Dick

Kade look surprised and said really she hadn't thought that at all. "Mom use to take my arm crossing streets and I've just returned from being away with her. I supposed I picked up on it again although reversed the habit, thinking being a young adult I would react quicker in an emergency but I don't recall thinking that."

Meg smiled and said all the same it was a lovely gesture. "I don't feel old enough to be your mom."

They laughed.

Meg said Kade had been open with her. "I must tell you I feel sexually attracted to Dick -- I can't help it Kade."

Kade linked arms with Meg and said. "I don't have Dick on a leash and never will. Go for it."

"But you can't..."

"Hush Meg. You never know, you could get lucky but if you do please keep that to yourself. I would prefer not to know. Or do you fancy me?"

"Yes, very much so but no more that a lovely new young friend."

The laughed and squeezed their arms as they approached Meg's business premises. She told Meg it had been the first building she'd purchased and finding it difficult to lease out because it was on the fringe of the commercial area she decided to set up his own business and chose home décor because it was a passionate interest and then branched out into commercial because that's where the real money and big challenges lay.

Chapter 29

Dick arrived at the apartment to find Kade dressed in her best and in full make-up. He asked where they going out and she said no. They kissed and as his hand began to lower on to her butt she pulled away and said, "Not now. Meg will be here soon -- she called and I invited her to dinner. She wants to talk more about the proposal."

"And?"

"She sounds as if she's warming to it.

"Great, look if she gives the green light tonight I'll try to set up a meeting on Friday with an interested party."

"Do what you wish but don't push Meg into it. Allow her to set her own pace. Off you go and shower."

When Dick emerged from the bedroom dressed in a collarless white shirt, black trousers, socks and shoes and his hair slicked down after the shower he found no sign of Kade so correctly assumed Meg had arrived and she was upstairs with Kade drinking.

He emerged on the roof deck and saw both women look at him. Dick wondered if his fly was open but remembered checking as he walked to the spiral staircase.

"Doesn't he wash up well?" Meg said.

"Yummy, yummy honey," Kade called, making Dick wish she'd not use sexy talk with Meg present.

He stopped short of them. "Hi ladies, can I get you anything?"

They both held out near empty glasses as if they were twins and they were both looking at the vicinity of his groin. Then it hit him -- they'd been talking about him, probably sexually. The bitches!"

However, apart from that moment nothing else all evening was about sex, at least not that he detected, and when they walked Meg out to her car the kisses were what one would expect between friends. Very strange but he decided not to discuss his suspicion with Kade because if she thought it were important for him to know she'd tell him, either tonight or eventually. Try as he might he couldn't imagine Meg confessing to Kade that she was having an affair with her husband.

After they waved Meg off, Kade asked, "So, we take another step forward when we meet this other party tomorrow?"

"Yes, we will be having dinner with Dinah Ross and her husband"

"Dinah from the coffee shop?"

"Yes and her husband Andy who is a sports and recreation adviser to the Council."

Kade shook her head confused and Dick caught the sight of breast wobble so moved in to hug her.

"Dick, we should clear away first."

"I'll do it later. Dinah and husband will lease the events center from the Council and run it, providing we finance them to set themselves up with a low-interest loan and I think we should do that."

"God you have it all falling into place and we don't get out hands on the site until tomorrow."

"Something like that darling. In the meantime, pull out a tit. I want a nibble."

"Have you asked Meg to do that for you darling?"

Dick grinned, having set Kade up to encourage her to be outspoken as she had consumed several glasses of wine.

"I'll think about that darling," he said smoothly. "It could assist our cause as she still has to sign."

"God, you are such a smooth skunk. Anything to get a project on track. I really don't mind what you do with Meg, just keep me out of the frame."

Dick blew into her eye and she clutched him hard. "Oh Dick, I want it -- p-l-e-a-s-e."

"What you want is a baby," Dick said, carrying Kade to the bedroom and positively leering at her, turning her almost into jelly.

Meg had firmed up her thinking and been to see her lawyer that day and instructed him to register her as a company entity, with her lawyer and her accountant name with her as directors. Her lawyer agreed that Dick was correct in suggesting there would be tax advantages for her doing that and their two companies could then form a joint venture company and allocate stockholding between them on the basis of capital input of either party. In separate talks with Meg and Dick after that, Meg had agreed to prepare to sell a couple of out-of-town properties and liquidate monies elsewhere to equal the amount Dick and Meg had paid for the land including legal and realty commission plus half of Dick's time spent as a 'finder' once agreement was reached on all fees and payments.

"This is all very involved but I can see where it's leading too," Meg said, and Kade said she shared that view.

"I would suggest you invite your lawyer to be a director with us in the joint venture company and we do the same with our tax adviser.

Meg and Dick agreed with Kade on that. Meg said Dick should be chairman and Kade agreed.

They then talked about the need to conduct a poll to find the most promising mayoral candidate because campaigning had already started.

Meg startled her two companions. "Ian Ryder of Ian Ryder Pharmacies will win the mayoral race hands down. The Ryder's are a founding family of this town, both his father and grandfathers were much-loved Mayors and on the night nominations closed I attended a meeting of Business and Professional Association executive where it was decided to canvas members which candidate to endorse and my brother Ian received 87% of all votes cast by town business owners."

"Your brother?" Dick almost gulped.

"Oh yes," Med said almost carelessly. "I'm a Ryder -- how else did you think I got my big inheritance? Well go and meet Ian over a barbecue lunch on Sunday if you wish and tell him what his campaign platform is to be. He and his children are sports mad. Wife Cynthia will be interested in the events center as she is president of the horticultural society and no doubt is a past president and patron of numerous other societies including the Horse Society because she'd that kind of person."

"Oh Meg, how wonderful, how exciting, you have cleared the way for us."

"No!" Dick said firmly. "Meg, call your lawyer and tell him to put the joint venture company on hold and I want you to stay right away from your brother and his family until after the election result is known. Then after publication of that result you instruct your lawyer to reactivate formation of that joint-venture company. If we went riding on the back of the successful Mayor on this project and then the town learns that we intend trying to sell the events center to the council, imagine what the shouts would be -- 'bribes', 'a swindle', 'underhand tactics', 'corruption'."

Meg and Kade pulled apart and Kade said, "Oh how could I have been so blind. He's so right Meg."

"Yes of course. We must delay. I'm off to see my lawyer now -- we can still plan can't we?"

"Yes of course, just be careful that you display no business connection to me and Kade. Social connection is quite okay and we can have planning meetings in our apartment. This arm's distance is necessary because there will be a big splash about Kade and me purchasing the seminary and school property in the newspaper tomorrow along with my indecision about whether to use the land to build factories and warehouses, or an events center or a stadium. The public will debate this and it could well become an election issue forcing council candidates to take sides. That may be to our advantage or may be a disadvantage -- in my view it will clear the air and make taking that risk worthwhile. If the general feeling of the public is for factories and warehouses then so be it, as we'd still make several millions out of that. But factories and warehouses are not sexy, methinks the media will go for one of the other options, perhaps both of them. Then all we need to do is to sit back and wait, which is what we must do anyway until after the election."

Meg stood to go. "That makes perfect sense to me, what about you Kade?"

"Agreed. We have a hotel, movie multiplex and a new home to press onwards in the meantime. Your business association with us in those three projects will provide a perfect ground for coming to a wider business involvement in a mega-development."

"Great thinking," Dick said.

"Not only a pretty face and a lush body," Meg laughed. "I'm off. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"I'll call, we'll pick you up on the way."

"No," Dick said. "That dinner is cancelled until just after the election. The risk is too great."

"Oh dear," you are so right Dick. Bye."

Dick called Dinah that they were canceling but when he said it would be better to do nothing until after the election Dinah said she thought she understood.

"That's why I only said to Andy I'd invited you guys to discuss a possible business proposition. He didn't ask what it was about, I suppose thinking it was something to do with supplies to my coffee shop."

"Good girl, now here is the real reason but say nothing to anyone. We just want to keep everything under raps because we've just learned from Meg that one of the mayoral candidates is her brother."

"Of course, she's a Pryde. Oh Mayor Pryde would be chairing discussion about the purchase, wouldn't he?"

"You've got it. We don't wish to give anyone grounds for casting nasty aspersions. It will also prevent finger pointing at Andy. Thanks for your understanding and pleased keep tight lipped."

"I will -- elections are three weeks away tomorrow. Goodbye Dick."

Kade asked, "Well?"

"Dinah has a complete understanding of the need for caution and miraculously mentioned business discussions to her husband but make no mention of what kind of discussions. She sensed there could be complications so left it to me to make the presentation."

"She's too smart to operate a coffee shop. She should be CEO of an events center."

"My thinking exactly."

Dick returned to his office beside the Blue Horizon Hotel and was greeted by complaints by the two women clerks they were becoming board with nothing to do. Dick gave one of them the task of searching all the back copies of the Courier on its website for the past twelve months that related to the sale and purchase of commercial property -- buildings or even bare land -- and to file them suitable folders that she could name and run out an index for him when she was finished. "Cassidy, in fact make that anything to do with commercial property including defaults on taxes, fires, burglaries. Just anything."

He then said to Marlene he would attempt to bring in work for her to do for which she'd have to invoice according to the time she worked on it. Both women were delighted with the prospect of activity and informed Dick they had only received two business calls in three weeks and Kade had attended to both matters.

"Soon this office will be a real nerve center," he promised.

Dick called Mal, general manager of the hotel, and asked if he any backlog of clerical work his two office ladies could do to keep busy but the output would need to be at a commercial rate.

Mal said it was out of his direct area of responsibility and gave Dick the number of the administration manager.

"Hello, Pearl Hart, admin manager."

They had a long talk. Pearl expressed disappointment she hadn't yet received an invitation to picnic privately with Dick on his ranch and he neatly changed the topic and asked did Pearl wish to be considered admin manager at Cattleman's and she said yes please and in a husky voice asked how could she ensure she got the job. Just as he was about to panic the answer came to Dick, "Out of my hands Pearl. Kade will be in charge of initial appointments but I'll put in a sweet word for you. I promise."

"Okay, meet me over at the coffee shop on the terrace in ten minutes to talk about out-sourcing some of our admin backlog work."

"Right, I'll be there."

Pearl spent ten minutes talking about out-sourcing and twenty minutes discussing why Dick was failing to respond to her overtures. He managed to fend off desperately but she became so explicit about what she wanted him to do to her that he warned unless she began speaking in a whisper he'd be forced to leave.

They stood outside the hotel, Pearl almost weeping. "I cannot believe your only reason for not balling me left, right and center is your respect for Mal and desire to become real pals with him."

"You must be able to see that our two desires are so diametrically opposed they are impossible to achieve."

Pearl dabbed at her eyes. "I fail to see that. In becoming more friendly with Mal you will have far greater access to me."

"But that would mean me becoming disrespectful to Mal."

Pearl showed her teeth. "Damn you, can't you accept you cannot avoid being disrespectful as you call if you are to commit adultery."

"Brilliant Pearl, that's it in a nutshell. Your grasp of my situation could not be explained with greater clarity. Now you know why you and I can only be friends."

"Do I?"

"Yes my friend. I'll send Marlene to see you in say thirty minutes?"

"Yes, that will be fine. Can we have a relationship that's not quite adultery?"

"You have a think about that Pearl and if you work something out we'll meet over coffee to discuss it. Right?"

"Yes. I'll look it up on the Internet. I hope to find a citation stating if you pull out in time it's not adultery."

Dick kissed her in a friendly fashion and walked away smiling. If she managed to find a recognized authority proclaiming that he'd be most interested.

* * *

The Friday night official opening of the cinema multiplex was restricted to invited guests, who included Josie and Rex, Mal and Pearl, company directors and partners, India and her husband, the editor of the Courier and her husband, Meg and her husband, and the principal players in the design and reconstruction of the cinema and the design and construction of the parking building, senior Council personnel, cinema staff, Marlene and Cassidy from Dick and Kade's office and their husbands, possible events center operators Dinah and Andy Ross and key people in the Business and Professional Association and partners.

A revolving sign above the building 'Random Movies' glittered by day and was illuminated at nightfall. At the entrance, the black powder-coated sign at the side of the smooth white plastered frontage ran vertically and stood out starkly. Inside the décor was minimalist, hard-wearing and low-maintenance. The foyer walls of the ticket counter incorporating refreshment service and for the coffee bar opposite and the walkthrough adjoining foyer to the two elevators and stairway to the new offices of McKenzie Law at the third level were light wood vertical paneling of different timbers for contrast, carpeting was heavy industrial type and the ceilings cream and festooned with down lighting. McKenzie Law Partners were due to shift into their offices over the weekend -- they also had direct access from the parking building -- and their hosting of clients and other guests at an opening function would be held on Tuesday evening.

Because of the narrowness of the foyer and passage that led to the three ground level cinemas Kade was forced to restrict the guest list. It was great night and Kade interrupted the lavish eating and drinking to make a short speech of welcome. She then introduced Dick who named the leading players in the cinema project and then Kade announced the two as yet commercially unreleased films to be screened at 10:00. Screening in Cinema 2 would be an Italian farce about a visiting America male gay campaigner being mistakenly elected as Mayor of a small city where voters cast their votes in Italy's first trial of electronic voting and the person selected position of the Council's new chief executive was a celebrated porn queen. Screening in Cinema 3 would be Hollywood's latest epic The 5-year Oil Wars.

The function ended at midnight and the elated Dick and Kade decided to sleep at the old ranch house because the tenants would be moving in on Sunday. Dick reluctantly agreed and couldn't understand Kade's growing excitement. On the drive out to D&K Ranch Kade said she was sad that Dick had decided to accept McKenzie Law Partners to buy the Random Movies building and to lease the fourth floor of the parking building.

"The idea of lawyers owning the town's largest movie house doesn't sit well with me but as you say lawyers exist to make money and if any interference in respect of censorship results in a dip of revenues they will pull back and allow those running the show free rein. However, as an expectant mother I would not like sick porn movies to be shown there."

"The cinema operators already are restricted by a charter that relates to sex and violence standards," Dick said. "Going back to your comment about being an expectant mother, are you pregnant?"

"No, but I expect to become an expectant mother in time," Kade said. "I just dropped in that phrase to wind you up."

As they entered the old ranch house Kade said, "Right my darling, tonight I want to learn everything so I no longer have to speculate. I want you to pretend you are eighteen to nineteen and I am my mother and I want us to re-enact every move she made on you during her long period of tuition."

"But that will take ages and the slow beginning will sexually frustrate you," Dick complained.

"Shut up and get going, we have all night," Kade said. "Just don't over-excite us too much if this is to take us through dawn. Let's jump the boring preliminaries. Start with the first time she touched you sexually."

"Right," Dick said, walking to the old sofa. I was eyeing her tits when she flushed and walked over to me."

"Like this?"

"Yes, exactly like that."

"Keep the commentary going my darling."

What Dick had forgotten he invented.

* * *

On the morning of the election of the new Mayor and Council, Kade yawned and said she was most likely to sleep for most of the day.

Also tired after a very heavy week for them, Dick yawned and said, "I'll get more shut-eye myself and will wake you in time to vote. Don't forget we've going to Dinah's and Andy's with Meg to watch the progressive voting results on TV and once the voting trends appear set, we then begin talking about the events center project."

"Oh God, couldn't we just have one day off?"

"This is business Kade and as well you know business in this family takes priority. If you wanted a rest day you should not have allowed me to fuck you into exhaustion last night."

Kade stroked the side of Dick's face and yawned heavily. "I loved last night having yet another re-enactment of what my mother taught you during those months of sex lessons. She was such an enterprising slut dragging those lessons out long after teaching had become redundant. So sly. I now love her even more. She was so enterprising."

* * *

Meg's brother won the mayoralty in a landslide and all but one of the council candidates he'd endorsed during his electioneering won a seat. Meg arranged with her sister-in-law for Kade, Dick, Andy and Dinah to call late afternoon to discuss a project they were involved in together.