100.
“Come on.”, I said when we finished. “The matchmaker has a date for me.”
We found a patio in the back that overlooked the sea. The matchmaker was waiting for me. She had company. “Have you ever seen such a magnificent specimen?”, she crowed pushing me toward a large man in a large hat. “I am most pleased to introduce you to Conrad. Conrad, I want you to meet Oliver and his friends Pat and Nanette.”
This isn’t what I was expecting, I thought. Conrad shook my hand. His hand was surprisingly warm, almost hot. The matchmaker smiled. “Conrad sails out of Buenos Aires on the El Telo. I’ve booked passage on her for you and the dogs to Sumatra.”
Conrad held my hand fast and smiled broadly. “Will you come with me to Sumatra, Oliver, you and your friends?”
As I looked into his brilliant blue eyes, I felt relieved in some strange way. “Yes, I will.”, I heard myself say. I glanced at Pat and Nanette. “Won’t we?”
“I think we ought to stay here for a while, put some meat on our bones.”, said Pat.
Conrad looked down at Pat. “If it’s food you are concerned about, Sir, the El Telo has an excellent mess. The cook is renowned for his creativity.” He turned to Nanette. “And if you are considering the accommodations, Madame, the El Telo has seen many a year, but she has class. Some would say she is weathered. I think she is a grand dame built in the days before cynicism took hold of this world, when wonder and imagination were still with us.”
Nanette gazed up at Conrad. “Just look at that man. Who could say no to him?”
Pat shrugged and smiled affectionately at Nanette. “Who can say no to you?”
We found a patio in the back that overlooked the sea. The matchmaker was waiting for me. She had company. “Have you ever seen such a magnificent specimen?”, she crowed pushing me toward a large man in a large hat. “I am most pleased to introduce you to Conrad. Conrad, I want you to meet Oliver and his friends Pat and Nanette.”
This isn’t what I was expecting, I thought. Conrad shook my hand. His hand was surprisingly warm, almost hot. The matchmaker smiled. “Conrad sails out of Buenos Aires on the El Telo. I’ve booked passage on her for you and the dogs to Sumatra.”
Conrad held my hand fast and smiled broadly. “Will you come with me to Sumatra, Oliver, you and your friends?”
As I looked into his brilliant blue eyes, I felt relieved in some strange way. “Yes, I will.”, I heard myself say. I glanced at Pat and Nanette. “Won’t we?”
“I think we ought to stay here for a while, put some meat on our bones.”, said Pat.
Conrad looked down at Pat. “If it’s food you are concerned about, Sir, the El Telo has an excellent mess. The cook is renowned for his creativity.” He turned to Nanette. “And if you are considering the accommodations, Madame, the El Telo has seen many a year, but she has class. Some would say she is weathered. I think she is a grand dame built in the days before cynicism took hold of this world, when wonder and imagination were still with us.”
Nanette gazed up at Conrad. “Just look at that man. Who could say no to him?”
Pat shrugged and smiled affectionately at Nanette. “Who can say no to you?”
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