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- 11/16/2021
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Timothy - 22. Chapter 22
We spent the rest of the weekend shopping. We not only needed food but new clothing as well. Business clothing that Stephan said we would need. It was fun, but our savings took a hit.
I converted the small bedroom into my office. Stephen insisted that I have an office since I might be doing some work for Dad. He didn’t have to twist my arm too much. Gramps had all of the utilities in our name, so we didn’t need to deal with that.
Monday morning, my first day on the job, we walked to the office building. Entering the building, we were met by the receptionist. She was an older woman neatly dressed in a woman’s suit.
“Hello, Stephen. I understand you will be working here full time now.”
“Hello, Mrs. Garfield. Yes, I’ll be full-time now. Mrs. Garfield, this is my husband Timothy Watkins, who will be working in our legal department.”
“Stephen, you know it is wrong for a man to marry another man. God made woman and man for each other.”
“I’m sorry you feel like that, Mrs. Garfield. I believe God made us with the same love he made you. My marriage to Timothy was blessed in a church with God’s understanding. I never expected you to be God’s representative passing out blessings and condemnations. Come on, Tim, we will take the elevator up to Gramp’s office, and from now on, we will use the back door since Mrs. Garfield thinks it is a sin for two people who love each other to be married in the eyes of God.”
Without another word, we took the elevator to the top floor.
Walking into Gramp’s office, he hugged us both. Then with an arm around my shoulder and holding Stephen’s hand, we got the grand tour.
Now I understood where Stephen’s interests in computers came from. Gramps’s business was manufacturing circuit boards, not only for computers but for any system that required a board to mechanically and electrically connect to electronic components. This was Stephen’s world, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he owned this company sometime in the future.
We ended the tour in the legal department. I met my supervisor, and we discussed my university, law board, and what was expected of me. He introduced me to the lawyer that was going to retire, who created the position for me. I was hyped to get started.
Stephen came to get me for lunch. I didn’t see him behind me, and I jumped when he kissed me on my head. He laughed.
“There are two cafeterias here. They both serve the same food. One is for business guests, and the other is for everyone. When I was here in the summer, everyone ate in the main cafeteria. Today, we will eat in the business dining room. Gramp wants to introduce you to the senior staff. Tomorrow we will eat in the main cafeteria.”
I was a little apprehensive about being the new kid on the block. Gramps made sure I was at ease, he had Stephen on one side, and I sat on the other side. When everyone who was invited where seated, he remarked that Stephen would be working full time now that he had his master’s degree.
“I publicly want to thank Stephen for bringing a lawyer who majored in corporate law to replace Andrew, who will be retiring soon. Andrew, how many weeks before your big day?”
“Six weeks and one day, but who is counting.” Every ore chuckled at that.
‘Well, Andrew, let’s see if you can get this young man up and running. If you do that before your retirement day, I’ll pay you for the time you would have worked until your retirement day. Now, I would like to present Andrew’s replacement. When Stephen told me about this young man, I had to meet him. This is Timothy Watkins. He has a law degree from Stephen’s university and has passed the law boards in the top 10 percentile. Additionally, he is married to my grandson. If you want to accuse me of nepotism, I’m okay with that.”
Gramps sat down. Stephen stood up. "If the fact that I have married a man bothers you, I’m sorry. I have had one run-in with someone who finds marriage between two men terrible and a grave sin. I ask that you respect my personal life as I respect yours. Timothy and I are here to work. We will not push our views on anyone and would appreciate you not pushing your views and opinions on us. Thanks, Granddad.”
That was it. No comments. Lunch was served, and if they served the same food in the cafeteria, Gramps provided his employees with an excellent lunch.
The rest of the afternoon, I worked with Andrew. By the end of the day, I had a briefcase full of reports, a history of claims against the company, and copies of patents. Walking out of the office, I was met by Stephen, “Come, I’ll introduce you to Jess.”
To get to security, we had to walk up a flight of stairs from the top floor. After we announced ourselves, a door was opened, which allowed us to enter. The room reminded me of a watchtower at an airport. Only in place of windows were computer screens. Stephen was home, as he pointed out each screen and particularly those he worked on. I watched, and you could see cars passing in front of the building. “This is the screen Jess was watching when our pick-up friends stopped to say hello.
“Stephen, what happened to those guys?”
“From what Abe told me, their parents were contacted, and the father of the driver told him he was taking the pick-up from him. That’s all I know.”
When we left, we could hear Jess laughing. I looked at Stephen quizzically, “Jess is probably looking at the copy of the recording when they stopped us.”
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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