Dan's Story Pt. 03 - Everything Goes Awry

Dan gets right to work. He goes back out with a tape measure and determines what size work area is involved, what size existing signs were made, general shape and size of vehicles to be done and when he's satisfied he returns to the office. On the tilted drafting board he quickly sketches the existing signs Emory has done in the past. He double checks that no phone numbers or address changes have occurred.

Then he lays out fresh sheets of paper and starts to sketch what he envisages in his mind as a suitable sign. When he's done he compares it to the existing signs. They're quite similar but he has added some streamlining and slanted some of the lettering. He clears everything away and doodles for a while on a pad.

Then he lays out fresh sheets on the drafting board and sketches again. He has incorporated their company logo into the sign and changes much of the proportions of the lettering. He compares this with the others. Satisfied, he carries the drawing out to find Mark. Its eleven fifteen and Mark is impressed. He likes the last one best and says he has to get final approval. He'll have it after lunch.

Dan: "Well, I guess I'll go over and look over your paint bay. Get a feel for the area I'll be working in. See you later."

Mark: "When your done there I'd like to take you to lunch. I think our Manager would like to meet you. Will you join us?"

Dan: "I'd be delighted. I'd like to meet him. Any particular time?"

Mark: "Oh, around twelve will be good. ...And its a her, not him."

Dan: "Right, See you in about forty."

Dan follows directions to the paint bay and looks the area over. Two highway tractors are parked there. They've been washed and look fairly new. Their side doors are blank. No old signs to cover or remove. He checks the lighting and heat sources. About five to twelve he's back at the main office. Mark comes out of a meeting and says he'll be right with him.

When Mark joins him he says, "What's the deal with you and Emory? He called about twenty minutes ago to find out if you were here and everything was all right. I assured him you were on the job. He your boss or partner?"

Dan: "I guess a little of both. We're partners in another line of work but I'm working for him on this assignment."

Mark: "There's not going to be any problem over changing the signs, is there?"

Dan: "I don't think so. Maybe I better check with him before I go any farther. Do I have time?"

Mark "Hmmm, no, we better get along to lunch. The boss lady's waiting."

They arrive at a fashionable dining room in a large hotel and Dan feels out of place in his work clothes but Mark wears similar attire so he follows along. The waiter takes them to an out of the way table in front of a window overlooking the bay and harbor near Charlottetown. Mark introduces Dan to a sharply dressed curvy brunette with glasses of about forty five. Mrs. Babette Gaudette (called Babs only by her closest friends) is charmed to meet the young entrepreneur who has come up with such a fine new sign for their trucks.

Dan tries to explain that changing the existing signs has to be approved by his friend, Emory, but she waves her hand and says the new signs are such an improvement she'll have them, no approval necessary. In fact she would like to extend our contract to change many of the existing signs to match as possible before the busy season. Dan thinks about this over lunch and promises to come up with something she'll approve of before the day is out.

After lunch they return to the yards and Dan to the paint shop. He goes back out and studies one of the truck signs that Emory has done. It's done in his style of free hand painting and Dan gets an idea. He'll use a stencil! He rushes back to the paint shop and searches for stencil card material. He finds their supply and sketches out what he wants on a large sheet. Before cutting it, he seeks out Mark again.

Dan: "This is my idea, Mark. Emory has always worked free hand, so his signs where each and every one, a separate work of art. What I'm suggesting is a stencil for the logo and the main lettering. The rest can be done free hand and the work will go much faster. I think we can get at least eight trucks done each weekend so that by the end of the month we'll have twenty four, instead of twelve done. Do you have that many to do?"

Mark: "I'm sure we must have at least twenty. That sounds good. I'll run this by the boss right away."

Dan: "In the meantime can I use a phone to call Emory?"

Mark: "Oh, sure. Use the one in the drafting office. Its yours for now."

Dan calls Emory but there's no answer. He calls Marie, "Hi there, guess who? ... Yep, is me. I am trying to get hold of Emory but there's no ans... Oh, he's at the hospital. Is everything O.K.? Mary's alright, isn't she? ... She still hanging on to that kid, eh? ... If he's got a few minutes, have him call me over at Roy's or here at the yard. Hang on and I'll give you the numbers for the paint shop and my office. ... Yep, they gave me an office to do detailed drawings in. ... It's just some changes I've come up with to his basic design, I want to get his approval before I make them. ... It's all part of the job, dear. ..."

Dan gives her the numbers and she tells him how much she misses him. Dan tells her the same and they hang up. Mark is in the doorway with a smile.

Mark: "You've impressed the boss. She wants you to come out to their place tonight. She says there's no use you paying for lodgings each weekend when she has a perfectly good guest room. She had a rather wild look in her eye when she told me, so you may get more than a good night's sleep." He winks.

Dan: "Oh, I am sorry. I'm staying with friends. I've promised them I would be at their place all month. How do I graciously get out of this one?"

Mark: (shrugging his shoulders) "Guess it all depends on how much you want the job, doesn't it? You better go in and explain it to her." He's grinning again.

Dan groans and heads for her office. Her secretary looks up and waves him in. Dan taps on the door as he opens it. She glances up, smiles and says, "Do come in. Dan, I'm pleased with your ideas." She gets up and comes around the end of the desk towards him.

Dan: "Uh, Mrs. Gaudette, I came to..."

Mrs. Gaudette: "Babs, please call me Babs, Danny. Is it alright if I call you Danny? When we're alone, that is?"

Dan: "B-B-Babs, I came in to tell you that I appreciate the offer to open your guest room to me, but..."

She stands in front of him now and urges him back into an office easy chair with arms. "I thought we might get to know each other later tonight but since your here..." She turns and pushes a button on the intercom. "No calls! No interruptions!" "Yes, mam." comes the tinny reply.

She returns to Dan and sits on the arm of the chair. She runs her hand through his short hair as Dan continues to try to speak.

Dan: "I was trying to tell you that friends of mine are delighted I'll be in town weekends this month and ..."

Babs crosses her legs while he's speaking and now her dangling high heel spike moves up and down the inside of his thigh. She takes off her glasses and says, "I don't think we have to talk to communicate, Danny." She slides her skirt up and he can see her dark triangle under a sheer white film of an undergarment. Dan feels a familiar stirring in his lap and she spots the movement and smiles.

Dan: "I-I have to get back to the paint shop or I won't get anything done today!"

Babs: "Danny, your work is for me to decide, I think you can get a lot done right here." She steps back and puts on her glasses.

Babs: "What was it you wanted to see me about, Dan?"

Dan: "Uh, uh,... I came in to tell you I can't stay at your place nights this month. I have friends in town who are counting on me spending the time with them."

Babs: "I'm sorry to hear that. You had better get to work, then."

Dan turns to leave and she says, "Maybe tomorrow, Danny."

As Dan passes the secretary with a flaming face and beet red neck she smiles and says, "Mr. Miller, there's a call for you. You can take it in there." She points to a small office. "It's on line three."

Dan steps into the office, picks up the phone and punches line three, "Hello. ... Emory, I'm glad you called. How did you ever find me. I'm over in the main building at the Manager's office. ... Yeah, Babs! ... You could have told me. (He laughs) ... Yikes, I'll have to watch for that! ... I'm not staying at her place, anyway. ... I told her. ... She didn't argue. ... I'm staying at Roy's, one of guys from here. ... Emory, don't ask questions. He's one of the guys who works for Gaudette's. O.K.? ... If she asks, I would like you to say you set it up before I came down. Can you do that? ... Thanks, buddy, I owe you. ... I've come up with a slightly different sign for the trucks. Its your basic design with their company logo added and some slanting of some of the lettering to modernize it. Babs loves it but I wanted to run the idea by you before I did any of them. What do you think? ... Mark likes it, too. ... I thought I should check with you first. ... I'll bring home a Polaroid shot of one and you can see. ... Right, how's Mary? ... It won't be long. ... Every minute creeps by, doesn't it? ... Well, you look after her and I'll try to keep things going on this end. Take care."

Dan goes back to his office and works on the stenciling material. He cuts carefully with an Exacto knife until he is satisfied with the work. Then he dons his heavy jacket and goes down to the paint shop. Loading a spray gun, he plays with adjusting the nozzle to get just the right spread. He puts the gun away and starts masking the door and fender of the truck. He fits the stencil into the masking and is ready to try it out.

Evenly he sprays the letters with a long sure stroke. It's fast drying paint so he doesn't have long to wait before he can strip it. He masks the second truck while he's waiting and leaves the area for the stencil to be fitted and taped in. When he removes the stencil from the first door he sees an imperfection right away. Some of the lines are not broad enough. He can fatten them up free hand later. He carefully cuts the stencil to widen them on future shots. He does the same with the stencil from the other door and masks them to the second truck.

Once again he applies the even straight strokes and the paint flows into place. While that's drying he gets out his brushes and starts to fatten the lines on the first truck. He finishes by free hand lettering the rest of the signs and stands back to check his work. Pleased with it, he goes to the second truck and removes the stencils. Perfect! Only the small amount of free hand lettering remains. He decides to go for a coffee before finishing the second.

Mark's in the coffee room. "Did you tell her?"

Dan: "Yep. She was disappointed but said I better get back to work."

Mark: "That's all she did?" He looked surprised. "What took you so long." He grins.

Dan: "I've been down in the paint shop. Got one done and I've only got about half an hour to finish the other."

Mark: "What! One truck's done? Both sides?"

Dan: "Yep. Want to see it?"

Mark: "Yeah, I'll walk back down with you."

They walk back down to the paint shop and Mark marvels at the job while Dan finishes the other truck. "Can you warm up six trucks for tomorrow?"

Mark: "Think I can. I'll rotate them in here and put the rest in the big repair shop. They won't be as warm as these, but should warm up in a short time when they're in here. I'll detail you a driver to move them around in the morning. I'll tell the night man which ones to bring in tonight."

Dan: "Suppose you got a Polaroid around this place?"

Mark: "Sure do. For accidents and such. What do you need a shot of? The signs?"

Dan: "Yeah, a couple of shots for Emory."

Dan knocks off early and leaves about 1530 for Roy's place. Irene runs to meet him and kisses him around the hall when he comes in.

Irene: "I thought you would be later. Let me take your coat. Sit down." She has a kitchen chair near the door. When he sits she grabs his feet and takes off his shoes. She slips his slippers on, then takes his hand. Picking up the chair with the other hand she leads him to the kitchen table and seats him there.

She runs to get him a cup of coffee, fixes it for him and sits down beside him saying, "Now tell me about your day."

Dan relates his successes of the day and ends up telling her about Babs. "She scares me. She can say 'get out' and my job's done. I don't know how to deal with her."

Marie has come into the kitchen while he was talking so Irene and her have a real laugh at him now. "What's so funny? I could really lose the whole contract if I don't figure out how to handle her... without handling her, of course!"

They really break up at his worry. Marie says, "What do you think we put up with every day in the work place? It's so funny hearing a man complain of the same thing." They laugh some more.

Dan: "Well, there's an easy way to solve it. I'll take her to bed!"

Irene: "You wouldn't? You wouldn't do that, would you?"

Dan: "Of course not!" He muses, "But she does know how to turn a man on."

Irene: "I'll turn you off but good if you touch her. Just you remember that, big boy!"

Dan: "I'm only teasing. I'll keep her at bay. All I had to do today was think of you and it gave me strength."

Irene gives him a kiss while Marie chuckles in the background. "Why don't you take him out of my hair while I get supper?"

Irene crooks her finger and Dan follows her into the living room. She turns on the TV and comes to sit in his lap in an easy chair. They talk about her day and watch the news. Roy comes in just before the weather and watches with them in the other chair. Marie calls them for supper.

Dan sits by Irene and they touch often as they eat. Marie is amused and urges Roy to do the same but he ignores them.

After supper Dan asks if Irene would like to go for a drive. She agrees readily and comes to the door in a moment in her fur coat. Dan spreads it open, "Just to check", he says. He pulls on his coat and they go to the car.

Dan: "Like to see where I'm working?"

Irene: "O.K."

Dan drives over to Gaudette's yard and pulls in beside the paint shop. He takes Irene inside with him and shows her one of the trucks he did that day. It's good and dry so he looks for the night man. He tells him that the two trucks in the shop can be taken out now and two more brought in for tomorrow. The other four should be in the maintenance garage. That all checks out so they go back to the car and drive off the lot. Dan drives downtown and soon Irene is saying turn here and turn there. She shows him some lighted buildings of historical significance, a statue and when they reach a statue overlooking the harbor, she says stop here. Dan parks the car and she comes to him for a kiss.

Irene: "Isn't it lovely up here. You can see the whole harbor and the light of the light house," she points, "away out there." Dan looks where she's pointing and sees the point of light. They admire the view and caress each other in an extended foreplay manner. They whisper and their heads are together as time goes by. It's a private time for lovers to share. Just to relax and be together is enough.

But the car cools down and they have to go home. "Nice to know we can go home and crawl into bed with each other to have our sex, isn't it?" he says, as he starts the car.

Irene: "Mmmmm, oh yes! Let's go!"

Dan drives through the city and back to Roy's house. They come into the house, greeted by Marie from an easy chair in the living room, "Coffee's on!"

They go to the kitchen and Irene pours coffee for them both. She fixes Dan's, then hers. Side by side, they sip and talk.

They decide to go to bed, so Irene puts the cups in the sink and catches his hand. She leads him to the living room, tells Roy and Marie good night and leads him on around the circle to their bedroom. Roy mumbles, "Young love."

Love making that night for them is filled with passion and tenderness, affection and fervor all rolled into one. Since neither of them are very quiet in their wilder moments, when they enrobe to run to the shower together, Marie looks up and shakes her head. Roy just grins and pretends to read his paper.

After their shower, they are just settling down, Irene in Dan's arms when there is a rap on the door. Roy pokes his head in and says, "I think its your wife, Dan. She's on the phone."

Dan nods and Irene sits up so he can grab his robe and catch the phone. He goes to the kitchen and says, "Hello ... Hi there, what's up? ... No, I was in bed but not to sleep yet. ... Yeah, Roy said he thought it was you. ... What'd she have? ... Kevin Michael, I like that. How is Mary? ... Rough time, eh? ... She'll be O.K. We have to think positive and pray. ... Didn't you know I had a religious side? ... I'll be home tomorrow night and we'll go up to see her. How are you and Danny making out? ... Me too. ... Only got two done today, but that was just setting things up. I think I'll be able to do six tomorrow and four each day till they are done. ... Oh, I'll tell you all about it tomorrow night. We have a lot more to do, but it will be done by the end of the month. ... He did. Kiss him for me before you paddle his bum. ... I will, honey. I love you and I miss you like crazy. ... Tomorrow night we'll take care of that! ... Oh, Sweet Marie, good night."

Dan returns to the bedroom and a very quiet sullen Irene. "You were eavesdropping, weren't you!"

Irene: "Oh Dan, I can't help it! I love you and you tell her you love her in the same voice you told me only minutes before. It's hard to take! On the weekend, your mine! Why does she have to call when its my turn?"

Dan: "She called to tell me that Mary had the baby tonight. A healthy baby boy, but Mary isn't doing too well. She's so young and small. It was a really tough birth for her."

Irene: "I'm sorry, Dan. I hope she's all right. She's quite a tough little girl. I've known her for years and never have thought of her as a woman, let alone a mother. She's still a little girl to me. I'll try to get up to see her Monday." Irene rests her head on Dan's chest again. Her arm lays across his stomach and her breasts are pressed against his side. Dan's arm is resting around her shoulders and they go to sleep like that

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14: 0700

Dan has slept in a bit later this morning since he knows no one will be at the yard except a few weekend crew. The alarm wakes him and he turns it off quickly. He looks down at Irene's raven locks of hair and moves his hand to run his fingers through it. He teases an ear and feels her stir. She nestles closer, wrapping herself around him in her sleep. She murmurs a contented sound and breathes on his chest evenly.

Dan lets her sleep for a while, watching her form and marveling at her perfection. He brushes hair back from her forehead and gently tilts her head his way. Resting her head back on his supporting arm he traces her eyes, nose, cheeks and chin with his lips. When he reaches her mouth she responds with hungry movements but she sleeps still. His other hand steals over a breast and he so very softly caresses it, moving his hand in a circular motion around the nipple but never quite touching it. It stiffens and stands out from her mound as if seeking his touch. He touches her lips with his again as he brushes the nipple with his finger tips. Suddenly, eagerly her lips move against his and she comes alive and awake.

After their shower Irene sits with him through breakfast. She's a little sad. "When you come home tonight it'll just be to leave again. I wish we could have a few days more, even just one more day. I'll die all week waiting for Friday to come."