Chapter 14

Steve -- MARCH 1961

I got back to my apartment Sunday evening, and immediately called Sandy. Our parting this time was not as hard for either of us as it had been the first time. There was no question that we were already missing each other, but we now knew that we would see each other soon again. I didn't say anything to her, but I couldn't avoid realizing that I was seriously falling in love with this lovely, wonderful, smart woman.

Monday, I was back at the Agency, meeting with Murray and Sam. Sam was excited when I told him the performance characteristics of the tape system that Chad and his group had presented, but Murray hit the ceiling when I told him the estimated price.

Sam said, "Murray, settle down. We need to know more about several things here. First of all, how likely are they to actually come through with this type of speed?"

I interrupted, saying, "It seemed fairly solid to me. It's not a radical new approach, rather, it's a combination of factor-of-two improvements in three key parameters compared to Hypertape, resulting in an eight times improvement relative to that system."

Sam went on, "Well, OK. I hope your assessment is correct. At any rate, secondly, how important is this to us? And finally, Murray, you need to start serious negotiations with their business people on this. Hold off on that until Steve and I have a chance to work through my second question."

We went on to discuss the programming implications of the latest version of the current control word structure. When we started getting technical, Murray excused himself. Sam and I continued, and I told him, "You remember Sandy Rhule? She came up with a brilliant idea for handling the multiple conditions that we would need to use to control the program. Not only does her scheme simplify the control word structure, it also looks like it will speed up the cycle time of the Reaper box."

Sam said, "That sounds promising. I do indeed remember her. She was really smart, in addition to being easy on the eyes."

I let that one go by with no comment, and Sam and I spent most of the rest of the next two days crunching numbers to see if the faster tape system would really meet our needs. By the end of that effort, we were both convinced that it would do the job, and that it was really essential to our mission, even if Chad's estimates were optimistic.

I left the agency Monday after work, and walked over to the Willard Hotel. I went in and asked the desk clerk to ring my parent's room. When I told them I was in the lobby, they came right down. After Ma and Dad hugged me, Ma said, "Steve, it's so good to see you. Is your apartment nearby? We're dying to see it!"

I told them that it was, and after a short walk we were there and went in. I gave them the picture I'd gotten from Sandy, telling them that it had been taken by a friend a few weeks ago. Then they looked around the apartment. When Ma saw the picture of Sandy beside my bed, she looked closely at it, then again at the picture of me. She said, "Your friend is really pretty!"

"I know, and also, she's a really smart engineer."

When she saw my tiny kitchen, she exclaimed, "Steve, you need a better place! This apartment is a dark hole, and the kitchen is horrible!"

"I realize that. I've been looking around. The problem is; I got this place furnished. All of the decent places that I can afford are unfurnished. I don't have furniture or anything else, and I'm not sure how much I can afford."

Dad said "I guess we haven't told you that we are selling our house and moving to a smaller place, now that everyone has left the nest. We'll have a lot of stuff that we could give you, and we'll even put it on a moving truck and send it down to you."

"That's great. Thank you very much-it will make things much easier for me."

Ma said "Yes, tomorrow let's draw up a list of what you will need. Right now, we have a dinner reservation, and we need to hurry."

We went back to the Willard, where they had made a restaurant reservation, and spent the evening catching up on what had been happening in their lives since I had graduated and moved to Washington. They managed to pry a little more information about Sandy out of me, although I didn't tell them that I was falling in love with her.

We got together again a couple of times before they had to leave. They made me promise to be better about writing and calling them from time to time. Ma said, "I'm not even going to try to teach you anything about cooking in that ghastly kitchen, but I'll send you some books and some of my recipes and hints."

As I was pretty sure would happen, Sam convinced Murray that the cost of the tape system would not be a problem.

I talked to Sandy every few days, and one Friday, she told me that the spec was finished and on its way to us. She said, "I know you will have some issues; we couldn't figure out how to do the thing we talked to Dave about. I guess you'll just have to make another trip to Poughkeepsie!"

"Sandy, it certainly sounds like I'll have to do just that. In fact, you can count on it!"

"Oh, goody! Then I will too."

On Monday, the Reaper spec document arrived by registered mail. Murray had two copies made. Sam and I joined him and we all started studying it. After an hour, I sighed, and said, "Most of this is good, but there's still some stuff that we need, and I've found several things that they got wrong between when we discussed them in the meeting and when it got written down. Also, I don't see any mention of the table lookup that we told them that we would need. Give me a couple of days to go through this carefully. I'll come up with a list, and we can decide what to do then. I think we can go back up there next Monday and hammer it out. Murray, if we do, that would be a good time for you to meet with the tape business people?"

Murray said, "OK, I'll go up for one day, but I don't want to give up my Sunday for travel."

I said, "That won't be a problem. Let me go up early, and start the technical meeting on Monday. You can get there Tuesday, meet with the tape guys, and I'll be around if you need me. You can go back when you are done, and I'll come back when I have the technical stuff nailed down."

I called Paul, telling him that I would be up the following Monday, and that Murray would be coming for a one-day meeting with the tape business people the following day.

That evening, I called Sandy, saying, "I've arranged with Paul that we'll meet about the spec next Monday."

"Steve, I'll be so glad to see you again! Can you come early?"

"I was thinking that I could leave early and get in Friday evening around nine o'clock, like last time. Does that sound OK?"

She said warmly, "Dear Steve, what do you think? It's not OK; it's a hell of a lot better than OK! We'll have the whole weekend for us."

"Pack your bag and meet my train, then. We'll need to go to Avis on Sunday so I can pick up a car; without one, Murray would be wondering how I was getting around."

We talked a little longer, and then I hung up.

I spent the rest of the week going through the spec with a fine-tooth comb, making my list of issues and things that needed to be fixed. Friday, I left the agency early and, once again, took the train to Poughkeepsie, and Sandy.

SANDY - MARCH 1961

I got to the station early, only to find that Steve's train was almost a half-hour late. I paced up and down the platform trying to keep warm, until finally it came in. I could see him in the window near the door, waiting for the train to stop and the door to be opened. He was the first person off, and, when he saw me, he rushed over to me, setting his bag down for a minute to give me a big hug and kiss. He then picked up his bag with one hand, keeping his other arm around me. I put my arm around him, and together we walked up the stairs, out to my car. He put his bag in the trunk, and we got in. Before I started the engine, I reached over and gave him another warm kiss. He said, "That's so nice! I could stay like this for a long time if it weren't so damn cold!"

I smiled, and started the car, driving to the motel. Steve checked in, and we drove to the room he had been assigned this time. Once we were inside, he closed the curtains, turned on a light, and we shed our coats. We hugged, and he ran his fingers through my hair. I kissed him again and again. We sat on the edge of the bed, holding each other, and he said, "Sandy, dearest Sandy, there's only one way I can explain my feelings about you. I'm absolutely, totally in love with you."

I held him tighter, and kissed him fiercely. "Steve, I've known that I love you with all my heart since the last time you were here." I then pushed him down on the bed, pressing every inch of my body to his, and kissed him relentlessly, just murmuring over and over again, "Steve! Oh Steve, dear love!." He was running his hands gently up and down my back. It felt so wonderful! Soon his hands wandered to my sides, brushing my breasts. I moaned, and then said, "Steve, we're seriously overdressed. Please, let's hurry. I need you, dearest love!"

Quickly we undressed each other, our clothes falling in a pile on the floor, and soon we were holding each other with nothing in between. I was really aroused by then, and pulled him back onto the bed. We lay holding each other tenderly for a moment, and then Steve kissed my tit and, at the same time, moved his hand slowly, tantalizingly, down my stomach, and lingering over my thatch. Then he reached the magic spot between my legs and started caressing it, at the same time flicking his tongue over my tit. I shrieked and cried out as I quickly reached my crest and a great crashing orgasm washed over me.

When I had recovered a little bit, I pulled him to me and growled into his ear, "Steve, my love, your turn! Now, please."

He must have been almost as aroused as I had been, because it seemed that he had barely slid into me before he was moaning and kissing my lips. He touched my other tit with his hand, and that was enough to start me up the slope again. Very soon, we climaxed together. In the afterglow, we touched and caressed each other gently. Steve said, "Sandy, my love, did you know that sometimes when we make love, you bend your wrists and curl up your hands, just like the paws of a little kitten?"