A Loser Rebounds Ch. 17

She hesitated only fractionally and then said yes without any sign of panic. And she didn't pull out handcuffs and a Taser.

"Yes as a matter of fact I do."

"Then it's inevitable you'll sweat when you run."

She laughed and said yes that was logical.

He hoped she'd ask did he enjoy the sweat on the bodies of women he grappled but instead she said her name was Erica Fox.

"Andy Ash."

"I know. We're in the same building. Your gorgeous wife drives a new Fiesta. Someone pointed you guys out to us."

Andy wondered how she'd slipped under his radar, living in the same building and he not been aware of that.

"Ray, Johnny and I moved in three days ago. This is Johnny and my Ray is in insurance. My neighbor Janis told me your baby's name is Karen."

"Yeah but Karen is too shy to talk to strangers yet."

The tits bounced as Erica laughed.

"Shouldn't you be running in a sports bra for good support?"

She looked at him thoughtfully and then said she ran without a bra to feel free.

Andy wondered and she filled in for him, saying, "This might make you disgusted but I run without panties as well."

"And hope the wind doesn't catch you unexpectedly in that short skirt?"

She laughed and said she'd had a few very close calls.

Andy looked down and said, "Johnny has fallen asleep under that gentle motion."

"Omigod your remembered my baby's name and used it?"

"What?"

"Most men either don't remember baby's names or don't bother to use them if they do. Even my husband tends to call Johnny my baby instead of using Johnny's name and regarding Johnny as partly his."

"Is he?"

"God," she laughed. "You're even a bigger tease than my father and I guess you know in this conversation with me, you have been provocative, and perhaps dangerously so with some women."

"Yes I know. I believe I can judge how to talk to women and usually know to tease and provoke or to back off or to even run off."

"Well you are the most interesting male apart from family that I've met in a long time. Oh look your baby has fallen asleep."

"Karen."

"I was testing to find if you would sternly or gently correct me. You did it perfectly. What do you do?"

Andy sensibly didn't say he was an opportunist seducer of women with bouncy breasts.

"I'm a nomad businessman."

"Oh one of those who's called in to fix up the mess?"

"Yes," he said in surprise.

"Don't be surprised, I instruct undergrads in business."

Andy was really surprised.

"You do."

"Yes but I've taken a year's leave to have Johnny and start him off into life."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty-six," she replied without fuss and Andy looked at her boobs and she giggled and said no they were thirty-fours.

"Sorry."

"I can see that you are not. I think you are a titman."

He scratched his head and looked up to her and said, "And you know too much."

Erica smiled, "Where are you at in your career?"

"I've just finished a hatchet job to get a company up and running again and have taken a year off to begin my dissertation and then to defend it."

"What for a master's?"

"No a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership. One day I might wish to leave the jungle of commerce and puff a pipe in an ivory tower."

She laughed and made no attempt to defend the academia.

They talked on and finally Erica said, "Would you and your wife like to come to our apartment for dinner on Saturday? Please bring Karen."

"Yes sure. That sounds perfect."

"If Ray decides to cook it will be," she smiled.

Andy ran off to complete his circuit while Erica stayed at the swing. She appeared most impressed that Karen didn't wake during the transfer to her three-wheel Jogger.

"I've found a great friend for Addison," Andy said into the air as he ran and felt very happy about that. Without saying it, Erica had left him with the impression she was not available for sex.

"I don't need to fuck every woman that catches my eye," he said, enjoying his freedom and smiled at the elderly couple on a seat that stared at him in censorship fashion.

Studying was a long, hard grind and when running most days with Erica, she proved a great help to challenge Andy's thoughts and to raise new issues to extend his thinking. Andy would meet her husband Ray in the basement gym three times a week before dinner and Ray, who was five years older than Erica, talked about some of his business experiences and that was useful to Andy as well.

Andy completed his studies and received his diploma the following July.

* * *

Late one Saturday morning Addison asked, "Well Doctor Ash, what now? You have your higher degree that cost you hours of torture and a large around of money in fees. So do you look for work and do you wait for the call?"

Andy scratched his left ear and said he thought he'd wait for a bit.

"So you'll wait for the call?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

Addison sighed, "Men" and walked off.

Andy thought well he had a wife who was earning good money, a baby and a big amount of money invested and had finished an educational grind. He should sit back and watch the flowers grow.

His phone called him out of physical and mental inertia.

"Mr Andy Rush?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Please hold for the President."

Andy thought he should have told the cheeky bitch he didn't hold for anyone, not even the White House.

"Mr Rush?"

"Yes."

"Hi Andy, Neville Kay speaking, president of Golden Investments Corporation here in Chicago. We have pulled together fourteen investment funds located coast to coast. Everything is set to go apart from an acceptable marketing plan to drive this big initiative our research department has come up with. My niece Linda Hoffman told me last night that we should talk to you. Actually Linda said you were the guy we are looking for to lead our marketing development team."

"Well this approach interests me Neville. Perhaps we should meet?"

Andy didn't say anything to Addison about that call and she forgot to be nosey because she and Karen were getting ready to go shopping with Grandma Emily.

"I'll go out to lunch," he said.

"Fine and I'll talk to you tonight about getting motivated. Unless you do I don't think you will get out of this lethargy."

"Oh you are so right darling," he said, kissing Addison and slapping her ass.

"Am I?" she said in surprise and grabbed him and kissed Andy again and said he was such a nice boy.

* * *

Andy arrived home to find his team asleep after a bout of shopping in hot weather.

He ordered in pizza and apple pie and placed a bottle of champagne in the fridge to cool.

About 6:20 Karen awoke and cried for attention. He sat in the streaming summer sunlight and left Karen to Addison. She came out smiley and looking soft and said hi it was lovely to see him. Andy wondered how many women in the same circumstances would have come out with a baby on their hip and scowling yelled, "You lazy sod. You must have heard crying. Why didn't you get off your butt and attend to baby and allow me to sleep on?"

Well lucky for him Addison wasn't like that and the other thing was he wanted her up and talking to him but he didn't want to wake her.

"Hi champagne?"

"Oooh."

See, she knew with absolutely certainty he didn't have to rush and say oh he had good news to tell her simply because she knew that was a waste of breath because he'd tell her without prompting when he was ready.

He got the champagne, put his glass on the coffee tabled and took the smiling Karen by tucking one mitt under her ass and tipped her under his down-stretched arm (something that Addison disapproved of) and at the same time he handed Addison her drink. He then held Karen in both hands and lifted her up and kissed her and received back Karen's best and biggest smile. He expected that because Karen was in love with him.

He placed Karen sitting on the rug and mom and dad clinked glasses and said cheers. Karen rolled over, lifted up a bit and then sat herself up, steadying the wobble.

"Karen sat up by herself!"

Dad said yes it certainly looked like it.

Karen's next trick was to half turn her trunk to smile open-mouthed at them.

Even her father was deeply impressed by that.

"Omigod," Karen is growing up, Addison sniffed, and Andy thought that claim was rather premature.

Andy got off his butt to answer the buzzer and the pizza and pie were delivered.

"Omigod, aren't you a good husband and father," Addison cooed on the strength of one and a half glasses of champagne. She made no effort to get up and serve but that was okay with Andy, knowing she'd slogged her guts out shopping and dealing with the temptation to buy things she didn't want.

The three of them sat at the table, Karen in her high chair, being spooned slush her mom had prepared earlier in the day.

The time suited Andy to make the big announcement.

"The call came just before you guys left to go shopping."

"Omigod."

"The big news is we don't have to move but I might get a sleep-over studio in the Loop for week nights."

Addison said good because that meant she could keep her job and keep Karen in familiar surroundings.

"I'm to be offered a six-month contract to work as part of a three-person executive team to develop a marking plan in preparation for the launching of a new franchise throughout America to be called Small Car American Dream, a name I came up with over lunch today with three principals of the investment group."

"Omigod, you guys are going to make and sell cars."

"No just promote the sale of pre-owned small cars, aged 18 months or newer, with engines of 2000 cc (120 cu in) or less by branding their desirability because of rising fuel costs and higher emission control standards. The parent company has amassed capital of $2.2 billion to sell Small Car American Dream franchises to licensed retail car dealers. Our parent company will advance secure loans for development of our branded yard to its BBB-approved car dealers who take up our franchise."

Addison said, "Well that sounds enterprising provided the company can avoid being scandalized by crooked franchise holders."

"Another team is responsible for that. I'm to lead the three-man executive that includes a franchise expert and a marketing expert plus a support team. My responsibility is to put everything together so that we emerge with a fail-safe marketing plan."

"Hmmm," Addison said. "Every dealership should have at least one pink car branded with the Small Car American Dream logo to catch the eye of women buyers."

"Good idea, I have noted that darling."

Andy said he had incentive to succeed with this project because the CEO of Golden Investments Corporation would retire at the end of the year and the corporation chairman had offered Andy the position of deputy CEO, subject to the approval of the board meeting next week. That position would allow Andy to be groomed to become the new CEO.

"Have you accepted?"

"No because I wanted to know what you thought and I wish to research the corporation first."

"Well if you find it's a respectable company rather than a suspected money laundering outfit then I say take it Andy. I really feel you are about to lift your career as a business professional up quite a few notches."

"Yeah and I think that too. Um what do you think about a brother for Karen."

They looked at Karen who had slumped back in her high-chair and was almost asleep.

"Leave it darling," Addison said. "There's no rush. We are still enjoying Karen full on. Let's wait till that ebbs and then we can start all over again."

At the swings next morning, Erica listened to Andy's news with interest and congratulated him. She then looked at him deeply and said, "You know Andy I really feel I know you well now. Have you ever thought about having very regular sex with me?"

When thinking about how to answer that without appearing to be a slut, Andy could almost hear Marco calling to him to pounce.

"Do you mean have I been driven half-mad at the thought of your bouncing tits and bared pussy as you run?"

Erica blushed and said coyly yes.

"No can't say I have," Andy lied.

Now Erica appeared to be the one thinking about her reply to avoid sounding like a slut.

THE END