A pair of headlights turned the corner and slowed and he knew it was Jeannette. He patted his hair and checked his breath then stepped outside under the small portico and waited. A moment later she came tipping down the sidewalk, umbrella bobbing in front like a shield, through the gate and up to where he stood.

"Oooh, hi! I didn't think it would be quite so windy." She furled the umbrella and leaned it against the wall while she repaired her swishing auburn mane and smoothed her skirt material over her hips.

"I'll put that in the office," he said, taking the umbrella. He grabbed a pre-sorted handful of keys and rejoined her. "All set? Not an outfit for a wet walk, eh?" He held open the glass doors letting her pass and admiring the attire all the same.

"I was too busy after an appointment to go home and change. Thank goodness the rain stopped." She shook her head and stepped around a puddle, ducking under the overhang that fronted the rooms.

"I only have a few I can show you. We have two regular rooms plus two housekeeping available. When I got back two couples had booked a pair for the week, they arrived about half an hour ago."

"I don't think they'll care, it's just one night." She paused and let him go by and unlock the door of the first room.

"This is the housekeeping room." He switched on the lights and stood back as she did a turn of the suite.

"I love it!" She touched the antique furniture and stopped to admire the paintings. Her face lit up at the small kitchen with the wicker stools and a small eating counter. "This is adorable, Gordon. I had no idea." She bent down to check out a pull out TV that nestled out of the way under a set of shelves and Gordon strained to find a panty line under the taught material.

"These rent for seventy-five a night for one night at this time of the year. Twenty-two hundred a month-- that's thirty nights."

"What about a week?" She leaned over a chair to touch a small ornament on the side table and her leg rose behind her for balance. Gordon nearly lost his.

"Uh- a week, right . . . a week would be four fifty."

"This is so cute, I just love it. Is that a pull out couch?"

"Yes but we don't advertise it, it means moving furniture and it's a lot of work for the maid. We only have the one."

"Okay, let's see another one. This is such a delightful surprise."

Her gushing almost equaled his leering and he shut out the light and locked up. The wind gusted, one of the climbing bushes swung an errant branch in their direction, and she ducked toward Gordon. He grasped her arm and steadied her, keeping it there as he steered her past the occupied rooms to the empty single.

"This is a double bed only. The queen that was in here just cramped the room too much. Nobody's complained yet." He grinned as she stepped inside.

Jeannette stood and surveyed the room, head nodding with approval. "Gordon, I am impressed. This is just delightful." She walked over and touched the bed. "May I?"

So many responses flooded his head he couldn't speak. He just gulped and nodded. She turned and sat, crossing her legs, hands pressing the mattress on either side of her bottom.

"Nice, not the usual soft and spongy kind so many older hotels have."

"We replaced it as I said. There are a couple that come closer to your description still. Future expansion- expenses. Future expenses." He chuckled, staring at her legs.

"So how much is this room a night right now?"

"Fifty-five. Three hundred a week."

She stood and smoothed the bedspread. "So you just have two rooms like this and one housekeeping available for Friday?"

"At the present time. I have to say, that if I got a call tonight for a booking for the weekend I'd have to take it. I can't afford to operate empty rooms on weekends."

"You have deals for three night stays?"

"Not financial, the price is the same per night as a one night stay but we do include a bottle of wine and a small tray of fruit and sandwiches. People seem to like the idea instead of say ten bucks less for their stay. We also give everybody a daily newspaper."

"If I took your two singles and the one housekeeping for Friday night and paid you three hundred total, would that be acceptable to you?"

"Uhm I have to weigh that against filling them for three nights each, Jeannette. That would come to roughly five-fifty."

"Yes but my offer is guaranteed." She shook her hair again and ran her fingers through it.

"Let's go up to the office, I shouldn't be leaving the phone unattended."

Gordon locked up and followed Jeannette across the dark patio to the office. Just before they reached the glass doors she stepped into a puddle and stopped.

"Damn! These are my good shoes."

"Oh hell, I so sorry. C'mon inside and take them off, I'll get you something to dry them out."

She hurried inside and he led her right through into the living area. "Sit over there and take them off." Gordon hurried to his bathroom and returned with a clean towel.

"My hose is soaking wet too."

"Uhm . . .  you can put them in the dryer."

"I think I should." She stood and slid her skirt up over her hips and pulled the hose down. Gordon felt dizzy and he tried to look everywhere else but failed. Jeannette handed him the wet pantyhose and sat down again then dried her feet and her shoes.

She glanced up at him. "Something wrong?"

"Huh? No! No, nothing wrong. I'll just stick these in the drawer- the dryer and they'll be toasty in no time."

"Don't leave them too long, they're very expensive."

"I'll keep my eye on them." He swallowed and hurried out.

Gordon made coffee and he and Jeannette sat in the living room and chatted. He went through the books and since Deborah hadn't come back, made an executive decision and accepted Jeannette's offer. She sat across from him on the sofa with her bare legs under her, sipping her coffee.

"This might go better with a touch of something stronger." She said matter of factly.

"I just might have something." He jumped up and went to a cabinet by the window and brought back a small bottle of brandy. "Say when."

She let him pour a spoonful in and held up a hand. "Thanks, that's perfect."

Gordon set the bottle on the table in front of the sofa and held his mug up.

"To business."

"To business," she echoed.

He took a swallow and then set the mug down. "I'll check the dryer. Don't go away."

A minute later he was back, holding the pantyhose up in front of him. "All dry and no accidents."

"Great, thanks, Gordon." Jeannette began pulling them onthen stood.

The front door opened and closed and Deborah stepped into the living room and halted dead.

"Aaah, Deb, you're home. Do you know Jeannette?"

Deborah looked at the woman snugging her hose and pulling her skirt back down. Her eyes strayed to the open bottle on the table and her mouth set in a grim seam.

"No, but apparently you do."

He waved a hand. "I was showing Jeannette the rooms and on the way back she stepped in this damn great puddle out in front there. Got a couple of soakers so I- she put her hose in the dryer. Jeannette's taking three rooms Friday and paying us three hundred for the night . . . total."

"I see, and did, Jeannette like the rooms?"

"I think you came in on something that gave you the wrong idea, Deborah." Jeannette settled her clothes, put on her heels and suggested she should go.

"Not on my account. I think I'll get back to what I was doing before I thought I should come home and help my partner run our business."

"Deb--"

"Deborah, please, this is not what you seem to think."

"Good, then it won't matter if I'm here or not." She turned and left as quickly as she'd arrived.

"Uh-oh." Gordon sank down on the sofa.

"She's one for quick judgements, I see."

"That's not all," he moaned and then apologized for her behaviour.

"Don't be silly, I can see why she thought what she did. I mean there I was with my skirt up and an open bottle of liquor," She started to laugh. "Actually, I'm surprised she wasn't angrier. I think I would have been."