The following fictional story is being reposted by Mr Double.  If you are the author of this story and would like to receive proper recognition (an Author's Page at my website), contact me at mrdouble@ix.netcom.com.






THE MORTGAGE 3/10
---------
Subject: Mortgage 3/10 (nc, m/f, ff, bd)

In Part Three, Amy learns the ropes...

The Mortgage- PART THREE

"What's going on next door, hon?  What are they building?" Amy asked,
setting a
 bag of
precious groceries down on the table.  She was referring to the
construction go
ing on
in the big corner lot next door.  The air was filled with the sounds of
constru
ction--
men and heavy equipment shaping the earth.

Her husband shrugged.  "How should I know?" he responded angrily. 
"Despite wha
t you
think, I'm not here all day."

It was starting already.  She hadn't been home two minutes.  "Just
thought ther
e might
be a job opportunity, that's all.  How did your search go today?"

Wendell threw the paper across the room angrily.  "There's nothing out
there--
nothing!"

Amy rubbed his back.  "Honey, it's just going to take a while-- that's
all!  Do
n't get
so down on yourself.  Really, it's all right!"  He was getting so
depressed the
se
days.  It broke her heart to see him like this-- his powerful frame
bent over i
n
frustration and shame.

His eyes glared at her.  "Everywhere I go, I get the same thing--
'sorry, no
openings.'  No construction jobs, nothing."  He was seething mad, but
she didn'
t rise
to the bait.  It wasn't Amy he was mad at-- it was himself.

"What about the list of contacts Bob Baines gave me to give you?  Have
you trie
d them
all?"

Wendell ran a huge hand through his brown hair nervously.  "No-- I mean
yes I t
ried
them all.  It was nice of him to offer to help but none of the
companies had wo
rk.
Could you get me a beer?"

Amy scurried to the fridge, bringing him back a cold one.  She wanted
to say
something-- he was putting on weight by drinking so much-- but she held
her ton
gue.
"Here you go honey.  Just go sit down and watch the news.  I'll have
dinner rea
dy in a
few minutes, o.k.?"  Wendell clambered up and switched on the
television.

As she prepared a meatloaf, Amy looked at the calendar hanging on the
kitchen w
all.
Wendell had been out of work for four months to the day.  Dully, she
thought ab
out how
hard life had become since getting married.  She was so tired all the
time now,
 what
with working at the bank AND cleaning the small house AND making
dinner.  And l
atter
when they went to bed, Wendell would want to make love to her-- and she
would h
ave to
say no.  She sighed.  They hadn't made love in weeks, practically since
she had

started temping at the bank.  She never had the energy these days and
knew it w
as
frustrating him to no end.  Soon.  He'll get a job soon, she thought
hopefully.

****************

Amy felt uncomfortable as she escorted the three strange men to Bob's
office.
They
were unlike the typical loan applicants, that was for sure.  True, they
wore ex
pensive
suits and were thoroughly polite (as much as the language difference
made that
possible), but there was an edge to them that made her skin crawl, a
shark-like
 gleam
in their eyes as they scanned the bank offices-- and her.  She knew
they were c
hecking
out her figure as she led them down the hallway.  All strange, but Amy
reminded

herself,  you didn't often have three South American businessmen doing
business
 in
Bentson County.  She could feel their eyes on her ass as she knocked on
Bob's d
oor.

"Your guests are here."  She opened the door and Bob greeted them in
fluent Spa
nish.
Amy left the group, glad to be done with them,	as Bob shut the door
firmly.  B
ob was
amazing. She had had no idea he was so well-traveled and could speak
Spanish so
 well.
You just never knew all a person's little secrets, she thought.

As she attended to her filing, she could hear raised voices from time
to time b
ehind
the great oak door.  Spanish words filled with anger, then calm, then
pleased.
 Must
be a big deal!	An hour later, Bob asked her to come in.

"Amy, we need your help.  These gentlemen," he nodded toward the slick
young
operators, "are with the Hemispheric Economic Development Commission
and repres
ent
some very major business interests.  Have you heard of NAFTA?  Yes,
well it has
 opened
the way between institutions like First Metropolitan and their
organization to
work
together in each of our respective communities.  These gentlemen are
interested
 in
working with us to ensure their assets are invested widely in all kinds
of loca
l
businesses here in Bentson County."

Amy smiled and nodded at the men.  To her disgust, they openly leered
at her.  One stared right at her chest and laughed, saying something
in Spanish to the other two. They all then laughed.	Amy blushed.

"That's great Bob.  Can I go now?"  These guys gave her the creeps!

Bob nodded.  "In a minute.  We just need you to witness the agreement."
He pushed a stack of papers toward her, all legalese and written in
incomprehensible bank English.

She picked up a pen, trying not to have her back face the three South
Americans




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