Chapter 2

As soon as I arrived at the headquarters building for the Dunleavy Holding Company, I was issued a visitor's badge and escorted up to the top floor. Miss Sheridan, Mr. Dunleavy's personal assistant met me in the foyer, and walked me back to her office. She was a woman of indeterminate age, somewhere in her forties or fifties I'd have guessed. She was very thin and had her hair up in a tight bun. I could see no evidence of any make up on her face. Her dress was not of the latest fashion, and seemed fairly austere, without any frills or decoration to make it seem dressier.

"Mr. Dunleavy is just finishing up a meeting. I expect him back any time now. Would you care for something to drink while we wait?" Her tone was businesslike, without any inflection whatsoever.

"No thank you." I answered her question with what I hoped was the same lack of inflection.

I stayed seated in the padded chair she'd indicated. I wasn't in the least bit nervous about the meeting I'd agreed to. Whatever it was, Mr. Dunleavy had no reason to have any animosity towards me. I believed that he might have called me in to see if he might want to offer me a position with one of his companies. I'd come prepared, as far as my clothing. I had on my best suit, and had made certain of being well groomed as well.

I am fairly tall, an inch and one half above six feet. I had kept myself fit, playing in pick up games at college, mostly basketball and soccer. I weighed closer to 180 than 175, but I tried very hard to keep myself in that range. I had regular facial features, with dark brown hair and eye color. I wouldn't categorize myself as much more that a tad better than average in my looks. I'd never had difficulty getting girls to date me. I wasn't endowed with much more than average size with my sexual equipment either, and certainly wouldn't be considered any sort of sexual acrobat or stud. That said, I felt I was at least average in that department as well.

There was a loud buzzing noise on Miss Sheridan's desk. She stood up and told me that Mr. Dunleavy was ready to meet with me. I stood up as well, and the two of us walked over to the closed door leading into Mr. Dunleavy's office. When we walked in, Mr. Dunleavy was seated behind a very large desk. He didn't bother to stand, so I didn't offer to shake hands with him. There was only one chair in front of his desk and he pointed his arm at it, indicating that he wanted me to sit there.

"Kevin Twain, I've been looking forward to our having this meeting. Any idea why I asked your father to have you contact me?"

"No sir."

"I have a daughter, Joanne Dunleavy. Do you remember her?"

"Vaguely. I remember she went away to boarding school when I was about thirteen years old. I've seen her a few times since then, in the Summer, but we've never spoken during those times, except to say hello, or mostly, just waved to each other."

"Do you remember coming to her birthday parties, before she went off to school?"

"I do, now that you mention it. She came to a few of mine as well. We weren't that close though. More like we were near the same age, and traveled in the same social circle."

"She claims that you gave her the first kiss she ever received. She was just turning thirteen, and it was at another friend's house. Another birthday party."

I tried remembering that far back. I had no memory of any such kiss between us having occurred. I did remember kissing other girls at some of these parties, but not Joanne. I usually had a good memory too, a fact that had allowed me to do well enough in college to graduate without having studied overmuch.

"If she says it, I'd have to guess it happened. I just don't recall that kiss right now."

"Let me get right to the point, Kevin. Joanne needs to get married. She gave me a list of three men that she'd agree to marry. Your name was on it, and the other two have both declined my offer. It would mean a lot to her mother and me if you would consider marrying her. My wedding gift to the two of you would be one million dollars."

I guess he really meant it when he spoke of getting right to the point. A million dollars. That was a lot of money. I still wasn't tempted.

"I'm sorry Sir. I'm afraid I'm going to need to decline your generous offer too. When I marry, I'd want it to be more than a financial incentive that led me to do so." I stood up from where I'd been sitting as I told him this. I was quite ready to flee the building. The talk was much more bizarre than anything I might have imagined.

"Would five million change your mind?"

When he asked me that, I sat down again. Perhaps, I sat back down too abruptly, but five million really was a lot of money. I could work forty years at more than a hundred grand a year, still not grossing five million dollars.

"Five million dollars?" My voice quavered a bit as I asked the question. If I hadn't heard my parents and grandmother talking about how the shoe factory was having financial problems, I doubt that I'd have again taken my seat so quickly.

"I can have the contract drawn up in the next day or two. There would be clauses put in, to protect us, in case you decided to make a sham of the marriage. I'm paying for a husband for my only child, and for a father to my grandchild, when he comes. I'll be expecting to get what I'm paying for."