The day started like so many others for Joe Stevens, a thirty year old architect in central Florida. A couple of hours at the office to browse through the previous day's mail, return a few calls to prospective client's, then off to the job site to monitor the progress of his latest creation, which was scheduled to be completed in twelve weeks.
Joe ambled to his car in his usual fast gait, aided by long, powerful legs that supported his six foot-two inch frame. His current project was the result of two year's of tedious planning. Shireport Lakes was planned as a sprawling office complex located in an upscale suburb on the west side of town. Joe and his partner, Enzo Corelli, had passed over some short term projects that would have netted some much needed cash flow, to create what they hoped would propel their firm into the top five in the Southeastern United States.
He sped west on Interstate 10 with the top down on his black Mercedes convertible, his hair whipping in the wind, while the sun shone on his already bronze face. His blue eyes were hidden by a pair of designer sunglasses. On the beach, the athletic build, slightly long blond hair, and toothy smile would easily portray him as a surfer, but in his light blue shirt and expensive silk tie, Joe looked like the consumate successful architect. He tuned the radio to his favorite jazz station and forgot about construction delays, material cost, and next week's payroll to enjoy a beautiful, cool April day in Florida.
As he whipped his Benz into the job site, Enzo was waiting for him and motioned him to stay in the car, then jumped in the passenger seat. He told Joe that they had a lunch meeting with a prospective client from North Carolina in fifteen minutes. After trying to lay a guilt trip on Joe for forgetting the appointment, Enzo finally admitted that he had forgotten to mention the meeting that had been scheduled two weeks previously.
While Joe and Enzo were close friends and business partners, their appearance was a study in contrasts. Enzo had wavy black hair, and deep sparkling brown eyes. His face was baby smooth and his dark skin left no doubt of his Italian heritage. While only five foot-ten inches tall, Enzo had a thick chest and strong, defined arms as a result of regular work at the gym. On the ride to the restaurant, Enzo explained that they were meeting, Leslie Hasen, Chief Operating Officer of a large multi-state pharmaceutical firm to discuss plans to consolidate offices in North Carolina. The plan was for lunch at Anthony's located on the 54th floor of the Sherman Building, then a tour of the Shireport Lakes construction site.
Ten minutes late for lunch, the maitre'd showed them to the table where Leslie Hasen was already enjoying a glass of white wine. She remained seated as Joe and Enzo introduced themselves. Joe was surprised by Leslie's age, mid to late thirties, young for a chief operating officer of a half billion dollar company. Her short brown hair provided the perfect frame for her pixie face, pale smooth skin and large blue eyes. Leslie's sultry southern speech was often interupted by flashes of a brilliant smile.
After a lunch that included three bottles of wine, Joe paid the bill and they started for the large outdoor elevator that would bring them from the 54th floor to the underground parking garage. As they stood in the elevator, Joe's eyes moved from Leslie's face and realized that she was an incredibly attractive woman. She was only slightly taller than five foot, but had incredibly firm and shapely legs accentuated by three inch spike heels. She wore a peach color suit with a white silk shell, and even though dressed conservatively, Joe could tell that her waist was tiny and her breasts were huge.
As they reached the garage, Joe realized that his car would only seat two passengers. Leslie told them that she had a rental car and could follow behind to the job site. Enzo quickly agreed to ride with Leslie so that she would not get lost. The morning sun had been replaced by heavy afternoon clouds, so Joe decided to put the top up on the Mercedes and then began the 30 minute drive to Shireport.