Gloria's Second Wedding Ch. 07

Tony said Gloria was napping so called his parents.

"Hi mom. I emailed on Tuesday I won the mayoralty race. I've have just been sworn in by Judge Manning.

"Oh my darling boy. We always knew you'd be successful and get where you wanted to be. And how is Eric?"

"He was in fine form and looks healthy. I forget to ask him about Mrs Manning."

"Perhaps it was just as well you didn't," his mom sighed, adding that Moira Manning had been killed in a road accident at least six years ago.

"Oh."

"Are you sure you have what it takes to be a mayor darling? God heaven help the city with you in charge of water and sewerage and the police and fire departments."

"It will be fine mom, believe me."

"And is Gloria beside herself in excitement, preparing for the wedding?"

"I don't think so. I've been keeping her busy and tomorrow she has the big open day at work. We are all pitching in to help her."

His mom sighed. "Oh how cruel Charles. She'll have a thousand and one things to do and will want you out of the way."

"Really?"

"Yes really Charles."

Buck was left wondering what on earth would Gloria have to do? He'd purchased a new suit, new sock, new shoes and a new shirt and belt a week ago. He had nothing more to do. He and Gloria had decided not to become involved in pre-wedding parties so he only just had the wedding ahead of him, plus work at City Hall and work at the dealership.

Buck new he'd only get in Gloria's way if he hung about two much and decided to go off soon after noon and Wednesday fishing and return on Thursday. He called Gloria and she thought that would be a great idea and would give her breathing space (whatever that meant). He then told her to keep away from the dealership on Sunday, that he would supervise the cleanup after the hosting on the open day and she could do whatever she wished to do on Sunday.

"Oh you are such a darling boy. Take Jessie with you on your overnight fishing trip. I won't mind."

"Jessie?"

"Yes you must see how she often looks at you."

"Jesus Gloria Brett would kill me and Jessie would end our beautiful friendship the day after."

"Have you not thought of Jessie in that way?"

"No," Buck lied.

"But she has magnificent tits."

"No I said."

"Gee Buck you must be getting old."

Buck ended that call almost reeling. God it sound like Gloria was open to him having a bit on the side.

During the next two hours Buck thought about that conversation on and off and finally he called Rosemary Dell wondering if she'd tell him to go and get lost.

"Oh hi Buck," she said. "How's that dick of yours?"

She was such a slut and he was too, he grinned, as the call ended.

Rosemary called Buck to confirm it was all on and she sounded so happy. That made him think perhaps her relationship with her guy had some problems. Perhaps the guy didn't really like women who came on strongly? As for himself, they were the only women for him.

Open day was a fantastic success. Initially Buck thought people were arriving just to say hi to the new mayor but demos turned into sales or orders for folk wanting a vehicle to their specifications and his people were practically run off their feet. All sorts of people turned up including two look alike women who whispered to him they had big breasts and of course he delighted them when he ginned and said so he'd noticed and poured them coffee or sodas and offered fresh-cooked barbecued food. They even sold seventeen vehicles off the pre-owned lot, several to late teenagers, compared with the usual spring Saturday off-load of ten or eleven vehicles.

Buck was delighted and even more so when he and Stan Grayson had a chinwag towards the end of the day and Stan said gravely, "We are more or less in the crap. A huge hole has been bitten out of our inventory. Oh Gloria's pre-owned car has gone at least and we received five offers on the 200 convertible she drives and ended with eight orders for a convertible but no doubt some orders will fall over."

At the end of the day when Stan and Buck were having a beer Stan said, "Buck that girl has more to her and sexy hair and a big bra."

"What girl?" Buck said gravely.

"Er Gloria."

"Oh yeah."

"If you want my advice this business is not big enough for both of you and me. Perhaps I best move out."

"Nah it's good listening to your thoughts Stan. Let's have a little change around here. You take the title of chairman and make her managing-director."

"But what about you?"

"Well I already have a morning job with some night work. I think I'll spend my afternoon with one of the council accountants going through all of the suggest, planned, costed and then deferred projects over the past eight years and trace where the money is for those projects that were deferred. And when that work is done I will use that same cost-accountant to examine all the requisitions for changes to council departments and accommodation over the past ten years and trace what has been accomplished and what needs remain and then we'll look at a global approach of altering the current building to meet current accommodation needs and to be flexible enough to meet future needs in the face of developments in computerization and greater miniaturization of work processes etc, etc. We may have to bring in specialist consultants."

"And who will pay for that?"

"I'll take a full salary and the cost accountant will be paid extra to pull his finger out to get more of his regular work done in the morning."

"Well I see merit in what you say. Study the problems carefully my good man."

Buck went to City Hall and pulled the Director of Finance out of observing progress in a training meeting of his executives to made his request.

"I apologize for pulling you out of that meeting Amy."

"It's fine. You are the mayor and everyone heard Mary call that the mayor wanted me."

"That must have raised a laughed."

Amy smiled and said it had been rather embarrassing, that people these days had sex on their minds.

Buck explained what he wanted and why he wanted a trusted cost-accounted to work alongside him. Buck thought his PA would be competent enough to dig out the files they wanted and to search the paper trails.

"I have a brilliant person for you, a cost accountant who has asked me for more exciting or at least more meaningful work.

"Oh good, could we talk to him now."

Army began walking off and so Buck went with her.

"Hannah, this is Mayor Buxton."

Ah yes. Hannah was a young married woman and was um, beautifully stacked. Buck felt his ears redden thinking both women probably knew of his addiction.

"Every afternoon you say?"

"Yes Monday to Fridays baring emergencies and no other work-related phone calls and that goes for both of us."

"From noon."

"For 12:30 and my PA will provide us with lunch that we can eat while we plant, strategize and move on from there."

"You have an MBA don't you that includes an extension into public administration?"

"Yes Hannah."

"Then yes Mayor Buxton. I'd be delighted to work on this special project with you. It could easily take at least six months."

"That was my thinking too. Um I didn't ask for you Hannah and the truth is I was expected to be teamed with a guy, you know working in our shirt-sleeves kind of stuff."

"I know. I guessed something was up when I say Amy's sly smile as you guys arrived. You'd be unaware I have been pestering her for some more exciting and more satisfying work."

"Well thanks for taking on the task with me Hannah. Please call me Buck. We will target at finishing at 5:00 each afternoon."

"Fine I have a wee daughter to collect from my mother's care and dinner to get. Paul will be delighted I have this opportunity. He claims I've become bitchy because I've become bored in my work. Paul is an employment consultant."

Last to Come