The chairman called the committee meeting to order and got right to the first order of business, the vote on the Organic Farming proclamation. He started on his right, going around the table. "Yea, yea..."
Bruce hadn't thought about the vote since last night.
What did I promise Kathy? I think I said I'd vote for it.
His inclination was to vote against it; he only had a few more seconds to decide.
He glanced at Kathy. A slight smile was on her face as she looked away before forming her lips in slight circle. Then she looked back at him, her mouth opened a bit more before closing.
"Yea."
It passed unanimously. The rest of the meeting, the last before the two-week fall recess, was taken up debating the allowable chemical residue in the water supply.
As the meeting broke up Kathy got Bruce aside and said, "I want to pack before dinner; I'll meet you at the restaurant as six."
"Okay."
* * *
Bruce got to the restaurant early; he needed at drink. It was the same David-Goliath scenario on the water issue. A majority of the committee members were in favor of tightening the allowable limits beyond reason. None of them seemed to comprehend the prohibitive costs of trying to eliminate any residue. There would be a hearing on the issue after they returned from the break. He was not looking forward to it.
He was on his second Margarita when Kathy walked in. He stood and gave her a quick hug. "Good timing, our table should be ready in a few minutes, you want something to drink?"
"No," she said, " I'll wait until we sit down. I just want a glass of wine anyway."
They called Bruce's name. "Wow, that was perfect timing," she exclaimed.
After ordering appetizers and wine, he said, "You know, I'm really frustrated with what goes on in that committee. I question the motives of some of these so-called environmentalists."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well, I didn't really tell you much about my background as an environmentalist. I've always leaned toward that side. Hell, I belonged to several national environmental groups while I was the chairman of the Indiana Senate environmental committee. We always solicited input from all sides when there was an issue. We worked out solutions that were satisfactory to everyone. I don't see that here."
She thought for a moment before she said, "I think it's easier to work together at the local level than it is to work at the national level. Nationwide, business leaders want a laissez-faire situation. They don't want environmental controls. We have to counter that."
He chuckled, "Laissez-faire? Wow, I didn't know Mississippi colleges taught that concept."
The conversation turned to Ole Miss and southern traditions until the meal was served. Then talk turned to what each of them had planned for two-week break.
After eating, Kathy got up to leave. "I've got to something to do. I'll meet you back at your apartment."
* * *
He had just come out of the shower when he heard her open the front door. Wrapping a towel around himself, he went into the living room to greet her. She had an oversized case in her hand. "What's that?"
"Well, it's a surprise. You just sit there and watch television. I'll call you when it's ready."
"Like this," he said, indicating the obvious, he was only wearing a towel.
She smiled coyly. "Actually, you're overdressed."
After getting her shower and putting on a light green babydoll tied at the breasts and a pair of boy short panties she walked into the living room. "C'mon, Sweetie, I'm ready."
"But, you said—it was that time of the month."
She smiled at him coyly. "Just come in here—now."
He walked into the bedroom and stopped, looking puzzled.
She patted the tabletop, "Lie down here, on your stomach, without the towel."
He smiled. "Ah, it's a portable massage table."
"Yeah, I borrowed this from my roommate. When I got to the restaurant, I realized you needed a little something special tonight. I went back and got this."
"Well, I've never had a massage. If I like it do I get more?"
She ignored his question and poured some massage oil in her palm and said, "I've never given anyone a massage before. I've had several, let's see if I learned anything."
She stood in front of him and started on his shoulders, duplicating the deep muscle massages she'd gotten from her roommate. Finding a knot, she applied pressure and felt it release. "Hah! I did it."
"Hey, that hurt."
"These deep muscle massages are supposed to get rid of those knots. It's the only kind of massage I know. Do you want me to leave them alone?"
"No, it didn't hurt that bad."
As she moved her hands down his back, her stomach touched his head. "Umm," he said, "I feel bare skin."
She felt his hands on the back of her thighs, his fingers slowly moving upward towards her crotch.
