Synopsis: Peter was invited to dinner at Mr. Bose's home, where he was seduced by Bose and his "trophy" wife. Remember, Peter still does not know how Sarah earns her "extra" money.
Part III -- Our Story
Chapter Ten
Frankly, I was very embarrassed the next morning when Ian and I met in Mr. Bose's office. I could scarcely bring myself to look Mr. Bose in the face after the events of the previous evening, although I saw nothing in his demeanor to suggest that anything out of the ordinary had occurred.
I remember wondering if the man was made of stone, but then realizing that a person equipped emotionally for a full partnership in a dynamic factoring firm like Bose, Rothchild had to have a certain amount of ice water in his veins.
The morning seemed to drag on and on. I was watching the clock on the wall, urging the hands to move more quickly so I'd be able to meet my noon appointment to call Sarah and confirm our date for that evening.
I'm afraid that with the memory of Roscoe's warm mouth on my straining cock, and my eager anticipation of the evening to come with Sarah, I wasn't entirely focused on the direction the conversation was taking. Indeed, Ian had to repeat himself twice before his question sank in. "What's your estimate of the distance we'd have to lay track from the mine to the nearest railroad trunk line?"
I knew that we were some 20 miles from the nearest train station, but that was by a rather circuitous road. I could only guess. "It would depend on the route your engineers chose, but my guess is that it would be between 15 and 18 miles."
Ian had several additional questions of a general nature. I tried to be careful with my answers; I didn't want to make the project sound too difficult or too expensive; yet at the same time, neither did I want to construct a verbal house of cards that would collapse at the first disappointment his principals encountered. Therefore, I answered his questions slowly and deliberately.
Time seemed to speed up, and I was surprised when Mr. Bose stood. "Well, gentlemen, I think it's about time we broke for lunch. I can highly recommend Murphy's across the street. Suppose we meet back here at, say, two o'clock.
Ian and I knew we had been dismissed, so we took the elevator downstairs, and made our way across the street. The regular noon hour rush was largely over, so we were readily seated. I excused myself and made my way to the bank of telephones I had seen in the restaurant's vestibule while Ian went to the men's room.
Cursing my trembling finger and the cold weight that settled in my stomach the moment I lifted the received from its hook, I dialed Sarah's number, praying she hadn't given up on me.
"Hello?"
"Uh, is this Sarah?"
"Is that you, Pete?"
At least she recognized my voice. Feeling better, I asked, "Are we on for tonight?"
"I'm so sorry, Pete, but the prior engagement I told you about yesterday has materialized. But I'm open tomorrow, dear. I hope you're not too disappointed. I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow. Is that OK?"
What choice did I have? "I'm disappointed, all right," I said, "Because I'll be catching the train tomorrow back to Ft. Resolution."
"Oh, Pete, now I'm the one who's disappointed! I'm so sorry. But there's always a next time. . ."
I made no effort to conceal my disappointment. "I guess so," I said despondently. "Whenever that is . . ."
"Please, Pete, don't make it any worse than it already is. We'll get together next time . . .I promise!"
Slightly cheered by the strength and conviction in her voice, I said, "I'll be counting the days."
"So will I, sweetheart."
We hung up and I made my doleful way back to our table where Ian was waiting for me. "Why the long face, cobber?" he asked.
I told him I had thought I had a date lined up for the evening, but that it had fallen through. He shook his head, commiserating with me. "Ah, women," he said philosophically, "We can't live with them, and we can't live without 'em!"
Ian proved to be just the medicine I needed. He had a rich repertoire of stories about joeys and wallabys and great white sharks and the people who live in Australia -- Austrilia was the way he pronounced it -- so by the time we had to leave for our appointment with Mr. Bose, we had become good friends.
Just as we were walking through the restaurant vestibule, he stopped and put a hand on my arm. "I just had a great idea," he said. "Why don't I call my date and see if she has a friend?"