Chapter 26

“Oh, one more thing,” I told Dani right before I opened the door, “Alan thought you’d look better without...” I knelt in front of her, running my hands up her legs to her thong, fingering the elastic, starting to slide it down, “this ... he was right, it’s very distracting to the dress.”

Dani’s dress was short, very thin gold-lame, a deep ‘V’ to her navel, backless, no bra, and round cutouts up the outside of both her legs, all held up by spaghetti straps to a gold choker. It was very nearly a copy of the dress she’d worn the first night of our week in Tampa, the only difference being the cutouts up the sides instead of a slit.

Dani had a red, satin blindfold around her eyes, she hadn’t seen the dress, had no idea just how fucking sexy she looked! She had NEVER worn anything like it, much less in a crowded place like this casino. “Hon...!” sounding almost panicky, but when it hit the floor, she stepped out of it.

While there, I couldn’t resist, lifting her dress, nuzzling her bare mound with my mouth, Dani stepping her legs a little further apart, moaning when my tongue touched her, “So smooth, like a baby,” I said, barely able to control myself, all my plans nearly evaporating in an instant.

“I ... waxed ... yesterday ... was no hair appointment,” Dani moaned, “Ohh God!” as my tongue penetrated her slit, finding her clit, tasting her dampness, my tongue inside her.

Her legs were shaking, hands on my head pulling me into her when I stood, channeling all the willpower I could muster, “Dinner,” I said and led her out the door, down the hall to the elevator.

I’d bought her gold jewelry for this evening, earrings and bracelet, including an anklet with a heart pendant, hoping that maybe, some enterprising guy ... or girl might take it as an invitation...

Walking down the hall, Dani’s nervousness was evident in the way her fingers were gripping my hand. “Honey,” I whispered to her, “anything you really don’t want ... or to go back to the room ... just say so, okay.” I wanted Dani to know that she wasn’t being forced, she always had a way out, I just hoped she wouldn’t use it.

She squeezed my hand, “No,” she said, “I ... I like the feeling ... no control ... I trust you ... don’t let me...”

We’d arrived at the elevator, I squeezed her hand back, and pushed the ‘M’ button with the other.

I sensed Dani getting more and more nervous as the elevator dropped. By the time it had begun to slow, she was crushing my hand in hers, “We’re there,” I told her, just as the elevator stopped, “you okay?”

“No!” she squeaked, moving closer behind me, “take me upstairs!”

I pushed the ‘close’ button, “Hon?” I asked, knowing full well what she’d said upstairs, but...

She took a deep breath, “No ... let it open,” she said.

I took my finger off the button, letting the doors separate, sliding open. Dani took another breath, “Okay,” she whispered, staying tight to me.

We walked down the casino mezzanine, Dani doing her best to stay close, a death grip on my hand, people on all sides, virtually all turning their heads to watch her pass.

“Are people looking?” Dani whispered in my ear. I wasn’t sure if it was hoping or fearing.

“Everyone,” I told her, “there’s not a set of eyes that haven’t followed your every step.”

I felt her body shiver when I said that, excitement?

“They all know you’re naked under that dress, too,” I whispered into her ear, “the guys are looking jealous that you’re with me, not them.”

“The lounge where we have our reservations is just a little further,” I told her.

When Dani and I were here in 2002 with the kids, I was surprised – and a little disappointed; In all the casinos we’d seen on television, they were filled with dressed-up and often scantily clad, beautiful women. The reality had been nothing at all like that, most were in jeans looking more like we see in our Walmart, only a few even in a dress or skirt, and the only sexily dressed were the Silver Legacy girls.

I think that’s part of the reason that Dani was getting all the stares, she was not only dressed sexily but ‘wow’ sexy! And the only one on the mezzanine, maybe the whole casino who was.

“We have a reservation, Robert Shore, I told the maître d’, after we’d gotten to the lounge. I know they’re supposed to be impassionate, polite but professional, but he was a man. His eyes lingered hard and long on Dani, scanning her up, down, and back up again. I guess he felt that he could since she was still blindfolded and couldn’t see him. There wasn’t a thing about Dani that wasn’t exuding sexy, from her fuck-me heels (I hadn’t even heard that term until my coma dream) to her beautiful, silky hair.

When we’d stepped inside and those massive doors closed behind us, it was like stepping into a completely different world. Outside, in the casino, it was loud, the sounds of the slot machines and people, bright lights; inside, the lights were turned low, almost like moonlight, barely any sound except the pretty young lady singing on a small stage, the song an Anne Murray song that I loved, ‘Make Love To Me’, and muffled voices of people talking softly.

There was a dance floor directly in front of the stage, several couples taking part. I’d guess there was probably seating for maybe a hundred or so, and all of it filled, except for the empty tables from the people dancing.

He seated us at a table right next to the dance floor. We’d barely sat, side-by-side, facing the dance floor, when a waitress wearing a short skirt and tan, silky blouse emblazoned with the Silver Legacy logo was there, leaving us a dinner menu and asking what we’d like to drink. Her name tag said ‘Athaena’.

“Athaena, what a pretty name,” I told her, “unique, too, I’ve never seen it before.

A smile spread across her face, “Thank you, I’ve always loved it,” she said. Her voice was just as pretty as her name; soft, very feminine.

Dani looked toward her voice, “It is pretty, I can imagine you’d like it, how’s it spelled?”

“Love it,” Dani said after Athaena had spelled it for her, “mine’s Daniella, everyone calls me Dani, and this is my husband, Robert,” She let out a small chuckle, “he’s called Robert.”

Her smile was very pretty. I checked the menu, and there it was like I was sure it would be, “Dani would like a Passion Fruit Colada,” I told Athaena, “I’ll have the same.”.

She wrote down our drink order, then, “Love your dress,” she told Dani, her eyes roving up and down, “your jewelry, too,” and then just before she walked away with our order, “wish I had the courage...”

Dani smiled, “Thank you, presents from my husband,” she said. I’d have loved to see into Athaena’s mind, see what she was really thinking.

I rested my hand on Dani’s leg, rubbing up the inside, stopping at the top of her stockings, about where the hem of her skirt was, my fingers teasing just a little higher, “That’s what you ordered in Tampa, too,” I told her, “you liked it.”

I felt her squeezing her legs together, she didn’t dare try to cross them, she’d flash the dancers and probably the lady singer as well. There was an overlapping white tablecloth offering a small degree of under-table privacy, although I didn’t think it’d be enough.

“No, don’t,” I told her, “in Tampa, you told Alan how the warm breeze on your naked pussy made you horny, just pretend there’s a breeze and how it’d feel.” My hand slowly worked higher, and I felt her legs inch just slightly apart, but her muscles still clenched in nervousness. “Mmm, moisture on your legs, does that mean what I think it does?”

“I’m so turned on right now!” she said, her body beginning to squirm as my fingers inched closer.

“Mmm, good, I want you soaking wet when we get back to our room.”

Dani squeezed her legs tight together and let out a soft groan when a finger tickled right at the edge of where her thong would have been but wasn’t.

“I ... told Jen,” she said, “Thursday at lunch, right before our hair appointment that wasn’t,” then she let out a little giggle, “guess it sort of was, wasn’t it?”

I was confused, “You told Jenny ... what?” I asked her.

“Everything, we’re so close ... about us, your dreams ... Alan ... Tampa, what you’ve shared with me so far ... what it’s done to our sex life ... last Sunday night ... she’s sooo jealous, Richard’s always so busy, she told me it seems that every time they start to get amorous his hospital phone rings ... she wants what we have.”

Jenny? I’d never have imagined, she’s so beautiful ... always so sexy. “There was something in one of my dreams ... about Jenny,” I began to tell her, my mouth moving before my brain engaged to stop it.

Dani cocked her blindfolded head, turned toward me, “What?” she asked, “About Jenny?”

Ah shit! It was a good thing that Dani couldn’t see the way my eyes rolled, and most likely how white my face was. I’d vowed that the name ‘Jenny’ in my dream was never going to cross my lips, now what the hell do I do?

“Nothing...” I stammered, wishing I could take it back.

Athaena brought us our drinks, interrupting, thankfully, leaving them on our table. I helped Dani with hers, putting her two straws in it, then directing her hand to it.

“Mmm, good, no wonder I ordered this in Tampa,” she said after taking her first sip from the straws. I tasted mine as well, even remembering the taste. It was good, I liked it, heavy on the rum!

“Want me to tell you some more of my dream from Tampa?” I asked Dani, hoping to change the subject.

“Mmhmm, do,” she said, giving me a little bit of relief. I opened my mouth to tell her about April and the eye patches when she added, “After you finish telling me about Jenny.”

I groaned, hesitating, trying to think of a way out of it, hoping it wouldn’t ruin our evening. But I knew Dani, she wouldn’t let it drop. If anything, my clamming up would be the thing that would ruin it. And if I was anything except honest, she’d know that, too, what the fucking hell have I done!

“After ... you came home from Tampa that first time, you invited Jenny and Richard out to dinner with us ... I never suspected ... Richard couldn’t come, he had an ‘emergency’.” I emphasized the word, letting her know that it obviously hadn’t been, “After, we went to a new place in Pasco for dancing.” I let out a little gulp, knowing that these next words... “You said you felt bad for Jenny, that Richard wasn’t there ... asked me to dance with her, a slow song. She ... she...” I looked around, seeing if anyone was overhearing, not that it mattered.

Dani was blindfolded, not able to see a thing, but I could tell, she was ‘watching’ me, intently, “Honey,” I started again, “it was a dream, I’d never...”

“Will you stop beating around the bush and just tell me! What did you and Jenny do?”

“She ... you told her...” Oh fuck, damn the consequences! “wanted her to seduce me, you wanted to know what it felt like ... watching ... then she kissed me ... like, really, really kissed me,” holding my breath, waiting for the explosion.

But nothing, Dani just cocked her pretty head before finally asking, “She fuck you?”

I still didn’t know, was she pissed? “It ... was just a dream, it doesn’t mean anything,” I told her, still trying to be calm.

“Just like all the rest of your dream hasn’t meant anything?” She hesitated a long time, “Details, give me details, I assume you remember, like everything else?”

I nodded, then remembered she couldn’t see me, “You want to go? Talk about it in our room?” I asked her, holding my breath once again. I was sure I’d completely wrecked our evening.

I also was wishing Dani’s blindfold was off, so I could see her eyes, maybe give me some clue, “No, we’re fine here, I’m not going to throw a tantrum if that’s what you’re worried about. You are right, though, it was just a dream, not exactly something you had a lot of control over. So ... details...”

I let out a breath, still hoping, “We went back to our house, she said she liked lots of foreplay ... naked ... let her dress fall off, all she had left on was her thong and stockings...”

“Was she as beautiful as you’d always imagined?”

“Dani ... hon...”

She smiled, the first I’d seen since we started this conversation, “Don’t try to bluff, I know what you’ve always thought about Jen ... I do too, she’s about the most beautiful woman ever ... so was she? Live up to your imagination naked?”

“Uhh, yeah!”

“So, you guys kissed? You suck her tits? Where was I?”

My face must have turned bright red, this was my wife asking these questions! I looked around again, wondering how many were listening to this conversation. I know Dani couldn’t see, but no doubt she could hear that a couple was sitting right alongside us at the next table.

I started to nod again, then realized ... again, “Yeah, we kissed ... and her breasts were...” I started to say were the best I’d ever seen, “Yeah, I sucked them, Jenny liked it.” I tried to remember, hesitated, what was Dani doing? “You ... there was this stretchy bodysuit, kind of like a straitjacket ... Alan had given it to you.” I took Dani’s hands, placed them crossing around her waist, “the sleeves were stretchy, tied in the back, holding your arms like this, you’d put it on yourself while Jenny and I were ... you said you wouldn’t have been able to stop from playing with yourself otherwise.”

She’d parted her legs, just enough for my fingers to begin a slow creep toward their destination, Dani let out a soft groan, taking a sip of her drink. There was the white tablecloth overlapping the edges, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t enough. I wondered just what someone on the dance floor was able to see. At least they were all standing, so that helped our privacy a little.

“Hurry up, tell me how you fucked her,” Dani said, this time her voice was radiating excitement, encouraging me that perhaps the night might not be lost yet.

I closed my eyes, remembering how real it had been, Jenny’s pussy pressing down, enveloping me inside her, “It was more ... that first time, we were on the couch, you were on the loveseat, Jenny pushed me down on my back ... and ... and ... oh God, when she let herself down on me...” my fingers were right at Dani’s newly waxed slit, barely pressing inside her, “she was so hot, so wet ... like you are now...”

Dani’s pussy was soaked, my fingers slipped inside her so easily, I didn’t give a damn about what people were seeing, she let out an “Mmfff,” trying to be discrete. “She fucked me on the couch, we both came ... so fucking hard!”

I felt Dani’s pussy lips beginning to clamp down on my fingers. I didn’t want her to come, pulling my fingers out of her, eliciting another groan, “Don’t stop,” she nearly was begging, still trying to muffle her noises.

I hoped we wouldn’t get thrown out, but even if we did ... hell, it’d be worth it!

“And then on the bed, you were on the other side, watching, I think you were crying with your frustration, we started with me on top, burying myself in her ... then she rolled over on her hands and knees ... and screamed when I entered her ... you said you’d gotten what you wanted, to see what it had been like for me watching you with Alan.”

“Are you ready to order?” Athaena was back at our table, we hadn’t even talked about what we wanted. I wondered how much she’d heard, I hadn’t even realized she was close until she’d spoken. My fingers were still soaked with Dani’s juices, wiping them on her inner thigh.

“Dani would like a crab salad, and I’d like a rib steak, rare,” I told her, “with an appetizer of the oysters,” I added. We went through the sides we wanted, and finally, she left.

Dani was breathing hard, her face flushed, like she’d just been finger-fucked very nearly to orgasm. “I think,” she started to say, “I might have to adjust my little fantasy ... Jenny instead of Leslie...”

I opened my mouth, started to say something, I wasn’t even sure what. Instead, I leaned over and kissed her, like we’d never kissed in public before, passionately, lots of tongue, long... “That ... would be my ultimate fantasy...” I whispered into her mouth, oblivious to the impossibility, the problems it could, probably would create.

I sat back up, both of us breathing hard from what had been another of those ‘wow’ kisses, this one even ... from the simple fact it had been with people all around us.

Dani and I sat quietly the next few minutes, me alternating between watching the dancers and pretty woman on stage and Dani, her hard nipples still poking through her dress. The dress code in the lounge was a whole lot more formal, beautiful dresses, than on the casino floor, especially the singer in her short, western-style short skirt and blouse, but Dani was still the standout in the room.

“The blindfold,” I started to tell her, “Alan was friends with a makeup artist from a studio, her name was April. He asked her to come over right after we got there ... after he brought out the plate of brownies, marijuana brownies, I think. He told me how the same brownies turned you into a real nympho when you were teenagers ... especially with a little alcohol ... how hard you’d fuck him. That night, you were already horny, the brownies just ... intensified it. Anyway, April took you upstairs to Alan’s bedroom, along with a plate of the brownies to share.”

I watched the people dancing for a few minutes, Dani and I holding hands. The girl had a beautiful voice, not exactly Anne Murray, but very pretty. “Wonder if she has a CD,” I wondered aloud.

“April, what about April?” Dani asked, getting impatient.

I sighed, remembering, like everything else it was so vivid in my mind, “You were up with her a long time, then she led you downstairs. I didn’t understand, until I saw your eyes ... they were you ... except not blinking. He told me they were patches, your eyes painted on them, they were so real. They were glued over your eyelids so you couldn’t see anything ... and you were sooo turned on, not sure what else April might have done to you.

“Afterward, April was over several times, helping you with dressing and your makeup.”

“So, the patches weren’t just for that night?”

Athaena came back to our table, carrying our tray of food, setting everything in front of us. It looked good, we were hungry, even with all the extracurricular. I helped Dani get started, showing her where everything was, making sure everything on her salad was distributed, and putting the dressing on her salad for her. She giggled, trying to stab her food with her fork the first few times, getting hardly anything, but got the hang of it very shortly.

We sat for the next several minutes, quietly eating. My steak was heavenly, lots better than I would have had any right to expect in anything less than something like a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and Dani raved about her salad, saying she wished she could see it, though.

Athaena came by several times checking to make sure all was good and brought us a second drink, being sure to place Dani’s exactly where the other had been. I was liking that girl, and Dani teased about taking her home with us ... or at least back to our room later.

When we finished, Athaena cleaned our table off, and I finally got to ask Dani if she’d like to dance.

“I don’t know, I’d feel so ... exposed out there. I still feel almost naked,” she said.

She was still blindfolded, so I felt kind of emboldened for just a tiny, little fib, “Hon, you fit right in in here, it’s not like on the casino floor,” I told her. Maybe part of that was the truth, but, “Several of the women are dressed up just as much as you are.” That part was just a scrunch out of bounds. They were dressed up but not even close to being as provocative as Dani was. This lounge was certainly a ‘people watcher’ heaven, and Dani was the prime target.

Anyway, it worked, Dani reluctantly followed me the few steps onto the dance floor and we snuggled together, arms around each other, cheek-to-cheek. The feel of Dani’s bare back and seeing how everyone in the room was watching her was turning me on, as if I needed anything. My hand certainly enjoyed roving her back. This was mostly a ‘mature’ crowd and the music reflected that, the girl’s voice slow and seductive.

The thought went through my mind what we’d talked about Jenny, Dani’s comment from earlier, when Dani suddenly whispered in my ear, “You never answered my question, the eye patches, they weren’t just that night?”

Other than the Jenny part of the conversation I’d been enjoying myself so much that I’d forgotten that this evening had anything to do with my dreams, her question was a reminder, “No, they were on you for several days, lots of adventures ... like the night in Alan’s backyard, you and him making love and the neighbors watching. He’d told you it was dark so nobody could see, but he wasn’t exactly honest, you were centered in a spotlight.”

I felt a little shudder go through Dani’s body when I told her that, and her body squeezed to mine a little tighter. Naturally, I reciprocated. She certainly gave the impression that the thought of someone watching was turning her on, it sure as hell had me, watching her and Alan!

After that dance, I told Dani that I needed to use the bathroom and helped her back to our table. “You okay?” I asked her, “need to use the restroom?”

She shook her head, “No, I’m fine.”

Before I left, I whispered in her ear, “If someone asks you to dance, you don’t need my permission, but still have it ... have fun, I might be a while,” I was hoping that was exactly what would happen as soon as she was sitting alone. After all, that anklet on her left ankle was there for exactly that purpose, although Dani didn’t realize it.

I took my time, I hadn’t really had to go, but managed a little as long as I was there. It’s a bit hard when your dick’s as hard as mine was. I don’t know how long I’d been gone, maybe ten minutes or so when I started back, wondering what I’d see, my heart pounding in nervousness.

I was mildly pleased, mildly disappointed when I saw Dani still sitting at our table, except a guy was sitting with her in my chair; an older guy, maybe sixtyish, graying hair, good-looking. I found an inconspicuous place, at least I thought it was, leaning next to a column, and waited. The guy almost reminded me of the imaginary guy on the plane home from Tampa, the financial guy, Marcus from Seattle.

They were sitting, just talking. I wondered what he thought about Dani being blindfolded, but stupid me, with the dress she was wearing, he probably hadn’t even noticed. And then he said something to her with a smile on his face and Dani giggled.

Somehow, just that giggle sent shivers through my body, nothing like my dreams. I was scared as shit, my stomach twisting in knots. I started to stand on my shaky legs when Dani and the guy stood, her hand in his, big smile on her face, and followed him onto the dance floor. I’d suggested she do exactly that, but still ... especially, after her hesitation to dance with me earlier.

I sat back down and tried to catch my breath that I’d lost from just watching. The guy, I’m going to call him Marcus, put his arms around Dani, his hands on her bare back, Dani’s went to his shoulders, and they moved to the music. My hands were in a fist, my breathing ragged. I tried closing my eyes but couldn’t for more than a few seconds. This wasn’t feeling at all like I’d expected; ‘Marcus’ whispered in Dani’s ear, her arms gradually creeping tighter around his neck. I wondered what he expected, no doubt a lot with the heart anklet.

I’d told Dani to have fun if someone asked her to dance. At that moment, I was regretting it; the anklet, especially. Dani’s hands kept creeping around his neck, her so-close-to-naked body pressing against him, Marcus pulling her tighter, and he kept whispering to her, bringing smiles to her face, what was he saying? When they turned so that Dani’s back was toward me, I saw his hands rubbing her, one hand barely above where her thong would have been if she’d been wearing one.

Every second seemed like minutes, minutes like hours. My body was shaking in a combination of jealousy, fear, angst, and a degree of turned-on excitement, too. But it wasn’t something I could take. Finally, when Marcus nuzzled his cheek against Dani’s, and she didn’t pull away, I stood on my shaking legs, walked onto the floor, and tapped his back, “Mind if I dance with my wife?” I asked him very politely. I wasn’t sure what my voice might have sounded like, but I knew how it felt.

He released her, backing away, “Thank you for letting me borrow her for a few minutes, your wife’s a beautiful woman, intelligent, too,” he said

Crap, he almost made me like him ... almost.

“And thank you so much for the conversation and the dance, Daniella, I enjoyed it very much, the first time I’ve enjoyed a woman’s company for a very long time.”

I nearly froze when he said that, could it ... could he ... Marcus ... my dream...?

He stepped away and I took his place, wrapping my arms around my wife. “Enjoy yourself?” I asked Dani, trying hard to not let slip the jealousy I’d been feeling.

She smiled, “Very much ... he’s a very captivating, seductive man.”

“Disappointed a little ... that I cut in on him?” I asked her.

She snuggled her head into the crook of my neck, pressing herself to me, “Maybe ... a little, to be honest ... but it had gone about as far as I would have let him. I wasn’t going to do anything with him.”

I held her close, a little ashamed that I’d overreacted. Hell, I’m the one who’d put Dani in the situation, but after the dreams, I thought I could handle it, like it, guess I was wrong, except ... now that it was over, I had to admit that I had sort of liked it, I just couldn’t...

“He tell you his name? Anything about himself?” I asked her.

“Mark...” and I felt myself stiffen, “honey, you okay? Did I say something wrong?”

“No ... sorry,” I told her, “it’s just ... I’d met someone by that name, no big deal, anything else?”

“He’s from Seattle, a financial consultant...”

“And his wife died a few years ago from cancer...” I mumbled to myself.

Dani looked at me, even though she couldn’t see, “Yes ... how did you...?

“Kind of like ... I almost started to say Marcus ... Mark that I used to know.” I was stunned! This was the man we’d met on the plane home that time in my dream. Dani had no idea, how could she?

I looked around, finding him, he was just getting his check from his waitress, getting ready to leave, I needed to talk to him. I let go of Dani, taking her hand, “Come,” I told her, “I’d like to visit with your friend a little, too, maybe get to know him.”

Dani stopped, pulled on my hand, “What? You sure?”

I kissed her very briefly on the lips, “It’s okay, yes, I’ll tell you about it later, come,” I didn’t want to miss him.

Which we very nearly did, he was just signing his check when Dani and I reached his table, “Mark, I’d like to apologize, Dani told me a little about you ... would you like to sit with us a few minutes?”

He looked up with a surprised smile, “Yes, thank you, I’d like that very much,” he said.

He followed us over to our table, then sat, “Thank you for inviting me, but I’m the one who needs to apologize ... I’m ... not accustomed to the company of a beautiful woman. I’m afraid I let my emotions get a little carried away.”

He was contrite, but Dani stepped in, “Mark, you were a perfect gentleman, you didn’t do anything I didn’t enjoy immensely ... maybe a little too much...”

My hand was on Dani’s inner thigh, just about at the top of her stocking, feeling the heat emanating from her.

“We’re from Kennewick, not so far from Seattle,” I interrupted Dani, “here for a little adventure ... it’s a long, long story. I’m afraid ... maybe we’ve both misled you a little, anything that happened ... and Dani explained to me that it was nothing ... certainly wasn’t your fault, it was ours, probably mostly mine,” I said, squeezing her leg.

He smiled and I went on, “But I wonder, do you have a business card? Maybe after we get home...”

He pulled a cardholder from his billfold, handing one to me and one to Dani, not sure where he expected Dani to put one, “I’d like that,” he said, “call me anytime.”

“We’d enjoy it, too, I’m sure,” Dani added.

“But now, I really have to be going,” he smiled, “have an appointment at a poker table ... unless you’d like to join me?” he asked, looking rather hopeful.

“Sorry,” I told him, “We ... umm ... have plans for the rest of our evening”

He chuckled, “Understand, and if I was with this beautiful, young lady, I’d have some very unmistakable plans as well.” When he said that I felt Dani’s body tense, squeezing her legs together, and her face turned cherry-red. He stood, picking up our tab, politely ignoring Dani’s embarrassment, “Allow me, please, in just a few minutes, you’ve made my evening so much more enjoyable than I anticipated.”

I started to object but saw the look on his face, and instead, simply told him, “Thank you.”

“Perhaps I’ll have the pleasure of meeting you again,” he said, as he left our table.