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Life is a Soap Opera Act 01

By: HLD



This is the first of three parts in this series. If you are looking for a stroke story or quickie sex, hit the "back" button on your browser now because this is the wrong story for you. If you enjoy this part, please stick around for the next two chapters. Special thanks to my editor, michchick98. Enjoy!

***************** 

"Sir, may I see your driver's license please?" the bartender nervously flashed the back of the debit card, showing "Ask for ID" written in bright red Sharpie. He had seen her working here several times before, but this was his first visit where she waited on him.

"I would be delighted." Gabriel's face broke into a wide smile. "Thank you for asking; so few people do."

With a sigh of relief the bartender checked his license against the name on the front of the card. "I always ask. After my purse was stolen last year, I know what a pain in the butt it is to have to deal with identity theft, so I have that on the back of my credit cards, too. You'd be surprised though, how many people get ticked off when you ask for their IDs."

"Yeah," Gabe agreed. "If only they understood it's for their own protection."

She nodded. "Let me go run this and I'll be right back."

"Thank you," he flashed her another appreciative smile. "Oh, and could you please have the manager come by?"

"Right away, sir."

She went down to the other end of the bar to run his card and leaned over the bar to talk to one of the servers. 

Gabriel stared up at the big screen plasma TV above the bar. A baseball game was on but he only stared at it idly. The bartender returned and placed his card along with a pen and two slips on the bar in front of him. "The bottom copy is for you; please sign the top one for me."

He smiled as she picked up the plates that held the remnants of his steak, potato and Bloomin' Onion, then carted them off. Not a minute later, a man in a shirt and tie came over behind Gabriel.

"Was your visit to the Outback tonight a good one, sir?" he asked. Gabe could tell he was hesitant to ask; after all, people who ask for the manager in a restaurant usually have something to bitch about.

"It was excellent," Gabe replied. He was a regular and knew a fair number of the servers and bartenders on a first name basis. This manager was new, though. "Shawna was great and even asked for my ID like my card says."

The manager smiled.

"I'd like to make an unusual request, though," Gabriel continued.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Look over my shoulder. . . . Do you see those four girls there in the prom dresses? Don't stare. Two in blue, one in pink and the fourth in the purple? I'd like you to bring me their check. Oh, and don't tell them who's picking up their tab."

The manager looked surprised for an instant, but that passed quickly. "I'll find out who their server is."

"Thank you," Gabe said as he left.

Of course, they probably weren't paying for their own dinner; their parents were likely springing for the meal, but in his mind that didn't make up for them not having dates. He thought back to his own prom, when he had gone with a girl he knew, but wasn't crazy about. By the time he had even thought about the dance, all of the girls he wanted to ask already had dates. Julie was really his fourth or fifth choice, and in all likelihood, he was probably her sixth or seventh choice.

He glanced over at the girls one more time. They were almost through with their meal and were talking and laughing, but with all the promgoers there, they were conspicuously the only group of girls.

Just then, the thought crossed his mind that they were four lesbians attending the prom, but that didn't seem likely. The way they giggled and laughed and teased each other made them seem more like childhood friends on one of their last big nights together before they became adults.

The manager returned a couple of minutes later. Gabe looked over the bill, added a generous gratuity then signed both their bill and his own. He quickly gathered up his things and wanted to be out the door before they realised that their dinner was already paid.

Gabe took one last swig from his water and then headed towards the exit. He glanced over his shoulder and saw one of the girls talking to their server. He picked up his pace.

It was a warm night outside. The sun was just beginning to set. There was a soft breeze. A fair number of people were waiting for their tables on the benches by the parking lot. Gabriel headed for his car. He had just hit the button on his keyless entry and was reaching for the handle when he heard a voice coming his direction.

"Sir? . . . Sir?" There was no mistaking the tone of a teenage girl. "Excuse me, sir!"

Gabe turned and saw one of the girls headed his way. It was one of the two in blue. She ran across the parking lot as fast as her high-heeled feet would take her, her shoes clacking! along on the pavement. He thought for an instant to ignore her and just get in his car and drive away, but decided that would be rude.

She was holding the hem of her dress up so she wouldn't trip over it and soon was standing in front of Gabriel. "Excuse me, are you the man who paid for our dinner?"

He looked her over, up close for the first time. She was pretty, but then again, everyone was pretty on prom night. She had cute dimpled cheeks and her hair was pulled up with flowers woven into the tight braids. Her face was round, but then again so was the rest of her body. The elegant dress flattered her generous curves. 

Gabriel had to remind himself to look her in the eyes.

At first he thought to deny her question, but then he saw the other three girls emerge from the restaurant.

"Bailey!" the other one in the blue dress called out, looking frantically around the parking lot.

The first girl was staring intently at him. Her big brown eyes bored into him.

"Did you pay our check?" she asked again. Her tone wasn't accusatory. Just curious.

"Well," Gabe stammered. His face flushed. He hadn't meant to get caught. "Um . . . yeah."

"Why?" she asked softly. The other girls were hurrying over to where they stood in the parking lot.

"I . . ." he started, but his voice trailed off. He put on a kind smile. "No pretty girls should have to pay for their own dinner on prom night."

Gabe thought he saw her blush and smile slightly when he said "pretty girls". The other three had joined them.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're very welcome . . ."

She blushed. "Oh, sorry. I'm Bailey."

He reached out and gently shook her hand. "Gabe."

"This is my twin sister, April," she pointed to the other girl in blue. "These are our friends Kimmy and Morgan."

Gabe glanced over at the other three. Kimmy was wearing pink and Morgan was in purple. Both were slender and fit. All four were made up for the big dance. 

When he looked at April, Gabe never would have guessed she and Bailey were twins. Where Bailey was plump and round in all the right places, April was tall and slim. Her skin was darker and perfectly-toned. She wore a fashionable pair of glasses and had a million dollar smile.

Gabe made a point of looking back at the shorter sister and not gawking at her friends. He knew how hard it was to keep up with a sibling who was more popular in high school.

"It's nice to meet you all," he said politely. 

"Did he pick up the bill?" Morgan asked.

"Yes," Bailey replied. 

"Thank you," they each said.

"Yes, thank you again, Gabe," Bailey said appreciatively.

"Gabe?" Kimmy said, a flash of familiarity in her eyes. Where she had just seen a guy in his mid-thirties before, now she was trying to place his face. Gabe could see the gears turning in her head. Then the light came on. As it always did. "Gabriel MacKenzie?"

He smiled, trying not to appear self-conscious. "Yup."

"Oh, my god!"

Gabe watched as the younger girl's eyes grew starstruck.

"My mom is in love with you!" She reached into her purse for her cell phone. Morgan and April began to giggle.

"Listen . . . I'm sorry about my friends." Only Bailey seemed like she was trying to carry on a normal conversation. "They're usually not like this."

"It's okay," Gabe smiled gently. "I guess it's better than not being recognised at all."

Bailey only shrugged. She seemed quiet and shy. Maybe she was one of those kids who never quite fit in and was "invisible" around school. Gabe knew exactly how she felt.

"You'll never guess who we ran in to at the Outback!" Kimmy was saying into her phone. "That guy you like from The Sun Also Sets! . . . Yes! Oh, my god! He is so much cuter in person . . . Yes . . . Yes! YES! Here, you tell him . . . Mr. MacKenzie . . . it's my mom . . . She thinks I'm making this up."

The teenager handed him the phone. He took it politely. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mr. MacKenzie," the mother sounded nervous. "I'm such a fan . . . You have no idea how heartbroken I was when you left the show . . ."

The fawning went on for a couple of minutes. Gabe was polite to the adoring fan and promised that he would let the girls take their picture with him.

While Kimmy and Morgan tried to find some random stranger in the parking lot, the twins stood by and made some small talk.

"We're sorry for holding you up like this," April said. "You don't have anyplace to go, do you?"

"Not really," Gabe replied. In truth, he was thankful for even a little bit of company on a Saturday night. "You're saving me from some work around the house."

"We're also sorry about our friends," Bailey apologised again. 

"Nah, don't worry about it."

One of those awkward silences fell over the three of them. Gabe could tell they wanted to ask a million questions, but were worried about intruding on his privacy. It was actually very considerate of them.

Finally, the other two reappeared with a friend from school. He was dressed in his tuxedo and found three digital cameras pushed into his hands.

Gabe stood in the middle of all four girls as the flash went off the first time. A small crowd had gathered around to see what the fuss was all about. He set his smile and turned on his public persona. Gabe generally hated paparazzi, but this was different. He hadn't been followed around for a while and it was refreshing to be recognised in public; a little boost to the ego was always welcome.

"One . . . One group picture . . . Hah, hah, hah!" he said, doing his best imitation of the Count from Sesame Street. Everyone laughed. Some other folks were snapping pictures with their camera phones.

"You realise that we're going to spend the rest of our lives telling everyone we went to prom with a TV star, don't you?" April asked him.

"That's okay," he replied with a smirk. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life telling everyone I had four dates on prom night."

The second flash went off. 

"Two . . . two group pictures . . . Hah, hah, hah!" the crowd chanted.

"You also realise that these pictures are going to be all over MySpace and Facebook before dawn," Bailey said softly. He had his arm around her shoulder, the other around April. Her breath in his ear made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Impure thoughts raced through his mind. It had been so long . . . 

"I was expecting before midnight." Gabe turned and smiled at the shy girl. 

The boy taking the pictures motioned for the five of them to squeeze together. "One more!"

The four girls closed in around him.

"Goofy smiles! One . . . two . . ." 

The flash went off.

"Three! . . . Three group pictures! . . . Hah, hah, hah!"

The crowd began to disperse. The four girls each thanked him again for dinner. He found that he was disappointed that the brief encounter was ending.

Kimmy, Morgan and April were headed towards their car, but Bailey lingered for a second. He looked into her pretty blue eyes. She started to say something, but stopped. After a false start or two, she finally spoke. "I . . . um . . . don't suppose you'd actually like to go to the prom, would you?"

Gabe met her gaze and could tell how hard it was for her to ask. There was a hopefulness to her. He almost said, "No."

"Would they let me in like this?" he motioned to his shorts, sandals and polo shirt. "I'm a little underdressed." 

A disappointed look flashed across her face. Gabe sighed.

"But I can't let a pretty girl down on prom night." Her face lit up immediately. "Would you slum with a date like me, or should I change?"

"Oh . . . I don't know," she stammered. Then she started waving frantically to her sister. "April! . . . April! Come here!"

The other three girls came back to see what Bailey was shouting about. They huddled up. There was some giggling and a chorus of "Oh, my gods!" and "This is sooooo cools!"

"I'll tell you what," Gabe said. "I only live a little ways away. I'll go home and change then meet you at the dance. Where is it?"

"At school," Bailey replied. "We go to Washington County High."

"That's quite a drive."

The girl shrugged. "There aren't that many good places to eat out in the middle of nowhere."

Washington County was a rural district well away from town. It was a small school and close to an hour away. 

"I don't suppose you've ever been there?" A disappointed look flashed across Bailey's face. "Listen . . . we can't ask you to go all the way out there for us."

Gabe's heart leapt into his throat for a second. No young girl deserved this kind of heartbreak. Not on her prom night. Besides, it wasn't like he already had plans or couldn't afford a little country drive. "Why don't you girls follow me home; I'll change and then we'll go to the dance."

Her eyes lit up.

"I can't stay too long, though," he warned. "And I probably don't want to know what kinds of things you girls have planned for afterwards."

The pair of them laughed nervously.

Bailey went back to her friends and Gabe got in his car. He led them back to his house. Actually it was the house he had built for his mother before she died. It was in an upscale neighbourhood with a gorgeous lakeside view. One of the perks of having a reasonably successful television career was being able to do nice things for his family.

Pulling into his driveway, Gabe got out and led the girls into the house. They waited in the living room while he went to the guest suite. He still couldn't bring himself to move into his mother's room, even a year later.

He kept a tux in the closet for fancy events and even though it fit a little tighter than it had the last time he put it on, Gabe slipped into it easily. 

"My mom says we have to stop by the house," Bailey said, holding her hand over the mouthpiece of her cellphone. "Kimmy and Morgan's parents are going to meet us there."

Gabe smiled. What had started out as a whim was becoming a big production. He almost regretted it, but the company of the four girls brought a little bit of light to an otherwise boring weekend. He noticed that the girls didn't wander around or touch anything. He only hoped that once he had kids, they'd be as well-mannered and polite as this crew.

The girls gathered up their things and they went to leave. Gabe reached for a pen and his pocket camera then joined the girls in his garage.

April started to give him directions to their house, but Gabe waved her off. "You guys lead and I'll follow you. Write your address down and I'll let my GPS find the place if I get lost."

"Do you want one of us to ride with you?" The hopeful look in Bailey's eyes made his heart skip a beat.

"Um . . . sure," he replied.

The drive out to the school started out awkwardly. Bailey was quiet and still a little starstruck. Gabe didn't want to come off as the creepy guy in his mid-30s hitting on an 18 year-old. He turned on the satellite radio and made a little bit of meaningless small talk.

Bailey and her sister were graduating the next weekend. Both were attending the local community college with plans to transfer to a 4 year university once they had earned their associates degrees. Their family was middle class, but not swimming in money. They couldn't afford to get apartments and would be living at home while going to school.

As they drove, the girl opened up and began to chatter on like a little girl. Gabe thought it was cute and sweet. She wanted to be a nurse. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, careful to watch the road, not the bosom that was surely taped with great care inside her strapless dress.

She didn't ask much about him, and he didn't feel like talking about himself. Both had a natural introversion that he tried to overcome with friendly conversation.

The drive took about forty-five minutes and soon they were pulling into her driveway. The house was on a good-sized lot with neighbours that were neither too close nor too far. The grounds were well-maintained with a garden that helped subsidise the family's food supply. 

Gabe looked over at Bailey, but she wouldn't make eye contact with him. It seemed that she was a little embarrassed after being in the large McMansion he lived in. He sensed that the young girl was afraid he would think that she was a little too country bumpkin or white trash.

"Do you folks raise animals, too?" he asked conversationally.

"Um-hmm," she stammered. "We've got chickens and pigs and a couple of cows."

"Any horses?"

"Not anymore," she replied and a sad look crossed her eyes. "We had to sell them . . . feed's getting expensive and they cost so much to keep up."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Gabe said quietly. On impulse, he reached over and gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze, which made her smile.

The car rolled to a stop on the gravel and he found that there was a small crowd of family and friends gathered. Taking a deep breath, he put his smile back on and opened the door. 

A few cameras flashed and people rushed out to meet him. He shook hands and was sure to say all the right things.

"I can't believe this!" April and Bailey's mother kept saying over and over. She made it very clear to him that she was his biggest fan. Gabriel posed for pictures with all of his "dates" in various combinations. He made sure that at least one of the four girls was in every picture along with him.

"You have a lovely house, Mrs. Crawford," he said with one arm around her and the other around Bailey. "And two lovely daughters. I'm sure you're very proud."

"I sure am," she beamed. "They're going to BCC in the fall . . . and call me Joanne."

"That's what Bailey told me on the drive out here," Gabe replied. "Time sure flies, doesn't it?"

"That it does, Mr. MacKenzie."

"Now don't you start with that 'mister' stuff, Joanne," he scolded her playfully. 

They shared a hearty laugh which was interrupted by a wistful look on the other woman's face. "It seems like just yesterday that they were born . . . right here in this house. We didn't know what to name them so Doc Caudill put a bracelet on each. One was marked 'A' and the other 'B', so we named them April and Bailey."

"Oh, mother," the teenager rolled her eyes with embarrassment.

"Well, they have become beautiful young women," Gabe said and squeezed Bailey's waist gently. He didn't mean to, but the motion pulled her breasts against him. A shiver ran through his body.

"That they have," Joanne said with a sigh. The rest of the crowd was still vying for his attention, but he knew he had to get the girls moving or they'd spend all night in the driveway.

"Come on, girls," he called to the other three. Bailey seemed like she was fixed to his hip. "Let's get going. We don't want to miss the big dance."

The four girls all piled into his car. Bailey elbowed her way into the shotgun seat and the other three slid into the back of his Lexus. Joanne and her husband were tagging along, he in their truck and she in the family car so the girls would have a way home from the dance.


Life is a Soap Opera Act 01



Their eyes were wide and they played with all of the gadgets. This was certainly their first ride in an $85,000 car.

Gabe made the same polite conversation with the other three girls that he did with Bailey on the drive down and soon enough they arrived at the school. The dance was being held in the gym and it seemed that most of the county had turned out for the prom. After all, there wasn't anything else going on in Washington County that night.

When they got out of his car, they made their way to the promenade area. Students were already lined up and were being introduced. The girls had initially planned to be there from the beginning, but the earlier stop for pictures made them late.

At first, Gabe got a few quizzical looks from folks that seemed to say, "Who's that old guy with the Crawford girls and their friends?" but thanks to the Soap Opera network, a few people recognised him and the whispers—and text messages—soon spread throughout the crowd.

The next hour was a whirlwind of pictures and fawning. His appearance seemed to be the biggest thing to hit Washington County since the new high school opened three years ago. Gabe smiled a lot and made sure that at least one of the four girls was always on his arm. The local paper interviewed the fivesome and he made sure to sound like he was just trying to make sure the girls had a good night, not like a weird 35 year-old guy who was going out with teenagers.

They took a formal set of pictures. Gabe paid for a set for each of them plus one for himself. He was sure to buy his ticket to the prom; no doubt that the school PTA could use every penny they could get. He chatted with the principal for a few minutes and was accosted by the drama teacher who asked him to speak to his class the next year. He gave non-committal responses, but everyone was so nice, he made a mental note to find a way to work the school into his schedule.

A few of the other kids tried to elbow the four girls out of the way for a picture alone with him, but his dates—especially Bailey—would have none of that. They pushed and shoved right back and often made sure Gabe was between two of them.

He made a point to dance with each of the girls, fully aware of everyone's eyes upon them. About halfway through the dance, Gabriel excused himself and told the girls it was past his bedtime. The kids were all discussing their plans for after the prom, and he didn't want to know any details, lest his presence be implicated.

Showing up or being placed at a post-prom party was the last thing he needed. He was toying with the idea of getting back into the business, and being around teenagers doing what teenagers do on prom night was no way to get noticed in a positive way.

Kimmy, Morgan and April all gave him a hug. Bailey latched on to his arm and offered to walk him out to his car on the pretense that she didn't want anyone to steal a solo picture of her "date". Neither said a word and he reached into his pocket. The doors unlocked themselves when they sensed his key fob get close.

"Thanks for coming out here with us, Gabe," the girl said shyly. "I . . . I know going to a prom was probably the last thing you wanted to do tonight."

"I had a great time," he said softly. In his mind, all sorts of lurid thoughts raced around, fueled by his lust for the young girl's voluptuous curves. He pushed them aside and made sure not to shift out of gentleman mode.

"Me, too," Bailey blushed. He saw where this was going and let his good sense take over. She looked away. "Listen . . . um . . . do you think we could . . . you know . . ."

"I'm old enough to be your father, Bailey," he said when her voice trailed off. "You've got your whole life ahead of you. I'm just a washed up soap opera actor."

She could barely hide the disappointment in her eyes. "I just thought . . . that maybe . . . you'd see something for . . . you know . . . us."

"Young lady," he lifted her chin, so she was looking in his eyes. "You are a very pretty girl and if I were eighteen again, your dad would have to lock you up to keep me away from you . . ."

That made her smile. 

"But you don't want me," he continued, fully aware that she only knew his public persona and TV personality. He had seen the same starstruck look in many of the show's fans. "You don't realise what a boring person I am. Or how much baggage I come with. There's so much more out there."

"I guess so," she said dejectedly. "Can I call you when we're in town for school? We could go out for lunch or something."

He thought real hard before replying. Against his better judgment, Gabe scribbled one of his phone numbers on a scrap of paper. When she reached to take the slip, he pulled it back. "You have to promise that you will never share this number with anyone. Not even your sister. Do not put my name on it and do not program it into your phone. Promise?"

"I promise," she replied eagerly, the palmed his number.

"Good night, Bailey," he said softly. He had to look away, lest her big, brown eyes draw him into a kiss he knew wasn't a good idea. Before she could steal that kiss, Gabe slipped into his car. He didn't roll the window down and waved as he drove away.

In his rearview mirror, he saw Bailey standing there. Alone in the parking lot, the lights shining down and making her look like an angel. With big round hips and full, luscious tits.

Gabe sped home, suddenly finding his cock wanting to burst out of his pants.

**************** 

Bailey lay back on her bed. Her breasts, though heavy, still sat upright on her chest.

She cried out, despite trying not to wake her sister in the bed next to hers. Her fingers worked between her legs.

As she had every night for the past week, Bailey imagined that Gabriel MacKenzie was making love to her. Her body shuddered with pleasure as thoughts of her prom "date" raced through her mind.

Imagining him mounting her in her bed . . . bending her over the couch . . . eating her out in the back of his car . . .

Every scenario played over and over in her head. She cupped one of her breasts while playing with herself. The thought of him suckling on her nipples made her spine tingle.

Whimpering as she approached her climax, Bailey squeezed her eyes shut. Her hand moved faster.

She imagined that she was his wife. Accompanying him to the Emmy Awards. Visiting him on the set of his latest movie or TV show. Laying out on the back of their yacht.

Her fingers pressed on the nub of her clit. Her pussy was slick.

From head to toe, her body began to shake. She imagined him taking her from behind, impaling her on his cock.

With a gasp, her pussy seemed to explode. Her toes tingled. She curled up into the fetal position, waves of pleasure radiating out from between her legs.

Bailey shivered for a few minutes, then fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming of red carpets and babies and her handsome lover.

**************** 

A little over an hour's drive away, Gabe lay in his bed. 

His hand stroked up and down on his cock. 

Try as he might, he could not get the image of Bailey Crawford out of her mind. Her wide, firm hips. Her soft, round tits. 

And her eyes. Those big brown orbs. They were hypnotic. They pulled him in and held him, like a moth drawn to a candle.

Gabe imagined her mounting him and riding his cock. She would lean forward, pressing her breasts into the palms of his hands. Her hips would rock back and forth.

He would thrust up into her soaking wet pussy. 

They would cum together and then she would collapse on top of him, spent. They would fall asleep in each others' arms, then wake up and make love over and over.

She was half his age, but Gabe found that he could not escape the thoughts of her. He didn't want to.

For the second time that night, Gabe orgasmed to the lurid fruits of his imagination. He remembered how soft her skin was. How her breasts pressed against him when he pulled her close.

He fell asleep, tormented by the thought that he might never see her again.

**************** 

"Hey, Sis!" April called. "You got something from your boyfriend!"

"What are you babbling about?" Bailey walked through the kitchen door, fresh from feeding the family's animals.

"There's a letter for each of us from Mr. MacKenzie."

Bailey snatched the envelope out of her sister's hand, despite the other girl's attempt to pull it back. She tore into it, finding a sappy/inspirational congratulatory graduation card from Hallmark and a gift certificate to the local shopping mall.

She had hoped that he would show up at graduation and ask her to run away with him, but he didn't. Still, she knew this was more than she should have expected. 

"Get the same thing?" April asked, holding up her card. Bailey shrugged. On one level, she was happy to have heard from Gabe, but on another she was disappointed that it was just a nice, if a little impersonal, gift card.

A few moments later, the phone rang. It was Morgan. And a few minutes after that, Kimmy called the twins. All four girls had received different cards but the same gift. If she would have allowed herself to be upset with her sister and her best friends, Bailey was disappointed that Gabe hadn't singled her out for something special. She thought they had connected on some deeper level than the other three girls. Still, the young woman couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, especially one that gave so generously after only knowing her for four or five hours.

A couple of weeks later, Bailey finally drummed up the courage to call Gabe. She hemmed and hawed for a while, wondering if she could actually do it.

So many thoughts ran through her mind. They ranged from the hopeful (He really likes me!) to the self-doubting (Does he really like me and not my super-hot twin sister?) to the scared (What if he's some sort of sexual predator) to outright lust (I'm going to jump his bones when we meet!).

Graduation was passed. The girls were of school for the next two and a half months before starting at the community college in the fall. In addition to helping around the farm, both had jobs. Every night, Bailey stared at the slip of paper Gabe had given her. She mentally kicked herself for not giving him her phone number. She would have to be the one to make the first move.

One afternoon, after her folks and sister had gone off to work, Bailey dialed the number. Her heart pounded in her chest. The palms of her hands were covered in sweat. 

The phone rang. 

Two . . . three times. 

She cringed at the fourth ring, anticipating it rolling into Gabe's voicemail.

Her stomach churned when someone picked up. "Hello?"

For a moment, she couldn't speak.

"Hello?" the familiar voice said again.

"Hi . . . Mr. MacKenzie?" she knew she had to say something lest he think she was a telemarketer and hang up. "It's me . . . um, Bailey Crawford."

"Bai—Oh, hi!" She could "hear" the smile in his voice and she let out a sigh of relief. "How are you? How was graduation?"

"Graduation was fine, Mr. Mac—"

"Don't start that with me, Bailey," he said, his voice becoming playfully stern. "Call me Gabe or I'm going to hang up on you."

"Okay, Gabe." The butterflies in her stomach calmed down a little. But not much. "Graduation was good . . . a little long. We wanted to thank you for the cards and the gifts."

"Anything for my prom dates," he said.

There was a brief awkward silence. She had to steel up her courage. "Gabe . . . I don't suppose you'd want to meet for lunch or something . . . April and I are going to be in town on Wednesday for orientation . . ."

"I'd love to—" 

As soon as the words started, she knew there would be a "but" coming.

"—but I'm out of town right now. . . ."

If he had been there, Gabriel would have seen the disappointment on the girl's face.

". . . I'm in New York through the twenty-second. . ."

That was almost three weeks away.

". . . But I'd really like to get together with you . . ."

Her face brightened.

". . . And the other girls . . ."

Disappointment. Again.

". . . When I get back." He paused for a second. "Is this a good number to reach you? I've got a meeting in a few minutes . . . Can I call you back in about an hour?"

It took her a second to process what he had just said. "Um . . . sure."

"Okay, I'll talk to you in a few."

She sat on the couch, holding the phone to her ear, its connection long since dropped. Her hands were shaking. She felt excited and afraid and confused all at the same time. All the while she wondered what had just happened.

**************** 

Gabriel walked out of the office humming a tune. He smiled at everyone, which was strange in New York. He caught a cab back to his apartment on the upper west side. When he walked through the door, he realised just how much he missed the city. Not that small town life was bad, but there was always an excitement about New York.

Of course, in about six months he'd remember why he left, but for now, everything seemed to be going his way. Not only was he once again going to be gainfully employed, but the pretty young woman who had only crossed his path for one night had called him back.

The timing of everything was good. The person who was sub-letting his apartment had moved out the month before. He didn't have another tenant lined up and wasn't about to give up his rent subsidy. Gabe was smart with his money and had enough that he could live for several years without substantially altering his lifestyle. Still, it would be good to be drawing a paycheck again. Not to mention being out of his mother's house once more.

He picked up his phone, scrolled through the incoming calls and dialed Bailey's number. On one level, he was surprised she called. On another, he was ticked off at himself for not asking for her number so he could call her.

The phone only rang once.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Bailey?" he said, not sure if the number she had called him from was her house or a cell phone. He wasn't worried about his number being caller ID'd; he had call block on all of his lines. "It's Gabe."

"Hey." There seemed to be relief in her voice.

"Listen, I'm sorry for blowing you off this afternoon, but I was on my way to a meeting with my agent," he said.

"How'd it go?"

"Very well," Gabe beamed. "They want me back on the show and called to make me an offer last week."

"That's great," she said softly. If he didn't know any better, Gabe would have sworn that she sounded a little let down by his news. Still he pressed on, unable to contain his own excitement. 

"I'm flying back in a couple of weeks, and then I'd like for you guys to come up to the house with your families." He scribbled some notes on a pad at his desk. 

"Everyone?" Bailey asked. "If you say all our families, half of Washington County will find some relation to us and show up on your doorstep. TV stars are few and far between out in the country."

Gabe laughed. "How about immediate family? I owe you girls big time."

"How much is 'big time'?" Bailey asked, then paused for a second. He thought he detected a sultry undertone when she spoke again. "Enough for dinner?"

Impure thoughts raced through his mind at her suggestion. The tone of her voice hinted at something a little more . . . private . . . than he had anticipated. Still, the thought of having a date with the young woman was very enticing. He took a deep breath. "And then some."

"I'll hold you to that," the girl replied, her flirtatiousness suddenly a little hesitant.

"Let me call you in a few days," Gabe said, not really wanting to wait that long to speak to her again. He looked over at the calendar hanging on the wall. "Unless your families are busy on the twenty-fifth—that's a Saturday—why don't you all plan to come over for dinner."

"That sounds good." It seemed to Gabe that she wanted to say something else, but stopped herself. 

"I'll look forward to it, Bailey."

"Me, too, Gabe."

There was another awkward silence, then both hung up. He spent the next three weeks both elated and nervous at the same time.

And none of it had to do with going back to work.

************** 

After wrangling around everyone's schedules, Gabriel invited the girls and their families to a cookout at his mother's house. It was more of a catered event—since Gabe really didn't cook—but the girls's parents insisted on bringing something so he told them to bring a salad or dessert. In truth, he had everything covered, but if it made them feel better, they could bring anything they wanted.

Deep down, as long as Bailey was there, he didn't care what else showed up.

A couple of his friends were in from New York. He thought it would be a good idea to have some other "stars" there to run interference for him. After all, being social for an entire night wasn't really his thing, but he had friends who reveled in it.

Plus, he invited a few of his neighbours since he figured they would be making enough noise to keep everyone up, so Gabe pre-emptively wanted to stave off any complaints. Not that they weren't used to the noise. Before his mother died, the backyard was usually full on most weekends if the weather was good.

He was anticipating forty or fifty people over the course of the night, so well in advance he arranged for a local barbeque restaurant to supply a steady stream of food from pulled pork to beef brisket to rib tips along with potato salad, coleslaw, corn on the cob and just about everything else that people might want.

The back patio had an outdoor cooking area and a bar. A stone fountain and fake stream ran through the composite deck and down the hill into a goldfish pond. His mother loved to entertain people and she was quick to show off the house her son had built for her. As the servers from the restaurant set up, Gabe smiled inwardly, knowing that if she were there, Libby MacKenzie would spend the night in the thick of the action, her hearty laughter turning strangers into her best friends and bringing a sparkle to everyone's eyes.

Chairs were set up around the patio. Citronella torches warded off the mosquitoes. The sun was still above the horizon, but through a stroke of pure luck, it wasn't too hot or humid outside. Gabe even had the hot tub cleaned out and simmering, knowing that some of his friends would undoubtedly end up in it by nightfall.

Teri and Chuck were already into the wine. They were two of his dearest friends. Also actors, they took Gabe under their wings when he arrived in New York, fresh out of college. He was the godfather to their children and they handled all of the arrangements when Gabe's mother died. Gabe didn't have many close friends, but those who were in his inner circle would have fought, died and moved Heaven and Earth for one another.

"I think everything's all set up," Teri walked up and put her arm around Gabe. "It's good to have you back, Lo."

He looked into his friend's eyes and smiled. He started to say something but then heard cars pulling into his driveway. Teri kissed him on the cheek then went to make sure that her husband wasn't too far into the bottle of zinfandel before any of the other guests arrived.

Kimmy and her parents were the first ones to walk around the house. Their eyes were wide at the size and luxury of the place. Gabe greeted them warmly and introduced them to his friends. In addition to Teri and Chuck, his agent Tom and his wife were there, as well as two of the younger actors from the show who he knew from his time on Broadway.

April, Bailey and Morgan's families showed up soon after and then the party got started. Trays of snacks were about and the bar was stocked with wine, beer, soft drinks and bottled water. There was no band, but music played over outdoor speakers hidden throughout the patio. The neighbours began coming over and once it seemed that everyone was there, Gabe got up on one of the stone benches.




Life is a Soap Opera Act 01



"Thanks to everyone for coming out tonight," he said once everyone quieted down. "I'll trust that you guys can introduce yourselves, but the reason for this party is the four young women over there. Thanks to them, I have staged my triumphant return to The Sun Also Sets!"

There was some rowdy applause from his friends and shocked looks from the locals who were out of the New York loop. Teri handed Gabe a handful of the daily rags that were all over newsstands in the city, but didn't circulate much elsewhere. He held up the first, which showed a picture of Gabe and the four girls from prom on the front page. Not bad for a guy who had been out of the business for the past two years.

"It seems that thanks to April, Bailey, Kimmy and Morgan . . . and with a little assistance from Facebook and MySpace . . . news of my senior prom got me noticed by the publicity hounds at the studio and they came begging me to take my old job back—"

"God only knows why!" Chuck taunted playfully and Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"—And I have decided that I've been a worthless bum long enough—"

There were some snorts and giggles.

"—So I'm going back to drawing a paycheck again."

"Notice that he didn't say he was going back to work." Chuck elbowed Bailey's father and laughed.

Gabe raised his glass. "So here's to you girls . . . Thank you for getting me back in the news for something that doesn't involve a Bolivian midget and a donkey, and thank you for helping me to once again become a contributing member of the American workforce."

"Here, here!" everyone chorused.

"And thank you all for being eighteen." Of course Chuck had to get in one last snarky remark.

"The food is ready, help yourselves." Gabe hopped down and watched his guests go through the line. Once everyone was served, he fixed himself a plate and sat down—coincidentally enough—with Bailey and Joanne.

Across the patio, the gregarious Chuck had drawn the largest crowd. Between bites he told stories (read: lies) to his audience of adoring fans. The rest of the crowd either talked shop or about things of mutual interest. At first the "locals" seemed to be a little enamoured with the folks who they only knew through the television, but soon enough, they realised that they were people like everyone else.

"How did you get into acting?" Joanne asked conversationally.

Gabe smiled, wondering which of his two responses to give. He glanced over at Bailey, who shyly looked away. He decided on the answer he usually didn't give to the television cameras.

"Some actors are the class clowns and attention hogs who live to be on stage. That's Chuck. He always wants everyone's eyes on him. If I said I didn't like that, I'd be lying. But that's not the real reason," Gabe said. "I have an older brother, Michael. He's bigger and stronger and faster than I ever was. Little League all-star, football player and all that. That wasn't me, though. I was never going to be him, even though I tried. I really wanted to some days . . ."

Bailey looked up at him, her eyes wide. He smiled, getting the sense that she felt the same way when around her twin sister.

"I joined the drama club at school because acting lets me be someone else," he said wistfully. "I can be a king or a soldier or a homeless man or anyone I want to be. I bring a character to life . . . and just for a moment . . . I'm not Michael's little brother."

"I'll bet he wishes he could be you now," Joanne smiled.

Gabe shrugged. "He does well enough."

"But he's not on TV every day," Bailey said quietly.

"No . . . no, he's not. And he only had one prom date," Gabe chuckled.

Bailey opened her mouth as if to say something else, but someone called for Gabriel.

"Hey, Lo! You need a beer." His agent Tom said, pushing an opened bottle into his hands, then sat down next to him. He surveyed the group, mentally matching names and faces. "You must be Bailey . . . and is this your sister, Joanne?"

The young woman blushed. Her mother was taken instantly, Tom's charm overpowering her meager defenses.

"Old Lo here ought to be paying you a commission on this one, not me," he continued with a smile. "When pictures of you guys at prom hit the papers, my phone never stopped ringing. The network has been wanting him back for the last year and after this story, they really sweetened the pot!"

In Washington County, the story of the TV star at the prom made the front page of the single newspaper, but none of them had any idea that it was such a big deal. Bailey and her mom looked at each other bewilderedly, then at Gabe. He only shrugged, embarrassed.

"If it were any other guy, I'd have said he staged the photo op on purpose," Tom said, showing his unashamed inner publicist. "But you guys don't know Lo like I do . . . he doesn't think like that . . . never did . . . but then again, he's known that they've been trying to get him back since the day he left."

Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. That was something he wasn't ready to talk about with his other guests.

Bailey saw this and came to his rescue. "Why do you they call you 'Lo'?"

"My parents named me and my brother after angels in the Bible," he resigned himself to the direction this conversation was taking. The same place it always went when his friends were around. "In the New Testament, only two angels are mentioned by name: the archangels Gabriel and Michael. Gabriel is God's messenger. He tells of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, and the Muslims believe he recited the Koran to Muhammad."

"But he also goes by another name," Tom said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"What other name?" Joanne asked quizzically.

"Hey, Chuck," Tom called. "What's Gabriel's other name in the Bible?"

Gabe's best friend, who never turned down an opportunity to show off, stood up and put on his most theatrical voice to quote the Gospel of Luke. "And Lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them . . ."

Everyone laughed, including Gabriel. And he couldn't help but smile when his eyes met Bailey's. Something inexplicable passed between them. In the fading light of the setting sun, she looked so beautiful. He wanted to reach out and caress her round, dimpled cheeks. He wanted to run his hands through the soft folds of her hair. He wanted to pull her close to him and feel the press of her body against his. But he didn't dare.

Not with his career back on track. Not with her ready to take on the world.

And yet, it seemed so right. So enticing. As if she were his for the taking.

Gabe pulled himself away from Bailey and her mother. He mingled with his other guests as any polite host does, but out of the corner of his eye, he watched Bailey. She was quiet and shy. She talked only to her friends and her folks unless someone engaged her first. She seemed uncomfortable around Gabe's neighbours and friends.

He got the sense that she was hovering a little bit. And in truth, he never wandered far from her. Once, he zoned out and when Teri pinched him, he realised that his eyes had followed Bailey around his yard. She shot him a conspiratorial grin, then went to talk to the young woman before he could stop her.

With a sigh, Gabe went back to the party. He chatted with Kimmy and Morgan and their parents. Kimmy's mom, the self-professed number one fan of his show, had latched on to Trey and Nick. They were more than accommodating—if a little tipsy—and the three of them were bonding. They got her singing and she told them what a shame it was that they were gay, much to the amusement of her daughter and the chagrin of her husband.

When the wine refrigerator was running low, Gabe ducked inside his house. Several of his guests had gone inside to watch the basketball playoffs or play pool in the basement recreation room. He had a bottle of merlot in one hand, a Riesling in the other when he literally bumped into Bailey. 

Reflexively, he reached out to catch her and soon found her in his arms. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," Bailey said softly. She didn't back away.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. No one else was around. Hesitantly, she ran her hands over his arms. 

Gabe's first thought was to back away. But there was no way to do so gracefully, much less with a bottle of wine in each hand. He also found that he didn't want to.

Both seemed frozen with indecision. Her eyes were down, as if she were afraid to meet his gaze.

Finally, she glanced up. He saw an inner resolve there. He knew what was coming.

Bailey lifted her chin and licked her lips. She took a deep breath. Her big brown eyes froze Gabe for just a second. Her hands went to his shoulders and she pulled herself to him.

He stood there spellbound and almost gave in. 

"No . . . no, Bailey," he mumbled and fell back a step. The hurt in her eyes made him want to shrivel up and die. "Not like this."

"Gabe . . ." There were tears in her eyes as her voice trailed off.

He set the wine bottles down on the counter and took her hands in his.

"Bailey . . . oh, I'm so sorry," he said, wishing he could take back what just happened. "It's not that . . . I'm leaving town on Tuesday and going back to New York . . . I can't . . ."

A silence fell over the both of them.

"You can't what?" she finally whispered.

He said the words, but didn't quite believe they came out of his mouth. "I can't stand the thought of leaving you like that." 

"Don't you . . . don't you like me?"

Gabe squeezed her hands gently. "I don't know, Bailey . . . I don't know. I could be your father . . ."

A million excuses raced through his mind. And yet he found that he didn't give a damn about any of them. Sure there was part of him that was thinking naughty thoughts of what he could do with this sweet, young girl. But there was another part that saw a kindred spirit. It saw past their age difference. It didn't care what the tabloids might say. It only wanted to be with her.

He found that he didn't want to let go of her hands, but he knew he had to. 

"I'll tell you what. I'll be back in a month. That's when my initial run back on the show will be over. Then we'll . . ." Gabe paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Then may I take you out?"

She inhaled sharply, suddenly flustered. Her earlier disappointment gave way to excitement. "Like on a date?"

"If you are willing, my lady," he said in his most chivalrous tone.

Bailey pushed aside her hurt and giggled like a schoolgirl. "Okay, my dashing prince."

The two shared a secret smile and he once again had to resist the urge to kiss her. They both went back to the party, unaware that just about everyone there was watching them.

**************** 

The ride in the car back was long. Joanne couldn't stop chattering about how great it was to actually meet real-life television stars. Even the girls's father Andy seemed to be impressed by how down to earth and friendly Gabe and his friends were.

Bailey didn't know it, but she glowed for the rest of the night. She couldn't stop smiling and her eyes would light up at the mere mention of Gabriel MacKenzie.

When they got home, April and Bailey went to the room they shared. Ordinarily they might have gone out on a Saturday night, but after the party at Gabe's and then the hour-long drive home, neither was inclined to go visit with any of their small-town friends.

They each crawled into their beds. April turned the television on while Bailey changed and brushed her teeth in the bathroom.

"So what were you and your boyfriend talking about all night?"

Bailey blushed. Neither of the girls could hide any secrets from the other. In addition to being twins, they had been too close for too long.

"He asked me out!" she said excitedly.

April scoffed, but there was clear envy in her eyes. She was used to drawing the admiring stares and flirting with the boys. This time, though, it wasn't so bad. Bailey deserved a good guy, especially after her last boyfriend. And she sensed that Gabe wasn't just looking to cop a quick feel, or get off with a fuck and suck.

He was good-looking, reasonably well-known and obviously didn't want for money. If he wanted to get laid, there was certain to be a legion of pretty young girls at his beck and call.

"When?" April asked.

"He said he's going to be in New York for a month," her sister replied. "They're going to write him back into the show for twenty episodes. To see if there's interest in him returning or something like that. Then if things work out, he might go back permanently."

"But then he'll be moving to New York for good," April pointed out.

Bailey started to say something, but stopped, the realisation of her sister's words sinking in.

"Look, Sis, I don't want you to fall for this guy only to have him leave you at the end of the summer," April said.

The other girl chewed on her lip for a minute. She pulled her covers up. "But it would be one helluva summer . . ."

"Yes, it would, Sis," April sighed. April didn't want to see her sister get hurt. They looked out for each other. That's what twins do. And April and Bailey, for all their differences, were closer than most. Part of it was growing up in a small town. Part of it was being together in a small house in a tight-knit family. And part of it was that neither would know what to do without the other.

The two fell silent for a long time, absently watching the television.

"So how many of his babies are you going to have?" April asked suddenly. She was rewarded with a volley of pillows being thrown from the other bed. Both giggled and laughed, knowing that each had the other's best interests at heart.

A little while later, Bailey reached for the remote control and the television flickered out. 

April had dozed off, but was awakened by the soft sounds of moaning. She heard shuffling under the covers in Bailey's bed. She smiled to herself—partly amused, partly jealous—as Bailey masturbated to fantasies of her dream lover. As she did every night. She gasped and cried out.

When her orgasm finally subsided, Bailey rolled over in her bed and after a few moments she was breathing rhythmically. April closed her eyes and fell into her own slumber, wondering what Gabe's brother was like.

**************** 

Once all the neighbours had left, Gabe sat around the deck with his Chuck, Teri and Tom. Tom's wife had gone to bed, as had Trey and Nick. They talked about the business. They caught up with one another. Gabe had been gone from the show for a little over two years. He was one of the more popular supporting characters and the producers had tried everything they could think of to bring him back.

His heart just wasn't in it, though. Not with his mother's failing health. Even though she scolded him for dropping everything to care for her, he stayed by her side. And after her death, he coasted on for another year.

"You've got to strike while the iron is hot," Tom had told him when he was back in New York.

"Get off your ass, stop feeling sorry for yourself and get the fuck back to work," was Chuck's way of saying the same thing.

After the publicity surrounding his prom date, it didn't take much coaxing to get back into the swing of things. His encounter with the girls and fresh exposure in the press seemed to put that spring back in his step.

The citronella torches were flickering with their last light. Tom and Chuck went inside. The catering crew had long since departed. The leftovers were packed in foil containers and deposited in the fridge. Empty beer bottles and the disposable paper plates were stuffed into trash cans.

Gabe and Teri sat underneath the stars for a few more minutes. The neighbourhood was quiet. 

"Your mom would have had a great time tonight," his friend said. 

He smiled ruefully. "Yeah . . . she would have."

"She always loved having people around," Teri divided the last bit of wine between their two glasses. "Do you remember the time we took her to that party out in the Hamptons?"

"You mean the time we crashed the wedding?"

Both of them laughed at the memory.

"Hey, we had an invitation," she replied, feigning defensiveness. 

"That you stole!"

"It was sent to me. Well . . . to my house, anyway." They laughed again. "Your mom was a firecracker, Gabe."

He smiled wistfully. Libby had always like Teri. The two were like sisters.

"She would have liked Bailey, too," Teri said quietly.

"Mom liked everybody," Gabe replied absently. That wasn't quite true. His mom never liked his ex-wife, even before the divorce.

"Not like that, Lo. Libby would have liked Bailey because you like Bailey," she continued. "Don't give me that look, mister. You two were making puppy dog eyes at each other all night long."

"She's young enough—"

"Oh, horseshit," Teri snorted. "You're what? . . . Thirty-five? You're not an old man, Lo. She's hot for you, too . . . and not just because you're a looker who's on TV. She really likes you."

"How do you know that?"

"I know these things, Lo. Girl secrets," she reached out to take her friend's hand. "I know you're still pissed off at Jeannie and you're missing your mom. But you've got to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Life's too short to spend it moping around like you got the shaft."

Every now and then, people need a verbal smacking around. Gabe knew he was due. And he knew whenever it was Teri doing the talking, she was always right.

"She's a good kid," he said softly. "What if she wants more out of life than . . . dammit, Teri, I graduated from high school before she was even born!"

"You need to get over that, bucko," she replied. "She's not a girl! She's a beautiful young woman."

"I feel like some dirty old man when I look at her," Gabe confessed. "Bailey's got her whole life ahead—"

"Jesus-fucking-Christ, Lo," his friend sounded flustered. "If anything, I should be warning you that she's only after you for your money or because she wants to fuck a guy on TV. But she doesn't. I talked to her, her sister and her folks. Not a one of them has a manipulative bone in their bodies. They're all good people. I should know; I used to be like them before I moved to New York and got old and cynical. I'll tell you this: That girl is head over heels in love with you. I don't know what you've done to her, but you are the center of her world. If you'd open your eyes, you'd see that. And if you don't . . . and soon . . . she'll find someone else to settle down and spend the rest of her life with."

Gabe closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "What if she finds out that I don't live the life of a TV star? What if she leaves me like Jeannie did?"

"Then it will be her loss, not yours," Teri said, her voice hardening at the mention of his ex-wife. "Let her in, Gabriel. Show her who you really are. You get to know her. Then you can both make a decision with your eyes open. Living not to get hurt is like dying without knowing that you're already dead."

He started to say something, but found that she was going to shoot down any argument he might make. They sat together in silence for a little while longer. The torches burned themselves out and the motion detector-activated lights shut themselves off.

Teri squeezed his hand one more time, then got up and went inside without saying a word.

Gabe sat in the chair, his eyes unfixed and staring off into the darkness. Finally, he went inside his mother's house. He flipped out all the lights and went to his bedroom. He lay in bed for a long time, wanting to dial Bailey's number. Needing to know that all the time he spent thinking about her wasn't wasted.

************* 

The next month was the longest four weeks of Bailey Crawford's young life.

Along with her sister, she went to work and got ready for school. They attended orientation, registered for classes, applied for financial aid and tried to get work-study jobs on campus. The girls had chores around the house and each took on more hours at their part-time jobs to save some money for when school would start.




Life is a Soap Opera Act 01



In their small community, some of the kids went straight into a full-time job after high school. Most of them were from working families—if they weren't downright poor—and they needed every dollar they could get from every able-bodied person in the household. Some went to the service, seeing it as the only ticket out of their small rural town, even knowing that a trip to Iraq or Afghanistan was probably in their immediate future. A few were planning on going to college. And a handful were just taking up space and milking the welfare system. Like their parents and grandparents before them.

Bailey and April had no delusions about their circumstances. They weren't destitute, but they weren't rich, either. Their parents worked hard and tried to give the girls every opportunity they could, but the fact of the matter was that if April and Bailey wanted to go to college, they were going to have to get scholarships and loans and jobs to pay for it. So they scrimped and saved and applied for every kind of financial aid they could find.

That didn't mean they couldn't have any fun, though. They spent some afternoons sunning themselves in the backyard, going horseback riding or swimming at the wave pool. They flirted with the boys and gossiped with the girls. Normal, kid stuff.

At the same time, like many newly-minted high school graduates, Bailey felt like this was her last summer before life caught up with her. She knew that reality was going to set in soon. Their parents had offered the girls a place to live while they went to school, but were told in no uncertain terms that once they either decided to get a job or graduated from college, they were "off the payroll", so to speak. Andy and Joanne had raised their daughters to be independent and they weren't going to spend their lives with grown kids still in the house.

The fun times seemed to fly by, but the rest of Bailey's summer dragged. And it was all because of Gabriel MacKenzie.

He was back in New York working. It seemed that after the prom, just about everyone in Washington County stopped what they were doing from 1 to 2 PM to watch The Sun Also Sets. When his portrait graced the issue of Soap Opera Digest announcing his return to the show, there was not a copy to be found in any store within twenty miles. He was officially the biggest thing to hit the county since Dane Beck got a full scholarship to play football for Virginia Tech back in '02.

If they were home, April and Bailey watched the show in their living room. If they weren't, they taped it and watched it with their mom after dinner and before Jeopardy!

All the while, Bailey counted down the days until he returned to take her out on the date he had promised at the party.

They talked a couple of times, but never for very long. He was working during the day and couldn't answer his phone or return calls. She didn't like talking in the evening because there really wasn't any privacy in her small house. He seemed to be busy with the show and all of the other things that go on in a TV star's life, but he did try to call on a consistent basis, and sometimes it seemed he just wanted to hear the sound of her voice.

After each call, Bailey got some good-natured ribbing from her sister, but it was worth it. Even her parents joked about it a couple of times, and her dad wasn't nearly as intimidating towards Gabe as he was with some of the other boys who called the house.

Mentally, she had circled the first of August as the day he was coming back, although she knew it might be a week to either side of that. His character on the show had returned from a long sabbatical in Tibet or something and was immediately drawn back into the usual soap opera drama. They had written a story arc for him that spanned four weeks and several loose threads were left dangling for his inevitable (permanent) return.

Knowing that Gabe's run was coming to the end, Bailey grew more excited with each passing day. She wondered where he was going to take her and what they would do.

One night after dinner, right about the time that Gabe usually called, the phone rang. Bailey was in the bathroom and couldn't answer, but she came running as quick as she could.

"—We're doing fine, Gabriel," her mother was saying. "The girls got registered and start their classes on the twenty second. . . . Yes, both got the freshman scholarship and the Pell Grant . . . That, too. . . . On campus . . . Bailey's working for Admissions and April will be in the math department . . . Okay . . . Okay . . . I will . . . It was good talking to you."

Bailey reached for the phone, but her mother swatted her hands away. She covered the mouthpiece. "He wants to talk to your father. . . . Andy! Telephone!"

Dumbfounded, Bailey stared as her mother waited for the other phone to pick up, then she hung up the receiver. She was even more shocked when her dad didn't come and get her when he finished his conversation with Gabe. 

She thought to call him back, but a little part of her grew angry. 

What the hell does he think he's doing? Why doesn't he want to talk to me? the young girl thought. 

Making up some excuse, Bailey went to bed early. Gabe didn't call the next night or the day after that. She began to panic. 

"I'm sure he's fine," April tried to comfort her before bed.

"What if he's found some other woman?" Bailey asked, rattling off the most negative things she could think of. "What if he was just using us to get back on the show? What if he's never coming back?"

"I'm sure he'll be back," her sister said. "He promised, didn't he?"

By Friday, Bailey still had not spoken to Gabriel. She called him once and left a voice mail. A couple other times, she was in the middle of dialing his number but stopped before the call went through. She didn't want to come off as desperate, or even worse, psycho.

April was making plans to go out with some of their friends, but she didn't invite Bailey along. "Mom said you were going to help out with the spaghetti dinner at church."

That was news to Bailey. But at least it gave her something to do. In her broken-hearted teenage mind, she stumbled blindly through the day, going through her daily routine by rote.

She and her dad were watching TV and waiting for her mom to get ready when the door bell rang. She was dressed up for church but otherwise pretty casual. No sense in putting on nice clothes only to get them covered in spaghetti sauce. Bailey was so spaced out, she didn't hear a car drive up.

Uncharacteristically, her father sprung out of his chair to answer the door, something he never did. Bailey blinked a couple of times and wondered what was taking her mother so long.

"Good evening, young man," she heard her father say.

"Hello, Mr. Crawford. I was wondering if your daughter was available for me to call on her." Bailey's heart jumped into her throat when she heard Gabe's voice. He was speaking a lot more formally than she had ever heard him, but his tenor was unmistakable.

"Why, yes, she is," her father replied, something between vague amusement and outright laughter in his voice. "Please come in."

"Thank you," Gabe said, stepping into their living room. Bailey stood immediately, unsure of what was going on. Her date was wearing a blazer and a nice shirt with jeans. He had a bouquet of flowers in his hands and a wrapped package under his arm. All of the anger and disappointment Bailey had felt earlier evaporated at the sight of Gabriel. He held out the flowers for her. "I was hoping you'd allow me to take you out for dinner."

Flustered, Bailey only blushed. She wanted to run over and throw her arms around him, but her feet wouldn't move.

"Who's here—" her mom came out of the bedroom. "Oh, hello, Gabriel. Are you here to take Bailey out?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied politely.

"I trust your intentions toward my daughter are honourable," the corners of Andy's mouth turned up.

"Entirely," Gabe smiled. 

"And that you'll have her home at a reasonable hour," Andy continued.

"Is eleven too late, Mr. Crawford?"

"That would be fine, young man." 

The absurdity of the situation struck Bailey just then. Her dad was maybe three years older than Gabriel, although years of work in the auto shop made him look like he was closer to fifty than forty.

"I have something for you, Mrs. Crawford." Joanne blushed as Gabe addressed her. He held out the package, which looked like a framed picture. Bailey's mom opened the neat wrapping. Her smile spread from ear to ear when she saw a publicity photo of the cast from The Sun Also Sets that was autographed by each of the show's stars.

Bailey knew that if things didn't work out between she and Gabriel, and by some chance her dad were out of the picture, Joanne would run away with the soap opera star and not even think twice. Bailey smiled to herself; if he really was interested in pursuing her, Gabe knew exactly who to suck up to first.

"You kids have a good time," Andy said and then sat back down in his chair.

Joanne winked at Gabe, then gave Bailey a warm hug before whispering in her ear, "Use a condom, honey."

"Mom!" She turned only a deeper shade of red.

"My lady," Gabe motioned theatrically towards the door. "Your chariot awaits."

Bailey slipped her hand into the crook of Gabe's arm. He led her out to his car, opened her door then got in on the driver's side. She was only vaguely aware of her parents and sister watching them from the window at the front of her house. It was very surreal.

Things happened so fast, they were well on their way before she felt underdressed. She still clutched the flowers Gabe had given her. Bailey glanced up in the mirror on the backside of the sunshade and saw that she had a goofy smile on her face.

Gabe's eyes twinkled.

"What was that all about?" she asked when she found her voice.

"What was what all about?" her date asked innocently.

"That whole 'may I call on your daughter' stuff? Isn't that a bit old-fashioned?"

"Bailey, I am old," Gabe laughed. "And old-fashioned."

"Where are we going?"

"I thought we'd go somewhere for dinner. Do you like Italian, seafood or steak?"

"Um . . . you pick."

"We could always go to your church for the spaghetti dinner."

"No, thanks," Bailey giggled. Showing up with a date who was twice her age—and famous, too—would cause quite a stir since her sister and friends wouldn't be with them. "How about steak? We could go to the Outback and you could really buy my dinner."

"Outback is nice, but it's always crowded and noisy. I know a nice place over in Shelbyville," Gabe suggested. "It's a little bit out of the way, but it's worth it."

"I'll go where ever you take me," Bailey smiled.

The drive took about an hour. The first part was awkward. Neither seemed like they wanted to start the conversation, even though both had a lot they wanted to say to the other.

Bailey asked about New York and the show. He seemed excited to be back working. He shared a couple of stories about the three main stars: Celeste, Jeffrey and Lori. Gabe asked about school. She was sad her summer was coming to an end, but was ready to get on to the next stage of her life.

They went to an old farmhouse that had been converted into a restaurant. They specialised in steaks, although they also had a wide variety of chicken, seafood and pork on the menu. 

Even though there was a considerable wait, as soon as they walked through the door, the hostess escorted them to an open table. It seemed that Gabe wasn't above using his celebrity for a few perks, like getting a table in advance at a place that usually didn't accept reservations. The booths were private and the lighting low. It was very romantic.

Neither ate much and both picked at their food. A couple of times during dinner, an uncomfortable silence fell over their small talk. Bailey's shyness returned. She was afraid that she was blowing the one chance she might have to get Gabe to truly like her and ask for that second date.

The server asked if they wanted dessert. Both declined. She noticed that he left a generous tip and said nice things to the manager on the way out, even signing a few autographs for the staff and posing for pictures with some of the patrons.

"Did you have anything you wanted to do tonight?" Gabe asked.

"Not really," she shrugged. 

They walked out to his car and he opened the door for her again. "Do you like ice cream?"

She nodded. He only smiled as she got in the car, then closed the door before getting in on his side. The drive back to his house took about half an hour. Bailey mentally took note of some landmarks and tried to remember the way, in case he ever invited her up to see him, of course.

As she had been during her previous two visits, she was awestruck by the scope of his home. It wasn't a Beverly Hills mansion, but compared to where she lived, his house was palatial. He led her to the kitchen, where he took off his jacket. She noticed that his butt was extra cute in his fitted jeans, and found that her nipples were crinkled up, and not because it was cold.

Gabe gathered some things in a basket then held out his hand. Bailey thought she had died and gone to Heaven as her fingers wrapped around his.

He led her out the back door and down the hill to the lake behind his mother's house. A small boat dock extended out from the shore. The sun had fallen below the horizon, but the sky was lit up with a gorgeous red and orange sunset.

Setting the basket down, Gabe unfolded a blanket and the two were seated. They kicked off their shoes and let their legs hang over the edge of the dock. He set out two containers of ice cream—one chocolate, one vanilla—and a nice buffet of condiments ranging from sprinkles to Magic Shell to maraschino cherries to gummi bears to whipped cream.

At Bailey's direction, he gave her a scoop of each ice cream and she indulged in her favourite toppings. They sat for a few minutes in silence, each lost to their own thoughts. The only sound was the water lapping along the shore. Off in the distance, some boaters were catching the last of the sun's rays.

"I hope I didn't bore you tonight," Gabe said, sounding apologetic. They set their bowls aside.

"No, of course not," she replied quickly. She wanted to say more, but stopped herself.

"Bailey . . . what do you know about me? Besides what's on Wikipedia?"

She paused for a moment. "You like your steak medium rare and enough cholesterol on your baked potato to choke a horse."

The two laughed, the nervous tension breaking.

"What do you know about me?" she asked. "And I'm not on Wikipedia."

Bailey watched as Gabe's mouth fell open, unsure of what to say. In truth, he really didn't know much about her. Aside from a dozen phone calls and two evenings, they had never had any sort of deep conversation. Yet there he was, watching the sun set with her.

"Here's something I bet you didn't know," she said softly while batting her eyes. She reached out and took his hand. "I want you to kiss me."

He started to continue, but couldn't. His eyes locked on to hers. She saw the indecision within him. Bailey knew now was her chance.

Before he could react, she leaned in and brought her lips up to his. His eyes widened at her boldness, but was quick to kiss her back. His hand caressed her arms, sending an electric chill throughout her body.

She nibbled on his lip. He pulled back. Bailey drew in a deep breath.

Gabe's eyes blazed with desire. His strong hands gently cupped her face and he brought her to him again.

This time, Bailey closed her eyes and lost herself to Gabe's able touch.

He planted a series of soft kisses on her lips. She sucked on his tongue.

Unable to move, she reveled in the intimacy of their kiss.

Neither spoke for a long time. They neither embraced nor stopped. Instead, they explored each other with their lips.

Their noses brushed together. Their breaths came faster. Bailey felt a tingle start between her legs and spread throughout her body.

With the last rays of the sun faded from the sky, Gabe let out a sigh and sat back. Bailey held her breath, unsure of what he might say.

Without a word, Gabe gathered up the toppings and containers of melted ice cream as Bailey folded the blanket.

She extended her hand, but was surprised when he didn't take it. Instead, he grasped her around the waist and pulled her close to him. They shared one more brief kiss before he led her back up the hill to his house.

He set the basket down on the counter.

"I think you're making a huge mistake, Bailey."

"Why, Gabe?" she asked, a little taken back.

"Because you should be dating guys your own age," he replied softly.

"I don't like boys my age," she said. "They're so immature. You're not. You're—"

"I'm thirty-five years old, Bailey," he said, sounding exasperated. As if two warring parts of him had already had this conversation. She knew she had to change his mind. "I graduated from college before you started kindergarten. I—"

"I don't care," she stopped him. "It's not like I want a lifetime commitment from you."

"Then what do you want?" he shot back. "A fling? A roll in the sack with—"

"That's not fair," she said quietly.

"You're right. I'm sorry," he said, knowing he had crossed the line. "That was uncalled for."

They stood there in his kitchen for a long time, neither speaking.

"What do you know about my ex-wife?" he asked.

Bailey shrugged. The official biography on his personal website didn't mention Jeannie, nor did his Wikipedia entry. 

"We got married right out of college." Gabe motioned for her to sit at the table. He took the chair across from her. "I was active in the school's theater department and already had a job lined up after graduation. We moved to New York and had the big wedding. I was working on Broadway and everything was going fine."

He paused for a second and she saw a flash of hurt in his eyes.

"When that show ended, I got a little bit of work, but nothing steady. I did some commercials. There were a couple of guest spots on soap operas. I got killed on Law & Order. The usual character actor stuff." He took a deep breath. "It seems that Jeannie had latched on to me for the stardom. All she wanted to do was spend the money and live the life of an actor's wife. And when jobs got scarce and the money got tight, things got bad between us. She left me because I wasn't glamourous enough for her."

Bailey reached out and took Gabe's shaking hands.

"I'm not fabulously wealthy. I'm not really famous. And I'm not even that great of an actor." He paused to clear his throat. "If that's what you want, you've got the wrong guy."

"Is that what you think?" she asked after a minute. "That I'm just after you because you're on TV?"

The question hung in the air.

"Do you know how many girls I dated in high school?" Gabe asked. Bailey shook her head. "One. Girls like you didn't talk to guys like me. I wasn't one of the cool kids. I didn't play sports and I wasn't smart enough that anyone wanted to copy answers off me. I was Michael MacKenzie's little brother. I was everyone's friend who would never treat them like their boyfriends did."

"What do you mean, 'girls like me'?" Bailey asked, her voice a little angry.

"Girls who are smart and pretty."

She snorted. This was apparently going to be a little free therapy for both of them. "I'm flattered you think that about me, Gabe. But I'm just April's fat twin. The only reason guys will talk to me is because their best friend is trying to bag my sister or they're trying to get a couple of drinks in me and hope I'll let them play with my tits."

"You're not fat," Gabe said softly. "You're beautiful."




Life is a Soap Opera Act 01



"Do you know why the four of us were together at the Outback before prom?"

Gabe shook his head, but she could tell that he knew the answer.

"Because no one would ask me to go to the dance." Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. Her voice shook. "April and Kimmy and Morgan passed up dates because they felt sorry for me!"

It was Gabe's turn to squeeze Bailey's hands. She looked up at him and choked back sobs. "And there you were. A handsome guy who picked up our dinner. Who was nice to us all and called me 'pretty'. I didn't know who you were until Kimmy recognised you. And even then, I didn't care. I just hoped you liked me. I wanted—"

"Oh, God, Bailey," Gabe breathed. In an instant, he was around the table and took her in his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder and held on.

She felt so safe in his strong arms. He stroked her hair and whispered soothing things in her ear.

"Do you know how many dates I've been on?" she asked, gasping for breath. He shook his head. "One. And that includes tonight. I'm not a gold digger who's after your money and I'm not infatuated with my mom's TV boyfriend. I want you to like me, too."

He pulled back. She expected to see pity in his eyes, but he smiled instead. She sensed that they were more alike that either had suspected.

"I do like you, Bailey," Gabe said, not letting go. "And that scares me."

"Why?"

"Because despite all the reasons for you and I to not work," he paused to take a deep breath. "I could fall in love with you."

Her heart skipped a beat and she could only smile.

"Oh, Gabe . . . I—" Whatever else she had to say was stopped by his lips pressing against hers.

They held on to each other desperately. 

She ran her hands through his hair. He pulled her tight, his hands around her waist.

I'm going to jump him right here, she thought to herself. She was about to make her move when Gabe stopped.

"Come on, Bailey." A shiver ran through her body at the sound of her name. "Let's get you home."

"I could stay," she said quickly. He smiled and she could see a flash on indecision on his face.

"No . . . not tonight." Gabe brushed the hair out of her eyes before answering her unspoken question. "I promised your dad I'd have you home by eleven and we're just barely going to make it. Besides, I've got to give you a reason to go out with me again. I don't want you to think I'm easy."

Through the tears, laughter danced in both their eyes.

He took her hand and led her to the garage. They got in his car and he drove her home. Neither spoke much. 

Bailey curled up in the seat, their fingers intertwined. Her other hand gently caressed his arm. She noticed him eyeing her as he drove. She smiled to herself and blushed, suddenly feeling sexy.

Gabe pulled into her driveway and the motion sensor activated the porch light. He led her to the door. She could tell by the light coming through the blinds that the television in the living room was on. 

"I had a wonderful time tonight," she said quietly, maneuvering Gabe so that they couldn't be seen by anyone inside the house.

"Me, too," he replied. "May I call on you again?"

"Of course," she said wrapping her arms around his neck. "You can call me any time."

"Good night, Bailey Crawford," he whispered and then leaned in for one last kiss.

She didn't want to let go, but knew she couldn't spend all night with a boy on her front porch. Her parents and sister were going to give her a hard enough time as it was. "Good night, Gabe MacKenzie. Miss me."

It might have been her imagination, but she heard him whisper, "I already do."

He turned and went back to his car. She waited until he was backing out of the driveway before opening the front door and stepping in to her house. 

Both her parents and April were up. It was three minutes past eleven.

"Did you have a good time tonight, Pumpkin?" her dad asked.

"Yes, I had a wonderful time," she said dreamily. Her mom and sister giggled, but that didn't bother Bailey.

She gave each of her parents a kiss then seemed to float into her room along with the flowers Gabe had given her.

Bailey was lost on Cloud Nine with no signs of coming down any time soon.

********************* 

Gabe woke up the next morning feeling different. He hummed a tune and sang along with his iPod as he did half an hour on the Bowflex and another half hour on the elliptical. At about nine o'clock, he dialed Bailey's cell phone. It rolled into her voice mail. He left a short message, then went outside to do some work out in the yard.

At about noon, he was pulling weeds out in the flower garden. He was sweating under the August sun and didn't hear the girls until they had walked around the house.

"Hey, there!" Bailey called.

He blushed, realising that he was wearing only a ratty pair of shorts and some sunglasses. Bailey and April stood there along with Morgan. The girls giggled and stared admiringly at him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, wiping his brow.

"We came in to town to do some shopping. Our prom date sent us some money for graduation and we thought we'd look for some back to school clothes," Bailey said, for once taking the lead from April. "We were wondering if we could buy you lunch."

"That won't be necessary," Gabe said, knowing that taking him out for a meal, however inexpensive, would be a burden on the girls. Still, it was a nice gesture. "Why don't I get cleaned up and we'll go to the mall together."

He went in and showered leaving the three girls parked on his living room sofa watching television. He scrubbed himself clean and resisted the urge to masturbate in the shower.

All three girls were dressed for summer. It was August, after all. However, it was Bailey who caught his eye. She was wearing a pair of tight—but not too tight—jean shorts and a fitted top that hugged her curves in all the right places. It covered the parts that needed to be covered and drew his eyes to the places he knew his vision shouldn't linger.

April and Morgan were similarly dressed, but his attention was fixed solely on Bailey and her dimpled smile. And her big, round breasts. And her slender waist. And her soft, wide rear end.

Having changed his odor, he threw on a pair of cargo shorts, some sandals and a casual polo shirt. He went back to the living room and the girls gathered up their things. At his insistence, they piled into his car and drove the short distance to the mall.

The place was crawling with people. Despite the faltering economy, the combination of back to school sales and necessity for new clothes had the crowds out in force. The three girls hit many of the vast array of stores that stocked trendy fashions, although a couple of times one of them—usually Bailey—would follow him into a store he wanted to visit just to make conversation.

They stopped for lunch a short time later in the food court. The girls insisted on buying his meal and he eventually relented, making sure to get nothing more than a basic combo meal so not to tax their budget.

Having filled up with carbs, the foursome hit the mall's second level for more shopping. The girls did a number on the bargain and clearance racks. He admired their proficiency in finding the best deals on high quality stuff at low prices. It seemed that despite their youth, all three had good sense when it came to money, and that impressed him.

By late afternoon, the girls's gift cards were all but tapped out. Their arms were full of bags and they were a little worn out from fighting the crowds at the mall.

The four of them drove back to Gabriel's house. The girls were debating what to do next. They weren't going to make it home in time for supper. One of their friends was apparently having a bonfire later that evening.

Gabe invited the girls in as they were trying to plan for the evening. 

"Why don't you stay for dinner?" he asked. "I'm not much of a cook, but we could order pizza or Chinese or something."

April and Bailey exchanged a worried glance. They had mentioned stopping somewhere for a quick drive-thru combo meal.

"My treat," Gabe sensed the source of their apprehension.

They reluctantly shrugged. He had a local pizzeria on speed dial and they knew him as a generous tipper, so a short time later, two extra large pizzas showed up laden with toppings. The manager had even thrown in a couple of bags of chips and a two-litre of Pepsi for one of their special customers.

The delivery driver, who was one of the three or four who always fought for Gabe's ticket, got a little extra for his trouble when April answered the door. At first the thought he had the wrong house since he had expected a middle-aged guy to greet him. She tried to flirt with him, but he couldn't keep his eyes off her chest. 

Gabe got to know April and Morgan a little better. Like the twins, Morgan was attending community college in the fall. She had aspirations of being a network administrator and had completed the A+, Network+ and a couple of CCNA certifications at the Washington County Vo-Tech Center. April had no idea what she wanted to do, so she was going to get her AA and then transfer to a four-year university to finish her bachelor's degree.

He and Bailey tried to maintain their distance in front of her sister and her friend, but several times throughout the night, he found himself wanting to reach out and take her hand or pull her close to him. The three girls kept making excuses to stay "just a little bit longer". After finishing off the pizza, they went downstairs to the basement and played billiards for a while.

The four of them decided to watch a movie on HBO. He fixed some popcorn in the microwave and settled down on the couch next to Bailey, but not obviously close. 

"I don't mean to sound like I'm kicking you out," Gabe said as the movie's opening credits started. "But don't you think your parents might be worried about where you are?"

"Are you kicking us out?" Bailey asked, once again batting her eyes at him.

"Yeah," April chimed in. "Couldn't we stay here for the night?"

"What would your parents say?" Gabe asked. "And wouldn't you rather be hanging out with your friends? A bonfire sounds a lot more exciting than me."

"You don't know our friends," Bailey said, and there was something odd in her tone. "On a Saturday night most of them are probably drinking too much and having sex they're going to regret on Monday."

"That's all there is to do out in the boonies," Morgan said with a resigned sigh.

"And that kind of leaves us out since we don't really drink and we're all virgins," April said.

"Sis!" Bailey shot her the I'm-about-to-smack-you look.

"What?" her sister said sounding mildly annoyed. "What's wrong with saving yourself for the right guy? It's not like you think the world of Tiffany Sias or any of those other girls who will jump in the sack with any guy who gives her a beer."

"There's nothing wrong with saving yourself for the right person," Gabe said, not daring to look Bailey in the eyes.

"Did you save yourself for the right person, Gabe?" Morgan chimed in.

"I thought so at the time," he replied. 

"Who was she?" April asked curiously.

Gabe saw Bailey blush. "That's none of your business. Now are you going to call your folks or what? You're welcome to stay here, but this is about all the excitement I'm good for."

"Any TV with ten HBO's on it is good for us," April smiled and reached for her phone.

"If we get bored, we could always play Dance Dance Revolution on your Playstation," Bailey giggled.

"What's so funny?" Gabe asked.

"You just don't strike me as the DDR type." Her eyes twinkled.

"It's a great cardio workout," he replied, feigning defensiveness. "Even though I suck at anything past expert level."

Bailey started to say something more, but was interrupted by April. "Hi, Mom? . . . No, we're fine . . . We're at Mr. MacKenzie's . . . Yeah, he took us to the mall . . . No . . . No . . . Morgan is still with us . . . Listen, can we spend the night here? . . . No . . . Mom! No! . . . Okay . . . Okay . . . She wants to talk to you."

Gabe took the cell phone from the girl. "Hello, Joanne?"

"Are you going to be okay with the three girls?" she asked.

"I think so," he replied gently, trying to sound like a friendly neighbour, not a creepy old man. "We just sat down to watch a movie."

"And there won't be anything going on that the girls shouldn't be in to?" she asked in her parental voice.

"No," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "They're stuck with boring old me."

"I'm sure one of the girls will be especially happy tonight," Joanne said and he could sense the wink in her voice.

"I think so," Gabe glanced over at Bailey, who was fidgeting nervously.

Joanne paused for a second. "I guess it will be fine tonight. I'll call Morgan's folks. It would probably be best if they heard this from me. Let me talk to April again."

"Okay, thanks, Joanne," Gabe said before handing the phone back to Bailey's sister.

He broke into a wide smile and the other two girls breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Um-hmm . . . Yes . . . Okay . . . Okay . . . Yes, Mom! I heard you the first time . . . No . . . Okay . . . Yeah, right! . . . Thanks, Mom . . . Love you, too." She closed the flip phone and smiled triumphantly. "Mom says no drinking and no drugs. Morgan, she's gonna call your parents."

The movie started and a few minutes later, Morgan's phone rang. She had pretty much the same conversation with her parents and Gabe talked to them, too. With that business out of the way, the four of them got into the movie.

Gabe turned on his home theater with the surround sound and flipped out the lights. About halfway through, he jumped slightly at Bailey's touch. Her hand brushed against his leg. He looked over at the other two girls who were paying more attention to the big screen than they were to him.

Bailey's fingers wrapped around his and they spent the rest of the movie holding hands. He felt giddy, like he was fourteen again.

When the movie ended, the girls flipped over to one of the other HBOs and started a second one. He got up from the couch and went looking for some blankets. 

Hunting through the closet, he didn't hear April approach.

"Gabe?" she said tentatively. 

"Holy crap, April! You scared me!"

"Sorry," she blushed. "Listen . . . I shouldn't be saying anything to you about this but . . . Bailey really likes you."

"I like her, too."

"Good. I just don't want to see her get hurt."

"Me, neither," he said.

"And it's okay if you put your arm around her in front of us," she said with a smirk. "She told us about your date."

Gabe's mouth fell open. He was speechless.

April smiled and then disappeared to go back downstairs. Gabe gathered up a few blankets and pillows. He picked up some soda out of the fridge and a couple of bags of chips.

Morgan and April threw the pillows down on the floor and got comfortable. Gabe sat on the couch, and Bailey moved in next to him. A little closer this time.

The movie had already begun, and the four binged on junk food and soda. Not waiting for Bailey to make the first move, Gabe reached over and took her hand. 

She beamed and cuddled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

When the second movie ended, Morgan was out like a light. April lazily flipped channels, finally settling on a re-run of Saturday Night Live. Neither Gabe nor Bailey had moved.

By the time SNL was over, April was also asleep and Bailey was nodding off. Gabe's eyelids were heavy, too. 

He tapped Bailey on the shoulder and excused himself to use the bathroom. When he returned, she was laying across the couch, snoring softly. He pulled a blanket over each of the girls.

Gabe smiled to himself and turned the volume down, but left the TV on in case the girls woke up later and wanted to watch something else. His eyes fixed on Bailey. She seemed so sweet and innocent. And young. 

He brushed the hair out of her face. He caressed the soft skin of her cheek and bent over to kiss her softly. "Good night, sweetheart."

Moving as quietly as he could, Gabe went back up stairs and set the alarm, which would rouse the whole block if anyone tried to leave or enter the house. He brushed his teeth and splashed some water on his face.

Then he went into the guest suite—his room—and changed into a t-shirt and a pair of workout shorts, then crawled into bed.

He fell asleep, the memory of Bailey's gentle touch leaving a smile on his lips.

It was still dark when Gabe felt someone stirring against him. He sat up quickly, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

"Shhhhh," Bailey whispered. She slipped under the sheets into his bed.

"What are you doing?" Gabe asked, reaching for the light on the nightstand.

Bailey tugged at his arm, staying his hand. The room remained dark. He started to say something else, but she silenced him with a kiss. She gently pushed him back into the pillows.

She leaned over and pressed her body against him. It took a second for his body to respond to the commands his mind sent it.

His arms wrapped around her. He was very conscious of her breasts pushing against him. 

"Go back to sleep," Bailey said softly and a part of him wondered if this was just a dream. She pulled back and rolled over on her side. Her hand took Gabe's and she draped his arm around her waist. 

Still dazed, he spooned up behind her and the two held each other until dawn.

Gabe was dreaming of a wife and baby when Bailey woke herself, kissed him gently on the lips and then went back downstairs, lest her sister and best friend realise where she had really spent the night.

************** 

Everyone woke the next morning right where they were supposed to be. Of the girls, Bailey was up first. She heard the shower upstairs running. She took a quick drink of flat Pepsi to wash away the stale taste of Doritos and pizza.

Bailey smiled at the memory of the previous night. Holding hands with her beau. Falling asleep in his bed with his arms wrapped around her. Everything felt so . . . so . . . right.

Morgan and April stirred few minutes later. The girls trudged up the steps wearing the same clothes from the day before. Their hair was a mess. Their make-up had long since rubbed off. They hadn't brushed their teeth in over twenty-four hours.

They found Gabe in the kitchen. He was reading the directions on a box of hashed brown potatoes. A carton of eggs, some milk and a package of bacon sat on the counter. He was obviously lost.

"Good morning, girls," he said with a broad smile that Bailey sensed was meant especially for her. "Are you guys hungry?"

He was trying to be a good host, but it seemed that the kitchen was not his element. As politely as possible, Bailey and April pushed him aside and took over. Growing up on a farm, they knew how to cook; their mother and grandmothers had seen to that. 

What amazed them was how nice Gabe's kitchen was. He had high-end fixtures, marble countertops and enough space to feed an army. It was a far cry from the cramped quarters and often-broken appliances they were used to. The girls cooked up a hearty country breakfast with fresh home-fried potatoes, eggs and bacon. Gabe busied himself slicing up some fruit and appearing to be helpful.

They sat at his kitchen table and enjoyed the meal together. He cleaned up the mess while the girls freshened up in the bathrooms. Bailey wanted to stay a little longer, and it seemed to her that Gabe wanted them to stay, too, but they knew they had to be getting home. April had to work that afternoon and both girls had weekend chores that needed to be done.

Gabe helped them load up the clothes and things they bought at the mall the day before. 




Life is a Soap Opera Act 01



She and Gabriel stood awkwardly in the driveway.

"Thanks for having us over last night," she said quietly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Morgan and April watching them from the car.

"It was my pleasure," he returned. There was a brief pause. "Would you like to go out again sometime this week?"

"I would love to," she replied. "I don't know when I work this week, but I usually don't work more than one or two nights."

"Will you know later today?" Gabe asked. "Why don't you call me when you find out your schedule?"

"I will," she promised. 

He stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Bailey decided she needed to take the initiative.

Her hand reached for his and she tugged gently. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. After a first quick peck, Gabe pulled back as if he didn't want to make a scene in front of April and Morgan, but her hand went to his neck and she pulled him close.

Gabe's lips were soft and warm. She felt deliciously light-headed as she planted a series of soft kisses on him, resisting the urge to stick her tongue down his throat.

Finally she let go, a devilish smile on her face. He stood there, bewildered, for a moment. She thrust out her chest just to tease him and winked.

"Thanks again, Gabe," she said and got in the car. April and Morgan were both grinning like Cheshire cats.

"Ummmm, sure thing," he stammered. 

She closed the door, put on her seatbelt, started the car and backed out of his driveway. As they drove away, she honked the horn. He waved and in her rearview mirror, she saw that he hadn't moved.

The drive home was full of teasing from Morgan and her sister, but Bailey didn't care. 

*************** 

Gabe hit the pause button for the DVR and reached for the ringing phone.

Over the past two weeks, he hadn't seen as much of Bailey as he would have liked. She was working a lot and then classes started at the community college. They went out on a couple more dates, each ending with him dropping her off at home. He spent a little bit of time with her parents, and it seems that they had accepted—and welcomed—him as a fact in Bailey's life.

If he would admit it to himself, he really wanted her to stay over with him, this time without her sister or friends there. But neither of them seemed to have any inclination to rush things, and for that, he was happy. Gabe found that once Bailey began to open up to him, he was more and more interested in her, and not because she got his heart pounding. 

She was a smart girl who simply had the misfortune of growing up in a poor, rural town. Her graduating class was all of 126 kids and she was third; April was twenty-fourth. The small high school wasn't big enough to offer a lot of AP classes and electives, but in the classes she took, she excelled.

Many of the people in the area were "provincial". That is, they didn't see much beyond their small community. The small towns were good enough for everyone's parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, so folks tended to stay in one place. Even the people who went away to college or the service often returned, sometimes from higher-paying jobs, just to be close to their families and "home". In many cases streets like Napier Road were named that because everyone who lived there was a Napier.

Gabriel sensed that Bailey was destined for something more, and she knew it. But she just didn't know how she was going to get there. Her family was proud and well-to-do by the standards of their community, but a college education was going to be a stretch. On top of the expense, he knew that coming from a small, rural high school didn't prepare her for college in the same way that one of the larger high schools in the city would have. They simply didn't have the resources, technology and staff.  

But she was smart and determined, and while it might mean that she would have to study a little harder than some of the other kids, she would certainly succeed at anything she set her mind to.

He wondered who would be calling him on a Wednesday night. "Hello?"

"Gabe? It's Bailey." Immediately, he knew something was wrong. He reached for the remote control and flipped the TV off.

"What's wrong?"

"We were in a car accident—"

Gabe was on his feet and already hunting for his keys. "Are you okay? Where are you?"

There were tremors in her voice. "We're okay, I think. We're at the corner of Call and Phillips Highway."

"I'll be right there," Gabe said as he bounded up the steps. "Have you called 911?"

"Yes," she breathed.

"Hang on, honey," he said. "I'm on my way."

Gabe drove like a mad man. When he got to the accident scene, he wondered how either of the girls could be unhurt. 

The back half of their car was a mangled mess. The passenger's side was collapsed in from the B-pillar back. Another car sat along the side of the road, its front bumper almost in the driver's seat. Both of that car's airbags were deployed. An engine block sat in the middle of the road. Coolant, oil and other engine fluids leaked out all over the pavement.

Two police cars, an ambulance and a fire truck lit up the night sky with their lights. An EMT crew was securing someone on to a gurney. Gabe desperately hoped it wasn't one of the girls.

He let out a sigh of relief when he saw April and Bailey standing over on the side of the road. April's eyes were wide and she looked like she had been crying. Bailey was talking to a police officer.

"Excuse me, sir, can I help you?" a second officer asked him briskly.

"I'm with them," he pointed to the girls. "What happened?"

"They got hit by a drunk driver," the officer replied. "He ran the red light. The tall one's lucky; if they were going five miles an hour slower or the other guy's going five miles an hour faster, we'd be life-flighting her to a hospital."

Gabe ran over to the girls. He wrapped them both in his arms. Everyone began to talk at once.

"Are you okay?" he asked as the girls chattered on. Both nodded. "Have you called your folks?"

Bailey shook her head. 

April burst into tears. "No. Daddy's going to kill us."

"No, he's not, miss," the police officer said in a firm but compassionate voice. "That other guy was drunk out of his mind. We just ran his tags; he's driving on a suspended license after two other DUI's. He'll be going to jail for a long time."  

"But we wrecked our car," April wailed. "We don't have—"

"I'll take care of that," Gabe said as Bailey tried to comfort her sister. He scrolled through the numbers on his phone and dialed Bailey's house. Her mom picked up the phone. "Hi, Joanne?"

"Hello, Gabriel," she said. "Bailey's not here; the girls had class tonight."

"I know, they're with me," he paused for a second. "Joanne, the girls were in a car accident tonight."

"What!?!?!"

"They're both okay," Gabe said calmly. "A drunk driver ran through a red light and hit them. Neither was hurt, but the car is going to be totaled."

"I . . . Is?" she stammered. 

"I think we're about done here," Gabe said, glancing over at the officer who was writing the report. "I'm going to take the girls home with me. If you'd like to meet me at my house, you're welcome to come over tonight or I can bring them home tomorrow."

"We'll come to you," she said. "They're both okay?"

"Yes, they're going to be fine," he said confidently.

"We'll be there in an hour," she said and Gabe closed up his phone.

He went over to one of the police officers. "Do you mind if I take some pictures?"

"Be my guest," the policeman said absently.

With his pocket camera, Gabe took some pictures of both cars where they had stopped. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the girls were only a fraction of a second from either being dead or seriously injured.

When the wreckers arrived, Gabe gave them the name of a body shop where he had some work done in the past. The other car was going to be impounded as evidence; it was apparently loaded with empty bottles of beer and tequila.

April and Bailey retrieved their purses and bookbags out of their car then climbed into the backseat of Gabe's Lexus. He drove them back to his house. No one spoke.

He led them inside and gave them each a glass of water. A few minutes later, Andy and Joanne arrived. The girls rushed into their parents's arms. This was the first accident for any of them.

Gabe mostly stayed out of the way as the girls recounted what happened.

Andy was upset, mostly because his daughters's lives had been endangered. The girls had thought that he would be mad that the car was destroyed, but when he saw the pictures Gabe had taken, he was singularly thankful that the girls were okay.

"Cars can be replaced," Andy said firmly. "My little girls cannot."

"Thank you for everything tonight, Gabe," Joanne gave him a warm hug.

"You're very welcome," he said with a smile. "Listen . . . it's late. Why don't you guys stay over here tonight? We can take care of everything in the morning."

"We don't want to impose," Andy said.

Gabe waved him off. "I've got lots of extra bedrooms. If you leave now, you won't get home until after midnight anyway."

"We've got work tomorrow—"

"Andy, you own the garage," Joanne interrupted. "I'll call off tomorrow and you just let the guys know that they have to open without you. We can spare a day to take care of our kids."

The girls's father knew she had a point.

"Are you sure?" Joanne asked Gabe.

"I insist," he replied. And that was that.

He showed everyone the extra rooms that he had. Upstairs, there were three bedrooms, plus a fourth room he had converted into a home office and place to store his show business mementoes. 

Gabe found a stack of clothes for everyone to sleep in, then he retreated into his bedroom. All night, he had wanted to take Bailey in his arms, thankful that she was okay. Like her parents, he knew how close he had come to losing her. One of the officers had estimated that the drunk driver was going between sixty and seventy miles per hour. The speed limit on Call Street is thirty-five.

He had brushed his teeth and changed in to a pair of workout shorts when there was a knock on the door. Gabe hurriedly pulled a nightshirt over his head.

"Come in," he called.

The door opened and Bailey tentatively stuck her head in. She smiled shyly.

"Thanks for coming to get us," she said softly. Bailey stepped into his room, leaving the door open.

Without any prompting, she seemed to instinctively step into his arms. Gabe reflexively pulled her close, thankful to feel her close to him.

"You're welcome," he replied. There was so much more he wanted to say, but instead he simply held her.

The events of the night now passed, Gabe savoured the smell of her hair and the softness of her skin against him. He wanted to lead her to his bed and hold her until morning, but he knew that it wouldn't happen. Not tonight. Not with her parents in one of his bedrooms.

She reluctantly withdrew from their embrace, but she didn't let go. Her hands went to the back of his neck and she lifted up on her tiptoes. Their lips met in a desperate kiss.

Gabe's hands went to the small of her back. Through the haze of the kiss, he realised that she wasn't wearing a bra; her breasts were pressed against him through the thin material of two t-shirts. He wanted to tear her clothes off and ravage her body. He wanted to be as close to her as possible.

Instead, he settled for a deep, wet, passionate, sloppy kiss.

They pressed their foreheads together. The tips of their noses brushed.

"Good night, Gabe MacKenzie," she said quietly.

His hands framed her face and he gave her one more gentle kiss. "Good night, Bailey Crawford."

Against everything he wanted that night, Gabe let go and watched the sway of Bailey's hips as she walked out of his room. As she closed the door, she turned and winked seductively at him.

It was then that Gabe realized just how hard his cock was. And that he had spent the last few moments poking a girl half his age with it.

He climbed into bed and fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming of Bailey's soft body.

*************** 

The next morning, Gabe woke to the most wonderful smell. He recognised it instantly: biscuits, sausage gravy and eggs. He stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom. Once refreshed, he went out to his kitchen and found Joanne and Bailey in his kitchen, skillfully preparing breakfast.

"Where did you find all this food?" he asked.

"We're used to waking up early," Joanne explained. "Andy and I ran out to the store while the rest of you were sleeping."

"Where is he?"

"Outside," Bailey flashed him a secret smile. "Talking to the insurance company."

Gabe glanced over at the clock. It was almost nine.

"You have a wonderful kitchen," Joanne said. "You should use it more often."

"Is it that obvious?" Gabe said sheepishly.

"Yes," Bailey and her mom said in unison. The three of them laughed.

"I'm a single guy," he shrugged. "And I never was much of a cook. Mom always did that for me. Besides, it's kind of pointless to make a whole meal when it's just me."

"Excuses, excuses," Joanne chided him. "Honey, can you get our host something to drink?"

"What would you like?" Bailey asked.

"Um, orange juice?"

"Coming right up." As she dug into the fridge, Gabe had to consciously avert his eyes to avoid lingering on the young woman's rear end. Once she had poured him a glass, she surprised him by walking around the counter and giving him a good morning kiss on the cheek. Joanne winked but didn't say anything.

A few minutes later, Andy came in from the patio.

"Bailey, breakfast is almost ready," Joanne said. "Why don't you go get your sister up?"

The girl nodded and bounded up the steps.

"How did it go?" Gabe asked.

"They're going to total the car," Andy said with a sigh. "They're going to send an adjuster out to look at it today, but it's too old to bother fixin'. I don't know what we're gonna do . . . the girls have got to get to school somehow. And we don't have the money to buy them a new car. I guess I'll see if Brad still has that Oldsmobile he's trying to get rid of."

"We'll work something out." Joanne looked like she wanted to chide her husband for worrying out loud, but she didn't go there. Not in front of Gabe.

It didn't take him more than half a second to make a decision. Gabe knew the Crawfords were good parents who tried to look out for their kids. They worked hard but didn't have the means. He did.

"The girls could stay here," Gabe blurted out. "I mean . . . I've got five empty bedrooms. And an extra car."

Andy and Joanne exchanged glances.

"We couldn't—"

"It's no problem at all," Gabe said, thinking quickly. "Look, this house is way too big for me. I haven't gone upstairs in months. It would save the girls two hours in the car every day. Heck, even Morgan and Kimmy could move in, too."

He saw the gears turning in their heads. He knew what Andy was thinking.

"Besides, I'm going back to New York next week after Labor Day." Translation: I won't be around to prey upon your teenage daughter. No matter how much Andy liked him, a boy—no matter what his age—was a threat to his little girls. And they would always be his little girls. "They're bringing me back to the show full-time. Plus my agent is lining up some publicity junkets for me. Conventions, guest spots and such. The girls are all welcome to live here and keep an eye on the place."

"Are you sure you're willing to turn your house over to four teenage girls?" Joanne asked with a smile.

"I have a feeling that they'll take care of the place." Gabe replied. That much was true. He sensed that the girls were prone to making good decisions and their families seemed nice enough. "Also, do you really want them driving home at night five days a week? And what about when winter gets here? If it's snowing or icy out, the roads out to Washington County aren't exactly kept up very well."

Gabe could see that there was something else eating at Andy. He didn't want to seem like a freeloader. 

"Let's do the math," Gabe said. "It's, what . . . thirty-five miles each way? That's seventy miles a day. At three-fifty, four bucks a gallon. Even in a high mileage car, that's eight, nine bucks a day in gas. For twenty days a month. And that doesn't count wear and tear on the car. . . . I'll tell you what: The four girls can move in here for four hundred dollars a month. That includes the utilities. They will be responsible for keeping the place up. It will save me from having to pay someone come by and check on things and mow the lawn."

Andy started to reply, but the girls coming down the steps put their conversation on hold. The five of them sat around the kitchen table and ate while the food was hot. The girls asked about the car and wondered what they were going to do.

When they were done, Joanne told the girls that they had to get ready for class; car accidents didn't mean that they could cut school. They started to protest, but were told by all three of the adults that missing classes at the beginning of the semester wasn't an option.

"Are you sure?" Andy asked quietly once the twins were out of earshot.

"Positive," Gabe replied, trying not to sound too eager. Whatever lecherous thoughts he had were back-burnered by his honest desire to help out some people who deserved it. "And they have to be doing well in school or it's back home they go."

Joanne only smiled at her husband.

"I guess it will be okay," Andy said, reason prevailing over all of his other misgivings. "If the girls want to."

"Should we tell them now or when they get back from class?" Joanne asked.

Both Andy and Gabe chuckled. 

"How are they going to get home tonight?" she asked, this time all serious.

"They can take my car," Gabe offered. "I'll drive Mom's old car. If it's okay with Morgan and Kimmy, they can all move up this weekend."

The other two exchanged a knowing look. The girls came back downstairs a few minutes later. 

"Who's taking us to school?" Bailey asked.

"Take my car." Gabe tossed her the key and she almost didn't catch it. Her eyes were wide. 

"We'll talk when you get home tonight," Andy said. Although he was smiling, there was a sadness in his voice, as if he knew that his little girls suddenly weren't so little any more.

************** 

The next night, Gabe was on the elliptical and watching TV when the doorbell rang. He went upstairs and found his four prom dates at the door. 

"What are you doing here?" he asked, opening the door. Only Bailey stepped inside. She was carrying a duffel bag.

Gabe noticed that his car and two others were in his driveway. 

"We just wanted to thank you for giving us a place to live for the next semester," Morgan said. "We couldn't afford anything else."

"It's my pleasure," Gabe said with a smile. "Where are you guys off to?"

"We're staying over at Morgan's house," Bailey said sheepishly. "At least that's what Daddy thinks."

"I don't want to get you guys in trouble," Gabe frowned. The last thing he wanted to do was piss off Bailey's father.

"It's okay. Mom says you can call her if you want. We'll see you in the morning." April winked at her sister. Bailey blushed.

With that, the other three girls piled into one of the cars and drove off leaving Gabe and Bailey standing in the foyer of his house.

"What was that about?" Gabe asked.

Bailey smiled innocently and walked towards his living room. Gabe hurriedly shut the front door and followed her. She dropped her bag on the floor next to the island then turned and stepped into Gabriel's arms.

"Why are you here?" he whispered.

"Because Mama said we needed some time to talk." Before he could reply, she gave him a gentle kiss. She nibbled on his lips as he wrapped his arms around her.




Life is a Soap Opera Act 01



Gabe lost himself to the young woman in his arms. She felt so comfortable. He pressed a little harder, but she pulled away.

She took his hand and led him to the living room. They fell on to the couch. He sat back. Bailey half-turned to face him.

"Mama says you're going back to New York on Wednesday," she started.

"That's right," Gabe said, a twinge of regret in his voice.

"So you won't be around much this fall?"

"I'm afraid not," he winced. "They're writing several story arcs involving me. Rose said she had all sorts of ideas while I was out and they've been simmering for the last two years."

"Do you want to go back?" Bailey asked softly.

"Yes," he admitted after a second. "It felt good to be working again. I've basically been taking up space for the last year . . . since Mom died."

Bailey reached out to take his hand at the mention of his mother. "Where does that leave us?"

Gabriel looked away and shook his head. "I don't know. I wish . . . Every day, I wake up and pinch myself. I don't know why you seem interested in me."

"And I don't know what you see in me," Bailey said. She reached out and turned his face so he was looking at her.

"I see the most beautiful woman in the world," Gabe whispered. 

All she could do was blush.

"So where does that leave us?" she asked again. Neither spoke for a long time. It was as if neither wanted to think about what would happen after the next Wednesday.

"What do you want out of us?" Gabe finally said.

Bailey took a deep breath. "Here's what I don't want: I don't want to jump into bed. I don't want to rush into anything. I don't want to get attached to you if you're going to move away or find someone else. What do you want out of us?"

"I really don't know, Bailey," he said. "This has all been kind of sudden for me. I can't believe that you find me interesting. I don't understand what you see in some guy who's thirty-five. But I don't think . . . I don't want to walk away from you . . . from us. Mom used to say that opportunity doesn't come around twice. And I don't want to think that I won't get another chance to have you in my life after I leave on Wednesday."

Her gaze softened and she smiled. She scooted over, so she was sitting right next to him. He leaned over and gave her a kiss. 

Gabriel and Bailey sat on the couch well into the evening. They talked about themselves and asked about each other. They shared some of the hopes and dreams and fears.

He told her about his mother's sudden stroke and how he dropped everything to care for her. She talked about growing up in a small town with little hope of getting out. 

They both realised that they had spent their entire lives through high school in the shadow of their older, more popular siblings. And they realised that they had more in common than they had thought.

In short, they had "the night". Losing track of time, Gabe and Bailey stayed up investing in each other and in their relationship. And not too much later, when they looked back, both realised that was when they fell in love.

*************** 

With a yawn, Bailey stretched, unconsciously pushing her chest out. She blushed when she saw the flash of desire in Gabe's eyes.

They had been up all night talking and both were getting tired. Left unspoken were the sleeping arrangements.

With a little bit of conspiratorial assistance from her mother, Bailey had managed to sneak away to spend the night with her "boyfriend". She and April had told their dad that they were going to Morgan's house—with the implication that they would be staying there all night—which was a fairly common occurrence. They did go to Morgan's; they just didn't stay there.

Morgan's mother was in on the scheme and Joanne had sworn her to secrecy. The other girl's father was working a double shift and wouldn't have noticed whether there were two or three or twelve extra girls staying over.

Truly, Bailey didn't know what she was doing there. Despite several dates, for all she knew, Gabe MacKenzie was a homicidal maniac or possessive psycho guy. She was relying purely on her instincts.

Any fears she may have had were washed away as they talked.

She realised that he was just a perplexed at her interest in him as she was about his interest in her. Bailey liked that he wasn't in a hurry to touch or paw at her. His hands didn't roam, even if his eyes did. He was the perfect gentleman. For someone who could have had anyone he desired—certainly anyone in their town—when Bailey was near him, she was the center of his attention.

When she was around Gabe, Bailey felt sexy. She felt desired. From the time when they were little, she always knew April was prettier. She was thin and athletic. As they got older, Bailey thought of herself as short and dumpy; April got all the good curves, she got the leftovers. Her parents loved them both, but she knew it would always be her sister who drew everyone's attention.

So it was to her great surprise that it was she, not April, whom the soap opera actor had noticed. It gave her fragile teenage ego a healthy boost. Here was a guy who was successful, famous and wealthy who seemed to see past her meek smile, tubby belly and wide hips. He was interested in her, not her boobs and definitely not her sister.

It only bothered her a little that there was seventeen years between them. It didn't seem to be an issue with her mom and even her dad seemed okay with the way her budding romance with Gabriel was progressing. 

He just didn't need to know that she was spending the night alone with Gabe.

They got up from the couch and went back into the kitchen. She picked up her duffel bag.

"Do you want to pick out which room you want now?" he asked. "You'll get first dibs."

Bailey grinned. "April and I will probably share the big bedroom upstairs. After eighteen years, we'd feel funny without one another there. Besides, tonight I'm sleeping in your room."

"What?!?!? I thought you said—"

"I didn't say I was ready to give you my virginity yet," Bailey said with a wink. She wrapped her arms around Gabriel and nuzzled up against his neck. "But that night . . . when you were holding me . . . I miss that. I liked feeling you close to me. And I want that. Tonight."

"Okay." Gabe's voice was so low she almost didn't hear him. 

He led her to his room. She took her bag into the bathroom and changed into a pair of boxer shorts and a t-shirt she had swiped the last time she stayed at Gabe's. Then she brushed her teeth and pulled her hair up with a scrunchy.

She went out into the bedroom and Gabriel was nowhere to be found. The television was on; so was a light on one of the nightstands. She climbed into the queen-sized bed, pulled the top sheet over her and waited.

A few minutes later, Gabe returned. He had changed into a t-shirt and a pair of workout shorts. Taking his turn in the bathroom, he climbed into bed next to Bailey and turned out the light.

He leaned over to kiss her goodnight and chuckled.

"What are you laughing about?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"Where did you get that shirt?"

"It was in the stack you brought us the other night. What's so funny?" She thrust out her chest behind the words "Huge Tracts of Land" written in a medieval script. Gabe snorted and politely ignored the nipples which were sticking out from behind the thin cotton. "I'm sure there's a boob joke in there somewhere."

"Oh, there is," Gabe stifled a laugh. "It's a Monty Python joke."

"A who joke?"

"Monty Python," he said, suddenly realising that she probably didn't know who they were. "British comedy group. Life of Brian. Holy Grail. Meaning of Life."

She only stared at him blankly.

"Remind me to take you to see Spamalot in New York sometime," he said.

"I'd love to," she said, a sultry look flashing across her face. "Where did you get the shirt?"

"It was in a gift bag at a science fiction/fantasy convention a few years ago," he said. "I was one of the featured guests. I had a recurring part on Babylon 5 and I got killed on Deep Space Nine and Xena. That makes me a somewhat regular on the sci-fi circuit."

"You get killed a lot," Bailey laughed. "I hope your life insurance is paid up."

"That's what character actors do," he reached over to tickle her. The two collapsed in a heap. His hands inadvertently brushed her breasts, sending a shiver throughout her body.

She cupped his face with her hands and pulled him to her. His strong arms enveloped her. Bailey pulled him on top of her, his weight pressing down.

They seemed to fall into the soft mattress. She felt light-headed at the intensity of their kiss. 

He let up just long enough to hunt for the remote control and flip the TV off.

She could barely contain the delirious bliss she felt in Gabriel's arms. His hands brushed the hair out of her face. A little bit of moonlight shone through the blinds. Gabe's angular features seemed to have a soft blue glow. 

Bailey felt so safe there with Gabriel. She truly felt like he was her guardian angel.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked quietly, seeking her permission before going any further. 

Even before she said the words, she already knew the answer. "If I said, 'Hold me', what would you do?"

"I'd pull you close and never let you go."

"And if I said, 'Anything you want', what would you do?"

His answer made her heart race. "I'd undress you . . . kiss every inch of your body . . . And then make love to you until neither of us could move."

"I like the sound of that," Bailey purred. For just a second, she wondered if she would give in to her desires. It took every ounce of willpower she could muster not to beg Gabriel to take her right there. "Sit back."

Obediently, Gabe rolled on to his back. Bailey pushed the sheets out of the way and straddled him. She could feel the length of Gabe's cock beneath her. It was as hard as a rock. An electric jolt started from between her legs and ran down her toes and up her spine.

She leaned over and kissed him. Forcefully this time. She surrendered to his grasp, allowing herself to fall into his embrace.

Unlike their earlier gentle kisses, this time their teeth knocked together. He sucked on her tongue. She bit his lip hungrily.

Their breathing became rapid. She could feel the heart pounding in his chest.

Gabe's hands ran through her hair. Her fingertips ran the length of his neck and shoulders.

Bailey sat back and in the dim light she could see his eyes seething with lust.

She sat back, feeling Gabe's hard cock so close to her virgin pussy. She closed her eyes and imagined herself sitting there with nothing between them. She thought about impaling herself on him. Taking him inside her. Riding him until he made her cum, then feeling his semen shooting off inside her.

Without opening her eyes, she took Gabe's hands in hers. She stuck out her bra-less chest and whispered, "Touch them."

A squeal of delight escaped her lips as Gabriel gently cupped her breasts. He felt so gentle—grateful even—holding them in his hands. 

So unlike the drunken gropes of teenage boys who thought they could cop a quick feel off the fat girl.

All she could do was moan as he squeezed her gently. The space between her legs instantly became slick. Her nipples crinkled up and she cried out when he rolled them between his fingers.

"That feels so good," she gasped.

"Oh, god, Bailey—"

"That's it, Gabe . . . Pinch them . . . Oh, yes!"

Bailey had to bite her lip to keep herself from screaming with pleasure.

Gabriel's touch was firm, yet gentle. His hands were strong. His movements smooth.

He kneaded her breasts. With each pass a wave of bliss rushed through her body. She looked down at him. 

His eyes were hooded over with a desire that surely matched her own. Almost instinctively, she began to grind her hips in time with the rhythm of his hands.

They both moaned, a little louder this time. She leaned over and their lips met.

A dizzy spell came over her and a jolt of pleasure shot through her body. 

Bailey collapsed to the side, her legs twitching a little bit. The mini-orgasm left her shaking . . . in the good way.

Gabe's hands never left her breasts. He cupped them as he kissed her.

She gave him a loving smile, which he eagerly returned.

"I want you to do something for me," she said, her voice sultry.

"Anything," Gabe breathed.

"Take off your shorts," Bailey whispered. "I want to see you."

Laying back in the pillows, she watched Gabe lift his hips and push his shorts and boxer briefs down. She stared admiringly at his body. While he wasn't chiseled beefcake, he was a very handsome man who spent an ample amount of time working out. He was built more like a distance runner or soccer player than a body builder. She guessed it was all part of staying in shape to be on TV.

At the sight of his erect cock, Bailey's mouth began to water. Her pussy flooded with anticipation. 

"Touch yourself," she said softly. Without question, Gabe began to stroke the length of his cock, slowly at first.

I need to cum before I rape him, Bailey thought to herself. And from the looks of it, he probably needed a release himself or she was going to wake up the next morning and not be a virgin any more.

Unconsciously, her hand went inside the elastic band of her shorts and between her legs. Sure enough, she was soaked. The cotton of her boxers was wet, as were her labia.

"Gabe . . . I want you to see this," she closed her eyes and began to tease her swollen clit. "I've done this every night since prom."

"Oh my god, Bailey," his moan matched hers. 

Her eyes went to his hand, which was drawn into a tight fist around his cock. The head of his cock stuck out as he stroked up and down.

"I think about you making love to me," she continued, her hand moving a little faster. "I want you to . . . sometimes, I want you to have me long and slow . . ."

Gabe's eyes met hers.

". . . And sometimes . . . I want you to fuck the shit out of me," she gasped. "Would you do that, Gabe?"

"Yes, Bailey," he groaned. "I'll do anything you want. I just need to be with you."

"Do you do this? Do you touch yourself and think about me?"

"I do," he admitted. "I think things about you I shouldn't."

"Like what?" she asked. Her toes began to tingle again.

"You're going to think less of me if I tell you," he said softly.

"No, I won't," Bailey said, knowing that her thoughts about him were probably equally impure.

"I want you to take my cock in your mouth," Gabe said, unable to contain his libidinous fantasies any more. "I want to fuck you on my kitchen table and in the hot tub. I want to bend you over the side of the bed fuck your brains out . . . I want to eat your pussy all night long . . . Oh, Bailey!"

Her free hand went to one of her breasts. She entered herself with two fingers, imagining it was Gabe's beautiful cock.

"Gabe . . . don't . . . don't cum yet," she said desperately. She reached out for his free hand and brought it to her other covered tit.

With one hand rubbing her pussy, the other on her breast and Gabe pinching her nipple, Bailey was close.

She cried out. Her heart pounded. She bucked her hips against her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gabe's hand moving a little faster, stroking his tumescent sex.

Oh, how she wanted that cock! In her mouth. Between her tits. In her pussy.

But now wasn't the time. Now was her time.

"Harder," she gasped.

Starting between her legs, Bailey's body seemed to explode with pleasure. Her pussy flooded around her fingers. 

Her clit tingled. Her scream was stifled only by Gabe's lips pressing against hers.

The pair rode out her orgasm. She sobbed with pleasure, her entire body shaking. He was so close, yet he didn't force himself on her. In that instant, she knew she could trust Gabriel MacKenzie with her life. That he would never abuse or take advantage of her.

She cuddled up to him, her hand still massaging her pussy, coming down slowly.

Gabe pulled her close. Her breasts were mashed flat against his chest. Her nipples were hard enough to cut glass.

His hand still stroked his cock. Her eyes were half-closed, but in her tunnel vision, all she saw was Gabe touching himself.

The rhythm of his strokes was hypnotic.

"Cum for me," she whispered and he seemed eager to comply.

Her fingernails raked his chest. She wanted to reach down and touch him. To feel his erect sex, but she was too timid. This time.

Gabriel continued without her.

"Do you do this every night?" she asked. He nodded enthusiastically. "Do you think about me? Like I think about you?"

He needed no coaxing. Gabe seemed to be holding his breath. As his orgasm approached, he began thrusting upwards with his hips. 

His jaw was set, his teeth gritted.

"Oh, god, Bailey . . . I'm going to . . . I'm cum . . . I'm cumming!"

Surprising herself as well as her lover, Bailey reached down and cupped his balls. She felt them contract. The head of his cock flared and shot out several jets of warm semen. 

The first drops landed on his stomach and hips. He milked out a few more. His breathing was erratic.

Bailey stared in amazement at Gabriel laying there, his hand still wrapped around his cock.

Some of his cum was on her wrist. Impulsively, she sucked it into her mouth. Her first taste of her lover. It wasn't anything like she expected and she found herself wishing there was more for her.

Gabe moaned, unable to speak, but knowing full well what she was doing.

The two lay there for a long time. Bailey devoured Gabriel with her eyes. His cock, even as it softened, seemed so magnificent. Gradually, their breathing became regular. 

He pulled his shorts on. It was probably a safe thing to do else Bailey might have been tempted to take him right then.

She pulled the sheet and comforter over them, then fell into the crook of his arm. She rested her head against his shoulder. The sound of his heartbeat was comforting.

With their bodies intertwined, Bailey and Gabriel fell asleep. Wanting nothing. The edge was taken off their desire. Their lust temporarily sated. 

Safe and secure in her lover's embrace, Bailey dozed off, unsure if life could possibly get any better. 



Life is a Soap Opera Act 02



This is the second part of Gabriel and Bailey's tale. If you haven't read the first part, you might want to check it out. As with the first part, there is more romance than sex, so if you're looking to get off quickly, this is the wrong story for you. Enjoy!

*************** 

Andy woke up on Saturday morning promptly at six o'clock. He had never needed an alarm clock. Rolling out of bed, he threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt then went outside to feed the animals. He played fetch for a little while with Bucky, the family's black lab.

When he smelled bacon, he went inside. Joanne was in the kitchen. He walked up behind her and grabbed a handful of her backside. She playfully swatted his hands away and prepared two plates.

He poured a glass of milk for himself and orange juice for his wife. After nineteen years of marriage, they had their morning ballet down to a fine art.

They sat next to each other on the benches that lined the table in the kitchen. This was their time. Ordinarily, on a Saturday morning, the twins and any number of their friends would be sleeping over. Being teenagers, they usually stayed up late and slept in. During the week, he would have left for the shop by now and Joanne would be going to work.

But not on Saturdays.

Later in the morning, the family would all do their usual chores, whether it was cleaning the house, caring for the animals, tending the garden or doing yardwork. Then they'd have dinner together before the girls inevitably went off to do something with their friends.

They had a comfortable routine. And it was coming to an end.

A part of him felt a little bitter. After all, these were his girls. They were his life. Everything he did—good, bad or indifferent—was all for them. They were his pride and joy.

Despite the times when he didn't like them very much or when they made typical boneheaded teenage decisions, he loved them more than anything. They had him wrapped around their pretty little fingers, and he knew it. But he would have it no other way.

Now it seemed that they were moving on. Or at least taking their first steps. He knew this day was coming. He had prepared himself for when they would leave and never come back to live under his roof. He even looked forward to it.

But it just seemed too soon.

When they were at Gabriel's, everything they talked about made sense. He didn't like the idea of the girls driving into town every day at seven in the morning, going to school, working and then coming home, some nights after dark. As any father did, he feared for their safety. He worried about the times when they were out of his sight.

To him, they were always four years old, their hair up in pig tails, running around the yard in their Easter dresses. Or they were the newborns he rocked to sleep at night after being born in this very house. He never thought of them as young women.

But that's what they were now. And he had to accept it. He didn't have to like it, but he had to live with it.

He knew that an hour on the road each way wasn't good. Nor was it cheap. If he could afford to buy them new cars that got better gas mileage and he knew weren't going to break down, he would have. If he could rent an apartment in town, they could live some place safe, but he and Joanne simply didn't have the money.

Gabriel MacKenzie did. Try as he might, Andy couldn't bring himself to dislike Gabe. He was polite and kind. He was smart, handsome and financially secure. He was also only four years younger than Andy. And he was pursuing his daughter.

Still, Bailey could do worse. Like that Mahoney kid who kept calling. Seedy, unkempt and rude, the only other prospect in Bailey's life was definitely not the kind of boy a father wanted for his daughter.

"It's not like they're leaving for good," Joanne interrupted his reverie. She had always been adept at reading his mind.

"I know," he said softly. "I just didn't expect it to be like this..."

"Like what?"

"Them moving in with some guy."

"He's not 'some guy'," Joanne snorted. "Gabriel is the kind of man who comes along once in a blue moon. And you know it."

Andy knew she was right. Part of him was jealous of Gabriel. He seemed to be everything Andy wasn't: rich, good-looking, with a big house and a job that wasn't dirty.

"You don't like that there's another man in Bailey's life," Joanne got straight to the heart of the matter.

"It's not that. I just—"

"Bullshit." Every now and then, people need a verbal smacking around. Andy knew he was due. And he knew whenever it was his wife doing the talking, she was always right. "You don't like that Bailey has someone in her life and you're afraid that she won't need you anymore. It's okay to feel that way. But you know what? No one else will teach her to hunt or take her out for her first four-wheeler ride. And no one else will let her dance on his toes and carry her around on his shoulders. Because that was you. You're always going to be her daddy. And both of the girls are going to love you like no one else."

"I just didn't think I'd have to let go so soon."

Joanne's eyes softened and she smiled wistfully. "That's the point of raising kids, Andy. We did a good job. They're smart and hard-working. They're going to college and with a little bit of luck they'll be able to make a better life for themselves than we could give them."

"Couldn't she wait until she was older before she got serious about a guy? And why Gabriel? Why would he be her first serious boyfriend?"

"How old do you want her to be?"

"Thirty?"

Joanne, pushed their plates back. "Bailey is her Daddy's girl. When all those other boys were calling April, you were the one who took her out for dinner and over to Billy Bob's for miniature golf. Do you remember when April had her first date? You and Bailey spent all night changing the oil and rotating the tires on that old Buick. You've always been the man in her life because ... well, because all the other boys were chasing April."

She took her husband's shaking hands in her own.

"You're not losing her, Andy. Look at me. She's always deserved better than any of the boys around here and you know it. It's okay for you to not like Gabriel. That's what daddies do."

"It's not that I dislike him..."

"I know, honey." She put her arms around him. "Does this ring a bell: Once upon a time, there was a shy girl who lived on Parsons Street. When she was a sophomore in high school, a boy started calling on her. He was a senior and drove a '73 Camaro that was too fast and too pretty for her daddy's liking. His hair was too long and he didn't say 'sir' or 'ma'am' and his grades weren't very good. The first time he came to pick her up, the girl's father was cleaning his .30-06 in the living room. But that didn't stop the boy. He swept the girl off her feet and they fell in love, even though he knew he wasn't good enough for her daddy. Does that sound familiar?"

Andy smile ruefully.

"They're going to be okay," Joanne said, kissing him on the cheek. "Even if Gabriel and Bailey don't work out, they're always going to be our girls. No one who comes by to take them out will ever be good enough for you. But you know what? My Daddy came around. And so will you."

"I know," he wiped his eyes and squeezed his wife. He gave her a loving kiss. "My little girl just had better not come home knocked up. You know I'm a better shot than your father."

They both laughed and held on to one another. Everything was going to be all right.

"Want to go for a ride in the Camaro?" he asked, forcing a smile.

"Not a chance, Big Boy," Joanne retorted. "I'm not limber enough to work around the shifter anymore!"

She let out a surprised yelp when Andy scooped her up in his arms and carried her to their bedroom. A long time ago, it had been his parents's room. It was where the girls were born and before that, on a night when his folks were out to dinner, it was where the twins had been conceived.

************* 

A little while later, the four girls showed up after spending the night at Morgan's. April and Morgan were in the used Oldsmobile Andy had bought for the twins to share. Bailey and Kimmy were riding in Gabriel's expensive Lexus sedan. Andy had to suppress his envy, but he appreciated how generous Gabe was with is home and his things.

The foursome piled into the house and began going through April and Bailey's room. They packed up boxes of clothes and much to their father's delight, left many of their personal things in their room. He didn't want them suddenly and totally moving out.

Joanne squeezed his hand, knowing how hard it was for him to watch his daughters taking some of their things away.

"Gabe invited everyone up to his house for dinner," Bailey gave her dad a hug. He found that he didn't want to let go. "He wants to talk to everyone and their parents. And I think he wants Mom to cook."

Andy looked a little surprised.

"He says he doesn't know his way around the kitchen," she shrugged.

"Then it's a good thing you'll be around to fatten him up a little," April teased and Andy couldn't help but frown.

After packing up their things, the girls were back in the cars and headed over to Kimmy's to get her things as well.

Later in the afternoon, Joanne coaxed him out of his funk and they drove up to Gabriel's house along with Morgan's parents. They talked idly. All four were happy for the opportunity Gabriel was offering. Even together, they couldn't afford to pay market value on any apartment or house that was even remotely close to being clean and safe. And here the teenagers were: moving into four thousand square foot house in a gated community that was worth more than all of their property put together.

The girls had already arrived. They were getting settled in. Even though he had been there before, there were parts of the house Andy hadn't seen. Bailey took him by the hand and gave him the grand tour of everything except for Gabriel's room and the master suite. He truly was amazed at how some people lived, and he was a little ashamed that he couldn't give that to his daughters.

Joanne and the other moms were in the kitchen preparing dinner. After being given a list, Gabe had dutifully gone to the store and filled his pantry with groceries. The girls were upstairs claiming their rooms and moving in. The men were downstairs, watching TV and talking.

To no one's surprise, Gabriel was the perfect host. He had a healthy stock of beer in the fridge, a nice selection of wines but also soft drinks and bottled water around. His house was immaculately clean, unlike what Andy expected out of a bachelor pad.

His exercise equipment was broken-in but also well-maintained. His landscaping was the envy of the neighbourhood. More amazing, he did all the work himself. Of course, he had been off work for over a year so it wasn't like he didn't have any free time.

Andy and the other girls's fathers started talking NASCAR. Gabe only knew a little about racing, but when the conversation turned to football, he jumped right in. Being a Steelers fan knocked him down a peg or two in Andy's book, but he couldn't fault anyone rooting for their home town team. For someone who didn't have a job doing "real" work, Gabriel managed to impress Andy with the depth of his knowledge on a variety of subjects, but also in his willingness to defer to other people's expertise instead of making up bullshit trying to impress them.

What truly won Bailey's father over was the vintage car in the garage. On top of his Lexus, Gabe kept up a BMW 3-series coupe that had belonged to his mother, but his pride and joy was a 1970 Buick Skylark GS 455 convertible. It was candy apple red with a black top and racing stripe. Covered in chrome and obviously hand-polished, it looked fast just sitting in the garage. It wasn't the car itself that Andy appreciated, it was how the car was cared for.

Andy believed that you can tell a lot about a person in the way they take care of the things that are important to them. His own shop was spotlessly clean, the tools meticulously maintained and cleaned. Andy watched out for the men and woman who worked for him and was rewarded with loyal people surrounding him and a well-deserved reputation for good work and reliable service.

As he looked around Gabriel's house, he saw things that were in their place. Gabriel paid a handsome price for high-quality tools and fixtures, but also did his best to keep everything in good, working order. In listening to the way Bailey—and more importantly, April—talked about Gabriel, Andy realised that his daughter would always be put first and would be treated well. As the four men talked muscle cars for a while, Andy recognised that of all the boys to show an interest in his girls, Gabe was the best he could hope for.

The age difference bothered him a little, but the double standard of older men with younger women soon rendered that a non-issue. He saw that Gabe would never do anything to hurt Bailey, even if they broke up. He appreciated the other man's generally positive outlook on life and that he had made something of himself. In getting to know Gabriel, Andy found out that his family had never been wealthy and that he and his brother both had to earn everything they had gotten. And that counted for a lot in their town.

A little while later, dinner was ready and the thirteen of them sat down to eat. There weren't enough seats in the dining room, so some people spilled over into the living room. Andy and Joanne ate with Gabriel, who was full of show business stories, often involving his brushes with more famous actors or bloopers from the TV shows he had been on.

When the meal was done, Gabriel wanted to talk to everyone. Along with the parents, Gabriel laid out some common sense rules for living in his house and he even had a rental agreement that would protect him (and the girls) for the rest of the school year. They talked about expectations and responsibilities. The bills were divided and a due date established for the rent.

Throughout the night, Andy was both impressed and relieved at how mature his girls had become. Somehow, a few of the lessons he and Joanne tried to teach them had sunk in.

He was also relieved to know that Gabriel wouldn't be there for much of the time. His job in New York combined with some other jobs his agent had found would take him away. Andy didn't want Gabriel and Bailey moving too fast, and he certainly didn't want people to think that she was "shacking up" with a guy twice her age.

When the evening was over, the misgivings Andy had before were almost gone. He was saddened by his girls moving out—even part time—but he knew that it was the best thing for everyone. They promised to come home on the weekends, for a good Sunday dinner if nothing else. Gabriel was getting house-sitters and the girls were getting a nice safe place to live and the parents were getting a little piece of mind.

Joanne held his hand for the entire ride home. None of the adults spoke as they realised that their daughters had just moved out of the house.

That night as he fell asleep, Andy was unsure if he liked the silence that had come over his home.

******************* 

"Do you really have to go?" Bailey asked, snuggling up to Gabe.

"I'm afraid so," he replied. They sat on the couch watching the beginning of the Fontana race and the Sunday night football game on the split screens. With Monday being a holiday, the other girls were out on the town.

April, Kimmy and Morgan had invited Gabe and Bailey to come along, but they declined. Partly because they wanted some time alone. And partly because at heart, they were both homebodies.

"Work calls," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm going to miss you," she said softly.

"Let's not talk about that now," Gabe said firmly. He had an early flight on Wednesday morning. She would be in class or at work most of the day on Tuesday and they had promised to drive out to her parents's house on Monday for a Labor Day cookout. They knew they only had a little bit more time together and they wanted to make the most of it.

They sat in silence for a little while longer. The night before was torture for Bailey. Though they were under the same roof, he was downstairs in his bed and she was upstairs in the bedroom she shared with her sister. She and April had been roommates since ... well, their conception ... and had on occasion shared a bed, especially during particularly nasty thunderstorms.

As much as she loved her sister, April was no substitute for Gabe. Bailey craved the feel of his arms around her. Not for the sexual feelings he stirred within her, but for the comfort and safety she felt when they were together. She missed cuddling up with him and listening to his rhythmic breathing and the gentle beating of his heart.

"I want you to do something for me while I'm gone," Gabe said.

"Like what?"

He tapped her on the shoulder and she sat up. He went into his bedroom and came out a minute later carrying an envelope. She took his hand as he led her to the master bedroom.

It was neatly made up. It was more than clean; it was sterile. As if no one had been in it for a long time. In the center of the room was a hospital bed with a plush chair and ottoman beside it. Bailey could imagine Gabriel sleeping in the chair next to his mother's bed as he cared for her.

Unconsciously, he stopped at the doorway. Taking a deep breath, Gabriel stepped in. She dutifully followed.

Gabe handed her the envelope.

"There's a thousand dollars in there," he said quietly. "I want you and the girls to remodel this room."

"Why?" Bailey asked.

"Because I can't do it," Gabe replied. "I can't stand to change anything about this room. But I know I have to. This was Mom's house ... and now she's gone. I can't ... I need to move on. I've changed a lot of things around the house, but this room ... her room ... I just don't have it in me."

"What do you want us to do?"

"I want you all to make it into a bedroom I won't be afraid to move in to." Bailey wrapped her fingers around his as he spoke. "Put the pictures and other sentimental stuff in the spare room upstairs but everything else can go. Give it to Goodwill, send it to your folks ... I don't care. When I come in here, all I can see is Mom lying in the bed with the paramedics trying to revive her ... I have lots of good memories of this house. Like the party last month. Mom would have loved to be there. She'd have liked you. I want to keep those, but forget all the bad ones."

"Okay," she whispered. Bailey pulled him close. They stood there sharing the maudlin moment.

Then she tugged at his hand and led him back through the living room to his bedroom. In the back of her mind, Bailey had already decided that she was going to spend the next three nights in Gabriel's arms. She would have plenty of opportunities to be by herself over the next few months and she wasn't about to waste what precious little time they had left together.

The only question was how far she was willing to go before Gabe went back to New York.

They left the lights on in the foyer for when the other girls came home. She threw her arms around him and they held each other. His touch was comforting, even though she felt she should be comforting him.

He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled back.

"Can I spend the night with you?" she whispered.

"Of course," he said.

"I'm going to go change," Bailey said as she slipped out of his arms. "I'll be right back."

She bounded up the steps and went to her room. Sifting through the dresser, she put on a pair of short silk pajama bottoms and threw on a matching button-down top. She left her bra and panties on and pulled her hair back into a pony tail. She brushed her teeth then went back downstairs.




Life is a Soap Opera Act 02



Gabe had also changed. He was wearing an old t-shirt and his familiar pair of workout shorts. Bailey blushed as he devoured her with his eyes. She turned out the lights and closed the door.

Bailey stepped into his arms and they kissed tenderly. Candles were lit on the nightstands next to the bed.

His hands went to the small of her back and his lips lingered on hers.

She giggled, breaking the tension.

"What?" Gabe said, perplexed.

"You're so cute when you're obviously frustrated."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you want to grab my ass," Bailey said, biting his earlobe. "And I know you want to feel my tits. It's okay ... I want you to."

She pressed her body against him. Her belly brushed against the bulge in his shorts and the tingle started between her legs.

"I don't want to rush you," he said softly. "I don't want to rush us."

Bailey smiled inwardly and kissed Gabriel long and hard. Bailey knew she was glowing. She licked her lips, "You don't know how much that means to me."

"And when you do that—" he said as Bailey sucked on the side of his neck "—It makes me want to rape you."

"It wouldn't be rape." Her voice was so soft she wasn't quite sure she had said the words.

His nose brushed hers. She could feel his breath on her lips. Bailey knew she had to do something to keep from mauling him right there.

"Lay down on the bed," she instructed. "Face down."

Gabe reluctantly complied. She straddled his cute little butt and bent over to kiss the back of his neck. His skin erupted in goosebumps. Her breasts mashed flat against his back as she nibbled her way over to his ear.

"It's going to kill me when you leave on Wednesday," she said softly. "I love the way you hold me. I love the way you kiss me. I love that you've never tried to rush me into the sack."

"You don't know how hard that's been," he said, his voice slightly muffled by the pillow.

Bailey giggled. It was hard on her, too. She kissed the nape of his neck one more time, then took a deep breath. "Gabe, I don't want to make love before you leave. It's not that I don't want to ... because I do! But I want it to be right. I want it to be the right time. And I want to know that you're The One."

She lifted her hips as Gabe rolled over on his back. His cock was hard and she settled down on top of him. He looked her in the eyes. "I want you, Bailey. But I'll wait as long as you want to. We can do as much, or as little, as you want and I'll be okay with that. I love waking up with you; that's what I'm going to miss the most when I'm away."

Leaning over, Bailey kissed Gabe, "Just because we're not going to be making love doesn't mean we can't do other things."

"What other things do you want to do?" he asked with a mischievous smirk.

"Let's start with you feeling my tits again." Bailey thrust her chest into his waiting hands. She gasped at his strong touch. "Unbutton me."

Ever so gently, Gabe opened her top as if it were a delicate Christmas present. She rolled her shoulders and silk blouse fell away.

As Bailey leaned forward, she pulled Gabe's head toward her chest. He buried his face between her cleavage. She moaned softly as he kissed and nibbled her skin.

Her fingernails dug into his scalp. She almost creamed her panties right there. His hands brushed her bare shoulders for the first time.

Gabe's fingertips caressed her gently, causing her hairs to stand up on end. Shivers ran the length of her body.

She hated to, but she pulled her chest away from Gabriel's eager mouth. Her hands tugged at his shirt. He lifted up off the bed just enough to pull the t-shirt over his head, then flung it across the room.

"Open me up," she whispered.

With a deft touch, Gabe's hands went to her back. With one apparently well-practiced motion, the clasp sprung open and her breasts seemed to explode out of her bra.

Hungrily, Gabe suckled on her nipples. She cried out with pleasure.

His teeth dug into her skin. His hands cupped her breasts.

"Oh, jesus, Gabe!" Her hands wrapped around his head and she pulled him to her. Their hips started to grind together.

Bailey had never known such bliss. In her wildest imagination, it was never this good.

He alternated between her nipples, taking great care to appreciate the rest of her breasts as well.

Her body jerked wildly every time he licked her areole. It was as if he had hooked up a wire between her breasts that went straight to her pussy.

She was soaked. She never lost consciousness of the cock that was pressing between her legs.

The room started to spin as Gabriel sucked harder. His firm hands cupped her tits and also her ass.

Bailey's body was transformed into a lightning rod that absorbed pleasure. It shook her from head to toe.

When she could take it no more, Bailey began to buck her hips against him. He met her thrusts with equal enthusiasm.

"Oh, god!" she screamed. Bailey began to hyperventilate.

She felt lightheaded.

Gabe squeezed a little harder. He sucked a little faster. His teeth seemed a little sharper.

All the while, Bailey dry-fucked him until she came. In one big, earth-shattering orgasm.

Babbling incoherently, she was reduced to a writhing mass of flesh. Her body pressed against him. Her skin was covered in sweat.

He rode out her orgasm, bringing her down slowly. But he never stopped moving.

Even as she collapsed on top of him, Gabe's hands massaged her breasts. They ran the length of her shoulders and down her arms. He breathed gently in her ear.

She didn't black out, but it took a long while to come down. Into Gabriel's loving embrace.

They cuddled for a long time, neither one speaking.

It felt so good to feel his skin against hers. It felt so natural.

Her fingernails raked his chest causing his nipples to harden. His arm was draped around her shoulder. His other hand took hers.

"How are we going to give this up?" Bailey wondered.

"Who says we have to give it up?" Gabe asked.

"I don't know if I can stand not being with you every night."

"After you hear my teeth grinding, you might want to sleep in another room," he teased.

Bailey looked up at Gabe in the flickering candle light.

"I can't believe you think I'm pretty," she said softly.

"I don't think you're pretty," Gabe looked back at her lovingly. "I think you're beautiful."

"Why?" Bailey whispered.

"Because you are." His hand went to her chin and he drew her lips to his.

"Even if I'm fat and dumpy?"

"Stop that, Bailey," his voice was stern.

"Mom says you must like girls with a little bit of meat on their bones."

"I like girls who look like God made them to look," Gabe said firmly. "Do you feel fat?"

She nodded fearfully.

"Then what are you going to do about it?"

"I—" She stopped, unsure of where this was going.

Gabe took a deep breath. "Here's the thing, Bailey ... and I'm sorry if this comes out the wrong way. I don't do pity and I don't like it when people feel sorry for themselves. Maybe it's the guy in me. If you're unhappy about something, either do something to fix it or shut up."

Bailey was a little taken aback by his words.

"Get up," Gabe said as he pushed Bailey back. He took her by the hand and they climbed out of the bed. Leading her across the room, he stood her in front of the mirror on the back of the door to the bathroom. Her hands instinctively went to cover her belly.

Standing behind her, Gabe took her arms and pulled them down to her side.

"I love your body," he whispered in her ear. In the dim light all she could see was the pooch on her belly. "I think you are sexy and beautiful. I love your curves. I love how soft your skin is. I love feeling you against me."

"You don't think I'm tubby?" Her eyes flicked up and met his in the mirror. She could see the desire in his gaze.

"I think that everyone was made to look a certain way," Gabe said. "I don't believe in fad diets or pills, and I don't believe in plastic surgery. I think that if someone eats a reasonably balanced diet of moderate portions and does a fair amount of exercise, they will look the way God intended them to look. Some people are skinny and other people aren't. That's the way we were made."

She had to remind herself to breathe. As Gabe spoke, she saw that he really didn't care if she thought she was fat or not. He wanted her anyway.

"If you don't like this," his hand went to her belly. "Then get on the Bowflex three times a week for half an hour. Or do thirty minutes on the treadmill. Or join one of the adult soccer leagues here in town. But I want you to know this, Bailey: You shouldn't do it for me. You shouldn't do it because you're afraid of the way other people look at you. Do it for yourself. You'll feel better. You'll be stronger and have more energy. This country isn't overrun with diabetics because of genetics; it's because there are lots of fat, lazy people who won't quit smoking, eat too much junk food and don't exercise."

Bailey brushed the tears out of her eyes.

"Can I tell you about one of my fantasies?" Gabe kissed her on the side of the neck. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. "This may be getting way ahead of where we are right now, but ... I think about you and I making love. You're laying on your back..."

She rolled her head to the side as he kissed his way down to her shoulder.

" ... I enter you..."

A gasp escaped her lips.

" ... You want to kiss me, but you can't..."

He reached around and cupped her heavy breasts in his hands.

" ... Your hands try to pull me down to you..."

She could feel his cock pressing between the cheeks of her ass.

" ... But your belly is in the way..."

Gabe caressed her stomach.

" ... Because it's full with our baby..."

A shiver ran down her spine.

" ... Your breasts are big and swollen..."

Bailey couldn't help it. She cried out. In her own mind, she had nearly this exact same desire.

" ... We make love long and slow," he whispered, biting gently on her ear. "That's what I want, Bailey. I want you big and fat with our child. If you're happy and healthy, I don't care how you think you look. You'll always be beautiful to me, sweetheart."

She turned and wrapped her arms around him. She started to cry softly. They were tears of joy. Knowing that Gabriel would accept her for who she was. Not how she thought she looked.

"Stop crying, Bailey," he said with a slight laugh. "Crying girls make me horny."

She pinched him a couple times. Then once more for good measure. Bailey let Gabriel lead her back to the bed.

"I'm sorry if I freaked you out just now," he said as they settled under the sheets. Neither had put their tops back on.

"Don't be," she said, wanting to take the rest of their clothes off. But her considerable willpower asserted itself. "I like the thought of having your baby, Gabe. I also like that you would want me to mother your child."

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," he replied and she knew that his level head was an asset to them as a couple. "We've got a ways to go between where we are now and us having a child. That's just a fantasy and sometimes, fantasies are better left unfulfilled."

"What do you mean?"

"I also have this fantasy about you dressed up as Lynda Carter and making out with Gabrielle Union ... Hey! No tickling!"

The pair of them wrestled around on the bed for a while, laughing and playing. She wasn't stronger than he, but Gabe let her win anyway. It devolved into a kissing and grope session with her laying on top of him. Bailey found that she liked the way Gabe touched her, even when he was stealing a feel or smacking her across the backside.

They lay there for a long while, holding one another in the candlelight.

"I want you to promise me something, Bailey," Gabe said, his voice suddenly serious.

"What?"

"If you meet someone at college ... and you hit it off with him," his voice got soft. "I want you to ... you know ... I don't want you to think that you have to wait around for me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, a little perplexed and also a little angry.

"I'm your father's age," he said.

"Oh, don't start that again," her voice hardened.

"What do you see in me, Bailey?"

"I see someone I'm falling in love with." She lifted her head and kissed him. "I'll make you a deal: I'll get over how fat I am if you'll get over how old you are."

"Oh, so I'm old now?" The words were barely out of his mouth as Bailey assaulted him with a shower of tickles. She kissed him again.

"I don't care how old you are, Gabe. I'm not going to look for someone else because I've got you. I'm going to have that baby of yours," she vowed. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Gabe smiled, resigning himself to the fate he had chosen. And the one she had chosen, too. Bailey knew that there was nothing orthodox about their relationship, but that didn't matter to her. She was following her heart, foolish or not. In his eyes, she saw that he knew it, too.

"You're thinking it, aren't you?" she asked softly.

He only nodded.

"Say it."

Taking a deep breath, Gabe closed his eyes. When he opened them, he smiled gently. His hand caressed her face.

"I love you, Bailey Crawford," he whispered.

She lost herself to his gaze. Leaning over to kiss him, she cupped his face. His arms wrapped around her and they held each other for the rest of the night.

"I love you, too, Gabriel MacKenzie."

************* 

Bailey was still asleep when Gabe left. He had an early flight and woke himself up early. He didn't bother to shower; he would clean up once he got back to New York. Instead he dressed quietly and gathered his things. 

Gabe watched Bailey sleeping. She looked so content and beautiful. Her chest rose and fell with each breath. He brushed her hair out of her face and she smiled in her sleep. Pulling the sheet over her, Gabe kissed Bailey on the cheek and whispered, "Good-bye, my love. Miss me."

The previous two days had passed too quickly for his liking. They spent Monday at her house for Labor Day. He got to know her parents a little better and did all the proper oohing and aahing over her dad's antique Camaro, which was almost show-quality. She had to go to class and work on Tuesday. He treated all four of his housemates to a nice dinner out then returned home and snuggled on the couch with Bailey.

They spent both nights together in his bed. Although they never went any further than heavy petting, the night before, instead of watching each other masturbate, they touched and explored one another's bodies until they both came. She was a quick learner and very sensual, things Gabriel appreciated and enjoyed.

He couldn't believe how good she made him feel. Since Jeannie moved out, Gabe felt old. He was divorced and in a rut. His mother's death left a void in his life that he was just now getting over.

His chance prom date changed all that. Bailey rejuvenated him. He remembered what it was like to be eighteen again. Instead of going through the motions every day, he seemed ready to jump back into life. Unfortunately, that meant he would be going back to New York while his lover stayed in his home.

He reasoned that it was a small price to pay, at least in the short term. He was getting back to something that he loved. And now that he had someone in his life to share that with, Gabe returned to work with a vigor and energy he hadn't felt in years. He just needed to find a way to maintain his budding relationship with Bailey over the long distance between his house and Central Park West.

As he retreated out of his bedroom, he set his iPod in the docking port on the clock radio. In a little while, it would rouse her to "Leaving On a Jet Plane" because he didn't want to say good-bye in person. He didn't know if he could stand to leave her if he had to look into her big brown eyes. Around the house he had left dozens of notes and cards for her to find over the next few weeks. Until they could see one another again.

The airport shuttle was waiting for him in the driveway. He got in and didn't dare look back.

************** 

"Hey, Lo, when's your girlfriend coming to visit?"

Gabe only shrugged. Chuck laughed. Mitzi climbed up in his arms and cuddled up to her godfather. She immediately reached for one of the brownies on Gabe's plate.

"Only one, honey," Teri said in her "mommy" voice. "You should invite her up for Thanksgiving."

"I'm thinking of going back to Mom's for Thanksgiving." Gabe slipped a second brownie into Mitzi's little three year-old hands. That was just one of the many reasons Chuck and Teri's kids adored him.

"What? And miss Big John trying to burn his house down again?"

"I think I'd prefer to be five states away when he goes near the turkey fryer again, thank you." They three adults shared a hearty laugh. 

"You should bring her here, Lo," Teri said, her voice getting serious. "You haven't seen her in . . . what? Six weeks? Fly her up and show her the town."

"I don't think she's ever been on a plane before," Gabe said. "Heck, I doubt she's even left her state."

"All the more reason to get her to come visit you," Teri insisted.

"I don't think she'd want to hang out all day while I'm at work."

"Now you're just making excuses," his friend said. "Don't make me smack you around again."

Gabe sighed. Since returning to New York, he had thrown himself into a number of projects. He returned to The Sun Also Sets full-time. He also did a few weekend jaunts to conventions and some commercial or voice-over work on the side. He was reading for a new play that was in development and slated for the fast track to Broadway.

No matter what he was doing, though, there seemed to be an empty space in his life. And he knew what it was. He missed Bailey. Every now and then, he found himself thinking, "Bailey would like that" or "I wish Bailey were here with me right now", and Gabriel realised that a long-distance relationship was harder than he first thought.

They talked every day, usually in the evenings when they could use their free night and weekend minutes. She was working hard at school; community college often gets a bad rap, but it was still tougher than high school. In addition to her work-study job, Bailey picked up a couple of shifts as a waitress to make a little more money. She told Gabe that her parents were stretched pretty thin and any help the twins could provide would be immensely helpful.

Gabe thought about sending them some money, but decided against that; their family was too proud to accept anything resembling a handout. The girls were already living in his house and driving one of his cars for rent that was far less than he could have gotten at market value.

"I've got an idea," Teri said as Chuck came by to pick his daughter out of Gabe's arms to get her ready for bed. "Here's what you're going to do . . ."

***************** 

The butterflies in Bailey's stomach were working overtime. She tried to remember to chew her gum as the plane ascended. Her ears popped and she looked excitedly out the window as the ground receded. 

In her hands, she clutched the letter Gabriel had sent her along with the plane ticket. It had some very specific instructions about what she needed to do and wear. Or not wear as the case may be.

Her bosses had let her take off for a long weekend and she didn't have classes on Friday. April and Morgan had enviously driven her to the airport before returning to the house. Bailey was listening to the iPod Gabe left for her.

The flight was direct into JFK. After landing, Bailey's eyes were wide at the size and scope of the place. She was unused to the bustle of all the people. The sounds and constant motion were alien to her small-town experiences. The people were dispassionate and robotic. It was a far cry from the friendly and familiar setting of Washington County. She was both excited and a little bit scared at the same time.




Life is a Soap Opera Act 02



Following the signs, she picked up her suitcase and looked for the limo driver. He was holding a placard that read "MacKenzie" and he politely took her bookbag and luggage. Out on the curb, the driver put her things in the trunk of the Town Car and opened the back door for her.

Friendly and professional, he gave Bailey the grand tour of New York, pointing out the sights to the obviously-overwhelmed young woman. The trip into Manhattan went by quickly.

The limo stopped near the Museum of Natural History at an upscale apartment building. A doorman helped the driver unload Bailey's bags. She offered to tip both, but they declined, saying it wasn't necessary.

"Miss Crawford, Mr. MacKenzie told me to give you this when you arrived," the doorman handed her an envelope. "Would you like assistance with your bags?"

"No, thank you."

He nodded and pointed down the hallway. "Take the elevators to the fifth floor, then turn left and it will be the third door on the right."

"Thank you, Paul," she said reading his nametag.

"You're very welcome," he replied with a slight bow. "And welcome to New York."

Like his house, Gabe's apartment was clean and in order. The envelope contained a key and some more instructions. It smelled of his sweet cologne.

Gabriel had a large space for being a single guy. There were two bedrooms, a living room, one full bath, a kitchen and a third bedroom he used as a small office. Posters and mementoes lined the walls. It felt very much like Gabe.

Where the house had been his mother's and Gabriel just lived there, the apartment reflected more of his personality. He displayed lots of pictures. She recognised Chuck and Teri, as well as a few famous people whom Gabe had worked with in the past. There were knickknacks on the shelves and tables. She smiled when she saw several pictures of herself in frames around the apartment.

In the foyer, there was a red rose laying on the floor next to a card with her name on it.

Welcome to my home, Bailey. Leave your things here and go into the bedroom. XOXO, —G.

She went to the master bedroom and found another flower and card in the middle of the bed. The covers were turned down. She opened the card.

Take your clothes off and lay them on the dresser. Get in the bed and call me. I love you. –G.

Once she was naked, Bailey lay back on Gabe's bed. It smelled like him. The mattress was soft and the sheets enveloped her. She closed her eyes for a second, imagining making love to Gabriel in his bed.

Her nipples were standing straight up as she reached for the phone and dialed his cell phone number. True to her word, she had never programmed it into her phone or told anyone else how she got it. She had it memorised.

The phone rang twice and then she heard his voice. "Hello, Bailey."

"Hi," she said, content to hear him speak. Knowing he wasn't five states away anymore.

"Did you do what I told you?" he asked. She could hear people talking in the background.

"Yes," she whispered.

He lowered his voice, "Are you naked?"

"I am."

"Hold on," he said. Bailey heard him talking to someone else, then she heard a door close. "Sorry about that. Are you in bed?"

"Yes." Indulgently, she cupped one of her breasts.

"I want you to touch yourself," Gabe told her. "I want you to cum in my bed . . . like I did this morning. Right where you are . . . right now . . . I lay there this morning thinking about you. Think about that, Bailey. And think about this: When we get home tonight, I'm going to go down on your pussy . . . I'm going to eat you out in my bed."

Bailey's breathing became ragged at the sound of his sexy voice. She could hear the undercurrent of desire as he spoke. 

"After you cum, go into the kitchen."

"Okay." 

"And, Bailey?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

She purred as she began to stroke her clit. "I love you, too."

***************** 

"Bailey!" Gabriel waved her over. 

Her skin was still a little flush. She thought she reeked of sex, having been explicitly forbidden from showering or putting on lotion or even washing her hands.

She threw herself into his arms. Gabe spun her around, laughing. Bailey was oblivious to the stares of those around them. She kissed him hard, unleashing eight weeks of pent-up frustration on to his tongue.

Gabe finally managed to extract himself from her grasp, even though she knew he didn't want to. With his arm around her waist, Gabe gave her a tour of the set, introducing her to the actors and staff of the show.

Everyone was friendly to a fault, especially Lori Craven, one of the show's main stars. She welcomed Bailey to the studio and told her that she was also a small town girl. Lori seemed very down-to-earth for someone making a gajillion dollars on TV and in movies. Bailey tried not to seem too starstruck, but Gabe only laughed at her and continued the tour.

"We thought Gabe made you up," the show's feisty head writer told her. Bailey instantly liked her. She was smart and sassy and wasn't afraid to tell things exactly as they were. Or give her best friends down the road about something.

"Would I do something like that, Rose?"

"I don't know, Gabe. Would you?" the other woman taunted. "You'd been celibate for so long, there was a pool in the writer's room that you'd gone gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"Celibate?" Bailey asked incredulously. 

"Ever since the divorce, Gabe stopped dating," Rose said, obviously enjoying a chance to get under his skin. She took Bailey by the arm. "Girl, when your boy showed back up, we were going to all pitch in and get you a big fruit basket. You're the best thing to happen to him in a long time. He's got his smile back and we owe you!"

All Bailey could do was blush.

"Chuck and Teri vouched for Bailey," Gabe said with a mock pout.

"Best friends don't count. Chuck and Teri would help you hide a body," Rose said, her eyes twinkling. "Helping you make up a girlfriend would have been child's play to them."

Rose leaned in to have one final, private word even though she spoke loud enough for Gabe to hear. "Don't let him go, young lady. He's a keeper!"

"I know," she whispered back. Rose winked and left them to continue their tour. 

Gabe was so animated. Back home . . . well, home to her . . . Gabe always seemed to be a little guarded. Aloof, even. She recognised it in herself; around unfamiliar people, both she and Gabriel were introverted and quiet. However, when among friends, they let their hair down. As a matter of professional survival, Gabe had developed an outgoing public persona that could hobknob and schmooze with the best of them, even though he hated it.

It was hard for her, being in a big city around lots of people who knew about her, but to her were strangers. As Gabriel shared this part of his life with her, she sensed that the people he worked with accepted her because a friend of Gabe's was a friend of theirs. Despite all the stories of showbiz backstabbing and personal/professional jealousies, Bailey sensed The Sun Also Sets was one big family . . . now that prime backstabber Montana/Milton Morehead was gone and that her/his producer-conspirator David Barnes was killed at a place called Der Waffel Haus in a freak accident involving a taxidermied swordfish, a skateboard and some legwarmers.

Gabriel led her back to his dressing room. The show's head wardrobe and costume director was laying out some clothes for the next week. He introduced her to Bailey.

"You're the envy of the set," Tawny giggled and that made Bailey blush some more. "We had a bet on who would be the first one to get Gabe to ask them out . . . looks like we all lost."

"Go on, get out of here," Gabe gave he a mock scolding. The other woman winked at Bailey then left.

As soon as the door shut, they were all over each other. Bailey's heart fluttered as she melted into Gabriel's arms. They kissed hungrily. She pawed at him, realising how much she had missed his touch over the past two months.

He pulled back for a second and reached for her hand. He sucked on her fingertips and smiled mischievously.

A jolt ran through her body, both from the sensitivity of her fingers and the knowledge that he was suckling on the same hand that had been touching herself not an hour before.

Her pussy was soaked. One of the reasons was that she was around Gabe for the first time after a long drought. They both knew what the other reason was.

Gabe's eyes glanced over towards the clock on the wall. "It's about that time, isn't it?"

"Yes," she moaned. Two weeks ago, when Gabe called and invited her to visit him in New York, he told her that he wanted her to masturbate three times a day for him: once when she got up, once before dinner and once before bed. She was all too happy to comply, even though she didn't quite understand why he would ask her to do that, and he often called to make sure she kept the schedule.

Now, not only was she hot and bothered from her earlier session, her body was responding to the Pavlovian conditioning brought about by her timed self-pleasure, and she had a feeling Gabe wasn't going to get her get off until later. Surely he was reveling at the success of his secret evil plan to torture her.

"Spread your legs," Gabe whispered. He was beginning to assert himself as being in control of their sexual encounters. Bailey willingly surrendered to him, knowing that he wouldn't cross the boundaries she set.

He lifted her skirt, his fingertips brushing her legs. Bailey had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Gabe's movements were slow, as if he was deliberately trying to draw this out as long as possible.

"Oh, god, Gabe!" A shudder ran through Bailey's body as his hand cupped the bare mound of her pussy. 

His middle finger brushed the nub of her clit and she cried out. She could feel her excitement beginning to drip down her legs.

Her labia were surely swollen. He played with her pussy for a few seconds, its slickness coating his fingers.

"Good girl," he whispered in her ear. "You follow instructions well."

She smiled to herself, delirious with pleasure. She appreciated Gabe's praise, but also having him touch her again after so long.

Her toes started to curl up when he stopped suddenly.

Bailey whimpered in frustration. He had just gotten her going!

Gabriel kissed her behind the ear. "I've missed you."

She groaned as he withdrew. "You're killing me, Gabe!"

"That's the idea, sweetheart," he smirked. Before she could move, he opened the door and led her back out into the hallway. 

Her face was red. Her heart raced. And at that moment, she would have done anything Gabriel asked of her.

***************** 

The sexual tension between them was palpable for the remainder of the night. They held hands and sat as close to each other as they could.

While it was still light out, Gabe took her on a tour of Manhattan. Using the same limo driver that had picked her up at the airport, they drove around the island. They toured Little Italy and Chinatown. Downtown, he showed her Wall Street and Trinity Church. The driver dropped them off in Times Square. From there, they walked to Sardi's, a famous haunt of Broadway actors.

The restaurant was definitely unlike any place Bailey had ever been before. Many of the men wore coats and the women cocktail dresses. Gabe was in a nice pair of pants and a dress shirt, and per his instructions, she wore a nice blouse along with her skirt. Still, she felt under-dressed.

As she looked at the menu, her jaw dropped at the prices. She anticipated that things would cost a little more in New York, but she didn't expect the least expensive thing on the menu to be $15. Gabe told her to get whatever she wanted; he was buying and she deserved nothing less than the best. Even if she felt a little guilty for spending more on one meal than her whole family usually spent when they went out.

They talked for a little while, catching up and the like. Her hands lingered on his arm, as if she didn't quite believe that they were together again. Throughout dinner, she caught Gabriel's eyes lingering on her with more than fondness.

His desire mirrored hers.

The tingling between her legs never went away. The fabric of her skirt brushed against her bare pussy and ass. She remembered Gabe's hungry touch. And she was looking forward to the fulfillment of his promises for the coming night.

He asked about her family and how school was going. She updated him on the bedroom remodeling project. As their meal ended, both felt the tension level rise.

As they stood outside the restaurant waiting for their car to pull up, Gabe whispered in her ear, "I'm gonna make you cum so hard, you pass out."

"Promises, promises." Bailey barely managed to get the words out, she was shaking so badly.

They stumbled into the car. The ride back to his apartment only took a few minutes, but to Bailey, it seemed like an eternity. Gabe's hand rested on her knee, his fingers intertwined with hers.

When they arrived at his apartment building, Gabe tipped the driver and the two headed inside.

"Have a good evening, Mr. MacKenzie?" the doorman asked politely.

"Very good, Paulie," Gabriel replied. Bailey slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. "How's your daughter doing?"

"Just getting over the flu," the other man replied. "Thank you for asking."

"Tell her I hope she feels better."

"I will. Have a good night, Mr. MacKenize. Miss Crawford."

Bailey waved politely as the elevator doors closed. In an instant, she was all over Gabe. His hands groped her breasts. Hers went straight to his ass.

"I want you to fuck my brains out tonight," she gasped between kisses.

His only reply was to kiss her harder. They pulled apart when the short elevator ride ended. Holding hands, they raced down the hallway. No one else was around and she tugged at his shirt as he fumbled with the lock.

The door opened and the two fell into his apartment. Their clothes littered the floor on the way back to his bedroom. Neither bothered to turn any lights on. The sheets were rumpled where Bailey had been on the bed earlier.

Gabriel was only wearing a pair of boxer shorts. Bailey's skirt was around her ankles. She kicked her heels across the room.

Her hands grasped at his hair, her fingernails scraping his scalp. Gabe cupped her breasts, which were now freed from her bra.

Bailey pushed him back on the bed so he was sitting on the edge.

His face was level with her breasts. Bailey's nipples crinkled up as his mouth descended on them. 

Gabe's hands reached around and grasped her ass.

She loved the way he touched her. He was both desperate and gentle at the same time.

"Right there!" she gasped. "Oh, god, Gabe . . . I've missed you so much."

He mumbled something incoherent, but she knew what he meant. Gabe continued to worship her breasts for several minutes. Her pussy was soaking wet; it was time for her evening masturbation session.

"You look fantastic," Gabe pulled his face out from between her breasts. He tugged at her hands and she fell on to the bed beside him. They cuddled together. She was nude. He had only a pair of boxers on.

"I've been working out," she said proudly.

"You have?"

"Yes," Bailey lay back and stretched. "I've lost ten pounds and dropped two dress sizes. April and I spend half an hour working out or walking every night."

Gabe's hands ran all over her body. She still felt very self-conscious. If she were around anyone else, she would not have wanted to be without clothes. But she knew Gabe loved her regardless of how she looked and that he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world, even if she didn't.

"Get in the middle of the bed," he whispered. She started to protest as Gabe slipped out of the bed, but she obeyed nonetheless. She watched his cute backside as he moved around the bedroom. He lit a pair of candles and drew the curtains to keep the morning light from shining too brightly.

She splayed herself out on the bed for Gabe to see. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He stood beside the bed, as if debating what he wanted to do next.

He took a deep breath. "Bailey . . . did you mean what you said earlier? . . . About, you know . . . making love?"

"I didn't mention anything about making love, Gabriel," she said with a wicked smile. "I said I wanted you to fuck my brains out."

"I thought you wanted to wait." His eyes met hers. They did not stray to her chest or between her legs.

Bailey sat up on the bed. Her heavy breasts jutted out from her chest, with just a little bit of sag. "I said I wanted to wait for the right guy. And I've found him. I want you, Gabe. I want you to make love to me. I want you to be my first lover. I want to give myself to you. Will you have me?"

"I . . ." Gabe's voice trailed off. He shook his head, as if willing his disbelief away. 

Her heart leaped into her throat. Was he going to say no?

Gabriel stood and walked to his closet. He reached for two bathrobes and held one out to Bailey. She took it and they both covered up. Her insecurities, which Gabriel had done so much to bring down, slowly began to reappear.

She mutely took his hand as he led her out to the living room. He turned a light on and they sat on the couch. Her hands trembled.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly.

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life," she replied.

"Why me?" he whispered.

"Because you love me," she said simply. Bailey put her arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek.

"That's what I'm afraid of," he admitted. "I've missed you so much these past two months. I lie awake and night and wish you were here with me. You make me feel young again, Bailey."

"Do you want me?"

"Yes . . . Good heavens, yes! But—"

"But nothing, Gabe," she interrupted. "This is what I want!"

"Are you sure you're not making a huge mistake? Why do you want me?"

"I'm not a girl, Gabriel," she said firmly. "This isn't about puppy love or infatuation. I can make up my own mind! I love that you've never rushed me. You ask my permission before doing anything. You are the perfect gentleman. You make me feel special. And I can't stop thinking about you. I dream about you. I want to wake up next to you every day."

"If I make love to you tonight, I don't know how I'll be able to put you on that plane on Sunday," Gabe looked her in the eyes. 

"We'll figure something out," Bailey said with a rueful smile. "What's wrong?"

"I don't have any condoms," he said sheepishly.

"You don't need one," she giggled in his ear. "Mom put me on the pill last month."

"I haven't had a . . . um, test . . ."

"That's okay," Bailey said reassuringly. "I trust you. I haven't had one, either."

"We could go to the all night clinic—" he was interrupted by Bailey punching him in the shoulder.

The two shared a nervous laugh.

"Gabe," she sighed. "I love you. I've been in love with you since prom. And I want you to be my lover tonight. We'll figure out the rest later."

"I love you, too, Bailey," Gabe flashed her a resigned smile. "I just don't want you to regret this."

"Then don't let me regret it." There was a sultry tone in her voice.

Gabriel took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He stood and extended his hand. Drawing Bailey to her feet, Gabe picked her up in his arms. She nuzzled up to his neck.

He flipped out the light and carried her back down the hallway to his bedroom, stopping at the doorway.

"Last chance," he warned. "Once we go in, I'm not going to stop . . ."

"You don't ever have to stop, Gabe. You can do anything you want to me. Anything."

"Don't tempt me, sweetheart. I just might take you up on that."

"You talk a big game, mister," Bailey teased with her arms wrapped around him. "I'm going to have you begging for mercy when I'm done with you."




Life is a Soap Opera Act 02



Gabriel stepped into the bedroom. The candles were still flickering. He set her down on the edge of the bed. 

Both shed their robes. Bailey reached out and pushed his boxers down over his hips. Her mouth began to water.

Falling on her back, Bailey's eyes lingered on Gabriel's body. His shoulders were broad and strong. His arms muscular. His stomach free of the middle age paunch that most men sported. And his handsome face. 

His smile made her heart melt and her knees weak.

Gabe crawled into bed next to her as she pushed the sheets down. He leaned over and kissed her gently. 

Her nipples grew hard instantly as his hand cupped her breast. 

She tilted her head back, letting Gabriel control their pace and intensity. Her hands roamed his body. He explored her as well.

Knowing that they were going to make love seemed to take some of the tension off the two. Both knew that they no longer had to keep their desires under control. They were free to give themselves fully to one another.

Bailey relished the feeling of Gabriel's body pressing against her. Her heart began to pound a little harder. 

"Make love to me," she said softly. "Please, Gabriel."

Gabe pulled back and looked lovingly at her. She spread her legs as Gabe got on his knees between them. 

She could see the passion . . . the lust . . . the love . . . that burned in his eyes.

"You are so beautiful, Bailey Crawford," he said. She loved hearing him say her name.

Her eyes fell from his eyes to his cock. It was hard. For her.

Reaching out, Bailey pulled Gabriel down on top of her. For the first time, their fully naked bodies rubbed against each other. 

Bailey's hand went between Gabe's legs and she stroked his hard cock. It felt both natural and a little forbidden for her. She was no prude, but nor was she particularly worldly. His was the first cock she had seen in the flesh. And what glorious flesh it was.

She loved that he was hard for her. She loved that she could use it to tip his considerable self-control. 

After years of masturbating to fantasies of boys and men, Bailey finally had a real live cock in her hands. During their two month separation, she realised that Gabriel MacKenzie was the perfect man for her. Not because he was handsome and wealthy. Not even because he was polite and kind.

They connected. Despite the differences in their ages and their backgrounds, she felt as if he were a kindred spirit. He knew how she felt. He was a fellow introverted, ugly duckling when compared to his brother. He knew what it felt like to be ignored—invisible—and how much it meant for someone to pay attention, even with a simple gesture such as holding hands.

Gabe's lips left a trail of sloppy kisses across her cheek. He nibbled on her ear. She stroked him, drawing a gasp.

She squealed with delight as Gabe sucked on the side of her neck and bit her collarbone.

He was on his knees in front of her. She felt him take his cock in his hand and cried out when he brushed it against her clit. "Do that again!"

"Do this again?" he teased. A chill ran through her body.

Her sex pulsed with desire. She could feel the blood flowing into her swollen labia.

"I love you, Bailey," he whispered in her ear. His weight pressed down on her. Her breasts were mashed flat against his chest.

She spread her legs in anticipation.

The head of his cock paused at the entrance to her pussy. Gabe was tumescent, the largest she had ever felt.

Bailey bit her lip as he pressed forward. Her maidenhead held for just a second, then gave way as Gabriel entered her.

She cried out as he filled her with his length. His girth caused her eyes to tear up. 

"No, Gabe," she sobbed and he pushed forward with his hips. "Don't stop . . . please . . . don't . . ."

When he was fully inside her, he paused. She managed to open her eyes enough to see the concern on his face. 

Her body was covered in sweat. The searing pain receded as her sex stretched to accommodate him.

Gabe kissed her face gently and whispered soothingly in her ear. 

"Are you okay, sweetheart?"

She could only nod. The pain was slowly replaced by pleasure. Her pussy was raw after this first invasion.

He slowly began to move inside her. Grinding his hips in a small circle, Gabe explored the limits to her tolerance.

His eyes met hers. She lost herself to his loving smile. She gave herself to this man. Her lover.

Bailey began to grind her hips against him. They slowly began a dance with their bodies, trying to anticipate which way the other was going to move.

Her arms pulled him down and she kissed him deeply. The maddening lust was gone. Instead, they made love slowly and gently.

The sex between her legs throbbed, and not always in the good way. But she knew that he would never hurt her. That the discomfort would soon give way to ecstasy. 

"Cum inside me, Gabe," she whispered in his ear. He drew in a deep breath and the look of concern returned to his face. 

"Are you sure?"

"Yes . . . It's okay," she replied. "You won't hurt me."

Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as he pulled back and thrust slowly back into her.

"Again," she said softly. "Again!"

Bailey's head began to spin as she felt her lover gently pick up his pace. He didn't last very long, but that didn't matter to her.

She heard him grunt and her hands went to his face. His mouth enveloped hers and their tongues dueled.

"Oh, god, Bailey!" he moaned. "I'm going to cum . . . I'm cum . . . I'm cumming inside you!"

With one final stroke, Gabe buried his cock inside her and she felt her pussy flood with warmth.

Gabriel collapsed on top of her. His breath was hot against her neck. She kissed him gently on the cheek.

"I love you, Gabe MacKenzie," she pulled him close.

He didn't respond for a long time. Instead, he kissed her shoulder and her neck. She giggled with delight as he nibbled right behind his ear.

She felt so content right there. In that moment, she was closer to him than she had been to anyone else in her life. Their lovemaking wasn't the thing of fairy tales or fireworks, but she would have it no other way. She was with the most important man in her life. 

In giving herself to him, she realised that he was giving himself to her as well.

They were naked and bare for each other. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually.

He lay inside her unmoving for a long time before speaking. "And I love you, Bailey Crawford. I love you with all my heart."

Running her hands through his hair, she wished that this feeling would never end.

"Am I squishing you?" he asked, slowly pulling back. Their bodies were covered in a thin sheen of perspiration.

"No, you're okay," she said and pulled him back down against her. Gabe kissed her gently. "I'm a big girl. . . . And you're a big boy!"

"You go on thinking that," he said with a loving laugh. "And don't let Chuck tell you otherwise."

"You'll always be perfect for me," she said giving him one more kiss.

The pair cuddled in bed for a while longer, whispering sweet things in each others's ears.

When their heartbeats had slowed to a regular pace, Gabe pulled back and rolled off to one side. She fell into the crook of his arm.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"For what?"

"For making love to me," he replied.

"All I did was lay there," Bailey giggled. "You did all the work."

"Thank you for letting me have you," Gabe corrected himself.

"You can spend the next fifty years showing your gratitude," she grinned.

"Only fifty?" he asked, and they kissed and giggled some more.

After a few minutes, Gabe crawled out of the bed. Bailey's legs were a little wobbly so he carried her to the bathroom and stood her up in the shower.

They took turns washing each other. Before they were rinsed clean, Gabe shut the shower off and filled the large jacuzzi tub, a luxury for any New York apartment.

She lay back in his arms under the warm water, reveling in the feel of his body against hers. He held her for a long time. Neither spoke; they simply wanted to be close to one another.

Bailey loved the feel of his strong arms around her. She dozed off in the tub, held by the man she loved.

Gabe roused her a few minutes later. They dried off and he put a bathrobe around her shoulders. While she went into the kitchen to fetch something to drink, Gabe hastily changed the sheets on the bed.

Returning with a cup of hot tea, Bailey stood at the door and admired her handsome lover. 

The votives had nearly burned themselves out. The pair shed their robes and climbed back into the bed. 

Gabriel pulled the comforter around them and Bailey fell asleep in the arms of the first love of her life.

****************** 

"Does she even know how pretty she is?"

"She doesn't have a clue, Rose," Gabe said. Together they watched Bailey talking and laughing with Teri. The young woman was glowing; it probably had something to do with all the sex she and Gabriel had earlier in the day, but she truly was a beautiful girl.

"And you say her sister is prettier?" 

"Drop dead gorgeous." Gabe took a long pull of his margarita. "It's kind of a self-fulfilling prophesy for Bailey. Her sister doesn't have to try; April can wake up and put on a sack cloth and still turn heads. So Bailey never got noticed. Low self-esteem led to body image issues and that led to some weight gain and then she was in that vicious cycle."

"Kind of like you."

"Very much like me," he said thoughtfully. "They're built differently and it takes a while to understand that just because she doesn't look like Jessica Alba, that doesn't mean she's not pretty."

"Maybe a change of scenery would be good for her," Rose suggested.

Gabe started to respond, but stopped. "I don't know that she'd leave her family."

"Not even to be with you? Or get away from her sister?"

"Getting her to split up with her sister would be like pulling teeth," Gabe said. "It was hard enough to get her to come up for this weekend by herself."

"You'd think they'd have sibling issues."

"Not those two," Gabe shook his head. "April and Bailey are inseparable. If it were me and Michael, we'd be at each others's throats twenty-four/seven, but they still share a room at Mom's house. I've got two empty bedrooms and they're both sleeping a queen-sized bed in the upstairs bedroom. It must be a twin thing."

"So what are you going to do?" Rose finished off her drink.

"I have no idea. Ask me on Monday."

Gabriel topped off Rose's glass of wine and went back to where Bailey and Teri were sitting. A dozen or so other people mingled around the deck. Some more people were inside the house. The party was Teri's idea. Ostensibly, the purpose was to celebrate Gabe's return to the show, but really she wanted to introduce Bailey to Gabe's friends and let her see a little bit of the world he lived in.

It meant a lot to Gabe that his friends liked Bailey. In hindsight, he realised that they had been trying to warn him about Jeannie for years; he was just too boneheaded to see the light until it was too late.

They all seemed to come away impressed with his new girlfriend. She was smart without being arrogant. She was friendly in a way that was refreshing to the brusque and hardened New Yorkers. They also liked that she didn't seem to be awed by Gabe's celebrity, nor was she obsessed with his money.

He knew she was afraid of what they would think of her. After all, she was seventeen years his junior and fresh out of high school. She was also—in her mind—overweight and pudgy, from a family that was poor and unsophisticated, and she thought of herself as a little too country for these "city" folks.

Gabe knew she didn't have to worry. People are people, and the ones from New York went to work to make a living just like the ones from Washington County. It helped that many of them were transplants who moved from Iowa or West Virginia or Mississippi to the big city following their dreams. Like Teri and some of Gabe's other close friends, they were from small towns just like her. Heck, even he wasn't a native New Yorker. Gabe called a bunch of places "home" during his lifetime. Some were small towns, some were big cities and the rest were in between.

Sitting down next to Bailey, he listened to the tail end of another embarrassing story about himself.

"—so there we are, covered in mud and Gabe says, 'I wanted doughnuts . . . not the whole chicken'!"

The people around them erupted into laughter. Bailey giggled and looked lovingly at him.

"I see my 'friends' are doing everything they can to embarrass me," Gabe grinned.

"I just want her to know what she's getting in to," Teri said with mock defensiveness. "She thinks the sun rises and sets around you and we just have to correct that."

"You let her worship me, Teri—"

"You mean the way my kids do?"

"—Because the sooner she finds out the ugly truth, the sooner she'll take off with half my stuff," Gabe snorted.

"The only way I'm leaving you is if you cheat on me," Bailey shot him a wicked smirk. "And then I'm taking all your stuff."

That drew a hearty laugh from Teri and the others.

"You're going to fit in nicely around here," Rose said with a friendly smile. "We wouldn't let just anyone move in on our Gabriel, now would we? Not after what that bitch Jeannie did . . ."

Bailey's eyebrow shot up. Gabe could tell she wanted to ask more, but she would be content to have that conversation in private.

"It's too bad Ariel left for that prime time show on that other network," Rose continued. "She could tell you some stories about Jeannie that would make your skin crawl . . ."

The group piled on with the sort of catty vindictiveness that you'd expect to see on a soap opera, not from its actors off camera. Gabe appreciated his friends coming not only to his defense, but trying to make Bailey feel better about herself and welcome her into their circle.

For the remainder of the night, Gabriel sat close to his lover. They held hands and kissed. The others looked on jealously.

Being around his friends, Gabe loosened up. Having a few drinks in him didn't hurt either. After a while, they got to singing and acting out scenes from plays and TV episodes long passed. Bailey joined in the fun and Gabriel found out she didn't have a half-bad voice herself.

Part way through the night, he found her panties hurriedly stuffed into the pocket of his pants and a shy blush on Bailey's face to match.

They left the party in a cab that took them from Chuck and Teri's house in Brooklyn back to his Upper West Side apartment.

His head was swimming, partly from the alcohol. Partly from being in love.

They got through the door with most of their clothes on. Teri had introduced Bailey to her friend Captain Morgan, and the two hit it off right away. Like Gabe, she was an affectionate drunk.

Falling into bed together, Gabriel and Bailey made love until they fell asleep, exhausted.

************* 

When Gabe awoke, he was alone. The sun was up and Bailey was nowhere to be found. He slipped on a robe to ward off the morning chill and padded out to the living room. The hardwood floors creaked as he followed the light. Bailey was sitting on the couch, her chemistry textbook in her lap.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked.

She looked up and flashed him a loving smile. She had her reading glasses on and her hair pulled back. Her robe hung over her shoulders but he could still see traces of her voluptuous curves.

"No, thank you," she replied, putting her pencil down. "Are you hungry? I can make you breakfast."

"Do we have time?" Gabe looked up at the clock, a frown on his face. "We've got to get you to the airport soon."

"I know." There was a resigned look on her face.

"Why didn't you wake me earlier?" he asked. "I'd hate to sleep through the morning before you left."

"You looked so peaceful," she said softly. "I didn't want to disturb you. I watched you sleeping, you know."

Gabe blushed, wishing he had woken up first so he could wake her with a special kiss.

"I'm sorry I left you alone in bed," she continued. "But I've got this chem test tomorrow . . ."

"That's okay, sweetheart," Gabe sat down next to her. She put her book and binder away as he took her in his arms.

They held each other for a long time before Gabe led her back to his bedroom and they made love one more time. Then they showered and dressed and he took her to the airport.

There were tears in both their eyes as she left him to go through airport security before catching her flight. She promised to call as soon as she landed and he promised to come to her house for Thanksgiving dinner in three weeks.

All the while, Gabriel's heart fluttered with a mixture of desire and love. He had fallen for Bailey, and fallen hard. She was everything Jeannie should have been. When she was gone, a part of him felt lonely. But he knew it wasn't for long and it definitely wasn't permanent.

Until he saw her again, whenever he wanted to feel her presence, all he had to do was think back to the meandering doodles in the margins of her chemistry folder he had seen by accident. In her flowing, bubbly teenage handwriting, she had written over and over . . . in anticipation of their future . . . as if taking it for a test drive . . . her new signature.

Bailey Crawford MacKenzie

******************** 

Joanne surveyed the work going on in her kitchen. Though small and cramped, it was cozy and familiar. Throughout the day, relatives arrived, all of them bearing food. 

Everyone who wasn't helping either got out of the way or soon found themselves with a task to complete. It was a finely choreographed dance that everyone seemed to know by heart. After all, they had been gathering like this for as long as anyone could remember.

The men were either in front of the television watching football or out in the garage shooting the shit and telling lies about the 8-point bucks they had just barely missed since gun season opened. The women watched the kids and prepared the food.  

When they turned twelve, April and Bailey were initiated into the Thanksgiving task of helping make supper. They had jobs to do, especially since it was their family's turn to host the meal. Aunts and uncles and cousins and everyone else would be coming by for the large family gathering. In their family, the Thanksgiving meal was a bigger deal than Christmas since many people traveled in December.

Both girls were superb cooks, having learned at the hands of their mother, aunts and grandmothers. Joanne saw to it that Bailey was given some of the more important tasks, such as basting the turkey, both because she was the celebrity of the family and because Joanne had a hunch that there might not be too many more Thanksgivings with her around.

Since meeting Gabriel, Bailey seemed to step out of her sister's shadow. She moved and spoke with a new confidence that could only be attributed to her beau's affection. Gone was the shy, insecure young girl. In her stead was a vibrant, beautiful woman.

Where she had been happy lingering in the background before, now Bailey didn't mind being in the spotlight. Especially as the family asked about her famous boyfriend. News of the romance had spread like wildfire throughout Washington County. It wasn't so much a scandal as it was a fairy tale come to life.

Gabriel had come back for the entire week of Thanksgiving. Joanne knew he and Bailey were sleeping together. In fact, she encouraged it. She saw in her daughter the same feelings she had for Andy all those years ago. She knew it was right.

Once, Joanne's sister had asked if she had any reservations about Bailey seeing someone who was twice her age.




Life is a Soap Opera Act 02



"I did at first," she admitted. "But I asked myself three questions. One: Is he a good person? Two: Does he treat Bailey well? And three: Does he make Bailey happy? The answer to all three is yes. Their situation is not one that I would have chosen for my daughter, but she has to live with it and when you see them together, you'll see that they're in love."

Her big worry was the distance between them. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but too much absence can spell disaster. The good news is that between cellular phones and the internet, they weren't as far away as they might have been fifteen years before, but that still didn't put them in the clear.

Bailey's visit to New York was a life-changer, though. When she returned, Joanne knew that her daughter was committing herself to Gabriel for the long-haul. It helped that she was living in his house and there were constant reminders of him around.

"So where's your guy, Bailey?" one of the cousins asked.

"He'll be here soon," the other girl replied. Bailey had spent every night with Gabriel since he had arrived. This morning, Bailey and April drove home in their Oldsmobile. They said he would be on his way a little later.

By late afternoon, all of the family had arrived. The crowd outdoors had grown and was playing horseshoes or on their guitars. Someone on TV was giving out six-legged turkeys to football players. There was a murmur of excitement when Gabriel's Lexus pulled on to the property and parked in the long row of cars in the front lawn.

He got out and was immediately mobbed by people rushing to introduce themselves.

"There will be a quiz later," Joanne winked as she went to help him bring in a couple bottles of wine.

"Just flunk me now," he laughed.

Joanne watched carefully as he walked over to Bailey and gave her a big hug and kiss for everyone to see. She appreciated that he was willing to show his affection publicly; it wasn't too much, but it also demonstrated that he wasn't ashamed of her, something the last boy who came calling couldn't say of himself.

Gabriel went outside to join the men; he was certainly no asset in the kitchen.

The other women fawned over Bailey for landing such a catch. And for the first time she could remember, Joanne saw a flash of jealousy in April's eyes at the attention her sister was getting.

A short while later, dinner was served. As the host, Andy said grace then Joanne invited everyone to dig in. There was more food than the family could possibly eat, but they tried their best anyway.

Gabriel and Bailey sat on the couch next to one another. Some of the cousins, especially the girls, were immediately smitten with Gabriel and he had a small audience eating out of his hand. He told stories and sang songs and was generally charming. Joanne joined them once she went through the line.

"So why did you take so long to get here?" one of the cousins asked.

"I had some business to take care of this afternoon," Gabriel shrugged.

"Where?" the inquisitive girl asked.

"At the Cold Nights Shelter," he said blankly.

"What were you doing there?" the girl continued. Bailey's eyes were wide. Joanne's, too.

"Helping get ready for Thanksgiving dinner," Gabe said patiently.

"But dinner is here." He clearly had the six year-old confused.

"Not for everyone," he said with a sad smile. "Some people don't have families on Thanksgiving. So to give them a place to go, the Cold Nights Shelter has a dinner where everyone is welcome."

"Where is your family?"

"Maddy, why don't you go get some salt and pepper from the kitchen?" Joanne asked. She flashed an apologetic smile at Gabriel. "Sorry, she's a little too curious for her own good."

"It's okay," he replied and went back to his meal, though he got quiet and slipped back into the shy introvert April and Bailey talked about—the one she had never seen—for a few minutes.

A little while later, when the kids had finished and the adults were on seconds—or thirds as the case may be—Joanne sat down next to Gabriel and Bailey. "So what were you really doing at the Cold Nights Shelter?"

"Helping them get ready for Thanksgiving dinner," his eyes grew distant. "It's something Mom started us doing when I was thirteen or fourteen . . . Did you know we used to be homeless?"

Joanne shook her head, surprised at the things she was learning about the man in Bailey's life.

"After Dad left us, Mom tried her best," he said wistfully. "We were out in San Diego, living out of an old Toyota Corolla station wagon. I was nine; Michael was eleven. It wasn't so bad; if you're going to be homeless, southern California is the place to do it. Mom was working, but we didn't have any money to get a house or apartment that wasn't in gang territory or out in the middle of the desert. We lived in the car for about a month until there was space at a family shelter."

When Joanne looked over at her daughter, Bailey only shrugged. This was news to her as well.

"They helped us get on our feet. They got me and Michael in school and they found Mom a better job," he continued. "Four months later, Mom saved up enough to get an apartment and we moved out of the shelter. She never let us forget it . . . being homeless with nothing but the clothes on our backs. So every year after that, we spent Thanksgiving and Christmas at the city mission where ever we were helping make dinner for people who had less than we did. She didn't want us to forget where we came from. Oh, don't give me that look; I'm no cook and you know it. Mostly I put cookies on plates, mop floors or wash dishes to stay out of the way."

"You should have told me," Bailey said softly. "I'd have gone with you."

"Thanks, sweetheart," he gave her a heartbroken smile. "But I needed to do this by myself today. . . . I haven't gone back since Mom had her stroke. I called Michael and he was at the homeless shelter in Montgomery . . . And in a way it was like the three of us were together again."

Joanne reached out and squeezed his hand. Gabriel smiled meekly.

Bailey gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek, then got up to help clear the dishes. Joanne and Gabriel talked some more. She was continually impressed at how considerate and thoughtful he was. She also appreciated that Gabriel—the TV star—would spend his Thanksgiving holiday making someone else's dinner with no fanfare or publicity. He could have used it as a photo op to grab some more headlines ("Soap opera star who took girls to prom does good deeds!") but instead, he just showed up as a guy named Gabe to help people who were less fortunate for a few hours.

As the evening wore on, some people started to leave. The rest settled in front of the television to watch Christmas Vacation. Little Caleb was asleep on Gabriel's lap while his sister snuggled up on his side and the dog curled up at his feet. It seemed that the entire family had welcomed Gabriel as one of their own.

Some of the men were still outside telling lies to one another when Joanne led Bailey back to her bedroom.

"You've got quite a guy there, honey," she said.

"I know, Mama," her daughter replied, a dreamy smile on her lips.

"Bailey . . . April's gonna stay over with Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Mark tonight. They need someone to watch the kids tomorrow," Joanne patted the mattress on the bed and the two sat down. "I want you to invite Gabriel to stay here tonight."

"You what?"

"I want you two to stay here tonight," Joanne repeated. "I know you two are sleeping together and your daddy . . . well, he just pretends not to know. You'll have yours and April's room all to yourselves tonight."

"Why?"

"Because tomorrow, I'm gonna get your daddy up early and make him go shopping with me. I wanna hit all the early bird sales," she said, a conspiratorial glint in her eye. "Bailey . . . four generations of Crawford women have made babies in this bed . . ."

Her daughter's eyes got wide.

". . . And since there aren't any boys still carrying the Crawford name, there probably won't be any more," Joanne paused to run her hands over the hand-carved posts and intricate woodwork. The frame and slats had been replaced and rebuilt several times over the years, but the sturdy mahogany head- and footboards were constant for over a hundred years. "I want you to make love to Gabriel right here tomorrow morning. I know you're on the pill and you're too young to be havin' babies, but I want you to feel what the rest of us did when we made love to our man in the family bed."

"You weren't too young," Bailey whispered.

"Yes, I was," Joanne said. "I was eighteen when I got pregnant and I had no business being a mommy then. Don't get me wrong; you and April are the best thing that ever happened to your daddy and me. But we shoulda waited until I finished college and your daddy got through trade school. We woulda had so much more to give you girls . . ."

"Oh, Mama!" The two shared a tender hug.

"Gabriel loves you more than life itself," Joanne lovingly cradled her daughter in her arms as she had so many times before. "And I know you love him, too. That's why I want you to have him in this bed. Pretend like you're makin' a baby like the rest of us Crawford women. . . . We've got to stick together, you know."

************* 

"Hey, Jimbo, come check this out!" one of the guys in the shop yelled.

Andy didn't bother to look up from his desk. He was balancing the books for the end of the month. Business was good; a little slower than he'd like, but even in a tough economy, car repairs aren't things people usually put off. He was also thankful that his job wasn't one that could be outsourced to Bangalore or shipped overseas to Shenzhen.

He did notice that more and more people were paying with credit cards instead of cash, and he was doing fewer minor repairs. It seemed that folks were waiting until major things broke instead of bringing their cars in for regular maintenance. It wasn't smart for the car owner, but it was good for his business.

"What is it?" the other boy sounded annoyed. He'd been working on an alternator all morning and was having a heck of a time getting it back in.

"Come look at this Skylark!" the first mechanic said. "And check out the babe that's driving it!"

Not bothering to look up, Andy chuckled. Twenty years ago, he would have been the one with one eye on the job at hand and the other eye on the lookout for girls.

"Hurry up! She's coming this way . . . Wait . . . she's pullin' in . . . Holy crap! It's Bailey!"

His eyes wide, Andy walked out of his office into the shop. Sure enough, his daughter was behind the wheel of Gabriel's gorgeous Skylark convertible. She was just turning the corner but he could hear the distinctive rumble of a big American V-8.

"When did she get hawt?" one of them asked to no one in particular.

"She's always been hot," Andy said, a little more defensively than he'd have liked. "You boys just never noticed."

"What were we thinking?"

"You were too busy chasing her sister," he snorted. "You all had your chances and now she's found herself a TV star."

Andy couldn't help but smile as his daughter pulled to a stop in front of one of the garage's empty bays. Her hair was pulled back to keep it from blowing in the wind. In the warm spring air, it was no surprise she would be driving topless . . . er, with the top down.

She got out to the admiring gazes of the guys who worked in his shop. Last summer, their eyes would have been squarely fixed on the car. Now, they were ogling the girl, too.

Even Andy noticed—disapprovingly—that the young men who worked for him were eyeing his daughter. These were some of the same boys who never would have given her the time of day before. He knew what changed: Bailey was more confident. She stopped wearing baggy clothes that covered up her curves. She put on a little bit of make-up and dressed better. She felt pretty because Gabriel had convinced her that she was. There was a new spring in her step, a broad smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye.

"Hi, Daddy," she smiled, seemingly oblivious to the stares of the other mechanics at the garage. The younger guys who worked for him were a year or two ahead of the twins in school. Over the years, he'd had over two dozen young men come through his shop and these boys were no different. They had come up through the vo-tech school and would either move on and open up their own shops soon, or they'd move away once they realised that doing business in Washington County was going to be a lot tougher than they thought. 

"Hi, Pumpkin," he said as she gave him a big hug. Since school started, he found that he really missed his daughter. Even if she hadn't been living away, he would still be seeing less of her. In their second semester of college, both girls were taking a full load of classes and working two jobs to try and save some money for the next year's tuition.

"Do you like my new car?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"Your new car?" his eyebrow shot up.

"Gabe sold it to me," she said.

"How much?"

"A dollar," she replied.

Andy frowned. First of all, Gabe's Skylark was worth closer to twenty thousand dollars. Second, he didn't like the idea of being given things for free; Andy Crawford was a proud man, and disdained even the notion that his family might be accepting a handout. And third, he was jealous that Gabe had three cars that he could simply give away if he wanted. "Just a dollar?"

"Well . . . I had to tell him I loved him, too," Bailey blushed.

He did his best to not roll his eyes or make a face. He didn't like the idea of his little girl telling anyone other than he or his wife that she loved them. But he knew there was no avoiding this. Gabriel MacKenzie was Bailey's first love. And Andy was just going to have to live with it.

"Do you?" Andy asked despite himself. "Do you love him?"

"Yes, Daddy," she replied with that dreamy smile. "You know I do."

With a sigh, Andy led her in to the office while the guys gathered around the car. He noticed that their eyes lingered on Bailey's backside as she walked past.

"I need your help, Daddy," she batted her eyes at him. 

Andy knew he was in trouble whenever she did that. "What do you need, Pumpkin?"

"Well, I need insurance," she said. "And I need you to look at the car to see if anything is wrong with it."

That second part was a lie. If his other things were any indication, Gabriel had certainly taken care of the car. And Bailey knew enough about cars to tell if it was in good shape or not by herself. Still, he appreciated that she would come to him.

"I've never had to buy insurance, so I was wondering if you'd go with me to get a policy on the car," Bailey continued. "Then I thought we'd put the car up on the rack and take a look at her."

Andy looked over at the clock on the wall. It was early afternoon and business wasn't going to pick up. Besides, the guys in the shop didn't need him to finish the jobs they were assigned.

"Shouldn't you be in class right now?" he asked with a frown.

"School got cancelled today," his daughter said. "A water main broke down on Fourth Ave last night so BCC closed down. We might be out tomorrow, too."

"Okay, let me get my jacket." On his way out the door, he stopped by to say something to Mike, one of the older guys who worked for him. Many years ago, he had also been a graduate of the Washington County vo-tech school, but he didn't have the ambition or the business acumen to run his own shop. He was a hard worker who could figure out just about anything, so Andy kept him around to help mentor the younger guys and run the shop when he was away. Over the years Mike had become a good friend and trusted confidante.

"I'll be back in a little while," Andy said. "Make sure Einstein gets that tranny put back together today. Mrs. Salyers will be by to pick up the car in the morning. And tell Jimbo that he may have to drop the front shock out of the Prelude to get that alternator back in it. How are the brakes coming on the Taurus?"

"They're shot. I've got pads and shoes, but we're going to have to order a new master cylinder."

"They grow up fast, don't they?" Andy quietly changed the subject.

"That they do," the other man replied.

"Don't be smilin' like that, Mikey. Your little girls are gonna grow up before you know it."

"That's what I'm dreading." The two men stood there watching the guys flirting with Bailey and wondering why they had never seen the beautiful young woman she had become. Andy shook his head as Mike supportively clapped him on the shoulder.

Bailey offered her dad the keys, but he declined; Andy knew she was proud of her car and he was just happy to have some time with his daughter. She fired up the engine and revved the big block a few times to show off.

The insurance agent was the only one in town; he also doubled as one of the county's four lawyers. They got a full coverage policy. Andy balked at the cost of insuring an "antique" car, but Bailey proudly not only said she wanted a separate policy, but that she would pay for it. 

"Why do you think I've been working two jobs?" she asked. She was keeping her grades up, so Andy had no choice but to acquiesce.

She learned all about auto insurance: liability, collision, comprehensive, bodily injury and the like. When they emerged from the office, she had her new policy in hand and beamed with pride at accomplishing something on her own. 

Andy was of two minds about this. He and Joanne raised their girls to be independent and know how to take care of themselves, but on another level, he realised that this was one less thing that Bailey would need him for.

Bailey drove him back to the house where they had dinner with her mom. Joanne was as a surprised as he at the new-for-her car, but she said nothing. Then Bailey changed into a ratty pair of jeans and old sweatshirt and the two of them drove back down to the shop, which was closed for the evening.

They put the car up on the lift and gave it the once over. Andy was glad to get some alone time with Bailey. Especially since he knew she really didn't need him for any of this. Even though he knew it was a young woman under the car with him, he could only see the nine-year old girl who did more rolling around on the creeper than actually helping when it was time to change the oil. He knew things were about to change when Bailey dropped the bombshell on him.

"Daddy, how do you know you're in love?" 

"You just know, Pumpkin," he said, not liking where this was going. Gabriel and Bailey's romance was progressing predictably. He went back to New York after the holidays and was working regularly. Bailey had gone to visit him a couple of times and he was coming back for long weekends with increasing frequency. The girls were still living in Gabe's house and they were doing well in school. 

"When did you know with Mama?"

"The moment I first saw her," Andy said. His smile became wistful as his memory drifted back to a time all those years ago. He also slowly took a step or two from denial towards acceptance. "Just as you knew you were in love at prom."

His daughter blushed.

"Bailey, I'm only going to say this once because I know you don't wanna hear it, and it really ain't none of my business," he drew in a deep breath. "Are you sure about Gabriel? He's a nice guy, but he's a lot older than you. And he's your first boyfriend . . . Is that really the best thing for you?"

"I don't know, Daddy," Bailey said softly. "We've talked about that a lot . . . I mean, the age thing. He keeps trying to talk me out of being interested in him . . . it's like he's trying to keep me from getting hurt."

"Is it working?"

"No," she replied. "I keep trying to figure out what it is . . ."




Life is a Soap Opera Act 02



"He's a nice guy, Bailey," Andy said. "He's got everything going for him. Gabriel's smart, good-looking, famous and rich. And he's got my little girl's heart. I know I should be able to find something wrong with him, but I can't. Even the fact that he's my age doesn't bother me because I see how good he treats you."

"I'm glad you think so." She drew in a deep breath before speaking. Her voice was so low, he could barely hear her. "Daddy . . . Gabe asked me to move to New York with him."

Andy tried not to look devastated.

"I haven't said yes," Bailey said quickly. "He just asked . . . he doesn't want the distance to break us up."

The two had dropped all pretense of working on the car. Andy took his daughter's hand and led her back to the office. They sat in the chairs opposite his desk. Neither spoke for a long time.

"I don't want you to go," he said softly.

"Then I won't."

"No . . . it's not that, Pumpkin," Andy sighed. "I don't want you to go because I miss you already. I hate that you're living in the city. I hate that I don't see you and April every day. I feel like I'm missing out on this part of your lives. But I know that it's the best thing for you. You have a nice place to live in a safe neighbourhood and you don't have to drive an hour each way."

Bailey reached out and took her father's hand.

"That night . . . when Gabriel called and told us you were in that accident . . . I thought your mom and I had lost you," his voice was barely audible. "I didn't ever want to let you out of my sight again. But that's not practical. You're a big girl now . . . no, you're a woman now . . . and my little girl has grown up. You and your sister going to college is the next step in your lives . . . and getting married and having a family is next after that."

Andy looked into his daughter's eyes and saw tears. He had to stop and wipe his own away. "If you love Gabriel, and you're sure about it … you should follow your heart. It pains me to say that, but it's the right thing to do."

"Thank you, Daddy." Her voice shook. "I love you."

"I know, Pumpkin. I love you, too."

**************** 

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'm every going to be," Gabe took a deep breath.

"Close your eyes," Bailey said. The other three girls giggled. Bailey took one hand, April the other. He heard the French doors open and then they led him in to the master bedroom of his mother's house. They took a few steps. "Okay . . . one . . . two . . . three!"

He felt as if he were in an episode of While You Were Out. The only things missing were Teresa Strasser and Andrew Dan-Jumbo.

Gabriel's jaw dropped when he saw what they had done to the room. Nearly everything he had left in the room was gone. After turning the girls loose on the room, he hadn't checked in on the project. Bailey gave him a couple of updates of the most generic kind (ie—"We're almost done painting" or "We picked up an end table the other day"), but other than that, no one said a peep.

With the spring semester over, he came home for a week-long vacation from the show. April and Bailey were taking summer classes and would continue living in the house. They were both doing well, bringing home A's and B's. After pestering the people in the financial aid office, they had secured scholarships that would cover most of their tuition for the summer and the next year. Joanne and Andy were helping out with their books and the girls had each saved up some money from their jobs.

Morgan and Kimmy were moving back home for the summer. Both were having difficulty at school. Morgan's problems were financial; she simply didn't have enough money. Her parents made too much to qualify for need-based aid but not enough to actually pay for college. Kimmy, who was already the wildest of the foursome, had found that without parents there to make her get up for class and without professors who would hunt her down and make sure she did the work, she was struggling to keep her grades up.

In the back of his mind, Gabe knew that there was only a 50/50 chance that all four girls would be back in the fall. That made this time with his "prom dates" all that much more special.

The girls had painted the walls in bright colours. New built-in cabinets framed the television and there was a new canopy bed in the middle of the room; Gabe later found out it had been built by Morgan's father. Pictures covered the walls. Not so many that they were smothering, but enough to trigger memories. Gabe walked around the room in silence, looking at each of the careful touches the girls had put into the room. He could still feel his mother's presence, but it wasn't overwhelming. The furniture had been re-arranged and some pieces brought in from other rooms to make it something new.

"I love it," he said softly. "You guys did a wonderful job. Thank you."

Giving each of the girls a hug, Gabe made sure he let them know how much he appreciated the work they put in to the project. He set up the autotimer on his camera and the five of them posed for a picture, their first together since prom night a year before.

As the girls filed out, Bailey took his hand. She led him to the walk-in closet which was empty save for two items. Hanging over the back of the door were two bathrobes, one blue, one pink.

"When we're here alone, this is all we are going to wear," she said, batting her eyes at him. Before Gabe could jump her, she wiggled out of his grasp, winked and went to get ready for dinner.

He treated the four girls to a nice meal at a restaurant they normally would not set foot in. They talked about anything and everything. The girls told embarrassing stories about Bailey. Gabe dropped names and shared the latest showbiz gossip making the rounds in New York City.

When the meal ended, Bailey drove back to his house with him, the other three returned to their parents's houses.

"We really appreciate you letting us live here," Bailey said as they went into the living room.

"Well, I appreciate you girls bringing a little bit of excitement back to my life," he said taking her in his arms. "I was in a rut and you got me out."

They kissed tenderly, happy to have her in his arms. Her body felt so soft, her skin so smooth. Gabriel savoured the touch of his lover against him. 

"Take me to your bed," she whispered.

"No," he left a sloppy trail of kisses across her cheek. "I'm going to take you to our bed."

Picking her up in his arms, he carried her to the newly-remodeled bedroom. Stepping over the threshold, he walked over to the bed as she nuzzled up against his neck.

As he set her down on the mattress, Gabe noticed that the bed was somehow just the right height for him. Bailey pulled his shirt out of his pants and he began unbuttoning her blouse.

"I love you, Gabe MacKenzie," she moaned as he cupped her breasts. She had his belt unbuckled and soon his pants were on the floor as well. Bailey lifted her hips as Gabe pulled her skirt down and flung it across the room along with her panties.

She fell back on the bed, splayed out for him to see. He took her in with his eyes. 

Bailey's breasts stuck up in the air. They still sat up high on her chest, although they were heavy enough to be showing the first signs of sag. Her nipples were hard, the aerolae crinkled around them. She had slimmed down a little more, her time on the elliptical and Bowflex paying off. Bailey would never be as slim as her sister, but Gabe didn't care.

He loved her big round breasts and wide hips. He even liked the cute little pooch of her belly. It was who she was, and he never wanted to lose that. Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight shining through the windows and her dimpled smiles made his heart melt.

She spread her legs showing off her neatly trimmed pussy and swollen labia. Her clit was engorged with excitement. The abstinence forced on them by the distance—and the daily masturbation sessions—had taken a toll on her, too.

"And I love you, Bailey Crawford," he leaned over and kissed her. His cock rubbed against her pussy, making it even harder.

"We're going to stay like this for the next two days," Bailey decreed and he was in no mood to argue. "It's going to be just you and me. No clothes. No trips out. We're going to sit around the house, hold each other and when you get your strength back, you're going to fuck my brains out."

"I like the sound of that," Gabe smiled. "Are you sure April won't be back early?"

"I'm very sure," she purred. "She'll be gone until Monday when classes start. Now come here and relieve some of my tension."

"Yes, ma'am," he laughed and fell on to the bed with her. 

Bailey pushed him on to his back and began to kiss her way down his body. He moaned when she nibbled on his collarbone.

Gabe's cock twitched in her grasp and she began to stroke him.

"That feels so good, Bailey," he whispered.

"I'm glad you like it," she purred. "I've got a surprise for you."

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"I'll be right back." Rolling over on her side, she reached for the remote control. The TV came on and Bailey activated the built-in DVD player.

"What's this?" 

"You'll see."

Gabriel gasped when he saw the custom title screen of the DVD. It was a picture of them taken when she visited him in New York. She hit the "play" button and the first scene started.

She was sitting on one of the couches in the living room wearing a casual outfit.

"Hello, Gabe," the Bailey on the TV said. "I just wanted you to have something to remember me by when we're not together. I love you."

Bailey blew the camera a kiss then the screen faded. 

In the bed, she could hear Gabriel's breathing get heavier.

When the image faded back in, Bailey was laying in the bed in the guest room. She was nude. Her hair was pulled back and her legs were spread wide, showing off her neatly trimmed pussy.

"I wish you were here," the TV moaned as Bailey began to caress her body.

Looking over at Gabriel, Bailey saw his eyes fixated on the television. His face was flush with excitement. He jumped slightly when she leaned over to kiss him.

"Watch me, Gabe," she whispered. The sound of soft moaning filled the room from the speakers. "Watch what I do when you're not here . . . Three times a day. Just like you told me to."

His eyes flicked away from the TV just long enough to meet hers. They smoldered with desire.

She looked away and resumed kissing his body. Her hand went back to his cock which was rock hard. He cried out when she bit each of his nipples gently.

And he couldn't help but groan when her lips trailed across his stomach and down to his cock.

Bailey stroked him a few times as the video continued to play. She glanced over at the TV and saw that she was fondling her breasts for the camera. 

"I wish you were here," the TV said, as if on cue. "I wish you were here to stick your big cock in my mouth!"

Just then she enveloped the head of his cock between her lips. She saw his eyes roll back into his head and he clenched the sheets between his fingers.

Smiling to herself, she began to work his cock with her tongue. What she lacked in technique and experience, she more than made up with enthusiasm and a fair amount of natural talent.

Besides, she knew that most guys subscribed to the belief of "There's no such thing as a bad blow job". At least that's what Kimmy had told her.

Her head bobbed up and down on his cock. Each time she took him a little deeper. Gabe grunted with pleasure when she hit just the right spot. Her pussy became slick as she thought of taking his cock inside her once she was done with him in her mouth.

She could hear herself moaning a little louder on the TV. 

"I'm so wet for you, Gabe," she was saying. "I want your cock inside me right now!"

Bailey looked up again and saw that his eyes were still glued to the television and she resumed the assault on his cock.

Alternating between stroking him with her hand and sucking with her mouth, Bailey brought him to the edge several times. His knuckles were white as he resisted pushing down on her the back of her head and thrusting up into her mouth.

She heard herself moaning a little louder and knew the scene was about to end. 

"Oh, god, Bailey," Gabe groaned. "You are so fucking hot . . . I can't . . . I can't hold it much longer . . ."

A little faster and harder, Bailey worked his cock with her hands and mouth. She nibbled along the soft bottom of him and around the head.

When she knew that her on-screen orgasm was imminent, Bailey cupped Gabe's balls and squeezed.

"Fuck!"

She felt his balls contract and his head flared in her mouth. Instead of swallowing, she pulled her head back and pointed his cock at her chest.

The first spurts of cum came out with more force than she expected. Several drops landed on her cheeks and chin. The rest poured out on to her breasts. 

Gabriel thrashed about on the bed. Unconsciously, he began to buck his hips against her.

Bailey milked him until he was pumping dry.

The only sounds in the room were Gabe's laboured breathing and the moans coming from the television. Bailey reached for the remote and paused the DVD. 

It was a few minutes until Gabriel recovered.

"Oh, my god," he gasped. "That was the hottest thing I have ever seen."

"That was just the first scene."

"There's more?"

"Of course," she giggled. "I've had lots of time. It gets better, too."

"I don't know how it could get better, sweetheart." 

"You'll just have to wait until you get back to New York and watch the rest." She hadn't let go of his cock and it seemed he was coming back to life. Bailey pressed her body against his. Gabe reached for her, trying to pull her in for a kiss, but she pulled away.

He looked puzzled until he saw her wiping her face with her fingers. She wiped the cum away, then sucked on her fingertips. He moaned.

"Sorry about that," Gabe said as she made sure all the cum was off her face. His hands went to her chest and he massaged the remainder of his spunk into her soft skin.

"Don't be," Bailey giggled. "I wanted you to cum on my tits."

"Why, sweetheart?"

"Don't all guys like that?"

"I guess," Gabe shrugged. 

"Don't you want to cum on my chest?"

"I'd rather cum inside your pussy or your mouth," he replied. "Where did you get that idea?"

"That's what they do in all the videos."

"What videos?"

"All of Daddy's porn movies," Bailey blushed. "They all end with the guy shooting all over the girl's face, tits or ass."

"I love it when you talk dirty," Gabe pulled her close.

"I love it when you make me feel dirty," Bailey said as she swung her leg over Gabe's hips. His cock was magically back to full mast. "I love it when I can turn you on. I love it when you take me and when you pull my hair and slap me on the ass."

"You do?" he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I was afraid of being too rough or nasty with you."

Bailey closed her eyes and bit her lip as she lowered herself down on his cock. Gabe reached up and she thrust her chest into his hands. 

"Gabe, you can be as nasty as you want with me," she moaned as she took his full length inside him. "I trust you and I want to please you. . . . Because I know you want to please me, too. If anything, I want you to be rougher with me. I love feeling your weight on me. I love it when you do me doggie style and I really love it when you throw me down and take me."

"You do?"

"Yes, lover," she leaned in and kissed him lovingly. "Not all the time . . . but I love to think that I turn you on so much, you can't wait to have me. I like that you don't do it all the time and that usually you're the perfect gentleman . . . but sometimes, I want you to lose control and fuck me into next Thursday."

They held each other for a long time. Every now and then, one of them would move, just to keep his cock hard. She straightened out her legs and they lay together, cherishing all the time they had.

"So how much porn do you watch?" Gabe tried to sound nonchalant, but he couldn't hide the laughter in his voice.

"Down boy!" Bailey began to tickle him. He tickled her back and soon they rolled over. 

Gabe moved his hips a little faster and pushed into her a little harder.

"I've missed you so much, Bailey," he said, looking into his lover's eyes.

She looked lovingly back at him. "I've missed you, too."

They kissed tenderly. He could feel her breasts against him. Her body was so soft. Her pussy was soaked and he moved in and out of her easily.

In his mother's bedroom . . . no, it was his bedroom now . . . Gabriel and Bailey made love long and slow. All the while, they shared their secrets and desires with one another. They spoke of their hopes and dreams with the understanding that neither would hold the other to any promise made in bed.

It allowed them to explore the limits of their desires. Through their shared fantasies, they grew closer.

When they grew tired, Bailey pushed Gabriel over on his back and rode him until they both came. Gabriel rubbed her clit as she ground her hips against him. She nearly passed out in his arms and he was glad April had gone home, lest she hear Bailey's screams of ecstasy.

He fell asleep inside his lover and they held each other throughout the night. When they awoke, Gabriel and Bailey made love again and again, never leaving the house. And never far from the other's comforting touch.

**************** 

"Gabe, we have to talk," Bailey said, setting their plates down on the table.

Both were wearing their bathrobes to ward off the evening chill.

"About what, honey?" he poured two glasses of filtered water. They sat at the table and started their meal. 

Bailey only picked at her food. "About next year . . . about me moving to New York with you."

His head shot up, his eyes wide.

She took a deep breath. "Gabe . . . you know I love you."

He frowned. "But . . ."

"I can't move," she said softly, hoping he wouldn't be angry. "I'm not ready."

"Bailey . . . I—"

"No, wait," she held up her hand. "A part of me wants to. You have swept me off of my feet and you're the perfect gentleman. But I'm a small town girl. It's been hard enough moving to the city to go to college. I don't know that I'm ready for New York. And I don't know if I can leave April and my folks."

He didn't say anything for several long moments. He didn't look angry, which was good.

"I also . . . I mean," Bailey paused to gather her thoughts. Even though she had rehearsed this conversation over and over in her mind, she was drawing a blank. "I know you and I have a lot going against us. There's the age and the distance thing . . . but I want to make 'us' work and I know you do, too."

She fidgeted for a second.

"However . . . if we don't work out . . . if something happens, I need to know that I can make it on my own," she didn't dare look him in the eyes. "I at least want to finish at BCC. If I moved to New York with you, what would I do? I'm sure I can't afford college there. And I don't want you supporting me, either."

"I understand," he said quietly, and she got the feeling that he did. "Bailey, I miss you . . . you can't know how much I wish you were with me all the time. But I don't want to rush you or rush us. At the same time, I wonder if you'll still want me in four years when you graduate."

"Oh, Gabe . . ."

"People do a lot of growing up from the age of eighteen to twenty-one," Gabe said, his voice even. "What if you decide you want someone else? I wouldn't blame you. I can't leave my life behind. And I know I can't ask you to give up who you are or leave your family."

"I won't want anyone else," her voice began to quiver.

"How do you know, Bailey?" For the first time she could remember, she saw fear in his eyes.




Life is a Soap Opera Act 02



"I don't know," she whispered.

Neither spoke for a long time.

"We've lasted through my first year of college," Bailey smiled weakly. "We can make it three more."

"I know, Bailey. You don't know how much you've changed my life. All for the better." He reached out and took her hands. "I will do whatever I have to in order to make 'us' work. I will fly home every weekend if I have to. I will bring you to New York. I just want you in my life."

"I want that, too," she said. "I'm sorry you have to wait around for me—"

"Don't be."

"—And I know that I want you in my life, too," she smiled weakly. "I will do whatever I have to for 'us' but I have to make sure that I'm doing the best thing for me, too. And right now, that means going to school and getting my degree."

That much was true. Despite her judgment being clouded by love, she was level-headed enough to know that her future was dependent on finishing college rather than landing a sugar daddy. When she looked in his eyes, she saw that Gabe knew it, too.  

He shocked her by standing suddenly. He extended his hand and Bailey took it.

"We've got the rest of this week before I go back to New York," Gabe said, drawing her to her feet. "I'll be home again in two weeks for your birthday and then I want you to come see me once the summer session is over. We'll figure out the rest later."

Bailey smiled with relief. This had gone a lot better than she had anticipated. Of course, in her mind, she had run through all of the worst case scenarios, up to and including him throwing her out and them breaking up.

Without another word, Gabriel led her back to their master bedroom, the meal forgotten. 

**************** 

The next six months passed in a blur.

Gabe returned to New York to work. His part on the show was expanding and he was working nearly every day, a blessing in his business. In the evenings, he did some voice-over work and a few small off-Broadway projects. As soon as shooting ended on Friday afternoon, he made time for Bailey.

Racking up frequent flyer miles left and right, Gabe went to see her at least every other weekend. When he was in college, there was a guy in his dorm who was carrying on a long-distance relationship with his high school sweetheart. When Gabe asked how he could stick with her over the distance, Keith simply said, "You have to want to."

And that was that. Both Gabriel and Bailey wanted to make their relationship work. There was an implicit understanding that their circumstances weren't permanent and luckily he had the means to make the time between visits as short as possible.

Neither Morgan nor Kimmy returned to the house in the fall. Due to the tough times, Morgan turned to the Navy for help. With promises of assistance for college, a healthy signing bonus and less of a chance at being sent to Iraq than the Army or Marines, she left at the beginning of August for the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in North Chicago, her first trip so far away from home.

Kimmy dropped out of school because she partied too much. She kept in contact with April and Bailey, but she had different priorities in her life. At first, Gabe was willing to let her stay in the house if she could hold down a full-time job, but the twins both said that one of the original preconditions for living away from home was staying in school. They hated to turn their friend away, but neither would be deterred from their primary focus: being the first people in their family to graduate from college.

He was also reluctant to continue taking their money, but both girls insisted. Like their parents, neither of them wanted to be considered freeloaders or taking something they didn't earn. Everyone knew they weren't paying market value, but it made them feel better so Gabe didn't argue. Besides, he was putting all their money in a savings account and was going to return it to them as a graduation gift.

On a couple of long holiday weekends, Bailey came to see him in New York. She got to know his friends and even talked about looking for a summer job there.

Gabriel was in love and it sickened everyone around him (in the good way). All of his phone conversations that ended with, "Love you" usually brought rolled eyes and gagging sounds from his friends who were always ready to ride him about robbing the cradle. Still, he knew that without exception they were happy for him and they liked Bailey.

He set up a webcam in the study at his house and every night he and Bailey stayed up talking or even watching TV "together". He made sure to write a thank you note to Al Gore for inventing the Internet and sent a bouquet of flowers to John McCain showing his gratitude for coming up with the Blackberry.

The one thing he missed was holding Bailey at night and waking up with her in the morning. Even if she was asleep, she was always touching him. It might just be her hand on his hip, or her foot intertwined with his, but they always in contact with one other, and he missed that. Of course, he also missed the sex, but the cuddling was the hardest thing for him to give up.

It helped a little that Bailey had made him the DVD. Actually, there were four of them. Loaded up with short scenes, often only ten minutes or so long, Bailey had filmed herself masturbating for him. She said the borrowed the video camera from her folks and thanks to Morgan's mad video editing skillz, they put the files on some DVDs for him to watch. She made sure to moan and groan for the camera; she wanted to entertain him as much as herself. She showed of a wide variety of toys and ingenuity and no two scenes were alike. There was even one of her in the hot tub.

Gabe was only allowed to watch once scene per night and often he called her as the video was playing. He let her know what he was doing and often their conversation devolved into some down and dirty phone sex. For a girl who had seemed so shy and innocent when they met, Bailey turned out to be quite a firecracker. She had a wicked sense of humour and was sexually adventurous. 

"Just because no one wanted to do it with me doesn't mean I didn't think about it," she said when Gabe asked her once. 

Like a lot of couples, Bailey's folks had a small collection of porn and a few sex toys that they used to spice up their marriage. They probably assumed that everything was well hidden, but the Crawford house wasn't that big, and the girls found the stash, mostly out of curiosity at first.

Bailey liked to talk dirty, especially when she knew it was going to get Gabe all hot and bothered. And of course, he didn't mind at all.

As the fall semester came to a close, things were moving along nicely. He went to see her for Thanksgiving again, this time at a cousin's house. They talked about her whole family flying to The Big Apple for New Year's and to visit with Michael and his family.

Despite the distance between them, Gabriel felt that the two of them were in a good place.

One morning, on one of the last shoots before the Christmas break, Gabe was talking with Celeste and Jeffrey about a nice place to vacation. Both recommended the Caribbean. Lori suggested a cruise and Rose butted in to tell him he should take Bailey to a secluded cabin in the Poconos where they could "hump each other like rabbits". A lively discussion ensued.

"Gabriel!" one of the interns called. "Gabriel . . . Someone's been trying to get you all day!"

He reached for his cell phone and didn't see any missed calls. 

"Who is it?" he asked. He looked up at the clock and saw he wasn't due for his next scene for a few minutes.

The intern reached into a pocket, pulled out a slip of paper and read the name that had been hastily scrawled on the back. "Joanne Crawford . . . I think she's called everyone from the mail room to the programming VP's office."

Gabe frowned, wondering why Bailey hadn't called him on his cell.

Flipping through his contacts, Gabe first dialed the Crawford house. Maybe she wanted to help him surprise Bailey over Christmas and didn't want to go through her daughter. There was no answer. He left a message on the answering machine.

Then he called his mother's house. No answer there, either. He called Bailey's cell phone; it rolled into her voice mail.

With a frown, Gabe went back to his dressing room and dialed April.

"Hello?"

"April! It's Gabe. I—"

"Oh, thank God!" Immediately, Gabriel knew something was wrong. April's voice was shaking. "You need to call Mama. Do you have something to write with?"

"April . . . April, calm down. What's wrong?"

"You have to talk to Mama," the other girl insisted. "She's been trying to reach you all day."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Because I only have your number at the house!" Gabe could tell she was nearly in tears. "Mama left a message at your apartment, but I told her you wouldn't be there until later. That's when she started calling the studio. Bailey's the only one who has your cell and she won't tell any of us what your number is!"

Oh, dear God, Gabe thought. He kicked himself for going to such lengths to protect his privacy. He had call block on all of his phones and just then remembered that he had sworn Bailey to secrecy about his cell phone number. "What's wrong, April? You have to tell me."

"You need to talk to Mama," she repeated.

"Okay, give me her number." Gabe searched for something to write with. His hands were shaking. Something had to be very, very wrong for April to be rattled so badly. He took the number down. Before calling it, he told one of the producers he was running a little late.

The phone rang three times before, Joanne picked up.

"Hi," he said, trying to keep his voice under control. "It's me. Is everything alright?"

Bailey's mother breathed a sigh of relief. "Gabriel . . . Can you come home right now?"

"What wrong, Joanne?" He felt the blood draining out of his face. The room began to spin.

"It's Bailey, Gabriel," she said softly. "We had to take her to the hospital . . ."



Life is a Soap Opera Act 03



This is the conclusion to the "Life is a Soap Opera" series. If you haven't read the other two chapters, you might want to give them a read first. I'd love to hear from you, so please leave a comment or send me an email.

******************

Bailey felt like her stomach was on fire.

She had been drifting in and out of consciousness since the night before. Her sister had finally taken her to the ER first thing in the morning, then called her parents.

Through the haze, she refused any treatment other than ibuprofen.

The pain will go away, she told herself. It always does.

But it hadn't. If anything, it got worse. She heard her parents and the doctors talking. Her mother pleaded with her to sign over power of attorney to them, but she refused. 

"Not until I talk to Gabe," she said. Even though the pain was sometimes unbearable, she held out until she could see him.

They had moved her to a semi-private room. There was no one in the other bed. Her father had arrived a little later, but she told him the same things that she had told her mother, her sister and the doctor.

She was running a fever. The panic attacks didn't help. Her family never left her side, even when she yelled and screamed at them. One at a time, they snuck downstairs to get something from the cafeteria or a quick nap on a couch in the lobby, but they were always there for her. Bailey appreciated that, she really did. But she needed Gabriel first.

The sun was going down when the door burst open.

Gabriel stood there, a wild look in his eyes. Time seemed to stand still. She smiled feebly through her tears.

"Bailey . .. oh, my god!" he rushed over to her bed.

His fingers wrapped around hers. Bailey began to cry. Relief. Fear. Sadness. She was overcome with emotion.

He kissed her forehead. His lips felt cool against her skin.

"I'm here, sweetheart," he whispered over and over in her ear.

"I'm sorry, Gabe," she sobbed and buried her face in his shoulder. She tried to pull him close to her, but the pain in her abdomen shot through her body again.

"Sorry? For what?" he asked, confused.

"I'm not . . . I can't . . ." Bailey started to panic again. Her breaths came shorter. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She squeezed Gabe's hand as if her life depended on it.

"It's okay, Bailey," he said, stroking her hair calmly. 

"Don't let them . . . promise me . . ." She couldn't continue and burst into tears again. She began to hyperventilate.

"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Gabe asked her family. They solemnly filed out of the room and closed the door.

He sat on the edge of the bed and held her close to him. She cried for a long time. Partly from the pain. Partly from fear. Partly because deep down she knew she could no longer keep her promise to him.

"What's . . . Bailey, look at me . . . What is it, sweetheart?" 

"Promise me you won't let them . . . promise me, Gabe . . . Promise me you won't let them give me a hysterectomy."

"What are you talking about, Bailey?" She could tell he was straining to keep his voice even.

"I heard them talking, Gabe," she whispered, choking back sobs. "I heard Daddy and the doctor say they're going to do it . . . they're going to take my ovaries."

"No one is taking your ovaries," he said, his tone reassuring. A little bit. "No one is having a hysterectomy today. Everything is going to be fine, Bailey. I promise."

Those were the words she needed to hear. From the man she needed to say them. With a great effort, her breathing became regular. She took deep, calming breaths.

"I'm going to have your baby," she vowed. 

"Yes, you are, sweetheart," he said soothingly. "Yes, you are."

Gabriel wiped the tears from her eyes. He smiled and she knew everything was going to work out. 

His touch was gentle. She felt safe with him. 

Gabriel.

Her guardian angel.

************ 

"Would someone please tell me what this is all about." Gabe quietly closed the door to the hospital room. Bailey had calmed down. She consented to a painkiller, something she earlier refused for fear of someone doing something to her if she passed out.

Andy and Joanne exchanged a worried look. Her father took a deep breath. "She's had these problems for years . . . but it's never been this bad."

"What kind of problems?"

They both deferred to the doctor who was talking quietly with them.

"Endometriosis. Do you know what it is?" She asked in a kind voice. Gabe shook his head. "It's when the same kind of tissue that lines the inside of a woman's uterus grows on the outside as well. It affects about one in fourteen women to one degree or another, although most never know it. When a woman ovulates, the tissue in the uterus swells in anticipation of accepting a fertilised egg. If a woman has endometriosis, the tissue outside her uterus—called implants—also swells. It can cause internal bleeding and be very painful."

"How painful?" Gabe asked.

"At best, mild discomfort. At worst . . . think of getting kicked in the balls every five minutes for about four days straight," the doctor said. "Bailey's been seeing me about this for, what . . . three or four years now. She has flare-ups when she menstruates sometimes, but other times, it's just like having cramps. About four months ago, I did a pelvic exam and found some scar tissue from the implants around her fallopian tubes and ovaries. That's why she's in so much pain right now. In the long term, endometriosis can cause infertility but it's not fatal."

"She told me something about taking her ovaries or giving her a hysterectomy," Gabe looked confused.

"We'd only do that in an extreme case or for a woman who did not want to have children. I'm Clara Chapman, by the way," she reached out with her hand and he shook it bewilderedly.

"Gabe MacKenzie."

"Yes, Bailey's told me a lot about you," she replied with a warm smile. "Normally we treat minor cases with simple anti-inflammatory drugs or even hormone therapies. Some birth control pills can reduce or eliminate a woman's period and that makes the symptoms go away because the implants don't become inflamed. I've been trying to get her to have laparoscopic surgery to remove some of the implants, but she's been resistant to that idea."

His head was swimming with all the information that had been thrown at him.

Dr. Chapman took his hand, and pulled him close so only he could hear. "Bailey trusts you—and only you—on this. This isn't life threatening, but unless she does something soon, it's only going to get more painful for her."

Gabe saw how serious the other woman was.

"I'm going to go see if we can make our girl a little more comfortable," she said and went in to the hospital room.

Gabe, Andy, Joanne and April stood in the hallway. Everyone looked shell-shocked.

"We never thought she would get this bad," Joanne said softly. "She's complained about the pain for a while, but we never had to bring her to the hospital."

"Why would she think you were going to give her a hysterectomy?" Gabriel asked.

Andy looked away. "That was my fault. I was talking to Dr. Chapman and we thought Bailey was asleep. We were discussing options and she said unless they do something soon, the pain is only going to get worse. Removing her ovaries or um . . . uterus . . . are only last-resort type things. We should have gone out in the hallway, but she heard us and freaked out. That's when she started screaming for you."

"Are there any other options?"

"No good ones. Bailey's been taking prescription ibuprofen for a while, but that tears up her stomach. We've talked about surgery a couple of times . . . but . . ." Joanne's voice trailed off and she looked embarrassed. "It's so expensive."

"Not any more," Gabe said, his voice hardening. He hated seeing someone he loved so dearly in pain. He wrung his hands for just a second as he made his decision. "Andy . . . Joanne . . . I would like your blessing to ask Bailey for her hand in marriage."

The pair of them looked shocked. April's jaw nearly hit the floor. 

"I'll take care of her," he promised desperately. "You know how much I love her. I can provide for her. She means the world to me . . . and I don't want to lose her."

"We know, Gabriel," Joanne said. She reached out and took his hands. "When you showed up at the house on prom night, a part of me knew you were going to be in her life forever."

There was a sad look in Andy's eyes. He tried to smile, but he knew Bailey had already given her heart away. Gabriel reached out, but instead of taking his hand, Andy pulled him into a hug. Both men wiped tears from their eyes. Then it was April's turn to embrace her future brother.

"You're my baby girl's dream come true," Andy said softly. "And I know you'll always be good to her."

"I will," Gabe promised. "I swear to God, I will."

"Then welcome to the family." 

************* 

Bailey had surgery the next day and didn't find out until years later that Gabriel had paid the bill. Dr. Chapman removed most of the scar tissue around her fallopian tubes, uterus and ovaries. She spent the next month convalescing at Gabe's house, her longest stretch ever without going home. He never left her side.

The show had gone on Christmas break so he wasn't missing too much production. When it returned, he told them that he needed some more time off. Rose and the other writers were very creative in explaining his absence and the producers assured him he would have a place when he decided to return.

Gabriel swore the family to secrecy and didn't mention getting married to Bailey; he wanted things to be perfect. 

He waited on her hand and foot around the house. April was working and going to school. Bailey received special dispensation from the dean of students for a late spring registration and signed up for all on-line classes (Thanks again, Al Gore!).

When she could get up and move around again, Bailey went back to her work-study job but had to give up waitressing. She switched to the birth control pills that have only four periods a year and for the first time in a long while, she was generally pain free. 

Gabe hated to, but he returned to New York for a month of shooting before taking off again in February. After confiding his plans with Joanne, Gabriel flew everyone to Florida for a long weekend.

They told Andy that Gabe wanted to propose to Bailey at Disney World and they told Bailey they were surprising her dad with a trip to Florida and the Daytona 500.

The five of them had a nice dinner at the California Grille on a Friday night. Thanks to a phone call from the studio, they had some prime seats from the top of the Contemporary Resort to watch the sun set and then view the fireworks in the Magic Kingdom.

He fidgeted nervously throughout the meal. Bailey simply thought she had died and gone to Heaven. They were staying at the Grand Floridian, which was nothing but pure luxury. The food was exquisite and as far as she knew, she would be spending the next day in Disney World.

"Having a good time, Pumpkin?" her dad asked.

"Oh, yes!" Bailey could barely contain her excitement. 

The five of them talked until the fireworks started, then they all went outside on the catwalk, their meal on hold. With the music piped in to the restaurant, Gabe stood behind Bailey and held her in his arms. She leaned back. He felt as if he were meant to hold this woman for the rest of his life.

When the fireworks were over, the rest of the crowd filed back in to the restaurant, but neither Gabe nor Bailey was in a rush. 

"I love you, Bailey Crawford," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you, too, Gabe MacKenzie," she replied automatically. "Thank you for this trip. It's been wonderful and I know Daddy's going to have a great time at the race on Sunday."

"He sure will," Gabe said, not letting go. "But that's not the real reason I brought you here."

"What do you mean?"

He took a deep breath before reaching into his pocket. Her eyes were wide when she realised what he held in his hand.

With his arms still around her, he opened the small box. The diamonds and white gold shone under the moonlight. Gabe could feel her pulse race.

"When your mom called me back before Christmas, I thought I'd lost you," he said softly. "I can't stand the thought of not having you in my life. I want to be near you all the time. Bailey . . . Will you marry me?"

Her fingernails dug into his arm, but Gabe didn't care. When she somehow found the motor coordination required to move, Bailey turned and threw her arms around him. She didn't speak. She couldn't speak.

Instead she just kissed him. It was a hard, passionate, sloppy, delicious kiss.

They both started to cry. Tears of joy streamed down their cheeks.

Gabe pulled back long enough to take the ring from her and slip it on her finger. When some of the other people around them realised what was going on, they started to clap and cheer. 

They each paused long enough to embrace the rest of her family before returning to each other. When the meal was over, they returned to their rooms at the hotel. Gabe and Bailey made love until they both passed out.

The next day it was off to see the Magic Kingdom and the Daytona 500 on Sunday. Gabe was obligated to attend some of the TV network's functions, but he didn't mind. After all, that was how he was paying for the trip. Andy was amazed at finally being able to attend the Daytona 500 in person. They had box seats, and he was like a kid in a candy store. Or rather, a motorhead gone straight to a Heaven filled with muscle cars, Holly double pumpers and the deep, throaty rumble of big American V-8 engines.

Despite all the sucking up he did to her parents, Gabe knew it was Bailey who was floating along with her head in the clouds. For the remainder of the weekend, they held hands. Bailey's eyes kept falling on the ring, and not just because the rock was huge.

Gabe knew that there was a part of her that never thought she would see this day. She was always the ugly duckling next to her sister. But he saw her for who she was, and once she came to believe it, too, the beauty outside matched the beauty on her inside.

He introduced her to everyone, proudly proclaiming her as his fiancée, which he knew would cause a minor stir in the press back in New York. They posed for pictures and in each one, Bailey was radiant. She truly was Cinderella at the ball, only this time the clock was stuck on 11:59.

The weekend ended with a private jet flight home. They had a gazillion pictures from the weekend, if only to prove to all their friends back in Washington County that it had really happened. The news of their engagement had beaten them back and the local TV cameras were at the airport to greet them.

Bailey was overwhelmed by the attention, as was her family. But they handled it well and soon enough they went back to their daily lives. Only now they had a wedding to plan.

Reluctantly, Gabe returned to New York. The distance was something neither of them wanted, but they accepted it as a temporary condition. Bailey had two and a half months left before she finishing her AA degree. They were planning a fall wedding and she was going to move to New York and enroll at City College.

It would be the first time she would be living away separately from April, and Gabe knew that would be hard on the twins. But they both knew that day was coming and they were accepting of the coming change.

They continued their long-distance relationship. Although it pained them to be apart, they saw the light at the end of the tunnel and knew in a short while, they would be together forever.

************ 

"Is your dad coming to the wedding?" Bailey asked from the kitchen table.

Gabe snorted. "No. He won't be able to make it."

It was the end of summer. Most of the wedding plans were finished and she was working on the final guest list so they could get a head count for the caterer. He was paying bills.

"Did you send him an invitation?"

"No."

Looking up, Bailey gave her fiancée a cross look. "Why not?"

"Because even if he could make it, I don't want him there."

She was at a loss for words. Even though she knew Gabriel and his dad weren't close, she assumed he would be invited to the wedding. "It can't be that bad."

"You don't know my father," Gabe said. He sounded annoyed, but she knew it wasn't because of her.

"You never talk about him."

"That's because he's a worthless sack of shit," he spat and Bailey was taken aback at the vitriol in his voice. A couple of times, she had asked about Gabe's dad, but his replies were always cryptic or vague.

They fell silent for a long time. Bailey watched Gabe stew, knowing that he'd open up once he had a minute to gather his thoughts.

"Dad left us high and dry," Gabe said finally. His voice was soft. And angry. "He ran out on us and left Mom to raise two kids on her own. We didn't hear from him for almost ten years. And when he did call, he was always wanting something. He showed up one night after a show and just expected me to let him mooch off me. He pulled that same shit with Michael."

"He's still your father," she said quietly. Bailey knew they came from different worlds. In hers, family was the most important thing there was. She was close to her parents and sister, even her cousins. She knew Gabe adored his mother and loved his brother, so the thought that he could turn his back on his father seemed alien to her.

"He never acted like it." All Gabe could do was frown. There was a crease in his brow Bailey had never seen before and she hoped never to be on the receiving end of his fury. "If you ever meet him, there's a good chance that within five minutes he's going to ask you for something. It might be for some money to invest in his latest scheme or it might be a 'loan'. He's always looking for a handout. I tried to help him a couple of times, but he just used me."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Five, maybe six years ago."

"Do you think he might have changed?"

"I doubt it."

"I think we should at least invite him to the wedding," Bailey said.

Taking a deep breath, Gabe forced himself to smile. He saw that she meant well. "Honey, if it makes you feel better, send him an invitation, but unless you want to get married around the Grand Canyon, my father won't be at our wedding."

"Why not?"

"Because last I checked, he was a 'guest' of the Arizona Department of Corrections in Phoenix." He took her hands. "I don't expect you to understand, but I don't want my father in my life right now. He's trouble. If you want, I'll take you to meet him, but I don't want him under my roof and I won't let him spend any time alone with you or any of our children. Ever. I just don't trust him."

Bailey's eyes were wide. She was speechless. He went back to the bills and she sat there watching him for a long time. Despite his bravado, she could see the hurt in his eyes. Her heart broke for him. Her family was so strong and his was so broken. She reached out and took his hand, holding it to let him know that she was there for him, and that he would never be without her love.

************ 

In the weeks before the wedding, Gabe came home to visit and sat her down at the kitchen table one morning. The date was fast approaching and he was trying to get home to her as often as he could, but she still felt like she had a million things to do before the big day.

"I have something for you to look at," he said. "Don't get so excited, sweetheart; you're not going to like it."

"I'm sure I'll like anything you give me," she replied.

"Not this." He drew out a thick envelope. A stack of papers fell out and he set it on the table.

"What's that?" Bailey asked.

"A pre-nuptial agreement." The words hung over them for a long moment. 




Life is a Soap Opera Act 03



Bailey felt like he had slapped her. Her heart started to race. It took her a moment to form the words. "What for?"

A sadness flashed across his eyes. It was as if he hated to even bring it up. 

"I want you to take this to a lawyer or two and have them look at it," he said softly, knowing she was on the verge of slugging him.

"What if I refuse to sign it?" she dared to ask.

Gabriel took a deep breath. He looked like he was going to be sick. Still, he said the words anyway. "This is a showstopper, sweetheart. Please . . . take it to a lawyer and have them go over it with you. I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do."

Dazed, Bailey sat at the kitchen table staring at the document. 

For the first—and last—time, she doubted Gabriel's love for her. 

Numbly, she picked it up and drove home to see her parents. They went to see her lawyer/insurance agent and waited for the other shoe to drop.

They sat in silence as the minutes ticked away.

"This is the craziest damn thing I've ever seen," he said after a long time.

"What do you mean, Freddie?" her father sounded concerned. They had gone to high school together and their families had always been close.

"If he were my client, there's not a chance in hell that I'd ever let him sign this thing." The lawyer shook his head and tossed his glasses on to the thick stack of paper.

"Why not?" Bailey asked.

"Young lady, do you know what the purpose of a pre-nuptial agreement is?"

"To keep gold diggers from cleaning someone out." There was a bit of a harsh edge in her voice.

"Essentially, yes." Freddie said. "Do you know why he would want you to sign this?"

Bailey thought for a second, not liking the answer that kept coming up. "He thinks I'm after his money."

"Do you know why he would think that?"

She just shrugged.

The lawyer reached for a folder on his desk. "When I found out you were engaged, I did some research and checked out your boyfriend. When you showed up here today, I won a hundred bucks from the other lawyer across the street."

He turned the folder around and Bailey's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. It was filled with pictures and news articles, all dealing with Gabriel and Jeannie MacKenzie, as well as a few court documents including what looked like a divorce decree and bankruptcy filing.

"His first wife cleaned him out," Freddie said. "Not only did she take almost all of his money, but she left him with a mountain of debt that took about four years for him to get clear of. That's why he's being so cautious. Pre-nups protect the wealthier party from being preyed upon by the other. Tell me, Bailey, aside from your personal belongings—clothes, jewelry and all that—what do you own?"

She came up blank.

"Right now, you own a 1970 Buick Skylark Gran Sport convertible—and a mighty nice one at that—but you essentially have nothing," he continued. "You are contributing no assets to the marriage. What do you think your fiancée is worth? Give me a ballpark figure. Andy? Joanne? Anyone got a guess?"

There were no takers.

"All of his assets are listed right here: stocks, IRAs, pension fund, the house in the city, cars, cash . . . you name it. How much do you think he's got?" Freddie flipped through the document to one of the pages he had tabbed. Pointing to the bottom line, he said, "Gabriel MacKenzie's net worth is around eleven million. He's worked a lot, made some smart investments and it doesn't look like he really spends a lot of money. You may think he's spent the last two years doing nothing, but he and his financial advisor have done some really smart things and made a ton of dough. He doesn't have any vices . . . no drugs, no gambling, no whoring . . . none of the usual stuff you'd expect to see on the E! True Hollywood Story. Plus, he socked away a lot of his money in his mother's name so his wife couldn't spend it, and he got it back when she died. Smart guy."

"So he wants to protect what he's got?" Andy had a puzzled look on his face.

"That the thing," Freddie's voice trailed off for a second. "Most pre-nups preserve the relative wealth of each party in the event that the marriage dissolves. Let's say Gabriel has seventy percent of the assets and Bailey has thirty when they get married. If they got a divorce, they would divvy up their assets accordingly. So unless you won the lottery or made a bunch of money, to make a long story short, he'd get more than you in the settlement."

"So why would you advise him not to sign this?" Bailey breathed.

"For the first five years, it's a pretty standard pre-nup. You waive claim to any of the assets he brings into the marriage and vice-versa. Meaning that car of yours stays yours. Any of the money made or assets gained—regardless of who the earner is—while you are married would be divided 50/50. It's all here in legalese, but that's essentially what it says," Freddie put his glasses back on and flipped to another tab. "Then we get to the interesting part. After five years, you, Bailey, are specifically entitled to an increasing share of his wealth. This is why his lawyer probably went nuts. Most of the time, this is the stuff people fight about for months on end. It makes people like me very rich with lots of billable hours, but it's never written up this way from the beginning."

"Why not?"

"Because if you're a gold digger, he's essentially inviting you to divorce him after five years," Freddie said. The jaws on all the Crawfords dropped. "Oh, it gets better. If you make it to ten years, you are fully entitled to half of his assets going in to the marriage. He's making it very easy for you to clean him out before you turn thirty. That's why if I were his lawyer, I'd either walk away or make him sign a big stack of 'against professional advice' forms before drafting this thing."

Bailey sat back in her chair, shocked.

"The only thing you specifically waive any claim on is his apartment in New York," the other man said. "It probably has something to do with keeping his rent subsidy. Of the rest . . . You could take him for everything else if you wanted, including that house you're living in, his retirement and a four thousand square foot 'cabin' out in Lake Tahoe."

The four sat in silence for a few moments.

"Bailey . . . I'm going to say this as your friend, not your lawyer. I think he's head over heels in love with you. The way this thing is built, he's protecting himself if you do turn out to be someone who's just after him to make a quick buck. But down the road . . . he's exposing himself to the potential for a financial catastrophe. He's betting that you're really in it for love. Even if you decide to leave him in a few years, he's willing to spell out the ways he's going to take care of you now rather than let a divorce court do it down the road, where he would probably win."

"What about kids?" she asked. "What does it say about our children?"

"Pre-nups don't cover children," Freddie shook his head. "The courts have consistently thrown out pre-nuptial custody agreements since the court considers the welfare of the children first, financial and other considerations second and those interests cannot be considered before the children are born."

"You think I should sign it," Bailey said. It wasn't a question.

"Hell. Yes. And that's speaking as your lawyer," Freddie replied. "Gabriel is looking out for you on this one. He's doing a smart thing in protecting himself in the short term, but down the road, you're coming out the winner."

************ 

"I, Bailey Dawn Crawford, take you, Gabriel Jonathan MacKenzie, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and poorer, as long as we both shall live. I promise to be your partner and your spouse. I will seek comfort in you and lend you my strength. I give you my heart and my body and my soul. I will love you without reservation and I will accept your unconditional love. I will be your devoted and faithful wife for ever and ever."

As she said the words, Bailey felt a peace come over her. She looked into Gabe's eyes and saw his love for her. 

Everything else faded away: the minister, her sister and her parents, their families and the church that was packed to the gills. All she saw was Gabriel. Her angel. Her husband.

Her hands shook as she placed the ring on his finger.

She didn't remember the rest of the ceremony. All she knew was that when it was over, the minister announced them as "Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel MacKenzie."

The wedding was the biggest thing to hit Washington County since the Blizzard of '96. They had the ceremony in her hometown because Gabe knew how important it was to her for all of her family and friends to be there. It was also a whole lot less expensive than having it in New York.

When they started planning, Gabe and Bailey told her parents in no uncertain terms that they were footing the bill for their own wedding. He had more than enough money to cover things; Andy and Joanne did not. Instead, they said that any money her folks were going to spend should be put into a trust fund for their grandchildren. As a point of pride, Andy insisted on paying for the rehearsal dinner and covering some of the minor expenses.

Gabe and Bailey settled on a reasonable budget and then he turned her loose. Bailey made sure to use as many local vendors as possible and since she was related to or familiar with most of them, she found that many things were either discounted or comped outright. She didn't even mind paying more at the florist or for invitations because it meant that the money would be staying in Washington County, not going to some shop in the city or across the country.

It was officially the biggest party ever held in the county. Aside from the visiting celebs from The Sun Also Sets and the fact that half the county was invited, it turned out to be a de facto holiday. They got married in her church but had to hold the reception at an old plantation house that doubled as the Women's Club, a nice restaurant and sometimes hosted meetings for the United Steelworkers Local 1394.

The reception was outdoors and the weather was just right. They were up to their eyeballs in food and guests. Bailey wanted everyone to have a good time and spared no expense. Still, she came in under the budget she and Gabe had set.

Chuck and Michael were Gabe's groomsmen. Bailey had April and Kimmy stand up for her. Morgan was away at aviation electronics school, but sent her love anyway.

As far as Bailey was concerned, the wedding was perfect. Her dress was elegant but not ostentatious. Her mother's best friend did her hair and make-up. The only job Gabe insisted on filling himself was the photographer. They took pictures separately before the ceremony and together afterwards.

Gabriel looked so handsome, even next to his brother. She danced first with her husband, then with her father, but she only had eyes for Gabe.

They cut the cake, did the garter belt thing and bouquet toss. As it was meant to be, Bailey was the center of attention and she loved it. She stopped feeling self-conscious about her big boobs, not-so-flat belly and her round hips. She wasn't hiding behind her bangs or under over-sized sweatshirts anymore. She felt beautiful because to the one person in the world whose opinion mattered most, she was.

As they drove off in the limo, Bailey took her husband's hand and kissed him. "I love you, Gabe MacKenzie."

His hands cupped her face and he pulled her to him. She felt lightheaded as his lips met hers. He gave her a succession of soft pecks. "And I love you, Bailey MacKenzie."

She giggled, loving the way her new name sounded.

It was dark when they left the reception, and by all indications, the party was still going strong. They drove back to his mother's house—their house—and necked in the limo. Bailey was a little buzzed on the champagne at the reception.

When they arrived home, the driver got out, handed Gabriel a package and left them there. Chuck had a check to cover the expenses at the reception and arrangements had been made to bring all of their gifts and stuff up to the house the next day.

"I've got something for you," Bailey said with a seductive look in her eyes.

"And I've got something for you, too." They kissed once more as the limo drove off.

Gabriel took her hand and they went inside. She wanted to jump him, but Gabe seemed like he was up to something. To be fair, she had a surprise of her own planned.

They went into the kitchen and Gabe set his package down on the table. Then opened the fridge and found a bottle of champagne and two flutes. After popping the cork, he poured them each a glass.

"To us." The crystal flutes clinked together.

She downed hers in one swallow and Gabe filled her glass again. She batted her eyes at him and did her best Scarlett O'Hara. "Are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me, Mr. MacKenzie?"

"Why yes I am, Miss Bailey," he said in a much better Rhett Butler.

"Well I do declare," she slurred. "My husband had best not find out about this. I am a married woman, you know."

They both giggled and she kissed him eagerly. She started to nibble on his lip when he pulled away.

Bailey let out a disappointed sigh which quickly turned to curiosity when Gabe pushed the wrapped package towards her. She raised her eyebrow but he said nothing.

Slipping the wrapping paper off, she opened the box and found a photo album. Thumbing through the pages, she saw a gazillion pictures from earlier in the day. There were none from the reception, but everything at the church.

She marveled at how handsome her husband was. 

"Who took these?"

"My photographers," Gabe said with a wry smile.

Bailey spent the next several minutes flipping through the album. When she got to the last page, she found a card with her name on it. She slipped the envelope open and a check fell out.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"What the hell is this?"

"My wedding gift to you," he said and took her in his arms. 

Try as she might, her mouth wouldn't form any words.

"I sold exclusive rights to our wedding photos to one of those celebrity-chaser magazines. I may be buried somewhere near the bottom of the C-list, but there's still someone out there willing to pay for pictures of our wedding." He kissed her hungrily. "It's not Brangelina or Tom-Kat money, but it's better than nothing."

"Better than nothing", my ass! Bailey thought. This is more than my parents make in a year!

Plus, they were taken by professionals and came out amazing.

Bailey was eager to kiss him back. His hands went to her backside and she pulled back. She had something planned and needed to calm herself down before her lust took over.

"Go into the bedroom and wait a minute for me," she said seductively. "And put your bow tie back on. I love a man in a tuxedo."

With a wink, she retreated into the guest suite to change, fully aware of her husband's eyes on her backside as she walked away.

************ 

Gabriel lit some candles around the bedroom and turned the sheets down on the bed. He was the luckiest guy in the world. He was married to the most beautiful woman God ever placed in His creation and had found love again.

The minutes passed slowly, but soon enough he heard Bailey approach. He turned his head and saw his bride standing in the doorway.

His cock jerked in his pants. His eyes got wide. His heart started to pound.

Illuminated in the soft glow of the candles, Bailey had changed from her bridal gown into his dream wedding dress. She wore a white cupless corset. Her breasts were exposed for him to see, their nipples pointing right out at him. A lace garter belt held up thigh-high stockings.

She wore no panties over her freshly-shaved pussy. His eyes ran down her body. Over her soft, round hips. Past her shapely legs to her high-heels. 

Then back up, lingering on her breasts. A heart-shaped white gold pendant hung from a lace choker. Her hair was still pulled back, but Bailey had put on a thin veil that fell down past her shoulders.

In her hands, Bailey held a small bouquet of flowers. She stood there expectantly, a far cry from the shy girl Gabe met almost a year and a half before.

"You are so beautiful," he said once he found his voice. Bailey blushed.

Gabe walked over to where she stood. He walked around her one time, his eyes devouring her form.

With one motion, he picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She kissed him right behind the ear and he stepped over the threshold into their bedroom. Carrying her the short distance across the room, he set her down on the edge of the bed.

She surprised him by standing. Placing the flowers on the nightstand, she took his hands and looked into his eyes.

Her big brown orbs were filled with love. She smiled contentedly.

"I, Bailey Dawn Crawford, take you, Gabriel Jonathan MacKenzie, to be my husband. I will be your loving wife, your gourmet chef, your steady business partner and your willing whore. I promise not to nag you or ask you to run an errand during a football game. Oh, and the blowjobs don't stop now that we're married. We're going to fuck like rabbits and I'm going to bear your children. I'm going to grow old with you and I will love you every day for the rest of my life."

The pair of them laughed. Gabe brought his wife's hands to his lips and he kissed them.

"I, Gabriel Jonathan MacKenzie, take you, Bailey Dawn Crawford, to be my wife. I will be your strength and your light. I will not take you for granted when times are good, and I will not shut down and withdraw when things get bad. Every day, I will tell you two things: that I love you and that you are the most beautiful woman in the world. I will be your loving husband, the father of your children and I will grow old with you. I promise lots of foreplay, cuddling and I will never ask you for a threesome."

Gabe took his wife in his arms. They kissed, softly at first, then more passionately. His hands roamed her body. His fingertips left a trail of goosebumps all over her body.

She made no move to undress him. Apparently, she was really turned on by a man in a tuxedo!

His hands cupped her ass and he lifted her back up on the bed. Her eyes were level with his.

Bailey moaned as he kissed across her face to her ear. She gasped when he hit that spot just right. 

Using his tongue, Gabe traced the nerve that runs down the side of her neck causing her to squeal with delight.

All the while, he kneaded her breasts. They were so big. So soft. When he rolled her nipples between his fingers, she thrust her chest forward and had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. 

Gabe's lips sucked on her collarbone, just as she liked. Then he kissed his way into the valley between her breasts. Bailey's fingers ran through his hair and she pulled him into her cleavage.

"Oh, god, Gabe," she moaned. "That feels so good."

He suckled on her nipples for a long time. When he wasn't kissing one of her breasts, he was squeezing or pressing his palm against it.

"I'm gonna fuck your brains out tonight," she promised.

"Not before I eat you out," Gabe countered.

Bailey giggled. "Then get eating because I need some wedding night cock!"

He couldn't help it. Gabriel burst out laughing. It was the kind of rich, hearty laughter that was shared among friends and lovers. He knew Bailey was a cheap date, and she had easily consumed enough champagne to be flying like a kite.

But in her eyes, he saw the corner of her heart that was reserved specifically for him. Her face was flush with excitement. As was the rest of her. Bailey's nipples were crinkled up and her labia were swollen in anticipation.




Life is a Soap Opera Act 03



"I love you, Gabriel," she purred.

They kissed again. "I love you, too, Bailey."

She hiccupped, but was too drunk to be embarrassed. Her inhibitions were gone. "Gabe . . . what if I want that threesome?"

Before he could respond, she kissed him again, unfazed. Gabe put her words aside in his mind, knowing that it was probably just the buzz talking. Still, it got his heart pounding just a little bit harder.

Bailey lay back and Gabe resumed his journey down her body. With her legs hanging over the side of the bed, she spread her pussy for her husband. 

Gabe started by kissing the insides of her thighs. He bit her gently. She squirmed.

Bringing his fingers into play, Gabriel entered her easily. Soon he was kneeling on the floor and he began to piston his fingers in and out of her.

"Oh, fuck!" she cried out.

He could smell her excitement. He inhaled her scent.

Flicking his tongue against her, Gabe massaged her engorged clit. His fingers worked her pussy at the same time.

"I love it when you eat me," Bailey sighed.

She arched her back when drew her into his mouth with is lips.

Bailey was reduced to a quivering mass of flesh as Gabriel worked her over. 

Her fingernails dug into his scalp. She thrust her hips forward into his mouth.

"Right there!" she screamed. "Right . . . fucking . . . there!"

Gabe continued with a full head of steam, taking his wife on that one way trip to ecstasy.

Unable to speak, Bailey mumbled and groaned. Her legs crossed behind his back, it seemed that she was trying to pull his head into her pussy.

Still, he didn't stop. Alternating his tempo, Gabe never let up.

His eyes looked up, but all he could see was her breasts heaving. She was thrashing about on the bed.

"Don't . . . stop . . . don't . . ." 

Her voice trailed off and he felt her body tense. She tried to sit up and her legs drew him closer.

Gabriel's tongue never stopped moving. If anything, he worked faster and harder. His intensity never wavered.

Suddenly, Bailey threw herself back into the bed. She let loose with an ear-shattering scream and he felt her pussy flood with warmth around his fingers.

Her breaths came faster and deeper. Her hands pulled his hair so hard it was painful.

"I'm cum . . . I'm cumming!" she shouted. "Oh, god, Gabe . . . eat me!"

Bailey's cries devolved into an unintelligible stream. Then, with one final breath, she fell limp.

Gabe lapped at her for a few more moments, but her body stopped moving. Stopped responding.

He smiled to himself, satisfied at having pleasured her on their wedding night. Bailey's chest rose and fell rhythmically. 

Standing, he checked to make sure she was okay. Her eyes had rolled back into her head. Kissing her on the cheek, Gabe went to the closet and hung his tuxedo up. He didn't bother to dress.

Bailey was still passed out on the bed. Between the orgasm and the champagne, she was probably done for the night.

That was okay; Gabriel just wanted to hold her. Taking great care not to wake her, Gabe slowly undressed Bailey. He set her clothes in the chair next to the bed.

She was snoring softly.

In the soft light, Gabe watched her sleep for a few minutes. He brushed the hair out of her face and she smiled in her sleep. Bending over, Gabe kissed her dimpled cheek before blowing out the candles.

Her body felt so soft. After rolling Bailey on to her side, Gabe spooned up behind her. He found that his cock was hard, so he slipped it between her legs. Her pussy was so slick he entered her easily.

He cupped her breasts in his hands and kissed the back of her neck. Gabriel fell asleep inside her a little while later. 

More than the physical pleasure she brought him, Bailey returned the love to his life. The emptiness was gone. The loneliness forgotten.

Their lives weren't perfect, but Gabe felt complete. He knew their marriage was going to take a lot of effort and work, yet he looked forward to sharing his life with this woman. Half his age. From a different world. An ugly duckling turned swan. Built to hold him and made to be held by him.

That night, both dreamed of their future. Of children and vacations and fights and sex and most of all, of love.

************ 

Epilogue

The next morning, Bailey woke Gabriel with an enthusiastic blowjob to make up for passing out on their wedding night. They made love long and slow to fully consummate their marriage.

Then it was time to move on to the next chapter of their lives.

When her initial enlistment was complete, Morgan re-upped and stayed in the Navy. She retired with thirty-one years of service; her final duty station was as Command Master Chief of the USS Enterprise. Though she was often far from her home and friends, she was a constant in Gabe and Bailey's lives. Navy life was tough on her personally; she was married and divorced twice but had two darling children who adored their Aunt Bailey and Uncle Gabe.

Kimmy's promiscuous lifestyle eventually caught up with her. Excessive drinking and experimenting with drugs led to lots of unprotected sex which resulted in her contracting HIV after a night she didn't even remember. Thanks to friends who wouldn't give up on her, she got sober, went back to school and helped start a local women's shelter in Washington County. She died at the age of thirty-six, much too young for someone with so much promise.

After twenty-one years of marriage, Michael's wife filed for divorce. They were empty-nesters and with the children out of the house, she decided that she no longer wanted to be married. Their split was amicable; there was no infidelity, but in reality, they had basically been living separate lives for the last six or eight years anyway. Michael retired from his job as a CPA, married an old girlfriend from college and became executive director of a non-profit foundation that helps single teenage mothers finish their high school educations and either go to college or find a job. 

Chuck and Teri were always there for the newlyweds. Teri ended up leaving show business when her kids started school. She couldn't keep up with their schedules and working on Broadway at the same time. After a couple of years of staying home, she started working as an agent, with a stable of several high-profile Broadway actors and television personalities. Chuck remained Gabriel's closest friend and became the big brother Bailey never had.

Several years after Bailey's wedding, Andy and Joanne retired, mostly due to his heart. They moved into Gabe and Bailey's house because it was closer to the doctors. He—and the high-powered rifle Gabe bought for him—took great pride in scaring off many of April's potential suitors, all of whom were worthless; Gabe had spoiled Andy on future sons. After receiving a pacemaker, Andy became the doting grandfather and Joanne the family matriarch. 

Gabe never saw his father again. He finished serving his time for drug smuggling in Arizona and then wandered around the country for a while. While running a scam in Miami, he was gunned down in a gang shootout. 

Despite years of trying, Bailey was never able to get pregnant due to the endometriosis. She was heartbroken, so April stepped in. Because that's what twin sisters do. On their fifth anniversary, April offered her womb to her sister and her brother. After two in-vitro tries (Gabe jokingly pushed for doing it the old-fashioned way; Bailey wasn't quite so amused), April bore her sister twins, a boy and a girl. 

While she was pregnant and visiting Gabe and Bailey in New York, April was spotted by a talent scout. Enamoured by her raw beauty, he talked her into doing some photo shoots for maternity magazines. Even after giving birth to the babies, she did some more modeling but soon left the business, disillusioned and jaded at big city life. Aside from making a fair amount of money, the one thing she kept from her time in New York was a husband. They moved into the family house in Washington County where she taught elementary school and her husband managed a technology website. She hyphenated her last name and passed it on to her children so the Crawford family wouldn't disappear.

That leads us to Bailey and Gabriel. After the wedding, they moved to New York where he continued his run on The Sun Also Sets. Jeffrey and Celeste retired a few years later; the show continued on for a few more seasons, but was eventually cancelled as the rest of the cast struck out on their own and went their separate ways. Gabe continued to perform on Broadway for a while, but essentially retired once Bailey went back to work. He stayed home with their children and let his wife pursue her career.

Bailey finished her degree at City College of New York, but she gave up her dreams of being a nurse. With Gabe's encouragement, and knowing they had the money for school, she enrolled in the pre-med program and graduated a semester after her sister. She finished med school right after the twins were born and joined a private practice on a part-time basis until Gabe left showbiz. For the rest of her life, despite her husband's insistence to the contrary, she signed her name not as Dr. Bailey MacKenzie, but as Mrs. Gabriel MacKenzie. It seemed she was a little old-fashioned, too.

In keeping with the alphabet theme, they named their children Corey and Danielle (April's children were Erin, Faye and Gavin). When the twins started middle school, Gabe and Bailey moved home. She wanted to be closer to her family—especially with her father's health failing—and Gabriel had tired of New York. They moved back into their house, sharing it with her parents. That was an odd experience for Gabe, but to the folks from Washington County, it seemed pretty normal.

The years were kind to them. In his spare time, Gabe volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and the Cold Nights Shelter. He taught some acting classes at the university, but mostly threw himself into raising their children. He vowed to be the kind of father his was not. Bailey received a grant to provide health care to poor rural families who could not afford health insurance and spent her career working out of small backwoods clinics and making house calls.

As he promised, every day Gabe told Bailey how much he loved her and how beautiful she was. Even after joining AARP, they held hands everywhere they went and became "that cute, sweet couple". Their friends were envious—and a little jealous—of the love they shared. 

For the rest of their lives, they never celebrated their wedding anniversary. Instead, on the third Saturday night in May, they dressed up and went out for prom.

As the soap opera that was their lives unfolded, from one small corner of Heaven, Libby MacKenzie looked down on her growing family. Though she had to wait a little while longer to hold her sons again, she knew she had done right by them. Michael and Gabriel had become responsible husbands, loving fathers and good men. All of her sacrifices, all of her love, everything she had given up for them. It was all worth it.

She knew because her boys's namesakes told her so.