Trading in Strange Places Pt. 03

She humped me extra hard and smiled. "There are three in my purse. Bought in DC two weeks ago with cash. No purchase trail. Used my Finnish passport with Helsinki address. Even made sure I wasn't on camera."

I thought and said, "What if we ask Claire to do the honors? She is going to be answering for Le Bontemps anyway."

Rya said, "Excellent. I will get the phone to her today and a script for answering."

I turned to Ellen. "What if you shadow Amelia and C-M on Monday? Absorb as much as you can. The three of you will need to upgrade everything as the volume grows."

After breakfast, I was dispatched with Rya to get the second car, while the others cleaned house.

"That was a nice piece of work you did, thinking about the phones. How did you know to do it two weeks ago?"

"Someone like me always needs an anonymous phone. Besides, Kathleen said to."

She looked at me. "Your Irish girlfriend is smart. She knew Ellen's idea of reeling you in wouldn't work, and guessed you would be impressed enough to make a pass at her."

I pulled the beautiful long blond hair and said, "Have you noticed it is sometimes hard to tell who is leading and who is following in this pack?"

The laughter was very gay. "Lucas, you are a scream. You let us gang up on you and don't even mind."

I feinted at her chest and said, "They are bigger this morning."

The laughter turned into a wail, "Oh, I can't stand it!"

Two cars for five women and one guy was a tight fit, but we rolled up to Amelia's house just before noon.

Richard was in residence with a big drawing table, and another guy. Introductions went around. The guy was Elliot Smith, who was also an ex-Marine and did excavation and foundation work all over the county. They were having a Marine discussion, meaning violent argument, about whether the house should be jacked in place, or moved out of the way. I shooed everyone to the kitchen, mumbling it was a minor difference of opinion.

A few minutes later, I saw Elliot heading for his truck, and Richard returning to the house, smiling.

"He was right. It will save at least two weeks on the schedule to get it out of the way. No hand shoveling in the hole. No surcharge from the foundation people to work under a house."

I shook his hand and clapped him on the back. He added, "But you are going to have to make nice to Amelia over the lost trees."

I fist butted him and said, "Why do I always get the nasty tail end of these projects?"

I realized, like a true dimwit, that I had not learned the name of my new company. I had Ellen's hand, leading her outside, in a moment.

"You have been holding out on me. What is the name of the new company you are CEO of?"

She beat my head from both sides. "Dummy. I shouldn't even tell you before Monday. It's been applied for and assigned in Colorado. It's in the press release. It is everywhere except in your head!"

I sat on the backyard bench, head in hands. "Please, have mercy. Don't I deserve some kindness?"

My hand darted out and grabbed her leg at the knee, causing her to fall into me for a hot kiss. She came up for air, and then mashed me again.

Her voice was so quiet, I could barely hear. "Western Investors, Ltd."

She tried to get up, but I held tight and licked here and there.

I said, "Sounds like something to do with oil and gas. A good cover. Did you decide on your own?"

She laughed. "No. You remember the Sunday phone call? When Rya was wrestling with us? That's why she said she was bored. You interrupted a session of girl sex!"

"So?"

"When we were finished getting each other off, we lay there in the dark, looking out at the lights, and played around with names. It just popped up."

"That's the second time in two weeks that an orgy has had a good result. Do we put them in the schedule on a regular basis?"

She stood and boxed my head again. "Come and get some lunch. There is work to do. You and I will talk about orgies another time."

My hand rubbed her behind the whole way into the house. She went over and whispered in Rya's ear. That got a finger pointed in my direction, with a big smile.

After lunch, I sought out Richard and asked how we were going to ensure continuity of the computer operation in the back room.

"Believe it or not, the house next door has a for rent sign on it this morning. I think your luck is holding, Lucas. While the rest of us are working, why don't you drop by the real estate office on the sign?"

The woman at the office looked up the listing and said, "The owner is asking for a year's lease at $1800 a month."

I smiled and said, "What about ninety days, from now to start of ski season, for $3000 total?"

She agreed to call the owner, but asked, "You do have references, Mr. Lucas?"

I struggled to come up with a story that it was for my girlfriend, who owned the house next door and needed a place to perch while hers was remodeled.

I sweetened the deal. "What about $3500, cash in advance, and a $1000 security deposit?"

She said, "Felix is a codger who has several rentals in town. Lives on the income. Likes women tenants because they don't trash the house."

"Mostly," I said.

She repeated, "Mostly. If he says yes, can you bring me a check today? A bank check?"

"I'll do better than that. My girlfriend, Amelia, will bring her check on the same local bank Felix uses, I bet."

Back at the house, I grabbed the skier with the tough muscles and said, "Do I have a deal for you."

She reached for my crotch but didn't find anything hard. I whispered, "I'm not ALWAYS after your body."

I described the deal. She said, "That's very generous of us, but it is convenient."

"When you get to the real estate office, ask to talk to Felix yourself and turn on the charm. A little extra cash to keep the profile down is a good investment."

A few minutes later, I couldn't decide whether it was the dress doing a lot for her figure, or the figure doing a lot for the dress. Either way, the effect was terrific.

"Do you need a bodyguard?"

She frowned at me but finally smiled, "I'd love a bodyguard but you have work to do. Go in the back room and check the strange market movements today."

The U.S. markets were almost closed, but there was a trail of confused movements in currencies and commodities.

(cont'd in Part 4 - Launching Western Investors)