceless
statues, and exotic furniture and furnishings.

"I have a gift for you to wear tonight," John said while handing Helen the
jewelry box.  "I hope you like what I had made in Amsterdam especially for
you."

Helen opened the velvet-lined box and was shocked!  She had never seen a
necklace and earrings like these, and she had tears running down her face.
"My God!  It's beautiful!"

The necklace was made of 18 karat yellow gold and platinum with 20 one
karat diamonds leading to a heart made of 18 more diamonds.  The earrings
matched with 2-karat diamonds at the post and small hearts made with 12
diamonds each.

"I can't accept anything this valuable," Helen said to John.

"Tom said it was okay for me to give you a nice gift in celebration of your
new position in our company," John said with a big smile.

"I've never seen diamonds so clear and bright!" Helen said.

"All of the stones are flawless and the highest grade of color," John said.
"In Zurich I opened a safety deposit box that was filled with diamonds like
these, and some absolutely huge stones that the world has never seen.  I
chose the designs and provided the stones so you could knock the crowd off
their feet tonight!  Just so you know, I have a different set for Christina
to wear tonight, but she hasn't seen the jewelry yet."

Helen wiped her tears and hugged John and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
She couldn't imagine how much the jewelry was worth, but to her, it was
priceless!

"I insist on paying the duty when we return to the U.S." John said.  "The
jeweler from Amsterdam listed the value at $50,000 but suggested that you
get everything appraised and insured for at least $750,000."

John went looking for Christina, and found her in the amphitheater making
the final checks of the lighting and sound systems.

"Can you take a break for a few minutes?" John asked.  He was pleased when
Christina walked with him to his stateroom.

"Do we have time for a repeat of last night?" Christina teased.

John laughed and admitted that he had enjoyed the previous night, but knew
that the media representatives were arriving and wanted to take some
informal pictures.

"I heard that you plan to wear a stunning red dress with pearl jewelry,"
John began.  "I have a present for you that I think would look better than
ordinary pearls."  He handed Christina the jewelry box and watched her open
it.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Christina exclaimed when she saw the necklace and matching
earrings.

The necklace was 18 karat yellow gold and platinum, with 20 one-karat
diamonds leading to three vertical strings of flawless diamonds.  The
earrings had 2-karat diamonds at the posts with strings of 15 diamonds that
would swing and sparkle in the lights.

"Thank you!  I've never seen anything like this in my entire life!"
Christina said with tears in her eyes.  She hugged and kissed John, and
kept thanking him for the expensive gift.

"All of the Vice Presidents of our company make 20 million dollars a year,
so I wanted you and Helen to show off your new wealth tonight," John said.
"I hope that you take some time tonight to enjoy yourself and accept the
accolades for putting this cruise together.  I'd like to spend some more
time with you, but we both need to get ready for the photographers and then
get ready for the supper and ceremonies in the amphitheater."

"Where did you get these diamonds?" Christina asked.  "I know perfect
diamonds when I see them, and my modeling friends will go crazy when they
see these!"

"I have a large collection of diamonds in Zurich, and I had them with me
when we stopped in Amsterdam," John said.  "When you were looking at the
jewelry in Amsterdam, I saw that you were looking at a set very similar to
the set that I picked for you.  Let's go join the vultures!"

When the ship arrived and anchored in the harbor near Miami, the media came
aboard.  John was immediately flooded with requests for photographs, and
Christina took over and scheduled time for many of the photographers.  With
the numerous requests from the photographers, John and Christina spent a
hectic day posing in all areas of the yacht.

When the supper meal was announced, John and Christina made a grand
entrance into the main dining room where everyone was enjoying the finest
French champagne.  John was wearing a black silk tuxedo with a ruffled
white shirt and red bow tie.  Christina was wearing her designer dress of
shimmering red and her pearl jewelry.  The crowd welcomed John and
Christina and marveled at how beautiful they looked together.

With the increase in passengers, the children were allowed to eat in a
different dining area with a menu tailored to their younger tastes.  The
adults were treated to a magnificent meal consisting of vintage wine,
shrimp cocktail, Greek salad, Maine lobster, filet mignon, baked potatoes,
and a variety of cooked vegetables.  A string quartet played during the
meal, and everyone was stuffed with the fantastic food.  When it was time
for dessert, the lights in the dining room were turned off, and the waiters
came in with flaming baked Alaska.  The rocking tunes of "The Macarena"
accompanied the waiters, and everyone was awestruck!

"Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to join me in the amphitheater in one
hour for a very important series of announcements," Dimitri Kostas
announced using the microphone.  "I hope everyone enjoyed this meal
tonight, and please let me and my crew know if there is anything we can do
to make your cruise more enjoyable!"

When the media event started, the amphitheater was packed.  Photographers
were standing in front of the stage, and waiting for the event to start.
When Dimitri Kostas walked out on the stage, the crowd stood and cheered.

"It's my pleasure to welcome you to a very special announcement event on
the most beautiful yacht in the world!" Dimitri said.  "Originally you were
told that tonight you would welcome the new Chief Executive Officer and
President of the Sea & Jungle World Wide Operations, but our featured guest
has already given up one of those titles!  Please welcome the new Chief
Executive Officer of the Sea & Jungle Imports, World Wide Operations,
Mr. John Jacob Miller!"

John walked out on the stage and was greeted with thunderous cheering from
the crowd!  He choked back his emotions and waited for the cheering to die
down.  The flashes from the cameras temporarily blinded him, and he tried
to compose himself when he faced a sea of faces that included his family
and friends.  Many of the news agencies were filming the event and would
edit the tapes before broadcasting the news around the world.

"Captain Kostas already gave you the information that I accepted the titles
of President and Chief Executive Officer for the Sea & Jungle Imports,
World Wide Operations, but events convinced me that I needed help to steer
our company into the future." John began.
 "The Stanton family built this company, and I want all of you to recognize
two wonderful ladies who kept this company alive.  Please recognize Betty
Anderson and Martha Jenkins!"

The crowd cheered when Aunt Betty and Aunt Martha walked out on the stage
and waved to the crowd.  John hugged and kissed his two aunts and then
faced the crowd.

"When James Stanton died, Philippe Ducharme took over control of our
company with the title of `Acting President'" John said.  "I was originally
named as the President, but I realized that Philippe has the experience and
qualifications to help lead this company into the future!  Please welcome
the new President of the Sea & Jungle Imports, World Wide Operations,
Mr. Philippe Alonzo Ducharme!"

Philippe walked out on the stage and accepted the accolades of the
audience.  He had always dreamed of having the title of President, but John
Miller had made that dream a reality.

After the cheering subsided, Philippe said, "I'm thrilled to be here with
you tonight!  When John Miller offered me the job of President, I was
honored and humbled with the title and responsibility!  I accepted the job,
and immediately realized that John Miller's a very intelligent man by how
he's changing our company.  One of the privileges of having this job is
introducing the new Vice President of the Sea & Jungle Imports, World Wide
Operations in charge of the North American Operations, Helen Baxter!"

Helen walked out on the stage wearing her beautiful black evening dress and
the sparkling diamond necklace and earrings.  With the combination of the
spotlights and the flash photography, her jewelry flooded the amphitheater
with flashes of brilliance.  Everyone was awestruck by the sparkling
diamond jewelry and applauded and cheered for Helen.

When the cheering subsided, Helen said, "John Miller promoted me to the job
that I dreamed about!  Our company had only white males in positions of
responsibility, but that all changed when John took over.  Please welcome
my staff at the North American Headquarters!"

Everyone saw that the new staff was composed of females and minority
members, and they cheered for the recent arrivals.

John was standing at the side of the stage, and he was proud of Helen and
her new staff.  He wished that Nicklas was with him, but he knew that his
little lover was back in the Czech Republic without a passport that would
allow him to travel out of the country.  He wondered what Nicky was doing,
and promised himself that he would call his young friend as soon as
possible.

When the cheering subsided, Helen said, "Philippe has some horrible news to
share with you tonight."

Philippe walked back on the stage and hugged Helen before saying, "All of
us were shocked when James Stanton, the CEO and President of our company
died.  James Stanton didn't die by accident!  Tonight, you're going to hear
the truth.  Please welcome L. Brooks Hardison, Director of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation of the United States for some startling
information!"

L. Brooks Hardison walked onto the stage and faced a multitude of people
and media cameras before saying, "This was supposed to be the announcement
of a new collection of officers of this wonderful company, but it's my sad
duty to announce formally that James Stanton didn't die by accident!  James
Stanton was murdered, and my organization along with the International
Police Organization, known as INTERPOL has solved the crime.  A few days
ago, my agents arrested two men who held positions of responsibility with
this company.  Until proven guilty in a court of law, Glen Young, Personnel
Director, and Jacob Coleman, Financial Manager, are presumed innocent, but
they have been arrested and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the
deaths of James Stanton and his travel assistant, Thomas Mason.  We're
convinced that we can prove that these two men hired the assassins that
murdered James and Thomas in Zimbabwe last year.  I won't answer any
questions about this investigation, but I promise all of you that our case
is airtight!  This company was torn apart with the death of James Stanton,
and now I'd like to ask Philippe Ducharme to come back up on this stage."

The crowd was shocked to hear that James Stanton had been murdered and the
media was in a frenzy to take pictures and tried to corner the FBI
Director.  Hardy, as he was known by his friends and associates walked up
to Butch Mendez and gave him a hug.  "I'm still sick that I lost you!"
Hardy said to Butch.  "I'm thrilled that you landed a fantastic job with a
larger salary than I even make, and I'm excited about us working together
again to nail some shithead drug traffickers!"

"I fucked up when I worked for you, and it was fate that I would be fired
and interview with John Miller," Butch said to his former boss.  "He's
given me total control of security, and I'll put my life on the line to
protect him and my new company.  He knows that we're working together on
the drug mess, and he's given me a blank check to outfit a Rapid Response
Team that rivals anything that the Federal Government could dream about."

"I have to leave now, but I look forward to working with you and John
Miller in the future," Hardy said to Butch.  "He's too busy tonight for us
to talk together, but please tell him that I owe him a big favor if he ever
needs my help."

Philippe walked back to the lectern and said, "I want you to recognize a
very special person who John Miller hired to head up our Public Relations
Operations.  Please welcome someone who you might remember as the most
beautiful Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, the Vice President of Public
Relations, Christina Karpov!"

When Christina walked out on the stage, her beautiful diamond jewelry
sparkled in the combination of spotlights and flash photography.  Her
shimmering red dress dazzled the photographers, and they captured the event
with a multitude of pictures.  When she had been a supermodel, she was a
favorite of all of the media, and they were excited to see her again
wearing the unbelievable jewelry and the revealing red dress.

"When John Miller interviewed me, I never dreamed that I would have control
of how this wonderful company interfaced with the public," Christina said.
"Our associates now have the finest compensation and benefits packages of
any corporation in the world, but my message doesn't end there.  Ten
percent of the profits of the North American Operations are now earmarked
for helping our associates with college scholarships and a fund that will
help people when disaster strikes.  Funds are available for relief from
personal tragedies like severe illnesses and natural disasters.  The World
Wide Operations make more profits than the North American Operations, and
10 percent of the profits will be used to fund food programs and orphanages
around the world.  I welcome the challenge to spend over 5 billion dollars
a year to make this a better world for everyone."

The crowd applauded and cheered at what Christina was saying about the
outreach plans for the profitable company.

"Here is an example of what this company will do for the homeless children
of the world," Christina said.  The large screens in the amphitheater lit
up with the edited video that Philippe had made of the orphanage.
"Philippe Ducharme made a video of the conditions at Proud Les Domo, an
orphanage in the Czech Republic."  Christina narrated the video that showed
the conditions at the orphanage when John Miller had arrived, and how
destitute the children were.  When the audience saw the drastic changes,
they stood and cheered, while Christina explained how the children were now
being treated.  "There are many countries in the world where children have
been injured and crippled from the ravages of war and poverty," Christina
said.  "The World Wide Operations of the Sea & Jungle Imports Company will
fund homes for the physically challenged children and will cover the costs
of prosthetics and physical therapy to improve the lives of children around
the world!  This is a dream come true for me, and I accept the
responsibility to change the world for our future, the children of the
world!"

The applause and cheering of the audience was deafening!  Christina had
delivered the most important message of the entire evening that the company
was moving into the future and taking care of the associates and children
of the world.  The shock of hearing about the murder of James Stanton was
pushed into the background, and the media was in a frenzy to get their
pictures, recorded messages and videos back to their companies.

John walked back onto the stage and faced the boisterous crowd.  "Ladies
and gentlemen, now you know who will be leading this company into the
future.  I may not attend church as often as I should, but I have a strong
belief in God and the power of prayer.  Will you please stand and join me
in a prayer to Almighty God!"

The crowd stood, while the flash bulbs lit up the entire amphitheater.  The
boisterous crowd settled down and the silence was a shock after the evening
of cheering and applauding.

John waited for everyone to calm down before offering his prayer.  "Dear
God, you've brought us together tonight to break bread and celebrate the
dawn of a new era in the Sea & Jungle Imports Operations.  Give all of us
strength to do Your Will and make this a better world for all of Your
creatures.  Guide us to do Your Will, and bless and strengthen all of us so
we can tend to the unwanted children around this entire world and help them
realize their dreams.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who died
for our sins so we could all be saved.  AMEN!"

The ship echoed with the loud "AMEN" from all of the people in the
amphitheater.  The media event had ended, and everyone wanted to shake
hands with John and all of his staff for the fantastic evening.

John was exhausted from the tension of the entire day, but he circulated
around the ship and visited all four of the bar areas where his guests were
celebrating the event.  The most important guests were his two aunts and
his family, and he hugged everyone.

"That was a beautiful prayer," Aunt Martha said while hugging John.

"We knew that we picked the right man to take over the store, and tonight
you proved that we were right!" Aunt Betty added.  "This is the best day of
our lives!"

When the crowd started leaving the bar areas, John excused himself and
headed back to the Jungle Stateroom to shower and unwind.  Constantine, one
of John's personal stewards came into the stateroom and offered his
services.  John accepted another Manhattan and thanked Constantine before
saying, "Some day soon I'd like to travel again on this ship and relax, but
tonight has exhausted me.  You and Nikkos have been wonderful stewards for
me.  Our company has a scholarship plan that I hope that you will both take
advantage of to get a college education.  Maybe someday you'll both have a
profession and maybe that will include being captains of this ship."

"You're so different from James Stanton," Constantine admitted.  "He only
gave us attention when he wanted us for sex, but you're completely
different!  You actually talk to us and treat us with respect.  If there's
ever anything that we can do for you, please let us know!"

John hugged the handsome young man and kissed him on both cheeks.  It was a
traditional way for Greek men to greet each other, and he respected
Constantine's heritage.


When John returned to the NAO Headquarters, everyone greeted him warmly.
All of the major newspapers, television networks, and magazines around the
world had covered the cruise, and large posters decorated the halls of the
headquarters showing the headlines that had startled the world.

In a suburb of Detroit, Margaret Miller was livid!

"Look at Time Magazine!" Liz Williamson said to her sister.  The cover
showed John steering the fabulous yacht with Christina standing at his
side.  The caption was "New Man at the Helm" and Liz and Margaret were
pissed.  Fortune magazine had a similar cover with John and Christina posed
together at the bow of the luxury yacht.

Mary Ann Kowalski added her fuel to the fire by dropping more magazines and
newspaper articles about John Miller's new job and his immense wealth.
Every television network in the world had covered the cruise, and the three
sisters were livid that John was considered the most "eligible bachelor in
the world!"

"From what I've read, that fuckhead's a billionaire!" Liz added.

"We'll pool our resources and sue that pervert!" Mary Ann blurted out.
"We'll make millions and live a life of luxury!"


When John got to his office, Helen was waiting for him with a hug and kiss.

"Welcome home!" Helen said.  "Your phone hasn't stopped ringing since the
announcements on the cruise!  We have two people assigned to answer your
calls, and every major talk show in the world wants you to appear.  You're
the biggest celebrity in the world right now!"

"All that I wanna do right now is go fishing on Long Lake and drink a few
beers and relax," John admitted.  "I'm not going to go on a media tour for
a long time!"

"My husband and son are still in orbit after going on that cruise," Helen
said.  "They had a ball!"

"Now you need to hire some assistants so you can spend more time with your
family," John said.  "I sure don't want your new success to destroy your
marriage."

"Tom's living his dream and leaving for Alaska tomorrow to hunt moose and
Kodiak bear," Helen said.  "I hired two assistants and Wesley and I will
join Tom on a trip to New Zealand for another trip with an important
customer.  I'm promising you that I'll only work five days a week and work
to cut that down to four days within three months!  I still can't believe
that we're moving into that mansion!"

"Someone has to host the Christmas parties!" John teased.  "Actually, I'm
hoping that your family will join mine in spending the holidays in the
Czech Republic.  My children over there have never had a real Christmas,
and I've made plans to make this a holiday season that they will remember
for the rest of their lives."

"I showed everyone the video of the orphanage, and all of our associates
have demanded that they be allowed to send gifts to the children at Proud
Les Domo," Helen said.  "The response has been overwhelming!"

"What do I need to take care of today?" John asked.  "This country is your
responsibility now, and I don't want to meddle in your plans.  By the way,
I'm moving out of this office."

"What do you mean?" Helen asked.

"This office is now yours!" John replied.  "The Vice President in charge of
the North American Operations deserves this office!  My main office is
temporarily in Nassau, but I'm thinking about working out of the office at
Proud Les Domo more than anywhere else.  When you go there for the
holidays, you'll understand why I want to spend most of my time there.  If
you don't object, we can just trade offices here in this beautiful
building."

Helen had always loved the executive office with the expensive furnishings
and the huge aquarium, but never dreamed that it would be HER office!  She
protested, but was thrilled when John said, "My decision's final!  This is
now YOUR office!"

Helen thanked John for his wonderful gift of the exotic office.  She wiped
away her tears of joy and decided to answer John's question about what
needed to be done that day.  "You have a bunch of emails to answer, but you
might consider taking a trip to Northern Michigan to the Arrowhead
property," Helen said.  "The Stanton family owned a large piece of property
near Onaway that includes a private lake and the land was managed by a man
named Walter Kristofson."

"What's so special about Arrowhead?"  John asked.

"Mr. Kristofson was the caretaker of that property, but he quit because his
family was being harassed," Helen said.  "From what I have heard,
Mr. Kristofson quit because his family was being hassled by a clan of local
people with the last names of Walker and Longhurst.  The clan has been
poaching deer from the Arrowhead property and fish from Arrowhead Lake.
Walter Kristofson quit as your property manager after two of his sons were
severely beaten by the Walker-Longhurst clan members.  The local sheriff
won't intervene because he and his deputies have been threatened in the
same way."

John remembered reading a word file from James Stanton that the Arrowhead
Lake area was stocked with a special strain of huge whitetail deer from
Texas and the lake was stocked with walleye, sturgeon and hybrid bluegills.
He was intrigued by the size of the Arrowhead properties, and considered
going there to hunt deer in November.  He decided to take a break from his
responsibilities with the company and take a trip to the Onaway area.

John returned to his home on Peninsular Drive and wanted to take a break
from the pressures and responsibilities of his new job.  He looked out the
window of his home at Long Lake and decided to do what he had done in the
past to relax.  When he had been married to Margaret, he often escaped from
her wrath by going out fishing alone.  He told his body guards that he
wanted some time alone, and he put six Budweisers in a cooler and went down
to his shed near the lake.  He retrieved the small outboard motor that his
son, Johnny, had given him and was excited.  He thought back to the time
when life was simple for him, and he dreamed of having Nicklas with him to
go out fishing on the quiet lake.  He loved the boat that had belonged to
his father and grabbed his fishing tackle just like he had done hundreds of
times when he escaped from Margaret and her constant bitching.  He loved
the Sea & Jungle IV and the luxury aboard the exotic yacht, but going out
in the repaired boat was ten times more enjoyable for him.  He caught only
two small bass that he released, but he loved the peace and quiet and
drained four of the beers before he returned to his dock.

John relaxed in his home and thought about his decision to travel to
northern Michigan.

It would be a very dangerous decision for John Miller!

Stay tuned!!!


Feedback is appreciated to Jacob_latson@hotmail.com