A Dumb Blonde as Mayor Pt. 02

"Christ that's brilliant although there will be angry outbursts about aircraft movement noise."

"The site is twelve miles from the city and the prevailing wind goes parallel to the town."

"Does it?"

"Yes."

"And what is this about water and water-borne wastes?"

"Our systems are practically clapped out. We have three alternatives: spend multi-millions constructing new systems to current standards or hooking into Mornington's systems with long pipelines and pumping stations or we just go straight out to the airport and to hook up to Mornington's system the city will pay to bring that long distance from the city."

"That's brilliant."

"In theory yes, but their negotiators will be greedy."

A VIP lunch awaited them at the Harbor Authority. Jake ate most of it.

The CEO, still looking at Jake in astonishment and eyeing the almost empty table, said dryly, "And now to business. Clive?"

"Well good news Andrea," said the chairman. "We have secured loans backed by the County because of the savings the roll-on, roll-off ferry service will have on roads and the probable reduction in road accidents. We have secured decisions of three of the five communities to commit to using our service and providing a ferry landing facility at their end. We of course await your community's response."

"You'll have that on Tuesday morning. On Monday night at our council meeting Jake will be proposing we participate 100%. We can guarantee majority support for that, can't we Jake as it will stimulate business in our town."

"Yes, right. We're behind it 100%," Jake said, belching.

"Oh excellent," said the CEO. "We already have purchased two suitable roll-on, roll-off vessels in Hong Kong, built to Swedish standards which are high, and they are presently being modified to standards of our country. The smaller vessel is necessary to provide a standby service."

"What in case the bigger ferry sinks."

"No Jake," said the CEO, dabbing at his forehead. "During routine survey and perhaps electrical breakdown. Help me out here Clive."

"Well Andrea, we were thrilled when you called to advise that your town's immediate past-chairman Ivan James was being appointed harbormaster. To us that demonstrates your level of commitment. Because Pike's Point is the largest by far of the five communities other than Mornington to benefit from our service, we invite you to nominate someone from your council to accept a seat on our board for a term of one year. We hope it will be you."

"Oh thank you Clive but I shall appoint Jake as he is up to speed with boats, shipping, dredging and all that sort of thing."

"Jake?" said the chairman, glancing at Jake's near demolition of the earlier food-laden table.

"Yes Mr Chairman, I accept." He then turned to look at Andrea as if she'd just knighted him.

Jake staggered into the back seat of the limo and immediately fell asleep so Andrea sat in the front with Jimmi. They chatted and laughed and sang a couple of songs and then she said, "Tell me about the corrupt ways of the James mob during all your years with the council Jimmi?"

His eyes said no.

Andrea read the buttons on the console between them and operated the button for the glass divider that sealed off the back passenger compartment.

"Well," Jimmi sighed, "for a start the best surfaced streets in our town pass the residences of the James clan. This limo has been used to take James wives or daughters shopping in Mornington..."

Jimmi and Andrea were back to singing when there was a knock on the divider.

"Christ he'll want to get out to be sick," Andrea said.

But no, Jake was fine after his nap and wanted to join in the singing. To Andrea's astonishment Jake, a baritone, sang really well.

On Friday afternoon the meeting to announce portfolios went really well. Andrea had taken more than thirty calls from councilors and officials suggesting changes, often for highly critical reasons. She worked closely with the CEO and COO (chief operations officer) so all but two appoints were accepted without dispute. The previous chairman of finance Cr Brian Oaks (a pro-James councilor) was livid his finance portfolio had gone to new councilor Archie Paynter, president of Inlet Bank.

"This is a disgrace, a decision of unbelievable incompetence," yelled Brian Oaks, a plumber. "How can you ignore a person of my experience and competence and split water and sewerage disposal from the works portfolio and give them to me. I'm resigning."

"Sit down and shut up Brian. Everyone, unless you are a councilor or a chief or a director I want you to leave the room."

"Right everyone, this discussion is highly confidential. I have read through dozens of reports and read decisions legally kept from public scrutiny and we have twin problems on our hands. For a least eight years council has buried warnings from our public works director that our public water reticulation quality is unsatisfactory and our sewage system is crapped out, if I may use that term. I have not spoken to our director about this yet; I am basing my comments on reports. It is beyond my comprehension that past councils chose to sweep these matters aside and did nothing. Absolutely nothing. Christ, if there was an outbreak of disease through the failure of either system we could all be up for criminal neglect. Think about it!"

Andrea stopped talking for a couple of minutes to allow people to talk to those alongside them.

"Right at Monday night's meeting I propose instructing the public works director to began preparing plans for the replacement of our sewage and water reticulation and processing systems and examining the various options, one of which would be running pipelines out to the former Mulligan Ranch that we own. I can advise you that the ranch is now a hot prospect to become the site of this region's new airport. Preliminary investigation results and state government interest have been very positive and you'll probably read big stories about this in tomorrow's Mornington Gazette. But if that development doesn't come soon enough then perhaps we will build our own treatment plants on that land and dispose of the treated sewage effluent over 22,000 acres of land we already own. Who knows? Or perhaps we simply progressively replace our existing systems. Who knows? We will await reports that will be sought with great urgency and that ought to get us off the hook of accused of knowingly burying a potential civic disaster in the event of a disastrous outbreak of disease."

"Is there any opposition to this move?"

A few noes were voiced.

"Do I have any support for this move?"

The room shook with shouted affirmations.

"Thank you. This meeting is now over."

"Ma'am?"

"Yes Jake."

"Presuming I'm speaking for everyone here, may I say your revelations have rocked us to the core and we are solidly behind you, 100%."

Everyone applauded and Andrea, no longer sweating, did her best to look humble and thanked Jake.

At 5:00 Jake came into her office with three buddies to discuss development of a marina. Even Jake boggled at the spread of food and the sight of two dozen bottles of beer.

Surprisingly the meeting was very productive, leaving Andrea feeling she could push ahead with the marina with confidence. One of the guys introduced to her as 'Bugs' gave her an email survey of rural people living up to 50 miles beyond the town, all 122 respondents expressing keen interest in the prospect of being able to lease a marina berth for a minimum of five years.

"But they are not townspeople," Andrea had said, really not thinking.

"That's true said Jake but they shop here in town and use our restaurants and professional services and some have parents as town property owners and some of them will retire here and above their money is good and the competition for berths will ensure the marina development is self-funding."

"Yes of course Jake, good thinking."

Andrea drove home tired, a little drunk and very happy. It had been a big day for her and she now had Jake eating out of her hand and in positions where he'd be unable to do too much harm.

She was soaking in the bath, drinking more wine, and heard the house phone go. Jefferson came in and said it was Wilmot Lodge on Lake Wilmot where they'd booked a cabin for the next night.

"The honeymoon chalet is available and the manager said it's ours for payment of another hundred bucks. What do we say?"

"Say yes."

Jefferson returned and soaped her back. "All done. It actually has sofas that convert into beds, should we ask mom and dad?"

"We could ask Nancy and Derek to join us. They are our nearest neighbors and they may like a break; that is if you don't mind being away with their baby."

"No, I saw Nancy in the farm supplies shop two days ago buying a new bridle. The kid looked at me and she picked it up and made me hold it. The kid actually smiled and blew bubbles at me."

"Fine, that sounds promising. Give them a call and don't forget to apologize for the short notice."

Jefferson came back and topped up her glass saying Derek said they had his mother staying with them and she was looking forward to be taken into Mornington tomorrow for the floral festival."

"Mom and dad?"

"Yes of course."

He called them but Tim said they were having people for dinner tomorrow night.

"You didn't know that?" Andrea scolded.

"Um, sort of forgot."

"God you men are all the same. If it doesn't involve you you're not interested."

He looked crestfallen.

"Come here you jerk," Andrea said kindly. Just then his phone went.

"Okay, that's fine," he said to the caller. "Yes I agree. Oh we were thinking about 10:00. Yes, Bye."

"So Nancy and Derek can come now and his mother can driver herself to Mornington?"

"No that's only partly correct. Nancy is coming with us. Derek said a break from the baby would be fine for her. We pick her up at 10:00."

Andrea smiled, picking up her wineglass. "Oh that's lovely. I'll be able to have extended conversations while we're away." Then he voice turned excited, "Oh fuck, do you know what this means?"

"No what?" But then a stupid grin appearing on Jefferson's face indicated he was also up to speed.

They set off at 10:15 with both women sitting in the back. Part of the delay had been Nancy jumping out twice to kiss baby Teresa and to remind Derek and his mother yet again to phone her if the slightest thing was wrong.

At last there were heading for the lake.

"Nancy we are going fishing. Why all your stuff; you look as if packed enough to be bringing your kid."

"You mean my baby."

"Yeah, that's what I said."

Nancy ignored that but said, "He name is Teresa."

"Right, Teresa... lovely name."

"Oh thank you Jefferson. You are so sweet. Well one bag is full of clothes, and I have my make-up bag because we ladies must look at our best for you, and the heaviest bag if full of food and fine wines. The other bag that rattles contains three vibrators, four butt plugs and a range of dildos plus enough lube to last us a week. What's he like to fuck Andrea?"

"Oh I imagine he's excited about getting at your butt."

"Oh Jefferson PLEASE -- you can camp in it all this afternoon if Andrea doesn't mind."

Andrea laughed. "That's a great idea. I'd had a really big day yesterday and could do with a nap."

"A big day you said, by that did you mean screwing?"

Jefferson didn't think that was funny but the howling hyenas in the back seat certainly thought it was. He sighed, hoping he could keep it up to meet all demands and they'd find time to go fishing. He was looking forward to teaching Nancy about 'his' mother ship theory as the way to catch big fish.

THE END