Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:55:30 +0100
From: mv_getaway@hush.com
Subject: Encounter with Keith 3

Here's part 3.  I've been busy and not written as much as I intended.
Hopefully more next time - there is another 2 parts to come

If you don't like stories that involve paedophillia, or if you are too
young or it is illegal for you to read this, then you should really exit
now.  If you are reading this in order to become outraged or indignant,
then please read the whole thing and send me a flame email telling me how
wrong you think it is - I like a good laugh.

Everything described is probably fiction, similarities with real people or
places is sheer good luck.
_______________________________________________________________________________


	         Encounter with Keith -- Pre-pubescent but legal
	         ===============================================

                                     Part 3

                                   Chapter 10

I walked to the sliding door to greet my new guest.  Keith was already
outside helping his Dad aboard.  When I saw the face of the man on the
stern I instantly recognised him!  He in turn recognised me, and a big grin
came over his face.

"Hey, Jack, good to meet you again," James greeted me.

"It's sure a small world, James," I replied, "I had no idea you were
Keith's father -- we'd not got around to swapping surnames!"

My mind went back to about two and a half years previously, when I had
first met James.  The company I work for had been asked to design a leisure
centre.  None of the sketches thus far had met with the approval of the
client, and I had gone out to visit the site hoping for inspiration.

The site had had the remains of an old block of flats that were in the
process of being torn down.  I hadn't thought I would get a lot of
inspiration from the rubble-strewn wasteland before me, but I had looked
and tried to imagine a large modern building in its place.  That's when
James had approached me.  He had been in charge of the demolition team, and
had obviously been curious about the stranger in a hardhat who was
encroaching on his site.

I had introduced myself and we had got chatting, and I explained how my
company had been having difficulty coming up with a design that would
please our customer, and while I usually dealt with the 'nuts & bolts' of
the design work rather than the artistic side, my company had turned to me
in desperation for new insights.  James had told me that demolition was not
his usual type of work either, and he usually dealt with the construction
projects his company undertook, but had been lumbered with that job as he
had been the only person available.  So we were both doing things that were
outside our normal roles.  James had quite a passion for the projects he
had worked on, and we chatted easily about our respective fields, and I had
found myself respecting the obvious expertise and wealth of knowledge that
had come across behind James's quiet and modest words.  We had walked
together around the site as we talked.

James had then asked me to come to his car with him, as he had a few photos
that might be of interest.  It turned out that he kept a large folder in
his car containing photographs of all the projects he had had a hand in,
and also buildings that he had not worked on but which interested him
because of a particular design or construction feature.

We had discussed the photographs, and I realised that James was indirectly
making suggestions for the new leisure centre design.  "Now look at this
roof design," he had said at one point, gesturing to a photograph, "Quite
tricky with all those complex angles and curves -- but picture it in front
of you with that hill line behind it -- don't you think it would fit
perfectly?"

James had quite an artist's eye -- and a moment later had showed that he
had an artist's hand as well, as he had taken out a sketch pad and pencil
and with a few deft strokes captured the hill line we were looking at and
the surrounding buildings to perfection, then superimposed the roof
structure under discussion so that it was floating in the air.

"I see what you mean," I had said, impressed.

I'd then gone to my car and retrieved the portfolio of proposed design
sketches that had all been rejected by our client.  James had looked
through them with me as I pointed out the designs that the client had been
least dissatisfied with.  As we talked about aspects of each design, James
had been busily sketching a building under the roof he had drawn before.  I
had been amazed at how the sketch filled out.  James had incorporated
several features from the drawings I had shown him, but added a few things
that were new.

"James," I had asked on sudden impulse, "I have another meeting with the
client tomorrow, and I was wondering whether it would be too much to ask
you to come along as well -- I think your ideas are good and I'd like you
to get the feedback on them first hand."

From there on it was all downhill.  The client had been most impressed with
James's ideas, and after a few iterations we had shaken hands on a final
design.  My company had been a bit miffed at first at the unconventional
turn of events, but success smoothed the ruffled feathers.  What's more,
our clients had insisted that the building company James worked for
undertook the work, and James had naturally been chosen to be in charge of
the project.

The timescale to complete the work had become very short, and I had been
hard pressed to turn the sketches into detailed blueprints in the time
available.  Work had been started before the plans were fully complete.
There is usually some friction between the architect and the building
contractor, but during the months of hard work James and I had become firm
friends, working together to solve the myriad problems that always crop up
on a project of that magnitude.  Instead of the usual finger- pointing and
assigning of blame that occurs when hitting a snag, James and I would
simply concentrate on solving the problem without caring who was or was not
at fault.  The work may have been hard, and we all worked long hours, but
it had been immensely satisfying, and probably the smoothest project I have
ever undertaken.  It was completed on time and within budget as well -- a
very rare occurrence in that line of business!

The completed building had been the talk of the town, and had received huge
praise in the local media for its aesthetic quality as well as the
amenities it provided, and even featured briefly on national TV.  Word
spread, and our small firm of architects had become inundated with work,
tripling in size almost overnight.  I had somehow been given all the credit
for the success, and had been made a partner of the company.  James and I
had celebrated the building's completion, but we had then lost touch with
each other.

_______________________________________________________________________________________


                                   Chapter 11

Those memories came flooding back as I took James's hand firmly after he
entered the cabin.  James returned my handshake and then put his arm around
my shoulder.  I was genuinely pleased to see an old friend, and
reciprocated with my arm around his back in a gesture that soon became a
mutual hug between old friends.

A gentle cough interrupted our warm greeting.  Keith was staring at us with
a bemused expression.  "Errm -- I take it you two guys know each other?" he
enquired sarcastically.  James and I burst out laughing, and Keith was soon
joining in.

"I've told you about Jack, son," James said.  "He's the architect I worked
with on the Bradman centre."

"That was Jack?" exclaimed Keith.  "Wow!  I didn't even know you were an
architect, Jack.  You sure made an impression on Dad -- he hardly stopped
talking about you for months.  I thought you were black though."

James had turned red, and shot his son a warning glance.  "Well, it was an
exceptionally satisfying project, and it was you who made it go so
smoothly, Jack."

I decided to let the 'I thought you were black' comment pass.  "Now that's
not true, James," I contradicted, "It was your idea that started the ball
rolling, and we'd never have made the deadlines if you hadn't used your
experience to fix all the goofs in my drawings."

"Hey you two," Keith interjected, "Don't argue -- it sounds to me as if you
just made a darn good team."

James smiled down at his son and ruffled his hair.  "Out of the mouth of
babes ..." he observed.

"Hey Dad -- I'm sixteen, remember?" protested Keith.

"This calls for a drink," I announced.  "The sun must be over the yardarm
somewhere in the world."

I went to the cabinet behind the wet bar and took out a bottle of Baileys.
"How about some of this?" I enquired.

"Yes, that would go down well after my drive," James replied.

"Want to try some?" I asked, looking at Keith.

"I'll try anything once!" Keith said with his cheeky grin.

Keith and James settled on the couch, and I sat on one of the barstools.

"Hey, this is really nice!" said Keith after he had taken a sip.

"So how did you enjoy your night on a boat?" James asked Keith, "Did you
get seasick?"

"It was ... it was superlative, Dad."

James grinned at his son, "That good, huh?  So where did you sleep?"

Whoops!  This was getting into dangerous territory!  "We both kind of fell
asleep on the couch while watching TV," I interjected, unsure of how Keith
might have answered.  That much was true, and I didn't want to start
telling lies if I could help it.

"You must have got on really well with Keith, Jack," James said, "He won't
sleep with anyone he is not completely comfortable with."

I looked at James's face, but it was completely impassive.  I decided to
quickly change the subject.  "So what shall we do for lunch?" I asked.
There's quite a good restaurant at the marina, or we could eat at the local
pub -- they do some good food."

"I can't stay I'm afraid," James replied.  "My friend Charles is coming to
my place after he finishes his shift, and I usually cook lunch for him
there.  You are welcome to join us, Jack."

"That's a pity, James -- but why not invite Charles to the marina and save
you having to cook -- you must be tired after your drive."

James thought for a bit.

"C'mon Dad," Keith urged, "It's great at the marina, and I'm sure Charles
will like it."

"Well, I must admit I don't feel much like cooking," James said.  "So if
you really don't mind spending your time with us, Jack, a pub lunch sounds
really inviting ..."

"Right, that's settled," I said.

James sent a text message to Charles to call him when he got off shift.  I
learned that Charles was a fireman, and had been at the fire station all
night.  The next few hours passed quickly as we all chatted.  Apparently
the leisure centre project had resulted in James getting a promotion as
well, and I gathered he was quite high up in the hierarchy of the large
national building company he worked for.

_______________________________________________________________________________


... To be continued

Constructive criticism and ideas for future chapters welcome.  email me at
mv_getaway@hush.com