Chapter 29: Friday

On Friday, everyone had marks from the previous week's exams. The group average did turn out to be 98.7%. Mary ran another review and estimate — the prediction for that week's exams was similar.

"Now, all we have to do is keep working at this level," Tom said. "I was kind of worried at first, but I seem to have gotten a lot of confidence from working with the group. Thanks."

Will said, "Okay, now something else. Thanksgiving is only a couple of weeks off. What are everyone's plans?"

Anne began. "I'm going home. It's not just that I want to, I think it would be hard to justify not going, seeing I live so close."

"I'm going home, too," said Tom. "Sigrid lives not too far away from me. She's asked me to come to her place, meet the family."

"Uh-oh. Sounds like you're being set up for something serious," Will said.

"Actually, when I found out she lives nearby, I suggested it. I really like her."

"Good for you, Tom," Mary said. "I'm staying here. I want to work a lot with the horses, and anyway, it's really too long a trip to go home."

"Saul?" asked Will.

"Home. Tom, why don't we try and take the same flights?"

"Fine with me, if we can get cheap seats. I'll see what Sigrid's doing."

Alex volunteered, "I'll be here."

"That's three of us," Will noted. "Mary, Alex and me. See Henry at the Art School — the girls know him, he's the instructor of their life study classes. Henry and his roommate have a house over on 23rd Street. He said any of us who want could house-sit for them while they go home for the weekend. We can have it Wednesday night to Sunday night. Okay with you?"

"Sounds terrific. I'll be glad to get out of the dorm for a while," Alex said.

"Want me to make Thanksgiving dinner?" Mary asked. She got kisses from the two men.

"How about we all meet here Sunday night, when we get back?" Anne asked. "By then, I know I'll be wanting to see you all again and tell stories. I'm going to want your bodies, too."

Will smiled, "I'll make sure there are plenty of English Muffins."

"Guys," Alex got up and dug in his case. "I've got something here I want you to look at. See what you think... I asked Will to lend me a couple of sketches the other day and I took them and scanned them and played with them a little with one of my graphic programs."

He handed around several envelopes made of thick, quality letter paper.

"Take a look at the paper inside these envelopes and tell me what you think."

They pulled the sheets from their coverings. Each was heavy, high-quality rag letter paper with a name and address printed in one corner. In the other corner was a small, extremely simplified version of one of Will's sketches.

The sketches had been nudes. Alex had scanned them, reduced detail and cut away whole sections. The picture of Anne, for example, showed her hair and profile, a shoulder and the sweep of one bare breast. In all, perhaps an inch and a half high, sexy, but in an intimate, simple and non-exploitive way. Saul's was similar, stressing his powerful pectorals and semi-shy smile.

Will said, "Alex, these are great! You've really caught in miniature what I was saying in the larger drawing. I really like these."

Anne asked, "It makes me look just as I want to appear to people I know well. When can I have a hundred of these? This is now my official stationery."

"Me, too," said Mary, holding up hers. In the tiny design, her braid fell between her breasts and disappeared into the page. "It looks like me as I really am, but it doesn't look like I'm saying 'Hey, look what a great piece of ass I am'. Or 'Available by the hour'. I'm going to use this a lot... Except when I write mom."

They laughed.

Alex said, "As far as quantity, that's not a big deal. I could get that done anywhere. What I'm thinking of is..."

"Can I guess, Alex?" Anne asked.

"Go ahead."

"Well, I think this is a great idea for personal stationery. We could offer people a sketch and make the note paper from it and have it printed. Be a great product for, say, girls who want to write sexy letters to their guys."