by Opal Cole
I finished the presentation after almost three hours and was exhausted but satisfied. If she wanted to shoot me down, it would be for personal reasons, not for professional ones. We had done a first-class job.
"Mrs. Monahan, you asked us at the beginning what we could do for you, and that we had wasted your times already three times. I hope that this time the time was not wasted, even if you do not want to work with us. If you would agree to do this, I am certain that between your people and ours the presentation could become reality."
She looked at me for a long time and took a deep breath.
"Mr. Winter, I want to apologize for the way you were received here. It was not a good beginning, but you ignored it and did an excellent job with your presentation. I cannot tell you now whether we accept your ideas or not; there will be an internal discussion and we will advise you of our decision, but once more my and our thanks for a professional job well done. If we were to go ahead, you can be certain that we would ask you and your colleagues here to be personally involved. Thank you once more."
We shook hands and when we were leaving, Mrs. Monahan called me back.
"Mr. Winter, I must admit that you surprised me. I was ready to rip your head off and you took everything with serenity, answering with data and well thought through ideas. I start to see what my daughter sees in you and will let you and her go on your way without any interference. Let me just tell you, however, that if you ever hurt Maureen, you will regret it very, very much. I understand that you will see each other tonight and that you will stay until Sunday night. Have fun and come for lunch on Sunday to our house - perhaps a more personal contact can create a better relationship."
"Mrs. Monahan, I was warned by my people that it would be a tense meeting and I must admit I was not prepared for the initial tension. I believe that I understand your position as a mother but had hoped that you gave your daughter more credit than you seem to have shown. But this is now water under the bridge, and I am looking forward seeing you on Sunday. I promise that I will tell my colleagues that you were formidable, but not deadly."
"Is this what you were told?"
"Well, let me tell you that the recommendation was to keep my head down and survive. This is not my style, however, and I am satisfied that we finished the meeting this way. And, Mrs. Monahan, I enjoy challenges."
A small smile appeared on her face and she wished me good luck for the evening but said that Maureen would have to be home by midnight.
"Mrs. Monahan, with all due respect, can we leave this decision to your daughter? I have told her from my heart I would never push her, and that I would never take anything that was not freely given. She accepted this - will you also?"
She looked at me again and her face changed slowly from caution to respect.
"Oh, go away and have fun!"
We left the NT building and they turned to me complimenting me on the presentation and the taming of the shrew. I said that I had been presenting the proposal, but that we had worked together to achieve this, and that I was grateful for their support and competent work. They were going to have some drinks before taking the late plane to Sydney, but told them to go ahead, and that I was going to meet a friend and would stay a day in Brisbane.
"See you on Monday, and a great job done, my friends. We'll have a drink on Monday night, and the bill is on me!"
Off they went, and I returned to the hotel to shower, change and wait for Maureen. The night would be wonderful!
To my great and pleasant surprise, I saw a beautiful lady sitting in the Lounge. When she saw me, she jumped up and ran into my arms. She wore a short summer dress, with a generous décolleté, showing off her proud breasts. The dress accentuated her narrow waist and her slightly flaring hips, and most certainly her long legs that never seemed to stop, but the most beautiful sight was the happiness in her face, her grey-green eyes sparkling, and her luscious lips ready to be kissed. Her red hair was made up in a knot at the back of her head and it emphasized her long neck. She hugged me with all her strength and kissed me, not an affectionate kiss, but a kiss full of need and sensuality. Who was I to refuse this? I lost myself in her eyes and felt her body trying to glue itself to mine. I could feel her breast and especially her hard nipples pressing into me, and I loved every moment of it!
After a while I realized that people were looking at us and reluctantly let her go. She looked at with love in her eyes and gave me a warm kiss on my cheeks.
"James, I have missed you so much. I have been counting the days and hours, and I have been sitting here for over an hour hoping you would appear earlier. Why did you come so late? How did your presentation go? Any problems with my mother?"
I took her hands and led her to a chaise longue. I put my arms around her and whispered: "I missed you, too, dear. I was also waiting for this moment and am so happy to have you finally close to me. It is difficult to separate personal feelings from professional obligations, and these two weeks were pure hell for me, but I'm here now, and you are here, and we're together. This is how it should be every day!"
She nodded enthusiastically.
We took longer with our proposal than expected, and at the end, your mother asked me to stay for a moment. I was afraid that she´d make a scene, but she was completely different from what my colleagues had told me. Perhaps it helped that the presentation went well, much better than she had expected. The beginning was tough, and I expected to be torn apart - her first words were almost impolite in their aggressiveness - but that changed during the discussions. We had some final words about you and me and I told her that I respected her position as a mother, but this was our relationship and that you and I would decide where we would go - with all due respect, naturally, but now we have our time together. Let me go and have a shower and change, and we can go for dinner - and some dancing? I would dearly love to hold you again in my arms before all people."
She leaned into me and asked in a very seductive voice:
"Can I come with you? You have seen most of my body - it would only be fair to see yours!"
"No, ma'am. If you come up now, there might be a chance that you would not leave and I would be in serious trouble with your dear mother, and please remember that this is a step you have to think about. Now it is still wonderful fun with promises of an even better future, but that is a step you have to take consciously, not in the heat of the moment. I would love to take you to my room and not leave before Sunday, but I love you and respect you too much to do it now. Who knows whether you will be ready to take that last step, or when? All I can say now, both of us have to calm down and wait for the right moment."
She looked at me and fluttered her eyelashes. Please, pretty please? You can cross my heart!"
"Darling, no whining or moaning. Sit down and wait for me."
I got up reluctantly - after all, having a conscience can hurt - and after one last kiss, went to the elevator and my room. I had a short shower, changed into casual clothes and went back to Maureen. She was still sitting obediently in her chair but got up the moment she saw me leaving the elevator.
"What took you so long " ... a kiss ... "did you go out" ... another kiss... "and buy your outfit?" ... kiss... "it looks great! And you are gorgeous!" and with a last kiss we left to get a taxi. She had decided not to use her car, because this way we could enjoy the wine without a guilty conscience, and we would have more time for ourselves, without her paying attention to driving. She called a taxi and after a moment a nice car came up to the curb. I helped her in and got in myself.
"Where will we go to?"
She turned to the driver and started to tell him the address of the restaurant and stopped.
"Mother! For heaven's sake, why did you do this?" She tried to calm down and control her ire. Then she turned back to the driver.
"OK, good evening, Rogerio. How are you? How is your wife? Please take us to the Malt at Market Street."
He smiled and said: "Good evening Miss Monahan. Good evening, Sir. It is
always a pleasure to see you, Miss Monahan."
And off we went. She turned to me and whispered that Rogerio had been her mother's driver for a long time, until he bought a taxi and earned his own money on his own terms. Maureen was furious, because her dreams of kissing her way to the restaurant had vanished. She was certain that her mother had talked to him to chaperone us around and then relate everything to her. I told her to relax and enjoy the evening, as there were solutions for every problem.
Putting my arms around her shoulders, I shifted her head and brushed a little kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes and almost purred. Observing that the driver did not see anything, she took my hand and slipped it under the top of her dress. Her nipple was hard, and she was visibly excited - as was I. I stroked it lightly and she purred again. When I took the nub between my fingers and rubbed it - gently, but firmly - and pulled it a bit, the purring changed into a moan.
"James, if you don't stop right now, I´ll jump you here in this car!"
She put her hand on my erection and twitched it slightly. "I can play the same game! Just hold my - no, your - breast and I am happy, at least for this short moment."
When we arrived at the restaurant, I wanted to pay him, but he said that he had a standing account with NT and would send the bill there.
"Enjoy the evening. I shall wait for you here. I have worked the whole day and need to relax a bit."
Maureen, still upset, told him to go home and rest there, but he insisted that he would wait.
We entered the Malt and it was lovely: a beautiful, light decoration with big windows looking onto the park.
The Maître saw us and came over. "What a pleasure to see you again, Miss Monahan. Good evening, Sir. We have reserved our best table for you."
He led us to an alcove at the right side of the room at a more reserved area, candle-lit and with a nice view of a park. People were still walking or jogging, and right in front of us was a beautiful fountain with water running down the irregular surfaces. It was a piece of art using water to emphasize stability and movement. I sat Maureen in her chair and turned to the Maître."
"What can you recommend today?"
"We have a wonderful abalone as a starter and the quail has been recommended by our guests. Perhaps a glass of champagne to begin? We also have a New Zealand Pinot Noir that would go well with the quail."
I looked at Maureen and she said that she had gone often to this restaurant when her father was still alive and that she was never disappointed here. I asked her opinion on the wine and she started to discuss details with the Maître. It was fascinating how her face became serious, and the final agreement - not on this Pinot Noir, but on another one she thought would fit better - made her glance proudly at me. She smiled and asked how I judged her performance.
"Darling, I couldn't care less whether it was this wine or another and I'm certain both would be good. I spent all my time enjoying watching you. Have I told you recently that you are beautiful and that I love you?"
"Well, not during the last ten minutes and I think that ten minutes is far too long a time!"
She blushed, and looking tenderly at me, moved her head closer, her golden earrings swinging slowly. She took my hands and kissed them.
"I'm a different person from the one who went to Sydney. I feel alive and loved, and I do not want this to stop. You said that you would never push me into anything I didn't want, but now I do want to stay with you forever. Perhaps I'm now too forward, perhaps I give myself too early without knowing where it can lead, but this is me now and I'm yours."
I gazed at her and took her hands and kissed every finger. "You will never lose me."
A polite cough saved me from becoming too mushy and I saw the Maître arriving with the champagne. "If you are ready, Sir, we could serve the starter."
Maureen tasted the champagne and expressed her satisfaction. "As always, Marco, it is perfect."
The abalone was wonderful, firm and soft, and with a delicate fresh taste, and the champagne complemented it nicely. The quail was excellent, too, and I complimented both Maureen and the Maître on their choice of wine. She smiled, and the smile lighting up her face.
"Time to go, James. I have been observing you - you're not the only person that can get lost looking at the one you love - and I believe that you're quite tired. It has been a long week and I need you rested tomorrow. I plan to take my car and go up to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, take a picture of you holding a Koala to show the world two opposites - a cuddly and a stiff person - after all, for us, Koalas are people! I'll show you the Mt Cool-tha and the Green Mountain, have a picnic, and slowly drive back. We can decide tomorrow what to do at night. How about I take you back to the hotel and pick you up at nine? Casual clothes, please. I had other dreams for the night, but this is a better idea. Sacrifices can be rewarded..."
I told her that while I had also thought that the night would end differently, she was right. I was too tired to pay proper attention to her, and the idea of a reward the following day was very tempting. I asked for the bill, but the Maître said that it would go to NT, which had a business account with Malt. I pulled him aside and said that this was not a business meeting, but a dinner for pleasure, and that I had invited Miss Monahan and it was my pleasure to pay for a wonderful meal.
He looked at me and whispered: "You are OK, Sir. Look after Maureen - we love her dearly."
Maureen came back from the restroom with a wicked smile on her face. "Hey " I whispered and gripped her hand. "What's wrong?"
She laughed, her eyes welling up. "Nothing, absolutely nothing James. Haven't you ever seen an incredibly happy woman before?"
"Well it's tough to figure them out, they cry when they're sad, they cry when they're mad, they cry when they're happy. It's not the best indicator to go by..." I said, lifting her hand and giving her a quick peck.
"It's not the tears you look at, it's the mouth, make her smile if she's sad, or steer clear if she's angry. She might bite. If she's happy, just keep doing what you're doing." she said laughing. She dabbed her eyes with the napkin.
"Well then." I stood, not letting go of her hand and came around the table and kissed her deeply. A couple clapped and a few made rude noises. I looked down and saw a big grin and pink cheeks. "What if she's smiling?"
"Keep kissing her."
I obliged. She came back to reality and called the maître.
"Marco, we came here with a taxi driver I did not really like. Nothing serious, but he insisted to wait for us. Is there another way out to call a different taxi?"
Marco was troubled and asked whether he should call the police. Maureen calmed him down and said she just wanted to leave without having to go through a discussion with that guy. He said to leave it with him - he would resolve this problem. Two minutes later he called us to lead us to the back entrance. A limousine was waiting, and the driver opened the door for her.
"Good evening, Miss Monahan, Sir. I shall take you home."
Maureen looked at me completely vexed, but entered the car. We thanked the maître, who said that it was the owner's car and completely safe. I asked the driver to take us first to her home, and then go to the hotel. He started the engine and Maureen turned to me and said angrily that nothing had worked out this night as planned. She was not allowed to come to my room, the taxi driver was going to report all our moves to her mother, and even now she had to behave properly. And then she mumbled something along the line of ´you'll see tomorrow what you have missed today... ´
She leaned into my arms and kissed me. When we arrived at her house, which appeared medium-sized with a nice garden in front and high hedges around the sides, I opened the door, helped her out, said good night, and considering that the driver was looking and some lights were still on in the surrounding houses, doing it with a very chaste kiss.
"Good night, James. Tomorrow at nine, and we'll have a lot of fun!" and leaving my arms, she entered her home. The car took me back to the hotel and I thanked the d
river. When I wanted to pay him, he said not to worry, that it was a courtesy of Malt.
It took me a long time to calm down from the excitement of the day and the frustration of the night, but finally I fell asleep.
Chapter 6: The Picnic
I woke up rested and happy - I was going to see my love in a short time. After breakfast I waited in the Lounge.
And then she arrived.
She was beautiful, with her happy face telling me that everything would be wonderful today. Her hair was loose, curling to her shoulders, her eyes were sparkling, and her smile was dazzling. She was dressed again in that lovely little blue top, and short white Bermudas with a lot of skin showing between one piece and the other. Her long legs were evenly tanned, and she wore some pretty sandals. She was a picture of health and happiness, and she was mine!
She kissed me soundly and told me to jump - we had to leave to get to the Station and have time for the picnic. After we left, she asked me whether I remembered the top.
"My love, that was the second thing I saw. The first one was you, the woman I adore, and the second was the top. I have very fond memories of it!"
"You shall have even fonder memories of it after today, my love."
Going to the Brisbane Valley was a nice drive. Her Mazda Miata was a little convertible, and it was a pleasure to see her driving fast and competently, with her hair streaming in the wind. The scenery was not so outstanding at the beginning, but coming closer to the mountains, it changed dramatically; we arrived at the Koala Station and did the tourist thing. The Koalas were adorable, but again, I was more fascinated by my lady, the warmth she showed holding an animal, the merry grin when she gave me one of them to hold, and the overall contentment of being there with me. She was lovely.
After this show she drove farther into the mountains and turned off the main road into a small earth path. I looked at her doubtfully, but she told me to relax and trust her. Finally, we ended up at a small clearing overlooking the Brisbane River. It was a beautiful sight, from the mountains on one side and the city skyline on the other. The sun was high, there was a slight breeze and birds were singing around us.
