Candy, Judy, Celine and Lisa

"She's a real star; she's ready."

"Great! Keep an eye on her for me, will you Blaire?"

"You bet, chief."

Another six months went by. The HQ move to the small college town in Kentucky went of without a hitch and slightly ahead of schedule. He bought a small farm and took up residence in the old farm house. It was fifteen minutes to his new office. He had thoughts of building a more permanent residence on the property.

For all practical purposes, he had become almost celibate. He started seeing a shrink to deal with his obvious problems with sexual addiction. He became less angry about love lost and less sexually misogynistic. Over the first year in Kentucky, he went out on a few dates but, bluntly, didn't get laid or even really try to. Looking back, he realized how unsatisfying his bizarre conquests had really been. He missed the warmth and tenderness of a woman snuggled up beside him at night. His shrink had convinced him that his rakish behavior had all been a misguided attempt to rediscover intimacy. For want of a better excuse, he bought into it.

A little over three years after Lisa had said goodbye---and he still thought of her often---Blair from HR stuck her head in the door.

"Chief, Frank has nominated Lisa to take over as Western Zone Controller; that places her on the list of top 100 executives and by the rules---your rules---she has to be interviewed and agreed to by the entire executive committee, which you chair. I seriously doubt that anyone will fail to approve her; she's done a phenomenal job on the West Coast. I approve of her promotion completely; you need to interview her this time. While she'll still spend a lot of time on the road in the Western part of the country, she'll be based here."

"When?"

"Two days hence."

"Okay, any chance we can do it over lunch? I've got to leave for an investor meeting that afternoon. If we could meet, maybe even at the airport, that would help."

"I'll set it up. I don't think she planned to stay over, so that may in fact work out just fine for her also."

And so it was that he arrived at a small airport eatery that was not only one of his favorites but essentially a private club. The maitre de recognized him and informed him that his party had already been seated. And there she was. She'd obviously discovered Nordstrom's on the West Coast and was attired in an upscale business suit with all the trimmings. She was stunning. In spite of the relative privacy of the table when she stood to greet him, heads swiveled and eyes focused.

They embraced briefly, not as lovers embrace but more than a perfunctory business hug.

"It's really great to see you Lisa; you've certainly appointed yourself extremely well. Congratulations on your promotion." He said, entirely too formally.

Chiding him for his tone, Lisa responded. "I thought it wasn't final until every member of the executive committee interviewed me and as I remember, you're the chairman of that committee."

"Lisa, consider it a formality; I have to have a recorded 'interview' with you but you're in. You're now officially an officer of the corporation. Our corporate by laws require executive committee review when you step into the, 'inner circle', hell I think it might even be a legal requirement. Everyone is extremely impressed with you, not only on the committee but everyone you've worked with. Hell, one more promotion and you'll be on the executive committee."

"Not bad for a girl who used to dance naked." Lisa said softly.

"Yea, well, we all do things that we're not always proud of. At least in your case you had a good reason." He responded.

"So, what's been happening in your life?"

"Between working my ass off dealing with a company that is growing faster than I ever expected---faster, sometimes than I wanted it to---and getting my head screwed back on, not a hell of a lot."

"I do seem to recall that your lifestyle was..."

"Out of control? Well, I never got involved in drugs or gambling and I've never been anything other than a moderate drinker but I did have a pretty serious addiction. Believe it our not, they even have a, 'Twelve Step Program" for sex addicts. Let's see, who exactly might have had something to do with my decision to change my ways? I've got a pretty good memory. Someone once said, 'You are one pretty screwed up dude. You need to deal with that' along with 'you need to get your shit together'. And then there was something about growing up, as I recall. Well, thank you. You were right. I owe you."

"Well, you left out part of my goodbye speech. I also said, 'maybe, someday we might have a chance together.' I also said, 'I like you and under different circumstances, a real relationship would be very attractive'." And she just let it hang out there, wondering how he would respond.

"Wow." He responded. "I always thought that part was just to make me feel better. Lisa, I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that you had a major impact on my life and that I was attracted to you on a whole lot of...on every level. I've really tried to put that time period in my life behind me---not that you were in any way an unpleasant part of that time, hell as short as our time together was, it was the most pleasant—the only pleasant part---of my life back then."

Both were silent for several minutes until Lisa finally spoke. "Our, 'time together', I guess that's as good a term as any. I mean you've seen me without a stitch on but then we never, 'did it' did we?"

"No, we never did. I felt as if I was back in school again. You brought out the gentleman in me---and pushed the bastard and ass hole to the back. "

"Mozart and Cuban coffee and a man who said, 'I'll never fall in love again'. Falling in love...we both lost our first love...tragically and violently. Back then I never wanted to fall in love again either. I could have seen myself falling for you and I just wasn't ready for that---nor were you. That's why I said goodbye that morning, not because I didn't like you or care for you---but because I did."

""Let's see, we had coffee the night we met, dinner I recall another night, the concert and then the goodbye breakfast."

"So is this our fifth date? A lot of guys get lucky on the fifth date, or so I've heard."

"You're toying with me, Lisa, since I have to go meet with a group of stuffed shirt investors and you are leaving to oversee a zone audit. Look, you know I'd like to see you; I'm pleasantly surprised that you don't seem completely opposed to the idea. We're both going to be up to our ears in stuff over the next few weeks. You've got a move to make and in spite of the fact that there's no beach here, I think you're going to love it. It's very laid back and delightfully middle American here. Let's try our best to reconnect over the phone over the next few weeks. I like you a lot and you're the only woman I've met since...well...that I, ah, might..."

"Be able to fall in love with?"

"It is that very directness of yours that is so admired by those you have worked with...it's one of the big reasons you made it this far this fast. You hit the nail on the head---but what about you?"

"I saw through the bastard years ago. If you were still up to your old tricks, I wouldn't be interested in anything serious. And make no mistake about it, if there's going to be something between us, it has to be real and serious. I'm not interested in a fling and considering our respective positions, an affair would not be wise. We each responded differently to catastrophic grief. I'm fine, now and very happy to see that you seem in pretty good shape yourself. You're really a pretty neat guy when you're not wearing your bastard and ass hole persona. You're a guy I could very easily fall in love with."

"I owe most of that to you, Lisa."

"Well, from what I've heard you never let your evil ways creep into your work. The employees---at every level---worship you and think you are the nicest guy in the world---and one hell of a boss."

Lisa paused. "Look, our past is our past. I could have taken a job as an accounts payable clerk or a night auditor somewhere and made enough to get through college but getting guys off in a dimly lit nudie bar gave me real money for the first time in my life. Instead of a one room efficiency, I had a condo on the beach. Instead of a clunker, I drove a BMW. I had jewelry and very nice clothes. I liked it; it made me feel special but I spent some time on the shrink's couch over the last few years."

It was his turn. "So, do you think a guy who used to need to fuck---and dominate---every woman he met in every way imaginable and a girl who used to rub her naked little ass in men's groins can find happiness together?"

"Yes, not simply because we find each other attractive and interesting but because we both have our seamy past and we both already know about it. Can you imagine trying to explain yourself to a potential significant other who hadn't also slipped over to the dark side? Think about it. Oh, honey, let me tell you how I worked my way through college."

"By the way dear, I need to tell you about my past. I went through this difficult period in my life when I routinely had every kind of sex imaginable with several women in the same day, day after day, turning one over to my butch friend---after pimping her out at a nudie bar?"

"Ah yes, Candy. I wonder how her life worked out."

"Believe it or not, she married the doctor. Don't ask, I have no idea how that came about. I did make some discrete inquiries into some of the other woman that I, ah, used. It was guilt as much as anything. I'm not proud to admit that in some cases, I either had forgotten or never knew their full names. All---all that could be identified--- seem to have gotten on with their lives with no permanent disabilities. I felt really bad about one in particular, a young college girl whose parents were neighbors. I actually went up to see her a few days before she graduated, just to say that I was sorry. I felt as if I had taken advantage of her youth and inexperience. There was one night, after you and I went out together, actually, when I treated her like a piece of flesh. She had taken it better than I had any right to expect. She knew she was being used for sex, and realizing that she had enjoyed it a little more than she should have She decided to seek a little professional help herself."

Both had picked at their food as they had talked; both soon realized that they had flights to catch. They hugged one more time, longer than before finally sharing an affectionate kiss.

"So, where are we, boss man? Wait, let me take a stab at it. I'll be home tonight, you have my number. You'll be on the road. It's your turn to call me and tell me you're safely tucked in and in your jammies. I plan to be moved in short order. I'll be back here in a week to look for a place to live and probably set up shop in temporary housing."

"I don't sleep in PJs, but I will call."

"I'm not even going to touch that one."

Lisa paused, pensively. "And when I'm back in a week, is there any chance you might spring for dinner?"

"I just might do that."

"What do folks do here for excitement?"

"Well, they tend to make their own excitement but the University had a pretty decent chamber music orchestra."

"Mozart?"

"Their specialty. They're starting a Mozart series and will be playing weekly for an entire month starting in a couple of weeks."

"That would be nice. I don't suppose they have any decent Cuban coffee around here?"

"Believe it or not, they sure do. They didn't, but I convinced a Cuban friend of mine in Florida to open a branch location up here. It's doing very well."

"Fresh fish?"

"Well, they do fly in fresh fish from the coast but there is a huge lake a few miles away and I've developed a healthy respect for fresh water fare."

Hmmm...I might just fall in love with this part of the country."

"I already have."

Lisa's heralded directness surfaced once again. "And could you fall in love with me?"

"Oh, hell, that happened a long time ago."

"Right answer."

"And you?"

"Same answer."

"I'll see you a week from today; make some kind of reservation, dinner, coffee or Mozart---your choice. It will be our fifth date or maybe our sixth? You'll probably get lucky."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I already am the luckiest person on earth."

"Yea, me too."