"Sumptuous" would have begun to describe the furnishings and food. After the obseqious sommelier had uncorked their first bottle with a flourish and departed, Sharon began to look around the room with a more studious eye. From every velveted chair a vaguely familiar face looked back at hers, or at her effulgent breasts glowing in the candle light. General Turbridge regarded Sharon through his glass of white wine and smiled again.
"Don't stare, my dear... makes 'em uncomfortable. Wouldn't want word to get out."
Sharon noticed an inordinately large number of very beautiful young women scattered around the place; most looking quite exotic in their fine clothes.
"Is that General De-"
"Charles... yes. DeGaulle, Eden... Churchill comes here sometimes."
A portly, important-looking man approached the table, dripping Cuban cigar ash as he came.
"Rumor has it that they even sneaked the Duke of Winsor in here last month, but that's strictly on the Q-T." Stanley placed a finger alongside his weathered nose. "Right up there with the Manhattan Project *he he*"
The man arrived and placed a soft, avuncular hand on Sharon's shoulder. "Ah, Stanley... This would no doubt be the devine Captain McCormack about whom we have all heard so very much, and in anticipation of whose arrival we have all waited with such bated breath!"
The man gave a queer little twittering snicker that made Sharon nervous. She suddenly didn't at all like the moist softness of the man's silky palm on her smooth shoulder.
General Turbridge gazed at his interlocutor with thinly disguised dislike. "Yes, Reggy; this is. Sharon McCormack, US Army, meet Reginald Whimpole, Minister Without Portfolio in His Majesty's government. Reggie's rather indiscreet when he's been drinking, isn't he, Reggie?"
The fat man giggled again spasmodically. "Oh yes! Very naughty... Liable to let slip all sorts of hush hush, our Reggie *tee hee*"
He touched his fleshy pink finger to his fleshy pink lips sensuously, and giggled again. "Party to so many secrets is our Reggie..."
"A man in your position must be very careful around so many beautiful women, Mr. Whimpole" Sharon observed ascerbically.
"Needn't worry-" General Turbridge started to observe, but Reggie cut him off.
"Oh, Reggie's very careful, my dear, so very careful. Pillow talk strictly Verboten in Le Club, eh, Stanley? Walls have ears, you know. Ears."
"Say, Reg... Whatta ya know about the Manhattan Project?"
Sat Dec 04 13:24:32 2004