real romantic mode and that would end a perfect day for me. What do you say lover? Do you feel in the mood for a little love making in a horse drawn carriage?”

“Yeahhhhh! You sure you don’t want to join us, Frank? I think we could squeeze you in between us?” Rich asked.

“I told you I learned my lesson. You two go on and have fun. I’ll just go home and play with myself. Good luck on your tests this coming week. Maybe we can get together for a little graduation party at ‘Reinzi’s’ some evening soon,” Frank said as he was leaving.

“That would be nice—Maybe in about two or three weeks, after I get settled into my new schedule, that is, unless the army has other plans for me.”

They left for Central Park and took a few turns around the park and then went home where they stayed up most of the night and just talked about the future. The next day they took the car and rode out to visit Rich’s parents on the island. The family sat in the library and Worthington and Joseph went over the outline of what Rich’s dad was going to propose to Fazzi and his partners. Joseph asked a lot of questions and took notes. He wrote in both Arabic and English. Rich observed this and questioned why the two languages. “If I’m going to have to translate any or all of this, I better know the terms and processes in both languages as well as the ins and outs and all the details. Nothing looks more amateurish than having to stop and look up a phrase in a dictionary when you are trying to sell something to someone,” Joseph said.

“I knew you had what it takes Joseph,” Rich’s father said. “I can’t wait till you are free to go to school and learn the business. With your brains and my good looks we are going places…. ‘Worthington & Benson Investments’, I can almost see it now… Say, we could even send you to school to learn a few belly dancing routines. That could be another tool in our arsenal.”

“Yes,” said Rich’s mother. “Richard told me about the belly dancing and I think some of his women clients would just love to see you hoochy-kooching half nude before them. They might even stuff stocks, bonds and cash in your “G” string.”

“Well it’s not a strip-tease act,” Richard said. “It is even more enticing than that. It is art-pure art. Nothing dirty about it. Seductive… yes. Alluring… definitely, but not dirty.”

They talked and planned the rest of the day. After lunch Rich and Joseph found the time to walk along the beach. It was really cold out there. The winter wind blowing off the ocean did little to prevent them from acting like it was a warm spring day. But, not for too long, as reality finally crept in and they had to leave for the city. Rich had an evening performance and Joseph wanted to get back to base and get ready for the big week. Joseph dropped Rich off at the theater. Rich’s parting words to Joseph were to be careful and do a good job on those tests. As he stood there watching the BMW move away, Rich kept wondering if maybe he should have told the soldier to drop the whole Fazzi thing. He had this sense of foreboding, which he kept trying to push