To Steal a Hart (Industries)
***Willow Pond***
Jonathan and Jennifer are having a late dinner. They are having a late dinner because Jonathan was working late again. He made a few business deals, and then his board of directors had a few members depart, and he had to appoint new people to it, and they have been giving him nothing but resistance on every decision he has made.
Jennifer tried to cheer him up by making his favorite foods, but she can tell it didn't work as well as she hoped it would.
"Darling, have you spoken to each member giving you resistance about why they aren't backing you?"
"I tried. They are all too busy to meet with me".
"Well, then maybe you need to remove them from the board, and appoint someone else".
"I cannot do that without just cause, and disagreeing with me isn't exactly just cause."
They were quiet for a minute, and then Jonathan looked at her.
"I just never thought I would see the day where my colleagues and board of directors didn't believe in me".
"I know it's hard. But it was bound to happen. And you can count on one thing".
"What's that?"
"I will always believe in you". She kissed him.
"Thanks darling".
She stood up and took their dishes to the sink, and then started cleaning the kitchen.
After she was done, they retired to the den and had a brandy.
Max came in to talk to them.
"Mr. and Mrs. H., there's something we need to talk about".
"What's that?"
"Well, I've been seeing this lady named Anna Kingston. And she's really great. And we think we have something really special. But the thing is, she has a sister who needs a lot of care, so she has to move up to San Francisco to care for her, and she can't do it alone. She needs someone to do the heavy lifting and take on some cooking shifts, and drive her to appointments. And well…."
"What, Max?"
"I am going to have leave you guys to go help her. I can't let her go by herself and she needs me".
"We understand, Max".
"We respect your decision, but we don't like that you have to leave us, we love you".
"I'm sorry, I tried to get her to move her sister here, but she said no because her sister has doctors there and it's just better for her if she stays where she is comfortable".
"We understand. We are going to miss you, though. You know that".
"I will miss you guys too."
"When are you leaving, Max?"
"Friday".
They nodded.
He went to his room, and they looked at each other. They couldn't imagine not having Max around. He was instrumental in everything they did. He was there when they met, and he helped Jonathan when he thought he was going to lose Jennifer. He had helped them on many an adventure, and he had been the best friend they could have asked for.
Freeway started whining at Jennifer's feet.
"I know, it's alright. Mommy and Daddy feel the same way".
***The next morning***
Jennifer and Jonathan had breakfast together before he left for work.
Max made them his special eggs benedict, and fresh squeezed orange juice.
"Mr. and Mrs. H., I heard from some friends of mine this morning, who are looking for a job. I told them that with me leaving, you guys might be willing to interview them, but I didn't make them any promises that you would hire them. But if it counts for anything, I would recommend them to you".
"It counts for everything, Max".
"They are married. He does the heavy work, she does the cooking and laundry, and they split the cleaning. They've always been great people to me".
"What are their names?"
"The Manley's. Rebecca and Stefan Manley".
"Well, if they call us, we will be more than happy to interview them.".
"I will let the agency know that you are looking".
"Thanks, Max".
Jonathan had to go to work then.
Jennifer walked him to the door.
"See you tonight, darling."
"I have faith in you that everything will work out. I love you".
"Love you too". He kissed her warmly and then headed to work.
Jennifer was supposed to meet with someone who was going to remodel their bedroom. She was taking estimates on how much construction would cost and getting ideas. She knew she wanted to paint the room, but she didn't know much else, other than they wanted to mount a TV in their bedroom somewhere, without giving up any of the built in's or the window seat. Freeway loved the window seat.
She had picked out paint samples. They were going from a basic white, to a soothing blue. And she wanted to paint the bathroom the same color.
She and Jonathan had talked about it and he told her she had carte blanche to do whatever, but that they didn't have time for him to do it on the weekends or after work.
She was sitting at her desk, working on an article when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hi, I was given your name and number by the Agency- they said that you are looking for new hired hands?"
"Yes, our houseman is leaving us this week, sadly".
"Well, my husband and I do great work and we are in need of a job".
"Ok, great. My name is Mrs. Hart, and I would be happy to look at your references and interview you".
"Great. Our names are the Manley's- Rebecca and Stefan.
"Oh yes, Max, our houseman told me about you two".
"Great! Does this afternoon work? We can be there about 3".
"Sure. 3100 Willow Pond Road, in Bel Air. See you then".
"Thank you, ma'am. See you then".
Jennifer hung up the phone, and called Jonathan.
"Hi darling. Can you be home at 3? We have an interview with the Manley's".
"No, I have a board meeting at 2:30, and it will drag on forever, I'm sure".
"Oh. Well I can reschedule it".
"No, don't do that. Just keep it, you can interview them by yourself and if you like them, then I will be there for the second interview. I trust you to find us someone just as good as Max".
"Darling, there won't ever be anyone as good as Max. Close is all we can hope for".
"I know how you feel, darling".
"Well, the contractor should be here any minute. Anything special you want me to ask him?"
"Not really. Just make sure he knows it's an estimate and doesn't think we are hiring him on the spot. And we have our own handyman who can paint for us, so really, he will just need to do the construction part".
"Yes, I agree. Ok, I will let you know what he says, and I can't wait to see you when you get home, darling. I love you".
"I love you too".
They hung up. Her heart ached for him that he was having so many business issues, and that she couldn't help him. She knew this would be a temporary thing, but she wished, for both their sakes, that she knew how temporary it would be.
The contractor came at 1, and she showed him the bedroom and bathroom.
"We don't want to remove anything from the bedroom, but we were thinking of repainting the bathroom and bedroom, and we wanted to mount a TV here in the bathroom, so that when I take bubble baths, I can watch a movie if I want to, or I can have it on while I am getting ready."
"We can definitely do that, and he showed her on the wall where it would need to be.
She threw some towels into the bathtub, and climbed in and leaned back like she would if she was taking a bath. The space where he indicated was perfect for a TV.
"Perfect".
He very nicely helped her out the tub, and she grabbed the towels and put them on the counter.
They went into the bedroom, and she showed him about where they wanted the TV mounted in there.
"You have a couple of options. We can do it where the ceiling and the wall meet, and angle it down towards the bed, so that you can see it comfortably while laying down, or we can take out a few sections of the built in, and make it one big section, and then we can put the TV in there. Because you are going to need somewhere to put the other components as well".
"Good point".
She thought a minute, and then looked at him.
"What about the other components in the bathroom TV?"
They walked back to the bathroom.
"We can put the TV in the wall right here. Or as against the wall as possible. I will cut a small hole, and feed the wires through it, and then your Cable box can sit on the shelf just inside the closet, and I will put you a plug so you can plug them in. We will have your cable company come put a cable outlet in right here next to it inside the closet, and then you will be able to watch TV like normally. You will just aim the remote at the TV or at the wall, and it will change the channels for you".
"Perfect".
She had him sketch out his plans for both rooms, and promised that she and Jonathan would talk them over and get back to him.
He gave her the estimate and she saw him out.
She was downstairs waiting for the Manley's when Jonathan called to check in.
"The contractor came and went, and he gave us some nice plans. I will have to show them to you when you get home, darling."
"The only thing I want to see when I get home, is you".
"Oh, Jonathan. How did your meeting go?"
"It was terribly dramatic. They are against me at every turn. They want me to sign off on a deal that will mean 1000 jobs are lost, after I have already promised those people I wouldn't eliminate their jobs, and they are saying if I don't sign off, they will try to overthrow me and take the company from me. I am running out of options, and I'm not sure which way to turn, but I refuse to eliminate jobs that I already promised to someone".
"Oh, darling. I'm so sorry. We will figure something out".
"Good luck with the Manley's. I love you. See you tonight".
"I love you too, see you tonight".
They hung up, and she got ready for the Manley's.
They were right on time.
They seemed like a lovely couple. They told her that they had worked for a lady for 18 years, and that she had passed away. They had been left an inheritance by her, so they used that and traveled some for a couple of years, but they were ready to work again.
"Well, 18 years is a good recommendation, plus Max recommended you highly, so that's wonderful also. My husband will want to interview you as well, so are you available to meet tomorrow night, say around 7?"
"It would be our pleasure, ma'am."
"Great. Let me give you a tour of the house."
She showed them everything downstairs, and then they went upstairs and she showed them the guest rooms and their master bedroom and bath.
"We use the gate system here, as part of our security. So, when someone comes, they call from the gate. The panel in the kitchen will let them in. Basically, you talk to them, find out who they are and why they are here and then if you want to buzz them up, you hit this button. We have the same panel in our bedroom, on the nightstand. So, if you are ever up here when the gate buzzes, it works the same way. If you are downstairs and hear it, you can pick up the receiver next to it and you will be able to talk to us while we talk to the gate. I know, it's confusing. I'm sorry."
"It's fine, ma'am".
She showed them where the linens were, and where she kept the cleaning products for the upstairs.
"Freeway is our dog, and he has total run of the place. He will go outside with you if you just say "Freeway lets go outside". He's a great judge of character too, so if someone is here and they are trying to hurt us, he can usually sniff them out before we do. He has a doggie door in the kitchen, and he uses it sometimes. He never has accidents in the house though, so that's a plus. He really is a sweet boy".
She took them back downstairs and they sat back down.
"We have some routines that we really try to stick to. We usually have drinks after dinner together, or when he gets home. Sundays, we read the paper in bed and just sometimes lay around. And you won't have to cook every meal, because sometimes I like to cook for Jonathan, and sometimes, he loves to cook for me. And Max always has poker games and stuff out of the house, so sometimes he wouldn't even be home for the meals. So, that's not really set in stone".
"We understand, ma'am".
"Um, the backyard is pretty simple. We have a pool, but we also have a pool man. We have the garage where we keep the cars, and Mr. Hart will have you roll some out and roll some in, and we will show you where the keys are. We have a mechanic that we take the cars to, so you might be driving one for an oil change or something. But other than that, we are just everyday normal people".
"Sounds great, ma'am".
"Ok, well my husband and I will see you tomorrow night at 7".
"Thank you, ma'am".
She showed them out and then went back to her article.
She worked on it all afternoon and didn't stop till Jonathan got home at 7:30. Max had dinner waiting for them, and as soon as he served them, he was off to a poker game.
"Good night Max".
"Night, Mr. and Mrs. H."
They had a nice dinner, and then decided to take their after dinner drinks upstairs and relax.
After they changed into pajamas, he laid down on the bed and she climbed on top of him and gave him a back rub with the tingly stuff he loved. She was telling him all about the interview with the Manley's.
"They seem like nice people, darling, but it just won't be the same. Max is so much more to us than a houseman, and we are really going to miss him."
"I know. But he has the right to be happy, darling and if helping Anna makes him happy, then we can't stand in his way".
"I know. I just hate to see him leave. Just like I hate to see you dealing with all this crap from the board members".
"It is what it is, darling. I am going to get through it with the board, and I am sure we will get through losing Max".
After his backrub was finished, she showed him the plans the contractor came up with.
"I will contact the handy man and have him start painting right away. After that is complete, we can have the contractor come back and do the renovations. And I think we should have him remove the sections of the built in, and put the TV in there."
"Me too".
They laid in bed a bit, and she just snuggled with him and tried to make him feel better.
"Darling, how would you feel if I just wanted to walk away from it all?"
"Walk away from everything?"
"Not you. The company. Maybe my business days are done, I don't know."
"Jonathan, we have been married for 10 years. And in those ten years, you have proven yourself to be a very worthy businessman and one who always makes the right deal, not just the best one. And I don't mean right for you, I mean right for everyone. I know you don't see it right now, but believe me, your business days are far from over".
"You are always so faithful to me. I appreciate it, darling".
"Nowhere else I would rather be, or anyone I would rather be with, darling". She kissed him and snuggled up to him.
"So, when are the Manley's coming back?"
"Tomorrow, at 7".
"Ok. Great. You and I can go to dinner right after that".
"Wonderful".
"One more day with Max".
She could hear the sadness in his voice.
"I know."
They turned the light off, and he wrapped his arms around her and they went to sleep.
***The next afternoon***
Jonathan called around 2, and told Jennifer that he had some bad news.
"What is it?"
"Our handyman hurt his back, so he won't be able to paint for us".
"Oh, that's too bad. Well, I guess we can find someone else".
"Darling, I'm a little tired. What do you say to ordering dinner in, instead of us going there? We can order in whatever you want".
"That's fine with me. We can both get more comfortable and stay home".
"How long do you think the interview with the Manley's will take?"
"I would say an hour, tops".
"Great".
"How about we have La Scala delivered at 8? I will call and place the order".
"Perfect. Order me the usual. I love you, darling. I will see you tonight".
"Love you too, honey. See you then".
She called La Scala and placed their order. He always got the Lasagna Verde, and she got the Spaghetti con Salsicci. She added a chopped salad for two, and a side of bread, and asked them to deliver at 8.
She worked on her article some, and was very happy when Jonathan got home at 6.
"Hey sailor, glad you are home". She kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
She was always happy to see him.
They had a drink together on the couch, before the Manley's got there.
"Darling, I am not sure what is going to happen in the next few days or weeks. But I want you to remember one thing regardless of what happens".
"What's that?"
"That I love you, no matter what and above all else".
"I will always know that, darling. Now why are you saying these things?"
She was seriously concerned.
Before he could answer, the gate buzzed.
It was the Manley's.
"Come on up".
She opened the gate and then opened the door for them.
"Come on in".
They walked into the den.
"This is my husband, Jonathan Hart. Darling, these are the Manley's- Rebecca and Stefan".
They shook hands. "Nice to meet you".
They sat down and Jonathan asked them a few questions about their work experience.
"Well, I'm sure my lovely wife has told you all about what Max does for us, do you have any questions about anything?"
"Not that we can think of".
"Well, we would love to hire you guys to work for us. We are going to have the bedroom and bathroom upstairs remodeled a little bit, so it might be noisy the first few days".
"Oh that's no problem. My husband is a carpenter, so we are used to the noise. He is always painting something or hammering something."
"I find it relaxes me".
"Well, we are in need of someone to paint for us, would you like to be in charge of the painting?"
"It would be my pleasure".
"Perfect. Can you guys come tomorrow to start painting? Max will be moving out of his room tomorrow morning, and then you guys can move in any time after that".
"Yes, ma'am. We will be here at 9 in the morning".
"Great. I will pick up the paint and see you then".
She showed them out and then went back to Jonathan.
"Darling, how tired are you?"
"I'm ok. Why?"
"Well we need to go pick up the paint, and I was thinking we could cancel the delivery order and change it to a pickup order and swing by and get it after we get paint".
"Let's go".
***In the car***
"Darling, what did you think of the Manley's?"
"They seemed nice. What did you think of them?"
"I loved them. I'm sure I won't be as comfortable with them as I am with Max, but I like them. And it will be nice to have a lady in the house".
"It's very fortunate for us that Mr. Manley can do the painting. Right place, right time, I suppose".
"I agree".
They pulled up to the paint store, and then parked.
They went inside and picked out the color.
They decided to go with a color known as Sea salt blue, and they decided on dark gray trim. She was trying to convince him to do a glitter wall, or glitter trim and he said no.
"But darling, we just need a little sparkle".
"Darling, you are all the sparkle I ever need".
She kissed him, and gave in.
They waited while the paint was mixed, and then paid for it and all the supplies they would need and then left.
They picked up dinner and then went home.
***Willow Pond***
They came inside and headed for the kitchen.
She was hoping to see Max so they could give him a gift and tell him about the Manley's.
Instead, there was a note.
"Anna needs me sooner, so I had to leave tonight. I waited as long as I could, but had to go. I love you both and I will miss you. Thank you for everything, Mr. and Mrs. H. I will be back to visit and will call soon. Love, Max".
Jennifer was heartbroken. She couldn't believe they missed him by an hour.
Jonathan was sad too. Max was the only family he had ever really known, before Jennifer. Losing him was like losing a dad.
They had a quiet dinner and then went upstairs. She and Jonathan changed into their pajamas and then boxed up everything in their room and moved it to the middle so that Mr. Manley could begin painting the next morning.
"Darling, do you think we should move to the guest room tomorrow, or tonight?"
"Tomorrow".
"Ok".
After they were finished, they climbed into bed.
"Darling, are you alright?"
"Yeah, just sad about Max leaving".
"Me too. He's family, and him leaving is like losing family. And with you not ever knowing your family, that must make it all that much harder".
"I don't know my real family, but that's ok. You and Max are all the family, I'll ever need".
She kissed him, and they went to sleep.
***The next morning***
She and Jonathan were up early, and moved some clothes to the guest room and the guest bathroom.
She made Jonathan bacon and eggs, and then he headed off to work.
"See you tonight, darling, I love you".
"I love you too. See you tonight".
The Manley's arrived promptly at 9, and Jennifer showed him where the paint supplies were and he got busy. Mrs. Manley set about preparing lunch and cleaning the downstairs.
Jennifer worked on her article for a little bit, and then went to the kitchen to check on Mrs. Manley.
"Mrs. Manley, are you finding everything alright?"
"Yes, ma'am. I grilled some chicken to go on a salad for lunch".
"That sounds heavenly. I hope you'll join me".
"Sure, ma'am."
She went upstairs to check on the painting, and found that he had finished the bedroom and was almost finished with the bathroom. All that was left after that was the trim.
"You are really a fast painter, Mr. Manley. Looks great".
"The paint does better if you go fast, ma'am".
"Mrs. Manley has lunch ready, if you are ready for a break".
"I'll be right down, ma'am".
She went back to the kitchen, and they had lunch, and then Mrs. Manley insisted on cleaning the kitchen herself.
She headed back to the study to work on her article.
Jonathan got home around 5, and had a cocktail with her. Mrs. Manley made a lovely stuffed chicken dish for dinner.
Mr. Manley came downstairs and joined them for dinner.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hart, your bedroom and bathroom are finished. If you will take a look and decide if you want me to do another coat?"
"Sure, let's go look darling".
They headed upstairs and into the bedroom.
"Oh, it's gorgeous! I absolutely love it".
"He did a really good job".
Jennifer turned to him. "Darling, should we have him touch up the whole house?"
"Couldn't hurt. I know the study could use it, and maybe the kitchen. The rest of the house is fine though".
They went downstairs and found the Manley's in the kitchen.
"Great job, Mr. Manley. I am going to pick up some paint this coming week, and maybe you could touch up the study and the kitchen?"
"Certainly, Mrs. Hart".
Jonathan and Jennifer stayed in the guest room that night, and hated it. That bed wasn't nearly as comfortable as their bed, even with the satin sheets and pillows. He was preoccupied with business matters, and she was trying to make him feel better, but she could tell he couldn't quit thinking about it.
"Darling, do you remember what you were going to say to me before the Manley's got here last night?"
"Yeah. It seems that the board is planning to call for a vote to have me removed as CEO of Hart Industries."
"Why on earth would they do that?"
"Well, I made some business deals that were presented to me by the board as good ideas, and good sound business decisions, they encouraged me to go through with it, I did and then they turned on me when it didn't work out. One of the companies we partnered with turned out to be extremely more cash poor than we had known, and another one turned out to be employing some very unethical practices. And none of this came to light in time for me to cancel the deal. So, my options right now are to close the company or sell them, but that puts people out of work, and I promised I wouldn't do that. So, I want to send in good people, people that I trust, who can clean up the companies and get them on track, but it takes time. More time than the board is willing to give me, unfortunately. And instead of waiting and trusting me, they are plotting to overthrow me".
"Oh Jonathan…" She hugged him.
Meanwhile, downstairs in the Manley's room….
"Did you do it?"
"Yes, it's on every wall in the bedroom, and I did a double coat on the wall behind their bed. And it's on every wall of the bathroom, plus inside their closet, and on both sides of the closet doors."
"Well, then all we have to do is get them to move back to their bedroom from the guest room."
"I can't believe how well all of this worked out, really. Max just happened to meet Anna, who is your aunt. And she knew that your father, her brother wanted to take over Hart Industries. So, she convinces him to move with her, so that we can get the job here and help your dad take over the company. It's beyond perfect".
"And the money we are getting from my dad will more than help us find a place once we get out of here".
They kissed. The takeover plan had begun.
