Chapter 6

Traffic was heavy as Matt approached the outskirts of LA. His daughter Julie had remarked that traffic here was never light. He maneuvered through numerous interstates and finally arrived at her apartment in Santa Monica.

Since it was a Sunday she was not at work.

Julie had been married to Sean for three years now. They didn't have any children yet but Matt thought they would in the near future. Sean was an attorney who specialized in real estate. Sean's father a number of years earlier saw the growth potential of Southern California and started to invest in real estate, specifically apartment buildings. He used the income and growth in value of his units to constantly trade-up and purchase additional buildings. The tax laws at that time, since changed, facilitated his investing. To manage his properties he secured the services of a real estate management firm, which handled the day-to-day activities and problems but yet were reasonable in their fee. He now owned 12 ten-flats in some very nice residential areas in LA. Sean was his only heir.

The door was opened by Julie who jumped into Matt's arms. "Oh, Daddy I am glad you could come. We miss you."

Sean shook Matt's hand to welcome him and said that he hoped the drive coming from Carlsbad had gone well. They sat in the living room and Julie immediately broke the news to Matt about her being pregnant. Sean and Julie were happy and Matt could see their joy and sensed a glow in Julie. The birth was still seven months away and Matt was the first one they had told about the pregnancy. Now they would tell his parents, relatives and friends.

There was some more discussion that centered on their future plans. Moving from the apartment and purchasing a house was now a high-priority item on their agenda. They had a few locations they wanted to check as to what homes were available. Being close to the Pacific Ocean because of its control of the outside air temperature would be a prime consideration in their choice of a location. Also the closeness of the home to both of their jobs needed to be considered. Julie was a CPA and at that time was unsure about whether to continue to work after the baby was born. She loved her present job.

When the conversation got around to where Matt would stay, Sean had a solution. He said his father was in Europe traveling and that his father's condo was available for Matt to use. Matt had met the father a few times before and found him to be a very nice and generous person. The father had made this same offer to Matt previously.

As to Matt's plans he said that he was going to be a tourist. He wanted to see the sights of LA during the day and spend the evenings with them if they didn't mind. He would be in LA for one week and then would be heading back to Joliet. He had thought about driving up to San Francisco but would save that trip for another time. Maybe he would make that trip when he came back to see the baby.

Matt spent the rest of the day with Julie and Sean. Later in the evening they went out to dinner, visited downtown Santa Monica and walked on the famous pier. There was a good crowd at both locations but the events of the day and the prior night had left Matt a little tired. He called it an early night and went to Sean's father's condo.

At the condo Matt called both Gloria and Helen. They sounded happy to hear from him. Nothing exciting had happened to either of them since Matt left. Both of them wanted to hear how his visits with his children and grandchild had gone. Matt told them about the activities and Julie's pregnancy. He hit the sack early and slept like a baby.

On Sunday afternoon Matt rode with Julie and Sean as they gave him a guided tour of the LA area. They drove through Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Brentwood. They pointed out to him where the OJ tragedy had occurred. They took a little spin up the coast to Malibu where they stopped for a late lunch. Afterwards it was a quiet evening back at their apartment watching television.

During the week Matt kept to what he said he would do and toured LA. He visited the Getty Museum and was amazed by its architecture and the priceless pieces of art it contained. Looking at some of the paintings Matt was in awe of the talent of the artists. Tours of two Hollywood studios and the NBC studios were part of his sightseeing. He also downloaded some points of interest into his GPS and took a tour of Beverly Hills and nearby area homes where famous Hollywood movie stars where purported to live or had lived. If they did or didn't live there, Matt had no way of knowing.

Matt also drove down to Palos Verdes and played Donald Trump's new golf course. He had no problem in getting a tee time and played with a very nice fellow. The course was a gem located next to the ocean. The fairways for the most part were next to each other and were terraced as they ran alongside the ocean. He did lose a few balls as the course design and the terracing required that your shot was either on or very close to the fairway or it was a lost ball. He wasn't sure what the waterfalls that had been added to the golf course at Donald's insistence added to the beauty of the golf course. Then again whatever Donald wants, Donald gets.

Thursday night Matt said his goodbyes to Julie and Sean since he was leaving Friday morning. He told them he would be back when the baby was born and for Julie to be very careful of herself and her health. He would be proud to have four grandchildren but suspected that his number of grandchildren wouldn't stop at four. There was a tear in his eye when he left.

Driving to Vegas, Matt had time to think about his travels so far and the people ― especially the women ― he had met. He didn't meet a woman in LA but he thought that meeting three in four stops wasn't a bad batting average. Gloria in Miami, Helen in Austin and Candice in San Diego were helping him in getting over the loss of his beloved Lisa. These ladies were all very beautiful and nice and he was fortunate to have met them.

Matt had decided to stay at the strip hotel where Steve was the general manager. Matt saw enough billboards on the drive to Vegas offering low room rates which confirmed to him how bad the present economy was. His plans were to stay through Sunday night and then continue back home. He would make his gambling donations at the blackjack table and maybe at the slots but gambling didn't hold much of an attraction for him.

Arriving at Steve's hotel Matt didn't have a problem in securing a room even though it was the weekend. In the room he glanced through the brochures that were there to see what entertainment was being offered. He picked up the phone and dialed the phone number that was on the card Steve had given him.

"Mr. Faires's office. How may I help you?" It was a very pleasant voice.

"This is Matt Pierson. I met Steve when he was in San Diego a few weeks ago. We played golf together. He told me when I was in Vegas to give him a call. Well I am now in Vegas so I'm calling."

"One moment, please."

There was a pause and then Matt heard, "Matt, how in hell are you? Better yet, where are you?"

"Well I just checked into a room in your hotel and decided to call you."

"Have you had lunch yet?"

"No."

"Good. Meet me at the front desk in 15 minutes and we can have lunch together."

Standing at the front desk area Matt saw Steve approaching him. He had on a dark gray suit with a white shirt and tie. A glance at the suit showed it to be very expensive. Steve shook Matt's hand and said he was glad to see him. Steve guided Matt to a restaurant where there was a table that was apparently reserved for Steve. Steve asked Matt about the remainder of his trip in San Diego and how it had gone in LA.

Matt told him about playing a tourist and the sights he saw along with the news of Julie being pregnant.

"That's great news. I wish my daughters would give me a grandchild. I am hoping but they still have time before their biological clock ticks away"

Steve told Matt that his golf tip helped him tremendously. The three times he played golf since Torrey Pines he was able to just break 80 each time. This improvement in his golf game was important as he had a standing tee time every Saturday in which he and three of his friends have a friendly competition. One of the participants is the general manager of a large hotel just across the street. He said that there are substantial bets between him and this GM but more so is the fierce rivalry that exists between them. With this improvement in Steve's game he has had the better of this GM the last two times they played. Steve asked Matt if he wanted to play the next day as one of their regular foursome had to go out of town and there was an opening. Matt accepted the invitation.

After lunch they were walking back through the casino when Steve made a right turn to go to a nondescript door. Standing by the door was a man who Matt could tell was the guardian of the door and approved who could enter.

Once through the door Matt saw what looked like any other business office. There were a large number of desks with many people working and some of the desks had computer terminals. Walking down an aisle toward them was an attractive woman who was wearing a knee length tailored gray suit. The excellent figure she possessed was quite evident. There was something about the way she walked in the high heel shoes she was wearing that showed her to be a very confident individual.

She said to Steve, "I was just coming to get you. That call you were expecting is on line two. He said it was important that he speak to you now."

Steve said, "Matt this is Anna. She is my executive assistant. She actually runs this operation instead of me. Anna, this is Matt, a friend of mine. I want you to give him the full VIP treatment, dinners, shows, the works. Matt I need to go and take this call but Anna will take good care of you. See you tomorrow. The tee time we have at Shadow Lakes is at nine." He turned and went to his office.

"Follow me please and I will make the arrangements for the dinners and shows."

Matt walked with her to her office. She told him to have a seat. "Now what shows would you like to see?"

"I saw that Cher is appearing. That should be a good show to see. What other shows have you seen?"

"I ... I haven't seen any of the shows."

"Why not?"

"Well, I ... I ... I just haven't."

"What shows would you recommend?"

"David Copperfield has received good reviews and one of the Circus shows is usually a good bet."

Matt had just met Anna but in this very short time he had immediately developed a strong attraction to her. Many things contributed to this attraction: the attractiveness of her face, the confidence in her manner, the way she spoke, her impeccable grooming, her posture when she was sitting, the tone of her voice, her attractive figure with its nice bottom and ample breasts, the subtleness of the perfume she was wearing and her penetrating eyes as she looked at him.

All of these combined to give to give Matt the impression of something that he felt but couldn't fully explain. The best he could say was that it was the female of the species presenting herself to the male of the species and asking him what he was going to do. He had the impression that there was a challenge being issued to his manliness. It wasn't anything overtly done on Anna's part but she was unknowingly radiating this challenge

Matt was always up for a challenge.

"Those shows sound good. Problem is I really don't want to go by myself. It's kind of embarrassing."

"That's not a problem. I can have an escort go with you."

"I'm not sure that would work out."

"I can assure you that our escorts are all very beautiful and you would enjoy their company."

"I don't doubt that. What are you doing tonight? What time should I pick you up?"

Anna didn't expect to hear that from Matt and for a moment this highly organized executive assistant was at a loss for words. She finally said, "That would be impossible."

"Why? I don't see you wearing an engagement or wedding ring. There are no pictures of men or children on your desk or on the wall. Let me tell you that I am fifty-five years of age, a widower and harmless. I do admit however to having a propensity for wanting to be in the company of beautiful women. Your boss must think I am okay because he asked you to give me the VIP treatment. You strike me as a very interesting lady who would be a good date. Please come with me. I will do all that I can for you to have a good time. If I don't then Steve would probably have someone break my legs. Please say you will go out with me or I will hold my breath till you do."

She smiled and giggled as Matt was finishing his pitch. "I am not married nor do I presently have a significant other. I don't go out with men I meet in business but it flatters me that you won't take no for an answer. I will however make a one-time exception to my rule and go with you. It strikes me that it could be an interesting time and I would like to see a show."

"Great. Now you can select the places for us to have dinner and the show to see. Please make the arrangements which I am sure will all be perfect. Just give me the information I need about when and where to call for you."

She wrote her name and address on a piece of paper and handed it to Matt. She advised him to take a taxi as driving in Vegas was too much of a hassle.

Matt thought about Anna as he wandered around the casino observing the activities. Her apparent high organizational and business skills were a turn-on for him. She certainly was attractive and her figure was above average. How she presented herself in dress and grooming showed, in Matt's opinion, she was someone who always wanted to be in control. He wondered how she would react if she were ever to lose that control.

At six Matt arrived at her condo which was in a tall building not far from the Strip. When he pushed the button to her condo he heard her say that she would be right down. She was wearing a black pants suit made of expensive material that showed off a slim figure. The exception to her slim figure was that her breasts seemed a little large for her slender frame. Her dark-brown hair was worn down instead of the French twist style she had been wearing at work. The makeup she had on emphasized her very beautiful face. Her air of confidence seemed to have returned. On entering the taxi she just said to the driver, "Caesar's."

Matt complimented her on her appearance and there was a little smile on her face when he did.

At Caesar's she guided him to an exclusive restaurant where there was a line of people waiting. She walked up to the man at the small podium and said some magic words because they were immediately shown to a table. Drink orders were placed and the menu was studied. When the drinks arrived they ordered their meals.

Matt tried to learn something about her but she beat him to it when she asked him to tell her about himself. He gave her the full version about where he lived, Lisa and his trip visiting some friends and his children. He told her that he was concluding his trip by visiting Vegas and was going to be heading home the following Monday. She said she was sorry to hear about Lisa. He asked her to tell him about herself.

"I was born and raised in Florida. Went to and graduated from Arizona State with a degree in political science. I came to prefer the west over Florida so I decided to stay out here. I worked for an insurance company in the claims department but arguing with people all day didn't strike me as a rewarding career. With my father's help I opened a small bookstore but after four years of doing that I realized that the income just wasn't there. There was a building boom of large hotels on the Strip going on and my father told me I should apply there for a job as I did have good organizational skills. Dad said he knew someone in the hotel business there. I was hired as an assistant to Carol who was Steve's executive assistant. When she left after three years because her husband was transferred, Steve offered me the job and I accepted. I have been doing it now for ten years and I enjoy it as it is very interesting and monetarily rewarding."

"I bet you see or get involved in a lot of interesting things or situations."

"Yes, I do but you know I can't talk specifically about them other than to say people would not believe the things that go on here in Vegas. Some of the people who come to Vegas act like they are going to a big Disneyland for adults. They act like kids and they pay for it. It's a sad story in a way as some people lose money they have no business gambling with."

"I assume these problems involve some celebrities?"

"Yes, a number of them. They expect when they lose at the tables for us to just write it off as they say they are attracting gamblers, but if they win that's a whole different story."

The conversation continued as the meal was served. The time flew by as they enjoyed their meal and conversation. Matt was having an enjoyable time talking to Anna and she seemed to be enjoying herself as well. They left the restaurant without paying the bill to go to the Cher show. When Matt inquired about the bill she told him not to worry as it was a comp.

There was a line of people waiting to be seated for Cher's show. Anna directed Matt to another entrance where there was no line. She said something to the man standing there and he showed them to a table that was right in the middle of the arena and was four rows up from the stage. Matt had a twenty dollar bill ready to tip for a better table but it wasn't necessary. Anna smiled at Matt and told him this was another comp.

The show was an extravaganza and Cher was in top form. She is a gifted entertainer, thought Matt. Anna seemed to enjoy the show very much. Maybe the two drinks she had during the show loosened her up.

When the show was over Matt asked if she wanted to do some gambling or catch a lounge show. Anna said she had enjoyed herself and Cher was worth seeing. She told Matt that he was a perfect host and she had had fun. She did however want to go back to her condo as she needed to come in to work on Saturday. Steve was going to be at the golf course and there were some items that needed attention.

Back in a taxi Matt asked Anna what time he should call for her the next day. She was surprised at his question and said this was a one-time thing. Matt had her acknowledge that she had a good time and no firm plans for the following evening. With a little more cajoling from Matt she agreed to go out with him again. When Anna got out of the taxi she shook Matt's hand and again thanked him for a nice evening.

Matt was at the golf course a little early so he could hit some balls and warm up. He was surprised how beautiful this course looked. Despite being in a desert there were extensive greenery and an abundance of lakes dominating what he could see. In the pro shop when he presented his credit card to pay for the greens fee he was told that it already had been taken care of.

At the driving range he met Steve who introduced him to Vince and Lou. It became readily apparent from the interaction that Vince was the GM of the other hotel. Steve rode with Matt in a golf cart and the remarks he made showed how intense his rivalry with Vince really was.