My stories are in the form of a memoir. The tales are first of growing up in the protagonist's parent's guesthouse, then progress to the time when he was an hotelier and culminating with him as sailing ship captain. I have collected them in a series of volumes entitled The Intimate Intercourse of a Hedonistic Hotelier, A Memoir. This Story is from Volume II, The College Years 1969-1973, Mmmm, Mmmm, Good!
Rest assured gentle reader. All of the sexual participants mentioned or alluded to in this story were eighteen years old or older at the time of any blissful encounter!
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The third floor of the Tacoma Sheraton Hotel was crowded with delegates. I was a McGovern delegate from Baker County to the 1972 Washington State Democratic Convention in Tacoma. On the third floor there were a number of hospitality suites for the Democratic Candidates for Governor. These suites offered free drinks, hor d'oeuvres of varying quality and glad handing, smiling candidates, their families and hangers-on.
I had just come from the suite of former Governor Albert D. Rossellini, the food and drink there were exceptional. Little wonder, Gov. Al's cousin owns one of the finest restaurants in Seattle. It was clear who his caterer was. Al was a super delegate shilling for Senator Henry M. (Scoop) Jackson, Washington's "favorite son for president."
Before that I was at the hospitality suite of Jim McDermott, a psychologist and State Representative from North Seattle who was the candidate for governor whom I supported. His spread was less than impressive; cheese squares and beer. I was more interested in the candidates than their food and drink, anyway.
Next I was heading to the suite of Marvin Dirksen, a Seattle State Senator also running for governor. He also was supporting "favorite son" Senator "Scoop" Jackson for president. Jim was supporting McGovern. For that and his more liberal stand on a multitude of issues, I was supporting Jim for governor. I was unlikely to be persuaded to vote for Marvin.
I was headed to Marvin's suite less for the food and beverages or even to meet the candidate and be persuaded. I was headed there because an attractive Seattle delegate had invited me specifically. She was a striking, vivacious brunette who also happened to be the candidate's eldest daughter. We hit it off at the delegate luncheon. It turns out we were both seniors at Whatcom State in the fall. Though she was technically attending Prettyport College; Whatcom's very "liberal arts" companion school.
"Jacques, you made it!" the beautiful woman shouted from across the room. "Let me introduce you to my family."
She wove her way through the crowd of people filling the smallish meeting room that was Sen. Dirksen's hospitality suite. She gave me a slight hug and kiss on the cheek. She took me by my hand and first introduced me to her siblings.
"These are my younger brothers Marvin, Jr., Dave and Jim." She said.
I shook their hands. Marvin, Jr. seemed to be about my age; Dave and Jim were slightly younger, maybe eighteen and seventeen. They all looked dorky, with longish unkempt hair in the way we looked in the early seventies. Marvin's hand shake was firm, Dave and Jim's not so much.
"These are my younger sisters, Maureen and Gwynn. My youngest sister, Meg is over there by my mom." She continued the introductions.
Maureen and Gwynn were quite attractive. One was a blonde, the other with red hair, probably sixteen and fourteen respectively. Meg looked like the typical shy five or six year old. I couldn't quite figure out what was so special about me that Caitlin would take such a singular interest.
She then took my hand and introduced me to her mother and her little sister who was standing by her mother in the far corner of the room.
"Mom, I'd like you to meet Jacques, his parents own the famous Captain Joseph Baker Guesthouse on Baker Island. You know; that cool place where Tom and Sue got married last year. Ever since we went there, I couldn't wait to get back. Jacques was that cute guy who checked us in. He's a delegate from Baker Island," Caitlin enthused.
"Oh, yes. Jacques, it is very nice to meet you. We very much enjoyed our stay at your parent's hotel, last summer. I trust you are supporting our man Scoop!" Mrs. Dirksen said pleasantly.
"It is very nice to meet you too, Mrs. Dirksen." I said, as I stooped to greet Meg, avoiding Mrs. Dirksen's pointed Scoop Jackson remark. "Hi, Megan, it is a pleasure to meet you as well!"
"Hi." She shyly said as she hid her face in Mrs. Dirksen's dress.
Caitlin took my hand again. She then pulled me toward her father who was surrounded by a throng of admirers and staff.
"Excuse me Daddy; I want to introduce Jacques Lith, a delegate from Baker County." She interrupted.
"Hello, Jacques. Supporting Scoop Jackson, are you? We want to send a strong Jackson delegation to Miami. I'm glad to have you with us!" He said, and then turned to Mike, his bullfrog looking chief of staff and continued his previous conversation apparently without missing a beat.
"Come on Jacques, I want to talk to you about strategy for tomorrow." Caitlin said loud enough to be overheard by her dad. He looked our way, nodded his head and smiled.
"You know I don't support Henry Jackson, I'm a McGovern delegate." I said sotto voce.
"Yeah, I know. But I didn't want to tell my mom and dad that. Let's get out of here." She replied conspiratorially.
The attractive hotel staff member at the wine bar looked shocked as Caitlin grabbed a bottle of California "champagne" from a tub of ice and headed for the door. I quickly followed her to the elevator. She pressed up button. The elevator door opened. We entered.
She handed the bottle to me and asked. "What floor is your room?"
"I'm not staying in this hotel. Did you want to go to my room?" I asked incredulously.
"Well yeah! Don't you want me?" Now she was incredulous.
"Ah, yeah, sure. I guess." I said not quite sure what she is asking, but ever hopeful.
I can't believe my luck. 'This sexy, vivacious woman wants to be with me? She's the daughter of one of the most powerful members of the Washington State Senate. She could have any one of the many political sycophants that hang around her dad. Many of whom are rising stars in the Democratic Party.'
"That's ok; my dad has half a dozen rooms for our family on the fourteenth floor." She pressed the button marked fourteen, then turned to me and smiled. "My room is 1414. Kinda cool, huh?"
"Yeah." I said, not intimating that she is really staying in room thirteen on the thirteenth floor. A little hotel knowledge is a dangerous thing. I wondered if it might be an omen for the Senators chances for the governorship.
