Gold Digger (the pilot)

"I don't have anything else," Miles said.

"Of course you do. Wear some of the clothes you wore to work before you retired," She suggested.

"I wore uniforms until I retired. Okay I might have and old white shirt and maybe some cotton twill pants I saved for funerals. You might be right this might be a funeral occasion." Miles said with a chuckle.

"Or the beginning of a great friendship," Louise said.

"Don't make more of this than there is. We are just going to talk about QE2 and how to handle them going forward," Miles admitted.

"If that were the case, why not include me?" Louise asked.

"Let me see, maybe it is because after you saw the pilot DVD, you called them some petty colorful names. I think the parting shot was something like, 'Fuck them, we don't need their lying asses.' Is that about right?" Miles asked. "You are still invited to dinner."

"No thanks, you two need a chance to bond," Louise said thoughtfully.

"Then why all the drama. That is the kind of shit QE2 loves," Miles said.

"You are right. I'm just venting. "Go have fun, I'll just read or something." Louise said.

"You can come, or not that's your call. What you can not do is try to make me feel guilty for going to dinner with Ada." Miles said just a little irritated.

Dinner with Ada was at one of those chain cutesy restaurants. If he had to go to a better class of restaurant, he was going to sure it was a family style joint. The Cedar Chuck Wagon filled that bill. There were whole families as well as couples. Not many were as mature as Miles and Ada, but they were at least post college age kids.

"Is this better than the diner where Louise and I have breakfast," Miles asked once they were seated.

"It is definitely a family dining out restaurant, so on that score it is better. However the sound of children screaming is not conducive to a date atmosphere," Ada Commented.

"Maybe because this isn't a traditional date. If it were I would be magically transformed into a doctor or lawyer," Mile said.

"Oh please, that type is out with a barbie doll on Sunday night. After dinner they ill be headed home to the wife and kids," Ada said.

"I wouldn't know since I have never been fortunate enough to date a barbie doll," Miles said.

"Nor have I ever had the superficial looks necessary to attract those interested in the type. So here we are a couple of late middle aged people out to discuss business over a piece of burned beef," she said.

"So romantic, I can't imagine any man who could refuse your charms," Miles said with a smile.

"This from the man I expect to go all PTSD at any minute," she said grinning from ear to ear.

"I left my assault rifle in the car, so you are safe for now," Miles said.

"You know I would like to go into the woods with you once we decide on a base camp location," Ada suggested.

"Are you any closer to deciding on a location?" Miles asked.

"After you finish the two creeks, it they turn up nothing better, we will probably start you at the juncture of the two creeks where you found the gold flake," she said.

"Once you decide for sure, you need to find out who owns the land on either side and contact them. I would like to have permission before I set up a base camp," Miles said.

"Yes that is my plan," Ada said. "Now about QE2."

"When you call them tomorrow tell them where we are and that if they truly want to be in on the development of the mining site, they should get on with it." Miles said. "I told Louise we were going to have a meeting to decide what to say to Q. So do you have any input?"

"I don't want to push them, just offer them a chance to have some input into our decision." she said.

"Okay obviously no one can change your mind, when you are on the phone, so do what you think is best. So tell me who do you know at Q?" Miles asked.

"My daughter works there, but I couldn't let on when she was here. If she had shown us any preferential treatment, then the show was a failure, she would have to pay the price. I won't allow that. I can't use my family ties to influence things."

"There is a family resemblance now that you mention it. The way Jerri looks I don't blame you," Miles said with a smile.

"Sure Jerri is the love child I had at forty five," Ada said.

"Okay, let's do things right so that we don't embarrass Silvia," Miles said.

"And stay away from Silvia when she comes to visit. I know it's a fantasy for men to have the mother and daughter, but don't even think about it." Ada said.

"There is only two things wrong with that. I haven't had the mother for one. The other is your daughter has way too much class to be interested in either of us," Miles suggested.

"What do you mean us?" she asked.

"The retired cop or the gold prospector both of us are pretty mundane characters," Miles replied.

"She would love to pick your retired cop brain. I had to convince her you were a terrible bore," Ada said.

"I'm sure that was a real chore, You probably had to drive by where I live so that she could see the difference between my hovel and her Manhattan townhouse." Miles added.

"You never know how the other half lives," she suggested.

Somehow we managed to finish dinner during all the discussions. Miles paid the bill then they found themselves in the parking lot.

"So have you had enough of my company yet?" Miles asked.

"Is that your way of asking, 'Your place or mine'?" Ada demanded.

"Well you are direct, I have to give you that," Miles agreed. Louise is home at my place, but if you don't mind knowing Louise is one thin wall away, sure why not?" Miles asked.

"Okay, then it's obviously going to be my place," she said.

The next morning Miles arose early explaining, "I have lots of work to do today. I want to be ready to leave the first thing in the morning." Miles said. The truth was he couldn't wait to get away from Ada's bed. Actually the bed was fine, it was Ada.

Her absolute conviction, that she absolutely knew best, extended into the bedroom. She gave him directions all night like a movie director. Miles never thought of himself as a great lover, but he did see himself as an adequate one. Well at least until he had sex with Ada, he always had.

It was kind of like that song. He felt she asked herself, is that all there is?.

As he drove the pick up home, he was dreading facing Louise. He knew that he would have to confess, since Ada was sure to tell Louise.

"So how was she in bed," Louise asked when she finally came into the kitchen to join him for coffee.

"She was fine when I left her," Miles said.

"You know what I mean," Louise demanded almost in tears.

"Let's say she was the same in bed as in the Sunday meetings, only more so with her clothes off," Miles replied.

Louise laughed, "So I suppose you will be seeing her again."

"Who knows she might attack me in the office, but then again can you imagine that happening?" Miles asked.

"No please don't make me imagine that," Louise said. "I promise I will be discrete."

"So you mean your aren't going to rush in and tell her how many stars she got on her review?" Miles asked.

"If she gives me any of that I'm older and smarter than you, I just might," Louise said.

"If you do then I will never confide in you again," Miles said.

The three of them had very different days. Miles spent it loading his supplies into to stacks. One pile went into his pack. Those were mostly emergency supplies and the tools and bottles needed to take the core samples for Louise. Then there were camping supplies needed spend four days in the woods. His meals were more like the old K ration than the MRE versions. He had one small can of something like beef stew and lots of snacks like cans of cheese products which did not need refrigeration. Peanut butter and Jelly was another one of his staples. He manufactured his own small containers to hold the peanut butter and jelly he bought in restaurant table sized containers single serving containers..

He decided to pack in a small bush ax, since he might be camping by a stream this trip. Ada and Louise were supposed to find him a camp ground as close as possible to the to the streams to be sampled.

There were none close, Regardless his plan was still to head out Tuesday. He could make the drive and set up camp between the two sites. The women had found a site only about ten miles from each site. It was a city owned campground so he had to adjust accordingly. His plan had to be changed, since he probably couldn't find a tree to hang his tent in a city park. He decided to use the tarp to make a shelter. Because of that he exchanged the hanging miner's tent for a PVC frame to use as supports for the nylon tarp.

Wednesday morning he would break camp then drive as close to the first sample site as possible. Make the sample, then drive on the second site along the same creek, walk in and collect a core sample for Louise. He planned to make as many samples as time permitted.

Miles went to bed Monday night feeling that he was as prepared as possible for the next day.