Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:07:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: firehose Joe <firehosejoe@yahoo.com>
Subject: To Thine Ownself Be True Chapter 28

This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Shakespeare (Hamlet)

Thanks to Chael for assistance proofing the story. This
is wholly fictional with no reference intended to persons alive or dead.

Please do not distribute to other sites without permission of the
author. Comments can be sent to firehosejoe@yahoo.com

From the previous chapter:

The bones of the building had great character. He'd snagged half of the
penthouse floor. Situated on one of the many hills of the city, it offered
a magnificent view of the Bay Area. Alejandro had blocked off half of the
original 2,000 foot area he'd purchased, knowing that he'd never need that
much space and that the second apartment would bring in a premium price in
the future.

After a drink, he enjoyed a quick dinner. He cleaned up the kitchen, and
after watching the news restlessly flipped through the channels on the
TV. He debated a workout or a night of clubbing alone. Smiling ruefully, he
acknowledged to himself that solitary clubbing was not a real choice and
grabbed his gym clothes.

Chapter 28

Sleep came easily to the exhausted Alejandro. He'd pushed hard at the gym
and woke early and refreshed. Knowing he'd be spending most of the day at a
conference table, he decided to get in some exercise first so he donned his
sweats and tennis shoes and explored the neighborhood. He was pleased to
remember he was only half a mile away from the Museum.

Returning to the condo, he stripped and stepped into the large, black
marble-and-glass shower he'd designed with Charles. As the multiple shower
heads pelted his body with water, he pulled on his thick muscle. It
hardened as his hand wandered purposefully across his furry pecs. Catching
a nub between the knuckles of two fingers, he pinched and twisted the
soap-slicked flesh.

Readjusting one of the shower heads to pulse, he directed it against his
rigid, leaking cock as he worked both nubs on his chest. The pressure in
his balls increased with the pulsing jets of water. He let the pressure
build and then stopped.

These meetings were usually tedious, he remembered, and decided to let his
satisfaction wait. The anticipation of a partially swollen cock nestled in
his boxers during the day made Alejandro smile.

Grabbing an umbrella as insurance against the fickle nature of San
Francisco weather, he decided to walk to the Museum. During the obligatory
coffee and pastry, Alejandro surveyed the crowd. There were only a few
faces he was able to place with names. It promised to be a long day.

Just as they were being directed to the board room, a young man joined the
group. Combing his tousled hair with his fingers, he surveyed the gathering
as if familiar with those present. As their eyes met, Alejandro smiled his
greeting with a brief nod of his head and was rewarded with a brilliant
smile that lit up the young man's entire face.

The crowd was moving. Alejandro turned with the herd, glad that another
young face had joined the crowd. When the meeting was called to order, the
Chair recognized one of the staid, portly, lawyer-types, whose name
Alejandro recognized.

Standing and clearing his throat, the gentleman addressed the group in a
stentorian tone that in another setting would have appeared
mocking. "Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce Mr. Zachary Bertrand. He
has recently returned home from his studies at Wharton, where he
distinguished himself both with high marks and by earning the William Penn
Award for International Finance. He is now involved in the management of
the Bertrand Fund and intends to focus on the charitable arm of that
enterprise. Please find time to introduce yourselves today. He will be
taking my seat at this table in the future."

From his vantage point diagonally across the table, Alejandro was amused to
see a slight rolling of the young Mr. Bertrand's eyes in reaction to both
the tone of and the content of the introduction. A bland appropriate smile
quickly replaced his unintended reaction as he let his eyes meet those now
looking in his direction.

Alejandro found himself looking at the young Bertrand when opportunity
presented itself. Seated slightly lower at the table than the young man,
Alejandro was able to observe him without being obvious. Several times
during the morning, Alejandro felt Zachary's gaze on him and looked up to
meet the smiling face.

At the lunch break, Alejandro hoped to meet the man but, to his dismay, saw
him surrounded by the old guard. Luncheon seats had been
assigned. Alejandro kept his disappointment to himself as he used his
practiced charm to engage his fellow diners with conversation.

Oddly enough, it was in the men's room that Alejandro had his first chance
to speak to Zachary. "It sure is nice to see someone with a full head of
hair that isn't steel gray." Extending his hand he said, "Alejandro
Algara."

Zachary beamed a smile his way and after finishing at the sink, extended
his hand in introduction. "It's not so bad for me, I guess. I've known some
of these folks for years, at least by sight and reputation. If I remember
correctly from my reading, your family has supported the Museum for
years. I met an older couple, your parents or perhaps grandparents, several
years ago at a reception. Do I have it right? With a name like Algara, they
had to be family. Charming folks, I recall."

They made their way out of the bathroom. Alejandro headed toward the Board
Room, but Zachary steered him with a slightly pleading look toward a
gallery down the hall. "Please, do you mind? If I go back in there, Smythe
will corral me and continue the litany of introductions. We've still got a
few minutes and can hide in here," he added in a conspiratorial tone.

Alejandro chuckled softly. "Lead the way. Trust me; I'm in no rush to go
back into that lion's den. It's all gum, little growl and as boring as
anything I can imagine."

Zachary laughed and said, "By the way, friends call me Zach. It's nice to
see another young face in the crowd. I hope I can keep awake during the
afternoon session. Look, if you see me dozing off just cough a little. OK?"

"Only if you return the favor, Zach," Alejandro said grinning.

As they walked, they continued to compare notes about their
responsibilities on the boards and various other committees in the world of
charitable giving. Zach's initial surprise at Alejandro's presence on the
Museum Board was quickly answered as Alejandro gave him a much abbreviated
version of the past few years. As they made their way back to the room,
they agreed to get together again at the meeting's conclusion.

The afternoon dragged on. The only items of interest were the acquisitions
under consideration for purchase.

Alejandro wished Charles were here to stir things up. His opinion on
reading the preparatory information had been mixed. "Depends on other
holdings, market price, and history of previous sales. It's hard to say if
this is a recommended course. Don't I wish I could venture into the fray of
the conversations about this project? Oh well. Maybe next time," Charles
said shaking his head, "I'm sorry, I just can't make it. Juggling things at
the Institute and University are stretching me thin right now. You do
understand?"

The discussion regarding the acquisitions proposed was tabled and the
meeting adjourned. Alejandro smiled. Perhaps Charles would have his day. It
would be fun to watch.

As they stood to leave, Zach caught his eye. With a quick gesture to his
watch, he extended the fingers of his right hand, asking Alejandro to wait
five minutes. Alejandro smiled and nodded, waving off any concern Zach
might have about his leaving.

Alejandro watched with some amusement as Zach worked the room. His minder,
Mr. Smythe, stayed at his elbow, evidently to make sure the transition of
power, such as it was, would be smooth.

Finally, Zach broke free and made his way over to Alejandro. "Finally!
Whew, I thought I'd never escape. I need to unwind from this tedium. Care
for a cup of coffee or a drink?"

"Sounds great," Alejandro said, "I walked over from my condo this morning
so I don't have wheels at the moment, but if you'd like to come by my
place, I can fix us up with whatever."

"A condo? Nearby? This gets more interesting. I was planning to call a cab,
but a walk might be just the thing I need. You sure you don't mind my
barging in?"

Soon they were heading back to the condo, enjoying the walk and engrossed
in conversation. It had rained during the afternoon and Alejandro was glad
he had his oversized umbrella handy, just in case the skies opened again.

Talking with Zach was easy, as well as enjoyable. Neither had firm plans
for the evening, so they agreed to have a drink and then go out to
dinner. As they approached the condo, Alejandro pointed it out with some
pride.

Zach exclaimed, "That's one of Dad's latest projects. He's been bitten by
the retro-renovation bug in a big way. What an amazing coincidence!"

Just as they were about to cross the street, a cab cut the corner
close. Running through a puddle, it sprayed both of them with the collected
rainwater.

They both jumped back to no avail. Their suit pants were soaked from the
knees down. Looking at each other's expressions of surprise, mixed with
disgust, was just too funny. They exploded in laughter.

"I've got some sweats you can change into. Come on. I really need that
drink now." Alejandro said laughing as he nudged Zach forward with his
elbow.

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