My business grew and flourished in the fifties and sixties. There was a big building boom in the Bay Area - thousands of new homes were built, and so were restaurants, bars and huge office buildings.

It attracted and required new, young and imaginative architects, decorators, designers and builders - and of course, furnishers. That's where I came in.

They all sought me out.  We worked together with new inventions; light pleasant furniture, pleasing colors and designs - everything changed, became freer, newer, happier – everything, including life style. Old morals were discarded. A new sexual freedom reigned.  There was no fear.  Nobody had heard about AIDS yet, new contraceptives came out almost every month, and if there was an accidental pregnancy, a safe and quick abortion was easily available.

Women came out of their sheltered homes into the business and art world.  They sought equality, and indulged in the new sexual freedom.

The biggest gains were of course for the young handsome men.

The large group that I worked with was in the forefront.  It was so easy; they counted conquests, they boasted about it.

I knew Charles Gottfried for a very long time, and we all smiled about his new lady friends. We call them, "Femme-jour" - the girls of the day, or week, there were so many.  There was no guilt, no deep attachment – just sex and parties.  The others, Paul Matte with his gay style, Rudy Bernhard, Ronald Adams, Anthony Dabster and many, many others were all a part of this.

Since we all worked together, and created together, we spent most of our time in each other’s company, and we knew about each other’s private life.

Bassya, my wife, did not like these people very much in the beginning.  She accused me of envying their sexual success, but she accepted their colorful lives (if not their friends), and joined us at selected parties and dinners.  That way, she said, she could have an eye on me.  She even had many of them in our house for various gatherings.

Some, like Paul Matte, although gay and Ronald Adams, who was bisexual, loved the company of women, and both adored Bassya; both lavished jewelry and gifts on her.  She learned to be tolerant of the sexual life styles of our friends.

Besides Charles Gottfried, with whom I maintained a life long friendship, we (together with Bassya) were inseparable for many, many, years, until his death when we were away in Europe.  My closest friend was Ronald Adams.  I liked him very much, and he liked me; he confided in me and he trusted me.  We belonged to the same club, and he shared all intimacies with me.

Ronald had an architectural and decorator office in Maiden Lane, downtown.  He employed several young, pretty, women in his firm.  He had sex with all of them.  He was also married, to what I called "the most beautiful woman in the world."  She too had her own business in the same lane; a fashionable florist shop, catering to the affluent.

Ronald had an unabashed appetite for sex, and changed his partners as often as his underwear.  He was a charmer, and knew how to please and compliment a woman. Very few rejected his advances.  Yet, he maintained his longest liaison (dozens of years) with one charming woman.  I knew all about the two of them.

Her name was Rose; Rose, a very open faced, always friendly, smiling, blue eyed, white skinned Irish lady.  He met her when he went into a cosmetic shop to buy some perfume for another lady.

Rose was a buyer and sales person in this formal store (closed a long time ago).  He asked for "Carons Bolougia" - a rare fragrance that was not well known. Rose, curious, asked "Why this perfume."  Ronald made a lengthy explanation why a man must chose the right fragrance for a particular person.  Since every woman has her own great, personal, sensual odor, the perfume has to match her own feelings, and thus bring out the greatest hidden secrets that every female possesses.

Rose was charmed.  They met privately, and started their friendly association. She was very good and loyal to him.  She was always available to him for relaxation, company, and good sex.

Occasionally she surprised him by phoning and asking him to come over quickly because she wanted him right then.

He liked this, although he knew that she had several lovers besides him. He didn't mind this at all.  He knew whom these men were; respectful citizens, family men, and leaders in the community.

Rose had a nice apartment in a good neighborhood, furnished in high style, and very comfortable.  She also drove a new model conservative car.

Every suitor thought that he alone was the one that helped Rose with the good life; that he alone paid her rent.

Ronald told me how every month, after Rose paid her bills, how he advised her what to do with the extra money; where to invest it.  She bought some properties and tax-free municipal bonds.

Rose never made any demands, or asked for anything from my friend.  Every year he bought her some trinket for Christmas, Valentines Day, and her birthday.  She in turn reciprocated.

And about birthdays - Rose had a different date for each of her male friends, so she could celebrate and get gifts over each of several months.  Ronald and I laughed about the extent of this woman's inventive ways to have a fun life.

She always remained cool, friendly, and ever so helpful to every one that came in touch with her.  I came to appreciate this woman.

She was always a well-dressed lady - wore expensive, fashionable clothes.  How did she do it?

Sometimes, at large gatherings, Rose saw from a distance some of her beaus with their wives.  They too saw her, but never made any effort to introduce her.  Just glances of appreciation.

Many times I went with Ron to her apartment.  She always welcomed me, knew how to mix a good drink, never fussed, but she always served some good delicacies from her well-stocked kitchen.

Ron pointed out the perfect layout of the apartment - between the living room and bedroom was a large walk in closet, lined with mirrors, well lit with pink lights.

On occasions when a caller came for a visit, she put him in a comfortable chair, removed his shoes, massaged his feet and his back, and served him his favorite drink.

They visited, talked, and maybe even watched television.  She would then ask him for advice. She needed new clothes to go out, and she couldn’t make up her mind which dress to buy.  She showed him several that she had taken home from a store from which to select.  Men, being men, always mentioned that they couldn't tell about dresses on hangers, or lying on the sofa; would she put one on so he could judge - good idea.

She then went into the closet and closed the door, but left a small opening- she turned on the lights and proceeded to undress seductively.

When she came out the man was understandably aroused.  He asked her to try on a second or third dress.  When the man offered to buy the chosen garment, she refused. All she wanted was his selection.

She took his arm and let the poor guy into her bedroom for quality sex - but after he left, she always found cash or a check to cover the purchase of her clothes.

This ballet was repeated with every one of her men friends - she bought one or two dresses, and Ron invested the rest.  Rose was not a poor girl.

One time, the good life of Ron came to an abrupt stop.  His beautiful, loyal wife found out about his philandering.  She left him; sued for divorce, and got almost all of his possessions, including his offices.

He was broke and destitute.  Rose came to his help, lent him money for a new start and most of all, encouraged him to marry a rich widow who was chasing after him.  All this woman wanted was to be seen with well known men, to be mentioned in the society pages, photographed at the opening of the opera and symphony, and, above all, to be mentioned in the newspaper columns of Herb Caen and Jack Rosenbaum.  All of these things were obtained with the help of Ronald.

When my friend straightened out his life, opened new offices and earned a lot of money, he returned the loan to Rose.  She refused to take the interest he offered.

A few years later, I had my own tragedy - Bassya, without being sick even a single day, had a massive stroke, and died in a few minutes.  From all indications, my own life ceased, but many friends came to rescue me.  I was never left alone.  Charles, Bill Mandel, Naomi Linstrom, and many others, lavished friendship and company on me.  I had given up my woodworking shop a few years before, and, to keep busy I worked in a good furniture store, where again I met many interesting people.

Early in February, my old friend Ronald paid me a visit in the store and insisted that I accompany him to a restaurant where we met Rose; just the two of us.  It was her real birthday, and he wanted us there to be together.  He chose a very romantic nightclub, a restaurant in North Beach on Broadway.  I knew this place was made for romances; subdued lights, good drinks, good food and a small band that played sensual dance music

It's a fur coat he sheepishly admitted.  I knew that Rose had many fur coats, and Ron could not compete with another mink coat.  Besides, this was not his style, and I told him so, and reminded him what a cheap son of a gun he was. He smiled and had to admit that Rose won him over, pleaded for him to buy her this coat that she saw at Ziggies (Sigmund Haber).  It was not expensive, and it was a second hand garment. She must have this fur; she let him know that she would treasure it forever.

So, he let her buy it, and tonight she will show off the new acquisition.  We met Rose in the club. She set in a dark booth surrounded by a group of men.  As we came in she shooed the men away, greeted us warmly and had a drink ready for us.  She wore the fur coat, and when asked why she did not take it off, she explained that she felt cold.

Ron and Rose kissed and made small talk.  I felt out of place and excused myself, as I wanted them to be alone.

Ron told me the rest.  When the music started, she asked him to dance with her.  Still wearing the fur coat, she pressed herself to him and they both swayed to the slow rhythm.  She then unbuttoned the coat and displayed her complete nakedness - she wore absolutely nothing under the fur. And then he knew and understood.

For Christmas he selected an unobtrusive fur coat for his rich wife and gave to her. She didn't like it, refused to wear it and turned it back to Ziggie in exchange for a more expensive and elaborate fur.  She then showed off her new, more expensive Christmas gift from her husband.

Yes, the original coat was the same fur, a sheared beaver, bleached to a delicate gray, that Rose wanted.  She desired this coat because Ron had selected it.  She then whispered that she wanted to be taken home where she would properly thank Ron, and please all the desires that he might have.  This was, as he later related, one of Ronald's most fulfilling sexual nights.

The sexually attraction between them lasted many, many, years; many more than any conventional marriage, or the hot pursuit of the young.

At this writing, they are still alive, but alas, in different institutions, as both have Alzheimer's, and their memories are gone.