This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Shakespeare (Hamlet)
Thanks to Chael for assistance proofing the story. This is wholly fictional with no reference intended to persons alive or dead.
Please do not distribute to other sites without permission of the author. Comments can be sent to firehosejoe@yahoo.com
From the previous chapter:
The bones of the building had great character. He'd snagged half of the penthouse floor. Situated on one of the many hills of the city, it offered a magnificent view of the Bay Area. Alejandro had blocked off half of the original 2,000 foot area he'd purchased, knowing that he'd never need that much space and that the second apartment would bring in a premium price in the future.
After a drink, he enjoyed a quick dinner. He cleaned up the kitchen, and after watching the news restlessly flipped through the channels on the TV. He debated a workout or a night of clubbing alone. Smiling ruefully, he acknowledged to himself that solitary clubbing was not a real choice and grabbed his gym clothes.
Chapter 28
Sleep came easily to the exhausted Alejandro. He'd pushed hard at the gym and woke early and refreshed. Knowing he'd be spending most of the day at a conference table, he decided to get in some exercise first so he donned his sweats and tennis shoes and explored the neighborhood. He was pleased to remember he was only half a mile away from the Museum.
Returning to the condo, he stripped and stepped into the large, black marble-and-glass shower he'd designed with Charles. As the multiple shower heads pelted his body with water, he pulled on his thick muscle. It hardened as his hand wandered purposefully across his furry pecs. Catching a nub between the knuckles of two fingers, he pinched and twisted the soap-slicked flesh.
Readjusting one of the shower heads to pulse, he directed it against his rigid, leaking cock as he worked both nubs on his chest. The pressure in his balls increased with the pulsing jets of water. He let the pressure build and then stopped.
These meetings were usually tedious, he remembered, and decided to let his satisfaction wait. The anticipation of a partially swollen cock nestled in his boxers during the day made Alejandro smile.
Grabbing an umbrella as insurance against the fickle nature of San Francisco weather, he decided to walk to the Museum. During the obligatory coffee and pastry, Alejandro surveyed the crowd. There were only a few faces he was able to place with names. It promised to be a long day.
Just as they were being directed to the board room, a young man joined the group. Combing his tousled hair with his fingers, he surveyed the gathering as if familiar with those present. As their eyes met, Alejandro smiled his greeting with a brief nod of his head and was rewarded with a brilliant smile that lit up the young man's entire face.
The crowd was moving. Alejandro turned with the herd, glad that another young face had joined the crowd. When the meeting was called to order, the Chair recognized one of the staid, portly, lawyer-types, whose name Alejandro recognized.
Standing and clearing his throat, the gentleman addressed the group in a stentorian tone that in another setting would have appeared mocking. "Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce Mr. Zachary Bertrand. He has recently returned home from his studies at Wharton, where he distinguished himself both with high marks and by earning the William Penn Award for International Finance. He is now involved in the management of the Bertrand Fund and intends to focus on the charitable arm of that enterprise. Please find time to introduce yourselves today. He will be taking my seat at this table in the future."
From his vantage point diagonally across the table, Alejandro was amused to see a slight rolling of the young Mr. Bertrand's eyes in reaction to both the tone of and the content of the introduction. A bland appropriate smile quickly replaced his unintended reaction as he let his eyes meet those now looking in his direction.
Alejandro found himself looking at the young Bertrand when opportunity presented itself. Seated slightly lower at the table than the young man, Alejandro was able to observe him without being obvious. Several times during the morning, Alejandro felt Zachary's gaze on him and looked up to meet the smiling face.
At the lunch break, Alejandro hoped to meet the man but, to his dismay, saw him surrounded by the old guard. Luncheon seats had been assigned. Alejandro kept his disappointment to himself as he used his practiced charm to engage his fellow diners with conversation.
Oddly enough, it was in the men's room that Alejandro had his first chance to speak to Zachary. "It sure is nice to see someone with a full head of hair that isn't steel gray." Extending his hand he said, "Alejandro Algara."
Zachary beamed a smile his way and after finishing at the sink, extended his hand in introduction. "It's not so bad for me, I guess. I've known some of these folks for years, at least by sight and reputation. If I remember correctly from my reading, your family has supported the Museum for years. I met an older couple, your parents or perhaps grandparents, several years ago at a reception. Do I have it right? With a name like Algara, they had to be family. Charming folks, I recall."
They made their way out of the bathroom. Alejandro headed toward the Board Room, but Zachary steered him with a slightly pleading look toward a gallery down the hall. "Please, do you mind? If I go back in there, Smythe will corral me and continue the litany of introductions. We've still got a few minutes and can hide in here," he added in a conspiratorial tone.
Alejandro chuckled softly. "Lead the way. Trust me; I'm in no rush to go back into that lion's den. It's all gum, little growl and as boring as anything I can imagine."
Zachary laughed and said, "By the way, friends call me Zach. It's nice to see another young face in the crowd. I hope I can keep awake during the afternoon session. Look, if you see me dozing off just cough a little. OK?"
"Only if you return the favor, Zach," Alejandro said grinning.
As they walked, they continued to compare notes about their responsibilities on the boards and various other committees in the world of charitable giving. Zach's initial surprise at Alejandro's presence on the Museum Board was quickly answered as Alejandro gave him a much abbreviated version of the past few years. As they made their way back to the room, they agreed to get together again at the meeting's conclusion.
The afternoon dragged on. The only items of interest were the acquisitions under consideration for purchase.
Alejandro wished Charles were here to stir things up. His opinion on reading the preparatory information had been mixed. "Depends on other holdings, market price, and history of previous sales. It's hard to say if this is a recommended course. Don't I wish I could venture into the fray of the conversations about this project? Oh well. Maybe next time," Charles said shaking his head, "I'm sorry, I just can't make it. Juggling things at the Institute and University are stretching me thin right now. You do understand?"
The discussion regarding the acquisitions proposed was tabled and the meeting adjourned. Alejandro smiled. Perhaps Charles would have his day. It would be fun to watch.
As they stood to leave, Zach caught his eye. With a quick gesture to his watch, he extended the fingers of his right hand, asking Alejandro to wait five minutes. Alejandro smiled and nodded, waving off any concern Zach might have about his leaving.
Alejandro watched with some amusement as Zach worked the room. His minder, Mr. Smythe, stayed at his elbow, evidently to make sure the transition of power, such as it was, would be smooth.
Finally, Zach broke free and made his way over to Alejandro. "Finally! Whew, I thought I'd never escape. I need to unwind from this tedium. Care for a cup of coffee or a drink?"
"Sounds great," Alejandro said, "I walked over from my condo this morning so I don't have wheels at the moment, but if you'd like to come by my place, I can fix us up with whatever."
"A condo? Nearby? This gets more interesting. I was planning to call a cab, but a walk might be just the thing I need. You sure you don't mind my barging in?"
Soon they were heading back to the condo, enjoying the walk and engrossed in conversation. It had rained during the afternoon and Alejandro was glad he had his oversized umbrella handy, just in case the skies opened again.
Talking with Zach was easy, as well as enjoyable. Neither had firm plans for the evening, so they agreed to have a drink and then go out to dinner. As they approached the condo, Alejandro pointed it out with some pride.
Zach exclaimed, "That's one of Dad's latest projects. He's been bitten by the retro-renovation bug in a big way. What an amazing coincidence!"
Just as they were about to cross the street, a cab cut the corner close. Running through a puddle, it sprayed both of them with the collected rainwater.
They both jumped back to no avail. Their suit pants were soaked from the knees down. Looking at each other's expressions of surprise, mixed with disgust, was just too funny. They exploded in laughter.
"I've got some sweats you can change into. Come on. I really need that drink now." Alejandro said laughing as he nudged Zach forward with his elbow.
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