Date: Fri, 03 Jan 2003 18:09:42 -0600
From: pns kid <pnskid61@hotmail.com>
Subject: Sojourn chapter 9

The story below is a work of fiction and contains erotic and/or sexually
explicit behavior between consenting males. If you find this type of writing
offensive, or if you are underage and it is illegal to view it, please do
not read further, but exit now.
The author reserves all copyright privileges. This work may not be
reproduced, except for personal use, without permission of the author, and
many not be linked to any pay sites.

Thanks for all the kind emails.  This is my first attempt at this so your
comments have been very helpful and motivating.  Please feel free to send me
an email with you thoughts about the story.

Hang on tight guys, here is chapter 9.

Chapter Nine

Jason left.  Rick took a shower.  He remembered he needed to call a friend
of his in Destin and went for a phone book since he didn't have his address
book with him.  He went to the desk in the second bedroom.  He looked in the
drawer and found the phone book.  He needed some paper to write on and found
some personalized stationery.  It had the initials ENW on it.  He thought
that must be who owned the place.  He didn't remember Jason ever mentioning
the guy's name.  ENW, he thought.  All you need is an S and you have all the
points on a compass.  He chuckled.

Jason's drive to Mobile was quick.  The I-10 causeway didn't have much
traffic.  The USS Alabama sat gleaming just before the tunnel which takes
you into Mobile.  A couple of turns towards the dockyards and there was
Sojourn.  He thought she actually looked sad but how can an inanimate object
look sad.

He showed his ID to the security officer and went onboard.  He went to his
cabin and took a nap.  He went to the Purser's office and did some paperwork
and went to make sure things were coming together for the board meeting.
The Captain saw him and greeted him warmly.

The board meeting the next day started promptly at 4pm.  Board meeting isn't
really the right term.  Compass Cruise Lines was owned by a parent company
which was solely owned by one individual.  In fact, the ships were actually
registered in the owner's personal name.  Each ship was worth $400 million
so that was about  two billion dollars just in hardware.  The parent company
also owned some resorts.  It owned a charter airline - the very airline that
came to the rescue of the passengers in San Juan.  The cruise line and the
airline were the jewels in the crown for the owner.  His love of ships was
equally matched by his love of airplanes.  He had recently updated the
charter fleet to Boeing 777s.  They now had seven of them but one was for
the owner's personal use.  He loved the power of the massive engines,
passengers loved the planes, and the technology in the aircraft was state of
the art.  The parent company had some other interests which didn't seem to
be related.  A chain of check printing companies, a farm house in Devon in
southern England, a catering company which supplied services to cruise
lines, and it had a foundation which provided millions to a variety of
charities.  The parent company was 100% owned by one individual and he was
worth several billion dollars.

Tidying up a few things at the office, he went to his cabin, put on his
assistant purser whites, and went to the boardroom.  The team of executives
had gathered knowing that the owner was due at any minute.  They all loved
him.  They were hand picked.  They were the best in the business.  They were
well paid and very loyal.  The generosity he had shown to the crew of
Sojourn was just another example of how he did things.

As the door opened, everyone smiled and said hello.  The owner came in.
Hugged many of the people.  He sat in the middle of the table insisting the
Captain of Sojourn take the head.  "While we all know we aren't at sea,
Captain Cardone is still master of the Vessel.  He takes the helm".

Neatly placed in front of each person at the table was a leather binder
embossed with a stylish nautical compass.  Along the bottom where S or South
is usually written was the name of the company.  Simple and brief.  ENW
Enterprises.

Rick didn't hurry to Destin.  He actually drove below the speed limit on
Highway 98.  In about 45 minutes he was there.  He drove to his old house
like he had done for 24 years of his life.  So many memories.  But that was
the past and he felt an inner peace and completeness he had never felt
before.  Tranquility.  He smiled at the thought.

When he pulled into the driveway he thought he must have been daydreaming
and pulled into the wrong house.  He looked again, and it was his house.  It
had been painted, had a new roof, the lawn had been re-sodded and
landscaped.  A BMW 328i sat in the drive.  He felt like he was in an
alternate universe.  The mail box had several letters for Rick so this was
his place.  He went to the front door and tried the key almost sure it
wouldn't work.  It did.  When he went in, he couldn't believe it.  It was
stunning.  Hard wood flooring had replaced the worn green shag that had been
there.  The water stains in the ceiling had been repaired and the ceiling
had been painted and new lighting installed.  The furniture was out of a
magazine.  Comfortable but stylish.  The kitchen caused him to gasp.
Granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances.  Through-out the house it
was amazing.  One room remained untouched.  His old bedroom.  It was just as
he had left it.

Stunned he went to the kitchen and found an envelope on the table.  It was
addressed to My Dearest Rick.  He opened it, and out fell a set of keys with
the BMW logo on them.  And a note was inside.

"I love you.  With all my heart and all my being.  May all your dreams come
true.  With all my love, me."

Rick was stunned. He was confused.  He didn't know what was happening to
him.  He felt completely out of control.  He sorted through the mail, threw
away several of the letters that were similar to what he received on
Sojourn, and filed the rest of the mail in his bedroom.

Back on Sojourn, they were going through the status of Sojourn's repairs.
It appears that some steel cables had come loose at the pier in St Maarten
and drifted under Sorjourn as she was docked.  When the engines started the
cables became entangled in the Azipods.  There was no way to know.  The port
side Azipod had suffered substantial damage and would need to be replaced.
The starboard side unit was also damaged and could only operate at 50%.
That would mean a top cruising speed of about 8 to 10 knots.  The ship would
have to go back to Germany for repairs.  She would be out of service for
3-6months.  This was very bad news.

All eyes turned to the owner of ENW Enterprises.  Ethan Neil West was under
40 and head of a multi-billion dollar company.  While everyone liked him,
nobody knew much about him or his personal life.  He didn't live an
extravagant life except for his personal 777 and a few other luxuries.  He
was kind to a fault but a smart businessman.  Nobody doubted that.

"OK.  Well, lets get Sojourn to the hospital and the surgery she needs."
This caused a laugh around the table and helped to lighten the mood.  Anyway
you looked at this, it was bad news.  But they would survive and make the
best of it.

"I have 900 people who rely on Sojourn for their income.  I can't leave
these people without income.  We have to take care of them.  Besides healing
Sojourn, taking care of our people is priority one".

The director of the new build construction team spoke up. "Well, we do have
some good news.   Our new build is ahead of schedule, we could take delivery
of her in 6 weeks.  We could move Sojourn's crew over to the new ship.  We
had not started recruitment for the new ship yet since we thought we were a
few months out.  Sojourn and the new ship are identical so no new training
would be required."

Ann Jones, manager of PR then spoke.  "Ethan, that leaves us with 6 weeks to
fill with 900 people.  You charter airline needs some help.  We could
probably take 100.  The catering business is doing well and could take
another 100 for short term assignments.  Because of visa issues, the
remaining won't be able to work on US soil.  That leaves about 700 we will
need to furlough until the new ship is ready".

Ethan looked at Ann and smiled.  "Ann, what do you think my response is?"

Ann replied.  "Nobody gets furloughed.  Pay them all."

"That is right.  Go ahead and offer short term work to those that want it at
catering and the charter company.  Pay them for that work on top of what
they would have made on Sojourn.  I want you to see what we can do to speed
up the delivery on the new ship and also to shorten poor Sojourn's time in
the hospital.  Captain Cardone, would you do me the honor of being master of
our newest vessel?"  Captain Cardone nodded affirmatively.

Kevin, the Director for Sales and Marketing then spoke.  "Ethan, you know
you actually own each of the ships outright.  You have also named each of
the ships and we need to get busy marketing and selling the new ship.  We
need a name".

"OK, here is the new name. He passed the paper to Kevin. "I want a model
with the new name sent to my home by tomorrow. Is that possible?"

"Sure, it is identical to Sojourn so we can use that model and change the
name. Nobody will know.  We can send that to you.  Where shall we send it?"
Kevin asked.

"Talk to Boss, I mean Sarah.  She can tell you where to send it."  Sarah had
been with Ethan for over 10 years and bossed him around.  He called her Boss
and nobody got through her to Ethan unless she said it was ok.  He loved her
even though they both claimed to hate one another.

"Any other business?" Ethan asked.

Ann from HR spoke up.  "Yeah Ethan, how much longer you going to wear the
uniform?  I mean you do look hot but I don't know many billionaires dressing
like that."

Ethan smiled. "Well, I do look hot don't I?"  I actually have had people
whistling at me while I have been out jogging so I think the life at sea
agrees with me.  Oh, and Captain, thanks for not blowing my cover the other
day.  That was close".

"Well Ethan, you shocked me.  I didn't know you were onboard.  Can I please
know when our distinguished owner is onboard my ship?"

"Point taken.  Jason North has retired".