Gary the Obscure

Karl and Gary were shown a map of the hospital's catchment area and Karl named the main newspapers and the three TV channels that covered that area.

The convener named two other TV stations and Karl said that both only partially covered that catchment area and so represented poor coverage for the amount spent in buying time on those two channels.

"This is excellent information Karl. We thought it best to engage your company because of its resources including experience and expertise. What do you do Gary?"

"I'm a computer graphics designer. My role will be to design the TV promotion and the static version for newspaper ads and mail-outs to targeted possible benefactors."

"But won't it simply be called 'Bayfield Children's Hospital Emergency Department's Refurbishment Funding Public Appeal'.

"With respect Dr Oakland, that would be a gigantic viewer turn-off. We aim to do much better than that, to lodge the appeal in the minds of viewers so that ultimately they react positively to the appeal."

"Are you saying it's a multi-stage progress to get donors to react?"

"You've got it."

"Well I never. And how will go about this?"

"Inspect the target facility, listen to your upgrade planning detail, and get some idea of what goes on in your ED room. That kind of stuff."

"That kind of stuff? Well I never."

"Trust me Dr Oakland. I'll make the campaign work for you. Your sign-off will be required on everything we plan."

"Well that makes me feel a whole lot more confident young man."

"Gary if I may call you that?"

"Sure Dr Mellows (the ED medical chief)."

"Call me Caroline. I believe you created that outstanding adorable puppy for Draper Bites."

"Yes ma'am."

"Caroline," she said. "I'll be working closely with you guys."

"Yes Caroline," Gary said seductively and she eyed him.

She shook her head and asked, "What do you have in mind for us?"

Gary scratched his armpit and said, "I'm thinking Miss Polly."

Dr Oakland frowned but Caroline smiled and said, "Omigod a sick dolly?"

"My thinking is a doll with a broken leg because the cast is immediately recognizable."

"Omigod yes!"

Dr Mellows sounded as if she were having a late-life orgasm. Gary liked the sound of that but also was aware he had an influential member of the panel siding his way.

When Karl was driving them back to the office he said, "Why did you focus on Dr Mellows?"

"This campaign is all about the patient and working conditions she wants for her facility. She's the lynch pin on that panel."

Karl nodded thoughtfully and said he would have focused on Dr Oakland, the convener.

"But I accept you went for the best target. God did you hear her when you made that dolly suggestion. I thought grey-headed Dr Mellows was having in orgasm.

They laughed and then Karl said, "You know what buddy? I thought you were too young and inexperienced to be working for us. But now I feel very positive about you."

"Thanks Karl. You weld our team together tightly on this and we'll make this project a real goer and will raise $14 million."

"Hey hold up there. First we need to pitch our concepts to them."

Gary spent the best part of a day scouring toy stores and then he found Polly, actually a nameless mop-hair blue rag doll with white buttons for eyes and a mouth curved to make her look smiley. The store had three of them and he purchased them all, the other two as spares in case of mishaps.

He was emerging as the project group's ideas man and when he suggested the static ad team find 'an angelic-faced doctor' at the hospital whose face could be incorporated into ads, that team's art designer went to the hospital with a photographer and returned with photos of eight female doctors and was asked why were all were females. The photographer told Karl male doctors don't have angelic faces.

Gary was at a team meeting and looked at the face of the chosen doctor on the screen and his mouth fell open. He knew he was looking at the unmistakable face of his former high school sweetheart, Madison Anderson. He realized he was shaking in excitement but said nothing about recognizing the angelic-faced doctor.

"In what department does she work?" he asked mildly.

"Well as it happens, ED at present. She's training as a pediatric surgeon."

After the meeting Gary went to the hospital and found Dr Mellows.

"Hi Caroline, I believe I know the doctor whose face will help front the campaign."

"You do Gary? Or are you just here to try to date one of my pretty doctors?"

She smiled and paged Dr Anderson.

"How have you found Miss Molly?"

"Yes," Gary said, handing Caroline the doll. "Could you have her right leg placed in an appropriate splint?"

"Oh isn't she such a wee darling. I love her already."

"Caroline aren't you too old to be playing with dolls?" said a woman in a white coat, her voice sounding honeyed.

Madison glanced at Gary and smiled and looked back again and cried, "Omigod, Gary...Gary Gunn."

She ran and kissed and hugged the happy Gary.

Caroline, smiling and carrying the doll, said she was off to the splint-making department.

And not long after that Gary was left in despair. Over lunch with Madison at one of the hospital's cafes, he and Madison caught up with what they had been doing and what had happened to them during the past almost nine years since they'd last met.

"Did you marry?" he asked and was pleased she said no.

"But I have been living with a colleague for two years and we are trying to start a family," she said.

Gary's fists tightened and he tried to remain calm.

"Good for you, I hope it works out," he said, adding he had to go.

"Goodbye Gary, I guess we'll see each other some more up to the launch of the fund-raising campaign.

"Yeah. Look if it doesn't work out with this guy will you try to find me?"

"Well yes I could do that if the situation arose.""

"Do you promise?"

She looked at him as if wondering why he was so insistent and then saw the look in his eyes before the blinds rolled down.

She looked shocked and he waved goodbye.

Gary saw the guy with guy at the fund-raising launch and knew instantly the guy was totally unsuitable for Madison who smiled at him but kept her distance. Gary was with their senior copy-writer who dated him frequently and her husband didn't appear to mind. She couldn't get enough sex from Gary and that evening wore a dress that had half of her tits protruding. Perhaps that gave Madison the message to stay clear?

Gary was lubing Veronica's anus that evening after they'd parked under trees by the city lake when her husband and another guy pulled him out of the vehicle. They beat him up severely.

After a couple of days bed rest, Gary was sufficiently mobile to return to the office and managed to keep the assault a secret., claiming he'd been knocked down by a cyclist. After that he and Veronica met to fuck only on Sunday mornings when her husband was at golf.

The use of 'Polly Dolly' with her leg in a white plaster cast proved to be a winner from the first time the ad appeared on TV. Kids called the TV stations requesting a photo of Polly Dolly and even asked how was she progressing.

A newspaper published photographs of Polly Dollies kids had drawn and sent in and began publishing a daily bulletin on Polly Dolly's progress.

A few parents and their children even arrived at Bayfield's Children's Hospital asking if they could visit Polly Dolly.

A newspaper front page photo of the mayor and his wife lodging a $5000 donation to the appeal on behalf of their married daughter Polly who'd twice been admitted to the hospital with severe asthma as a child, really started donations flowing in and the city's daily newspaper began publishing a list of the latest donors of $250 or more. Then as company board meetings were held the big corporate donations began trickling in for the Polly Doll Hospital Appeal and a photograph of the handover of donations of $50,000 plus on page three of the newspaper was guaranteed by the managing-editor of the newspaper who was chairman of the hospital's governing body.

A large number of community organizations held fund-raising activities and then national organizations such as pharmaceutical companies and bed linen suppliers and blood lab test companies added their checks to the inflow of donations.

The appeal closed after three months with donations totaling $6,645,155.50, not far off the $7 million target that everyone at the time of initial planning had thought was unattainable.

Madison Anderson and partner Peter were watching News at 6:00 on TV that evening when the appeal total was announced.

"Jesus that's a lot of money for a straight public appeal with no big entertainment and fanfare surrounding it," Peter said. "It must have been the result of the use of your beautiful face."

"Thank you Peter," Madison smiled across at him.

Then the item switched to the chairman of the Bayfield Children's Hospital Board of Trustees Mrs Eileen Swartz presenting the CEO of J Winchell-Marks, Doug Brown, with the hospital's Bronze Plaque awarded to companies performing paid or voluntary outstanding service to Bayfield Children's Hospital.

Mrs Swartz said, "It was our intention to award our Silver Medallion of Merit to the enterprising young advertising designer from J Winchell-Marks who created Polly Dolly who, with her right leg in plaster, became the centerpiece of our wonderfully successful fundraising campaign. But Mr Gary Gunn, who's resigned and left the advertising company today, told us the award should go to Polly Dolly who appeared to almost take on a life herself in helping to drive this campaign forward and he also emphasized many other people were involved. We have decided to accept Mr Gunn's suggestion. A display cabinet will be placed on the end wall of the lobby entrance to our hospital with a small inscription about Polly Dolly, who will be encased in that cabinet and who will wear this silver medallion around her neck."

"Gee I can imagine many guys turning down a merit award and giving it to a doll," Peter said.

Hiding her tears Madison said, "I guess he's a special kind of guy. I met him at the start of campaign planning but never got the chance to really get to know him."

Madison felt so sad and thought, if only...

Gary who'd only been with Winchell-Marks for eight months but decided to resign because he declined a transfer into corporate advertising because he didn't think he was ready for that at his young age. He was told to transfer or face the consequences. So he'd resigned and refused a salary increase offer if he would withdraw his resignation.

He went home to visit his parents and while there while trawling the web found a position that appeared just right for him apart from the fact he'd not had five years' experience. Chapman Bevan Voigt, known as CBV Advertising was seeking a senior motion graphics designer, salary $100K to $130K. The agency ad stated the company was seeking to fill the position urgently. He applied and flew to Weymouth City on request two days later.

A day after he'd returned home, Annie and Gary were discussing options to go away for a few days hiking and perhaps kayaking somewhere in the woods when he took the call.

"Gary it's Tina Wilson. The job is yours, you are short on experience but we will pay you $110K and would like you to start work here the day after tomorrow."

"Thanks Tina, I accept and will see you Thursday."

"Fine, I've already emailed your electronic flight ticket."

"So it's goodbye again, so soon," Annie grumped.

"Yes but come and see me soon and bring dad and stay a few nights."

CHAPTER 4

Tina was director of HR, a divorcee, aged a bit over thirty with juicy breasts, or at least good looking breasts. Gary was very interested and wondered if she had her eye on him. After the interview she'd taken him for lunch which surprised him because he wasn't seeking a top level senior job.

He found Tina waiting for him at the Weymouth Airport.

"Hi, this is a nice surprise."

She ignored that.

"You are what I've been looking for. You'll need accommodation and I have quite a large apartment. I'd be happy for you to live with me for a year, or cutting that shorter if we fall out. By then the hurt of my collapsed marriage should have worn off and I'll begin looking for a rich husband. It won't affect your job if you say no."

"Does the arrangement include sex?"

"Yes total intimacy and you pay half the share of running the apartment including food."

"Are you good at sex?"

She squirmed and looked away and said she believed so.

"Well that's a package I'd be a fool to refuse. I accept. Kiss me Tina, kiss me properly."

The kiss was great and Gary felt his dick beginning to harden and guessed by the look on her face as she pulled away she must have felt it as well.

She got out of the cab at the office and, handing him a card-key and code to turn off the alarm in the apartment, whispered, "I have a meeting in thirty minutes but I'll be home about 1:00 for some robust sex. I'm hanging out for it."

Gary wore just a black robe when Tina arrived home. She immediately pulled the tie open and grabbed his dick while Gary began undressing her.

He was disappointed to find her breast size had been bolstered by breast enhancement but perhaps it was unreasonable to expect perfection. He thought perhaps Tina was disappointed to find he was well short of ten inches.

They fell on to the sofa and she then went on to her knees and licked his dick and said she didn't need a condom and he said neither did she. She then slid her mouth over his dick right down to his balls.

Jesus.

He worried there had to be a catch about this. Perhaps when hungry she turned into a shrew? Or would request he slept in the second bedroom and was never to awake her during the night for a fuck or delayed her in the morning by wanting to screw her when he knew she would be anxious to get to the office to deal with the latest dramas.

Within a few days he found she was willing to have sex whenever he wanted it within reason but she preferred him up her butt only on weekend mornings. Gradually he stopped thinking of her tits being like added bags and regretting women disfigured themselves like that; it was their body, their choice. In remorse he said to her did she regret he didn't have a 10-inch dick. She'd spluttered 'god no' and from that point he no longer thought negatively about them as a fucking couple.

Tina was good to live with. She was lively and interested in everything about her, including him and Gary's work. And she would come out and say little things like, "I really love having you living with me" and "I feel so happy when you are fucking me."

Gary thought it was so close to perfection he must be dreaming. But it was real and she'd not ask him to do anything about the place but he insisted in helping out and they soon settled into a regime of his and her jobs.

A couple of days after moving in with Tina, Gary called Bayfield Children's Hospital and asked for Dr Madison Anderson's postal address and was given the hospital's address.

Well okay, the letter would still reach her. He posted off a letter in handwriting expressing his pleasure at having crossed-paths at last with Madison and was delighted she was working to build her career and appeared happy with her domestic situation.

'We must keep in touch occasionally,' he wrote. He chose the next word carefully, 'Domestically if you were to become free I would like to catch up.'

He thought that was pretty soft, although suggestive of his interest in resuming a relationship with her. He finished by stating he would be moving around a bit building his career and staying in touch would be the sensible thing to do."

Madison replied and stated how lovely it had been meeting him again, albeit ever so briefly, and she explained her career path and said how it was going and ended by saying it was a good idea to correspond from time to time. Beneath her signature Gary saw four X's representing four kisses. Earlier he'd noticed she began the letter, 'My Dearest Gary'.

He sighed and became aware his heart-beat had picked up pace.

"My dearest Madison," he murmured and did not feel he was being disloyal to Tina. From the outset she'd made it plain she wanted him for his company and for sex. They rarely saw each other at the office because she was largely deskbound or attending meetings.

After two weeks in the new job as senior motion graphics designer, Gary felt confident working in this new environment for a much larger agency and with more extensive demands being placed on him. He acknowledged to himself his university had trained him well. He'd already demonstrated to the satisfaction of his department head Glenda Chambers with the production of output that he had the required proficiency in After Effects, strong knowledge of 3D program (Maya, Cinema 4D) and knowledge of Final Cut Pro. He found rendering and file output a breeze and at meetings he quietly made his contributions, showing well-developed conceptual skills and was a strong presenter.

He'd been placed in retail advertising, the department he'd expressed primary interest in at the initial recruitment interview and he'd repeated that preference later that day after being short-listed, completely unaware that was where the agency wished to place the incoming motion designer.

Gary, now twenty-seven, and Tina who admitted to being thirty-three, made no secret of the fact they were living together but neither did they broadcast it. By the time they were seen having dinner together one night and that spotting filtered around the company's departments, nothing was made of it because the new guy was already building a reputation of being 'hot property' and Tina would have come into contact with him in the recruitment process. No one appeared surprised at the next cocktail party for valued clients when Gary and Tina arrived at the function together, remained close to each other for much of the function and then departed together.

"Everyone at the office will now know we are fucking," Gary sighed, sitting on the bed to remove his shoes and socks.

"I guess so," Tina said. "Perhaps the rumors will stop."

"Rumors?" Gary said in surprise because he'd heard none about Tina and himself.

"That I was supposed to be having an affair with a toy boy."

"Toy boy you our age difference..."

"I know but that's the nature of rumors."

Tina eyed him and said, "You may have had too much to drink to keep it up tonight."

"I'm never likely to go flat screwing my old lady boasts the toy boy."

"Gary," Tina said sharply. "Any more of that crap and you can sleep in the spare room."

Oh shite, he thought. He'd forgotten women can be age-sensitive."

"Everything about you screams of a super attractive young woman."

"Oooh, you can have anything you wish," she purred, indicating they were back on even keel.

Eight months on, Gary received a letter from Madison. She wondered how he was getting on, mentioned some of the things she'd been doing and then got to the point:

'Peter and I have split. His mom wanted him living back close to them and I didn't want to live in that hole of a city. His mom won. I am interested in taking up with you again with this one condition: I must stay here to finish my training.'

There were eight symbolized kisses under her signature.

Gary called the CEO at J Winchell-Marks who called back two hours later.

"Hi Doug, say no and I'll understand. I'm calling to ask for a job. My old girlfriend who's a doctor at Bayfield Children's has become available again and wishes to reconnect."

"I see. What have you been doing since you virtually walked out on us?"