Free The Inner Sanctum by Stephen Frey

leaned back again.
    "It isn't luck," Jesse replied. "Your success is a function of putting yourself in the best position more often than anyone else does. It's a function of playing the odds."
    "True." Elizabeth nodded approvingly. "Say, why don't you come out to Sagamore and visit us? I'm always looking for young talent."
    "That would be wonderful!" Wall Street suddenly seemed much less important.
    "In fact, there's someone I want you to meet right away," Elizabeth continued. She motioned to a young man who was talking with several of Jesse's classmates.
    David acknowledged the wave subtly, excused himself from the group at an appropriate point in the conversation, and moved toward Elizabeth.
    "Jesse, this is David Mitchell." Elizabeth patted David's broad back as he took Jesse's hand and smiled. "David is one of our portfolio managers at Sagamore. I asked him to come down from Baltimore tonight with me for exactly this reason--in case I identified someone in class who might fit in at Sagamore."
    "Hi, Jesse." David let go of her hand gently. Blond, blue-eyed, and sweet. Unlike the others he had been forced to converse with for the last hour, this one was worth writing home about.
    "Jesse, I think you might enjoy talking to David for a few minutes about Sagamore." Elizabeth had barely finished speaking when she began to cough deeply.
    "Are you all right?" the professor asked, startled at the intensity of the attack.
    "Yes," she gasped. "I'll be fine. I just need a drink of water."
    "Of course, Elizabeth. Come with me and we'll get whatever you need." The professor took her by the arm.
    Elizabeth coughed again several times, then turned to Jesse. "It was wonderful meeting you. I look forward to seeing you at Sagamore when you visit."
    "Thank you. I hope you feel better."
    "I'll be fine." She stepped over and patted Jesse's hand. "Good-bye."
    "Bye."
    David hesitated for a moment as Elizabeth and the professor moved away. "So what can I tell you about Sagamore?" He looked past Jesse as he took a sip from his glass, trying to seem distant, not wanting her to detect his immediate interest.
    Jesse gave David a quick once-over. He was handsome--jet-black hair, effortless smile, a dimple in his left cheek, and a healthy glow indicating that he took care of his body. But everything about him screamed establishment. From the dark three-button suit with inch-and- a-half cuffs on the pants to his expensive tie and short haircut, he seemed a model conservative. She laughed to herself. Given her meager upbringing, she ought to be drawn to this man like a bee to nectar. Men with money promised financial security, something she had never known. But she usually found these types so boring. They loved sports, their possessions, and themselves, and she needed much more than that. She needed excitement, a man who would share life with her and show her the world.
    But maybe she should listen to Sara's advice about dating men who offered financial stability and not worry so much about intangibles. She glanced at David again. He certainly emitted that conservative air. But there was a hint of mischief in the glint of his eye. And now that she looked at his haircut carefully, she noticed that it bordered on punk. The sides and back were cut a bit too short and the top a bit too long. She liked that. "How much money does Sagamore have under management?" she asked innocently, knowing how closely guarded a secret that was.
    David shook his head. "I can't tell you," he said pretentiously, then broke into a wide grin. "Because I don't know. They don't tell the rank and file like me important things like that. They just tell us to make money."
    Jesse covered her mouth and laughed. So he didn't take himself too seriously. She liked that too.
    Two hours later, as they moved through the double doors of the reception room toward the waiting limousine, Elizabeth put a hand on David's forearm. "I noticed you and Jesse Hayes had quite a discussion after I