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"I'm her mother for goodness sake. You'd think I wasn't a welcome intrusion."
"You're always welcome; Mrs. O'Sullivan, but you know Kelsey. She left strict orders about being interrupted. She's working on the McGregor account today and you know how important that is to the merger. I'd be happy to give her any message you care to leave, though," Jackson glanced at Kelsey again with a knowing smile.
"Now I know why Kelsey hired you, Jackson. You are the best at fending calls I've ever run across in all my years. And believe me, I've run across a few. I only wished I'd found you first. Well, you're practically one of the family anyway, so just tell her that Taylor Huntington was over the other day and she is invited to his yacht party on Friday. I think he's about to pop the question. And I do so want her to make a good impression."
Knowing Kelsey as well as he did, Jackson didn't hesitate to refuse the party for her. "I'm afraid she won't be able to make it, Mrs. O'Sullivan. Her calendar indicates she has a prior engagement."
"Prior engagement? Whatever are you talking about Jackson? Kelsey hasn't dated in months." Her mother insisted adamantly. "Are you trying to throw me off again?"
"Not at all. Kelsey has a date with a Mr. Nicholas Leonetti," Jackson replied reading the name from the file in his hand. He glanced up at Kelsey's smiling face.
"Leonetti? Nonsense! I don't know a Leonetti, do I?" Her mother asked sounding somewhat confused by this news. "Is he in plastics, Jackson?"
Even the older Ms. O'Sullivan tended to lean on Jackson's thorough knowledge of things out of her realm.
He glanced at the file and checked Nick's application quickly. "No ma'am. I think Mr. Leonetti is in concrete."
Concrete? How clever, Kelsey marveled.
A slight exaggeration on Jackson's part, but she found it amusing. She put her hand over her mouth to keep from giggling aloud.
"Concrete? Did you say concrete, Jackson? How odd. I see. My little girl has been busy, hasn't she? Concrete? I know almost every conglomerate this side of the Red River. Probably one of those new tycoons. Tell Kelsey to call me when she has a spare moment from all those board meetings, will you? I'd like to hear more about this man in concrete."
As he hung up, Kelsey let out a roar of approval. "Oh Jackson, what would I ever do without you? And just how did you come up with concrete?"
"It struck me that a man with that many jobs, had busted more than his share of concrete to get them." Jackson looked smug.
"Now that I don't have to concentrate on getting out of that stupid yacht party, I can start working on convincing Nick. You know, Jackson, I may need guidance with this man. He really is out of my realm. I've come to realize in a very short amount of time that the poor have a lot of foolish pride."
"Are you comfortable being out of your realm?" Jackson probed, worry still lacing his voice.
Kelsey sank into her chair feeling surprisingly light hearted. "Oddly enough, I'm very comfortable with him. So comfortable, I'm a little frightened by it. I know we're from entirely different cultures and backgrounds. And yet, we seem to meet on some neutral territory. I've never been one to class people Jackson, you know that, but I'm afraid I have to be careful with this particular problem. I can't be sure of course, but I think Nick wears his principles on his sleeve."
Jackson studied her a long time, his expression thoughtful. "Then it's our job to make him compromise those principles. It can be done, but are you sure you want to be the one to do it?"
"What choice do I have? Since I believe he's perfect for the job."
Jackson looked thoughtful. "If you think so, then. I like this man, education or not. What we must do then, is make him realize that sacrifices have to be made to sometimes accomplish the impossible."
"What are you saying?"
"Samson was tempted."
"By love, Jackson, not money."
"Hmm, but temptation is still temptation, no matter what resources you use." Jackson smiled, his eyes calculating.
~~~
"And all I thought I was getting into was a job," Nick remarked as he pulled the old battery from the '59 Ford and set it on the counter. "This battery must have been put in by the factory. I don't even recognize the brand."
"Hey, I've heard of those sperm bank places. Like a regular baby-making factory. If she's paying you to go, why not?" Rodney Newsome joined into the conversation, brushing a strand of long hair from his face and pushing it over his bald spot. "It's not like you'd be havin' sex with her. Not personal or anything. It's all sort of scientific. Nothing to it. Got a brother-in-law that went to one of those places and that's how they finally had a kid."
Jimmy, the younger mechanic peeked his head out from under the Ford's hood, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Doesn't sound like as much fun as sex? I mean it's no big deal, why not? This is the nineties, Nick. And she's willing to pay you for it, too. Sounds like a good deal to me."
"Call me old fashioned, but it's not the way a kid should get started in this world." Nick protested.
"Ya gotta go with the times, Nick. It's a new world today. Things are just done different. Maybe you're making too much of it. It's not like it would really be your kid, you just sort of donated parts, so to speak," Rodney added.
