Silicon Gulch, Chapter 7

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 Atlantawhere they fell in love while he was still married, and again in Washington DCwhere fortune kept them apart. A surprise meeting with Kathyputs 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 7 of Silicon Gulch … Jeff and Paula get naked―the Frenchman interrupts!

Tuesday, 10:02 AM: An Uninvited Liar
The Frenchman calls and says Paula invited him to their meeting this morning. Mikl Denot, the Frenchman's investor threatens to go to Jeff's boss. Jeff and Paula get naked in the conference room when the Frenchman interrupts them and offers a five million dollar bribe!
 
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Thanks for taking time, and enjoy!
- Chris Lamela

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Author contact: chris@chrislamela.com, 707-566-8790 PST

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Tuesday, 10:02 AM: An Uninvited Liar

    The hotel phone rang, Jeff reached for it, listened to the automated wake-up message. He turned to the clock reading eight o'clock. "Nice," he said out loud, stretched, swinging his feet to the floor.

    He stood, reached for his computer case, pulling out his laptop and charger, rooting around for a modem cable. He set everything on the desk, turned the computer on, plugged the charger and modem cable into the computer, the other end into the phone socket mounted above the desk. A couple minutes later, the Windows 95 screen came up. He turned to go to the bathroom.

    Twenty minutes later he emerged showered, naked, pulling socks and underwear out of his luggage putting them on, walking to his closet he pulled down a nice pressed dark-blue dress shirt and slacks, happy that he had done his ironing for the week on Sunday night in Ashland before he went to see Shakespeare. Pulling out his favorite black cap-toe dress shoes, he set them down on the bed, walked to the computer sitting down in front of it, fidgeted around until his email came up.

     There were a few messages from the factory, took the time to read and respond to them. There was a message from Lin with directions to her house in Los Gatos with the note, "Jeff, I am really looking forward to seeing you this afternoon. Please plan to spend at least three hours as we have much to do together, Lin." He felt a little rise between his legs reaching for the hotel stationary pad and pen, scribbling down the directions for all that much to do together!

     The next message was from Kathy with her address and the note, "Jeff, I am really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night. Please plan to spend the night if you want, I would like that. Love, Kathy." Can't get much more explicit than that! He felt an even bigger rise between his legs scribbling down Kathy's directions.

     Wow, two women in one day?

     He scrolled through the messages expecting something maybe from Nancy or Paula, but there was nothing. He shut down the computer, packed it all back into his computer case, to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

     He came back out, his cell phone rang. "Jeff here."

     "Ah, yes, Jeff, good morning." It was Gerard.

     "Good morning to you also, Gerard, what can I do for you?"

     "I understand that there is a meeting this morning between you and Paula Johnson."

     Jeff wasn't sure how he knew this feeling annoyed, "Yes, it's a private meeting between her and me."

     "Yes, and I was wondering if I could attend that meeting with you."

     "I would have to ask Paula to see if that's okay."

     "I have just spoken to her and she said that we are invited."

     "Who is we? Who else will be there?"

     "Just me and my VP, Thomas."

     "If she already said yes, why are you calling me?"

     The Frenchman seemed to stumble on his words, "It was just…I wanted to make sure…what I mean is that…" he cleared his throat so loudly Jeff had to pull the phone away from his ear. "What I mean, is very good, I will see you then. And where is this meeting?"

     "If you did talk to Paula, she would have told you we are meeting in the lobby."

     "Yes, of course, in the lobby. Well very good, I will see you then," the line hung up abruptly.

     Jeff glanced at the clock seeing it was nine-fifteen, if he wanted breakfast he would have to go now. He sat on the bed to put on his shoes tying them, stood reaching for his coat, smiling at the extra weight of the Colt Cobra in the pocket from when Nancy had given it to him last night at the airport. He put on his coat, reached his right hand into the pocket to pull the pistol out. He flicked the button, the cylinder flopped out. He looked to see six hollow-point bullets. Flicking his wrist the cylinder snapped shut, putting it back into his right outside coat pocket again. He reached for his phone, unplugged it, scooped up his computer case throwing the strap over his shoulder, headed through the door, a few minutes later was sitting alone at a table in the restaurant looking at the menu.

    He ordered, sipping his coffee when he heard a voice, "Good morning there, may I sit with you?"

    It was a man Jeff remembered from the dinner, but did not remember his name. The man sat down reaching his hand out to Jeff, "Mikl Denot, you will remember me from last night. Jeff, right?" Jeff put his coffee cup down, shook hands nodding.

     "Yes, I remember meeting you briefly last night. You are with Neurotek, right?"

     "Well, I am not with Neurotek, I am friend with Gerard Pallot. More than a friend, really, I am also the biggest investor in Neurotek." Jeff listened to Mikl's accent. Swiss, yes, with the French accent, but with a tinge of something else that made it definitely Swiss. Mikl handed Jeff a card that simply has his name, Mikl Denot PhD with phone and fax numbers, all European telephone numbers. Jeff looked at the name Mikl smiling at the Swiss efficiency that can't be bothered with wasted silent vowels in a name.

     The waiter came, turned over Mikl's coffee cup filling it, Mikl looking up to him, "I will have whatever he is having for breakfast." The waiter made a note on his order pad.

     Jeff looked up to the waiter, "I know I already ordered, but can you bring them together?" The waiter nodded turning away.

     "That is very thoughtful, thank you."

     Jeff nodded sipping his coffee.

     "So I understand that you have agreed to do a test integration with Neurotek equipment.

     Jeff set his coffee cup down with a stern face, "No. I didn't."

     "But Gerard made that announcement last―"

     "I don't care what he said, at most we agreed to talk about talking about it. I never agreed to anything. I was very surprised when he made that announcement. I don't know where that came from."

     "So you never actually―"

     "I didn't agree to anything. We only talked about the possibility of doing an integration. I have no idea about the scope of that work, if I can spare engineers, who is going to pay for it. This is not some simple little thing. We do these kinds of things all the time. They are very time consuming and expensive." He knew that if they just threw the gear into the Cessna Skymaster that it could be done in a few hours, but he was getting plenty pissed off at all this so decided not to mention it now.

     Mikl shook his head in a tisk-tisk way, "I was afraid of this."

     "Your Gerard is a total loose cannon. I can tell you this, after that little shenanigan last night, there definitely will not be any test integration. There's nothing in it for us. We sell more systems than we can make, I don't need any more add-ons and I certainly don't need this guy running around telling people things that just aren't true."

     Mikl sat intent, looking at his folded hands in front of him, "What will it take to have this test integration?"

     The waiter stepped up with a tray laying a plate in front of each man, Jeff said thank you.

     Jeff picked up his napkin setting it in his lap, Mikl hung his around his shirt collar, dangling napkin in front of him. Jeff was trying to ignore the question hoping it wouldn't be asked again.

     "So please, if I may, what will it take to have this test integration?"

     Jeff put food in his mouth, chewed, swallowed taking a sip of coffee. "Nothing, I am not interested."

     "Maybe we could talk to your CEO, maybe he would be more reasonable."

     Jeff scowled at the man in front of him, "That would be a very serious mistake. If you try to go around me I will do everything I can to destroy your company. And I can do it. I can make sure you never sell a single thing to the DOD or any companies we are affiliated with―and we are affiliated with them all." He looked intently at the Swiss face in front of him. "Do you understand this? I don't know about where you come from, but we don't do business like that here."

     Jeff took two more bites signaling to the waiter for his check pulling out his pen. The waiter came up, Jeff signaled for him to wait. He scribbled on the tag to bill the meal to his room handing it to the waiter.

     Mikl raised his hands, "I can pay for my part." Jeff waved in a brush-off with the back of his hands standing, his plate still half-full.

     "Look, I wish you the best, but if you ever try this heavy-handed shit with me again I will kick your company's ass. I will make sure you never sell a single system in the United States. Got it?"

     "Really, Jeff, I was only trying to―"

     Jeff raised his hands to silence him. "I've got to go," he picked up his computer case, the strap over his shoulder, turned to the door walking quickly away back to the lobby. He sat on a couch in the lobby, could still feel his pulse racing. He looked at his watch, saw five minutes to ten, looking up he saw Paula walking across the lobby.

     She stepped up to him, leaned to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

     "Good morning!" she beamed to Jeff, "how are you today? Isn't it a lovely morning?"

     He shook his head smiling standing back to look at her dressed sharply in a black-and-white hounds tooth fabric skirt with matching short jacket, white blouse with the tiniest frills along the button line, "Very nice, I love your outfit, very professional," she did a little twirl for him, "very sexy!" She giggled. "And thank you for coming to see me last night."

     She got a sudden shameful look, "I'm sorry about that Jeff, I woke up this morning thinking oh my god I can't believe I―"

     He raised his fingers to her lips, "Enough, you were perfectly in order. It meant a lot to have you come to me like you did." She looked up at him in wonder, "Really, you are a very special woman. I mean it. I mean everything I said."

     She smiled reaching out to take his hands, "Jeff Jeff Jeff. You are one special man."

     He glanced at his watch, it said ten o'clock straight up.

     "So I guess when Gerard gets here we can―"

     "Gerard?"

     "Yes, he called me this morning saying he wants to sit in on our meeting, said he called you, that you said okay."

     Her confused face told Jeff before he heard her words, "I don't know what you're talking about. I never spoke to him. I certainly didn't invite him to sit in on our meeting."

     "What the hell―"

     "Ah, there you two are! Good morning to you both!" They turned toward the voice, Gerard walking up with Thomas in tow, reaching his hand out. Neither Jeff or Paula reached out to shake.

     "Gerard," Jeff thought for a second trying to find the right words, "why did you call me this morning and tell me that Paula had approved your sitting in our meeting this morning?"

     "Well!" he broke out a big voice, "what does that matter? I knew that she would approve, right Paula?"

     "No, in fact I wouldn't. Jeff and I have a lot of important business to discuss unrelated to anything to do with you!"

     Jeff scowled, "Gerard, they do have a word in French for truth or is that just a personal defect?"

     "Oh, those are such strong words for such a small thing! Of course we have truth, and of course I know truth. I am a very truthful man!"

     "No Gerard, you are not a very truthful man. At least not what I have seen of you. You made an announcement at that dinner last night that I had agreed to a test integration when I didn't. You told me that Paula approved your being here right now when she hadn't." He shook his head sternly, "Gerard, we don't just go around making things up. For one simple reason if the truth part doesn't bother you: people will find out!"

     "But I knew that we will do the test integration. I was certain that Paula would approve of my being here now."

     Jeff felt his anger rising at this pompous ass who felt like he could assume anything he wanted then lie about it, feeling a flush in his face poking his finger into the robust Frenchman's chest, "First, Gerard, there will not be any integration with my equipment. Second, if you ever lie to me again about what one of my colleagues has said I will…I will…"

     "What, send me to prison?" Gerard poked his finger toward Jeff as he backed away from Gerard, "And let me tell you that I will conduct my company's business as I see fit. I don't need you, I don't need any of you. You need us!" He immediately turned walking away leaving his cohort standing with a helpless expression at what he had just witnessed.

     "Sorry about this, he's…he's just…you know…an off day," turning to leak out of the lobby behind Gerard.

     Jeff and Paula watched the other two disappear into the elevator. "Come on, we've got a break-out room, just the two of us," she turned toward the conference rooms.

     "What, no crazy Frenchmen?" They laughed.

     Soon they were seated in Parlor Three, the same room he was in yesterday and again last night at the dinner, maybe forty feet across each way with a small conference table right in the middle of the room surrounded by four chairs. They both pulled up their computer cases taking out laptops and chargers, finding places to plug them in.

     They sat next to each other, their computers starting up.

     "So why were you so nice to me last night?" She turned to Jeff with a sweet inviting smile.

     "What was I supposed to do?"

     "I don't know, call me a crazy bitch, demand I leave."

     "But you're not a crazy bitch. In fact, I really like you."

     She stood, walked to the door, setting the lock coming back to the table sitting down, suddenly reaching out pulling him to her their mouths meeting in a swirl of tongues they both standing groping at each other quickened breaths pulling off coats mouths locked he reaching for her blouse unbuttoning with fidgety clumsy fingers she reaching down to finish unbuttoning her white bra now bare to the fluorescent-lighted room he unbuttoning his pants pulling his zipper down his pants dropping to the floor she reaching down into his underwear pushing them down his harness flipping up in attention in the same light he pushing her bra up her delicious breasts bouncing out his lips finding her left nipple sucking with his tongue swirling pinching her right nipple between his thumb and forefinger she reaching down to her skirt pulling it up sliding herself up onto the table pulling her panties down…

     SHAVED!

     Sweet lips in full exposure Oh my god Paula you're shaved! frantic hand reaching down stroking the miraculous site before him Yes I thought you might like this I did it this morning just for you hardness bulging under blue-white fluorescent light Oh, Jeff, I can't believe we're doing this, are we crazy? pulling him to her Yes, yes, we're crazy oh Paula shaved just for me height of table perfect he sliding a finger into her sweetness she leaning her head back with eyes closed "Oh, yes, Jeff, Jeff, I want you inside me, Jeff get inside me!" Yes I want to be in you, inside your bare bottom… he licking his fingers sliding them down across her sweet spot.

     Standing up stepping back to her flash of concern, "No no no," thinking of sucking on this sweet pussy without the thought of hairs in his teeth, "Yes, I need to suck this."

     She leaned back on her elbows with an expectant smile spreading her legs he leaning into her with his mouth instantly cupping her treasure sliding tongue up and down up and down up cupping lips around the tiny button of flesh as she rolled her head back in a deep sigh, flicking that sweet dot with the tip of his tongue flick flick flick she moaning Oh yes Jeff my clit my clit my clit her legs quaking Oh god Jeff that feels so good keeping doing that keep doing that keep doing that with a sudden jerk her body swelling upward warm sticky fluid gushing from her as he reached his mouth down taking the sweet juice in a large gulp Oh god what did I do? he looking up to her smile covered by her sweet mound "Jeff, I want you inside me, Jeff get inside me!" leaning forward laying his hardness at her sweet gateway standing back just enough to enjoy the view of his harness sliding up and down and up and down against those bare inviting lips she reaching up to wipe face with her hand giggling reaching to him pulling him to her his harness beginning to push open the sweet inviting lips "Oh Jeff, don't tease me! Get inside of me!" he looking down seeing his stiffened friend just parting lips of the sweet slit before him.

     KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! They both jumped, looking to the door, the sound repeating, KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

     "Yes who is it!" Paula calling out, "we are in a private meeting!"

     A voice came through the door, "We wish to have a word with you if you don't mind."

     "Who is it?" she whispered.

     Jeff growled, "Mikl, the investor guy that pissed me off at breakfast."

     "What does he want?"

     "Hell, I don't know."

     "What do we do?"

     KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

     "Jesus, okay, we're coming, give us a minute!" Jeff shouted to the door.

     KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

     "I SAID WAIT!" Jeff yelled looking down at the scene in front of him shaking his head sadly.

     Disappointed faces hovering over bare bottoms for ten seconds, one last kiss exchanged, arms and hands swirling in frantic dressing both sitting down gaining best decorum. Jeff laughed that Paula had a big puff of hair sticking up, reaching over to smooth it down. She reached to him smoothing his hair with a teasing laugh.

     "Okay, you ready?" he asked, she reached to him for one more kiss.

     Jeff brushed himself off, straightening his coat, walked to the door opening it.

     Gerard and Mikl burst into the room, "We are not interrupting anything are we?"

     "We told you we are having a meeting, what do you think?"

     Mikl held his hands up, they both stood in front of the door looking at Jeff and Paula, Jeff sitting back down. "Look Jeff, Paula, I am afraid that we made some mistakes, that we have gotten off wrongly." Jeff smiled to himself at the uneven English. "We don't believe that you understand our situation, so of course you would have no way of understanding our opinions." Jeff frowned at this one.

     Gerard nudged Mikl whispering to him out the side of his mouth, "Perspective, the word is perspective."

     "Yes, sorry, that is the right word. Our perspective."

     "You have interrupted a very important meeting here. Very very important," Paula gave a secret-code glance to Jeff, he nodded back trying to stay stern even with the rise between his legs.

     "Yes, we understand. The point is that Gerard may have been too hasty in some of the things that he said."

     "You mean his lies?" Jeff's sarcastic voice was not lost on his visitors.

     "As I said, his hastiness."

     "So what do you want from us, you interrupted a meeting that was about to consummate a very important deal here," the two exchanged secret teasing glances.

     "We want to be reasonable, and Jeff I apologize for my being, what did you call it?"

     "Heavy handed."

     "Yes. You see this endorsement from you and General Avatonics is extremely important to us. We simply must have your endorsement, we will do whatever we can to show you that our technology is worthy of being integrated with your systems and flying on the General Avatonics aircraft."

     "So what do you want from us?"

     "We would like to open a discussion about what it would take to get your endorsement."

     "I told you, I am not interested."

     "Yes, we know, you told us both. But what if there was something in it, something in it for you personally? For both of you?"

     "You mean like money? That's against the law, people go to prison for that."

     "You see, that is the problem with the United States, so many laws laws laws. But what if there was another arrangement, say if you were both consultants for Neurotek?"

     "I'm not sure…" Jeff looked to Paula's uncertain face.

     "Would say, five million dollars for each of you convince you?"

     "Five million dollars!" Paula exclaimed.

     Jeff smiled to himself, I've been down this road before remembering the Iranians in Washington DC paying him five million dollars in Bearer Bonds to kill the deal that his company was selling.

     "What would be the terms?" Jeff frowned.

     "A contract making you both consultants, with say, half now, and the other half when we get the DOD approvals we need for our systems. That's all, just the approvals. You wouldn't even have to wait for the sales. This is being very fair."

     Jeff smiled standing up, extending his hand, "Okay, deal," he shook hands with Mikl then Gerard. Jeff looked back to Paula's astonished face.

     He turned to her bending down putting his mouth close whispering very quietly into her ear, "Trust me, go along. Stand up, say yes and shake their hands, okay?" She turned to him with a start, her face full of intense confusion, "Just do it, trust me."

     She stood hesitantly, slowly, looking back to Jeff with his tiniest nod, reaching her hand out, "Okay, yes, I will do it," shaking the two hands.

     "Wonderful! We will have the contracts drawn up, will Friday work to meet again to get this done? Noon on Friday. We will have the first payment for both of you."

     "Bearer Bonds!" Jeff's insistent voice made Mikl smile.

     "Of course, that is always the preferred payment method, I am impressed that you know this, but then I should have guessed that you of all people would know about this."

     Gerard finally spoke, "And so we can meet to discuss the integration?"

     "Yes," Jeff turned to Paula, "will tomorrow morning at ten work?" She nodded.

     "You will see that our technology is marvelous, that there is nothing like it on earth."

     Then with a half-step toward Jeff, the Frenchman's face narrowed.

     "You do understand me, yes? That you will take the money and we will have your endorsement!" The Frenchman's caustic snarl made his intent clear.

     Jeff couldn't believe the words he was hearing, repeating his understanding of what was being said here, "We already said we'd take the money. Isn't that enough? Now you are demanding that I give my endorsement? That you demand I tell the world that your technology works when I doubt it does? Tell the world that your tests aren't faked when I think they are? And are you threatening me? You are threatening me, aren't you."

     "Good, then you do understand me." The Frenchman's cold eyes bored into Jeff. "And make sure you are, yes, I will stop at nothing to get what I want. Nothing." With a stern twisted sly smile, "So this is good, you understand me perfectly." His cold face turned away from Jeff, turning to leave the room.

     Jeff called after the Frenchman, "So what if I don't. Are you going to murder me?" Turning to Mikl, he saw the man's terrified expression.

     Jeff peered at Mikl, "Well, will he?"

     Mikl nodded his head speaking softly, "Yes," then turned toward the door walking out.

     Jeff walked to the door closing it, locking it again, he and Paula collapsing onto their chairs.

     Jeff looked at the door, "Wow, threatened with murder by a liar to his very heart, ah, such a man."

     "Yes a liar," she repeated.
     "Yes, an uninvited liar!"

  

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NOW READ THE NEXT EXCITING CHAPTER OF
SILICON GULCH!

http://chrislamela.blogspot.com/2012/10/silicon-gulch-chapter-8.html


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