Chapter 15

It was late August and the weather forecast was for very hot and humid weather. There was a director's meeting at the bank so Jan put on what she referred to as her banker's suit. In the last few weeks she had not seen much of Cindy except at night and on weekends. She was now fully occupied with her banking activities. In spite of it, though, she was taking care of the house and garden, as well as doing all of the cooking.

She had agreed to have lunch with Jen and Mary Thomas again. When she walked by the receptionist, Jean Robbins gave her a cheery greeting. When she got to Mary Thomas's desk she stopped short. Mary was beautiful! She had lost the extra twenty pounds she had been carrying and looked like she had also lost nearly twenty years in age. Jan just grinned and walked into Don Martin's office. He welcomed her and they chatted a bit. When Jennifer joined them, they all went into the conference room.

The directors meeting moved along the way it always did. Jan and Jen always did their homework. The questions they asked — which were usually numerous — were always sharply focused and to the point. When the meeting concluded, Henry Simpson withdrew to prepare the minutes, leaving the four alone.

Don Martin moved back from the table and slumped down in his chair. Then he just grinned at Dan. "Burke, is there a bank board like this one in the country? And just think, we even get paid! We sit with the two most beautiful bank directors in the world. But that's not all. They always keep us on our toes and keep reminding us what we're in business for: maintaining our strategic focus."

He looked at the sisters and his face became serious as he added, "I'm being absolutely serious. The greatest service directors can perform is to hold management accountable: to make sure we know what the hell we're doing. I don't think there's a board in the world as good as this one. Thank you for the privilege of working with you."

Jennifer was about to make one of her usual jokes but didn't. Instead she said, "Don, thank you very much. That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I appreciate it very much, and I'm sure Janice does, too. We're very flattered."

Dan said, "Please don't feel flattered. Don was telling the simple truth. You two are the best there are. May I thank you, too?" Then he grinned and said, "Speaking of thanking, Jan, how can I thank you for your hospitality all summer?"

"Don't thank me, Dan. Thank Cindy. It's been her body that's been so hospitable to you. But are you ever going to make an honest woman of her?" She turned to Don Martin and said, "That was not for your ears, Dad. To you, she's the very model of deportment." She looked at Martin and asked, "Don, it's none of my business, of course, but what ever happened to your wife? I've never heard you speak of her."

When Don looked up she saw a look of pain in his eyes. He said, "She was killed by a drunk driver fifteen years ago. She was standing on the sidewalk at an intersection waiting to cross the street and got clobbered." He smiled softly and said, "Jan, thank you for what you've done for my daughter. There are no words I can say except thank you."

Just then the phone rang in the conference room and Dan answered it. He listened for a few minutes, told the caller he would call back and hung up. Then he started to laugh. His laughter grew in intensity until he almost fell off his chair. When he finally controlled himself, tears of laughter were running down his cheeks.

The other three were looking at him as if he had lost his mind. "Okay, Burke, now what's so funny," Don asked. "The least you can do is let us in on the joke."

While he was laughing, he just pointed at Jan and Don and continued with his gales of laughter. Finally he controlled himself enough to talk. Dan wiped his eyes and shook his head saying, "The joke's on all of us, I guess. It seems word is getting around town about credit availability for small business at Chicago Trust.

"An enterprising reporter from the Tribune just called our public relations people. (We're going to have to clean house over there, too.) Anyway, since we never said anything, they didn't know anything. They just regurgitated the usual pompous bafflegab about how we're a bank for top corporations and wealthy individuals.

"The reporter was stunned. Usually, whenever a big city bank makes a $5,000 small-business loan there's a press conference called to announce it." Dan nodded to himself and said, "I guess that's only fair, too. What's the old reporter's adage, 'Dog bites man is not news; man bites dog is'? For most big banks small-business loans are sufficiently rare to rate a press conference. But at any rate, what do you want to do?"

Jan and Jennifer instantly understood the PR problem. Jan said, "Should we announce the program and be flooded with applications, or should we just go along with the word of mouth? Incidentally, Dan, how is the program going?"

"I'm prejudiced, Jan. Because it's Cindy's and I love the girl, I can't be very objective. However, let me put it this way: She has made over 150 loans in about six weeks. Of course, most of them are not yet due for their first payment, but I checked this morning, anyway. Over 125 have been paid. That means people are paying early.

"It's really funny. Some of these people come in — I met a Mr. and Mrs. Kowalski yesterday. He has a machine shop. For some reason, the guard sent them up to me. They were looking around the lobby in awe. They came to thank me for the faith we had in them and to thank us for having such wonderful lending officers. They couldn't stop talking about the remarkable twins who visited them. They were talking about Cindy and April, of course.

"Anyway, they wanted to know if the bank had any money left. I assured them we still had a couple of bucks. They said they have some friends who they would highly recommend, but they didn't want them to be disappointed. They gave me all the information and I passed it on to Cindy."

He shook his head and said, "By any measure, it's a smashing success. At least I think it is."

Jennifer spoke up for the first time. "Dan, I talked at length to my parents and Steve's, as well as to my sister, Connie. Their opinions are the same. This program is to be maintained and expanded. Dad and Father Chapman said the same thing. However, they're concerned about what the bank examiners might say. If there is the least question about any of the loans, they will buy them at their face value and pay a fee to the bank to service them. This program must continue at any cost! Does that convey the wishes of the owners of the bank ... or at least 96 percent of it, or so?"

Dan was looking down at the table top. When he looked up at Jen, she could see tears in his eyes. He said softly, "What I just heard is the Cliffords, Chapmans, and Cartwrights are backing the small-business loans with a 100-percent cash takeout, if necessary. Is that correct?"

Jen just nodded.

Dan looked at Don and asked, "When do you think a thing like this last happened?"

Don got up, went to Jen and kissed her warmly, then kissed Jan. He replied, "We just witnessed the first time in the history of banking. Burke, how does it make you feel? This is backing that's utterly without precedent. The owners of the bank are saying the risk is totally theirs — not the FDIC's, not the depositors' — theirs! Ladies, all I can say is, speaking for Dan and the entire management of the bank, thank you for your support from the bottoms of our hearts! You make me feel very humble."

They decided to let the PR people continue in ignorance because they didn't want to make a big deal out of what they were doing.

As they were about to break, Dan asked, "Jan, I have a favor to ask. You know I bought Cindy's apartment. Could you tell her the buyer is a bachelor banker who wants it redecorated? Just tell her to do it the way she would like it. I'll bet my last dime she wouldn't do it again today the way it's done now. Tell her she'll get standard decorator's fees. Since she's always looking for money I think she'll take the job. Will you ask her, please?"

Jan replied, "Of course!"

The girls left for lunch, picking up Mary on the way out. When they were seated, Janice looked at Mary and said, "Wow! You're gorgeous. Now when is the wedding?"

"Wedding?" Mary responded with a grimace, "A better question is when is the first date." She looked at Jan with a question in her eyes and asked, "Do I really look all right?"

"Mary Thomas, you're exquisite! Now how are you going about trapping him?" The woman looked puzzled; she didn't know what Jan was talking about. Jan continued, "I guess you don't know it, but I used to be a prostitute. May I give you some tips? There have been more men in my bed and in my cunt than I can count, so maybe I can help you. First, are you experienced with men?"

Mary just laughed bitterly. "Experienced? I heard you use the word 'cunt' a moment ago. I hardly know what the word means, let alone what it's used for. For all practical purposes, I guess I'm still a virgin. Isn't that disgusting?"

Jan just grinned and said, "I think it's kind of cute. But are you sure you want to catch him? Because I guarantee you will if you really want to. Do you?"

"Jan, you could have my breasts for breakfast if I could catch Donald Martin. I adore the man." The woman grinned wryly and shook her head. "That's a problem, though. In fact, it's a conundrum. Right now I would happily trade my breasts for Don. On the other hand, when I get him he would probably want to use them for the first time ever. What should I do?" There was a puzzled look on her face but her eyes were dancing.

Jan said she would take care of it. Jen signed the check and they went down to the health club. This time, when they worked out, Mary was using the same weight loading and doing as much as they were. They swam nude and she realized the older woman had a perfect figure, with a small patch of curly pubic hair. Her breasts were full and very youthful-looking with tiny tip-tilted nipples like a nineteen-year-old's. Jan just shook her head sadly.

Mary's eyes widened with concern. "What's wrong, Jan? What did I do?"

Jan grinned and said, "That wasn't for you, Mary. It was for Don. The poor soul doesn't have a prayer! It's going to be like shooting fish in a barrel." Again she shook her head sadly. "Mary, it's going to cost you your hunting license, you know? What you're going to do meets anyone's definition of unsportsmanlike conduct!"

Instead of going back to the office, the women went to a fine department store. When Janice asked her about underwear, Mary just shrugged. She wore serviceable briefs and bras. Jan wrinkled her nose and bought a number of very low cut bikinis that didn't fully cover Mary's pubic hair. Then she bought three bottles of expensive musk oil in the largest size the store had. Carefully, she explained to Mary exactly how to use it and what to do. Before leaving her she said, "One more thing: When you get back, go to the ladies room, put on a new bikini and throw away your bra. Your tits are absolutely gorgeous. Flaunt them! Now get with it, and good luck!"

Mary blushed when she heard what Jan said. Then she whispered, "But Jan, my nipples will show!"

"They sure will, won't they" Jan agreed.

Late the next morning, Janice received a call from Mary Thomas. The woman was bubbling. "Jan," she exclaimed, "it worked! Oh God, did it ever work. I'm utterly destroyed, but I feel like I could conquer the world."

Jan asked what happened and Mary said, "I did exactly what you said. (Incidentally, all my bras are going in the trash tonight.) I drowned my slit and my boobs — Don calls them boobs — with the musk oil. We were working late, as usual, and I asked Don to come over to my desk for a minute. There was some dumb thing in the typewriter I was working on. He leaned over me to read it and got a whiff of the musk oil, or me, or whatever. Anyway, he asked, 'What's that wonderful fragrance?' I said it was probably me and if he kissed me, he might like it even better.

"He did, Jan, and it was exactly the way I've dreamed it for fifteen damned years. There were bells and electricity and I just melted. I felt a wonderful wetness in my cunt — that's what he calls it so that's what it is. Then I kissed him again, got up, went into his office, locked the door and took off my clothes. When I slipped off my skirt, I was only wearing that tiny bikini you made me buy. He reached out his arms and I came to him. Oh, Jan, he took me and took me..." She sighed and continued, "We went to his apartment and it went on all night."

She laughed and added, "Today was the first time in twenty years I wore the same outfit two days in a row. I felt so deliciously wicked! All the girls on the floor just look at me. I feel so proud. It's a riot! I'm the CEO's secretary and one of the most senior people in time of service, so no one dares to say anything. So they look at me and I just laugh. Oh, Jan, I feel so great! Now I know what a cunt is for!"