Chapter 2

Matt's children were shocked by the divorce and were questioning him as to the reasons why. All he would tell them was to talk to their mother. Eventually they stopped asking him and suspected that Lisa had done something which was the reason for the divorce. Matt didn't know if Lisa had told them what had happen and thought that she wouldn't but the kids who were now adults could put two and two together.

As the farm fields passed by, this was the last time Matt thought that he would be driving to Champaign, Illinois. His son and daughter were graduating college. He met them outside the hall after they had received their diplomas. Lisa was with them and while he wanted to be civil he was uncomfortable in being in her presence. He congratulated and kissed both of his children and told them he was very proud of them. Matt said that if they went to graduate school he would pick up the tab for that expense and that would be his graduation present to them.

His son Kyle broke the news to him that now that he had an engineering degree he had applied and was accepted into law school. Kyle said he wanted to become a patent attorney. Katie his daughter broke the news that she also had been accepted into law school but hadn't made up her mind on the type of law she wanted to practice.

Matt just shook his head and jokingly bemoaned what this schooling was going to cost him. He excused himself from going to dinner with them and said he would treat the twins to dinner when they were back at home.

On the drive home he thought about this additional educational expense and knew he could easily handle it. At work he had recently become the CEO of the firm which had 867 engineers on staff. The firm had more business than they could handle and were very picky about the projects they accepted. Between his salary, bonus and stock options, his monetary rewards were considerable. He was so confident of the continued growth this company that he was using his excess funds to purchase additional shares of stock of the company.

Three years later he again attended the graduation ceremonies of Kyle and Katie who received their law degrees. Neither of his children had any plans for additional grad school so Matt feigned that he now could go afford to go out to eat and he put back his pants pockets that he had turned inside out back in his pants. This brought a laugh from his two kids. Lisa was also there with her new younger than her husband. She still was attractive but Matt avoided engaging her in conversation. Matt again begged off going to dinner with them. Both Kyle and Katie had accepted job offers and he gave them a kiss on the cheek and wished them well. It made him very proud to see what they had accomplished.

For the past three years Matt had poured himself into work and things had gone well. The firm was now staffed with 1050 engineers and business was thriving. An offer was made by a very large engineering firm to buy out Matt's firm. The offer was substantial and the price of the company shares which had increased substantially had another large increase in their share price because of the buy-out offer. The consensus of the Board of Directors was to accept the offer.

Matt was now 52 years of age and was wondering how he would fit in when the two companies merged. It was obvious that they didn't need two CEO's. The number of shares of stock he owned made him the largest single shareholder and the buy-out would make him very wealthy. With Kyle and Katie now on their own there was no reason for Matt to continue to work if he didn't want to. His decision as what to do was made easier when he was offered a very attractive golden parachute early retirement package. His annual retirement income with some tweaking of his investment portfolio could generate an annual income of close to seven figures if he retired. He accepted the offer and retired.

Since his divorce Matt's sex life was nothing to brag about. He didn't date much and while he met different women on social occasions, he had not met anyone who interested him. His financial and social standing resulted in a number of women subtly expressing an interest in him. While they were physically attractive he just was turned off by his perception that they were attracted to his money first and then maybe to him. If he ever became involved again with a woman it would be because she was attracted to him and to him alone and him to her. That didn't mean as he chuckled to himself that he was going to be celibate. It just meant there was only a certain type of woman he would get into a serious relationship with.

Now that he was retired he gave serious thought as to what he was going to do with his time. Travel was one option. Because of his career he had seen quite a bit of Latin and South America since they had built a number of dams there but he had no desire to again visit that area. Europe was a possibility but a better one was the USA. He had to admit that he hadn't seen that much of this great country. It was time to correct that oversight. Driving a motor home was one way to do it but driving this large vehicle wasn't an attractive or overly safe option. Matt thought the better way was to fly out to a city in a specific area, rent a car and a condo and travel in and around that area to see the sights. When he had seen all he wanted to see he could move to another area and repeat this scenario.

The first area he selected to visit was the northwest. He made plane and car reservations for Seattle. He told Kyle and Katie what his plans were and that his length of stay was undetermined. They could always contact him by cell phone if the need arose. Matt also told a condo neighbor where he was going and gave her both his cell phone number and email address if he needed to be contacted.

The flight out to Seattle was uneventful. Since it was only ten o'clock in the morning when he landed Matt decided to head downtown. After parking the rental car he walked over to the Space Needle and took the elevator to the top. The view was outstanding of the city and the mountains surrounding the city. He took the elevated public transportation into the city's business area and visited Pike Place Market which was a must see. Walking through the market and seeing the fish tossing as well as the goods offered by the many vendors was amazing. Tasting some of the food offerings satisfied a growling stomach.

Back in his rental car Matt found a motel just outside of the city. Across the street was a restaurant with a lounge that the clerk at the front desk of the motel had recommended. After reading the local paper and relaxing for a while Matt decided to go across the street for something to eat and an adult beverage.

The restaurant wasn't crowded. Matt spoke with the hostess and asked if a single would be a problem. The hostess showed him to a table normally set for two. Matt scanned the menu and thought since he was in Seattle it was a no-brainer and ordered the salmon. When the entree was served it was a large portion of salmon with a lemon crème sauce along with a baked potato and asparagus. The meal was delicious.

Having completed his meal Matt went to the lounge and took a seat at the bar. He ordered a local draft beer when the female bartender asked for his order. There were only three people in the lounge and all three were sitting at the bar.

When the bartender returned Matt asked, "Does this place draw any more people later in the evening?"

"There will be more but not till after ten. Are you new here? I don't remember seeing you in here before."

"I am just visiting and seeing this part of the country. I flew in today. What place do you recommend for me to stay and sights to see?"

"What are you looking for?"

"Beautiful country, a nice play to stay, sights to see and maybe do a little fishing."

"Well there are many beautiful areas you can drive to and see. As for a place to stay that isn't out in the sticks but seems like it is and is centrally located, I would recommend the Olympia area. If you think you might be staying for a month or more stop by one of the realtor's office. Sometimes they have some short term home or condo rentals that are in good locations and don't cost much more than what you would pay for a motel."

"Thanks, I'll keep what you say in mind, I'll also have another beer."

In a little while a few more people entered the lounge but there was nothing that interested Matt so he called it a night.

The next morning right after breakfast Matt was on the road heading for Olympia. Matt found it to be an easy and short drive. He drove around Olympia and the area for a while and like what he saw. He finally stopped at a realtor's office that was on the north side of Olympia. When he entered the office he noticed that there was only one person in the office. She was a lady who appeared to be in her late-thirties. Her figure looked good in the white blouse and gray skirt that she was wearing. Her breasts were ample and her butt was nicely framed by the tightness of the skirt. Her short blond hair enhanced her beauty and gave her a professional business appearance.

'Hi, how can I help you?"

"My name is Matt Block. I am hoping you have some short term rentals and if you do I would like to see them."

"What are you looking for?"

"I would like a small house or condo with a nice view and possibly close to the water. Maybe wireless internet and I would like to do some fishing if I could."

"Well we just secured a listing two days ago for a small house that is on the water. It doesn't have a fishing boat but there is a marina not far from it. Jimmy Stiz runs the marina and rents boats at very reasonable prices. He could give you a good price on a short term boat rental. The rental price for the house is $2500 a month with a $500 security deposit and a $100 clean up fee which when you leave is deducted from your security deposit."

"When can I see it?"

"Please have a seat. As soon as my secretary comes back from the dentist I will take you there. By the way my name is Shannon Gray."

Matt sat down and scanned a magazine but was more interested in watching Shannon as she went about her business. She certainly was attractive and carried herself well. Her walk in the high heeled shoes she was wearing was very sexy. Her breast jiggled while her hips had a nice sway to them as she moved around. About twenty five minutes later another lady came into the office and Shannon greeted her. Shannon told her she was going out on a showing and would be back when she could.

They took Shannon's car with her driving. Matt was in a little bit of a quandary and couldn't decide if he should watch where they where going or watch Shannon legs as the skirt had moved up to her mid-thighs. They were very nice legs. He did notice she was driving in a northerly direction.

She kept the conversation going by pointing out points of interest during the drive. She pointed out the marina that they passed as one she had mentioned where boats could be rented. Soon thereafter she turned right into a drive-way and parked the car. The house was small but from the outside appeared to be well maintained. The grass was cut and the landscape was neatly trimmed. Matt could see a boat dock at the bottom of the steps that led down to the water. The view of the water was superb. The water appeared to be a finger of a larger body of water.

Shannon used a key to open the front door and Matt followed her in. The inside of the house was also very nice. The furniture had a western flair to it and the wood floor shined. There was a 42 inch LCD television which was off to the side of the large picture window that gave a great view of the water. Shannon showed him the two bedrooms and all the amenities that came with the house.

"I'll take it, but let me say you seem to be awfully familiar with a house that you just received a listing on just two days ago."

"I should be because this is my parent's home. They left last week to visit with my younger sister who is giving birth to her third child. They will be with her for about a month and maybe longer. I thought I could get them some spending money if I rented out their house while they were gone. Let's go back to the office and we can do the necessary paper work."

On the drive back they passed by the marina again and Shannon told Matt that when he goes to rent a boat to tell Jimmy that Shannon sent him. She said that she went to school with Jimmy. Further that if Matt doesn't have any fishing equipment he can also rent some reasonably from Jimmy. All Matt will need to do is to stop at the local Wal-Mart and pick up lures, spoons, swivels and some leader material. She recommended some specific lures and spoons that she said were proven fish catchers.

"It sounds like you have done some fishing. If you are available maybe you could show me what I need to do to catch some fish."

"I did a lot of fishing when I was growing up. Right in front of the house is a good place to fish. The best way to fish is by trolling and you should do well. I would like to go fishing with you but I won't be able to go till Sunday."

"I don't want you to think that I am prying but is there a Mr. Gray? I don't want to be constantly looking over my shoulder."

She laughed and said, "There was once for a few years but he wanted to live in Southern California and I didn't want to leave the area so we agreed to end the marriage."

"I don't want you to think I am hitting on you but would you consider going out to dinner with me tonight? I could pick you up at your office and we could go for a little drive so you could show me around Olympia and point out places of interest. We could go to dinner at a restaurant of your choice. If we need reservation please make it. How does that sound?"

"Sure, why not. I would enjoy a good meal and Larson's is one fine restaurant."

After doing the paperwork and writing a check for $3000 Matt left her office. He made a stop at the Super Wal-Mart and purchased the fishing tackle Shannon had recommended. He also purchased some food, soda, wine and alcohol. He had a full car as he drove back to the house he had rented. The remainder of the day was spent unpacking and putting away his purchases. He sipped on a soda as he sat on a chair looking at the beautiful view he had of the water. He saw that there were a few boats on the water and some were fishing.