Roger Grayson - A Neighborhood Party

Finally, after much bickering, she had just given up and has said nothing more than she could not possibly cancel her trip at such a late date. She had lied that her mother had called that morning and told her about all the things she had arranged for her homecoming with friends and this sort of thing. As she had expected, he had not understood and had almost thrown a temper tantrum right in their bedroom.

Perhaps, she tried to rationalize, he had reason for it. It was important to both of them for their future and for the children they were planning on having next year as soon as Bob was settled and secure and they were certain they would have no more financial problems. And, he didn't know about the things Jean had told her and probably wouldn't have believed them anyway even if he had stopped for a moment to listen to her side of the argument. She had had a little more time now since the plane had been in the air, to think more dearly and recover from the shock of the sudden disclosure of Harry Burns' visit to Bob. And perhaps Jean had been wrong. Perhaps there was something psychologically wrong with her that made her fabricate these things about Harry Burns and possibly other people too. After all, Carol had no way of knowing just how reliable a person Jean really was. She had just met her that morning, and aside from the fact that she seemed so sincere and hurt in what she was saying, it just might not be true. Yet it wasn't possible that anyone would tell stories like that without some basis in fact unless they were mentally deranged.

That just didn't seem possible in this case!

Jean appeared so logical in all the other respects that it just could not be the answer. True, she had had quite a bit to drink but not enough to cause her to go off on a tantrum like that. No, there was something to it. There just must be and no amount of success Bob could have in the world could justify her having to defend herself from a man like that. It was just asking too much. She would just have to make Bob listen when she returned home in a few days and maybe he could explain it to Mr. Jordan. He seemed as though he would understand if Bob didn't call her childish again and refuse to hear her side of it.

Carol fluffed up her pillow on the back of the seat and closed her eyes to get some sleep. She would have more of a chance to think things over and perhaps make some sense out of this sudden change of circumstances that had, without warning, shadowed her happiness. A slight shiver of revulsion passed through her body as she thought of the ruddy-faced man next door and his hands reaching out unimpeded toward her body. Sleep came a few minutes later, driving the horrible lewd thoughts of Harry Burns, her neighbor, away.

"Well, Bob boy, I think the program you've been laying out for me the last few hours should work pretty well. As Jordan explained to you, I haven't been too happy with the service this smaller bank has been giving me. They're just too conservative in their investment policy and I think a younger man with new ideas like yourself can help increase my returns on money invested by a great deal. Let's drink to a change as soon as I can get my affairs in order."

Bob, following the lead of Harry Burns, raised his glass of Champagne in toast. He smiled over at the older man's wife as she toasted also, and tipped the glass to his lips.

Boy, he had it made now, he thought happily to himself. He had spent the last two hours at their house and then dinner at Savatini's on the beach explaining the program he envisioned for changing the investment direction of his stock portfolio. He obviously had made quite an impression on Burns and his wife as they had spent most of the evening listening to him. Burns had really surprised him. He wasn't quite the hick Bob had thought when he had first talked to him yesterday in the driveway. Crude perhaps, but a hick he wasn't. He had punctuated Bob's rather complicated explanation of why, at this particular time, it was better to have some of his investment in growth rather than income stock with some sharp observations and suggestions. Some of the suggestions, Bob had to admit, were sound improvements over the plan he had personally worked out this afternoon. Of course, it was only a quick preliminary study, which he had made clear to Burns at the beginning of the evening, and he probably would modify it over the next few days as he received more information on the exact objectives he was to work toward. Some investors wanted to purchase stock that would not pay them much money immediately but over the long period they would gain more. Others wanted a short-term type of stock that paid high dividends to its shareholders. Burns seemed to have a lot of excess money that he didn't need for living purposes, so didn't need a short term investment. He could let his money pile up in a growth stock which would save him income tax at present and he could use the profit later when he retired.

"Bob, you're marvelous," Marsha said, "This is what Harry needs to get him out of that rut he's been in with that bank. I'm sure you'll do wonders for him."

"Why thank you, Mrs. Burns," Bob beamed. She hadn't said too much this evening aside from the usual social amenities that were necessary and had let them go about their business without interruption. But, it was easy to see who would make the difference in whether Harry Burns transferred his account or not. Damn Carol, he thought, she could have turned her charm on Mrs. Burns while he had been working her husband over if she had been here.

"Please call me, Marsha. It looks as though we're going to be neighbors for a long time so we may as well end the formalities right now."

"That's the best idea I've heard in a month of Sundays," her husband chimed in, a slight red flush of alcohol covering his cheeks. "We've had enough of business for one night. Waiter, bring us another bottle of Champagne-and make it good and cold. When I want to drink, I want to drink."

Under normal circumstances Bob would have been embarrassed by the loud voice booming through the dinner club but Burns seemed to be well known here and no one seemed to mind. Besides, he was still flushed from the excitement of landing an account this size. There were some larger ones in the bank but not many from a private individual.

"When do you think, Harry, that you can get your affairs in order with the other bank to make the transfer?"

He wasn't worried about it but it seemed a good thing to bring up at this point. He did have to make the appropriate plans for the re-investment of the money as quickly as possible. A loss of one day could sometimes lose a man with this kind of account a lot of money.

"Oh, don't worry about that right now. We can take care of it by next week sometime. You've made the deal, son, so relax and enjoy yourself."

"Now, don't misunderstand me, Harry," Bob corrected quickly. "I just want to make certain I'm prepared with the proper information when you make the transfer."

"I'd get it in writing as quickly as possible if I were you, Bob," chimed in Marsha. "He's been known to change his mind before."

"Listen you two. We're out to have a good time tonight. Bob's got the deal as soon as I can study over his proposal and that's that, so knock it off. Let's eat, drink and be merry as the saying goes. Why don't you two take a turn around the dance floor? We shouldn't let that good music go to waste."

"I would love to," smiled his wife as she rose from her seat. "I'm sure I won't have to worry about my toes, like with you, dear."

Bob led her out to the dance floor where the small combo was playing one of the quiet old favorites. Marsha took him by surprise when she curled herself warmly into his arms, making certain he could feel the sharp, full tips of her breasts pushing tautly into his chest. He had felt all evening that even though she had not said much during the business conversation, she had had her eye on him. He had tried to ignore it but had somehow felt her eyes almost penetrating through him even when he wasn't looking at her. She was really built and not more than a few years older than he himself and right now with the way she was pushing herself into him he had the feeling that he had better be careful. He couldn't let a deal like this be ruined by some stupid action on his part now. He tried to pull back a little, worried that Burns was watching them from the table. He had never experienced a problem like this before with a client's wife and wasn't exactly certain how he should react. He knew he had to please them both, but by pleasing her he might just offend Burns and destroy his chances of getting this new account.