4 comments/ 14088 views/ 2 favorites Meeting Becca Ch. 01 By: Jarhead14 I looked across the restaurant, watching Kate glance around as she came in. I had arrived a few minutes early and the maitre d' had already seated me in a booth near the back. It's comfortable there, a little apart from the tables. A good place to talk. Kate had called yesterday to ask if I could meet her for lunch. I picked a quiet, upscale place I frequent. It is quiet and secluded, but relatively easy to find. Kate and I had worked for the same company. Actually, I had worked for her. At the time, I was the head of R&D for her father's company. She was, and is, the chief operating officer. And we'd been lovers. One morning she had stormed into my office in a rage, firing me on the spot. At the time I had no idea why. She didn't have the authority to fire me, but that was only a technicality. It turned out that one of my assistants, her cousin, wanted my job. She had been whispering in Kate's ear that the program I had developed as part of a new control panel wouldn't the way I said it would, that I was sabotaging it just as it was almost ready for beta testing, and, oh yeah, by the way, I was playing around behind Kate's back — she had seen me hugging some woman at a restaurant. Later I realized she had seen me with Jan, a friend since childhood. Apparently that's what set Kate off. She wouldn't listen when I tried to calm her down and get a coherent explanation of what was going on, so I packed the personal items from my office and left. For several days, I called her twice a day, but she wouldn't take my calls and didn't call back. After a week I gave up. I packed up everything she had at my place and asked a mutual friend to return them with the key to Kate's place, and to collect the few things I had at Kate's place. Being slightly paranoid, I changed my locks. Technically, my contract required that the company had to have cause to terminate me, give me written notice of the cause, and allow me the opportunity to present my side of the dispute to the board of directors. Of course, Kate, her father, her brother, the company's chief financial officer, and its accountant were the board of directors. Like I said, a technicality. I didn't bother. I had the impression that when personnel finally found out what had happened, the wind blew and feces was airborne. I got calls from Kate's father, then from the Company's attorney, and, eventually, from Kate, all leaving messages on my box, apologizing for the 'misunderstanding,' and asking me to come back. I didn't return any of the calls. I know - childish. But I didn't see any reason to call. I wouldn't be going back. About that time, someone remembered that, before I joined the company, I had developed the programs that formed the core of 3 of its best-selling products and I owned those patents. They also realized I had a very good lawyer. Although the company could still use the programs, paying only a very small royalty, the license was exclusive only while I was an employee and I did not have to offer the company any improvements or upgrades I made if I was no longer an employee. Oops. My attorney handled the wrongful termination settlement. The severance package was a lot more generous than my contract required. I guess they decided that if they were going to have to spend the money on lawyers, and still lose the lawsuit, it was easier and less expensive in the long run just to give me a large chunk of it directly. And I kept the software. That was a little over a year ago. Until she called me to ask if I would have lunch with her, Kate and I hadn't spoken since the day she fired me. She still looked great. Pretty. Dark brown hair a little shorter than it had been, shapely, 5' 6", great legs. The maitre d' led her to my booth. I stood up as they approached and Kate gave me a hug as she kissed my cheek. She still felt good — soft yet firm. Smelled good, too. It was as exciting as hugging my great-aunt. I asked the waiter to bring us a wine I thought Kate would like. We ordered lunch and chatted about inconsequential things as we ate. When the dishes had been cleared, I poured Kate another glass of wine then sat back and looked at her, waiting. She looked around as she took a deep breath. Just then, the restaurant door opened. I turned to look. Kate's head turned, following my gaze. A gorgeous blond walked in. Head turning beautiful. Hair the color of dark honey fell loosely to just past her shoulders. Tall, with long legs. Slender but not thin. She looked and moved like a well-toned athlete. The maitre d' obviously knew her as she leaned close to speak to him. He said something in return, pointing to his seating chart, then smiled and turned slightly so she could get past. We both watched the blond move through the restaurant. Passing the tables, she stopped briefly at some of them, exchanging a few words with the other diners, then sat down at one of the tables with two other women. Reluctantly, I turned back to Kate. Kate turned back to me as she took another deep breath "We really want you to come back," she said. Then, looking me in the eye for the first time, "I really want you back. I'm so sorry. I was stupid. Angry and stupid. I should have let you explain . . . ." Her voice trailed off, as she looked at me. Expectantly? Maybe. I wasn't sure. "Explain what?" I asked when she didn't continue. "Whatever 'it' really was, I didn't do it. Certainly not the cra . . . reasons I was given." "I know," she replied in a small voice. "Now. But not then." "If you'd talked to me, you would have. I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen. Maybe you didn't want to listen. Maybe you did, but couldn't get past it. Maybe you wanted it to be my fault for some reason. Probably not, but it doesn't matter, Kate. Either way, it got us to the same place. You blew up, fired me, and wouldn't answer my calls. I finally lost interest." "I know," she replied again, even more softly this time. "I'm so sorry." I looked at her for a moment, considering what she had said and what she had implied. It didn't change anything. I'd never expected it to. "It's been in the past for a while now," I said. "I want to change that," she said, "if you'll give us a chance. We . . . I want to make it up to you." "Kate," I said, "I'm not trying to make things hard for you. I'm not trying to make you grovel and beg so I can feel like I won." "I know," she replied. "You wouldn't do that. Even after the way I treated you." "I got over the mad and the hurt a while ago. I still feel some . . . affection? . . . for you. I have pleasant memories of how we were. It's just that I've moved on. I have other interests now." "You could keep teaching at the vocational school," she said, misunderstanding what I meant. "We can work that out." "That's not what I meant," I said "I've . . ." "Please. Give us another chance?" Kate broke in. "Give me another chan . . . ." She stopped, looking up as the blond stopped at our booth. "Am I interrupting?" she said with a traffic stopping smile. It stops me. Every time. I caught my breath, getting off lucky this time. Usually it almost stops my heart. "No," I said, when I could breathe again. "Kate, this is Rebecca. Becca - Caitlin Brown. Kate." "You're sure I'm not interrupting?" she asked, looking at me. "I'm sure." "Then scoot," she said, nudging my shoulder with her hip. I moved enough so she had room to sit down. She slid into the booth until she was pressed against me, then picked up my wine glass and took a sip. It wasn't meant as a challenge. She wasn't marking her territory. She's too secure and comfortable with whom she is for that. It's just something she does. I think she doesn't even knows she does it, but none of this was lost on Kate. "Kate's with AmTech Industries. She's the COO over there." "That's why I recognize your name," Becca said, following it with a non sequitur, "You're very pretty." "She wants to hire . . . rehire . . . me." Becca turned her head to look at me, a half smile playing across her lips. "I thought you had a job." "Ummm." "How'd you ever let him get away in the first place?" Becca asked, turning back to Kate. "He 's never said anything about it. Just that you parted ways." "I'm right here," I said. "Hush," Becca said, nudging me with her shoulder, smiling at me softly. "You've had your chance." Kate looked at me for a few moments, maybe absorbing what Becca had said. Or maybe what her body language was saying. "I screwed up," Kate said. "A couple of ways, but the biggie was blowing up because someone said they saw him hugging and kissing another woman, then I made up an excuse to fire him." Becca glanced at me, cocking an eyebrow. "Something I should know?" she asked, that small smile playing across her lips again. She started to turn back to Kate, then stopped and turned to me again with her eyes slightly wider as she realized the implications in what Kate had said. "So that's why you were gun-shy?" Becca said. It wasn't a question. And she wasn't talking about me getting fired. "It was Jan," I said. "Your Jan?" Becca asked. Another rhetorical question. Becca looked back at Kate, amusement in her eyes. "You fired him? For hugging Jan?" "You know her?" Kate asked. "Yes. She's great," Becca said. "How'd you get hot about that? They've been friends since they were . . . what?" She looked at me, "Eight? Nine? Something like that?" "Eight," I said. "I know," Kate said. "You didn't ask him about it, did you?" Becca asked, looking at Kate. Kate had trouble meeting Becca's gaze. Shook her head no. "They're always hugging and kissing. If she wasn't lesbian, he'd been off the market the day she hit puberty," Becca said. Kate looked blank. "Lesbian?" she said after a few moments. "Uh-oh," Becca said, looking at me again, a small grimace briefly twisting her mouth. "Sorry. Did I talk out of school? I thought everyone knew." "Don't worry about it," I replied. "She doesn't carry a sign, so I suppose some people don't know. It doesn't make any difference. She doesn't care one way or the other. She's Jan." "You guys were doing some incredible stuff," Becca said with an abrupt change of subject, looking back at Kate. "You know what we do?" Kate asked, surprised, then, realizing what Becca has said, "Were doing?" "Everyone on the street knows why you were in front, and why you're not. That clown you have now can't find her butt with both hands at the same time." "I know. That's why I'm here. We need him back. I'm here to try to make a deal." "I'm still right here," I said. "Hush, I said," Becca said, smiling at me as she nudged me again. "He didn't tell you, did he?" she asked Kate, still looking at me. "We were just getting to that," I said. "Tell me what?" Kate asked. "He works for us." "What? Works for who?" "Well . . . for me. I'm the CEO at McCann Tech." "McCann Techno . . .?" Kate's voice trailed off, her face falling. "You're Katherine McCann?" "That's me," Rebecca replied. "At the office. Away from the office, I'm Rebecca. Or, lately," she said, briefly pressing herself more tightly against me, "Becca." "When I heard he was available, I jumped at the chance to hire him. He ignored my phone calls so I tracked him down to make an offer. He wasn't interested, so I upped the offer. He still wasn't interested. Not in the job, anyway," she said, smiling at me. "It took a while to wear him down, but eventually he signed on as our Chief Technology Officer. About 2, 2½ months ago. If this last couple of months is any example, I better watch out or he'll have my job in a year or so." She paused a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "But you can't have him back. He's mine now." She wasn't talking about the job anymore. Kate was speechless. I shifted sideways to free my arm, putting it around Becca, then looked at Kate. "That's what I meant when I said I have other interests now." "So the two of you . . .?" Kate started to ask, letting the question tail off. "Not at the office," Becca answered the unfinished question. "Away from the office, yes. But it's not the two of us. There's only 'us'." Meeting Becca Ch. 02 Around 1 year ago "May I sit down?" Glancing up from my newspaper, for a moment I thought my heart would stop. Her photos didn't do her justice. I was looking into bright, hazel eyes set in one of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen. Amber honey-colored hair fell loosely to just past her shoulders. Tall, maybe 5'11". Slender but not skinny. Athletic was my first thought. An expensive but tasteful engagement ring on her left ring finger. I notice important things. Rising from my chair, I said, "I don't believe we've met." "I'm Katherine McCann," she replied, extending her hand to me. "I know. I've seen photos of you." "I've been trying to reach you for weeks." We shook hands briefly, then I moved around the table to pull out a chair for her. "Please," I said. "Sit down." She gave me a surprised look, but sat down as I slid the chair under her. "I didn't know men did that anymore," she said. "I was raised by my grandmother. She believed good manners make you a better person." "Do you believe that?" she asked. "No." "So why do it?" "To impress you. And give my heart time to start beating again." "Are you always this direct?" she asked. "I suppose," I replied. "I hadn't thought about it. Did it work?" "Did what work?" "Are you impressed," I asked. She smiled slightly, her head cocked the side, looking at me for a few moments. "Yes. I am." "Would you like a drink?" "Wine?" "Red or white?" "Yes," she said, grinning at me. I held up my hands in mock surrender, then caught Sarah's eye. Pointing to my glass, I held up 2 fingers so she'd know we needed another glass, and made a motion she knew meant I wanted a bottle of the same wine I had been sipping. "I guess you come here often," Katherine said. "Isn't that disingenuous?" I asked. "You didn't choose me on a whim. You were looking for me and knew where to find me so you must know I come here a couple of times a week." "You don't think I just happened to come in for a drink, saw you sitting here alone, and decided I might like your company?" Another small smile played around her lips. I could get to like having her smile at me like that. Who was I kidding? I already liked it. "I don't scare little children when they meet me, but I don't have beautiful women picking me up, either." "I apologize," she said. "You're right. I knew you would be here and I thought if I came by, you wouldn't keep on ignoring me." "I wasn't trying to be rude," I said, "but I'm not interested in the job." We both were silent for a few moments. "Where did you see my photo?" she asked. "The company website." I replied. "I know about your company, but figured I should find out about you since you were trying that hard get hold of me." "Busted," she said, that small smile crinkling the corners of her mouth. I had an almost irresistible urge to kiss her when she did that. And when she didn't. Just then Sarah showed up with the wine and another glass. The wine was already open. Without a word, she poured Katherine a glass, refilled mine, then set the bottle down and left. "No sniffing the cork and all of that stuff?" Katherine asked. "Most guys go through the whole routine." "I could do that if you want. I might even get some of the words right. Want me to try?" "No. I was just wondering." "It probably had a purpose once, but these days you get a bad bottle so rarely I don't see any point in pretending I know what I'm doing. It tastes good or it doesn't. If it turns out to be a bad bottle, we can always send it back and get another one." She took a sip. "Nice," she said. "Where was I?" "About to give me a recruiting speech, I think." "You make it sound like a waste of time." "It is." "Uummm. Can I try anyway?" "Sure, but I promise you it's a waste of time." We spent the next hour or so talking. Katherine explained her plans for the company she had recently taken over from her father, who wanted to retire. She talked about how she thought I would fit in at McCann Technologies. I listened to her carefully. Common courtesy required that. I watched her while we talked. Common sense required that. She was comfortable with herself, poised and elegant. No flirtatious gestures, no reaching across the table to touch my hand while emphasizing her points. Just a cogent explanation of what she thought and what she wanted and why she thought I would be a good fit for it. And that occasional small smile. Maybe I should take the job just to be able to see her do that once in a while. It was an interesting offer but I was right - it was a waste of her time. My libido was interested though, so it wasn't a waste of mine. "You're not persuaded," she said finally, watching me closely. "You make a good case," I said, "but I'm not going to jump into another job. I'm comfortable with what I'm doing. At least for now." "Will you think about it?" "Of course. But I don't think I'll change my mind." "Since you didn't say no, I'm going to keep trying." "Maybe that's what I had in mind" I teased. "Ummm, maybe," she responded, "but I don't think so. I do think you're the best fit for what I want to do with the company. I've got some time, so if there's a chance you'll change your mind, I'm going to try." I looked at my watch and realized I'd lost track of time, mesmerized by this gorgeous woman. "I'm sorry," I said. "I've got to run off." "I know," she replied. "That's how I knew where to find you today. When you didn't call back, I googled you to see if I could find another way to meet you. You keep a pretty low profile, but I saw the article about you volunteering to teach those classes. It's a small world. I'm on the advisory board, so I called Chet and he told me about this place. Voila." "I guess I better watch out. If you're that determined I may not stand a chance," I said, taking some bills out of my pocket and laying them on a table for Sarah's tip. "I hope," she said, giving me another of those irresistible smiles. "Come on. I'll walk out with you." I waved to Sarah as we left so she'd know we were leaving. I pay my tab in advance every 2 weeks, and make up any difference the next time. "If I call, will you call me back?" Katherine asked as I held her car door for her. "Yes. Which is the best number to call?" I asked. "My cell." She gave me the number. "Call me on my cell," I said, giving her that number. "If I don't answer, I promise I'll call back. But you will still be wasting your time." "Maybe," she said. "I'm still going to try." * * * She did try. At first she called every two weeks. Then every week. We'd have lunch. She'd make her pitch, I would turn her down, then we would move on to some incredibly interesting conversations. It became something of a game for me to try to guess what slant she was going to put on her next pitch. In the meantime I was hopelessly smitten. Not that I gave her any clue. I think. There was always the outside chance that she'd persuade me and I would end up working for her. Once burned, twice shy. I wasn't interested in putting myself in that position again. Then, of course, there was the real reason. As friendly as Katherine was, bordering on affectionate, she was engaged and her goal was to get me to work for her company. We rarely ventured, and never deeply, into personal discussions when we met for lunch. I knew she was 26, her fiance's name was Mark, she had one master's degree, was most of the way through a 2nd, was the head of a respected, growing, cutting edge technology company, so if not rich at least very well off, and she would someday inherit ½ of her father's shares in the company. I've already mentioned that she's gorgeous. I'm not short on self-confidence, but even if she hadn't been engaged it would not have occurred to me that I might have a chance with her. I mean that literally. It didn't occur to me. Which was a relief. Since I wasn't worried about the impression I was making, I was free to enjoy our time together without self-imposed pressure. One afternoon, as we were leaving the restaurant, Katherine invited me to a small dinner party at her place. "If you're not already committed for Friday, I'd like you to meet some of the other senior staff, but not for business. It's going to be my dad, my brother, his fiancee, Chandra Williams, she's a team leader from quality control, and Myra Banks, our COO. I can't guarantee no shop talk, but no recruiting speeches. I promise." Genetics, and years of playing poker, kept my face from showing the mixed emotions I felt. Maybe. But my stomach did a major league flip-flop. A chance to spend the evening with Katherine. At her place. Even if the other movers and shakers from her company were going to be there. At Katherine's. I didn't even try to pretend I wouldn't be able to make it. "I'd like that," I said. "Friday, then. Around 7:30?" She pulled out a business card and wrote her address on the back. * * * Dinner was as interesting as I expected. Good company, good food, and good conversation. Jack McCann, Katherine and Jim's father, and still chairman of the board, was a widower and a lot lower key than I expected from a guy who built a multi-million dollar company from scratch. Myra was maybe 5 years younger than Jack's 53 years, and was obviously more than just the COO. Pretty, in an understated way, she had a quick wit, with a penchant for intentionally terrible puns. Funny, but terrible. Jim, Katherine's brother, was 4 years younger than she, a self-taught programmer, starting when he was 8. He had just graduated with a bachelor's in electrical engineering and was working full time at the company until he would have to cut back in August to start the master's program. Chandra, Jim's fiancee, was more than able to hold her own in the group, and had a keen eye for what consumers need. Probably why she was in quality control. Jim was telling a story about how Katherine got her cat, which was sitting in Jim's lap purring as he stroked it. "Becca found Monster on the way home from school one day. About 12 years ago?" he looked at Katherine. She smiled her tiny smile and nodded. "She was probably feral from the day she was born. When Becca found her, she was the scraggliest kitten you've ever seen," Jim said, "but Becca insisted we take her to the vet to see if he could fix her up. I think it cost dad about $1,000, but the vet saved her. Then she tore up the furniture and piddled everywhere. It took maybe 3 months to house-train her but Becca wouldn't give up. Eventually she won and Monster turned into this furry love sponge." He looked at his sister affectionately. "She's cute, but she's determined. Becca. Not the cat." I crooked an eyebrow at Katherine. Answering my unspoken question, she said, "My name's Katherine Rebecca. I use Katherine professionally, but I was Rebecca growing up. Or Becky. When Jim first started talking it came out 'Becca.' It still does." * * * It was my turn to pick the place for lunch. I picked a small, quiet restaurant I like that is off the beaten track. I was a few minutes early so I sat at the bar while I waited for Katherine. Lost in thought I didn't notice Jan come in until she slid into the seat next to mine and leaned over to kiss my cheek. Jan's my oldest friend. She's not old, our friendship is. We've been friends since we were 8 years old. "Hi, stranger," she teased. "I haven't seen you in days and days. What're you doing here?" "Business lunch," I said. "I'm meeting Katherine." "Again?" she asked. We had discussed my frequent lunches with Katherine. Several times. "This is getting serious. You going to take the job?" "No," I said, "but I like her. I like spending time with her." "She's engaged. And not to you." "It's lunch, J, not a date." "Right. And I'm going to marry Brad Pitt," she said. "Not unless he has an operation," I grinned at her. She grinned back as she punched me in the arm. Jan's a lesbian. Just then the door opened and Katherine walked in. "That's Katherine," I said. "Come meet her." Jan turned to look, then turned back to me with her eyes wide. "Wow," she mouthed silently. I led Jan over to where Katherine was standing, looking for me in the restaurant. She felt us approaching and turned to look. She saw Jan first, then me. It was probably my imagination but I thought I saw her tense slightly. I introduced them and we chatted briefly, then Jan turned to me. "I've got to run, sweetheart. I'm meeting Marcia. I only stopped to say hi when I saw you come in because you haven't called me since yesterday." She gave me a long kiss, then hugged me as she whispered in my ear. "Forgot to tell me something, did you? Such as, she's beautiful. Smart and a wonderful personality, you tell me, and she looks like this? You let her get away and I'll probably kill you." Bemused, I watched Jan walk away. I snapped out of it when Katherine said "Our table's ready." We did our regular routine during lunch. Katherine brought me up to date on what was going on at McCann. I brought her up to date on the classes I was teaching and how I was spending my free time. We discussed general industry news and speculated on who was going to introduce what new products that month. When we finished eating, I topped off our wine glasses. When Katherine reached for hers, I noticed she wasn't wearing her engagement ring. I didn't think anything about it, I just noticed. She sipped her wine, then propped her chin on her hand and looked at me. "Tell me about Jan," she said. "Not much to tell. She's my best friend. We've been friends since we were in fourth grade together. Growing up, I was sort of her big brother-protector. Now she kicks my butt." "How?" "We've got a mutual friend who's Chinese. Her dad's retired now, but he's a tai chi master and we've been studying it since we were 13. She's better than me." "I thought tai chi was exercise. Stretching and bending and meditation," Katherine said. "All the traditional martial arts have that. Even karate and Kung Fu. I think the 'fighting' part is more like Kung Fu, but with more locks and holds. The emphasis's on balance and using your opponents moves against him. If you can't run away. That's always the first thing you try." "I've seen you move," she said. "Like the time you caught that wine glass I knocked over. You're fast. As big as you are, how can Jan beat you?" "Tai chi's is more about technique than raw power. Power helps, and I'm fast, but Jan's quick. Mongoose quick." "Mongoose quick?" Katherine asked, her small smile curving her lips. "You hear people talk about how someone is as quick as a snake? Like a cobra striking or something? When a mongoose meets a cobra, the mongoose almost always wins. And Jan's technique is almost perfect. Mine's only pretty good. At best. Being the size I am, I'm a little less flexible than she is and it takes more time and energy to move all this mass. Since I wouldn't have to rely on technique as much as she does, I get sloppy. If I'm the cobra. Jan's the mongoose. When we spar, she owns me. You and Jan are about the same size. How much easier is it for you to slide into this booth than it is for me?" "I see. I think," she replied. "Why'd she need a protector?" "She was . . . is . . . different," I said. "I've been her big brother since 7th grade, although though she's 4 days older. She got teased a lot when we were in junior high school because she didn't want to do 'girl things.' But by then I was one of the biggest kids in our class. Everyone learned that if they messed with her they had to mess with me too, and everyone knew I didn't fight fair, so they left us alone." "You don't fight fair?" Katherine asked, an amused look on her face. "It's an oxymoron, except for something like sport boxing. Actually I don't fight. I've only ever been in one fight. When we'd just started 7th grade. It wasn't even a real fight. We stopped for some sodas on the way home and Jan went on outside while I was paying for them. A couple of 8th grade guys were teasing her when I came out. When she tried to get away, they started pushing at her. They weren't really trying to hurt her but I was too young to know the difference. I ran up behind one guy and kicked him in the balls. I hit the other guy with the bag of sodas. I was aiming at his head but I missed and nailed his shoulder. That was probably lucky for me. Anyway that ended that. They called out me after school the next day, but I'd guessed they might so I carried my bike lock and chain around all day. When they braced me after school I pulled it out of my backpack and swung at them before they were ready. We ended up not fighting but word got around and no one ever messed with Jan after that." "And she's still your girlfriend?" "She's not my girlfriend. She never was, not the way you mean. She was jerking you around with the kiss and that 'sweetheart' comment. She does that. She's in a committed relationship." "Lucky guy." "Lucky girl,' I said. "She and Marcia will probably have their ashes put in the same urn." Katherine didn't even blink. "When we were kids we didn't know what gay and lesbian was. Those terms were still kinda new. We just knew she wasn't interested in guys. But look at her. She more mature now, but she's more or less looked like that since she was about 13. That's when guys started to hit on her. They didn't stop even though she wouldn't go out with any of them. In the 9th grade we worked out this con. We pretended she was my steady girlfriend, but we'd 'break up' sometimes so I could date other girls. Then we'd get back together. We did that until she went off to Stanford. That's where she met Marcia. Now that we're in the 21st century she doesn't have to hide who she is and doesn't need me to watch out for her anymore." "Stanford?" "She's pretty smart," I said. "As smart as you?" "Smarter. Lots smarter." "Smarter?" Katherine said, looking at me closely for several moments. "You tell me she's a better fighter than you, then you say she's smarter than you, and neither one bothers you in the slightest. I admire your style." She stopped for a moment, looking at me with an expression I couldn't interpret. "That's the most words about your personal life you've ever put together at one time, and it wasn't even about you." She cocked her head slightly, looking thoughtful. "You want me to like her. You're still watching out for her." I didn't say anything. It wasn't actually a question. I also didn't tell her I was looking out for myself. If she didn't like Jan, we really were wasting our time. I've been down that road once and I'm a fast learner. "They're both lucky girls," she said. "If you get to know her, you'll like her." "When," she said. "When what?" I asked. "When I get to know her." * * * A couple of weeks later, our pattern changed. Katherine called but I couldn't make lunch, so we agreed on dinner. When I got to the restaurant, she was already there. As soon as I was seated, the wine steward appeared with an open bottle of wine and poured a glass for each of us. I smiled at the implied complement, silently toasting Katherine with my glass before I sipped. She smiled back. I stopped breathing for a moment. That happens a lot when she smiles at me. I let my mind briefly wander down a path I would never walk in real life, then snapped back to the present. Katherine was looking at me oddly, her head cocked slightly. "Are you ok?" she asked. "Yes. I just zoned out for a moment. Sorry." Not for the first time I considered taking the job just to be able to spend more time near her, but figured that would eventually be worse. So close, yet so far. Meeting Becca Ch. 02 After that, our weekly lunches became more or less regular Friday night dinners. Or sometimes Saturday night dinners, when we spent the afternoon together. Somewhere along there I noticed she didn't ever wear her engagement ring anymore, but she didn't bring it up so I didn't either. Except in my head, where we had long discussions about what it meant. She loved the beach and I have a buddy with a beach house he rarely uses, so we often spent the day there. Sometimes Jan, usually with Marcia, would be there as well. As often as not, when that happened I had absolutely no chance of following most of the conversation. Katherine also loved biking but didn't have anyone else to ride with, so we did that regularly as well. Then we'd stop at my place or hers, shower and change then go to dinner and sometimes a movie or a play. Or, rarely, to a nightclub. She still spent part of our time together trying to get me on board, but sometimes it felt like she was just going through the motions. We enjoyed each other's company. At least I think she enjoyed my company. I loved being with her. * * * I had just finished teaching the last programing class for the semester at the vocational school where I volunteer 3 days a week when my cell rang. It was Katherine. "I can't make dinner tomorrow," she said when I answered. "The board meeting had to be rescheduled and I won't get out of here before 8:00, so we're having dinner brought in." "That's ok," I said. "I remember those days. Saturday maybe? Or there's always next week." "I was thinking maybe you could come by my place later. After the meeting? I'll pick up something for dessert?" 'Is the Pope a catholic bear that poohs in the woods?' I thought. What I said was, "I'd like that. What time?" "Around 9:00?" she said. "See you then," I said. I knocked on her door at 9:06. That was the longest 6 minutes of my life, but the idiot part of my brain was telling me I shouldn't act too anxious by being early. Or even right on time. When I knocked, Katherine opened the door almost immediately. I think my jaw dropped. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she had used only a touch of makeup, with a pale lip gloss. She was wearing a light green dress cut to show just a hint of cleavage, tucked tight around her small waist then dropping loosely across her slender hips to end about an inch above her knees, displaying her bare, world class legs. An expression I didn't recognize briefly clouded her face, then disappeared so quickly I may have imagined it. "Close your mouth," she said with a smile as she reached for the flowers I had brought. "This isn't the first time you've seen me in a dress." "Grandma?" she asked, gesturing at the flowers. "Yeah." "I think I would have liked your grandmother," she said. "She raised you right. Would you open a bottle of wine while I put these in water?" She lifted her face for a quick peck as I passed her. It's something friends do. We've been doing it for a while now. I stepped behind the wet bar and pulled out a bottle of red wine out of the rack, barely glancing at the label. I grabbed 2 glasses and set them on the bar, then moved around to the front of the bar. That put my back to the kitchen where Katherine was putting the flowers in a vase. It gave me a moment to regain some semblance of self-control while I worked on the cork. Just as the cork came out with a small pop, Katherine stepped up behind me, slid her hands around my waist and lay her head against my shoulder. "Can we talk?" she asked. I started to turn, but she squeezed my waist. "No. Stay there. I won't be able to say this if you're looking at me." She paused a moment, her arms tightening around my waist. "I set this up. I set the board meeting so I'd have a reason to ask you over. I had this plan for what I was going to say and when I was going to say it. Then I open the door you get this look on your face like a kid in the toy store who knows he can't play with the toys, and I don't know why. Now I'm really confused. You've never acted like you want to be more than friends." Another pause, this one longer. I reached down to cover her hands with mine. "What about Mark?" I asked. "I gave his ring back when I realized I didn't want to be with him. I want to be with you. When I'm not with you, it's like an ache," she continued. "Even if I know I'll see you tomorrow or the next day, I miss you. I want to be with you so much it frightens me, but the thought of not being with you frightens me even more. I've never not been in control and now I'm not. And I don't know what to do." She stopped. I felt her tremble slightly as she took a deep breath then released it. "I've thought about this a lot," she said. "I want to give us a try. Us. Not business. Not friends. Not you and me. Us. Is that OK? Can we try that?" "Yes," I said as I turned to face her, my hands sliding easily around her waist. I pulled her tightly against me, meaning to kiss her lightly. Her mouth opened under mine as she slid her hands around my neck. Our kiss deepened. She kissed me hungrily, probing between my lips with her tongue. Eventually the kiss ended and Katherine turned her head to rest it on my shoulder with a contented sigh. "I've been wanting that for a while," she said. "So have I," I said, stroking her hair, "but I didn't think you'd ever feel that way. When I noticed you never wore your ring anymore, I didn't want to ask why. I was afraid to. I didn't want to mess up what we had. That half a loaf stuff? It sounds stupid, but it's true. "That's why you've never acted like you wanted me?" she said. "And I never said anything, either. I'm not sure why. For a couple of supposedly intelligent people, we haven't done very well, have we? We need to . . . work on our communication. I thought you weren't interested in me this way and if I said anything I'd lose you. This week I finally decided I didn't want to be just friends anymore. Even if it meant losing you, and even if you didn't come to work with us either. At least I'd know." "Speaking of work . . . ," I started, but she shushed me, putting her finger against my lips. "Not tonight. Tonight I'm Becca, not Katherine. No talk about work." She lifted her mouth to mine for another kiss, then moved out of my arms, grasping my hand. Without another word she led me down the hallway to her bedroom. A small table lamp glowed beside her bed, but otherwise the room was dim. I kissed her briefly, then, turning her around, I undid the zipper on her dress. Turning her back to face me. I undressed her slowly, following my hands with my mouth as I caressed her body. Kneeling to take her panties off, I buried my face in her sparse pubic hair, inhaling her fragrance. She held my head there for a minute, pressing her pelvis against my face. When she was nude, I stood and undressed quickly then slid my hand gently over her breast, lightly brushing her erect nipple for a moment, before I cupped her small, firm breast as I kissed it, tracing my tongue in circles around, but not touching, the nipple. Becca arched her back, pressing herself against my mouth as she moaned softly. "It's been a long time for me," she whispered. I released her breast then ran my hands through her silky hair as I kissed her. Her mouth opened to mine with a soft sigh. I turned her to lay her on the bed then lay beside her, caressing her while I kissed her breast. She gasped when I took her nipple in my mouth and gently bit it. When my hand stoked across her stomach to her pelvis, she spread her magnificent legs to make room for my hand between them. Instead I stroked down the front of her thigh to below her knee then back up the inside of her leg almost to her vee, then moved to her other leg and did the same thing to it. I slid down her body to replace my hand with my mouth. I kissed and licked down her leg, then back up the inside of her smooth thigh. She spread her legs wider. As I neared her womanhood, I moved to her other leg and did it again. As I again approached her vee, I rolled her onto her stomach, spread her legs slightly then slid down, caressed the back of her knee with my lips and tongue for several seconds, then slowly made my way all the way up the back of her leg, then moved to her other knee and slowly worked up that leg. This time, when I reached her magnificent ass, I kissed and lick her for several minutes as I worked my way up her back to her neck, then slowly back down to her tailbone. The whole time I was doing that, Becca rubbed her pelvis against the bed, with several small sighs and moans. Eventually I turned her onto her back again, and slid my body along hers until I could kiss her mouth, then worked my way down her neck to her breasts. After several minutes, Becca groaned as she grasped my head and guided my mouth to her nipple. I sucked it into my mouth then nipped it gently with my teeth. Becca pulled my head tightly against her. I let go of her nipple and worked my way down her stomach. Eventually reaching her labia I licked and kissed her while she squirmed under me. I licked nipped at her lips, then spread them and probed with my tongue. "Yessss," she hissed softly. Sometime later, when her third orgasm ended with a long sigh of pleasure, she grabbed me by the hair and tugged gently. "Come here," she said. "Please." I slid along her body until I was pressed against her silky length, lying between her legs. Her mouth found mine as her arms went around me, pressing me even more tightly against her, wrapping her legs around mine. I slid into her slowly. She gasped slightly as I did. "Can you wait?" she whispered. "Just a minute?" I stopped as I kissed her lightly. "Did I hurt you?" I asked, starting to withdraw. She stopped me by tightening her legs around mine, holding me in place. "No. No. It's not that," she whispered. "It's wonderful. It's just that you're a little bigger than I'm used to, and it's been a really long time. Give me a minute and I'll be ready." I lifted my weight off her, bracing myself on my arms, then kissed her deeply. A few moments later she moved against me, wrapping her arms around me again. Hooking her hands over the tops of my shoulders for leverage, then using her legs, she pulled me deeply into her. ":Love me," she whispered, holding me tightly. * * * "Where have you been all my life?" she asked. She put her hand behind my neck then pulled me down for a long, deep kiss. When the kiss ended, Becca rolled onto her stomach, her head laying on her folded arms, hazel eyes looking at me through the tangle of her hair, a small, satisfied smile on her lips. I rolled onto my side and propped my head on one hand, using my other hand to stroke her from the nape of her neck to her marvelous ass, then back to her neck. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked I stopped stroking her. "Don't stop. Unless you want me to cripple you," she said. I resumed my stroking. "I'm not prying," she said. "Ok? You wouldn't tell me names anyway, but where'd you learn how to treat a woman? Most men don't have a clue." "From Jan." "Jan? How? She's not bi." "Who better to ask than a woman?" I replied. "Especially when you can do it without worrying what she's going to think about you?" "I'm going to have to thank her." We were quite for several minutes as I continued to stroke Becca's back. I leaned down to kiss her from her tailbone to her neck, then propped my head up on my hand and resumed caressing her with my hand. "Why me?" I asked. She lifted her head to look at me. "You really don't know do you? You have no idea of the effect you have on women," she replied, laying her head back down on her folded arms." "You're known as an innovator. We need someone like that. I didn't know if we were big enough to interest you but when I heard you left AmTech I decided to give it a shot. Your rep says you are very, very good at what you do, maybe one of the best, but personally you fly under the radar. Not very many people know much about you. The only one I knew was Chet, and he wouldn't say much, so I figured you might be a prima donna, or maybe a recluse, good at what you do but no people skills. When you never called me back, I even considered 'asshole.' I was ready for any of that. What I wasn't ready for was you." She paused a few moments, hazel eyes looking up at me through a tangle of honey-colored hair. It was one of the most erotic sights I've ever seen. "You treat everyone with respect. Including women. Especially women maybe. That's pretty rare, and you're clueless about the effect it has on us. Lots of women are beautiful. Men want us. That's not conceit, it's a biological fact. But most men don't want us as equals and won't let us play on a level field. You're different. I liked you right off, but it really was just business. I did . . . I do . . . want you to come to work with us. I'm not sure exactly when it changed, but later it was for me. After a while recruiting you was just an excuse to see you. I just didn't know it for a while." I continued to stroke her, saying nothing. "It's your fault that it's been so long for me," she said after a while. "My fault? You can have anyone you want," I said, still stroking her from the nape of her neck to the base of her tailbone, then back up to her neck. She shivered with pleasure. "Ummm. Maybe. I didn't think so until tonight." She paused a while, maybe thinking about what she wanted to say. "I sort of broke up with Mark about . . .oh . . . maybe 4 months after I met you. We decided to go on for a while, to see if it was just a phase. You know - me being moody or something - but after a while I realized it would never work with us - Mark and me, I mean. It was mostly mutual. He's a good guy, and we still get together for lunch once in a while, but he's old school. He didn't want a . . . partner? He wants a wife. Not a trophy wife, exactly, but not an equal either. He would have asked me to leave the company. He knows he's that way but doesn't want to change. After I got to know you, I realized I was . . . what's the word I want? I was dissatisfied with him. I just didn't know it was because of you at first. I like the way you treat people. I like the way you treat me. Not just as a woman. As a person. An equal. After I met you, when I'd see Mark it seemed like a step backward but I didn't think you wanted me for me, that you just wanted to be friends. So I thought the one I wanted didn't want me, and I haven't been with anyone." She paused again, looking up at me. "Well," she said, "maybe that last part was partly my fault because I never said anything." "I have no idea what I should say now," I said. "I know," Becca replied, turning over onto her back and reaching up to put her hand behind my neck. "I guess that's part of my point. You don't take me for granted. But you're not threatened by my success either." She pulled me down and we shared another long, sweet kiss. "So," she said when the kiss ended, "you're ok with us?" "I'm ok with us." "Then I've got some catching up to do," she said, grinning at me. "Since that's partly your fault, maybe you could help me out with that." * * * The next morning it was almost 7:30 when I woke, late for me. Becca's side of the bed was empty. I wandered into the kitchen and found a note propped up against a cup, near the coffee pot that was almost full of hot coffee. My kind of woman. I had to leave early. I have meetings all morning then errands in the afternoon. How about dinner at Robert's? Around 7:30? Call me. Becca. Dinner that evening was different. I was with Becca, not Katherine. Gone was the tension neither of us had been aware of. We chatted easily over dinner, ended up talking about how companies always have problems designing practical user interfaces for new programs, then drifted into war stories about similar problems we'd both encountered in the past. "You love the work. Why'd you leave AmTech?" Becca asked. Not since our first meeting had that question come up. I looked into her eyes, but it was either a guileless, natural segue in the conversation or she was frighteningly good at hiding what she was thinking. Which I knew she was. "One bottle of wine and I'm supposed to spill my deepest secrets?" I asked, not as casually as I wanted. She caught the undercurrent in my voice. Her eyes narrowed slightly. There was an edge in her voice as well when she said, "Maybe you could let your guard down a little? Maybe we haven't known each other all that long, but we've spent a lot of time together, and done a lot of talking and . . . other things. If you don't have some idea about me by now, what I think and want, about who I am, you were right the day we met and I've been wasting my time. And yours." "I'm sorry," I said. "I'm not trying to be difficult. That's almost a reflex. I just don't see any point in picking at it. They lost and I won — more than I ever could have ever known at the time. If I hadn't left AmTech, I'd probably never have met you." I watched her relax. Slightly. "And you haven't been wasting my time," I continued. "I lo . . . uh . . . care for you. A lot. I like being with you. I enjoy every minute we're together." If she noticed my slip, she let it slide. "You're smart, well read, knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects, up on current events, good at what you do, and easy to talk with. You have a fine mind. And," I continued with a small grin, "the rest of you is pretty good, too." "Idiot," she said, grinning back at me as she swatted me with her napkin. "Here it is," I said. "I was fired. The why doesn't matter. It was a mistake. They eventually realized they screwed up, but by then I didn't care anymore. I wasn't interested in going back after it got straightened out. Partly I was being a stubborn ass because my pride got stepped on, but none of it was my fault - except the stubborn ass part - and it cost AmTech a ton of money. Enough that I don't have to work for a long time if I don't want to. And I won't talk about AmTech. Remember the stubborn ass part? OK?" Becca cocked her head and gave me one of her half smiles. I melted. "Okay," she said. "And I didn't mean to push. Honest. I wasn't prying. I didn't even know I was going to say that. It just popped out. It doesn't matter anyway, except the not needing to work. That makes persuading you harder." "No it doesn't," I said. "I can start Monday." I've never seen her lose her composure. Like everything else, she did it elegantly. Except for the part where she dropped her fork. Blushing slightly, she picked it up from her plate, paused, then set it back down and patted her mouth with her napkin, watching me closely, a shadow clouding her face. "When did you decide?" she asked. "Last night." The shadow deepened as she shifted her gaze, looking down at her plate. "Last night," she repeated softly. Almost a whisper. "After we . . . .?" She left the question unasked. I reached for her hand. She didn't pull away, but her hand was limp in mine. With the fingertips of my other hand I lifted her chin until she was looking at me again. "No. Before," I said. "Before I even got to your place. I'd decided I was willing to settle for half a loaf." The shadow disappeared and she gave me one of her dazzling smiles, almost stopping my heart again. I'd better get a pacemaker. Becca wasn't much for public displays of affection, but she turned my hand over and kissed my knuckle, then let my hand go. "Why'd you wait until now to tell me?" she asked. "There didn't seem to be any urgency when I got there last night," I replied. "When I started to, you shushed me. Then there wasn't a lot of time." Meeting Becca Ch. 02 She blushed slightly, "Oh. Yeah. I guess not." "And you were gone when I woke up this morning." "I had that early meeting." "See," I said, smiling at her. "It was all your fault." She smiled back. I'd never get tired of that. "Last night and this morning maybe," she said. "You could have said something earlier tonight." "Well . . . yes. But under the circumstances it didn't seem all that important to bring it up right away. I was hoping I'd have all night to get to it." Another smile. "We really do need to work on our communication. Especially the part where you stumbled over your syntax a minute ago." She had noticed. "You want to try that sentence again?" "Now?" I asked. "Now," she replied. "Well . . . as soon as we get to my place. Or yours. It's closer."