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Caroline's Karma

By: markelly



(My deepest thanks go to ArthurianMorgaine for editing this story for me. It was a joy to work with her and her edit has made this story flow so much better. In turn I hope you the reader enjoy this story as much as I had fun writing it.)



Karma: - For every unpleasant event that occurs, a second event will occur that will cancel out by virtue the first event by being pleasant. 

As the organist flawlessly changed the background music to 'Here Comes The Bride,' everyone in the church turned, and gasped at the vision coming down the aisle. Toni was so very proud at that moment, I should know. I've lived with her for twenty of her twenty six years. I'm her brother.

"Damn it Jeff. What ever does a girl like that see in a guy like me?" the groom asked. 

Being the best man to your best friend since grade school and having to play match maker for both of them all through college was both fun and a nightmare at the same time. I told him once that the next time this situation came up I would much rather stick my hand in a furnace. Being my friend's best man still meant I had to keep him calm, even though the beauty that was my sister, seemed to be doing a really good job of that at the moment. 

I still couldn't resist it, "I suppose the two million you have stashed in that offshore account, may have something to do with it buddy."

It earned me a jab in the ribs and a small chuckle. It also earned me a glare from my Dad as he drew up alongside us, "Jeffery Andrew Marshall, this is your sisters wedding and I expect you to behave with a certain amount of decorum." Who but my Dad would ever use the word 'decorum,' yet he did and I was suitably chastised. So other than checking for the tenth time I had the ring, I pushed Jason forward and Dad went and sat with Mom. The whole ceremony went off without a hitch, even the part when the reverend asked if anyone had any objections. The urge to turn around and check out the guests was close to overwhelming. I did often wonder if anyone would ever be brave enough to stand up at a time like that and say yes. No one did so the 'I dos' went ahead and I now had a brother as well as a business partner. Nothing like keeping it in the family I suppose.

Even the speeches were a formality. I showed mine to Toni a few days before and she cried, telling me not to change a word of it. Getting them both on the plane to Hawaii for the honeymoon was even more fun. They were going to be late for their flight and I threatened to come into there hotel room and throw a bucket of water over them. That seemed to work. I was the one left watching them at check in, breathing a sigh of relief, just grateful that everything had gone to plan. Well at least the parts I had to organize anyway

So with one final wave to them both, I was happy that my sister had married the best guy I knew. He doted on Toni and I suspected he loved her even before his body told him what love was. They were made for each other and for the next three weeks I was left to take care of the business, as I was reminded when my cell rang. Of course being a guy has its limitations. Doing two things at once being one of them, and that's when I literally walked straight into some woman.

She stumbled and fell, the over-sized hat she wore obscuring her face as she became comfortable with the departure lounge floor. Her friend helped her up and that's when two of her bodyguards dropped me on the same part of the departure lounge she had occupied not ten seconds ago. Airport security noticed the commotion and joined in. By then of course the woman's well oiled security team had wheeled her out of the airport, leaving the two bodyguards holding me down until security cuffed me and took me away. 

Even with all my details and why I was at the airport in the first place. It took nearly two hours to explain it was an accident and that I have been known to be a klutz most, if not all of my life. The two security guys didn't press charges when I insisted we watched the security footage, even they admitted it looked like an accident. When I did finally get to the car I was grateful it wasn't parked in a tow away zone. The whole incident left me feeling rather pissed at life, one woman in particular. If I thought about it long enough, her team of suited gorilla's were in there as well.

But work saved me. Work was my security blanket and I wrapped myself in it for the next two days. My phone rang and my secretary told me two men had come to see me. Curiosity got the better of me and I left the office to investigate. I recognized them instantly as the two that held me down at the airport. One stepped forward and said. "This is for you, from the lady you barged into at the airport and she accepts your apology."

Now this was interesting, firstly seeing these two guys with a bunch of flowers and then being told that I had barged into her and that she actually hung around long enough for me to apologise. They didn't say anything else, just turned and left. Janice stood to get a vase for the flowers, until I told her not to bother. My Dad had always told me I should watch my temper, all through high school and college he said the same thing. You have just got to love your parent's foresight in these matters.

I picked up the flowers and went to my office and looked out the window seeing both the suits head towards the limo parked under my window. I added a paperweight to the flowers and a small message of my own, before I dropped both out the window. I watched as it landed on the roof of the limo before going back to work. Perhaps a small part of me was grateful that our office was on the first floor. I did expect the police to turn up but they never did, so I settled into work again, just finishing up when Janice stuck her head around the door and wished me goodnight. 

*******

Now I'm a creature of few habits, but two habits I do hold most dear are early morning jogs around the park across from my apartment and coffee at Charlie's when I'm done. Charlie's was a family owned diner. I went to school with Marco who runs it now and we like to keep in touch, even take in a few ball games when we could drag Jason away from Toni that is. The jogging was a left-over from school. I'm no track jock, I just liked to keep in shape. The fear of looking like Dad when I was older made me keep it up after school.

Marco was telling me about his latest date when the door opened and the diner went a little quiet. Both of us looked over towards the door and I inwardly groaned. There was only one of them this time. He spotted me and walked over, pulling an envelope out of his inside pocket at the same time. I was more surprised when he didn't say anything, just sat the envelope on the counter in front of me and left.

At first I whistled at the cost of the damage to the roof. Then I realized this had not only been a rush job since dropping my answer onto it yesterday, but it was also a limo. Telling Marco I would see him in the morning, I walked home to shower and change. It wasn't until I was back at the office that I pulled the bill out of the envelope again, only this time a hand written note came with it.

'I'm willing to go halves on the bill, if you accept my apology.'

That in itself raised an eyebrow, but my Father always told me to be beholden to no one. So I rang the shop and paid the bill in full over the phone, after all, I did it. My temper got in the way and it was time to pay for what I did, feeling very lucky that the police didn't haul my ass down town for doing it. The bill was handed to Janice for filing and the rest of the day became work overload for everyone in the office. As far as I was concerned, the whole incident was nothing more than a fading memory. When Janice knocked to remind me it was time and she was going home. She told me it was about time I did the same thing. I took the hint, being the last out and locking up after myself. 

He was waiting by my car. "You have got to be kidding me. You do know the laws on stalking in this state don't you?"

The same guy who handed me the bill for the damage to the limo simply stood stone-faced by my car, until I got closer, and then his hand went into his jacket. I couldn't be bothered anymore.

"As long as your hand comes out empty I don't have an issue with you. Let's all call it even and get on with our lives shall we? I'm sure whoever pulls your strings has better things to do than getting you to annoy me so often."

I'm not a gambling man but I could have almost bet my apartment he was about to agree with me. I wished him goodnight, even held out my hand and he shook it before I got in my car and drove away. Dinner with Janice and her family was a weekly event. Somehow she got the feeling I didn't eat properly so she invited me over one evening and it's been a standing dinner date from then on. Her husband was a great guy and I had offered him a job several times. He always turned it down saying he didn't know what Janice got up to at work and he felt safe in that knowledge.

We both knew he loved that woman to bits and the two little girls she gave him in return, sealed the deal with there love for each other. Getting called Uncle Jeff sure made me feel old but I got over it. Reading them both bedtime stories when I was there was one of those chores any guy that didn't have a heart of stone looked forward to. I said my 'goodnights' and drove home. I was still thinking about Janice and her family and asking myself why I wasn't where her husband is in my life right now.

A devoted wife, two great little girls and not a care in the world. Instead I'm heading for a quiet, cold and dark apartment. Shrugging my shoulders, I decided that was a thought too depressing to keep in my head. The next morning the stretching exercises over, I jogged across the road and began my circuit of the park.

"Mind if I join you?" I hadn't even noticed her jog up alongside me. The surprise nearly made me trip over my own feet. The knockout behind the voice sure slowed me down some.

"Ma'am I jog, if you want to keep up, then by all means be my guest."

"Thanks, the names Caroline and if you try to shorten it, I may have to stab you with something."

After looking at her for a moment I slowed even further and then started to walk, finally stopping and resting my hands on my knees, taking deep breaths as I did. I took a closer look at her now, still unsure how to take her last comment. Caroline was as tall as me, her blonde hair held away from her face in a pony-tail, and natural, given the color of her eyebrows. 

Her piercing deep blue eyes held me in her stare. "I'm sorry that was uncalled for, I just have a thing about people shortening my name."

Shrugging my shoulders seemed to be the only thing my brain would allow my body to do, before saying. "Remind me not to let you loose around my rabbit and a cooking pot."

She laughed, and not just one of those polite laughs, with her name settled we continue jogging again. For the rest of the circuit she said nothing, Caroline upped the tempo on the second circuit.

"Ma'am I told you I'm a jogger. Now that you're in front, I don't want you accusing me of checking out your ass."

Without even looking back she said, "And have you checked out my ass?"

I shrugged my shoulders, why lie. "Damned straight I have. Why do you think it's taken me half a circuit of the park to tell you?" By now Caroline had adjusted her speed so we finished the second circuit together. 

"If were going for a third circuit, the least you can do is tell me your name since you know mine," Caroline said. My face felt warm and I'm sure she heard me say 'shit.' As I realized that I hadn't even exchanged names when she told me hers.

"Sorry about that, the name's Jeff and after the third circuit how about we head for Charlie's on the corner, where I treat you to a drink for my bad manners."

The third circuit went without either of us saying anything. It was as we passed our start point that she looked at me and said, "Race you to the diner."

I made a grab for her and missed her shoulder, my hand ended up on her shorts so I held on. Caroline shot me a look that by all rights should have turned me to stone. "Take you're fucking hands off of me, how dare you touch me, you don't own me, no one owns me." To emphasize her point she spun round and slapped me hard across the face. I let go of her shorts just as she was getting ready to unload on me again. I figured I had nothing to loose so I unloaded first.

"Ma'am, for a start that road is dangerous to just run across, second you have to warm down or you will cramp up and I'm not going to be the one massaging your muscles when their as stiff as a board and your screaming in agony." Her face changed as she realized why I had tried to stop her, but I was on a roll and as far as I was concerned it was all down hill from here so I continued to unload on her. "And third you are just one weird woman, and I formally retract my invitation to Charlie's for a drink."

Caroline opened her mouth to say something. I didn't hang around to find out what it was. The slow warm down jog along the edge of the park towards the diner was done with me thinking some very unfriendly thoughts of the fairer sex, one of them in particular. The chair next to me scraped on the floor as it was pulled away from the counter. Caroline sat on it and shuffled the chair back up to the counter.

She waved at Marco and said, "I'll have what his having and he's paying." Both of us just looked at her. "Well you don't expect a girl to carry money in clothes like this do you? 

I couldn't fault her logic. The skin tight running gear left little to the imagination as to what it was holding onto, even the sweat marks made her look just as attractive as the first time around the circuit. I shrugged my shoulder and gave Marco a nod; he smiled and disappeared, coming back a few minutes later, a glass of something red in his hand. We both watched as she downed it in one and regretted it once she had. 

Caroline kicked the chair back stood and held onto the counter as she coughed, her face crimson. She desperately tried to breathe between bouts of almost lung busting coughs. I slapped the space between her shoulders a couple of times and Marco, wisely made his escape, although I could still hear him laughing out back. Eventually a more pale color replaced the crimson one and the coughing eased, she finally sat back onto the chair.

"What was that? Why is your friend trying to poison me?"

I still had to pause for a moment and try to keep the humor out of my voice. "Perhaps you should have asked what I was drinking, before you ordered one."

Showing my glass to her, it was the same color as the one she had just downed in one. I then explained to her that it was a high protein drink with a little something to take away the taste. The glare I got from her as I said that only made me add that it was also an acquired taste. Marco reappeared with an orange juice and again made a hasty exit. The sound of more laughter out back made us both look at each other, this time Caroline sipped her orange juice.

"We keep messing this up don't we?"

Before I could answer Marco appeared with two plates and parked them in front of both of us. She looked at the bacon, eggs and mushrooms, then at Marco. "You did say you wanted what he's having and I've already put it on his bill so, enjoy," Marco said.

Marco made it to the door before Caroline said anything, the look on her face spoke volumes but she said it anyway. "What's the point of doing circuits around the park if I'm going to just stick it all back on again by eating this?" 

Almost on queue, Marco reappeared her plate was removed, to be replaced with a salad. By now she was getting spooked. "Are you two some kind of double act or something?" The morning crowd had started to appear now so Marco got busy, leaving us to our breakfast, or rather me to my breakfast and Caroline to her rabbit food. She watched the door and everyone that came in and glared at Marco as he wandered by from time to time. I think she forgave him when he came back with a second orange juice though. The strange thing about our time at the diner was that I actually liked her company, I know that sounds weird but that's me.

We walked back to her apartment block and laughed when I found out she lived across the park from me. She said she could actually see the diner from her window but until today had never been in there. I said my 'goodbyes,' jogged back to my apartment to get showered and changed and then headed in for work. This same cycle went on for the next couple of days. Caroline would be waiting at the park warming up when I got there.

"We both know your far fitter than I am so why are you just jogging. I have got to be holding you back," I commented.

She looked at me and smiled. We had already done two circuits and she hadn't even broken into a real sweat. "Let me ask you a question. When was the last time you asked me for something?"

I found that an odd question but answered it anyway. "Other than to ask you to slow down on occasions, I haven't. I don't know you well enough to."

"And that my dear Jeff, is a breath of fresh air."

We added another circuit and also some speed to our usual morning exercise although I protested vigorously, and then hit Charlie's Diner while I still tried to get my head around her comment. I'm sure to a blind man it would make sense, for now it was a puzzle that would nag at me until the real meaning to her answer became clear. As I walked Caroline back to her apartment I told her I couldn't do tomorrow. I needed to go out of town on business and wouldn't be back until the afternoon flight. For a moment a mask seemed to drop over her face and the light in her eyes seemed to leave.

She simply nodded her head and went into her apartment block. Now me being a guy, I simply stood and wondered 'what I had done wrong now' for a moment before shaking my head deciding all women where indeed from Venus. I went home to pack an overnighter. I swung by the Diner when I returned and Marco told me that Caroline had came in this morning and paid for breakfast for tomorrow. I left after spending a few minutes watching my friends far away look in those eyes of his as he tried to figure out where she could have put the money in those clothes she always wore for our runs.

I was early for our morning run, yet Caroline was still there warming up ready for our turn around the park. She watched me walk over, waving to her as I did and she smiled and we both set off still not a word spoken between us. That was until she asked me a question that made me slow a little to look closely at her.

"Do you find me attractive?"

I stalled. Okay I didn't stall I damn near fell over my own feet. Still jogging, my head now turned towards her. It was plain to see for her it was a genuine question, so thinking it prudent the jog slowed to a fast walk so I could breathe and talk.

"Caroline perhaps you haven't noticed but I'm not up on being subtle, so if you're looking for a compliment you're really barking up the wrong tree."

It was Caroline's turn to slow us down even further. "So you don't find me attractive?"

"I didn't say that, as a matter of fact I find you hot with a capital H. But if there is one thing I've learned in life, is women like you are way out of my league. I'm not a film star, rock star, in the Forbes top five hundred richest and my family don't holiday in the Hamptons."

Something I couldn't identify passed across her face at that. Her cheeks flushed slightly but she wasn't going to let this rest just yet. "So you think I'm here with you because I think your one of those you just mentioned?" she asked.

I could tell this conversation wasn't going away. Inwardly I groaned, mentally getting used to jogging in the park on my own again, because I really couldn't see this conversation having a happy ending. "Look if you want to continue this conversation then we will go to Charlie's now. I can't talk to you while you look like that, it's too much of a distraction. I am after all male."


Caroline's Karma



A small smile crossed her lips. She just couldn't let it go. "So you like your women sweaty?"

"No, I prefer my women naked, but this is a public place and I figure, not even you're that brave."

At least she laughed, much to my relief. We walked to Charlie's all thought of our morning jog now over with. It was clear Caroline wanted one of those clear-the-air meetings. I'm still trying to figure out what started all this in the first place. Marco watched us enter and take a table towards the back of the diner, we both nodded and he disappeared out back, coming out moments later with our drinks.

This time I thought it best if I started the conversation. "Do you mind if I ask, what has brought all this on?"

She didn't even pause. "You have never asked me out, and I want to know why. You have already said you find me attractive, so either I'm not your type, whatever that means or you're gay." Her face was neutral she just waited for me to answer. My own mind was still processing the fact that I had just been asked if I was gay. She started to fidget in her seat, even more so as the seconds passed by. Marco brought out our breakfast and went to serve two guys that had just come in. Caroline watched them for a moment and then went back to looking at me, her breakfast still untouched. "Jeff. Do you believe in karma?"

I shrugged my shoulders not even sure which way this conversation was going anymore and asking myself if it could get any weirder. "Karma, what will be, will be?" I said.

Caroline smiled and reminded me that was its most basic translation but it went much deeper than that. Its real meaning is that for every bad thing, their has to be a good thing as well. She went on to tell me about part of her college years and they had a Japanese student in their sorority. She and three other girls took this student under there wing and looked after her. They had a drunken night and the girl let slip that she could read fortunes, that was it, the alcohol now forgotten they all wanted to know their futures.

Marco came to the table and Caroline paused while he took away our unfinished breakfast, returned with two more drinks and left again. She watched another two people enter the diner and sit at the counter where we normally eat, smiled at some thought she must have had and turned back to me to continue. All three girls were told minor bad things that would happen in there lives and then the good things, and then it was Caroline's turn.

The Japanese girl took her hand and closed her eyes. For a moment her brow creased, her eyes shot open and she quickly released her hand, pushing herself away from them all. She was visibly shaking in terror. The girl refused to say anything, but Caroline wouldn't take no for an answer and pressed her further on her behavior. In the end the girl simply asked if she was willing to face a nightmare, which would shake you to your core and have to live with the consequences of it so you can have a life full of happiness? All the girls looked at each other totally confused at her statement. She stayed silent, waiting for her question to be answered.

Caroline needed to know what she saw that would bring her so much terror, so she nodded her head and the girl started to cry. Finally turning her face away from Caroline towards the three girls she simply said that it would be down to them to protect her and know the truth that would never be heard. She then turned to Caroline and told her that she would meet her real love so suddenly that she wouldn't realize it until the roof caved in. The Japanese girl left the room in tears and refused to ever talk of that night again.

"But you must have gotten to the truth, it's not as though sorority sisters keep secrets from each other." I asked.

The shrug of her shoulders told me their was more. "It was summer break the next day. She left for home and never returned. We learned that she was killed in an earthquake a month after her return. I sometimes think it was karma's way of punishing her for telling me what my life would be like."

"All this is nonsense. Until a few days ago at the park I had never even met you."

It was her turn to smile now, even a hint of amusement danced across her eyes. "Oh really, and who did you bump into at the airport. Who dropped the flowers I sent as a peace offering, because my father's security people got a little heavy handed onto my limo while I was sitting in it. Jeff, I have lived across the park from you for a year now and every morning I have watched that same man practically walk around the park never knowing it was you."

A smile danced across her lips and the light in her eyes told me she simply couldn't resist what she was about to say to me. "The speed you jog at is embarrassing by the way." Caroline became serious again and continued. "Mom and Dad can't understand why I would want to live here and it wasn't until the airport and the limo that I've come to realize why I have settled here more than anywhere else. Karma brought me here and watching a man practically walk around the park every morning from my window has kept me here until I was able to connect all the dots myself."

It was my turn to blush. "I like to jog. I make a point of not even wearing a watch while I'm in the park." Was all I could think to say in my defense.

She leaned towards me and patted my hand. "Yes dear."

I desperately needed to get her to move on from the speed I jog. "So this karma states that I'm going to sweep you off your feet and we're going to live happily ever after?" There was just the smallest of nods from her as she sat and watched me. "You're sure reading a lot into this karma thing aren't you? I mean how do you know I'm supposed to be this person that your sorority sister told you about?"

For such a long time Caroline simply sat and watched me, her eyes watered and her bottom lip seemed to quiver. I felt for her but I still didn't give this Karma thing any real credence. "Just as I couldn't escape what happened to me, you can't. You've never known the twists and turns your life has taken you so far. That scar on your arm for instance, gives you away for who you are."

My cheeks warmed, instinctively my arm moved away from her sight. This conversation was becoming to painful for me. I simply didn't want to relive that time, yet the longer I watched her the more she seemed to grow in stature until she spoke again. As she talked my fingers instinctively rubbed the scar. 

"Eighteen months ago you were in Boston. At nine forty you left the Glamburge Restaurant and crossed the road, you witnessed a woman being mugged and you intervened. In the scuffle you were cut on the arm and received twelve stitches." All I could do was shrug my shoulders. It was all on record anyway. I almost didn't hear what she said next, my own mind still reliving parts of that evening. "The woman that was being mugged is called Katharine Marshall. She was one of the four who sat and listened as my future was foretold. She's one of my sorority sisters Jeff."

The diner felt cold for a moment. Any doubts I may have had that she was lying were dispelled simply by looking into those blue eyes of hers. But that uneasy feeling came washing back over me like a wave about to drown me. "A year ago, you were in San Diego, The Crescent Art Gallery. You talked to and decided to buy a painting by an artist called Sarah-Jane Atkins, at a time she was considering closing the gallery for good, despite all her sisters telling her that she was a great artist. Yet you came in, talked to her for thirty minutes and bought one of her paintings. She was also one of the four that listened as I was told my life would turn to shit. Again Jeff, she is one of my sorority sisters."

I was becoming uneasy with what I was being told. Shifting in my seat, trying anything I could to get comfortable and now regretting ever starting this conversation. "Life, coincidence, karma, call it what you will. Something has been gently pushing us all to this point Jeff. I accepted my fate, my sisters have kept me sane through so many difficult times for me and I love them dearly and all the time you have touched one after another of us to the point you are here now, listening to this."

So much was going through my head at the moment. Could a series of seemingly innocent incidents have been so pre-ordained that it was all too actually lead to this? My mind was spinning I needed to think some more on what she was telling me so I changed the topic. Little did I know then, just how much it would bite me on the ass. 

"But Caroline I don't know you and you sure don't know me." That was a statement I was going to regret making as she fed me my life history and past girlfriends, even how much our company was worth and named all of our employees. She then went on to tell me where I went on my business trip and who my meeting was with, even what flight number I returned on. I just felt cold as my history was handed to me from a person I had met less than a week ago.

"I'm sorry Jeff but Daddy's security people are very thorough." Yet try as I might I simply couldn't be angry with her. It was my life she had just told me about and all I could do was wonder at everything I had listened to so far. Strangely my heart went out to her as I watched her eyes mist, it was obvious she was waiting for me to say something and fearing the worst when I did. 

"I know that in this electronic age, all this information is out there, but you know that what you have done is so wrong on so many levels I couldn't even begin to give you chapter and verse. All you had to do was ask me and I would have told you, it's called communication Caroline, you remember that bit don't you? When you sit down and talk to the person you like."

She nodded her head choosing not to say anything, she knew this was perhaps the make or break part of this. This what, this relationship, courtship even friendship perhaps. I suppose in her own way Caroline had placed her heart on the table. In her own way, she had given more of herself than I suspect she had done for so long now. I did wonder if she was just a little afraid at how vulnerable she had made herself.

It was her eyes that held me. I should be so angry, yet my heart held me there. I should be leaning over the table screaming at her, yet my own values kept me on my seat. Her eyes misted and a tear left her eye and trickled slowly down her cheek, quickly she wiped it away before trying to stare back at me. Her body started to shake as the seconds ticked by.

"Did Daddy's security team tell you I like the opera?" I asked. She nodded her head. "Then they must have told you I have two tickets for tonight and the reservations for dinner afterwards." This time she shook her head, at least her body had calmed now that I was talking to her, although she still looked so very brittle. "Shall I pick you up at six thirty? I hate to be late."

The table was now something that was in the way, rather than something to eat off of. Caroline lept across it and hugged me, whispered in my ear that she would need the rest of the day to find a dress and walked out the door. That ass of hers seemed to sway with even more grace, all the way to the door of the diner. As I sat and smiled, then reflected on what had been said between us this morning. Well, if nothing else, Caroline had paid for breakfast I suppose.

*******

At six thirty on the dot I pulled up outside her apartment block and if truth be told I was expecting a wait. How wrong was I. Moments later I watched through the doors as the elevator opened and out she stepped. You could have slapped me across the face at that moment and I wouldn't have felt a thing. Quickly leaving the car seat, I opened the passenger side door just as Caroline exited her apartment block.

Her black evening dress showed more skin than even I thought possible. The neck line seemed to do a free fall down her body, stopping in time to show off the shape of her breasts. As she twisted to sit first into the car I could see just how backless it was as well. I was in awe of whoever created this evening gown. The support needed to hold Caroline's tits in never made themselves known yet did their job ever so well.

"In how many states is that dress legal?" I asked, feeling rather hot under the collar. Caroline flushed and smiled at the same time, I could hear her laugh as she waited for me to get behind the wheel again, then leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. She pulled a tissue out of her purse and dabbed away the lipstick mark. Moments later we pulled away from the curb heading to the opera.

"Just be grateful for the invention of double sided tape or I may have had to wear some thing slightly less revealing. I want everyone to know I'm your date tonight, not the other way around."

I was just thankful no police were following us at that moment. I'm afraid my driving skills took a knock with that sort of information being processed in my mind. I came close to bouncing the car off of the curb. Caroline laughed as I frantically took back control of the car before I got us both killed. We did make it to the opera, but everyone had already started to take their seats, so we walked in with the crowds. 

I didn't notice the general murmur of conversation as we sat, my mind still playing in a loop, reliving the walk from Caroline's elevator to the car. It was at the interval that I felt like the realities of this world were never that far behind us. Caroline had found us a quiet corner while I got us both drinks, when I joined her she was speaking to an elderly couple. All three noticed me at once; it was the look the woman gave me that left me uneasy. One of those up and down looks that women use when they blatantly don't care, either for you or having to talk to you. 

Her husband introduced themselves and then promptly ignored me. I watched them both for a few moments, they obviously knew Caroline and her family. It was when he mentioned last summer at the Hamptons that she blushed and looked at me again. She knew I had heard it but chose to say nothing. The bell rang to let everyone know the second half would begin shortly, cutting off anything I may have said and I'm glad it did. Why spoil a good evening on a bunch of wooden people who spend most of there lives with there heads planted up there asses?

The cast deserved their standing ovation. I know it sure put us both in high spirits and a very chatty Caroline held my hand into the restaurant. I got many odd looks from some of the patrons when they compared me to who was with me, holding onto my arm. Thankfully an old friend of mine owned what I considered to be one of the best restaurants in town and that is a real advantage when you want a table in a quiet corner. This whole day and indeed, evening for me had been a steep learning curve, at one stage I was glad it all came out, although I suspect Caroline would have wanted it to be under different circumstances.

I was so busy talking to her that it took me a good hour before I recognized the two men I knew to be part of her security team. The women with them, ostensibly there to look like couples, really did look like they could handle themselves if needed. Caroline noticed my expression change and felt the need to say something. "Since I explained myself to you they thought there's no point in hiding in bushes anymore. I'm sorry Jeff but I agreed."

"I understand that Caroline, but when did I agree to date them as well as you?"

She paused before answering. "Please Jeff, it's not personal. I've read enough and know enough about you to trust you more than I could trust any man since college. That says a lot about me and my feelings towards you. Give me time Jeff." 

Some minutes later my friend wandered over to make sure things were okay. I whispered into my friend's ear and a grin as he passed our table again ten minutes later told me he had sent dinner out to the sedan parked across the road. A small peace offering I suppose, one that didn't escape my date's notice either. We stayed until the restaurant closed, having coffees and liqueurs with odd sounding names. My friend even stopped by for a few moments to meet Caroline, who of course complimented him on his fantastic restaurant and for the evening.

We both knew how this evening would end. It wasn't anything other than special for us both on many levels but our night cap at the restaurant told her that I would be leaving her at the door to her apartment tonight. Mind you, the kiss I got as a farewell sure tempted me to change my mind. Caroline's kiss held my lips and she damn near pulled me out through the passenger side of the car with me still attached to her.

******* "You got laid. Well it's about time."

It still took me a second or two to look up from the program I was working on. Janice stood in the doorway with one hand wrapped around a coffee mug and the other around the morning mail.

"Is that anyway to talk to the guy who can fire your ass out this building in a New York minute, lady?" The snort that came from her as she approached and then dropped into the chair in front of me let me know she knew that our banter with each other would continue for a while longer.

"Do that buster and I have two little girls at home who would beat you to death with the story books you read to them when you come round for dinner." Janice placed the mail on my table, followed seconds later by the coffee, the smile still there, expecting an answer to her original statement. I relaxed back into my chair the warmth of my cup spreading onto the palms of my hands. My mind was already playing this morning's jog around the park with Caroline; no halting words or hesitant sentences or any regrets about the evening before. Just meeting for the warm up, a tender kiss and our jog around the park, simply following that great ass of hers as she blatantly tries to both tease and make me go faster.

Even breakfast at Charlie's Diner, watching Marco pretending to gag with his fingers down his throat when he watched us both for a few moment share food and feed each other. It was then the sound of clicking fingers brought me back to the present. Janice was just in the motion of clicking them again when she realized I was back.

"Are you okay? You zoned out for a moment then, that memorable was it?" My smile must have given me away although, for all the wrong reasons. "Well I hate to burst your bubble stud." With that Janice pulled a file out from under the stack of letters on her side, tossed it across the desk and watched it slide across the desk skidding to stop just in front of me. A big red sticker graced the front of it and I groaned. The smile on Janice's face wasn't missed by me as I did.

"Sorry stud, tomorrow you're off to San Diego for three days, want me to book one ticket or two?"

I just leaned over my desk to the phone and dialed, watching Janice wander out of my office singing 'I'm Getting Married in the Morning.' Seconds before she closed the door, I'm sure she heard the thud of the San Diego file hit it. 

"Hello?"

"Hello Caroline."

"Wow, hello gorgeous, don't tell me you miss looking at this ass of mine so soon, I've barely had a chance to shower after that epic work out in the park?"

"This is me not listening to you Caroline." The sound of her laughing down the phone made me smile, so I continued. 

"I have to go to San Diego for three days, how would you feel about coming with me, I will be working during the day so the evenings I'm all yours. At least you will have a chance to see your sorority sister. I assume she still lives out there."

The silence was deafening. "I'll call you back," she said.

So now I'm sat in the office holding the phone in my hand and wondering what the heck just happened. Janice came back in, picking up the San Diego file and its contents that were now spread around the floor. For the rest of the morning we talked about the itinerary and the problems with the program that couldn't be fixed from here. Both of us agreed that me going there was a necessity. Tomorrow morning was the latest I could leave and I was still left wondering if I was going alone. 




Caroline's Karma



It was almost three when Caroline rang back. Rather she rang and since Janice had directed all calls into my office while we worked out my itinerary for the trip, Caroline spent ten minutes talking with Janice before either of them remembered I was actually in the room.

"Hey handsome, now before you blow a fuse I can't make tonight and I'm not going with you to San Diego."

"Its okay, it was just a thought."

Caroline interrupted me. "Jeff you really need to let a girl finish. I have a dinner tonight with Mom and Dad, some gala thing I have to show up to. I will fly down to San Diego myself, Janice has given me the name of the hotel. I've packed my thigh highs and that skirt that may as well be called a belt. I even have a flimsy vest, although I sure need to keep the bra, no sense in letting the girls out until I'm in our room." 

I went very cold, even the giggling down the phone couldn't stop the image of her walking to reception, chewing gum and asking for my room number, dressed like a hooker. "That's not funny on so many levels Caroline."

The phone had nothing but a laughing woman on it now. Even when I looked at Janice she was smiling and I strongly suspected she knew what was said at both ends even though she only heard mine. 

"Oh Jeff I'm just teasing. I'll be there mid-day and will go directly to my sisters since you will be hard at work. Give me a call when you plan to leave and we should get to the hotel at the same time and I promise I will leave the thigh highs at home for now."

With goodbyes said and Janice watching on, one of those silly smiles on her face. We set about the task of finishing up and sorting out San Diego's problem. I did mention to Janice that since Caroline would be busy this evening it may be a good idea if she could find out if I could get on the evening flight. She left to find out and I got busy. Minutes later she buzzed through and confirmed everything, even picking up my ticket at the airport.

******* The flight was good, I got some more work done and happy that I may now have a handle on what the problem may well be. I had only been in my hotel room an hour when my phone rang, the caller ID telling me it was Janice.

"Hey Janice, what did I forget?"

"Nothing for a change Jeff, although you may want to switch the TV on, your girlfriend is giving a speech."

With that Janice told me what channel and then put the phone down, leaving me to reach for the remote and work out the channels before I could find the right one. By the time I got to it, some socialite reporter in a very flattering evening dress was giving her preliminary speech before the camera panned the room and then settled on a wide angle of the podium.

Caroline was walking onto the stage, gave a quick hug to the guy standing by the podium. The gentleman left and the camera panned quickly to a few celebrity faces, all of whom were clapping. She smiled and seemed to wave at a couple of people at a few tables in front of her before silence descended once again. Caroline took a deep breath and subtly nodded her head. The huge screen behind her started showing various pictures and for the next five minutes, without a script, prompter or even looking at the images on the screen, gave a heart rendering speech on the charity of the evening.

On occasions the camera would pan over to some woman wiping a tear from her eye, even a senator got his face on the TV as she came to a critical point in her speech. He nodded with what seemed like his approval at what she was saying. Finally the camera panned back for her final words. 

"Were all here because this charity means something to us, in some way its sought us all out, be it Mother, Son or Daughter it doesn't discriminate. This disease has afflicted someone that you know or means something to you. Please give what you can because just like this disease, research doesn't discriminate and with there help we can find a way to help everyone. Even Daddy has promised to open Mom's purse to see what falls out."

With that she moved away from the podium gave a small bow and to ear splitting applause walked halfway across the stage as an elderly gentleman came to meet her. He held her in his arms and they both walked off. Again the camera panned the crowd, some people still in tears and smiling at her parting joke others just smiling, but all gave her a standing ovation for her speech. 

Finally the camera was back on the socialite reporter for her closing words. "It seems that the wild child has once again wooed the crowed with her magic at the Anderson Industries annual charity ball. This is Marsha Dexpointer reporting for KXCB News." 

Caroline Anderson. Oh crap. What have I done? The phone ringing brought me out of my daze I hadn't even turned the TV off, the remote still in my hand. Even picking the phone up seemed to be done on nothing but instinct because I sure don't remember doing it until I heard Janice's voice in my ear.

"I know what you're thinking Jeff and don't you dare. That girl has put the shine in your eyes and that's the first person to ever do that." 

"She's Caroline Anderson. Her father owns half of everything. No wonder she has bodyguards hiding in every bush," I said, panicking.

Janice screamed down the phone. "Jeff. Stop babbling. Surely you must have known she was THAT Caroline Anderson." 

I pulled the phone away from my ear for a moment to look at it, then shook my head and said to Janice. "You've seen me in the office Janice. I read the business section and the sports pages. Unless there is a picture of her in one of my technical manual, just how would I know the Caroline I know was one and the same?"

Knowing Janice as well as I did I could almost picture her at this very minute looking at the ceiling and shaking her head, the sigh I heard down the phone simply confirmed it. She knew I was being honest and simply couldn't fault me for it. When my thoughts found some semblance of normalcy. I figured now would be a good time to pace my room, Janice tried again. "Okay Jeff answer me this, who was she when you first met her in the park?"

"Some weird woman who insisted her name was Caroline and don't I dare shorten it."

I heard Janice giggle and then ask another question. "Who was she when you took her to the opera?"

"She was Caroline, in a really hot dress."

"And that's the woman who is going to be with you in San Diego for three days. Not her father, but the Caroline that has jogged with you around that park of yours, eaten breakfast with you and gone to the opera with you. Jeff she has shared with you the one thing that's precious to us all, time," Janice explained. "You need to sleep Jeff. You still have a job to do in the morning. She's Caroline and that's all. She's not her Father, she is clearly her own person, not what the news people want her to be. Remember that Jeff."

By the time we had finished talking I knew she was right. I needed to get my work done over the next three days. Caroline on the other hand was going to be another matter. The wake up call in the morning was a waste of time. I was already showered, dressed and anticipating the first ring of the phone, breakfast eaten more out of habit than anything else. At least now only half my mind was on Caroline.

Introductions weren't necessary once I was met at reception and a brief chat with a couple of the staff got me to one of their IT department. Once again Tess came to my rescue. She had been my liaison with her company during the installation of the program and an all around great lady to talk to and work along side. I know it had only been about a year since I had been here before but even the most casual of glances at her told me something had changed about her.

The baggy clothes now gone, instead a figure hugging business suit, her hair cut back to hang just below her collar. She still couldn't have weighed more than a hundred and ten pounds soaking wet but it was the glow about her face that made me look closely at her.

"You've changed Tess what have you been up to?" Tess held up her hand and a very nice wedding ring hung from her finger. Backed up with the brightest smile I had ever seen from her. I smiled at her happiness. "Well it's about time someone made an honest woman of you, congratulations and I really do mean it." The hand dropped and both arms came out waiting for me to hug her, and I did. As far as I was concerned, Tess and I went way back. She deserved her happiness.

"You need to get this damned program running Jeff. It's driven us all mad and the bosses are getting pissed at us about it. I run the department now so I will oversee what you're doing and give any help you need."

"Wow, a promotion and married. That's some fast tracking your doing in your life Tess." She clearly blushed, looked around to make sure no one was watching us and rubbed her stomach as well. The smile grew even bigger on her. My hug was gentler this time. The next four hours were a blur and other than having a coffee thrust into my hands at intervals during the day, my mind was totally focused on the job in hand. I only noticed it was lunch time when I looked up from the screen and all but two people were gone. A pang of guilt made me apologies to Tess who was supposed to be there to assist me.

I sent her off to lunch while her colleague covered and then they rotated back again. My cell buzzed once, the message telling me that Caroline had landed and was with her sorority sister at the gallery. It was the prod in the shoulder made me look up, Tess pointed to her watch and reminded me that I asked her to let me know when it was four o'clock.

"Okay I know you need to say something to your boss's so here it is. The program is corrupted, that's the easy bit to fix."

Even as we walked to the exit, I could see the look on her face. She was pissed and I knew why. The program was working perfectly for just over a year now, so it was corrupted either manually or artificially. That was going to be tomorrow's project. We hugged and I said my farewells, signed out and jumped into my waiting cab. Reception gave me some messages and I had them all read and prioritized by the time I got to my room. The smell of her perfume caught me before my ears hearing the shower running gave me any indication that she was actually in my room. So many thoughts entered my head, all carnal. However, Mom did raise a gentleman, so with a sigh and a very sarcastic 'thanks Mom' in my thoughts I stayed a gentleman. I knocked on the door to the bathroom and said, "Caroline I'm back. So put something on other than a towel when you get out okay?" 

The shower finished about half way through me making some calls and I had only just put the phone down when she stepped out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, a towel on her head. My breath caught in my throat for a moment and I just shook my head. Caroline noticed and paused mid-stride not sure now if she should continue to walk towards me.

"Just how is it possible for you to look so beautiful in joggers and just as beautiful in a bathrobe and towel?" Her smile lit up the room and within three more paces was now sat on my lap, her arms around my neck. 

She gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, "So let's see if I have this right, not only do you like your women sweaty and gross, but semi naked as well."

I chuckled before I could stop myself and gave her a hug before saying, "How many times do I have to remind you, I like my women naked?"

Caroline giggled and buried her head into my neck until she calmed down. "I need to say this and please Jeff you need to listen. You have romance in your heart any girl can see that. I've grown fond to the point of loving you so quickly that it should terrify me, yet it seems so natural which has been made easier since my karma has already said we were supposed to be together."

She leaned over and kissed me, her arms tightening slightly to make sure I didn't move. As if that was going to happen. The smell of her freshly washed body and the perfume of her hair mingled with the air and rushed straight to my brain. I was hard for this woman and we both knew it. As our lips parted, our eyes locked and I knew I was hopelessly in love with Caroline. I simply didn't give a shit about her last name or who her father was. In one swift move, she stood and quickly straddled my legs and sat down again facing me. Her eyes took on a look of innocence, the rest of her features lustful.

"Well now Mr. Jeffery Andrew Marshall it seems you're faced with a few choices, so I will try and simplify them for you."

Again she pulled me to her for a kiss before she would continue. Caroline unbuttoned my shirt and had already pulled it over my head before she slid back onto my legs, her hands already pulling at my belt. Suddenly she stood, bent down and took hold of my pants legs and gave one quick pull. I'm sure my underwear ended up in the corner of the room somewhere. I noticed the quick look she gave my solid erection, the way she run her tongue along her lips gave her away. As she sat back onto my lap she then took one of my hands and placed one end of the tie on her bath robe into it.

"First off, I'm yours. I want this to happen as often as you want it to. I can never refuse you either tonight or in the future and we do have a future Jeff. So with the introductions made, it just leaves you with one choice in the matter. Do you want to unwrap me here or in the bedroom?"

My hand took a firmer hold of the tie and started to pull, she smiled. "A wise choice, if I may be so bold."

Her body heat seemed to increase as I pulled the cord and it separated in the middle. Her hands instantly went to the robe and pulled it even further apart, pausing only to slide it over her shoulders. For such a long time I simply couldn't breathe, although her cheeks were flushed her eyes held hunger within them. Caroline's neck now matched the color of her cheeks, as she leaned towards me her tits hung free. Those nipples so thick and hard now extended out from her body as I looked at them.

She was having the same trouble breathing as I was. "Like what you see Jeff?"

All I could do was nod my head as my hand wandered up her thigh, stopping for a moment on her hips as I spotted a small tattoo about three inches from her hip bone. It was clearly an original, in the middle was the letter C. Surrounding it were four other letters, the letters touched at the base almost like they were protecting the letter C in the middle. The warmth and then wetness now on my stomach giving away her state of arousal. My thumb brushed the hood of her clit and she jumped. Her fingers curled inward and her nails scratched their way down my chest, stopping just short of my hand. 

Her eyes were closed, a smile danced across her lips as she said. "Thank fuck you're not a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am type of guy." In response I pushed the hood of her clit with my thumb again and she quickly breathed in. The color in her cheeks went a deeper red and her smile increased. Caroline's hands moved back to my shoulders, I felt her thighs stiffen as her body lifted a few inches off of me.

"Look between us Jeff, you did this to me." 

I never realized how difficult it was to look away from the beauty above me to look between her legs. My rampant cock twitched with anticipation. A few strands of Caroline's juices still clung to the tip then snapped as she moved another couple of inches off of me. A drop of cum left her pussy lips and came to rest on my stomach another followed seconds later before her head now rested on my shoulder. 

Her hips twitched a bit and the now familiar wetness slid down my stomach and her pussy connected with my cock. She gasped and then pushed further down. The head of my cock got very warm and very wet in an instant. Within seconds that same sensation took on the rest of me finally stopping when I was all the way inside her. Caroline smiled and clamped her vaginal muscles a couple of times, her eyes now open, her pupils totally dilated. 

"Jeff I'm going to make you a deal. We are on the couch. You get us on the floor and I will make sure your good bits don't leave my good bits on the way down." 

I simply couldn't believe what I had just heard. My cock seemed to get harder as my own brain picked up on the lust in her voice. Caroline's smile was so big and beautiful understanding came to her eyes as she felt the hardness inside her. One arm held her close to me, the hardness of her nipples now forcing themselves deeper into my skin, reinforcing in my mind just how turned on she was at this moment. I twisted my body over the couch, no sooner had we cleared the couch than her legs wrapped themselves around me, locking me inside her. 

I landed on my knees with my arm outstretched, her body relaxed and her back got comfortable with the hotel carpet. Our lips locked and passion took us both. I was slow and rhythmic with my thrusts. Caroline's own pelvic adapting to my movements and soon started to meet my inward thrust with her own upward one. I once tested her legs and she let me know she wanted the same, if I thrust into her to quickly she would clamp her legs slightly letting me know there wasn't any need to hurry. But even at my pace the furnace that was Caroline's pussy was simply to much and with a grunt I pushed myself into her one more time and held myself there. 

Her legs relaxed either side of me and came to rest between my legs. Her arms now around my neck and a smile as big as I have ever seen on her face stared back at me. For a moment Caroline didn't move she delighted in feeling the odd twitch of my cock inside her as it sent the last remnants of cum into her womb. As I went to withdraw, she quickly shook her head, what followed kept me in awe of this woman. As her vaginal muscles set to work on my slowly wilting cock she moved her hands to the back of my head and moved me to one of her bullet hard nipples.

My mouth opened and I sucked greedily on her, trying will all my might to make it even harder. Every now and then I would suck as much of her into my mouth as I could, gently clamp my teeth into her breast to the sound of gentle moans from Caroline that reached something deep inside me, as my head pulled away from her breast her moan seemed to change ever so slightly in pitch and her pelvic would join her cunt muscles in trying to make me hard again. Finally with only her gloriously thick nipple left inside my mouth I would both dance my tongue around it and gently bite down on it at the same time. 

Instantly her pelvic would push itself up towards me, her muscle would clamp down on my slowly hardening cock and a slow moan would leave her lips, followed by an. "Oh fuck yes."

With only her nibble remaining between my lips, she pulled my head away from her, her nipple now swollen and the redness emphasized by the saliva I left there. We kissed again and Caroline adjusted her feet to once again lock me into her furnace like tunnel. We mixed gentle with hard this time, Caroline content with me choosing the pace, the heels of her feet resting on the small of my back, simply daring me to leave her as my cock would withdraw almost to the point her pussy lips would scream to her my exit. 

Her first orgasm caught me by surprise, one moment she was staring up at me, her smile lighting up her face, the movement of my body into hers still keeping that glow around her neck and cheeks. Then just as suddenly her smile faltered. Caroline's looked surprised, her breathing became very irregular. Now I was worried, I genuinely thought I had broken something. Her head went back her mouth opened and a slow moan escaped her, just as quickly her mouth closed and her whole body seemed to convulse.

If it wasn't for the fact that my groin had just become soaked and her vaginal muscles clamped so hard onto my cock that I thought I would loose the use of it from this moment on, I would have mistaken her orgasm for a fit. With her muscles holding me still within her, all I could do was watch in wonder as her body finally calmed to the point that she could breathe regularly again. 




Caroline's Karma



"Damn Caroline. That looked intense."

All she could do was nod her head, her muscles relaxed and lust made me thrust back into her. I'm sure she skidded up the carpet an inch or two before her legs moved to calm me down. Her next orgasm came when we again got back into a rhythm, this time we could both anticipate what her body was going to do and although it was similar and just as intense, it didn't scare the hell out of either of us this time. Caroline seemed to have anticipated my next move, as I pulled out of her one hand went to my cock and the other to her pussy. 

For a while she held us both in that position. Finally her hand came into view and I watched as she licked her palm clean, the hand around my cock started to pull me up her body until I was level with her face and with our mixed juices still on her lips she enveloped my cock into her willing mouth. She was determined to keep me as hard as possible and for as long as possible and all I could do was smile as she looked at me with those lust filled eyes. With my cock now cleaned and with one final lick of approval from Caroline she simply looked up at me and waited expectantly. 

Part of me almost expected her to say 'next.' The smile that replaced my missing cock told me so much. Grabbing her hips I pushed her over onto all fours and buried myself back into that furnace of a pussy, my hands held her hips and for what felt like an eternity I pounded myself into her as hard and as often as I could. With my fingers digging deep into her for leverage I pushed myself into her one more time and for the second time that night came deep inside her.

Caroline gave one final moan into the cushion, my hands let go of her and she slumped forward, a cum soaked orgasm drained wreck, with me not that far behind. I barely had the energy to turn her over, her legs instinctively opening to once again accept me. I had to laugh to myself this woman was a walking dynamo. I needed to rest before I could get hard again and there she was already passed her third orgasm and getting ready for a forth. How could I not love this woman?

I scooped her legs together and with my other arm under her shoulders I lifted her off the floor. Caroline's arm went around my neck, my senses again being assaulted by her proximity and her own perfume. Placing her on the bed I went into the bathroom, got a wet and dry towel and came back. She watched me, saying nothing as I put the wet towel on her forehead and quickly rubbed her down with the dry towel before climbing onto the bed as well. Caroline's arms opened to me and I lay on the bed next to her as her arms came around me, holding me to her.

"Where have you been all my life? That was amazing and I even got a rub down as well."

I blushed. Hell what red-blooded guy wouldn't. She moved her body down mine and soon enveloped my cock again, my first thoughts were 'not a chance' my body told me otherwise. We made love for the rest of that evening. I gave a little and so did Caroline. Eventually my body refused to succumb to her womanly charms and exhaustion seeped into our love making. We knew more about each others wants and needs built up over one night than I had ever with another woman.

******* 

That first evening room service got a call and I woke her when they had left. We hugged and kissed before her need for the bathroom became too much for her. I already had my hand on the door out of the bedroom when I heard her say.

"Get your pants off Jeff." Looking around, Caroline was still walking towards the bathroom totally naked. She sure must have eyes in the back of her head. "I mean it Jeff. I've touched, licked and kissed every part of that body so nothing you have can be new to me." She did pause to giggle for a moment when a thought struck her. "Of course the order you use it does, and that impresses me to no end."

I refused to raise to the bait and with nothing more than a smile I opened the door, for now leaving my pants on the floor. The sound of the bathroom being used ended and moments later, Caroline came through the door as naked as she was when she left the bed, my pants in her hand. She mouthed a thank you and placed them on the chair. All this walking around with a woman totally at ease with being naked was hard on the eye for a long while and my cock gave me away on more than one occasion that evening.

******* Kissing her goodbye the next morning I set off to get Tess and this program failure sorted out and hoped to be able to give her the answers she needed. Caroline was heading back to the gallery once she had showered. I did get a call from her around mid-day, to see how I was doing and to let me know that we were going to have dinner with Sarah-Jane tonight. I did ask if this was where I use the words 'yes dear'. She laughed and listening to that infectious laugh sure had me smiling. I heard the words "of course" when the phone went dead on me.

Tess brought in more help as we sent test after test into the mainframe. It was near four o'clock when we found what we were looking for. I let Tess pull the circuit board out of its mounting we had three of us looking at it with a magnifying glass before we even found it. One tiny piece of solder had flaked causing all this trouble. Tess was relieved that it was just something stupid like this but still pissed that it wasn't discovered long before. We got the circuit board replaced and re-tested. All the lights came on and it was now time to sit back and wait for the program to work. 

I must admit, the atmosphere in the room did change now we had something to point at rather than scratch our heads to. Tess left me at reception and I suspect between her and the rest of her department, they would be in for a very late evening playing catch up. As for me, I told her I would be in town one more day and would either be catching the late evening flight back or the early morning one. If there was to be more problems I would still be on hand one more day. We parted with a hug and a promise to each other to keep in touch. The next time I was in town on a social basis, I was to let her know and she would make dinner and introduce me to the man in her life.

The cab dropped me outside Sarah-Jane's gallery and I couldn't help but smile when I looked at it. Both the girls had there backs to the door pointing to a painting and obviously deep in discussion about something. My own thoughts went back to the only other time I had stood right were I stood now. That damn painting she had displayed in the window stopped me walking passed; it even pulled me into the gallery. It also had the same affect on several people who have been to my office and seen it there, a conversation starter that was for sure. I enjoyed passing on Sarah-Jane's gallery details and I'm sure she has got a few paintings sold off the back of it.

"Jeff the door's not locked you can come in. Besides, your cluttering up the sidewalk." Both the girls simply took a step back and I entered. Caroline leaned in a kiss my cheek. I stopped and turned my head for a real kiss. Sarah-Jane simply stood and waited. She was no longer that shy woman with so much talent that I met a year ago, but an incredibly beautiful and self-confident woman, now sure of her talents. We hugged and she whispered a thank you into my ear. As we parted, her eyes seemed to well up and I quickly pulled a tissue from my pocket for her. 

Dinner was in her apartment above the gallery. Both were now confident that they could talk openly about the predictions made by their sorority sister. Again we came back to why I had gone to the gallery in the first place since it was actually off the beaten track and that's when I made my own confession. The answer was a simple one really, the cab had broken down on the corner and rather than wait for another one I had decided to walk back to the hotel. Both women spent some moments looking at each other.

I'm sure both women would still call it Karma and how the Fates had made it all happen. I simply told them both that it did and maybe it was simply time to let it all be. Both looked puzzled at my answer and opened there mouths to speak almost in harmony with each other. I, in turn see it coming and held up my hand to stop them, adding, "Look what happened at the sorority house between you happened. Of that I have no doubt at all, but all four of you are going to go crazy trying to fit this together. Just look at it this way, through a series of unexplained events Caroline and I are together. It's now down to us to iron out the details and make this work, agreed?"

Both mouths shut and stayed that way. Nodding heads just reaffirmed that they understood. The silence in the room simply felt like the calm before the storm as Sarah-Jane suddenly slapped her hand on the table, making both of us jump. She leaned across the table her arms now supporting her weight. Her blue eyes shone, the pent up anger in her voice simply added to when she said.

"I think the only question is, how long is it going to be till you both wake up to the fact that you were born to be together? My sisters and I have been through as much shit over this as Caroline has. Too many things have come to pass over this Jeff and it's time for you to pull your head out your ass and figure it out yourself."

Sarah-Jane stood, her chair falling backwards. She turned, screamed "Men!" as loud as she could through gritted teeth, and then kicked the chair across the room and left her apartment. It took Caroline a few moments to get over the shock of what both of us witnessed before she dashed out after her. The apartment felt both empty and had that air of 'what next' about it. I stood and walked to the window. Caroline held Sarah-Jane in her arms in the middle of the street; I was so grateful no traffic came by. 

Feeling like I should be doing something and realizing that I had both caused this and didn't know what to do to fix it, I walked around the day room of Sarah-Jane's apartment. One of her paintings hung above the fireplace and I stood looking at it for a moment. Something caught my eye and try as I might I just couldn't put my finger on it. I often felt like that when I looked at my own painting in the office.

Slowly my scalp began to tingle, my cheeks burned and the closer I looked at the painting the broader my smile became. "Damn girl, you are good. Really good and it's taken me until now to see it."

Ten minutes later the sound of both women coming back up the steps shook me from my thoughts and I took a couple of steps away from the painting. A very embarrassed Sarah-Jane followed her sister back into her apartment and ran straight into my arms, bursting into tears when she got there. 

"I'm sorry Jeff, I was rude towards you."

I held her head and kissed her forehead before saying. "Sarah-Jane you have nothing to apologies for. As a matter of fact it's only now I have figured out what it is you hide in all your paintings... hope."

"What?"

I let go of Sarah-Jane and she turned to look at Caroline. Wiped the tears from her eyes with the palm of her hand and nodded her head. "He's right Caroline." We followed Caroline down the stairs and into the gallery. She stopped at each picture in the gallery, her eyes scanned a painting, and sometimes she would take a step back, even tilt her head slightly. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. By the time she was halfway around the gallery the tears started to stream down her face. She would wipe them away with her hand only to be replaced with more. Sarah-Jane stood alongside her and held her hand as Caroline pointed to different parts of a painting. All Sarah-Jane did was nod and smile.

The rest of the evening was more subdued, Caroline asked. "Do the rest of the sisters know about the real meanings in the paintings?"

Sarah-Jane nodded her head. "We have all had hope Caroline, it was the one gift Tzukie gave us before she returned to Japan. She told us that she could not give this gift to you since your path was already made for you, you would have been blind to hope." 

Time crept up on us all and we said our goodbyes, we even invited her back to us when she could find time to close the gallery. She promised she would as soon as her upcoming exhibition was over. It was only when we got back to the hotel that Caroline finally came clean about her past. Admitting to everything and without any of her sisters being with her for support was, I suppose, one of the hardest things she could do. She had chosen the time not me, the timing amused me. What she told me didn't and it took me close to an hour to calm her back down again. 

Handling two women in one evening with so much pent up frustration over karma is real hard work for a guy, I can tell you. We had breakfast and amazingly, in the restaurant as well, rather than our room. I talked to a very tired Tess and she gave me an update on what was going on, so I got the green light to head home. We swung by the gallery for an hour before the flight and I let the girls go all huggy with each other while I did a tour of the gallery and ended up buying another picture. That girl has got some talent.

*******

Over the next ten days a routine seemed to have built between us. Our jogs in the morning were set in stone and in all weathers we both still turned up, although Caroline did seem to be spending more time with me at my apartment in the evenings and stayed more then a few nights. I also seemed to be building a rather impressive library of chick movies as well. We still went to the opera and our now favorite restaurant was becoming like a second home, so much so that even the staff started asking if we wanted our usual table.

I still see her security people from time to time. She knew my view on the whole thing and an uneasy peace settle over us about it. They kept their distance and I tried hard to ignore them. They were after all just doing a job. It was me that was uncomfortable with the fact that their job made me a little claustrophobic sometimes. A couple of occasions Caroline came to the office to drag me away for lunch, that's after she spent half an hour or so talking to Janice or one of the other staff.

I was just getting my coat on when I heard Janice and Caroline outside my office. Janice asked her if she had a job. "Oh yes, I work for Daddy in public relations, I deal with the charity arm of his organization. Mommy asked me to take it over so she could retire."

I watched her reflection on the bookcase glass panel as Janice did a quick look into my office before she said. "We saw you on TV a couple of weeks ago." Again she looked into my office and her voice lowered when she said. "You know he nearly went off the rails that evening, he hadn't figured out who you were before that night. To him you were Caroline in a really hot dress."

"But I'm his Caroline and the dress was for his benefit. Shit I knew I should have told him before he left for San Diego what I was doing that evening."

"Well no harm done, look at you both now. You haven't met his sister yet have you?" There was a really long pause and I made myself comfortable on the corner of my table while I listened to this conversation.

"I know they are close and he was his friend's best man at their wedding."

Janice seemed to mull over what she said. "You like him don't you, Jeff I mean. You genuinely like him, this isn't a faze for you is it?"

"I couldn't be more serious about anyone Janice. He's started to realize, even in the short time we have been together, that I'm in this for the long haul and beyond."

"Then get his sister on your side Caroline. Show her you're real. She will come at you with everything she has because she loves him so much. You may not wish to know this Caroline but to win him you have to win her approval." 

I was feeling a little uncomfortable with the way this conversation was going so I started to make noises from my office. By the time I had completely opened the door both of them were in a hug. Caroline kissed Janice's cheek and we both went to leave. I looked back at Janice and got a smile and a wave goodbye. To the best of my knowledge neither of them spoke of that conversation again, it did leave me wondering if I should.

******* I had planned another evening at the opera. Caroline begged to take the night off, saying she wouldn't be able to get into it, so we settled on dinner at the restaurant. But even that didn't settle her, after ten minutes of watching her push her dinner around the plate I said. 

"You have got to stop thinking so far ahead about all this."

The fork hit the plate so hard the couple at the table next to us looked over. All I could do was smile at them until they went back to eating. My hand went to hers and she grasped it so tightly the ends of my fingers started to turn blue. "What if it all goes to shit tomorrow and she hates me. I'm not going to give you up Jeff, but more than that, I don't want to spend the rest of my life fighting with her."

"Caroline, did I walk away when you told me everything." Her cheeks went a cute shade of red and she smiled for a second when she remembered the conversation, thankfully she also eased the grip on my hand as well.

"That was different, we had just finished fucking each other into submission and telling you right then seemed to be the best time to do so. I'm not getting your sister naked and getting cute with her so I can get brave enough to tell her, if that's what you're suggesting."

Although that image made me smile I did think it best to let it slip very quickly from my thoughts. Since Caroline was too distracted to even enjoy her dinner let alone eat it, I paid the bill and we went back home. I even threw on her favorite chick flick in the hopes of distracting her long enough for her mind to rest. It didn't work and I could tell she was looking at the TV but I suspected her mind wasn't even in the room. We went to bed when it finished, she was on auto pilot getting undressed and into bed. I held her and told her everything would be fine, I suspected she either didn't hear me or didn't believe me.

Even though I was the one who always woke early between us, this morning Caroline was not only awake but already dressed, the smell of breakfast wafting through the apartment and the sounds from my stomach reminding me to get my shower over with real quick. I did all I could to keep her distracted throughout the morning, trying to keep her calm would have been a total waste of effort on my part. The amount of times she kept looking at the clock said it all. Finally standing and telling me that this was pointless and we should go, I got our coats and Caroline phoned for the limo.

******* I stood behind Caroline, as we both watched the plane taxi to the edge of the terminal. I valued living, slightly more than I did the temptation of commenting on why she was shaking so much. Gently taking her hand we wandered down to the main hall and waited. Thirty minutes later Jason emerged. He paused and Toni followed. He held out his hand and Toni caught up with him, snuggled in close and they both walked into arrivals looking for me.

With a quick wave of my hand, Jason noticed me. I started to walk towards the entrance, Caroline walked a few paces ahead, went and stood by the curb, and the limousine appeared just as the three of us exited the terminal. The driver opened the trunk and Jason, still stunned, handed him their cases. Toni smelled a rat and shot a look at me, just seeing Caroline's ass disappear into the car as she did. Now when someone has piqued my sisters interest, there simply isn't a rock you can hide under that she wouldn't find you. 

She quickly turned to her husband and whispered something to him and he followed her into the limousine. I thanked the driver and followed all of them in and sat next to Caroline.




Caroline's Karma



It took my sister a second to unfreeze her brain and say. "Hey, wait a minute you're..."

"His girlfriend and I'm so pleased to meet you," was her only reply.

Jason was still Jason, and my friend simply sat watching Toni and Caroline's conversation swing back and forth.

My sister went a little red. "How can you be my brothers girlfriend, we've only been gone three weeks?"

It was Caroline's turn to switch on that charming smile of hers and say. "He's a fast worker. I wasn't expecting to be his girlfriend three weeks ago either but your brother has a way of getting under your skin doesn't he."

My sister started to nod in agreement, but caught herself. She was determined that the charm offensive wouldn't work on her. "Are you going to tell us where you two met? Or is that something I will have to drag out of him, when we are alone?"

Her smile just got wider, I got the feeling she liked Toni. I told her she would, but somehow I didn't think she believed me when I said it. For the entire journey back to there apartment, Caroline told the tale of how we met rather abruptly at the airport and the three weeks leading up to now. Thankfully leaving out the blushing parts. Although I have no doubt at all that those would be told sometime in the future and when both were together.

Jason and I were now left to the luggage, while both the girls wandered into the apartment block, totally oblivious to us now. Not that it bothered me so much. I was bringing Jason up to speed on the business and reassuring him that I hadn't brought the company to the brink of bankruptcy in the three weeks that they had been away. My friend even managed to make it to the apartment before he really stuck his foot in it.

"You know Caroline. I can't help but think I've seen you before."

Even Toni stopped talking and looked again at her husband, her mouth open yet totally speechless. She then turned back to Caroline and shrugged her shoulders, that international woman's sign that simply meant, 'Men!' Both Caroline and I looked at each other, we had promised to play all this by ear. It seemed Jason blundering in with a comment like that simply let the gates open, the look in my sister's eyes telling us she wanted more from both of us before we left there apartment.

My friend took the silence to mean he had put his foot in it and came and sat next to Toni, she held his hand and kissed his cheek, letting him know he was fine. I got us all a drink and sat next to Caroline, I knew what she was about to do and truly felt for her, but it was her choice.

Looking directly at Toni, Caroline said, "Ask anything, as long as you understand I will ask you one question when you have finished, and I want as honest an answer as any I'm going to give you now." 

For such a long moment Toni simply looked at Caroline, a free pass like that doesn't come often in this lifetime. 

"You're Caroline Anderson?"

Jason nearly dropped his glass, looking directly at Caroline and then to me, his mind now connecting the dots. She simply nodded and took a sip of her drink, waiting for the questions Toni was building up to. "What is the wild child doing with my brother?"

"Wanting to live a normal life."

Toni pounced on that comment as we both figured she would. "Forgive me for saying this Caroline but I've read all about you in the gossip section's of the papers. My brother is a one woman for life type of man, not a train pulling tramp type of man."

Caroline flushed at her comment, although she could tell Toni had placed no venom in her statement. She wasn't about to let go, after all her own brothers girlfriend had given her a free pass and this was the relationship her brother was having that was the centerpiece to all of this. Toni drew breath and started in again. "It's well documented that you took on half the football team in college while the other half were outside the room waiting there turn."

Again she flushed, her eyes grew slightly distant as her past was handed to her from my little sister. I knew Caroline was reliving parts of that night, I could see the signs now, almost read her. The veins in her neck could clearly be seen, she had tightened her jaw to suppress the urge to counter Toni until my sister had finished. I just hoped that the two women I loved the most could work through this. I knew she desperately wanted Toni on board with the idea of her dating me.

I don't think either of us realized Toni had stopped talking. It was the look of defiance in her eyes. Caroline had given her that free pass and my sister had simply taken her up on the offer. It was Caroline's turn to look towards me. She smiled a little uncertainly and I nodded to her, even placing my hand on her thigh for reassurance that I wasn't going anywhere.

"I have sat and listened to your distorted version of my history. Now I will tell you what happened since I was there." Caroline took one more look at me. I could see the pain in her eyes as she knew that once again her past had come back to haunt her. "As you know my father owns Anderson industries. I didn't ask for it, I was born into it. The side effect of that is, I'm a celebrity, a catch for just about every suitor in the country and a few outside as well. That also made me a target in college."

The defiance in Toni's eyes began to crumble as Caroline went on to tell of that night at college. The night of the party that she didn't even want to go to but her sorority sisters took her to anyway. She got separated from them. By the time her friends realized she was missing and some of the people at the party had said she had been drinking heavily, it added to there own need to find her. When they found her four of the football team had her locked in one of the bedrooms taking it in turns with her.  

"Oh crap." We all looked up and see the realization of what she was saying etched onto Jason's face. Caroline went back to her tale of that night. The girls forced their way into the room and pulled the guys off, but she was beyond help now, drunk and lust crazed she went around the room demanding more cock, when she couldn't get it she went down to the party naked and demanded more men fuck her. Caroline's sorority sisters covered her and took her back to the sorority house. Once what had happened spread amongst the sorority, they closed ranks. Within the hour, two of her fathers security team were outside but were refused entry to an all female sorority house. 

It took time for her father's security team to call on female members of the team and find a female doctor. Both her Mom and Dad weren't even in the country but once the news reached them they came back as quickly as they could. Something like this isn't in the bodyguard's manual so their was little they could do that night other than wait and try to keep the fuss to a minimum. By morning the whole campus had the story that she pulled the train even coming down to the party demanding more men join in. Since there weren't any witnesses to the contrary the four guys got away with it. 

She herself simply couldn't remember anything other than being walked across campus by her sisters. Both Caroline and Toni were in tears. Toni held onto Jason, the knuckles turning white on her hand, her mouth opened and closed a couple of times slowly a voice filled with some much uncertainty asked. "Was it a date rape drug? Why didn't you go to the police?"

For a moment a smile danced across Caroline's lips, she wiped her tears and set about explaining to Toni. "This is something that's known to only three people outside of my family. I have a low tolerance to alcohol, couple that with one of the four guys working a bar job gives you a man who knows what drinks to add to a fruit punch so that it doesn't taste like alcohol." Caroline still felt the need to push her point home when she said. "What could I tell them? I think I was raped? There are four people that say I was willing and a party full of students who can testify that I came down stairs naked demanding more men join in."

"Toni what happened, happened. I cannot change that. My father knew the truth and to me the fact my folks knew I didn't do it intentionally was the only thing that kept me sane after that night. But reputations follow and ever since then, that night has grown in lies but never in fact."

The tears that had built within my sister burst forth and Caroline rushed over and held her in her arms. My heart went to both of them at that moment. All Jason and I could do was sit and wait for the crying to stop. Well Jason did. I ordered pizza and by the time any semblance of normalcy had returned to the room, the aroma of pizza had wafted towards the girls. My sister rushed to the bathroom to wash her face and Caroline came up to me and gave me a hug.

She buried her face into my neck for a moment, sighed and pulled her face back to look at me. Gave me a kiss on the cheek and then said, "Thank you, you always seem to know what to do at just the right moment. I love you so much for letting me do this. You're my rock and my soul mate all rolled into one." Hell what can you say to your girlfriend when she comes out with something like that? She saw me blushing just before I pulled her to me and gave her a hug. "Too late, I spotted it. But thanks for the hug anyway. This has been harder than telling my folks. I like her Jeff, she is definitely your sister." 

Jason wandered off to check on Toni and later came back with a bottle of wine, poured two very large glasses for the girls and he had the rest as we all tucked into pizza. One of the things that astounds me is the resilience of women. Not ten minutes after being an emotional train wreck, both girls are now deep in conversation about going shopping together. Now that's a head shaker if ever there was one.

At least Toni finished her pizza before saying. "Have you moved in with him yet?"

"No. I know we will but when we touch on the subject we can't agree whose apartment we want to move into. Both of us agree that we don't want to move anywhere else. That park of ours was the draw to both of us being here and that's never going to change." 

It took us close to a month to finally decide which of the apartments would be called home for both of us. It seemed mine won by a walk-in wardrobe and an extra two feet of space in the living room. That's how Caroline and her new sidekick Toni finally managed to pick. As for me I gave up worrying about it weeks ago and thankfully that's about the same time they stopped asking my advice. The girls were adamant that the right decision was going to be made so that there would be no regrets later. 

There did seem to be some ulterior motives in all this as well. A week after Caroline moved in and she got the cleaners in to her old apartment. Jason told me that they were moving. I smiled and told him to get with the program, he's married now and should recite the words 'yes dear' more often. Trouble was Janice heard me and gave me a slap on the arm when she left the office. 

******* I couldn't say there was any major shift in our living together. When I went away on business sometimes she would come with me. Other times I would either see her on the TV at some charity bash with her folks, or we would talk on the phone half the evening. We still jogged the park and I reluctantly dropped a bit more speed into it, just to give Caroline a run for her money so to speak. One perk I did find out about was that Anderson Industries had their own box at the stadium, so when Marco, Jason and I went to watch the game Caroline's father let us use it.

We even managed, with both Caroline and her Mom's help of course, to get her Father along as well for a guys day at the game. I tell you, that man can scream and cheer just like the rest of us. It was also one of the days I found out why he is head of Anderson Industries. While Jason and Marco screamed obscenities at the referees and our players for there dismal performance that day, Caroline's father and I sat at the back of the company box.

"You have some unanswered question about Caroline don't you Jeff?"

"None sir, she's the one I'm happy with. We both know her background and drawn a line under it all. We are us and nothing comes between that."

For such a long time he paused, looking closely at my two friends as they banged on the glass partition, letting the players know how they would have won the game. He smiled and looked back at me and for just a moment I was very afraid.

"I couldn't do that Jeff, those bums hurt my little girl in such a bad way and I simply couldn't allow them to get away with it. Each and every one of them has found pain in there lives Jeff. I can't stop the rumor mill as much as I would like to, but my little girl rose above all that and now she has found you." He took another sip from his glass and continued. Even though I was still playing catch up with the last piece of information he had just shared with me. "The thing that held all four of those girls together all these years has been this karma Jeff. Her own Mom tried to steer her away from it and find her a kind man but she wouldn't have any of it. When my people were given your name to check out I gave them every asset they may need, and I have watched as this karma for my little girl and her friends has been proved right."

"It's been a long road for so many of us Jeff, my little girl has you and I'm so grateful the scars of her past have not changed how you feel about her. I just wanted you to know Jeff, those four bums took advantage and I have dealt with it in my own way."

*******

Now I will admit to being smart, just as much as I will admit to being stupid. The trouble was it was left to me to figure out which one I was being right now. It had started out as the look in her eyes sometimes, as the weeks went by even my sister started to have that same look. 

Not even a week later Jason seemed to have it as well. Marco that one last Bastian of fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants relationships seemed to have that look now. It dawned on me eventually. Getting the ring wasn't hard since my sister helped. Okay, after she sat me down and ripped into me for taking so long about it. Then she said she would help. As for me I now had my own decision to make and suddenly understood that this could be the point where I lose Caroline forever. My actions the next day showed me that it would also be by my own hand.

We had just come back from our morning jog and breakfast at Charlie's and were washing each other in the shower. It was as she turned towards me that she noticed the ring in my hand, other than a seconds worth of confusion she simply took it and placed it on her finger. Her hands then went around my neck and pulled me to her and kissed me on the cheek before saying thank you and getting out of the shower, placed a robe on and left. 

I found her in the kitchen standing over the sink and crying. As my arms went around her she went rigid, instinctively I backed away and gave her space. Slowly she turned and wrapped her arms around me her head then buried itself into my neck. For so long all I could hear were muffled sounds of pain wracked sobs followed by yet another wave of tears. Even with my arms around Caroline the tears continued to burst forth and every minute this went on my heart weighed heavier within me knowing that my own single-mindedness had caused this. 

As the tears finally started to cease and the tension within her came to an end I said the only thing I knew to be honest.

"I'm sorry Caroline." Her hand came up and touched my cheek as she pulled away from me, her eyes still so full of tears and looking like she was still so close to crying again. 

"You have love in your heart and I know what you just did wasn't intentional. I know something is bothering you deeply yet I can't figure out what. Just know this Jeff, you're my soul mate and everyday I'm with you I can't help but love you more. So either tell me what it is so I can help or do something about it knowing I will support anything you choose to do." 

For such a long time I simply looked at her, then smiled and kissed her. It was only now I realized how much pain I had caused the woman in my arms, the love of my life and I felt like I had just pushed her through a meat grinder and all because I didn't do the one thing all relationships thrive on. I simply didn't talk to her, confide in her. Since it was also her relationship we were soul mates and I kept her from a discussion that would eventually concern her. So I sat her down and told her everything.

The first thing she did when I finished was leap across the seat and with her body now crashing into mine I fell backwards onto the couch. Her legs straddled my body the smile on her face now banishing the sadness of a few moments ago. Caroline then pulled my robe apart and placed her hand on my chest. The look in her eyes changed so quickly that the smile on my own face froze.

"The quickest way to a man's heart is with a sharp knife between the ribs. You exclude me from anything that has to do with this relationship, my future marriage to you and happiness there in ever again then you had better remember that buster." 

With that warning hanging in the air she leaned down and kissed me before getting up and walking over to the phone. As I lay there I only heard one half of the conversation she had with my sister. Something about 'he finally got around to it' and 'yes the ring is stunning.' Then she said something about I wouldn't be into work today and could Jason cover and she would explain it all to both of them at dinner tonight. There seemed to be a long pause on the phone with a lot of nodding of Caroline's head before she finally said something about seeing them tonight and thanking my sister once again before putting the phone down. 

The other phone call was to her Mom. She asked were her Father was and then asked her Mom to keep this afternoon clear and could both of them meet us at her Father's office. Her Mom must have said a lot as well because there was an awful lot of Caroline nodding her head and dropping a few 'yes Mom' into the conversation before she hung up. The woman who walked away from the phone and towards me was the Caroline I knew and loved. As she stood over me she held out her hand and together we went back to bed and made love. 

The afternoon with her folks was tense to say the least. My opinion of the whole thing held firm and with Caroline standing right next to me I got my way on most things. Others were already out of all our hands so I had no choice and neither did she. When we got to my sister's apartment, Caroline thrust her hand out as soon as the door opened and the sound of two screaming women filled the corridor. Two of the neighbors stuck there heads out there front doors, looked down the corridor to find two women bouncing around by the entrance to my sister apartment as I stood to one side smiling meekly and shrugging my shoulders.

Dinner was all one sided. Well, when I say one sided it was actually two women talking and us guys getting elbows in the ribs to grunt the appropriate 'yes dear' as they went along. Toni looked up from her drink and then at me and said. "I assume she got you to sign a pre-nup." 

We both looked at each other and smiled, my sister noticed and went after the truth, looking expectantly at Caroline who smiled once more. Putting her hand over mine, she knew the story had to be told and wanted to be the one to tell it. "We met Daddy and the lawyers got called into his office, they handed Jeff the pre-nup and he tore it up. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and gave it to them."

She reached into her bag and handed my sister an envelope, telling her that it was a copy of what we had both signed and given to daddy's lawyer. She read it laughed and handed it to Jason. The only thing I could do was sit next to Caroline feeling very uncomfortable.