Chapter 22: The Final Decision

IT WAS JUST after 5:45pm when they were stepping out of the aircraft and almost 45 minutes later when they cleared customs, found their waiting limousine and set off for Sharon's place.

As they pulled up outside, Frank took her in his arms and thanked her for a wonderful week, promising to ring her in a couple of days. He made no firm commitment, but Sharon felt happy, almost certain that she had done everything she could to persuade him to select her and knowing that she really wanted him to do so.

Sharon was starting to hope that there might even be more between them than just a commercial arrangement. When she kissed him with passion and feeling and thanked him for the most wonderful week of her life, she really meant it.

Frank watched her disappear into her place and as his chauffeur started the drive back to his hotel, he revisited the past week. Once again he tried to compare Sharon to Sandy and Beth.

It was certainly a difficult task, one he wanted to think on leisurely over the next day or two, not wanting to be too influenced by the last person he had made love to and thus inadvertently or rashly make the wrong decision.

After all, he was about to commit a lot of time and money to the one he chose. It could make or break his enjoyment of the coming year.

Once he had checked into his hotel, Frank unpacked, got housekeeping to pick up his laundry and went up to the rooftop cocktail bar by himself for the first time.

He ordered a Dry Martini and sat there slowly sipping as he reviewed the options and considered what decision he should make.

Frank knew it was a difficult decision in many ways. Although he ruled out Helen because she was too young and could foresee too many problems spending so much time with her in many foreign countries, she was, nevertheless a sort of benchmark.

So how did he rate the other three contenders, for that is how he saw them, even though he hadn't yet, and didn't know if he should or would, spend a week with Beth?

Clearly Sandy was the most beautiful; physically she was tall, athletic and statuesque, although Beth was very close behind, albeit tiny.

Beth was the sexiest, with the hottest body and he was sure would consistently be the best in bed, with Sharon coming in second.

Conversationally it was between Sandy and Sharon, probably because he still had a little difficulty understanding Beth, although after spending two days with her, that had become a little less of a problem and he was becoming convinced that if he spent some time with her, that his communication difficulty would almost certainly disappear completely.

Who wanted most to share the things he wanted to do?

Who would be his best companion day and night?

Who did he want to spend next year with?

This was what he had to decide, but not tonight. That was for tomorrow when he was less tired and there was some time and space between him and Sharon.

In the morning, Frank dragged himself out of bed and into the shower trying to wake up. He knew he had a lot of thinking to do today.

As he ate a leisurely breakfast in the dining room, Frank remembered that he had promised to ring Beth once he had returned, but first he had to decide if he wanted to spend a week with her in Thailand, or anywhere else for that matter. Alternatively, was he prepared to make a decision before he experienced a week with Beth? He knew that a week away with her would be an incredibly sexy experience and one that he was sure to enjoy.

It took a long time to drink his coffee, because he was trying to weight the pros and cons of each option, realising that his happiness next year, and possibly longer term, rested on what he decided today. He was used to making some quite big decisions at work, resolving problems that might involve millions of dollars or hundreds of staff, but somehow this decision seemed even bigger and harder.