Jeff finds himself in Silicon Valley where he is asked to investigate claims by a gregarious Frenchman that his neural network electronic technology actually works. He meets up again with the enchanting Nancy, the FBI agent he had worked with in Atlanta where they fell in love while he was still married, and again in Washington DC Kathy puts romance back into Jeff’s life as he finds himself hounded by financially-desperate Europeans so determined to push their questionable technology―men so desperate that they will stop at nothing, even Jeff’s murder. The excitement will make the reader gasp, tragedy will make the reader cry, romance will make the reader sigh.
Chapter 10 of Silicon Gulch … Arnie is jealous of Jeff!
Tuesday, 5:04 PM: We Didn’t Have Sex!
The congresswoman shares what she knows about the case while Jeff pretends to be surprised. Jeff figures out Arnie was
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- Chris Lamela
Author contact: chris@chrislamela.com, 707-566-8790 PST
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Tuesday,
5:04 PM: We Didn't Have Sex!
Ten minutes later they were laying clutched tightly side-by-side. He was
surprised at his softness laying so closely to this sweet body. Jeff reflected
on his experiences since his twenties with the different ages of women and
their bodies. Sure, there is plenty to be said about tight breasts and a firm
body of a twenty-something woman. When he was twenty seven he met a woman,
Helen, while skiing. Their magnetism had them in bed together before the lifts
closed that day. She was fourteen years older than him, forty-one as he
recalled. He got to hold and caress that wonderful nearly middle-aged body.
From Helen he came to realize that an older woman's body didn't have all
that ripe-orange firmness of a twenty-something or even a thirty-something
woman. Instead, a woman in her forties has a certain suppleness to her body that once he noticed he never wanted again
to hold a younger woman. An older woman's body is so compliant, so soft, her body shapes conforming so eagerly to his
when he holds her.
Even more, an older woman's spirit
is more supple. She has been through all the true love nonsense, now she is
seeking love for deeper reason, her desire for fulfillment has an almost religious purpose.
Sure, he had married his third wife when she was in her early twenties, of
course she had that firm young body. Of course he loved it, he loved her. He
had waited patiently for her body to gain that marvelous suppleness as the
years passed, her body was just beginning to gain that quality when they
separated.
Now he was laying with just such a body, he marveled at the tenderness
of her touch, running the backs of her finger tips along his arm.
She arched her back to look at the clock, "Nancy's going to be
calling, we should sit up." She reached for one of the beers, "Oh,
these are warm, run down and get us two more―no make that four more―cold ones."
"I've got to drive back the hotel, how about three."
"Four, and hurry, her calls are always right on time."
Jeff jumped up with a comical salute in his best Daffy Duck voice, "Yeth
ma'am!"
Grabbing the two warm bottles he turned to the door, she called after
him, "I doubt that duck ever looked so good naked!" He laughed over
his shoulder reaching the stairs starting down to the kitchen. He heard the
phone ring as he reached the bottom, walking quickly to the kitchen, pulling
four more bottles from the refrigerator, fumbling around trying to remember
which drawer she had put the bottle opener. A few seconds later he walked
briskly to the stairs, hands bristling with bottles arriving at her door, but
instead of going in he stood beside the door.
"Yes, we have definitely hit it off very well." He
paused, she listened to the other end of the line, "Nothing other than
talking about the case, well not really talking.
No I didn't tell him about that meeting, I don't know what other plans he
has…do you want to ask him?...yes, I told him some things that I know but he
refused to say anything. I believe he knows more than he is telling me…yes…no,
he said that he needs your permission…yes…hold on," she called out to him
through the door, "Jeff! Can you hurry up? Nancy wants to talk to you!"
He waited a few seconds like he was still coming up the stairs then
stepped around into the door holding the bottles out like trophies, setting
them on the nightstand.
"Good," she motioned to him with
her left hand, her right hand holding the white phone's handset with the very
long white coiled cord dangling down.
"Yes, this is Jeff," he said into the phone, she handed him a
cold ale. Jeff could hear a loud rushing sound coming through the line.
"Jeff, how did she find out that you know me?"
He turned away from Lin, "It just kind of came out."
"I think she's a good guy,
so that's probably okay, but you need to be more careful. What do you need my
permission to talk about?"
"I don't know, about DC."
"No, you don't have my permission to talk about DC. What else?"
"Well, something happened today that you need to know about."
"Is there another phone there? Is she there listening?"
"Yes."
"Where is your cell phone?"
"In my car."
"Then I need you to go to your car, I will call you. Do it now,
things are starting to get a little unwired, I need to know what's going on. I
will call you on your cell phone in five minutes." Jeff heard the click of
her phone hang up.
Jeff turned to Lin handing her the phone, "Listen, uh, I, uh―"
"Don't worry, I know, you need to talk to her in private. I figured
that out."
"Lin, it's not like it's anything―"
"Jeff, I'm a big girl, go do what you need to do," she reached
down to her nightstand opening a door on the front producing a robe, putting it
on as she stood.
He gave a pouty-face look, she opened her robe once more so he could
look at her naked form, closing it again with a smile. "Now go! Go do what
you need to do. She has some important things to tell you, then come back.
Maybe we can have more lay time together," smiling, she reached down
patting between her thighs. Jeff didn't like that she didn't say play time together.
She reached for him with him a
quick kiss, "And this all stays with us, okay, I don't need any rumors
that I am screwing a man that I am associated with officially, got that?"
He stood looking at her smiling, "But you're not screwing me, we
never had sex, right?"
She laughed, "Yes, now go!" she reached her face forward
licking his chin, "Say, I taste pretty good!" He laughed, she clapped
her hands crisply with a grin, "Now go!"
"Yeth ma'am!" he snapped turning to the door, she laughed out
loud.
Jeff turned going back down the stairs to the kitchen, picked up his
clothes. He scooped up the condoms, looking down at them in his hand. He
smiled, "The way this week's going I doubt I'll need these!" He
stepped to the cabinet door under the sink opening it, seeing a garbage can he
tossed the condoms into the can.
He finished dressing, went outside to his car. Opening the door he sat
down in the driver's seat reaching for his coat, pulling the phone out holding
it waiting. Two minutes later it rang.
"Jeff," he heard Nancy's voice, "okay you need to―"
"Nancy wait, there's news on this side."
"News? I only left you last night!" The rushing sound was
louder.
"Where are you?"
"I'm on the plane, using a phone on the plane. Jeff just tell me."
"Yeah, well things are starting to pick up pretty quickly here,"
he went on to tell her about how Mikl threatened to go around him to his CEO, the
Frenchman trying to butt in on his and Paula's meeting, then Gerard and Mikl breaking
in on the meeting itself, the five million dollar offer, the meeting planned
for Friday to sign their payola agreement.
"Wow, five million seems to be your lucky number!" she
laughed, "I did only leave last night, right?" They both laughed.
She went on to ask a lot of detailed questions. She was very concerned
that Paula was involved, "Jeff, I know you didn't mean to get her involved
in this but this could be very serious
and very dangerous, I am really uncomfortable with her being involved in
this."
"Don't worry too much about her, she can take care of herself."
"Oh god, don't tell me that you already had sex with her!"
"Nancy, we didn't have sex," knowing that he was using the
definition of sex that he and Lin had just devised.
"Jeff, I think you have gotten to believe that every woman on earth
can't wait to pull her panties down for you!" He flashed that sure seems to happening a lot lately!
"Did you have sex with the congresswoman?"
"You told me to!"
"That's not what I asked. Did you have sex with her?"
Smiling at his and Lin's definition
he responded firmly, "No, we did not have sex."
"But she told me that you two hit it off very well and there's only one kind of very well that I know of when it comes to someone like you."
Wow, Jeff thought, it's those damned woman electric radar eyes
going here again!
"Look
Nancy, she shared some really deep personal stuff with me. I don't think she
has anyone she gets to share that stuff with, about he ex-husband and kids.
Look, you asked me to get close to her, Nancy. You've got to let me do my best.
I needed to balance getting close to
her without betraying my trust to you."
"Ah, honey, that's sweet, ahhhhh" came a calmed voice. Jeff
felt a flush at these words as she continued, "But you have my permission
to do whatever it takes to get the job done, my trust is my trust. If you used
a condom then it would just be sex so that doesn't matter."
"Well not to worry, the use of a condom, the subject never even
came up with her," he smiled knowing that it damn well that it did come up as well as the subject of oral sex.
She paused, he heard a soft sigh, "You do love me, don't you?"
"Nancy, do you really have to ask? Of course I do. You know it!"
A long pause ensued, Jeff waited patiently, the whooshing sound
continuing on the line.
"Okay then, back to business. Arnie is going to come to the house
to give you both a thorough briefing. You can share everything you know about
this case with her, but if you have any doubts then pull Arnie aside. A lot has
happened since I left last night." Jeff smiled to himself, you got that right!
"When's
Arnie going to be here?"
"I'm not sure."
Jeff looked into his rearview mirror seeing a car coming around the
corner pulling up quickly behind his car. He turned, there was Arnie getting
out of a rental car.
"He's here right now." Jeff opened his car door, got out
turning to wave to Arnie who walked toward him. "He's walking up, is there
anything else you need to tell me now?"
"Yes, I'm on the plane, I get into San Jose at five-forty, can you be
there to get me? Can you come pick me up?"
Jeff paused doing the math in his head glancing at his watch saying four
thirty nine, "It'll be a little tight, but I think I can do that."
"Meet me under the United Airlines sign, it's a small airport, it's
the old terminal on the left as you pull in. Go catch up with Arnie. And Jeff."
"Yes."
"Do whatever he asks. Things are coming together very quickly and
we have reason to believe it's about to get dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
She laughed, "Yes, that was one of
your requirements to sign up to this, remember?"
He paused trying to remember, "Yeah, but I was just kidding."
"Just listen to him, make sure to tell him everything. Look, I
gotta go, see you in an hour. Bye." The line went quiet.
Jeff pressed the stop button on his phone sliding it into his pants
pocket. Arnie walked up, hand extended. "Well, look who's here!" Arnie
smiled, they shook hands. "Nancy said you'd be here, excellent, that way
we can really get down to business, come on," they turned to the house.
Walking behind Arnie, Jeff noticed that he had shed his extra weight,
looking almost thin, his hair was neatly cut, sideburns evenly trimmed, he wasn't
wearing his trademark baseball cap he wore in Atlanta and Washington DC.
"Say Arnie, you look great, been working out?"
"No, not more than usual, it's just…" turning to Jeff walking
to the front porch, "…it's just that things have changed a little. I just thought
it was time to take better care of myself."
"Well, you look good."
Arnie flashed an appreciative smile, "Thanks."
Jeff paused at the door wondering if he should just go in or ring to
doorbell. Making a choice he pushed through the door calling out up the stairs,
"Lin! It's Jeff, I'm back! Arnie's here with me!" He could hear water
running but no response.
Turning to Arnie, "I guess we should sit down," motioning to
the living room, they both turned finding a seat.
A minute later Lin appeared above coming out of the bedroom. Without
looking down she descended the stairs, still in her nightgown. When she got to
the bottom of the stairs she looked up, "Arnie!" Her body entire body
flushed to crimson, "oh god oh god oh god," she turned dashing back
up the stairs.
Arnie stood up bewildered, looking after her, suddenly turning to Jeff
with a venomous flash at Jeff who looked back and forth between the stairs and
Arnie's glowering face.
Jeff held up his hands defensively, "Look Arnie, it's not what you
think."
"What should I think?" Arnie replied in a low stern voice.
"Nancy, she told me to get close to Lin. I was just following her
orders." Somehow that old I was just
following orders line used by everyone from Hitler's henchmen to Richard
Nixon's burglars just didn't seem to ring well here. Jeff glanced up the
stairs, back to Arnie, "Plus, I know it looks bad, but we didn't have sex."
Arnie looked confused, he seemed to be calming. "Yes, we…I don't know what
you call it…I mean I wanted to have
sex with her, after all she is a beautiful woman, right? And she thought she wanted
to have sex with me, but when we got down to it, well, she held back. She did. She held back. Well, we both did." Jeff wondered at this
chain of words emanating from his mouth, watching calm creeping into Arnie
wondering why he would be so affected by this.
He is liking that we didn't have
sex, what's going on here?
The
wheels in Jeff's head clicked trying to do the math adding one and one and now
one more. Her reaction, his anger.
But was it anger?
No!
It was jealousy!
Suddenly it hit him, Arnie is her someone
else! Oh! This makes sense!
Arnie sat down with an exasperated sigh, elbows on knees, head buried in
hands.
"Arnie, your wife." Jeff had no idea where his words came
from, maybe a random grasp to change the subject?
"She died last year. Breast cancer."
Jeff reached out, touching Arnie's shoulder, "I'm so sorry."
"I was on a case. She hid it from me. I mean I knew, but I didn't
know that it was so close, that she was that sick. I would have stayed home.
But she insisted that I pay attention to my work." Jeff watched this man
heave slightly trying to fight tears. "Since then I have completely buried
myself in my work."
"But you have kids, right?"
"Yeah, oldest in college, at George Washington back in DC. Second
graduating high school end of this month. Going off to Dartmouth."
"And Lin knows about them?"
Arnie looked up startled, "How…how did you know?"
Jeff laughed out loud, "Are you kidding?"
"No, how did you know?"
"Look Arnie, the math ain't that hard. I get into a bed with a
woman who says she can't have sex because there's someone else, her reaction
seeing you here like she was busted, and your reaction to all this? And you
looking all slimmed down and neat as a pin? Please
Arnie."
"Well…what…I mean…"
"And I think it's great!"
Arnie's expression softened to grateful, "Thanks Jeff. Thanks for
being so…" He paused looking down at his hands, back to Jeff. "What
about you and Nancy?"
Somehow this turn didn't surprise Jeff, it took a second to realize that
he wasn't surprised, "I guess it's kind of like you and Lin. We just met,
and well…"
Arnie smiled, "Yeah, I sure know that part well. Sometimes it just can't be helped huh? The people
we fall in love with. And do you love Nancy?"
This was the first time Jeff had ever been asked this question, pondering
his answer, "Yes, at least I think. We've only ever been involved when
there's all this craziness, like now. I've read that about situations like
this, like Atlanta and DC. So yes I love her. At least I think I love her."
"What about your wife, you're still married?"
"Yes, I guess. Seems I manage to keep going home with love letters
in my pockets." He shook his head, "But no, it looks like I have my
third divorce in my future."
Arnie reached out laying his hand on Jeff's arm, "Look, I'm sorry,
I really shouldn't pry."
"It's okay, you need to know, I understand."
"Look, Nancy is very special to me. I need to know that you're
going to be good to her."
"Arnie," Jeff paused rubbing his cheek with his left hand
thinking, "I am not sure she is ready for a relationship. Especially with
someone like me with kids, all that laundry and dishes and running kids around
stuff. She absolutely howled at my
mini-van! I don't think she could fathom actually driving one. And well, that's
just where my life is." Jeff paused, "And you remember all that
business back in DC with Shawn, how she worked so hard to try to mold him in
her mind, when any one of us could take one look at that guy and know he wasn't
the picket fences type. I think she fantasizes about it, but in the end she wouldn't
really want it. She lives this life on the edge. I am pretty sure, now that I'm
getting a chance to talk it out, that she's not ready for that life."
Arnie shook his head thoughtfully, looking up to Jeff, "You are an
amazing man Jeff."
"Yeah, I've been getting that a lot lately."
"No, I mean it. To be so…well obviously…I mean to be so sexually
attracted to someone and have all this introspection. It's pretty remarkable.
That means a lot to me that you are putting so much heart into taking care of
her, even if it means that you two won't be together." Arnie looked deep
into Jeff's eyes seeing that the words affected him, "Yes, mister Jeff,
you are a special man for taking such good care of my girl like that."
Jeff looked to the ceiling, back to Arnie, "It
was you, wasn't it?"
"Me who?"
"Your were her first mentor. The one who took her on as her mentor
for the Atlanta deal, then dropped back, let her go on as the lead agent. It
was you. I couldn't see it before, maybe all the craziness, but you really take
such care of her, really care about her. It had to be you."
Arnie smiled, "Yes, it was me. All that little bird needed was
someone to take her in and let her fly. She has become an outstanding agent.
She's had the fastest promotion to senior agent that I can remember. She has
all the senses, the right manner, the right attitude, the right skills. But she
has been through a lot, especially in DC. I am really happy that it's you at
this point in her life. After that Shawn business in DC she really needs your
support. But she is a lot more fragile than she looks. No matter what happens
between you two, you need to be careful not to rush her. Promise me?" Jeff
nodded.
Quiet enveloped them for a minute. Arnie looked back to Jeff, "So
you are okay with me and Lin?"
"Happy that two friends who look so compatible have found each
other? Arnie, I am thrilled that you
guys have let me in on this. I think it's great!"
They both looked up watching Lin
stepping down the stairs with the composure of a monarch descending to her
subjects, putting one step in front of the next to the bottom of the stairs,
slowly coming forward to the couches, "Good to see you Arnie," with
an overly-composed manner that made Jeff smile.
Arnie stood up, they exchanged quick cheek pecks sitting down next to
each other.
Arnie's expression suddenly turned serious, "Okay, guys, lots going
on." He turned to Jeff, "You talked to Nancy, what did she tell you?"
"Actually, she didn't tell
me much. I did all the telling," he glanced toward Lin, "but I need
your permission to talk about it."
Arnie looked to Lin unable to mask his admiration turning back to Jeff, "She
is one of us, you can tell us everything."
Jeff went on to tell about the Frenchman's lies, their breaking in on
his meeting with Paula―minus certain details of course―the five million dollar
bribes. The planned meeting on Friday to sign the crooked deal, how he and
Paula haven't had any chance to talk about it, about Paula's concerns, Jeff
telling her to go along with it for now. About the meeting with the Frenchman
tomorrow morning to talk about the integration.
It was Lin's turn who told about their attempt to bribe her with five
million to be some kind of consultant but because of a change in the House
ethics rules last year that she was barred from that kind of role. She said
that Gerard had made several contacts with her and her office, that he had come
three times to get visits with her in DC, how her staff started to screen his
calls because he was such a pest.
Arnie shared a rumor that they were bringing in some kind of muscle
because they were worried that people wouldn't or couldn't take their bribes, that
their investigation into the finances of the company was coming up with all
sorts of red flags not to mention this so-called investor Mikl Denot who's name
has come up many times in international money laundering through Swiss and
Grand Cayman banks.
When the air went quiet Jeff finally looked between the faces caught in
a gaze between them.
"Hello you two?" Jeff cooed.
Interrupted faces turned back to him, Jeff smiled, "So what's the
plan?"
"First, Paula needs to go back to San Diego. It's too dangerous."
"Who's going to tell her?"
"I will call Frank Pacfil, get him to order her back to San Diego tomorrow."
Jeff felt a rush of disappointment that his little tryst with Paula was about
to end before it ever really got started. He remembered her panties that he
gave back to her, now wishing he had kept them.
"Now they want another meeting," Arnie continued.
"When?"
"Tonight," Arnie replied looking at his watch, "don't
know what time, but knowing this damned Frenchman it will want to be over
dinner and it will be late."
Jeff shook his head, "I have an important…er…meeting tonight at
seven. Or six."
The other two exchanged knowing glances, Arnie turned to Jeff, "Well
you will just have to tell her to do it another time."
Jeff didn't even bother to argue about the word her, glancing at his watch, "It doesn't matter, I have to pick
up Nancy in a half-hour, she's coming back tonight."
"Great!" Arnie gave a half-hopeful look toward Lin, "Go
ahead and go. Stay by your phone, we'll call you."
Jeff stood, Lin glanced to Arnie, standing. "I'll walk you out,"
she smiled.
Arnie reached up to Jeff, they
shook hands, "See you tonight."
Jeff walked toward the door, Lin following behind. He walked outside toward
his car with her walking beside him.
She laughed, "A mini-van?"
He grinned, "Okay, enough, I already get plenty of crap for it
okay?"
"Okay." They turned toward each other, she reached out taking
his hands. "Jeff, I just wanted to say thank you."
"Thank me for what?"
"For being so understanding. For being there for me. You've made me
feel…I don't know…kind of liberated. You've given me courage."
Jeff glanced at the house seeing Arnie standing at the window watching
them. "Look Lin, he's a good man. He's going to take good care of you."
Her surprised expression spoke before her words, "How did you…I
mean…how…"
"It doesn't matter. Does it?" He nodded toward the window, "All
I know is that I have worked with him off-and-on for a couple years, that he is
a good man. And while I've only known you for less than a day, I've gotten a
crash course on Woldsey Lindon, I feel like I know the real Lin. You two will
be a wonderful match."
She smiled at him, "Thank you. Thank you Jeff. This means a lot to
me."
Glancing at his watch he turned to his car, "I've only got thirty five
minutes to get Nancy."
She called after him, "You're going counter-commute so it'll only
take fifteen minutes, take the Guadalupe Parkway exit back across the freeway,
follow the signs. Which airline?"
"United."
"Excellent, turn left in the airport, it's in the old section. It'll
be real fast."
He went around the car, opening the door. She held her hand up, her
fingers waving to him. He started the car, pushing the button to roll down the
passenger-side front window, she leaned toward the opening.
He called out to her, "And remember," starting to pull away.
"We didn't have sex!"
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SILICON GULCH!
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