Maria smiled modestly. "Well, sometimes," she admitted. "Yes, men do respond that way to me quite often. But I assure you I'll hold back the charm on your married clients tonight. The wives, I mean."
"Good idea," Vern said. "Turn on the charm, but-uh-be discreet."
"That's what I'm trained to do," she said.
Vern told her he had taken the liberty of arranging a snack and cocktails at the French restaurant just down the street. "With these people you never know when you're going to eat," he explained. "You see, they like to guzzle their cocktails and we might not get around to eating until nine or ten."
Maria shrugged and her breasts jiggled beneath the shimmering white material. "Whatever you say, my dear. I'm yours for tonight." She eyed the couch. "Then you won't be needing my other services 'til later?"
Vern reached out and patted her cheek-very carefully so as not to disturb her make-up. "I'm tempted," he admitted, "but-but would you really risk getting disheveled? You look impeccable. I wouldn't want to muss you up, dear."
Her eyes were riveted to his. "That's up to you. I'm very flexible," she said. "I can be anything you want."
Vern ran his eyes over the delectable figure before him, then frantically grabbed her hand and started for the door. "Jesus, don't tempt me that way! Quick! Let's get out of here and have a drink before I tear that gorgeous gown off and ravage you!"
Over cocktails and hors d oeuvres Vern explained the importance of this dinner party at Montague Country Club. He informed Maria what was at stake and suggested ways for her to proceed.
When he had finished, she summed up his advice briefly. "What you're saying, it seems to me, is that you want Overseas Air Routes and Reardon Systems International very badly."
"Yes, I suppose that's the crux of what I've said," Vern said. "Yes. Most definitely."
She patted his cheek and batted her long lashes. "Very well then," she said. "Why don't you just leave the tactics to me?"
Vern reached out and patted her cheek. "Yes, you're right, my dear. Of course, I will." He shook his head. "You know, I constantly advise my clients to leave their problems to me-tell them I'm the specialist, but for some reason I don't seem to follow my own advice. In this case, you're the specialist, so I will indeed leave the influencing of my clients to some extent in your capable hands."
Maria kissed Vern on the cheek. "Good," she purred. "I assure you that's the best course."
Vern picked up the check. "Shall we go?"
Vern left his car for the parking attendant in front of the wide stairway that led to the main dining room of the Montague Country Club. He and Maria bypassed the main door and, instead, strolled along the outdoor walk past the pro gouf shop, the men's locker entrance, the card room and men's bar. To the left, the well-manicured beauty of one of Southern California's finest golf courses lay in breath-taking splendor. Tall firs lined the first fairway and the flags on the greens fluttered in a gentle breeze.
"Oh, Vern!" Maria sighed. "I'd give anything to belong to a club like this. It's-it's gorgeous. Are you a very good golfer?"
Vern shrugged. "Fair. Mostly, I use the place for contacts. I really don't play as much as I should. Someday-when my ship comes in-I hope to have plenty of time for golf and-and possibly someone like you."
"like me?" She frowned.
"All right then," he corrected. "You. It was just a figure of speech. Yes, I'd like to spend all my time golfing and being with you. You, Maria Reese, exclusively and specifically."
This seemed to please Maria, for she took Vern's hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. "You won't be sorry for saying that, Vern," she said, smiling. "I mean, you may just be stringing me along, but I love to hear you say that"
"It is just a bit early for commitments, isn't it?" he said.
"Yes, I suppose so." Her breast rubbed his arm.
They stood staring out at the rolling greenery of the Montague golf course for a moment, then entered through the side door of the main dining room.
It was Sunday and a huge buffet table ran the length of the far wall. The long narrow table was heaped with food-four kinds of meat and assorted delicacies. Vern led Maria past the buffet table into a smaller room, where he sighted his guests seated about the enormous fireplace.
"There they are," he said under his breath as they approached Randolph Reardon and his wife, Elyse, the president of O.A.R., Lloyd Hendricks and his wife, Sheila, and old man Wyatt and his wife, Alta. "Remember, this is for all the marbles. If all goes well with these clients, particularly Hendricks, I could be golfing or spending all my time with-with someone like you."-
The assembled group rose, both the men and women, as Vern and Maria approached. That the wives would rise surprised Vern. Good God, he thought, the husbands must truly regard him highly if their wives stood, too! Hell, the host had even arrived late!
After the introductions were made, the group consumed several rounds of cocktails. Vern was delighted that everyone seemed to respond so well to Maria, who managed to converse with all three men in such a way that nobody could possibly feel slighted. Her action was indeed miraculous. She won them over by conversing knowledgeably on the state of business in general, the economic outlook for the country, the world! She had obviously been reading all the news magazines and digesting pertinent facts.
Most amazing was the way she handled the wives. As she cast her sexual spell over the husbands, she somehow managed to retain the interest and trust of the ladies.
As the group moved into the dining room to begin their dinner, both Lloyd Hendricks and Randolph Reardon managed to express their approval of Maria to Vern. Vern thanked them, implying that lovely Maria was the woman of his life, possibly even his fianc'e. Alta Wyatt remained a bit aloof, keeping her husband at a safe distance from the bewitching Maria. Still, Vern could tell that Maria had not aroused jealousy in Mrs. Wyatt.
There was dinner dancing-played by an elderly-looking quartet that specialized in the bouncy hotel-type music of a bygone decade-and Maria managed to dance with all the males in the group. Between dances she conversed beautifully with the wives while Vern touched on business from time to time with his prospective clients and old man Wyatt. Then, over brandy and coffee, Wyatt stood and toasted his host and hostess. He alluded, too, to the fact that his alliance with Vern's firm promised to be the most exciting and profitable blending of talents since the inception of his firm.
Vern swallowed. Wyatt's endorsement of Vern's firm could not have been more favorable, nor could Wyatt's timing have been better. Both Reardon and Hendricks were impressed, Vern could tell.
It was perhaps fifteen minutes later that Vern noticed that Randolph Reardon and Maria had strolled from the dance floor. Glancing through the long window, he saw the two of them chatting outside and viewing the golf course. Boldly, he called attention to the fact so that all would realize everything was on the up and up.
"Ah, so my fianc'e is trying to make points with my prospective client," he said, laughing.
Everyone in the group laughed, and Mrs. Reardon said: "You'd better tell that lovely woman of yours to watch out for that dirty-old lecher-husband of mine."
Vern was relieved. Obviously, the wives were not going to worry. They assumed that Maria would commit no indiscretion, since she was Vern's fianc'e. Things were working out beautifully; they couldn't possibly be going better.
Fortunately, everyone in the group (with the possible exception of Mrs. Wyatt) drank rather heavily, and so there were many rounds of after-dinner drinks. Laughter abounded. Spirits were high.