Back at my motel room, I took a double dose of vitamins, showered, shaved and changed into jeans and a dark grey tee shirt. I had a mental list of things I wanted to accomplish early in the day, so I could take Carols advise and get some rest.
I stopped by the dry cleaners to take care of my wrinkled jacket, shirt and cum spotted pants. I told the woman there, that I wouldn't be able to pick them up for at least two weeks. Next I went to "Dick's Sporting Goods Store" and got a good quality leather wrist band from the body building section. My next stop was "J.C. Pennies", for some clothes. Laugh if you want, but I like their Stafford Collection of men's clothes. It's good quality for the price. I bought two pair of casual slacks, two short sleeve dress shirts and a sharp looking solid black polo shirt.
My last stop was, "World Wide Wine and Beer". A specialty store that I had never been in, but had seen a TV ad for. A word of caution, unless you have deep pockets, do not go in there and say, "I'm looking for a really good bottle of dinner wine."
Foolishly I did, only to find myself presented with a two hundred and forty dollar bottle of wine that I couldn't even pronounce the name of.
I delicately handed the bottle back, while saying, "How about showing me an, OK, bottle of dinner wine. I figure I can spend as much as one hundred dollars for two bottles."
Where on Gods green earth, I came up with that hundred dollar figure, I had no clue. It was just one of those insane moments, when my mouth starts saying things before my brain has a chance to say, "Woe, Hold On."
I wanted to impress Carol, but not to the tune of fifty bucks a bottle. Fortunately the salesman, had a sense of humor.
"No problem. I can get you a good wine that will impress the lady and won't leave you broke, and I guarantee, you'll be able to pronounce the name."
He brought me, to the middle of the wine section and handed me a bottle of Santa Margarita, Private Reserve. He presented the bottle, in the same loving way as he did the big bucks bottle, saying, "And this is only thirty seven fifty, that should bring you under budget and I'll give you two dollars off each bottle if you buy a third."
Some where in this store I had lost my common sense, because I heard myself say, "OK, I'll take three."
When I got back out to my car, where my common sense was waiting for me. It kicked in and asked, "What in the hell did you just do. You went in there to get a nice ten dollar bottle of wine, and dropped over a hundred bucks. What happened!"
I shook my head and said out loud, to my bewildered common sense, "Wow, that was a good salesman."
I then had a momentary urge to return the wine. That was quickly replaced by fear. Yes, I was afraid, if I went back in, I'd come out with a case. Sure enough, as I looked up, I saw several people walking out with full cases of wine. I started the engine and got out of there, vowing not to return until I made my first million.
On the way back to my motel room I got a call from Melanie. "Congratulations, your offer was accepted."
Suddenly, I was on cloud nine, finally, my own place. "That's great, thanks Melanie."
"Well, I need you to come by the office and sign some paper work. I'll get everything rolling for you, even the financing, if you want."
"That would be great, I'll be there in less than an hour." I rushed back to the motel, gave my new cloths a quick iron, changed into my slacks and new black polo shirt and headed over to Progress Realty. I was excited to see Melanie again, but I knew in this setting, we had to keep it professional.
When I walked in, I could see mixed emotions cross her face, so I spoke up and from half way across the office, "Hi Melanie. Thanks for the quick call. I was so excited to hear my offer had been accepted, I rushed over as quickly as I could. You said, you have some papers for me to sign?"
The relief on her face was noticeable. "Yes John, why don't you step into this office, where it's quiet and I'll get the paper work and join you."
Without a word, I did as she asked and waited for only a minute before she stepped in and closed the door.
Her first words were, "Thank you for coming in the way you did. I was so afraid... Well you know."
"Yes, I do know. That's exactly why I did it. Anyway, you said you had things to sign, so we had best get to it."
One hour later we were done. Melanie was going to take care of everything and I promised my accountant would get her the financial papers she was going to need for the financing.
Before getting up to leave. I asked, "What time is dinner, Carol never did say."
"Oh," Melanie was surprised, because she had no idea either. "Let me call.
"Doctor Rhodes please," a full minute passed. "Carol; it's Melanie, what time is dinner? I... Ah... OK. See you then, Bye.
"Carol said to come over right after work, and we'd eat around 6:30. She also has a friend that will be joining us."
That was fine with me, but I could see Melanie seemed a bit distressed at the news of someone else being at the dinner.
"Melanie," I interrupted her thoughts. "Do you want me to pick you up tonight, I do know where you live."
"Oh God no," she replied. "I'd be the talk of the Complex if they ever saw a man pick me up and quite possibly not get me home until tomorrow. How about if I pick you up. You are staying at the Holliday Inn, right?"
"Yup. Just give me a call when you're close, I'll meet you outside."
With that, I winked at her, got up and turned to the door when I heard her say, "By the way John, you look really sexy in that new shirt."
I walked out the door with a smile on my face and hollered back an exceptionally loud "Bye!" ------------
Melanie called at 4:30 and said she would be leaving her place in just a couple of minutes. She promised to call again when she got off the freeway. Good to her word, I got the call, grabbed the three bottles of wine, the leather wrist band and walked out side, just as she pulled up to the motel entrance.
Normally, it would have been only a fifteen minute ride to Carols place, but today there was a four car pile-up and we were stuck in snail pace traffic.
"Melanie." I asked, "I know Carol is a doctor, but is she a GP or a specialist?"
"Carol, is a do-it-all in the field of Women's Medicine." She could see I had a puzzled look on my face. "Ok, do you like my breasts?"
"I love them, I'm getting a woody just thinking about them."
"Then, you should thank Carol. She made them what they are."
"So, she's a plastic surgeon?"
"When she has to be, but she is also a shrink, a dermatologist, in general, if it involves a woman's health and mental well being, Carol is the Doctor to see."
"Wow, I'm impressed. Very impressed."
We arrived at Carols mini mansion just before 5:30. Carol hadn't gotten home yet but her maid let us in, took the wine and escorted us to the outside sitting area and garden. Before leaving us, she asked if there was anything she could get us.
Both Melanie and I were more than content to just sit out here and let our senses soak up the sights, sounds and smells of the miniature paradise. I was right, Carol knew how to live and I was beginning to feel like I should have bought that bottle of two hundred and forty dollar French wine.