TOUCH MY JUNK, OH YEAH!"
(Don't Touch My Junk: Part 2)
**********************
After the service, Kim packed her bags and spent the weekend at her mother's home in Cambridge on Tory Row.
Sitting at her father's old desk with her feet up she thought about all the things Rogue had taught her.
God bless him, she thought. For sure, it had been a higher education to just to be around him, absorb him.
"Where do I go from here Rogue?" she said, looking up at the Michelangelo's scene painted on the ceiling--it was as if he were watching her from the clouds overhead.
While he was alive she'd stayed away from executive decisions, focusing instead upon editorial ones.
As Larry The Cable Man would say--she'd get her done--she loved editing raw copy, making it good enough for publishing.
Now, facing Monday morning as Chief Executive Officer of the firm, she'd wished she had been more involved in the day to day operations and spent a little less time editing.
Rogue's unforgettable voice resonated in her brain.
"Kimmy, if something happens to me, I got it set up so you are in power to take over and do my job. All you need to know and remember, is to put smart people into position and let them do their job. I've put tried and true people in every slot, ones that have been here for years, the brightest and best, who have proven time and again, their loyalty to me and the company."
She figured that Rogue's assessment had to include Mac, the double trouble ass hole who'd always given her a hard time.
Mac was not only an attorney but a whiz accountant who analyzed financial profit and loss statements for Rogue-- helped him make decisions that not only saved the company a lot of money, but made a ton as well.
He was Rogue's right hand person and sole confidant before Kim came aboard.
******************
Mac's air of arrogance had always rubbed her the wrong way.
Why he took the attitude towards her that he did, she'd probably never know. All she knew for sure, was she didn't like the way he acted around her for whatever reason.
She had never been a threat to him in any way, he had his area of expertise, and she had hers.
But now, she thought, if he wants to keep his job, he'd better start being pleasant or I will send out Head Hunters to search for someone with a comparable track record.
Kim was never one to take any crap.
No matter how good he was--now that Rogue was gone--Mac had better change his attitude or he could look for a new job.
She'd have to buy out his contract and pay through the nose, but it would be worth it to get even.
Like the old time worn cliche, she didn't waste time getting mad, she instead made a point of getting even--eliminating
her enemies--crossing them off her list and having no more future dealings with them once they showed their true colors.
The thought, "Hell knows no fury like a woman scorned," passed her mind every time Mac ignored her and addressed
Rogue like she didn't exist.
She'd never complained to Rogue because it was obvious that Mac was a source of comfort to him.
While he was alive, she was not about to worry him by bitching over petty little stuff that in the long run didn't mean a rat's ass one way or another.
**************
During the months that proceeded his death, they'd talked freely about what she should do, in case he didn't make it, up and died on her.
Kim didn't want to go there but Mac insisted that they talk about it, he told her that it was simply being realistic, stuff she needed to know whether he lived OR died.
"Don't change the corporate structure if you can help it Kim, and trust Mac, he'll be your key player--among your strongest and best in the company."
It rankled her that he liked him that much, but she stuffed it and asked, "Why do you say that?"
"The man is brilliant. Knows every aspect of the company. He can see the overview. He can handle all the legal problems that arise, but more importantly, he PREVENTS them, he employes his legal and accounting expertise in every letter he writes, in every contract he draws up."
******************
What was good enough for Rogue, she reasoned, will be good enough for me, God help me to bite my tongue and focus on his good qualities, not his unattractive ones.
***************
Kim went into work Monday morning and met with Mac first thing, hoping to clear the air between them and feeling that's what Rogue would have wanted.
Meeting him in the hall, she asked him if he'd put non-essential business on hold, and spend the day with her, that she needed his help, that she wanted him to help her with the overview of the entire company from his perspective.
Mac said, "Of course Kim," but his face reflected a look of distrust, as if he wondered what she was up to."
In her office, she laid it on the line.
"Mac, Rogue said I could count on you. That he trusted your judgment above all others and that you'd do right by me."
"I've always tried to do right by the company Kim, how can I be of help?"
******************
Kim spent the entire day with Mac picking his brain, and trying to absorb everything from his point of view, all the records he showed her, the diagrams of the corporate structure, who was in charge of what.
She walked away with a new respect for him, but still did not feel he went out of his way to be friendly.
************
No wonder Rogue had needed her in his life.
As brilliant as Mac was, as loyal as he was, the man was cold.
She had to slap herself in the face to remind herself, she was paying Mac $500,000. a year.
But even though he did not touch her heart, her intellect embraced him.
How could she NOT appreciate him? Value him?
He was right out of an Ayn Rand novel--that in itself, was enough to turn her on--especially when he'd come so close she could smell his soap, or she'd see him out of the corner of her eye, staring at her from across the room.
Although she usually only thought of Mac platonically, once and awhile when she was tired, and wore out from the day, her thoughts would wander, to something that he said or did earlier in the day.
Fantasizing over him as a man with whom she could have a personal relationship--a hero, a 'John Galt' running around in her imagination didn't work for her, she had tried it a few times with no success.
There were people around them who hinted they should hook up, but everyone knew that in actuality, nothing was going on between them other than solid business.
When her closest friend told her about the rumors, Kim assured her they were false,
however, it did plant a seed that started to slowly grow.
****************
One lonely night after Kim had been at a meeting with Mac, they stayed in the restaurant discussing business over their wine.
This night was different.
He touched her often, her hand, her knee, her leg--sat close to her in the booth--even laughed at antidotes she shared.
For a second when they parted, she had an impulse to hug him but stopped herself.
****************
That night driving home, she wept--talked to Rogue in the confines of her car.
"You bastard, you've spoiled me for all other men for the rest of my life."
Then she laughed.
"It's okay sweet baby, you were just being you and I bought in
--lock, stock and barrel--how could I ever regret that?"
*****************
Drowning herself in work, she
relied on Mac more and more.
He was still cool for the most part, but much warmer than he had been. Before long, she trusted him completely.
Mac came through for her, in every way, consistently. It never occurred to her anymore to fire him when he didn't smile at her.
******************
Every day, Kim's life centered around doing business as she knew Rogue would've wanted.
Most of her joy came from the phenomenal success of his memoirs, his auto-biographical best seller: DON'T TOUCH MY JUNK.
His success story spoke of his lifetime of living free and being independent, debt free.
He sent a message that explained why each person needed to be self determined, not live by values pre-determined by others.
He spoke out on the vital importance of choosing one's own code of morality, about living free, being able to choose right from wrong so long as it did not take away another persons right to live free--to be able to discern what added to his or her life and what detracted from his or her life--each finding his own truth, objectively and independently.
Rogue's book had it's own twist and it's own audience, primarily business people, lawyers and accountants.
His book gained credibility when the Harvard Crimson praised it as being a good logical argument for free enterprise by Harvard Business School.
The book promoted freedom
in an unfree world--the moral
principals behind millions of free enterprise businesses as opposed to one government controlling people and leaving them with no options, no choices.
He gave the raw numbers--the success rate of private schools, charter schools, and home schooling--how they compare to government run schools.
He stressed the importance of individual minds being nourished and challenged rather than being wet nursed and controlled by by national governments with one world agendas.
No doubt about it, his book did not set well with everyone, and soon it became politically controversial.
***************
It was when the book went on the New York Times Best Seller list--when she appeared on talk shows--that Mac started acting like he cared for her far than she had realized.
Mac became concerned about a far left fanatic who'd written Kim threatening letters--told her to stop promoting Rouge's book or he'd bomb corporate headquarters.
It was then, Mac increased security in the publishing house and insisted that he accompany Kim where ever she was scheduled to appear.
****************
Over the next few months, Kim kept her nose to the proverbial grind stone, but looked more and more forward to the out of town book signings with Mac by her side.
The business trips became more like enjoyable mini-vacations than work, especially when Kim and Mac started letting their hair down.
She quickly learned to love those times, but afraid too, that she was becoming overly attached to Mac.
Although his being with her made her feel safe, it also left her feeling emotionally vulnerable.
Staying in luxury hotels she'd enjoy the days with him and at night, share a meal and return to her room.
Some nights she'd wind down with a glass of wine and an adult film--succumb to her powerful vibe she'd always pack in her suitcase.
Even though at times she felt a bit guilty, as if somehow she was being disloyal to her soul mate, the vibes hum soon soothed her and made her emotional pain forgettable.
Enough times of doing this, she became convinced if Rouge was watching her, he would not condemn it but would instead be cheering her, wanting her to reach the ultimate goal--one hell of a mind blowing climax, while she muttered to no one particular, "Touch my junk, touch my junk, oh yeah!"
****************
To Be Continued: Don't Touch My Junk: Part 3
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Submitted by:
Madison
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