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Charlie and Clyde

By: Cat5



Chapter 1

The tech chat room was busy when it suddenly appeared, "DB ex crash cash end. Charlie."

Now to many people that ad meant absolutely nothing, but to me it was pretty clear that Charlie was desperate for a database geek who would work on a crash project for no money until the job was done.

I didn't like the cash at the end, since I was broke. In fact, I had been evicted from my studio apartment a few days earlier and had been freeloading on a friend's couch. However, database management is my thing, and a crash project meant that the end was near, so it was worth a try.

I had interviewed for two jobs in the real world during the past week. Neither company asked me back—I didn't know if it was my string tie or the absence of socks that did me in, but nevertheless, I was still unemployed.

I thought, "What the hell," and typed "Charlie, phone num pls."

Instantly, "282-2468."

Since I was at my friend's place, a phone was available. I dialed the number and it was answered on the first ring. 

A soft female voice answered, "Hello."

"Is Charlie around?"

"I'm Charlie," said the female.

"I'm Clyde."

There was a pause and then she blurted, "I'm desperate. If you're a good DB, I need you now."

Her voice did sound desperate, but it was a nice sounding voice, and I wasn't very busy anyway. "Tell me how to get to your place and I'll come over and talk."

"8920 Western; apartment 309. There isn't an elevator."

"Charlie, I'll be there in an hour. By the way, I'm really good in DB."

Fifty minutes later I walked up the stairs of a sixty-year-old building that showed every one of those years and knocked on the door of 309.

She opened the door; she looked like shit.

She was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and pants with worn flip-flops for shoes. Her hair was a dirty blond that hadn't been washed in a day or so. But it was her sunken eyes—an equal mixture of blue and red—that told me she hadn't slept in a while. She might be pretty. She was about five-foot-eight or so, but with the baggy clothes it was hard to say anything else about her body. 

"You look like you have a deadline, Charlie."

"How would you know?"

"I've been there...many times."

She mumbled something and then raised her voice, "Come in and let's talk."

She led me into a very large but old studio apartment. Everything was in one room including the bed. I guessed that the only other door in the room probably led to the bathroom. Against one wall was the work area—two tower computers tied to one printer sitting on a pair of old tables that were strewn with paper. In the middle of the room was a ratty couch. The tiny kitchen area had the basic appliances. On another wall was a big bed that hadn't been made.

She led me over to the couch and I sat down as she wheeled over one of the work chairs. She sat down facing me.

"Cliff," she began...

"My name's Clyde," I interrupted.

She blushed briefly and said, "How did you ever get the name Clyde?"

I grinned, "The normal way—my parents named me."

She blushed again.

She tried again. "Tell me about yourself."

"I was born and named Clyde. My parents were hippies. I went to school and was bored. Finally I went to State U and took computer science. I knew more than the instructors, but they had good equipment so I put up with them. I graduated two years ago and never found a regular job, but I spend a lot of time helping people. I'm part of an informal computer underground; when a rush job comes out, if I like it, I do it."

"Why don't you get a regular job?"

"No one will hire me."

"Why?"

"My theory is that it is a combination of my string tie and no socks."

"Clyde, string ties went out forty years ago."

I shrugged, "I like them. Maybe they'll make a comeback.

"Look Charlie, trust me, I'm great in database and you look like shit, and you also look desperate, so where are we?"

For a second I thought she was going to cry, but then she sucked it up and stared at me.

"My ex-boyfriend and I graduated last year with majors in computer science. We wanted to start our own company so we created a LLC, rented this place by the month, and started looking for jobs.

"We got a few small, patch jobs at first and then this project came up. The company wanted a major change to their main system that had to be more efficient and run faster than their old system. The database is huge and takes forever to manipulate it the way they want.

"We underbid the job and said $30,000, and that we would do it in three weeks. We should have said two months and $60,000, but this was our first big job so we closed our eyes and took it. We got ten percent up front and we get the balance when we successfully benchmark the new system.

"We should have asked for one-third up front, but again, we really wanted the job."

I interrupted, "So far you've told me a story that I've heard many times. It's the nature of the industry."

"Not when your boyfriend wants equal time playing in bed and working, and the work he does somehow never quite works right.

"We had a huge fight a week ago. He walked out. I changed the locks and I'm trying to finish all the work. We only have five more days."

"Where does the project stand?" I asked.

I have most of the programming done with one major problem that I can't break through. The real problem is my ex thought he was a DB god. It turns out he didn't know shit. His data manipulation doesn't work fast. In fact, it doesn't work slow—it doesn't work. So even if I get over the programming problem, I'm still screwed without fast access to the data."

"What's in it for me?"

"The ten percent has been spent. If we do the job, the split is sixty-forty. You'll get forty percent of the $27,000 if we deliver."

I changed subjects. "How did you get the name Charlie?"

I caught her by surprise and she stared at me. Finally, "My dad wanted a boy. So Charlene became Charlie. The boy he wanted was supposed to take over the family business when he retired. Just before I graduated I asked him if he would take me into the business. His answer was that 'Women can't do the job.' "

"That must have pissed you off."

"I haven't talked to him since I graduated. I'm not stupid. I know part of the reason I started this company was to show him he was wrong."

I stared at her; she stared at me.

Finally I asked, "Do you have the database documentation, and do you have a test file for testing?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Let's go to work."

She gave me the database material and went back to work on her programming. For four hours I studied what the company had given her. It really was a cluster. They had made modification after modification and created a monster database. It was no wonder they wanted it faster—pencil and paper might beat it the way the system was currently configured.

During those four hours I heard every obscene word in the book; it was obvious that Charlie wasn't solving her programming problem.

Finally at one point she yelled, "SHIT, damn it to hell, you stupid shit!"

I looked at her. It was obvious that she was shot. Every additional hour she worked would produce nothing. The adrenaline rush had long ago left her, and she was physically and mentally exhausted.

I stood up and walked behind her. She was staring at the monitor, but not seeing anything. I gently touched each shoulder and started to massage her neck and shoulders. She was startled but quickly sighed and let me do it. For ten minutes I gently massaged her shoulders and finally she placed her hands on top of the keyboard and put her face on her hands. Minutes later I could hear her rhythmic breathing as she slept.

I gently rubbed her shoulders and back for ten more minutes. She was in deep sleep—obviously exhausted after probably forty-eight hours without sleep.

I swung the chair around and pulled her to her feet saying, "Come on Charlie, it's time to sleep."

She mumbled, "Huh," but didn't wake up.

I pulled her body into mine briefly and felt her breasts. Obviously there was something behind that sweatshirt. I braced myself and put my arms under her knees as I lifted her. She moaned, but didn't wake up.

I carried her to the bed and gently laid her down and pulled a sheet over her, but did nothing with her clothes. I knew it wouldn't matter.

She started snoring softly.

For the next eight hours I studied the documentation trying to determine the best way to attack the mess they had given Charlie.

I got tired and slept two hours on the couch.

Two hours after I got up I heard Charlie moving on the bed. Suddenly she yelled, "What the fuck!"

"Good morning, Charlie."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"Because you were toast and weren't doing anything productive."

"I just lost another day," she whined.

"Charlie," I asked, "Will you do me a favor?"

"What?" she asked, exasperated.

"Go take a long, hot shower. Wash your hair and brush your teeth."

She glared at me, "Are you saying I stink?"

I just looked at her.

She turned and headed for the bathroom as she mumbled, "Damn men think they know it all, and they order and we're supposed to obey. The next thing you know he'll be ordering me to strip. What bullshit."

Twenty minutes later she came out of the bathroom wearing the same sweat outfit, but obviously refreshed. She had brushed her hair to a gloss.

She looked at me and said, "I'm sometimes...can I make you some coffee?"

"I'd love some coffee, Charlie." 

When the coffee was done we relaxed and enjoyed it. 

"Do you know I slept twelve hours?" she asked.

"You were exhausted."

"I remember you squeezing my shoulders, but that's all. How did I get to the bed?"

"I carried you."

She blushed and then said, "Thank you, Clyde."

We went back to work. Two hours later I heard Charlie yell, "Shit...I can't believe it."

"What?" I asked.

"It's so obvious. I should have seen the problem two days ago. I know what the main programming hitch is and the fix is easy. I just didn't see it."

"Lack of sleep, maybe?"

She looked at me and said, "Maybe."

For the rest of the day we worked on the system. Our meals were hot pizza and then cold pizza. At one point I walked to the couch, took off my shoes and grabbed the pillow. Eight hours later I woke up. Charlie insisted I take a shower. It felt great even though the same clothes went back on.

We tested the system. Charlie's programming worked great, but the database inquiry system she was using was super slow. It was a major problem.

I knew I could convert the database to a friendly format, but the system required a massive amount of manipulation and that caused a big slowdown.

I finally told Charlie, "I know a guy who was testing his system for his graduate degree. If it works, it would be perfect for us. Should I call him?"

"We only have two days left Clyde."

I dialed his number and he answered.

"Hey Knucklehead," I said, "How's it hanging?"

"Clyde, right?" "I'm doing great."

"Did your fancy database invention ever work?"

"Yea, it's great, but I'm looking for Beta sites."

"Give it to me free for my customer, and I'll test it live. If it works, I'll promote it."

He laughed, "Does that mean you have a real job?"

I answered, "Don't give me any shit, you turkey."

"Give me your email address, Clyde, and I'll download the program to you."

We got the program. It took fours hours to convert the file to match what Knucklehead's program expected and then we did the first test. It worked!

For the next two days we tested the system every way possible. Charlie's programming didn't crash, and Knucklehead's database inquiry worked every time.

Finally the day to present the system came. Charlie insisted that I come so I went to the apartment where I was freeloading and cleaned myself up. I put on a shirt that was almost clean and had my favorite string tie around my neck.

I went back to Charlie's and knocked on the door. The door opened and when Charlie saw me, she winced—the string tie again I thought.

But I saw Charlie and was flabbergasted. She was wearing a pants suit. The blouse was matching and the top two buttons were open showing her bare chest. Where the skin ended, two prominent peaks pushed against the fabric—she had breasts—very big breasts that caught me by surprise.

"You're staring," she giggled.

"You're beautiful," I blurted.

Her face turned a deep red. 

When we entered the customer's building, Charlie took over. I was overwhelmed and somewhat intimidated by the size and splendor of the building. Our contact met us and escorted us into his office. He asked, "Are you ready to benchmark?"

Charlie grinned and bluffed, "We've been ready for a week. Let's do it."

Two hours later our programs were in their computer and the test data was ready. Their data processing manager said that our system was ready for the benchmark. He was going to give us data that the current system ran for thirty minutes. He would check our results with theirs, and also time how fast our system worked.

The test started and I could see that Charlie was nervous. Their manager had just said that at least our programs hadn't frozen his system when the completion bell rang. Our system had taken ten minutes against the thirty-minute bar. We had beaten the shit out of them!

For two days they tested the crap out of our system and it worked perfectly. On the third day the manager-in-charge gave Charlie a check for $27,000. He was embarrassed.

"I knew you desperately wanted the job and I screwed you to the wall. You delivered on time perfectly. I'm a little embarrassed, but a deal is a deal. What I'll guarantee you is that I'll recommend you to people in the industry to try to make up for being so tough."

As we walked out of the building with our check Charlie stopped me and said, "We did it, Clyde.

"Let's go to my bank and deposit it so that I can give you a check for your share."

I hesitated and then asked, "Could you give it to me in cash?"

Charlie looked surprised. "Why do you want it in cash?"

I was embarrassed and then muttered, "I don't have a bank account."

"Not even a savings account?"

"No accounts at all. I never had enough money to worry about it. I just carry cash around."

Charlie was quiet for a few moments and then said, "Clyde, you're going to my bank and I'll write you a check for what I owe you. Then you'll open a savings account and put in the money you don't need right now. And then we'll get you an ATM card so you can withdraw your money when you need it."

I was embarrassed, but I knew she was right. I nodded agreement and we drove to her bank. After the bank stuff was done we walked to a nearby restaurant to get a sandwich.

When we finished eating, Charlie looked at me and shyly asked, "What do you think about us taking a long weekend vacation at the ocean?"

I looked at her.

She violently blushed, "Separate rooms, Clyde...not sex. Just to relax."

I blushed. Sex is not my thing. I'm a virgin. The closest I've come to sex is looking at the nude sites on the Internet. Staring at naked females on the monitor has been my main sexual stimulation, which usually resulted in masturbation.

"Sure, Charlie, I think that's a great idea."

Charlie had an old car and the next morning we drove for three hours and reached the ocean. Charlie checked us into the hotel with her credit card. I had the cash from our project, but obviously didn't have a credit card. Our rooms were on different floors.

The next few days were fantastic. We ate at good restaurants, walked on the beach for hours and talked. Charlie insisted I buy a swimming suit, and on the second day we played in the ocean. I was pasty white with no suntan at all. Charlie wore a modest bikini; her stomach and chest were as white as mine.

In her swimming suit it was easy to see that she had a terrific figure. Her legs were long and thin with a small ass and flat stomach. Her beautiful breasts were like magnets. I got hard every time I looked at Charlie because inevitably my eyes always locked on her breasts. I know she knew I was staring, but she never mentioned it. 

When we came out of the water she picked up a tube of sunscreen and coated her front. Then she handed the tube to me and asked, "Put some on my back, please."

I thought my suit would tear open I was so hard when I rubbed the lotion on her back and thighs. I had never touched a girl's body like that before, and it was overwhelming me. Then she did the same for me. Her hands rubbing lotion on my skin was so sensual that at one point I know I moaned. She giggled.

We were having dinner on our last night before we returned to the city. We talked during the dinner and then sank into a comfortable silence when the food was taken away and we waited for the check.

Charlie asked, "What are you going to do now, Clyde?"

"I don't know. Probably the same things—wait for jobs to pop up and do the ones I like."

"Why don't we become business partners?"

I was stunned. Sure I had dreamed that maybe we would work on another project together, but she had real class and I had a string tie and no socks.

I stammered, "Charlie, you can do better."

"Clyde, you're a DB genius."

"But I can't sell worth shit and I have no class. Charlie, I can't even get a credit card."

Charlie grinned, "But I can sell, the company is already set up, and you know where to go if we need a specialty item."

A thought struck me and I blurted out, "We just finished a project under your company name. Isn't your ex-boyfriend a fifty percent owner?"

Charlie's face turned white. "Oh shit!

"As soon as we get back I have to start another LLC with you as a fifty percent owner. And I better talk to a lawyer whether my ex can claim any money from the project.

"You will be my partner, Clyde?"

She looked at me waiting for an answer. Her face was so beautiful and the look so hopeful, I had no choice.

"Yes, Charlie, if you really want me."

She grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard. Her face was beaming as she said, "Hi, partner."

"One thing, Charlie," I said. "When we get back I have to take some time to find a place to crash. My friend left me a note that I've used his couch long enough."

I could see she was thinking about something. Thirty seconds later she blushed and said, "I have an idea, and don't laugh at me. When we get a big project we will usually be in crash mode—just like the project we finished. We'll sleep when we're exhausted.

"What do you think about getting a two-bedroom apartment with a large living room? We could use the living room as the office, maybe use it as a tax write off, and when we have to crash, our bedrooms are right there."

She was blushing and that caused me to blush.

"I never had a woman as a roommate, Charlie."

"You never had a woman as a business partner, either," she countered.

I thought for a moment and stammered, "Let's see if we can find the right two-bedroom place for us when we get back."

I walked her to her room and we decided what time we would meet the next morning. She stood in front of her door looking at me. I desperately wanted to kiss her but was afraid of what she would think.

I touched her arm and said, "Thanks for a great vacation weekend, Charlie. It was fun."

I turned and walked away. I masturbated furiously that night thinking of what might have been.

I met Charlie the next morning for breakfast. We checked out and drove back to town. We had three hours to talk about where we wanted to look for the apartment, and how we were going to find new business.

We stopped at my friend's place so that I could pick up my stuff. Five minutes later I came down with two full brown-paper bags and my laptop.

"That's it?" asked Charlie.

I blushed and she knew the answer. 


Charlie and Clyde



We bought a newspaper and looked at the apartment ads. The old district in town was at the beginning stages of a massive renovation to bring young people back into the city. There seemed to be a lot of apartments for rent; some of the ads even said the first month was free.

After an afternoon of looking we walked up the stairs of a two-story loft. When the manager opened the door, Charlie immediately whispered, "Yes!"

The ceiling was fourteen feet high. The living room was huge and even had a gas fireplace. One bedroom was quite large and the other certainly big enough for me. There was only one bathroom—no tub but a huge shower that could hold four people at once.

Charlie told the manager, "We need cable access with high-speed lines."

The manager replied, "Already installed."

Charlie thought for a moment and said, "We need immediate occupancy but the lease will start on the first of the month."

"But that gives you ten extra free days," protested the manager.

Charlie grinned and answered, "The place is empty. It's going to be empty for the next ten days. You lose nothing."

The manager thought and countered, "You want ten days and the first month free. If you sign a year lease and pay two months in advance, it's a deal."

"Done," said Charlie.

The next few days were hectic. We gave notice on Charlie's apartment and moved her furniture using a borrowed pickup truck. Then we used the same truck to move the used furniture I had to buy for my bedroom. I was able to get a great deal on a queen-size bed and bureau. Charlie was giggling when she pointed out that I had to also buy sheets, towels and other basic things.

Charlie went to her lawyer and requested that he terminate the old LLC. She asked his advice on how to protect herself against her old partner, and finally she asked him to create a new LLC. We were very creative on the new company's name—C & C Computing Consultants.

In the early evening of the third day, Charlie and I sat exhausted on the ratty couch. She was still writing notes about things that we had to buy for the apartment, but most of the major items were already there—because Charlie already owned them from the old apartment or we because had bought them. But the list of things that had to be done was never-ending.

Charlie pointed out that we should have two phone lines in the apartment, one of which would be our dedicated business number so that we could connect a voice recorder on it, not only not to miss messages but to screen calls before we picked up the phone. 

I looked at Charlie writing notes and said, "Enough. Tony's Italian restaurant is one block away. Let's eat and call it a day."

She put down her pen and looked at me. The exhaustion on her face told all. She yawned and said, "I'm tired but I'm really hungry too. Let's go." 

A week later we were finally organized, phones in, legal paperwork completed, and it was time to make some money.

We put some ads into the local tech paper and even hung some signs on telephone poles for those people with home computers who had problems—without a major project we would do anything.

We debated about the yellow pages. It was awfully expensive, but the amount of market it reached was huge. We finally decided on a modest two-line, box ad that emphasized our flexibility for any size job. The new directory would come out in six months, and hopefully, by then, we would be making enough money to pay for it.

The next week we went on six home calls to solve easy problems. On one of those house calls the cord had pulled out of the speaker so there was no sound. I didn't have the nerve to charge anything, but the elderly lady insisted that I take ten dollars. Charlie teased me on being a soft touch, but told me she would have done the same thing.

While we waited for a decent size job to come our way, I was getting more comfortable having a female roommate. Charlie usually wore a light T-shirt and shorts around the apartment and at first I couldn't take my eyes off her breasts. If the T-shirt was short I could see her bare stomach. She caught me looking a few times, but just grinned. 

However, if I left the damn toilet seat up, she went absolutely bonkers! 

Gradually we got comfortable with each other. Many nights found each of us on our computers working the Internet for information, chatting, or catching up with our computer contacts.

On a Monday morning the business line rang. Charlie picked up the phone, "C & C Computing." 

She listened for a few minutes and then asked, "When do you want to see us?"

She paused and listened for a second and answered, "We'll be there in an hour, Mr. Olsen. What is your address, and who should we ask for?"

She wrote down the information and said good-bye. She looked at me and said the person wanted us to quote on a job, and that he got our name from the manager of our first big project. She frowned and then said, "It could be decent money, but the guy was awful pushy and I'm not sure it's someone I'd like to work for even on a short-term project."

We quickly dressed. Charlie was in her best business suit. I had clean pants and shirt and wore my favorite string tie. Under a piercing stare from Charlie I broke down and put on some socks.

We were escorted into Ted Olsen's office. It was absolutely huge with a conference table in one corner that could sit eight easily, a couch and cocktail table with comfortable chairs on either side of the couch. His desk must have cost $10,000 by the looks of it.

At his direction we sat at the conference table. He immediately took charge, "You got a nice recommendation, but are you two really any good?"

Charlie didn't back down. "Yes, we are really good, Mr. Olsen; we especially like it if the project is a challenge."

"Our damn top programmer's father had a heart attack and so he quit to help him recover. He didn't give us any warning, and he left the same day that he gave notice. He was writing the key program that ties the whole new system together. He swore it was clean, but every time we test the program, it either freezes the system or gives us bad output.

"The rest of the staff is barely competent and the key guy never hired anyone good enough to be his replacement, so we're screwed. I absolutely need the system up and running in two weeks or I miss my deadline. I never miss my deadlines, so that's why I called you.

"When can you start?"

The guy really was pushy and I was intimidated. I stammered, "If...if there isn't reasonable documentation, we won't start. It can't be done."

Olsen's face turned red with anger. "We got good documentation. The problem is that the damn program is bad. I'll pay you $10,000 if you get the damn thing running within two weeks. Two other consultants already turned me down without even looking at the mess."

Charlie interrupted, "Mr. Olsen, let Clyde and me look at the documentation for the next two or three hours and give us access to talk to your programming staff. Then we'll tell you yes or no. If the answer is no, there is no charge."

Three hours later we agreed to take the job and headed back to the office with tons of documentation and the program that wouldn't work.

We both realized that this was a pure programming problem, and right down Charlie's alley. The problem was that the guy who quit was really good, but every time he had a chance to do something simple or fancy, he chose fancy. He got so fancy the company's programming staff couldn't figure out what he was doing.

Charlie went into crash mode. It was obvious to me that this was a one-person job and I just kept my mouth shut and let her work. I went to bed at eleven; Charlie stayed up all night. By noon the next day she was exhausted and irritable. I went behind her chair and started massaging her neck and shoulders. She groaned with pleasure as I increased the pressure.

Finally, she was relaxed; her head was nodding. "Charlie, take a nap."

"I've got too much to do."

"I'll wake you up for dinner."

Very reluctantly she stood and headed for her bedroom; she was asleep in seconds. I left the apartment in the early evening and bought some take-out Chinese and brought it back. I woke her at seven. She took a quick shower and we ate.

Her eyes were clear and it was obvious the sleep had helped. She worked all night again.

The next day was a repeat. She took a seven-hour nap and worked the next fourteen hours. The third day was different. When I woke up in next morning she wasn't at her desk; she was sleeping in her bed!

She woke up at noon, showered, and came out in her T-shirt and shorts. She had a big smile on her face.

"Got it?" I asked.

"Nailed it," she beamed.

She continued, "The guy is really good, but he must have a huge ego. If the logic should take twenty lines, he had to make it work in five. When he did that enough times he created tremendous interfacing problems branching in and out of routines so many times you couldn't follow the flow. Once I had his technique down, I just had to reverse the program logic until I found the kinks. There were only three bugs, but it took me that long to find them."

"Testing? I asked.

"I'll test for the rest of the week. If things are clean we'll relax during the weekend and go see Olsen on Monday."

The first test Charlie ran didn't work. I got involved and found out that they had given us a corrupted database. I went over to the company and got some clean data. Charlie's fix worked perfectly; by Friday afternoon we knew she'd done it.

We had a relaxing Saturday and had a great meal at a new restaurant followed by a movie. 

We slept late on Sunday and finally I walked into the kitchen for coffee at about eleven. Charlie was already up. We went to a local place for a big brunch and then walked to the nearby park for exercise. We got back about four o'clock.

We were on our computers when the doorbell rang; we looked at each other. It was the first time anyone had used it. Charlie walked to the door and opened it. I heard her angry tone when she said, "What the hell are you doing here?"

A man's voice answered, "Hi, Charlie. I miss you."

I thought, "Her ex partner..."

"Well I don't miss you. Good-bye."

He walked by her into the living room and spotted me for the first time. He was about six-foot and a little on the heavy side. "Who the hell are you?"

"Clyde."

"I mean what the hell are you doing here?"

Charlie was pissed. "Clyde's sharing the place with me and he's my business partner. And he's a damn good DB man as opposed to you!"

He flushed and blurted, "What the fuck kind of name is Clyde?"

I didn't know what to say. I hate confrontations and fighting, and was never very good with a quick answer when verbally assaulted.

Not waiting for an answer, he turned back to face Charlie.

"I came over to see if you wanted to get together again, and take up where we left off, but I can see that you got desperate, so forget it."

Charlie yelled, "You son-of-a-bitch. Get out of here."

He smirked and said, "I'll leave as soon as you write a check for my share of the money."

Charlie's face was ashen. "You walked out on the job. Clyde did all the work."

"It doesn't matter Charlie. I'm a fifty percent partner in the LLC and I get fifty percent of the profits. So get out your checkbook."

With Charlie and her ex going at it, I had time to think. I stuttered, "The...the original LLC has been terminated. It's no longer a legal entity."

He swiveled to face me and yelled, "But it still has obligations to its creditors and partners. Just because you killed it doesn't let you walk away with my money."

My interruption had given Charlie time to think. She said calmly, "For three weeks in a row I put an ad in the business journal that anyone with any claims against the LLC should contact me. Once a week went by after the third ad, any claim against the LLC stopped. The third week ended ten days ago; you're out of luck."

I knew she was bluffing a little—her lawyer had said that both sides had a good argument.

"That's bullshit," he yelled.

Charlie walked to her desk and picked up a card. "Here's my lawyer's card. If you want to sue me, go for it.

"But you asshole, if you do sue me, my guess is it will cost you at least $5,000...I can afford it, can you?"

Charlie gave him the card and then lifted the phone. "Should I call 911 or are you leaving?"

I could tell he was steaming. He yelled, "You're a fucked up cunt. You're so pissed at your father that you have a personality of a turd...and you can't fuck worth a shit."

He turned and left the apartment, slamming the door.

Charlie stood, holding the phone. She was in shock and then she started crying. It wasn't a few tears on her face but a no-holds-barred breakdown. I quickly walked over to her and sat her down on the couch. She put her face on my chest and sobbed; her chest was heaving and she could barely breathe as she wailed.

For thirty minutes I held her. After the first ten minutes she just quietly sobbed. Her head was on my chest and I stroked her back. I could sympathize with her. She was mad, and she was embarrassed and humiliated that it happened in front of me. I guessed the mention of her father was a big part of it.

Finally she pulled away from me and said, "Thank you for being there for me."

"We're partners, Charlie."

She gave me a wan smile and tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Will you give your partner a kiss?" she asked.

Without thinking I leaned over and kissed her. Her lips were soft and moist and I could feel the moisture of her tears on her cheeks. I had kissed a lot of girls...well maybe two or three, and this kiss was something else. I didn't want the kiss to end and, apparently, neither did Charlie.

I continued to kiss her lips and then her neck and forehead. She was clinging to me and every time our lips met, the pressure was greater. At one point her tongue pressed into my lips and I opened my mouth to be attacked by her tongue. It was fantastic!

I kept rubbing her back and then I touched the side of her breasts; I could feel her bra straps. My cock was throbbing and I was aroused. My hands finally cupped her breasts through her T-shirt. I felt her nipples grow hard with my teasing. We kissed again with even greater intensity.

I knew it was wrong. Her guard was down from the encounter with her ex-partner. I was embarrassed that I had lost control and taken advantage of her emotional trauma. I took my hands from her breasts. My cock went limp and I pulled away from her.

"I'm sorry, Charlie. I got carried away. I'm really sorry.

She looked at me sadly and said, "Clyde, unless a girl says 'no', she's probably saying 'yes.' "

I stared at her blankly. She sadly smiled, kissed me on the forehead and went to her bedroom.

I sat on the couch for an hour trying to figure out what just happened.

Chapter 2

We walked into Olsen's office on Monday morning. He escorted us to the conference table and we all sat down.

"What progress have you made? Is it too much for you?" he asked.

"No, Mr. Olsen," said Charlie. "We're done and everything seems to work."

"Bullshit."

"No, sir."

We gave him the new program and left. We met the next morning.

"It works," he said.

Charlie just grinned.

"I'll have a check cut before you leave."

Charlie and I had talked about the fee. In our own way we both agreed. Charlie said, "Mr. Olsen, it wasn't that difficult and it only took three days. Our fee is $5,000."

He stared at us, utterly surprised. "Bullshit.

"Don't you realize that business doesn't work that way?"

Charlie smiled at him, "Our business works that way."

He was stunned. Finally, he asked, "Who should I make the check out to?"

Charlie said, "Charlene Cartwright."

He stared at Charlie for five seconds and then left the room. Five minutes later he came back. 

"The check is for $7,500; I don't want any arguments.

"Are you Ben Cartwright's daughter?"

Charlie blushed, "Yes, do you know my father?"

His face turned pensive and then he said, "We used to be good friends, but I was a tough businessman and so was he, and we clashed. I haven't talked to him in twenty years. When you see him, tell him I said 'hello.' "

Charlie nodded.

Olsen asked, "What will you do now?"

"The next phone call," Charlie replied.

He sat there in thought without talking for thirty seconds or longer. We didn't know what to do. Then he quietly said, "You two are so young, so absolutely naïve, so vulnerable. I hope your company is successful. I think you'll do fine. Just remember most of the fun is in trying to get to the top; once you're there, it's not nearly as much fun.

"Do you two have an accountant?"

Charlie answered, "We haven't worried about it."

He grinned, "A distant nephew just started his own company. He's completely naïve, just like you two. Here's his card. You might want to talk to him."

He escorted us out of his office and at the elevator he gently kissed Charlie on her forehead. 

We were both quiet driving home. I thought how sad it was that an obviously very successful man was jealous of us. I looked at Charlie. "Promise me we'll never go down that road."

She knew exactly what I was saying. She moved closer to me and grabbed my arm and then rested her head on my shoulder. Nothing was said the rest of the way home.

When we walked into the apartment I thought we would sit on the couch. Instead, Charlie took my hand and pulled me into her bedroom. We faced each other, and then she came into my arms and we kissed. A soft kiss turned hard and then passionate.

She took my hands and put them on her breasts and looked at me. "Take my clothes off, Clyde."

I was nervous as I unbuttoned her blouse and removed it. I fumbled with the clasp to her bra, but finally got it open and saw her breasts. They jutted out from her chest without sagging; they were beautiful. I lightly rubbed her nipples and they became hard.

I hesitated, but she insisted, "All my clothes."

When I pulled her panties down and she stepped out of them, I smelled her musky odor and saw her trimmed pussy for the first time. I stood up and we kissed. My hands went to her ass and pulled her against my groin. I was very aroused, but also very nervous. I'd never seen a naked woman except in pictures.

We broke the kiss and she smiled at me as she removed my shirt and then my other clothes. As she pulled my shorts down, my cock sprang up, released from the confining clothes. She took my cock gently in her hands and stroked it up and down slowly. I almost came.

She pulled me and we fell into bed. For a long time we just kissed as she let me explore her body. As my finger traced her labia lips, which were now partially open, I could feel her moisture. She gasped when I touched and then rubbed what I thought was her clit.

She pulled me on top of her and as we continued to kiss, my cock was rubbing against her slit, but it couldn't find her opening. Finally her hands softly took my cock and guided it to the right spot as she whispered, "Push."

I pushed as my cock slid into her completely. I could feel her vagina walls, wet and warm, clutching me. The feeling was wonderful but overwhelming. I pulled out slightly and pushed in again. Twice more going faster I repeated the motion and then I violently came. With each spasm I could feel my sperm spurting into her. When done, I collapsed next to her.

It was only then that I realized that I had completely forgotten about Charlie and her needs. I was mortified that my action was so self-centered. Blushing with embarrassment I stammered, "Charlie, I'm sorry. I couldn't stop myself from coming; I feel like a shit not thinking about you."

She lifted my head so we were looking at each other. I could see tears in her eyes, but a smile full of tenderness. "The first time was for you Clyde, not me. I think I might be falling a little in love with you and wanted you to know it.




Charlie and Clyde



"People don't usually have great sex the first time. It's like programming. You didn't write a bug-free program the first time, but as you did more and more you got better and better. That's what sex is going to be like for us; the more we try, the better it will be.

"Now just hug me."

She turned on her side so that her back was to me and we cuddled. She insisted that my hand touch her breasts and explore other parts of her body.

She felt wonderful and I did what men have done since sex began; I fell asleep!

I was having a kaleidoscope of erotic dreams. Each one of them had me doing something to Charlie, or Charlie to me. One dream was particularly intense as Charlie slid down my body and took my cock into her mouth. The inside of her mouth was wet and warm and as my cock slid in and out I became more and more excited.

My eyes opened and instantly I knew it wasn't a dream. At that moment I came, filling Charlie's mouth with my cum. I could see her sucking and swallowing trying to keep up with my spasms. Finally, I was done. Charlie looked at me with a proud, but impish grin on her face.

My first reaction was an intense feeling of love for this female who was unselfishly giving me so much pleasure. I pulled her shoulders so that she was lying on top of me.

I whispered, "Thank you, Charlie. I'll never forget this day."

She started to grin, but I pulled her face to mine and we kissed. I tasted something different, but then realized that it was my own cum. I thought, "If she could swallow it, I sure shouldn't worry about the taste."

We lay in each other's arms for another thirty minutes. Finally, Charlie said she wanted to shower and then get something to eat.

I asked, "Can I wash your back?"

She just grinned at me.

"Front?"

"Even better," she answered.

In the shower we played. I soaped up two washcloths and washed her body everywhere, and then she did the same to me. Finally she turned her back to me and grabbed my hand and brought it to her vagina. She took my finger and moved it to where I could feel a little bump of skin.

"That's my clit," she said. "Rub it gently."

Moments later she groaned, "Harder, faster."

I was holding her with my left arm around her stomach when she exploded with a wail. Her hands covered my teasing right hand and pushed it hard against her clit as spasm after spasm shook her body. Finally she sagged against me, exhausted.

After she recovered we dried each other and dressed. We went to Tony's to eat, but food, and even talking, was secondary as I gazed at this female who had given me so much pleasure. We both knew that our relationship had significantly changed; we were in love!

We left Tony's and walked back to the apartment. As we walked she took my hand and held it until we reached our place. We stripped and fell into Charlie's bed. This time I was determined that Charlie would enjoy it. We kissed for many minutes and then I explored her body with my fingers, mouth and tongue. I licked the sides of her breasts repeatedly and then traced wet circles around the circumference of her areolae. When I finally licked and kissed her nipples, she groaned in relief and then gasped as I lightly bit them and pulled back until they slipped from my teeth.

She tried to grab my cock to pleasure me, but I wouldn't let her; this night was for her pleasure. I traced her long legs with my fingers and then spread them so that she was open to me. Her sexual smell was very strong and I found it arousing. To see and touch her moisture coming from her vagina was incredibly erotic to me. I teased her for thirty minutes from her stomach to her upper thighs but not once touched her clit. I was hard but I found that if my cock didn't touch her, it was within my power to control my arousal.

Charlie, on the other hand, was losing all control. She begged for me to rub or lick her clit, or to put my cock into her, or just make her come. She groaned in frustration and then wailed as I penetrated her with my finger, and then two fingers. Each time she arched her hips, I stopped teasing her. 

I looked and saw that her eyes were closed and her head swung back and forth on the pillow. Her breath was rapid and she was biting her lip as she tossed. Finally I put my hands under her knees and lifted them so that her thighs almost touched her breasts. I knelt between her legs and guided my cock into her. It was the same wonderful warm feeling, but this time I expected it.

She groaned, "Yes," as she felt me push into her.

I pulled completely out of her and she wailed, "No, Clyde, please!"

I entered her again and pushed into her completely so that our pubic hairs mashed against each other. I pulled back a few inches and thrust again hard. Her pelvis arched to meet me. Again and again I thrust, each time faster and harder. Charlie was screaming my name now. Finally, I felt her vagina walls squeeze my cock and violent spasms shook her entire midsection as she unconsciously tried to have my cock penetrate even deeper.

Her spasms triggered me and I quickly lost the minimal control I had maintained. I spurted repeatedly into her even harder than our afternoon adventure.

It finally ended. We clung to each other. Both our bodies were wet with sweat. Charlie's face was flush with sex.

She looked at me. I said, "I love you, Charlie."

She kissed me hard; it was her answer to me.

We talked quietly for a while. I can't even remember what we said, but I do remember that with her back against my chest I cupped her breast with my hand and gently squeezed it as I kissed her neck, shoulders, and back. At some point I realized that she had fallen asleep. My eyes closed. We slept through the night, physically and mentally overwhelmed.

I woke first the next morning and slipped out of bed. After hitting the bathroom I slipped into my shorts and went to the kitchen to make coffee. I was on my second cup when Charlie came out of her bedroom. She was naked!

She walked up to me, grinned shyly and kissed me. "I just wanted to show you and tell you that I love you, Clyde."

After another kiss, she went to the bathroom to shower and clean up.

I sat in the kitchen sipping coffee and feeling great.

By midmorning we were back at work, or at least talking about finding some work. The number of calls we were receiving for home repair and installation was starting to overwhelm us. Between the travel time and the in-home time, it really wasn't making us a lot of money.

I suggested that we farm out the work to three of my computer friends who were knowledgeable and trustworthy. Charlie thought it was a good idea and we discussed if we should take a percentage of the payment since we would be originating the business. 

Charlie finally said that she didn't think we should charge my friends for giving them customers. Most of these calls would earn around $50 and to take ten percent or $5 of that $50 just didn't seem right. She thought the good will of giving them business would come back to us when they ran into business that was too big for them. Knowing the circles these guys interacted in, I thought Charlie might be right.

Since the business phone wasn't ringing off the hook and we were currently without a project, we decided to make an appointment to see the accountant that Olsen had recommended.

His name was Bill Wilson. I dialed the number and a pleasant female voice answered, "Wilson Accounting."

I explained that her company had been recommended to us by Ted Olsen and that we wanted to make an appointment to discuss our accounting needs. I asked, "Does Mr. Wilson have any free time in the next few days to see us."

The female voice said she would check the appointment book. She came back and said that he was free at nine this morning. Then she giggled and said ten was also open or even eleven if that suited us. She solemnly said and then giggled again, "Mondays are always slow for Wilson."

We agreed to a ten o'clock appointment. We walked into a small office located in a strip mall and were greeted by a very cute, dark-haired woman. Her grin was infectious; she put us instantly at ease. She said, "Bill's running a little late; it was his turn to pick up the laundry and now he's caught in a tiny traffic back-up."

She saw the look on our faces and laughed, "Bill's my husband. My name is Amy. He interviewed five other women for the job, but since I was the only one willing to work for free, I got the job."

Charlie and I immediately liked her. It was a start-up business like ours and things would be tough for a while, but with her sense of humor and practicality, I thought they were off to a good start.

The door opened and Bill walked in saying, "Amy, are they here..."

He spotted us and grinned, "Yep, you're here."

We walked into the inner office with him and for the next thirty minutes we described the type of business we were in and our projects to date. He asked some penetrating questions and took notes.

Finally we were through talking. He said, "Your company doesn't need a big accounting firm at this stage. In fact," he said with a grin, "you need a small one like Wilson to keep your accounting expenses low."

He turned serious and asked, "Do you have a separate checking account for the LLC?"

Charlie sheepishly answered, "No, we've been running the cash through my personal checking account."

"That's a big mistake Charlie. It's simple now, but later you will find that intermingling business and personal money is confusing, and something the government doesn't like when you get audited.

"I suggest you open a LLC checking account right away."

We nodded.

Bill continued, "Have you given any thought to how many forms and tax returns you have to file this year?"

Charlie answered, "One, for the LLC."

"Actually Charlie, I can think of at least seven."

"Like what?" I asked surprised.

Bill smiled, "Well let's see. You need a K-1 for the original LLC and maybe two if your old partner gets one, but the way you described it, it will be one.

"You need a K-1 for both you and Charlie for the new LLC.

"Then both of you are going to have to file a state and a fed return."

Charlie asked, "Will we have to pay taxes on the old LLC? After $3,000 in expenses we made $27,000."

Bill replied, "The old LLC didn't make that much money, Charlie. They paid you $30,000 and you had $3,000 of expenses plus remember, Clyde wasn't part of the LLC, so the money he was paid lowered the profit by that amount. Of course, Clyde will have to claim that money on his return.

"However, the expenses to start the LLC plus other expenses you probably forgot— like any use of your personal car for business—also lowers the profit of the old LLC. I doubt you owe anything, but you still have to file.

"I have to disappoint you on an assumption you made—your apartment won't qualify. The IRS has strict rules that prevent double use of home office and living activity for the same space."

The look on Charlie's face and my own feeling told me that we had underestimated our vulnerability in accounting and tax returns.

Bill explained he would set up an easy spreadsheet for us to record our expenses and revenues and would also give us a pamphlet that explained what expenses were deductible. He said that most small start-up companies don't take all the deductions that they should, and ended up paying the state and fed too much.

Then he said, "And if you want, I'll do your personal state and fed returns. Since most of your income will come from the LLC, they are connected. What I would like is a copy of the last two years of your returns so I can pick up on any loss-carry forwards and things like that."

Charlie said, "I think that's smart. I can get mine for you quickly."

She saw the look on my face. "Clyde?"

I mumbled something that even I didn't understand.

"Clyde?" she repeated.

"I said I can't get you my tax returns."

"Why not? Did you lose them?"

Bill was very sharp. He interrupted Charlie and asked, "Clyde, you didn't file any returns. Am I right?

I was embarrassed and nodded, refusing to look at Charlie. I felt like an idiot.

Bill continued, "Did you make any big money in the last few years?"

I answered, "Well I made some money. I never kept track of it, and it was all cash. But I don't think I made more than $10,000 or $12,000 in any year. I kind of was coasting."

Bill laughed gently, "Clyde, it's not a big problem. I'll get together with you and we'll put some numbers together, and file a late return. You didn't earn enough to owe any state or federal taxes, but we still have to file your returns so you don't get into trouble when you start making big money."

We talked about his fees and they seemed very reasonable. He laughed when I said that. "I'm a start-up like you and Charlie. First, people have to find out that I'm here and that I'm good—then the fees go up."

We finished the meeting; it had taken two hours. Bill said he would send us an invoice. Charlie insisted we pay him before we left. Charlie won.

It was obvious that Charlie liked Bill and Amy, and I did too. When we left Bill's office to go into the reception area, Charlie said, "Our project list is down to zero. Why don't you let us treat you and Amy to lunch?"

Bill said to Amy, "Amy, cancel all our appointments for the next two hours. We're going to lunch."

Amy giggled, "Done, we're free."

We had a great lunch with a lot of stories about the trials and tribulations of becoming successful in the business world. Bill and Amy, by their little touches and jokes about each other, appeared to be deeply in love. They invited us to their apartment for dinner the following Saturday night and we accepted. I had a strong feeling it was a start of a long-lasting friendship and I knew Charlie felt the same way.

The next couple of weeks the telephone kept ringing with new work, but they were all small projects. The home business was spreading by word of mouth very quickly, and we must have given my friends 15 or more jobs during those two weeks.

I answered the business phone one day and a young male voice said that his company had a small but urgent job, and we were recommended by one of my friends that took our home-referral calls.

Charlie and I went to his office and we met the two partners. They were energetic and ambitious and had taken a franchise and built it into six separate franchise locations around the city. The money was rolling in for them, but their lack of any inventory control was becoming a major problem. They were making promises and then missing the date because they didn't know the parts weren't in inventory.

The solution to their problem was really simple—buy and install a basic software inventory supply system for them, and train their clerks how to use it. They wanted us to tweak some of the reports to make it easier for them, which again wasn't a major problem.

Three days later we were done and accepted a check for $1,500.

One of the partners said to Charlie, "I sure wish we were more organized, but it was either a slow and steady approach, or open as many places as we could to be first in this market. We chose full steam ahead and it paid off, but our paperwork is a disaster."

Charlie asked, "Can't your accountant help get your paperwork organized?"

The partner looked at Charlie sheepishly. "We sort of haven't gotten around to finding an accountant. Tax time is going to be a problem for us."

Charlie said, "We almost got in the same mess, but we found a really smart, young accountant who saved us. Since he's just started on his own, he was able to spend a lot of time helping us."

The partner asked for Bill's name and telephone number, which Charlie gave to him.

Three days later our phone rang and I answered. It was Bill Wilson. He and Amy invited us out to dinner on them. It seems that the partners met with Bill the day after Charlie recommended him. They hit it off and Bill and Amy had a solid four weeks of work to reconstruct and set up an accounting system. It was the biggest contract Bill had gotten since he started his business. They really wanted to thank us.

That night Charlie and I were cuddling on the couch. Charlie said, "It's funny how business goes. We pass off the home business to your friends who are good and need the money. We decide not to charge them for the referral. Then one of them refers the partners to us and we get a nice contract, and we refer them to Bill and Amy and they get a great contract. My father would never admit that business could be like that."

"Maybe we're different from your father."

Any further conversation was stopped as Charlie leaned over and kissed me. We went to bed shortly afterward, but sleep did not come for quite a while.

The next two months were busy, but not particularly stressful. Word of mouth had helped us get many of the small jobs that the large consulting firms passed on. We weren't becoming rich, but the cash flow was strong enough to pay our monthly bills and afford an occasional evening out.

One day Charlie went shopping and I took a call on the business line. When she returned to our apartment I said that the company was looking for a bid to clean up their database and install a faster system. I guessed it would take a week or so, and that we had an appointment in two hours to look at the project.

As we were leaving the apartment Charlie asked me the name of the company.

"BC Enterprises."

She stared at me as if I had two heads. "You don't know? Do you?"

"Know what?"

"That's my father's company."

We quickly decided that Charlie wouldn't reveal who she was. Her new name was Charlie Carter.

We arrived at the company and met the data processing manager. He was polite, but not very cordial as he explained the project. Basically they were going to install a new database system to improve efficiency. They wanted a turnkey proposal for us to install the new system.

It was obvious that this was going to be my thing. Charlie asked the manager to introduce me to the in-house person who was responsible for maintaining the files and database.

The manager introduced me to a guy called Sam and then left Sam's office. Charlie went to talk to the programming staff.

What happened next was the equivalent of two young teenagers trying to determine whose cock was bigger. Sam dropped a buzz word. I picked it up and dropped a tougher one on him, who in turn hit me with another. After five minutes of the game he asked, "Do you know Knucklehead?"

I laughed, "Yep. Know him well."

"How well?"

"We're using his DB innovation that he created for his Masters at a beta site for one of our customers. It works great and I'm sure it will set a new standard."

Game, set, and match. Sam was impressed.

He asked, "Are you hiring?"

"Sam, we're not big enough yet. If we get to that point, should I talk to you?"

"Yea, Clyde. I might want to be charging into new situations rather than maintaining an old one. I hope at least you'd give me a call if you're looking."

Sam was quiet for a while; he seemed to be thinking. Finally he said, "The boss of my boss brought in a computer consultant who happens to be his personal friend. He was supposed to find things that we could do better.

"After finding nothing, he was forced to suggest a new database system to justify his fee. At most, it might improve our system five percent.

"My boss is outraged. Whoever gets the installation contract will run into all kinds of problems not anticipated...if you get my meaning?

"It's not worth it. I'd pass if I were you."

I nodded. Nothing else had to be said. I met up with Charlie, gave her the short version and we turned down the job. We didn't burn any bridges, but just told him that other consultants might be able to do a better, faster job.




Charlie and Clyde



When he heard our decision, he was much friendlier. "Maybe next time," he said.

Charlie and I were quiet on the ride back to the apartment. Finally she said, "We dodged a bullet."

She was right on.

Chapter 3

While our business partnership was growing at a slow, steady pace, our personal relationship had become a wild, impetuous sexual growth with no boundaries. We loved each other and both of us sought to bring pleasure to the other.

While I was no longer a virgin, my sexual experience and knowledge was at a beginning point. Charlie was a considerate and vocal lover who pushed me to experiment and seek higher and higher levels of sexual fulfillment for both of us.

She insisted that we talk to each other during and after each sexual encounter. I was learning the sensitive areas of her body that turned a cold, logical computer wizard to a screaming, wailing sex addict who lost herself in the joys of physical pleasures.

No areas were off limits. One night she announced that it was time that I tried anal to see if I liked it. That night, as she knelt with her head on the bed, she opened herself to me. My cock, liberally soaked with lubricant and her own moisture, pushed its way slowly into her ass as she encouraged me with words and gasps of small pain and pleasure. When I had sunk my entire cock into her, we paused. She told me how it felt to have my cock in her ass, and she insisted I tell her what I felt and thought.

I started a gentle in and out motion that quickly grew more aggressive. Knowing I was about to come, my fingers found her clit and quickly brought her to the edge. We came together, quite violently.

After I cleaned up, I lay next to her and talked. Much to my surprise, I wasn't disgusted at what we had just done. I told Charlie that, although it wasn't my favorite thing, I had enjoyed it.

What was near the top of my favorite activities was eating Charlie. It was a combination of factors, but leading all was that I knew she loved it. For me it was a sensory feast of delights. Charlie would lay on the bed, submissive, as I spread her legs. Sometimes her legs were flat and at other times I put pillows under her ass, giving me even more access to her vagina.

Her musky smell was an aphrodisiac to me when I started to tease her with my fingers and tongue. When aroused the moisture flowed freely from her (I sometimes remembered to put a towel under her, saving us from changing sopping-wet sheets). I loved her taste on my tongue as I licked her wetness. My fingers touched her everywhere; the touch was soft, to create arousal, but not to cause climax. When we realized how much we both loved this act of love, Charlie trimmed her pubic hairs so that only a small tuft of hair remained above her vagina; the rest of her mound was incredible smooth to my touching and licking. If I penetrated her with my fingers, it was shallow and gently.

The sense of sound was very significant in this act of love, as Charlie would go from giggles to moans. Early on she would tease me that, of course, I wouldn't sexually torture her; although she knew full well it was exactly what was coming. Later, her sounds would escalate to groans and gasping wails as I refused to give her final release. Occasionally, when things were going right, the wails turned into begging screams, pleading with me to let her come.

I eventually learned the little physical signs that told me that she was about to come, and I learned how to alter my teasing to prevent her orgasm. It was a loving game that lasted thirty or more minutes, and when I sensed she was at the apex of sexual excitement, I penetrated her with two fingers and curled them up, exerting pressure on her wall as my tongue assaulted her clit.

She would scream my name and her hips would go through repeated violent spasms that I often thought would never end. 

If it were a particularly good night, when the screaming was over and the spasms had subsided, she lay there motionless. At times it appeared as if she passed out, but minutes later she would open her eyes and give me a smile that spoke of her intense love for me. That smile was my reward and I treasured it.

We would cuddle then, often not speaking as we enjoyed the touching of our naked bodies. Later she might turn on her back and I would slide my cock into her and gain my release; usually she would be able to have another orgasm. Often though, she would turn on her side so that her back was pressed against my chest. I would change my position and adjust her legs so that I could enter her from behind. I would slowly move in and out until I knew I was ready, and then I would reach over her hip and finger her clit with the right amount of pressure. I would feel her vagina muscles gently clutch my cock and we would come together. Many times I would fall asleep with my cock still in her with my hand resting on her breast.

In those months, with Charlie's help, I learned to love Charlie's body. At the same time, ignoring the sex, it was obvious that I fallen deeply in love with this female who was my lover and my best friend.

Our business continued to grow; then one day the phone rang and Charlie answered it, "C & C Computer."

"Yes sir, we did a project for Mr. Olsen and we think he was very pleased with the result."

In fact we absolutely knew Olsen was happy. Charlie would call him at least once a month to check if there were any problems. There never was, but keeping our company in front of him might get us his referral some day. In addition, it was obvious that he was very fond and proud of Charlie; almost as if she were the daughter he never had.

My thoughts were interrupted when Charlie said, "If the project is acceptable, we could start right away."

There was a pause and then Charlie answered, "I'm sorry. I used a poor choice of words. Obviously, money is important, but what I meant is that if we don't think we can do the job you expect, we will turn you down."

Another pause, "We can be at your office in two hours."

She hung up the phone and faced me. There was excitement on her face as she blurted, "They want us to bid on a huge project Clyde. I can tell it's big money. Olsen sent them to us."

We were escorted into a large conference room where two people waited for us. They introduced themselves as Bob Jacobs and Sam Fisher. Neither said what their titles were.

"You're kind of young," said Jacobs.

Charlie smiled sweetly, "So that means were not contaminated with the theory that the old way is the only way."

Fisher started talking. "Our company is a specialty mail order house. We are in seventy-five percent of the United States. This new region will complete our nationwide coverage. In two months we are supposed to be open for business. We'll take orders over the phone or through the Internet. Originally we plan to have thirty people covering the phones. Eventually, if we're like the other regions, the telephone staff will increase to one hundred. 

"We've already prepared a marketing blitz for two months from now. We'll have radio, television and some celebrities endorsing our products.

"We went out to bid on a system that could handle our anticipated volume. Telephone orders and Internet purchases are not leading edge applications. There is plenty of software out there that can be bought and tied together. We have a great many products so the database access has to work quickly.

"We didn't want it to be fancy; we wanted it to work."

I asked, "Why not duplicate what the other three regions have?"

Jacobs answered, "Because they've bastardized the system for fifteen years and it's falling apart. There's lousy or no documentation and the staff is average at best. We thought it would be cheaper and better to get a new system up. We were told it could be done on time and within budget."

Charlie interrupted, "It sounds as if you already hired a company. Why are we here?"

"We booked a company and gave them an advance. They came back and said they needed at least eighty percent of the contract paid up front. We refused. We got a call yesterday; they filed for bankruptcy."

Fisher interrupted, "We called three large companies yesterday trying to get them to bid. They all turned us down even though we said we would pay a premium price. They told us they have committed their teams to other projects and could not come close to completing it on time."

I asked, "What about the hardware?"

"That's part of the bid. We really want a turnkey operation where you do everything."

Charlie glanced at me and said, "We're not sure we want to bid on this. Interfacing multiple software products into a seamless database with large volumes using both the phone and the Internet is not leading edge, but it is a major project.

"Before we even talk money we want to see all the specifications of the project, what the first company has done, and we want access to your processing staff in the other regions to find out the quirks that come out of your business.

"When we get all information, we'll tell you yes or no."

Fisher said, "We'll pay good money."

"Doesn't matter," Charlie said. "If we can't honestly feel we could do it, we'll pass, no matter what the money is."

Both of them looked surprised, almost shocked. Promising big money should have gotten an immediate yes. 

"Screw them," I thought.

For the next two days Charlie and I pored over the specs, spent hours talking to the staff at the other regions, and studied what the first company had planned to do.

Charlie and I agreed on most things: The concept to buy outside software that was proven was logical, and the concept of simplicity also was solid. The problem was that five major software programs were going to be interfaced with a unique database, and that was the rub. Some systems expected a particular database and others expected a different one. The management reports were designed as generic reports, and our company already wanted to tweak them. Finally, there was a hardware implication; the hardware we bought had to handle the software packages, the database, and have the speed to handle large and growing volumes.

Finally we recognized that two months was really pushing it. You can go into crash mode for maybe a week, but two months was impossible. For hardware, we would bring in some of the geeks I knew; we didn't have time to do it alone.

We were back in the conference room, facing Jacobs and Fisher. Charlie said, "We can do the project if the price is right, but the time constraint is going to really push us. We'll have to bring in outside people."

"What's the price?"

Charlie answered, "$250,000. We want ten percent up front. The hardware is in the quote, but when we buy the hardware, you pay for it."

Jacobs said, "That's not acceptable. You buy the hardware. If it works, we'll pay you."

Charlie answered, "That's a deal breaker. We're not a bank and we won't finance your hardware purchase. If that's not acceptable, we pass."

We had already talked this out. We couldn't afford to take the risk of borrowing money to buy hardware for this company. 

I had mixed emotions about the project. The concept was simple and I was confident we could do it. We wouldn't be in crash mode, but it would be an intense two months out of our lives. I suspected that sex would take a temporary back seat to the project. 

Jacobs and Fisher looked at each other and then Fisher said, "We really don't have a choice. We agree. I'll have a contract drawn up today and cut you a check for your ten percent.

We went back to the apartment both elated and scared. This was a big deal.

We talked late into the night. I told Charlie I had to bring in a hardware geek. I was good, but this guy was an expert. I knew the hardware was in the $60,000 to $80,000 range, but that was it. I warned Charlie that when I brought in Skinny, it would be ugly.

"Why?" asked Charlie.

"Geeks want to buy the leading-edge products. If it's announced today, they want to buy it. We don't want to take that kind of chance; we want good, tested hardware. Skinny will fight for the leading-edge stuff."

When Skinny came over Charlie was shocked. He was six-foot and weighed over three hundred pounds. 

He went over the specs and suggested the hardware we needed. It was brutal; Skinny and I fought over each piece of hardware. Finally we were done. The hardware was going to cost about seventy-five thousand dollars.

After Skinny left Charlie asked me, "How can you be so tough and aggressive when talking about computers, and then be such a pushover in day to day confrontations?"

I shrugged. I didn't have an answer.

..............

It was tough. Charlie and I worked ten hours a day seven days a week. After three weeks I saw Charlie was as burned out as I. That afternoon we agreed that we would have a night of sex and then take the whole next day off doing nothing. Finally, we would have dinner at a nice restaurant and then more sex. 

We woke two mornings later feeling refreshed and went back to the project.

Charlie brought up the problem that we had to document every aspect of the system and we also needed an operator's manual for employees taking telephone orders—when a purchase call came in, the operator would have to know what to do. We realized that someone had to teach them. Neither Charlie nor I had the time to document and teach.

I suggested we call Amy and see if she had any friends who might be qualified. I dialed the number and Amy's cheerful voice said, "Wilson Accounting."

I explained the problem to her and asked if she knew anyone. "How much are you paying?" she asked.

I thought for a second and said, "For someone really good, $25 an hour."

"I got just the person for you."

"Who?"

Amy giggled, "Me. It's kind of slow right now and Bill can take care of the office and answer his own phone if I'm not here. I think I can do a good job for you."

Hiring Amy was a serendipitous stroke of genius. She was perfect in bringing together all the documentation so that there was a ready reference for any of the software packages that we were using. When we tweaked one of the programs, we told Amy how to write it up so that all changes were in writing.

For the operator's manual Amy suggested that we show her the various screens and teach her what she should do if she were an operator taking an order. When she ran into a problem or the answer was unclear, she made sure the operator's manual explained what to do.

The documentation was over 300 pages that Amy had copied or typed, and the operator's manual was an additional 50 pages. Charlie and I would never have had the time to accomplish what Amy completed.

We quickly agreed that Amy would stay with us until the project was completed. Amy never complained about the long hours. She liked to work, and always was laughing or teasing to keep the atmosphere in the apartment loose. Bill complained good-naturedly that we had stolen his best employee. 

"Your only employee," Amy corrected.

We were running out of time. There were two weeks to go and there was a tremendous amount still to accomplish.

Skinny called me from the company's office. The hardware had arrived and he was going to install it. He had pulled up the raised floor and saw the pre-installed cables for the first time. He said simply, "They're a piece of shit. They went with the cheapest cables—they might work for a year or so before there's a problem. I can't install hardware knowing the cables are bullshit."

I sighed and told him to buy the right cables and get it done. I told Charlie that night that we just spent an extra $5,000 on cables and installation that wasn't anticipated. She just nodded and went back to her programming.

With eight days to go we were ready for testing. Skinny had all the hardware hooked up and we installed the programs. I had created a simulated telephone and on-line ordering volume program along with the actual database. We were ready for testing. The simulated ordering was set at a very low volume for testing. When low volume came out clean, we had the ability to have the simulations kick in to three and four times the volumes anticipated. It was the high volume aspect where we expected to find problems.

On the first day of testing we lasted ten minutes and the system crashed. At first, I was sure that it was a problem with Knucklehead's database manipulations, but many hours later I discovered it was an error in my database conversion program.

A day later we tried it again. This time we lasted three hours and it crashed again. We found the problems and started again. Twelve hours later it crashed again.

I wasn't in panic mode, but we needed this system tested really well and we were running out of time. We decided to go to twelve-hour shifts. Charlie bought an air mattress and some sheets and took over an office in the company's building. She lived there twelve hours and then I took over for the next twelve hours. For the next three days we never made it though a shift without a problem. Usually that meant the one who was home had to come in. We were now in crash mode.

Finally we made it through twenty-four hours without a hitch. The system seemed to work. We set the simulation program to four times the anticipated highest volume expected. With a big sigh of relief from both of us, the high-speed test went fine. For the rest of the test period the system never had a problem. 

The company had hired the people who were going to take telephone orders and they had read the manual Amy had created. During the last two days when we were testing, Amy used the simulated system to train the telephone order people on what they were going to see. She created problems and tested their ability to find the answer in the operator's manual. She was an excellent teacher.

After the system settled down, the top manager of the department requested a meeting. He knew the testing was going well, but he pointed out that Charlie and I weren't always going to be available and he thought he should have a two-person staff to monitor the hardware and the programs. He asked if we could recommend anyone.

I immediately thought of the people who were taking our home requests. I thought two of them would be perfect for the job. I called them and asked if they were interested. They jumped at the chance to be interviewed by the company and I arranged the interviews.

On the day before we went live the testing was going fine. I suggested to Charlie that we have a celebration dinner and invite everyone who had been involved in the project. She thought it was a great idea and quickly found a nice restaurant with a private room. We invited Skinny and his gang of three, the two people who we recommended to the company for staff, and Bill and Amy. It was a great party with lots of jokes and kidding about all the goofy things that happened during development. Skinny kept teasing me about the cheap cables that he found installed. The party broke up at eleven and Charlie and I went home happy, but exhausted.

The company went live and for three days Charlie and I kept to our twelve hour shifts. Amy was there during the day shift to help the telephone operators. It became a joke that we were sleeping on the floor, waiting for a problem. 

On the fourth day, we met with Jacobs and Fisher. Charlie said, "I think we're clean. We're going to stay in close contact with the two people you just hired for problems, but things seem to be going well."

Fisher said, "You guys performed. It was a great job and I have to admit that I was skeptical when we first met you. We have a check for $150,000."

Charlie calculated quickly and said, "That's too much. You gave us $25,000 up front and the hardware and cable was $80,000. You only owe us $145,000."




Charlie and Clyde



Fisher grinned, "The cables were the first contractor's fault, not yours. We'll eat that expense."

Charlie and I walked out of the building and looked at each other. Charlie said, "Clyde, we have a check for $150,000 in my pocket. That's a huge amount of money for us, even after we settle up with Skinny and Amy."

I grinned, "We're a good team."

She nodded and then came into my arms and kissed me. "No work for the next three days, and sex until we're too sore to do it any more."

We followed the game plan for the next three days. We tried to make up for all the opportunities we missed during our two month project.

We went back to work and quickly had some small projects, which brought in some money but did not create any stressful deadlines. 

I walked into the apartment one afternoon and immediately saw that Charlie was upset.

"What's wrong?"

"My mother called. She wants me to come to dinner tomorrow night."

I knew the problem. "Is it going to be as bad as I think?"

She looked at me with sad eyes approaching utter despair. "Not if you go with me."

The glove was thrown down. Not aggressively, but in a way that said, "If you love me, you'll come with me."

I grinned, "Should I bring an M16, or will a frag grenade be enough?"

I should have brought sleeping gas. From the moment we walked in it was no-holds-barred combat between Charlie and her dad. Her mom and I were innocent witnesses. We staggered through an awkward cocktail hour and then sat down to dinner. Her mom kept trying to make light conversation, but it was a wasted effort.

Her dad said, "Have you given up trying to start a company and decided to find a suitable husband?"

Charlie in her innocent, subtle way answered, "We've got a great fucking start-up company that's bringing in big bucks."

Her dad's face turned red and he countered, "Who would hire you?"

I knew it was coming. 

Charlie smirked, "Your company, for one. You called us in to solve a database problem. Clyde and I looked at it and we passed. Your documentation was terrible and it's so political there, any solution would be criticized. Your company wasn't good enough for us."

His face flushed with embarrassment and then anger. "Who are you to tell me my company isn't doing a good job?"

Charlie spat, "You called us; we didn't call you."

I looked at Charlie's mom. Her face was ashen and I'm sure she regretted ever trying to get these two hard heads to reconcile.

Charlie's dad changed tactics. "Why don't you find a good man and get married and have kids?"

"I've found my man and when we get married and have kids is none of your business."

He looked at me and visibly winced.

I thought, "It can't get worse than this."

I was wrong. A shattered glass thrown on the floor broke the tense silence. Charlie's mom looked at her husband and said, "How dare you? This is our only daughter. She's started her own business and maybe found a man she loves. If you say another nasty word, you may find yourself living alone with all your money."

We passed on dessert. Neither Charlie nor her dad said another word. She hugged her mom when we left, but she was steaming. 

I opened the door to the car for her and she screamed, "I can open my own fucking door... why didn't you open your mouth and help me?"

I was stunned. It was the first harsh word that Charlie had ever used against me; I didn't know what to say. My first thought was one of anger, "Charlie knows I can't stand up to people."

But then another, more troubling thought, struck me, "If I won't stand up for the only person I've ever loved, what kind of man am I?"

I started the car and seconds later she slid next to me. Our legs were touching, but neither of us spoke a word as we headed home. Charlie started crying softly and then let everything out as she wailed. She was in terrible pain, and other than clutch her shoulder in sympathy, there was nothing I could do.

When we got to the apartment she took a shower and we went to bed. The next morning she refused to discuss the previous night; it was like it never happened.

The next few days we were polite with each other, and then the awkwardness created by the unfortunate dinner ended. 

We had just finished a three-day project and were home early. We opened a bottle of wine and relaxed. Charlie looked at me and blushed. "I'm a real ass sometimes, Clyde. Why do you put up with me?"

"Because I love you. I let you down at your father's house and I'm ashamed that I didn't protect the only person I've ever loved."

She stared at me. "If you love me you'll take me into the bedroom and eat me and then fuck me. And after we take a shower I'll suck you until there is nothing left in you. And then we'll go to sleep in each other's arms because we love each other."

We did all those things and when we awoke, she looked at me and timidly smiled. "I love you, Clyde; sometimes I'm a complete jerk, but you've got to know that I love you."

The next few days the business phone was ringing and we had plenty of short-term projects. We were now actually turning down business. We had decided we would never book a contract when we knew that other commitments would cause us to miss a promised deadline.

Three weeks went by and we got a call from Fisher. He wanted to meet with us. We both feared that the system was messing up, but when we arrived, he was all smiles.

Fisher brought us into the conference room. After his secretary gave us soft drinks, he said, "Your system exceeds our wildest projection, and the two guys you recommended are doing a great job.

"We had a meeting at corporate headquarters last week. We want to install your system in the other three regions. We're willing to pay you for all expenses, and after each region is installed, we'll pay you $25,000 per region."

"How about hardware?" Charlie asked.

"We pay for the hardware. You have your people install it, and again any expenses for that we pay too."

Charlie looked at me; she wanted my thoughts before we were too committed to the project.

I thought for a second and said, "The hardware, once it arrives, will take three or four days to install. You'll have to put up the crew during the installation. Then Charlie and I will have to be around for a week. First we will test and then we'll have to be there when you go live. And Amy will have to be come for three days or so to bring your phone operators up to our standard. Is that what you'll agree to?"

Fisher said, "Yes, that's exactly what we want."

Charlie added, "And we won't be staying at Motel 6 either."

Fisher laughed, "No Charlie. We can afford to put you up in style."

It really was a sweetheart deal. We called Skinny and worked over the hardware part of the deal. It was obvious that to have all four regions with identical hardware and software was the ideal. Fortunately we designed our system for much bigger volumes than any region would have for many years, so the hardware to be ordered was a clone of our system.

The first region to be installed would be where corporate headquarters were located. The hardware was ordered and Skinny and his crew installed it. Charlie and I arrived at the beginning of the second week and started installing and testing the programs. Amy flew in on the third day to train the phone operators.

The hotel that they put us in was fantastic. It was a subsidiary of the Four Seasons and everything was of excellent quality. Charlie and I were overwhelmed. 

Amy was similarly impressed. She asked, "Can you make this a permanent job for me?"

The testing went perfectly, and with time on our hands we discussed, with the corporate staff, how they would keep all four regions with the same system. In other words, if a change was made in one region, all regions would make the same change. The discussion was lively since everyone wanted to be independent, but it was decided that there had to be a central control unit.

Charlie and I gave them our best advice and we accepted the $25,000 check and went home.

The third installation was in the western region and it went just as smoothly. Skinny was getting into these corporate expense accounts, and so was Amy. Charlie and I were getting into collecting the $25,000 check at the end of each visit.

Our last installation was for the southeast region, headquartered in Tampa. A limo driver met Charlie and me at the airport and took us to the hotel south of the city. It was obvious that the company was in love with us because the hotel turned out to be a very prestigious resort hotel on the waterfront. Our mini-suite with sitting area and wet bar overlooked the ocean.

We had a quick dinner and went to bed after the long trip. After the first day of program installation Charlie and I decided to explore the resort before having dinner. She took my hand and we walked everywhere. There were three swimming pools, a large gym, a spa for sun tanning and massage, and many tennis courts.

We turned down a corridor and walked to the end and found a door labeled "Chapel."

Charlie looked at me and then tried the door. It was unlocked. We walked into a small room that could hold maybe thirty people. At the front was a decorative table or altar, and behind that was a full wall of windows that looked over the ocean. We explored the room and discovered that the wall of windows was really a sliding wall, and if the weather was nice, the large balcony that was actually over the breaking waves would be the wedding ceremony spot.

We held hands and looked at the waves as the sun came down. When the sun was just barely visible, streaks of red, orange and yellow were beautiful to see.

I thought, "What a perfect setting."

My mind went back over the months that I had known Charlie; the fun that we had together; the crazy crash projects we had gotten ourselves into; the sex. She was my best friend; the truth was she was my only real friend. I asked myself, "Isn't it obvious what you should do?"

I was scared as I turned to Charlie who was watching the sunset. "Charlie?"

She looked at me. 

"Let's get married here, this weekend?"

"Are you serious?"

"I love you," I replied. "I've never been more serious. I know I haven't got real class and that I let people intimidate me, but I love..."

She came into my arms, kissing me hard. "Yes, Clyde...absolutely yes."

Our love making that night was aggressive with no restraints. Twice more during the night we woke up and had fantastic sex—we were in love.

Charlie went into the office early in the morning. I stayed behind to talk to the resort about the chapel, the paperwork involved, including the Florida marriage license, along with other details.

The resort had gone through this many times. We reserved the chapel, the paperwork was easy and we booked a small private room for the dinner after the ceremony. Charlie and I had talked the night before. Amy would be here teaching the telephone operators. We wanted her to be the bridesmaid and Bill to be my best man. We called them at one in the morning. After hearing what the call was about, they enthusiastically agreed.

Charlie and I went through the second day of testing, but it was a formality; the system was working in three regions and it was solid. When we got back to the resort Charlie looked at me sheepishly and said, "I owe it to my mom to at least tell her we're getting married. I've got to make the call."

I left the room and she joined me at the bar. She was subdued. "Mom wished us the very best."

I didn't ask about her dad, and she never brought him up.

The next day the testing was still going perfectly. Amy had arrived and was preparing to give her seminar to the telephone operators. I talked to the manager and said since the testing was going great, we wanted to move the going live date up one day to Friday. That way we would have all day to be on site for any problems. 

When he found out that it would help our wedding plans for Saturday night, he readily agreed.

Amy was done early and she and Charlie went shopping for clothes for the wedding. I agreed to meet them back at the resort. I had just entered our room when the phone rang. I was sure it was Charlie.

It wasn't. A man's voice asked, "Could I speak to Charlie, please?"

"She's not here right now. She should be back in..."

"Is this Clyde?" he interrupted.

"Yes."

"I'm Charlie's father; we met when you two came to the house for dinner...the dinner that I made an ass out of myself."

I didn't answer.

He continued, "Charlie is my only child. I've treated her terrible over the years—it was my entire fault. Now she is going to marry the man she loves; I want to be at the wedding."

As soon as I knew who he was, I was upset and determined not to be intimidated.

I answered him, "No. I'm not going to take the chance that you'll ruin what should be the happiest day in Charlie's life. I saw how you treated her at that dinner. I'm ashamed that I let you do that to her, but it will never happen again."

There was a stunned silence. He was surprised that I had attacked him so aggressively; I was quiet for exactly the same reason.

For the next thirty minutes we talked on the phone. He tried to convince me that, after all the years of torment he had put her through, he wanted to reconcile with Charlie. 

However, his problem wasn't my problem. I had to determine if what he proposed would be good for Charlie. Finally, but with some trepidation, I proposed a compromise. He agreed.

...

Amy finished her seminar the next day, and we finished our high-volume test successfully. On Friday, we went live. I didn't expect any problems, but with computers and systems you never know. Charlie, Amy and I were at the company until four o'clock. Fortunately, things went perfectly, so we headed to the resort.

When we arrived at the resort, I told Charlie that I would meet her in our room after I bought a few things at the gift shop. As the elevator door closed, I went to the house phone and asked for room 368. When Charlie's father answered I said, "She just went to our room."

One hour later I knocked on the door of our room, unlocked it and walked in. I looked at Charlie, sitting on the couch. I could see she had been crying, but she gave me a happy grin.

Her father got up from his chair and walked over to me. "I've been a real ass, Clyde. I apologize for my actions the first time we met, and for the last hour I've been begging Charlie to forgive me for my stupidity over the years. She's our only child and I don't want to lose her."

I looked at Charlie's mom sitting on the couch next to her. She gave me a grin of relief and happiness.

Charlie came over and kissed me. She whispered, "Thank you."

I felt enormously relieved that the meeting with her parents had gone well—I had made the right decision.

We asked them to go do dinner with us and Bill and Amy, but they politely refused. Her dad said, "You four have a great dinner. My wife and I will have dinner alone, and I'll be apologizing to her for my years of being an ass. We'll see you just before the wedding; I'll be giving away Charlie."

The dinner that night was fun. Charlie was happy and kept saying she couldn't believe her father could change so much.

The next morning we were really busy. Amy pointed out that we hadn't bought wedding rings, so Charlie and I rushed off to the jewelry store. Amy was going to buy some flowers, check the chapel for the music that they would play, and make sure the photographer would be there.

The wedding was great. The weather was nice so her father escorted Charlie through the chapel to the outside deck and gave her to me in front of the minister. Charlie kissed her father gently and then turned to face me. The service was short, but beautiful. The sun was setting as the minister pronounced us man and wife. It was obvious that the photographer was getting some great pictures as brilliant streaks of reds and oranges covered the sky behind us and the sun sank into the distant water.

Right after the wedding we went to the private dining room. It was a fairly large room for only six people, but the single large round table was set up perfectly. We ordered cocktails and as they arrived, Bill pointed to a large decorative box on a side table.

"That arrived today on overnight delivery."

Charlie opened the box and it contained a very large and ornate Waterford cut glass bowl; even I knew that it was a very expensive present.

She opened the card that came with the box and read it out loud, "To the perfect couple who showed me things that I had forgotten. We wish you both much happiness." It was signed Marilyn and Ted Olsen. 

Charlie looked at me and asked, "How did he know about the wedding?"

Charlie's dad answered, "Ted called me two weeks ago and said how much he admired you and Clyde. He invited us to have dinner at his club the day that you called your mom. 

"We accepted and met them that night. After hearing him praise both of you for the first thirty minutes I started to think back about our friendship many years ago, and why it ended—because two ego-centric men forgot some of the basics of happiness. I made my first of many apologies that night. 

"When Charlie called her mom to tell her about the wedding, I called Olsen to give him the news—I knew he would want to know.

Her father reached for a small box that was on his dinner chair and handed it to Charlie. "This is from your mom and me."

Charlie opened the box. It contained keys, a title, and a picture of a dark green Lexus mini-van. "It's parked next to your other car in the apartment's garage."

I was overwhelmed. I shook his hand and said, "Thank you. It's a fantastic gift."

Charlie kissed both her parents.

Bill said, "Our present is sitting on your beat-up couch in the apartment."

We sat down at the dinner table. The meal was fantastic and the conversation was lively. Charlie was laughing and teasing everyone. She was having fun. A small wedding cake completed the meal.

We were talking after dessert when I noticed that Charlie and her dad had moved to a couch on the other side of the room and were talking quietly to each other. All of us knew not to disturb them. Twenty minutes later they stood and she hugged him for several long minutes. She turned towards us and I could see the happiness on her face.

Her father stood there and then took a handkerchief out of his pocket to dry his tears. When he pulled himself together, he rejoined us.

All of us went to the resort's night club. After Charlie and I danced with everyone, we said goodnight and agreed to meet in the morning for breakfast.

That night our lovemaking was slow and tender. When we finally consummated our marriage and we lay in each other's arms, we promised our complete love for each other. The week had been busy; the wedding preparation had been fun but stressful. We were tired; we slept.

The next morning we met for breakfast. Bill had arranged to ship the Olsen's gift to our apartment. The four of them had ordered an airport limo that would leave in two hours.

Charlie and I were packed and checked out. The suitcases were in the rental car. We had decided to spend our honeymoon in Key West. We were told it was a goofy little town that was perfect for young couples.

We met at the front of the resort. I pulled the car up and opened the door for Charlie. The last minute kisses and good-byes took place and she got in the car. As soon as I started driving, she moved to the center of the seat and put her hand on my thigh and rested her head on my shoulder.

No words were said; we would have plenty of time for talking. This was the first day of our married life together. There would be bumps ahead—both in our personal lives and in our business—but whatever those bumps were, we would face them together.