A Date With Janet

By JD Harrison

David Henderson had a wildly successful business career and retired before he turned 50. He now lives a life of simplicity and pleasure on New York City’s Upper East Side. David likes to focus upon—and honor—the women in their 50’s and up that he prefers. He is now facing complications from three women—a powerful business leader, a former colleague, and an heiress—with the challenging prospects of love, heartache, and danger. And he learns of the complications which link the three women to each other. Can he navigate the treacherous waters and continue his luxurious life? Will his comfortable existence change forever? David is forced to use his charm and his experience—both in and out of the bedroom—to forge his way forward.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Black Opal Books
• Release date: Apr 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781644372715

Book preview

David Henderson had a wildly successful business career and retired before he turned 50. He now lives a life of simplicity and pleasure on New York City’s Upper East Side. David likes to focus upon—and honor—the women in their 50’s and up that he prefers. He is now facing complications from three women—a powerful business leader, a former colleague, and an heiress—with the challenging prospects of love, heartache, and danger. And he learns of the complications which link the three women to each other. Can he navigate the treacherous waters and continue his luxurious life? Will his comfortable existence change forever? David is forced to use his charm and his experience—both in and out of the bedroom—to forge his way forward.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To my treasured friends in New York City and elsewhere who provided some of the inspiration and richness for the story, and to my wife and a few of our friends who read drafts of the story and provided feedback. Your contributions, and our friendships, are massively appreciated.

A DATE WITH

JANET

J. D. Harrison

A Black Opal Books Publication

GENRE: ROMANCE/MYSTERY

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, businesses, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. The publisher does not have any control over or assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their contents.

A DATE WITH JANET

Copyright © 2020 by J.D. Harrison

Cover Design by Transformational Concepts

Cover photograph by J.D. Harrison

All cover art copyright © 2020

All Rights Reserved

EBook ISBN: 9781644372715

First Publication: APRIL 2020

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DEDICATION

To my wife, friend, lover, partner – and in some ways the inspiration for Janet. I love you hon. Thanks for making our life together so much fun.

Chapter 1

Janet

I have a date tonight with a woman named Janet Saunders. We were introduced by a mutual friend, and all of our interaction so far has consisted of a few emails, back and forth, to confirm plans for tonight. I’m far too old to be a part of the Tinder generation, so I don’t arrange dates that will occur 20 minutes in the future. I’m 52. I’ve dabbled a little bit with Match, but other than that I’m not really into online dating.

The email exchange between Janet and me has occurred over the last week or so, for our Saturday night date. She suggested that we meet and have dinner at Patroon, on 46th Street, and I told her that it was a perfect choice. It’s a really nice place. Elegant. I’ve been there a bunch of times but not quite frequently enough to be called a regular.

It’s a leisurely July Saturday at home for me. I live on the Upper East Side (UES) of Manhattan, a block off of Central Park, in an apartment that I’ve owned for going on seven years. Other than my usual Saturday morning long run in the Park this morning, it’s a lazy day. I’m a pretty serious runner. I’m in the middle of my summer/early fall run-up to the November 26.2 mile stroll around the five boroughs known as the New York Marathon. This fall will make my 8th consecutive run. 15 miles this morning that were relatively smooth, so I guess I won’t keel over dead during the race. Other than the morning run, my day has involved nothing more than reading the Times, watching sports on TV, and a several block walk down to my local market to re-stock my fridge.

By late afternoon, I’m starting to think about the date a little bit. Janet and I have not met, so I’m starting to form a profile of her in my head, based on just a few emails, which is potentially dangerous. The only facts that she has shared so far is that she lives on the UES, has lived in the city for years, and works in the Financial Services industry. So that narrows it down to maybe only 10,000 people. And 10,000 profiles. My initial impression is that she’s very straightforward, no nonsense, and businesslike. Based on our exchanges so far, and the fact that she picked Patroon for dinner, which is mostly an old school place, I’m gonna guess that she’s late 40s or 50s. Like I said, this envisioning thing is dangerous. I could have it 100% wrong. But over the years I’ve learned that I’m getting pretty good at it.

Time to prepare for our date. I like having plenty of time to get ready and not having to rush—not that it really takes me that long, though. I’ve had women give me a hard time for my ability to get ready to go out in what is seemingly 5 minutes. I can’t do it in 5, but it’s not much more than that. A quick shave, just my neck, as I’ve had a beard and mustache for years. Neatly trimmed and going gray. Oh well. A shower, wash and condition of the hair, towel off, a splash of cologne, and ready to get dressed. I grab a gray suit, white shirt with blue stripes, and a tie that has a bunch of colors but the main effect is pink.

I am pretty anal about being on time for things. I know it’s not everyone’s thing, but sometimes I can’t understand why a lot of people suck at being on time, and suck at estimating how long something will take, as in I’ll be there in ten minutes and then they arrive in thirty. It’s not a long ride from my place down to the restaurant, and the ride goes relatively quick, so I’m early, which is my normal state of being. We’ve agreed to meet in the ground floor bar at Patroon. I grab a seat at the bar at around 7:15, for our 7:30 meet. The bartender thinks to himself I think I recognize this guy but he doesn’t take a chance trying to recall my name. He gives me a friendly greeting and a smile and serves up my usual cocktail, a Sapphire and Tonic. A tasty adult beverage. A lifelong friend of mine served me my first gin and tonic when I was 19 or 20, saying, a good gin and tonic tastes just like a Sprite. I don’t know if I would completely agree, but I guess it’s a fairly easy transition from a childhood of drinking a good number of sugary non-diet Cokes, Sprites, and Pepsis.

I’m facing the entry of the bar, so that I can watch for Janet. She has a picture of me, but I don’t have one of her. At 7:30 pm on the dot, a woman walks in and I’m pretty sure it’s her. My initial impression is that I’ve nailed the mental profile. She looks to be late 40s, fit, maybe 5’7". She definitely looks like a business person. Very well put together. A trim figure. She’s wearing a very pretty gray dress, just slightly above the knee, heels, hosiery. No wedding ring and not much jewelry. She has dirty blonde hair, fairly short, looking perfect. She spies me at the bar and walks in my direction.

David? She offers. I’m already getting to my feet.

Janet—great to see you! Whenever I’m meeting a woman, especially for the first time, I always say great to see you rather than great to meet you so that anyone nearby doesn’t get the impression that I’m meeting this woman for the first time.

Standing in front of her, I place both of my hands gently on her hips and I kiss both her cheeks. This is pretty much the standard NYC greeting among adults of opposite gender (and sometimes the same gender).

Wow—you’re a big guy! I’m 6’4" and 200 pounds.

Would you like to have a drink here, or go right to our table? I ask her.

The seat next to me at the bar is open. Let’s have a drink here, she says.

We both sit. She doesn’t seem nervous at all, which is good. Maybe she’s approaching this like a business meeting. The bartender cruises over to take her order. Grey Goose martini, dry, straight up, with olives and a twist.

I smile at her and say, A woman who knows exactly what she wants. I like it!! And she gives me a half smile in return.

Is Patroon a regular spot for you? I ask.

Yes—I’ve been coming here for years. It’s a favorite.

So, you must know Ken then. Ken is the owner.

Oh yes. Many drinks and a few dinners with Ken over the years.

In reply I say, I’ve been here a bunch of times, but I don’t quite have ‘regular’ status. It is a great place. The rooftop bar can be fun at times, but on a night like tonight, a Saturday night in July, there are too many smokers and too many young people for my taste. I’d much rather be down here with the civilized.

Completely agree. I can’t stand smoking. Her martini is delivered, and she takes a sip.

Me neither. My mother was a smoker for most of her life, and it created in me a genuine hate for smoking….and smokers.

Is your mother still around? Janet looks directly into my eyes with some intensity.

No, both of my parents have been gone for years. My dad died 30 years ago, and my mom 20. So, I’m pretty used to life without them. Given how and when they died, my sister and I never really had to deal with the whole elder care thing, which I know a number of my friends are dealing with now.

I’m sorry about your parents. And yes, I’m dealing with it. Not good. So, it sounds like you just have one sibling? A sister?

Yes. She lives out in the SF Bay area. She’s two years older than me.

Janet takes another sip of her drink, and I sip on mine. There’s a bit of a lull in the conversation, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable, at least not to me. This woman definitely seems to be comfortable in her own skin and I doubt that she feels the need to talk nonstop.

I look at her and smile. She puts her hand on my forearm. I love physical contact. And the invitation that she has offered. Would you like to go ahead and grab our table?

Yes, let’s do that. I looked at the bartender. Can you send our drinks to our table, and put these on our dinner tab?

Of course, Sir.

We then go up front to see the hostess and she leads us to our table. The arrangement is side-by-side seating, rather than across-from. That’s fucking awesome. My absolute favorite way to have dinner with a woman. Janet sits down and I slide in next to her. But not too close. I don’t want to get in her personal space. A moment later, our drinks are delivered. Along with menus and a wine list. The waiter gives us a short introductory spiel and then very smartly steps away.

We continue to sip our drinks and we each take a look at the menu. I figure she has it 100% memorized, and I’m about 50% with it. I mentally select a couple of options, then take a quick look at the wine list and do the same thing. The sommelier sees me holding the list and runs over to offer assistance. I send him away. I can pick my own wine, I’ve done this before. There’s only one sommelier in all of NYC with whom I have regular conversations when I’m in his restaurant.

So, Janet, I’m sure you have this entire menu memorized—what are you thinking about for dinner?

I think I’m gonna go with the smaller rib eye.

A meat eater. I like it. I’m going for the beef tenderloin. We should have a bottle of wine. Do you prefer vanilla or strawberry?

A puzzled look on her face. What??

I’m sorry. It’s my stupid wine joke. White or Red? I’m assuming that you’d be up for a big red, but I could also do a white if that’s your preference.

A wry smile. Definitely a big red.

There’s a Spottswoode Cab from a solid year that will do nicely. The waiter comes back and takes our orders for food and wine.

As the waiter walks away, after a moment I realize I’m staring at Janet and I catch myself. You look really great. I love your outfit. I mean it. I love this woman’s look and how well put together she is.

Janet smiles and says thanks. She gives me the intense look again, but at the same time puts her hand back on my arm. Forgive me if this sounds strange, but can I ask you some questions? I need to know more about you.

Ask away. Ask me anything. I’m Mr. Full Disclosure.

OK, here goes. If you don’t want to answer any of these questions, just say so.

In that moment, I can’t think of any question that she might ask me, that I wouldn’t be willing to answer.

Where are you from? I don’t think you’re an NYC native.

I’m not. I grew up in the Chicago area. I’ve been in NYC for about 10 years.

Chicago proper, or Chicago area?

Area. Suburbia. Outside the city. My mom the smoker was pretty much June Cleaver.

What brought you to New York?

Work, originally. I used to work in a big consulting firm and I ran a project here for about 3 years, while I was living in Chicago. After a while I got tired of the corporate apartment, realized I really liked the city, and just moved here. I’ve had several different apartments, all on the UES. I’ve been in my current place for about 7 years.

You used to work in a big consulting firm—but no longer? Her hand is still resting on my arm.

No longer. I did really well there. Was able to make partner fairly quickly, and I was pretty lucky on the timing. After I had been a partner for about 5 years, the firm went public and we all got rich. I was only there for about another two years and then I just retired. It was my last real job. Now I just manage my investments and enjoy the city.

Where did you go to school?

Northwestern. I was a big math and science guy growing up, so going to a ‘local’ school and majoring in engineering seemed to be the logical thing to do. I got a degree in chemical engineering and then stuck around two more years to get an MBA, then I joined that big consulting firm. I never did work as an engineer, except for a couple of summer jobs while I was in school.

Have you ever been married?

Yes, for 8 years, many years ago. No kids. She and I got along fine, but the passion and genuine interest in each other kinda faded away after a few years.

"Sorry. Are you into sports? What sports do you do?

Well—spectator-wise, I’m a pretty big sports fan. I guess the sports I watch the most of on TV are NFL, some college football, some basketball, and a lot of golf. Participant wise, I play golf and I’m a runner.

Where do you play? This is a loaded question, among New Yorkers. The answers can range from anywhere between the Van Cortlandt muni in the Bronx, all the way to Winged Foot and Shinnecock.

Sadly, I haven’t ever gotten a club membership here, although I had a very nice one in Chicago. The truth is that I don’t play anywhere near as much as I’d like to. Playing golf as an NYC resident is pretty much a full day proposition. I’ll hit some of the nicer public tracks in the area, and I do have a few friends who have club memberships who are nice enough to host me from time to time. Curious—do you play?

Yes. I have a membership at Liberty National. A relatively new club, by Metro New York standards, in Jersey City, NJ, with a front row view of the Statue of Liberty. Has hosted a couple of PGA events.

I give her a big smile and I reach out to touch her shoulder. Janet, you and I are going to get along just fine. She smiles back.

OK David—I think that’s enough of my third degree for now. You’re right—you seem to be willing to answer any question. I really appreciate how open you’re being.

No problem. Nothing to hide and willing to share. Would you mind if I asked you a couple things? Nothing too personal.

Of course.

When we were trading emails last week, you said you worked in Financial Services. Care to elaborate any on that?

I’m an SVP in the Corporate Strategy function in one of the stupidly large banks in the city. I’ve been there for 20 years, through lots of changes and a fair amount of adventure. I started out as a staff accountant, and then worked my way up through the Finance and Accounting organization. The current job in Strategy is a nice change from what I did before. Interesting work.

So, you’re with one of the stupidly large commercial banks, not one of the investment banks.

She looks a bit startled, for a second. Yes. How did you figure that out?

You said SVP, not Partner. 25 years in management consulting, you learn a couple things. I smiled at her.

Where on the upper east side do you live?

In the 80’s, between Madison and Park.

Nice. I’m about 15 blocks down from you.

The waiter showed up with our entrees and the bottle of Spottswoode. I tasted it, it was great but needed some time to open up. I asked the waiter to decant it, which he was happy to do. I’m not big on all of the ceremony around the tasting of a bottle of wine in a restaurant. Open it, I’ll taste it, let’s get to enjoying it.

We started in on the food and the grape and continued to chat. Great, interesting conversation. This was a woman of substance, smart, with a sense of humor. And I think a sense of fun, buried in there somewhere. We touched each other casually as we chatted. Gotta love the touch.

We were winding down on the food and the decanter of Cab was sadly empty. The waiter asked if we wanted dessert. We looked at each other and both decided no. She suggested that we have one more glass of wine. An awesome idea.

David—this has been an extremely enjoyable dinner. You’ve completely exceeded my expectations.

I wonder what her expectations were. Oh well. Thanks. I’ve had a great time. And let me say again—you look absolutely great. Love your look.

She appreciates the compliment, but I’m wondering if some part of her won’t let her take it in fully. Does she understand how attractive she is? I’m not sure. I doubt that the other senior execs at the bank shower her with compliments about her looks. Maybe I’m wrong.

Thank you, David.

As we finish our extra glasses of wine, the waiter brings our check, and a platinum Amex card is placed on the folio. She touches me again, on the shoulder, and then slides her hand towards the back of my neck. A much more intimate touch. She looks at me with that intensity, but also something that feels welcoming to me.

Let’s go back to my place. She says quietly but intently.

That sounds like a great idea, Janet. I reply as I stare back at her.

We call for an Uber. The New NYC Taxi. It seems like 90% of the Ubers I ride in are Chevy Suburbans, but we luck out and this one is a very nice Mercedes sedan. We climb into the back seat and I’m very focused on the woman that is with me. As she sits there, her dress rides up a little bit and I see more of her very nice legs, which have been hidden under the table for the last two hours. I put my hand gently on her thigh, covered in very sheer nylon, and I lean over and kiss her. Directly on the lips, softly. She kisses me back. The rest of the ride back to her place passes in an instant.

We enter Janet’s apartment, and I can tell instantly that it’s an impressive place. Just standing in the entryway, my impression of her place is that it’s big, elegant, and impeccably decorated.

Wow—I love your place! Trying to not sound like it’s my first time in a luxury NYC apartment.

"Thank you. Its home. Could