Storiesonline.net ------- Kelly by The Night Hawk Copyright© 2003 by The Night Hawk ------- Description: A story about finding love. Boy meets girl, girl meets boy's partner, etc. It's good fiction. Codes: MF FF ff Mult rom cons les bi het oral ------- ------- © 2002/2004 by Night Hawk (Inspired by Mike C, based on characters in his novel: "James" Characters and situations copyright by Mike C, 2002) ------- Chapter 1 Kelly flopped down on the couch in Todd's studio. It had been a long ride home from the Regan shoot and even though Todd had driven all the way, she was bone tired. Of course, part of that could have been from the fantastic sex she had enjoyed in the past two days. Todd came in the back door after having unhitched and secured the trailer behind the studio and putting his Hummer to bed. The Hummer was his pride and joy, the first real purchase he had made for himself when the agency he and Kelly had opened started earning some real profits. "Wanna beer Kell?" he asked, passing her as he headed to the fridge in the studio. "Sounds good to me," she hollered at his back. Todd put the unused film left from the two-day shoot in the fridge. He had a small icebox in the trailer where he stored it when they were on a location shoot. "You got any of the good Canadian beer left?" Kelly asked. "Only about half a case," replied Todd. "You'll have to get your friend in Niagara Falls to bring some more down." "I'll give her a call. I was thinking of calling her anyways cause I'm running out of smokes." "I thought you were quitting," said Todd. "I am," said Kelly, as she took a cold bottle of Molson Extra Dry from his outstretched hand, "Just not today." "Speaking of smoke..." said Todd, twisting the top off his bottle. "Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing," said Kelly. Todd reached for his display of antique cameras and lifted a Kodak Brownie. Popping the back off he pulled out a small plastic bag and some rolling papers. While Kelly sipped on her beer, he quickly rolled two fat joints. He put the makings back in the camera and replaced the camera on the shelf. "You want me to grab a couple more cold ones before I sit down?" he asked. "Might as well," Kelly said. A few minutes later they were both slouched back on the couch and Todd lit the first of the two spliffs. Inhaling deeply he passed the joint to Kelly. Coughing from the pot, Todd said, "That was some intense shoot. I thought old man Regan was going to have a heart attack when the group from the Marina started messing with his boats. I was pushed to the limit with the delays, and I didn't want him coming down on me." Kelly held the smoke in her lungs as long as she could and handed the joint back to Todd. "I know what you mean," she said, "but they were right and in the end he seemed pretty pleased. I heard he hired them on as consultants." Todd took another hit and passed the joint back. "They're a strange group. I mean, I like them and all, but they're so... different." Kelly grabbed the remote off the coffee table and flipped through Todd's current selection of mood music for his studio models. "Jesus, Todd, when did you get this Gregorian chant crap?" she asked. Finally settling on Enya's latest release, she opened her second beer and they finished the joint in silence. Kelly was starting to feel a slight buzz, nudged Todd, and pointed to the other joint. Laughing, Todd lit it up, took a deep hit and passed it to her. After a minute, Kelly said, "I'm not so sure that they're so much different as they are highly motivated." Todd nodded in agreement. "But they still take time to enjoy everything around them," Kelly added. "And Jesus, do they like their sex." Todd looked at her with a quizzical look in his eyes and Kelly started to blush. "Did you fuck him?" he asked. Her blush increased. "Hell no," she finally responded. "He's got all that young stuff around him and they're pretty possessive." "But you got laid didn't you?" he persisted. Kelly took a deep hit and her eyes drifted off in memories of two incredible days. "It's not that way Todd," she finally said. "It was something different. Something all together different." She sighed, "It was almost spiritual." "That stands to reason," Todd said. "Something different from a very different bunch of people." An hour later, another beer and Kelly was snooping through the fridge for something to eat. It's hard to eat sensibly when you're stoned, which is why they kept the fridge loaded only with high protein snacks. Munching down on some cold smoked trout, a bit of cheese, some spicy beef jerky and a bottle of mineral water Kelly was finally, officially unwound. "When are you going to work on the prints?" Kelly asked him. Todd was equally relaxed. "Hell if I know," he said. "It's already Friday," he said looking at his watch. "I've got a portrait coming in at two, and I thought I would hang loose for the weekend. It can wait until next week. Besides, we need a model release from Sherri." "So, how old is the 'portrait' coming in?" Kelly asked with a smirk on her face. Todd attempted to put a hurt expression on but was too buzzed to make it. Laughing he said, "She's 18." "Todd," Kelly said. "We've known each other what, 7 years now?" "Yeah, about that." He said. "How come you never tried to score with me?" "Shit Kell, you know how I feel about professional models." "Yeah, but I'm not a model anymore," she retorted. "No," he agreed, "but now we're business partners." "Fuck!" she said. "A girl can't win for losing around here." "So," said Todd finally. "You want to come upstairs and crash or do you want to crash down here?" "Thanks sweetie, but I've got things to do in the morning and I wouldn't want to wake you up. I'll just grab a few hours down here and let myself out in the morning and head home." Todd gave her a kiss on the forehead and said goodnight and headed up the stairs to his apartment. Kelly pulled off her clothes, grabbed a blanket and sprawled out on the couch and fell into a deep sleep filled with dreams of wild sexual experiences. ------- Sunlight streamed through the blinds of Todd's bedroom window. Glancing at the clock beside his bed he saw it was nearly noon. "Damn," he thought, "I must have been really tired." Stumbling down the stairs in just his boxers, he unlocked the studio door and checked around for traces of Kelly. She was gone, but the sweetheart had picked up the empties, straightened the couch, wiped down the coffee table and had washed the ashtray as well. Back upstairs he took time for a shower. Alternating between hot and cold, he washed himself down completely. Standing for a few minutes under an icy blast of cold water ensured him that everything was intact and that he was fully awake. He stepped out of the shower and dried himself off. He carefully shaved with a new razor and splashed on some aftershave that stung like hell on his sensitive skin. Todd hated shaving, and only did it when he wanted to impress a girl or when dealing with a client. His fair complexion and blond hair allowed him to get away with skipping a few days. While brushing his teeth he took time to review his reflection in the mirror. At 29 he was in great physical shape. At 5'10", Todd weighed around 140 pounds. Not an ounce of fat on him. Regular workouts at the gym made sure he was in peak condition and his extra curricular activities kept his stamina up. As he walked nude into his kitchen, Todd thought back to a time just a few years ago when his weight and his complexion were starting to show signs of wear and tear. He and Kelly had just started their agency and she had insisted he stop eating fast food and had put him on a regimen of herbal supplements. He had complained and argued but Kelly was headstrong and now he was eternally grateful. He had no idea what he was taking, but Kelly had assured him it was all-natural. Every week Kelly would lay out a supply of what he should take and he popped about 12 pills into his mouth and swallowed them down with mineral water. Out of the fridge he took one of the premixed containers of prune juice, shook it rapidly to dissolve whatever it was she mixed in there and drank down the concoction. She had told him, but he had forgotten. Finally two chewable tablets and his health was taken care of for the day. Todd still had to laugh at his initial reluctance to try Kelly's recommendations, but in a period of less than six months his face had totally cleared up, his hair had a natural shine and looking down at his best friend, realized his orgasms had never been better. He owed her big time he thought to himself. The phone rang. It was Kelly according to the call display. "Hi gorgeous," he said. "Hi yourself," was her reply. "I just wanted to make sure you were awake and ready for your 'portrait, '" she laughed. Stroking his cock to a full erection, Todd laughed and said, "I think I'm ready to skip the preliminaries!" "Okay," said Kelly. "That's all I was calling for. You have a good time and I'll talk to you on Monday." "Hey Kell," said Todd, "did I ever thank you for starting me on these vitamins?" "Yes Todd," said Kelly, "lots of times, now quit playing with your dick and get dressed." Todd blushed and looked around guiltily, his cock deflating. "What makes you think I'm doing anything like that?" he asked defiantly. "Cause you always thank me for the vitamins when you have a boner," she laughed. "Think of me when you put it to use." She laughed one more time and hung up. Todd finally laughed as well and went to get dressed. Think of Kelly when having sex? No way. She was too good a friend to screw with. They had a good thing going both as friends and as business partners and he wasn't going to take a chance on blowing that. Besides, as he had told her last night, he had stopped screwing professional models years ago. They were so full of themselves they thought they were doing you a favor and were constantly bitching for him to be careful not to bruise them and they nagged and complained never putting forth any effort to make the experience mutually satisfactory. He loved Kelly, but he was determined to keep it a non-physical love. Todd looked at the clock and realized he was cutting it a bit close. Pulling on a set of light cotton scrub pants, opting to go without underwear, he scrounged for the right T-shirt. Todd didn't have much time for watching television, but there was one show he never missed, even if he had to tape it. Todd was a real "Trekkie." He hated the PC term "Trekker" believing it took something away from the real fans of the series. "Trekkie" was as sacred a term as "Hippy" or "Yuppie" was to those people. He had just managed to pull on a "Klingon" T when he heard the bell announcing his two o'clock appointment. Barefoot, he bounded down the stairs. ------- Laura stood at the door nervously clutching her bag. A cute brunette, she stood about 5'8", weighing perhaps 120 pounds. The portrait was a gift from her friends and parents in an attempt to help her overcome her despondency since her break up with her high school sweetheart and fiancé of three years. She had spent nearly six months in a state of depression and her friends decided she needed an ego boost and Todd, the famous model/magazine photographer, had been convinced to show her how beautiful she was. Todd had a bit of a reputation amongst his clients, which Laura's parents weren't aware of. But then again, they weren't aware of a lot of things regarding Laura's personal life either. They were just as pleased that maybe she would revert back to her vibrant self as they were about Todd's unusually low fee. Laura had been introduced to Todd only two weeks earlier when one of her friends, who had been photographed by Todd, introduced them. As a favor to the friend, who knew that Todd could put the sparkle back in Laura's eyes, Todd had waived any sitting fee on the basis that if she looked as good in print, he would have the right to sign her on as a model for his agency. It was the first time Laura had smiled in months, and had been rewarded with a sugar-melting smile from the handsome photographer. She was ill prepared though when Todd opened the door. He was such a hunk! She felt an old familiar feeling in her groin. With a big smile he invited her in and closed the door behind her. "How are you doing today Laura?" Todd asked. She was surprised he remembered her name and was secretly pleased. She smiled and responded that she was fine. "Well, come on in and make yourself comfortable," he said. "Care for a drink?" Nodding instead of speaking, Todd was forced to make all the small talk. "Soft drink? Beer? Wine? Or mineral water?" he asked. "Maybe a glass of wine if you don't mind?" she asked timidly. Todd gave her one of his piercing glances. "Red or white?" he asked. "White please," she replied, hoping it would calm the nerves in her stomach. Todd went off to fetch her drink and brought back a bottle of mineral water for himself. Motioning her to the couch, she sat down and he sat across from her in a leather swivel rocker. He made small talk as she sipped on her drink. "Just give her time," Todd thought to himself. She was actually quite a looker and sexy in a 'girl next door' kind of way. They managed to get through some typical small talk about the weather and current events in Charlotte as she sipped her wine. She was growing a bit calmer with every passing minute. She told him she worked at the Arby's right next to the big Arco Truck Stop on the state line. Todd said he knew it well and was surprised he hadn't noticed her before. He was rewarded with a smile and a blush. "So, you've never posed for a real photographer before?" he finally asked. She said no and said she really had no idea of what to expect. She had brought some outfits to wear so he could decide what looked best on her, but after looking at her selection he waived them off and explained that his partner kept an entire suite of top designer outfits at the studio from the various shoots they went on. He looked at her with an appraising eye and finally said, "I figure you to be about a 34 B. Is that close?" Laura blushed furiously with embarrassment. He had hit it right on the mark and she nodded. "Let's take a look and see what will fit you then," Todd said, and led her to the large wardrobe area off to the side. Laura gasped when she saw all the clothes, categorized by size, in every type of fashion she had ever seen in all of the magazines she had ever looked at. She recognized the names of many designers. "I hope you're not uncomfortable going braless," Todd said. "Most of these outfits are made to enhance the figure, not to confine it." Another furious blush while she pretended to be nonchalant about leaving her bra off. Todd pulled a number of items from the racks holding them next to her cheek. "I think that with your complexion these colors will work out the best," he said. "Why don't you try a few of them on and see what you like. I'll wait in the other room and give you some privacy." Laura took the first outfit, a dark cream silk number. Holding it up to herself she looked at the wall-sized mirror. It was sheer, but she loved it. Of all the things he had selected this was exactly what she envisioned herself wearing. A combination of dress pants with a halter type top that left her shoulders bare. She started to remove the blouse she had put on this morning and realized that the K-Mart fashion styles she had brought with her would never begin to compare with what was in this room. It was then that she realized Todd had left the door open. Trying to be 'professional' about it, she made no move to close it. A little bit of her nervousness returned as she continued to undo her blouse and finally chastised herself for being so foolish. Todd was a well-known runway photographer according to what she had read in the magazines. She certainly had nothing that he had not seen at least a thousand times, but also realized that aside from her closest friend and her former fiancé, no one had seen her nude since her days in junior high. Throwing caution to the wind she pulled off the blouse and her slacks but still a bit of modesty forced her to turn her back to the doorway when she removed her bra. She was surprised to find her nipples erect. She slipped on the outfit and realized she could just make out her nipples through the material. The thought strangely excited her. She left her clothes on the floor and walked back into the main studio. Todd looked her up and down, tilting his head before finally smiling his approval of her choice. He finished mounting the lens he had chosen for the camera that was already mounted on a tripod and led her to a makeup counter. There was a hydraulic stylist's chair in front of a large mirror holding a large array of assorted creams, lotions and all sorts of things she didn't recognize. Grabbing a can of mousse he filled first one hand to overflowing wiping it in her hair and then filled the other hand. Then, Todd ran his hands through her hair time after time until Laura herself was amazed at the growing transformation. Ringlets had formed in her long hair and instead of laying flat her hair now had body. She realized he had used a mousse with color in it as highlights appeared in her hair. She loved the feel of his fingers as he ran them through her hair and over her scalp. A light moan escaped her lips. Cleaning his hands with some waterless lotion he wiped them on a towel as he gave her an approving smile. "Okay," Todd said. "Now for something to enhance your natural beauty since I can't keep you blushing all afternoon." Laura laughed nervously as she realized that during his manipulation of her hair and scalp her nipples had hardened and were quite extended, making very definite dents in the silk. Her nipples were just dark enough to be visible through the cream color and she was sure that Todd could see them, but he appeared to be more concerned with highlighting her cheekbones and adding liner and shadow to her eyes. As a final touch he dipped his finger into what appeared to be a small container of tinted Vaseline and with just the tip of his finger slowly drew it over her lips. Laura went limp and nearly sucked his finger into her mouth. His touch was so soft and gentle. Todd drew her attention once more to the mirror. She was amazed by the transformation and it didn't help that she felt herself growing moist below. Todd led her to a tall stool in front of a bone colored backdrop. Adjusting the key lights and the fill lights, Todd hovered around her for several minutes. Finally he got behind the camera and started to give her verbal cues on how to turn to emphasize her build and face. Todd told her to relax since he had a lot more to do yet and the first shot would basically just be a test run to see how things would work out. Turning his attention to the remote lighting panel beside him, he pre-warmed the fill lights and turned on the synchronized flashes. He had several A-12 magazines loaded with 120 high-grade film next to his Hasselblad 503CW. He plugged the flash cords in, checked the focus then attached a Polaplus Polaroid magazine to the back of the camera. Turning off the auto winder, Todd cranked up the lights to full and with his infrared remote shutter release in hand, took a final walk around her adjusting her pose. Todd took a test shot and told her to relax for a minute. It only took a few minutes before the print developed and he handed it to her for her reaction. Laura was both shocked and amazed at the picture. "Is that really me?" she asked, carefully avoiding looking at the pronounced nipples in the picture. "You saw me take the picture," Todd said with satisfaction. "You have good features and a great body. However, we'll have to trim the shots a bit to hide your little missiles unless you want to advertise to your friends and family," he added jokingly. Laura thought about it for a few minutes and said, "Screw it. I look good. I feel good." Secretly she was pleased he had noticed them. For the next half hour Todd took a number of pictures of Laura in various poses and then suggested she try another outfit. "Can we take a short break?" Laura asked. "I need to use the bathroom and if you don't mind, I'd sure like a bottle of that water you're drinking." Todd laughed and said that working under the lights did dehydrate a person pretty quickly. He pointed out where the bathroom was and told her to take her time. Laura stopped first to take off the outfit and just pulled her blouse on for modesty's sake but left it unbuttoned out of a new found pride. It wasn't so much that she needed to pee, as it was to dry the copious juices that had been building up inside her. God, she was so turned on! Minutes later she was sitting on the couch again sucking back on the mineral water. Looking quizzically at Todd she asked what she was drinking as it had a slightly strange taste. Todd explained the mineral water came from a natural spring and contained some natural salts that helped prevent dehydration and counter any effects from heat exposure. As she sat back her blouse fell partially open but Laura no longer cared. She was alone with a real hunk and she was horny. Todd nodded towards one of her exposed nipples and said, "I'd love to get a shot of you relaxed like that." Laura laughed feeling totally at ease. "Can I ask you something personal Todd?" "Fire away" he replied. "Why are you doing this?" "Doing what?" he asked. "Wasting time and obviously money on this," she said bluntly. "Truth?" he asked. "Truth," she replied. "I love women," he said, leaning back. "But I see them differently than other people because I look for their potential. It's a challenge to me to take a natural beauty and bring out the best in her. What I charge for this is just to cover the cost of the film and a few prints. I don't do portraits as a rule anymore. I can make more in an afternoon of model shoots than I can in a month of working my ass off doing portrait work. That's why it was important that I met you first. I saw your potential right off the bat. I won't lie to you; you won't get rich modeling, though you can make a decent dollar at it if you decide to go that route. My partner will be happy to sign you up with our agency and you can pick and choose from any number of catalog shoots, and I'm quite sure you will be able to earn a very nice living. But when you hear about the super models that make thousands of dollars per hour, remember that they represent only one in every ten million girls." "Besides that," he continued, "I saw sadness in your eyes. I don't like to see a beautiful girl sad." "Thanks Todd," Laura said. "You make me feel very special." With that she got up and went back to the wardrobe to pick something else out. Laura went through a number of delicious outfits before deciding to be a bit braver. Todd saw her as a beauty and she wanted to show him one. She held up a near sheer mini dress that was more gauze than material, nearly white in color. It made her skin look tanned. It was lacy, frilly and very risqué, reaching just below her butt. Having already decided to go for broke, she pulled off her panties and slipped the outfit on. When she came out, Todd whistled appreciatively. Laura noticed the front of his pants start to rise and got a warm feeling inside. "That looks fantastic on you," Todd said. He took her back to the makeup table and made a few adjustments to her make up and suggested she might want to put a bit of dark eye shadow on her nipples to accent them more. "Obviously these aren't going to be pictures to be shared with family," he said. "So why not go for the real sexy look?" Without hesitation, Laura opened up the front of the daring dress and with a small sponge applied a dark color to her very erect and puckered nipples. Todd watched, nodding with satisfaction. Turning her chair to face him he said, "now for a real trade secret..." Taking a wide makeup brush he dusted it in a charcoal powder and brushed back and forth underneath her breasts creating an illusion of very pronounced breasts that seemed to cast a shadow by their size. The feel of the soft brush grazing underneath her breasts just made her nipples protrude even more, much to Todd's delight. She was sighing with this attention. With an eyeliner pencil he slowly drew soft delicate lines between her breasts to emphasize cleavage. As he drew, she closed her eyes in pleasure, trying her best to keep her legs clamped closed so as not to leave a wet spot on the chair. "Take a look," he said as he spun her chair back. "Wow!" said Laura. "It looks like I'm a natural D cup now!" Todd went and changed the background to an earth tone colored pattern that would make her stand out and added an extra back light to light up her hair from underneath at the back and separate her further from the background. A few more adjustments to the floodlights and he was ready to take some serious pictures. He replaced the tall stool with a specially built "pew" as he liked to call it. It had no back but a slanted seat and a combination foot or knee rest depending on how he wanted someone to pose. He covered the "pew" with rich brown cloth to help create a contrast. Taking Laura's hand he helped her to get adjusted to the stand placing her knees on the slanted and padded bottom platform and showed her how to rest her butt against the padded seat. This placed about 60 percent of her weight on her very shapely ass. Todd had placed the "pew" at an angle of about 45 degrees off center and then helped her to adjust her legs so they showed as if she were kneeling. To start with he placed her hands beside her palm down on the bench seat and grasping her shoulders twisted her upper torso so as to straighten her back and accent her chest and chin. As Todd took his position behind the camera he gave her instructions on how to breathe and to keep her eyes closed between exposures. "This will add more moisture to your eyes," he explained, and looking down he realized for the first time she was without panties. Her curly brown pubic hairs quite visible from his vantage point. "Laura" Todd said as he focused the camera, "I think right now you look beautiful, but did you know that when you changed you forgot something?" Laura giggled. "I didn't forget," she said. "I wanted to look like I felt." "And do you know how delicious you look right now?" Todd asked. Laura giggled again. It came so easy now and after six months of abstinence she felt not only like her old self again but damn horny as well! Todd attached the Polaroid magazine he had used earlier so she could see for herself, right now, just how good she looked. Just before he took the picture she closed her eyes tightly and realized she was also clamping her pussy muscles together. The realization made her giggle even harder but she kept her eyes closed until Todd told her to open them. The synchronized flashes went off at the same time and two minutes later she was looking at a picture of herself as a beautiful, sensual, sexual being with laughter on her lips and a sparkle in her eyes. "Do you like?" Todd asked her. "Mmm... Very much!" she said. "What do you think?" she asked him. "I think it's a wonderful and beautiful person in a picture," he replied. Laura was beginning to notice her own feminine musk in the air and blushed slightly. She was visibly aroused and sneaking a glance at Todd's pants was relieved to see that he was as well. As Todd headed back to his camera he tried to adjust his growing hard-on in his pants. Damn but she had transformed quickly. From the sad, morose girl he had met just two weeks ago to the nervous one who had arrived at his doorstep just a few hours ago, she had changed like the proverbial ugly duckling. She was now a radiant beautiful swan, and though he knew Kelly could really do wonders with the make-up, Laura was a natural beauty. As per Kelly's suggestion of the night before, Todd had selected a CD more appropriate for his young model. As he exchanged the magazine on the "Blad," Todd pressed play and Cyndi Lauper's voice blasted out of the speakers with the Reggae influenced version of her hit tune "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." He was glad to see Laura start to move to the rhythm. Todd started to snap away glad that he had loaded the magazines with ultra fine grain film. The auto winder was on and the IR shutter release was in his hand. "Damn," thought Todd. "These are going to be great photos!" Closing her eyes between shots and opening them on some basic instinctual level Todd found her to be a natural poser. She moved with the music, slightly changing positions every time right to the point to where she moved her torso away from him and looked back over her shoulder at him. Todd could see the moments when she would open her eyes in her body language. Todd could switch an A-12 magazine in mere seconds and was glad he still had four loaded magazines ready. He had used two magazines on her in the first outfit and he knew he could crop head and shoulder shots from this sexual animal now posing for him. The girl posing for him now was the natural Laura. The eyes, the teeth, and the smile... it all served to enhance her beauty and her raw, nearly primal sensuality. Laura had her feet on the floor by the time the fourth song had started and rested her weight solely on her butt. Bending forward for some shots and spreading her legs wider for others, she moved to the music and her increasing arousal. Using her hands, she lifted her hair and let it drop. She dropped her head to her chest and snapped it back sending her hair flying, exposing her throat, yet with a smile that looked more like she was looking at her next meal. Laura continued to twist her body in countless ways before slowly and deliberately undoing the front closures on the sheer mini dress one at a time until it was completely open exposing her breasts and finally ending up with her feet on the bottom rung with her knees spread wide, her elbows on her knees and her hands cupping her chin, a giant smile on her face. Todd the professional had changed film magazines three times already and had quite a few really excellent pictures already. Todd the man though was actually glad the music was coming to an end as his own level of desire was becoming critical. Ironically the final cut on the programmed CD was "I'm Gonna Be Strong." It was hard to believe they had shot over 70 pictures in just over 50 minutes. From his remote lighting control, Todd slowly turned off the major lamps letting them cool slowly. Laura, her libido long past the point of no return, just shrugged off the loosely fitting garment and without hesitation moved towards Todd. Stealthy, like a large cat she approached her prey. Todd looked up just in time to see her arms reaching out for him and her mouth reach for his. Everything was forgotten with that first kiss. Electricity flew between them as she pulled on his shirt while his hands roamed over her body cupping not only those beautiful tits but taking extra time to caress and massage those lovely globes she had been sitting on. She moaned into his mouth and started clawing at his T-shirt determined to rip it off his body. Todd broke the kiss for a moment to assist her and peeled off the T-shirt before latching his mouth back on to hers. Laura was on fire. She ran her hands all over his chest and back finally slipping her hands into the back of his scrub pants to grab his ass, pulling his groin to hers. Feeling his stiff cock pressing against her stomach only made her wilder and she started to bite on his neck and managed to whisper, "Fuck me Todd. Fuck me here and now and fuck me hard." Her hands were already pushing his pants down. Locked in a lover's embrace he let his pants fall down past his knees and stepping on the hem of one leg managed to extradite it. As he was working on the other, Laura's hand had found her prize and her fingers wrapped around his swollen cock in a tight grip. Nibbling on her throat, Todd let one of his hands rest on her back while with the other he began exploring the curly soft down between her legs. In an instant his fingers were coated with her juices. Now free of his own clothes he picked her up and carried her to the couch. He began kissing his way down to her breasts stopping to suckle on each nipple while her hands pulled at his hair, her pelvis rising and falling with a desperate need. Todd continued his trail of kisses across her washboard stomach moving closer and closer to the prize that lay below. Laura's arousal however was too high to wait any longer and seeing his intent, pressed his head downward and thrust her pubic bone against his face. Realizing any more preliminaries would not enhance the inevitable, Todd dove into her dripping cunt mouth first. Using his tongue in long sweeping strokes he pulled the delicious sweet nectar from inside her and with the flat coarse surface of his tongue he smeared them over her swollen clit. It took less than a minute before she clamped her well-muscled thighs around his head as she came in a screaming orgasm, her legs clenching and squeezing around his head until she eased out of her first peak. Todd quickly lifted her legs just underneath her knees and aimed his throbbing cock at her drenched cunt. With her hands she guided him inside her and then transferred her hands to his ass setting the pace and depth of penetration she wanted. Her second orgasm came nearly immediately and Todd was nearing his critical point and started thrusting in a sporadic way. Both of them could feel his cock swelling inside her, the head swelling with desire and the veins down the length of his shaft started to pulse as he reached his critical point. Thrusting back with all her might, Laura clamped her cunt muscles on him, squeezing and coaxing his hot cum out of his rock hard cock. She managed to peak with him and with a whimper, Laura passed out from the sheer intensity of the most orgasms she had ever had in five minutes and the most intense orgasms of her life so far. Todd's breathing slowly returned to normal and he slowly withdrew from her allowing her to rest uninterrupted. ------- Padding around the studio while Laura slept, Todd removed the last magazine from the camera and placed all the exposed films with the ones from the first outfit in his tray for developing. He picked up the clothes they had dropped and put them aside. Still nude, he cleared up the portrait area of the studio and put the backdrops and props away. Satisfied everything was in order, he grabbed a couple of bottles of water and put together a plate of snack foods from the fridge. Figuring he still had a few minutes he restocked the fridge with more bottles of the mineral water and then carrying everything over to the coffee table he started to softly stroke Laura's belly, watching it twitch in automatic response. Slowly her eyes opened. Todd smiled at her softly and her initial blush soon disappeared. Seeing he was in the nude made her feel more comfortable and relaxed with her own nudity. Handing her a bottle of the mineral water, Todd offered her the plate of cold snacks. She passed on the food but greedily gulped at the water. "That's never happened to me before," she said. Todd smiled and said, "See what happens when we act on instinct rather than reacting to thought?" "Hmmm..." she responded. "I never thought of that before. Is it always like this for you?" Todd just smiled. He was not one to kiss and tell. Laura laughed and said, "And a gentleman too." Todd looked at her seriously for a minute. "Are you okay with what happened Laura?" he asked. Laura looked at him for a minute as if trying to read his face. Finally smiling she said, "Does this mean it was a one time thing and this is your polite way of saying the day is over?" Todd laughed and gave her one of his biggest smiles yet. She wasn't going to be one of those who fell in love with the first kiss. "No Laura," he said, "we'll see each other when and as often as we want, and the day is only over if you want it to be." The smile on her lips said the day was far from over. Seeing he was in for a great evening Todd asked, "Are you hungry for some real food? I can order in anything you like and then we can spend as much time together doing whatever you want to do." Her eyes lit up along with the great big smile. "Really? You don't mind?" Todd smiled back at her and said, "Honest." "Well," she said, "I am really in the mood for a pizza and beer, and if you're up for it, I could sure go for a rematch!" Todd laughed and said, "You got it! I've got some ice cold Coors upstairs and if I order the pizza now, we should have time for a quick shower before it arrives." ------- An hour later, freshly scrubbed, and sitting upstairs in large white terrycloth robes in Todd's kitchen, they were chowing down on a large pizza. Laura was a down to earth girl. She turned down Todd's offer of china and silverware, eating the pizza with her fingers, folded Italian style. She also drank her beer right from the can. ------- The shower together had been fun though she said she hated to see the make-up and mousse go. Todd reassured her that her beauty was right there in her, and she could easily duplicate the look herself, but that if she was really interested in learning how to put it on quickly and efficiently she should speak to Kelly. "Kelly... Is she like your regular girlfriend?" Laura asked. Todd had laughed. "Nah," he said as he lathered her boobs for the third time, "I love her, but she's my best friend and my partner in the business." Laura leaned against the shower wall enjoying the sensation of his soapy hands running over her body. "But, you two never, you know, get together?" she asked. Todd had problems shaking his head no as she now had the soap and was lathering his dick to hardness while her other hand was busy soaping his butt and all too easily her finger slipped into his ass. Todd jumped. The sensation had nearly caused him to climax in her hand. ------- They listened to some sound tracks from recent popular movies while they ate and after giving the food a chance to settle a bit they headed off for Todd's bedroom. Dropping the robes they laid beside each other nude just talking for a while. Todd had offered to bring more beer in but Laura said she had to drive home later and would prefer another bottle of water. Todd asked her if she had to go home, and with a sigh of regret Laura said that her mother would worry. Soon the small talk got smaller and they began kissing. Todd enjoyed feeling the firm flesh of her body under his hands while her hand wandered down to start twirling his pubic hair. As Todd started to cup her mound and his lips sought out one of her nipples, Laura wrapped her hand around his shaft. It quickly started to swell. She pushed him on his back and told him to lie still. "It's my turn," she said with a grin. "Keep your hands by your sides or behind your head, but I don't want you to move." She straddled him and started kissing her way down from his neck taking extra time to lightly bite at his nipples. He reached out once to stroke her but she grabbed the stray hand and pushed it back down. "Don't move," she said with authority. Todd sighed and settled back to enjoy the attention. Her tongue danced around and in his navel before heading further down. She kissed the skin around his groin but avoided making contact with his cock which was bobbing with anticipation. She moved even further down and kissed and nibbled on his thighs before making a slow ascent to his balls. His sac had tightened into something the size of a golf ball with two distinct dents. Slowly her tongue traced the line in the middle and then she opened her mouth and began sucking on one of his hardened nuts. Todd just moaned. Her mouth moved and engulfed the other ball. Her hands had worked their way between his legs and spread them and she was now kneeling between his spread legs. Using her hands she lifted his knees so that she would have better access to his ass with her hands. Now Laura started to get serious. She began with gentle nibbles at the base of his shaft slowly working her way to the top but not quite reaching it. Instead she dragged a wet tongue back down again against the prominent vein that was pulsing. Squeezing and massaging his ass cheeks with her hands, she started her nibbling her way back up his cock on the side this time again stopping before she reached the head which had turned a dark shade of red, and again used her wet tongue to slide back down on the vein. By the time she had nibbled her way up the other side of his cock the head was nearly purple and the skin so tight it looked like a balloon that had been over inflated. Todd's hands were now clenching the blankets at his sides and his knuckles were white. Using one hand, she grasped the base of his cock and squeezed tightly, keeping all the blood in the already engorged head. This time she slipped a hot and wet mouth over the top engulfing his cock head. His body was thrashing now and his head was rocking from side to side as he moaned. But still she was not ready to let him cum. Keeping a tight grip on the base of his shaft, he was at her mercy. Slipping her mouth off his cock, and knowing he couldn't see what she was up to, she put a finger of her other hand into her mouth coating it thoroughly with her saliva. As her mouth descended once more on his cock, Laura took her lubricated finger and inserted it in one smooth motion up his butt reaching his prostrate. She felt the explosion coming and released the pressure from the base of his cock and instantly her mouth was flooded with his cum. She sucked and swallowed as fast as she could but Todd just kept on pumping and pumping and she could not get it down fast enough to keep up. She kept up her sucking now using the hand that had squeezed his shaft to pump more out of him. His groans were loud and gasps were coming out of him. The sensations were just too strong. Too soon he slowed and his glans became too sensitive. He had to reach down to lift her head off. Laura rolled to his side but kept her head in his lap, now blowing cool air on his cock. She took time to lick up every drop of cum that had escaped her lips and just as Todd was getting soft she covered the head once again with her mouth. His body jerked and he nearly sat upright. Releasing him once more from her mouth, she slowly withdrew the finger from his butt. His cock, though not hard anymore was still semi stiff and it continued to pulse and more cock juice oozed out. Two more times she sucked him back into her hot mouth alternating with cool breezes from her pursed lips. Satisfied that his climax had been good, she reached for the bottle of water. "I hate to do this," Laura said licking her lips. "Your cum tastes yummy, but..." With that said, she took a mouthful of water and immediately bent down and managed to get his nearly deflated cock entirely into her mouth where it was gently rinsed with the cool water. Todd jerked once more and then just collapsed panting. She moved up beside him and lay in the crook of his arm that he lovingly draped over her. He tried to speak, but all that came out was, "Oh God... that was fantastic." Laura just smiled at him and kissed him on the nose. It took Todd nearly twenty minutes to recover, during which time they made small nonsense talk that lovers often do. Finally recuperated, Todd began kissing Laura all over, taking time to nibble her underarms and kissing his way down to suck on each of her fingers, then moved down to her legs where he licked the soles of her feet and spent a long time sucking on each of her toes before he moved slowly up her legs with tender kisses switching between legs every few inches. He stopped at her thighs and returned to her breasts, pleased to see her nipples standing at full attention. He gently nibbled and bit at them and then kissed them some more before moving his way down her belly. Her face was flushed, as was her chest with anticipation. Todd moved to the very end of the bed and pulled her closer to him. He was kneeling on the floor with his chest on the mattress and he pushed her legs apart. This time there wasn't the urgency that had transpired downstairs in the studio and he took his time examining her cunt close up and very personal, then with tender fingers he parted the hair and her outer lips blowing puffs of air on her swollen clit. Laura was moaning again. Gently and very softly he latched his lips on to her clit and sucked for a moment bringing her little button out further from its hood, spearing at her clit with a stiff tongue, he managed to elicit more moans of pleasure, but Todd was in no rush this time and stopped periodically to nibble on her labia and thighs. Her juices were starting to seep out now so Todd took time to lick up the delicious nectar as it became available causing even more to flow. Laura was panting now and reached down to guide his head, but Todd had other plans. Standing up, he rolled Laura over on her stomach and lifted her farther up the bed. Using his arm for leverage he lifted her to a kneeling position and resumed his place behind her. Using a finger to keep her pussy occupied he took his tongue and speared it into her butt hole. This elicited a dramatic response from Laura who drove her beautiful ass back against his intruding tongue moaning into the pillow that she was now gripping for dear life with both arms. Todd started to piston his finger in and out of her cunt feeling her vaginal muscles contracting and trying to clamp on to his probing finger. Her juice was dripping out of her now as he found her G spot. Lubricating his middle finger from his free hand in her juices, he quickly turned on his back and was now face up looking at her swollen cunt lips. Inserting a finger into her anus and keeping the other driving at her G spot he managed to pull her down so he could lock his lips around her clit. Lightly holding her love button between his teeth he applied suction around it with his lips while spearing and stabbing at it with his tongue. With his finger bent to coax the swollen G spot and the other slowly moving in and out of her ass Laura could take no more and ground her cunt on his head and came in a thundering climax spraying his face with her own ejaculate screaming out in pleasure and joy. He held on, bringing her to another even stronger climax until she abruptly pulled away from him rolling into a fetal position crying in sheer ecstasy. Laura was afraid to move. She was so sensitive now. "God," she thought. "This is what it should be like all the time!" Her climax and obvious enjoyment had returned Todd to a state of full arousal and his stiff cock was standing up pointing at the ceiling. Sensitive as she was, Laura straddled him once more lowering her sopping cunt on his massive cock. The pleasure and the sensitive sensation was almost too much for her to bear, but she managed to contract and relax her cunt muscles until she milked him to another orgasm, then collapsed on top of him where they laid, joined together for a long time. As his cock deflated, Todd finally popped out of Laura and they cuddled for a while longer, kissing and holding each other. With a deep sigh of regret Laura said she had to shower again because she reeked of sex, and though she hated to lose his scent, it might be better if she went home not smelling like she had spent the day fucking her brains out. Todd just smiled and said he understood. Stating that temptation might defeat her purpose if they showered together, Todd provided her with a clean fluffy towel and while she showered took care of some business. He brought her clothes upstairs from the wardrobe room, and a somber Laura regretfully dressed. Todd was wearing his scrub pants again. Todd walked her to the door and gave her a last kiss goodnight, carrying her bag clothes, and then pushed a wrapped package into her hands. "You might want to keep these out of sight from your family," he said, "In case they get the wrong idea." She looked at him quizzically. "They're the clothes you modeled in today. They're yours now. I could never picture them on anyone else," he said in the way of an explanation. Her eyes misted in gratitude and she seemed prepared to say something but Todd pressed his finger against her lips. "No, say nothing. They're just pieces of cloth. You made them come alive." Laura just kissed him and turned to go out the door when a sudden thought hit her. She turned to him, "I don't want to rush or seem pushy, but when do you think I'll be able to see the finished pictures?" she asked shyly. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Todd smiled at her and said, "How would you like to come back tomorrow and we'll print them together?" With a squeal of delight she gave him another kiss and asked, "Same time?" Todd smiled at her and said, "I'll be looking for you." ------- Chapter 2 Kelly arrived at her modest rancher around nine o'clock Friday morning. She had been gone for five days, two of which had been the most sexually exciting days of her life. It was funny, she thought, but the more good sex she had, the more she wanted. She was hoping her evening with Mark would fill her needs. Mark worked with the Charlotte Tourism & Convention Bureau, helping film and TV people find shooting locations in the city. She had met him about a year ago when she and Todd had been hired by the city to do a brochure for the bureau. At 6'1", Mark was an imposing figure. Granted, he was slightly overweight and six years her senior, but they had shared some good times, and for the most part Mark was a considerate lover. At least according to the standards she had been used to before last week. Kelly dug through her purse for a cigarette. She seriously considered calling Mark and canceling tonight, but she hadn't seen him in two weeks, and another night without a full eight hours sleep wouldn't hurt her. And maybe, hopefully, the sex would be good tonight. It was unbelievable how dramatically her needs had changed in the last week. In two days she had become fully aware of her own sexuality, her total erotic realm. It was a startling revelation for Kelly. She now recognized her needs and desires, and she was wondering if Mark could learn to satisfy those needs. Shit, there was no escaping it. Mediocre sex was no longer going to cut it with Kelly. Hell, not even 'good enough' sex would be good enough anymore. Her mind was filled with memories of every half-assed orgasm she had ever had and how they compared to the truly perfect ones she had experienced those two days. Kelly took a deep drag on her cigarette. Damn Todd and his 'aversion' to runway models. After four years of constantly working side-by-side, he should have known that she sure could have used some friendly affection last night. Maybe it was the grass that made her horny, but even now, stone cold sober, she still felt aroused. "Ah fuck it," she said as she ground out her cigarette. She hadn't slept well on the road and crashing on the studio couch for a few hours hadn't helped. She wanted a proper bath and she needed her breakfast. But still... the horniness was not to be denied and she headed for the bedroom shucking her clothes along the way. Her own bed felt comfortable and she pulled her Hitachi Magic Wand out from underneath the box spring. Always plugged in and ready to go, this marvelous little toy had always made for a very satisfying substitute. Spreading her legs wide, bending and raising her knees, just the buzz of the vibrator kicking into life turned on her juices. The hum of the strong electric motor made her wet with desire, and the first touch on her clit made her gasp. Her hand grabbed a breast and surprisingly, an image of Brenda popped into her mind. Grasping at her tits with her free hand she let her eyes close and felt herself drifting off to a familiar peak. Kelly didn't normally fantasize when masturbating, but her mind was filled with visions of Brenda. And the buzz from the vibrator seemed to become more powerful as she gave herself over to this fantasy. Brenda. What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Flaming red hair and freckles and skin the color of milk. She had shared of herself with Kelly, triggering tremendous orgasms just by her touch. It wasn't a gay thing. It was a love thing. Kelly's hand drifted down from her nipples to her now drenched pussy, her head pressed back into the pillows, she could almost feel Brenda's touch on her face and on her skin. She used her free hand to spread her lower lips while her other hand switched the vibrator on high and slid it back and forth over her enlarged, blood engorged clit increasing in speed and pressure until a shuddering orgasm overtook her. Her juices sprayed out of her like a crashing tidal wave, covering her short-cropped pubic hair and soaking the sheets beneath her. Basking in the afterglow of a fantastic climax she turned the vibrator off and carefully cleaned the unit. Sliding up to a sitting position, she scrounged around the nightstand for a new pack of cigarettes. Finding her "duty-free" wrapped pack of Cameo's, a personal favorite she had become hooked on during a shoot in Montreal, she lit one and inhaled deeply on the acrid smoke. "Damn it anyway," she said out loud to an empty room. "I'll quit again next week." Grabbing the remote for her CD player she flipped through her five favorite CD's, finally settling on Alanis Morissette belting out "All I Really Want." "Do I stress you out... And all I really want is some patience A way to calm the angry voice And all I really want is deliverance... You must wonder why I'm relentless and all strung out I'm consumed by the chill of solitary... I'm frustrated by your apathy... What I wouldn't give to find a soul-mate Someone else to catch this drift And what I wouldn't give to meet a kindred." The song had always been a favorite of Kelly's but now she believed the Canadian singer/songwriter had written this one specifically with Kelly in mind. By the time she was half way through her cigarette, she stubbed it out, picked up the pack and still naked, slowly danced her way to the living room. Feeling the beat of the music and moving slowly, emphasizing and exaggerating every move, brought back memories of her modeling days. She had been good. At 5' 6" she had been just a bit too short to crack the ranks of the top catwalk models but had been close enough to get a taste of the life. Good locations and good money. The six-inch heels had helped, but she knew she would never be a household name. She had more than a few covers in her portfolio, but had accepted the fact she would never be a 'Cosmo' girl. God, it seemed like a lifetime ago. But it had been her decision to quit the race at 21. Stealing Todd, one of the best magazine photographers in the world, she had gone into business with him forming a photo/talent agency that specialized in "real people." Great looking models, but still someone normal people could relate to. In the four years they had been working together they had built up an excellent list of models and clients. Their list of clients included many big name retail companies who needed good-looking people to make their products look good. Having Todd do the specialty shoots not only insured the quality, but kept their reputation very much in the forefront of ad agencies. Todd and Kelly had settled comfortably in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a good location for their business and a climate they both enjoyed. It gave them a freedom for travel they would never have had if they had remained in New York. Kelly smiled to herself. Todd had bought an old auto detailing shop in the Lakeview business area. Crosspoint Center Line. They had both laughed at the irony of the street name. In many ways it represented where they had arrived in their lives. He had taken the main floor, which already had two large auto bays, and converted it into their studio. Not only could they do most model shoots in the large airy studio, but it could also handle vehicles and elaborate sets as well. The upstairs offices he had torn out and converted into a private apartment for himself. How he could live in an industrial park was beyond Kelly, but there were advantages. Todd was able to park his 'Hummer' inside and store their travel trailer behind the building. And as Todd had so often said, nights and weekends were especially quiet and he had no neighbors living for blocks around. Like most artists, Todd valued his privacy and was a bit of a recluse. The Lakeview district wasn't the elite neighborhood of Charlotte, but Kelly had found a real deal on her rancher within walking distance of the studio. It was a steal at $85K for a three bedroom with lots of yard space. It also made practical sense for them to settle in this area as it gave them easy access to Interstate 85. Add the proximity of I-77 as a bonus, and getting the trailer out to the open road was a breeze, plus they were close enough to the airport for quick trips to New York or other places. They did have an office in New York, staffed by good people from Kelly and Todd's past. Most of the day-to-day work went on in the New York office, and their company was a regular supplier of models for department store catalogs. Large or small, young or old, Kelly had an excellent eye for photogenic people. Kelly also had a knack for gauging people, and though they only represented around 200 people so far, they were loyal people who enjoyed a good steady income and the working conditions Kelly demanded for all her models. The major catalog work paid the rent. The agency supplied the models, and the catalogs had their own photographers. The modeling part of the business provided them with a healthy stable income and Kelly and Todd were both happy. For Todd it was because he was left free of the daily grind of shooting clothes horses allowing him to concentrate on individual shoots. For Kelly it was living her dream of being free and independent while still in the business. For real excitement though, the thrill was in things like the advertising brochures for big-ticket items, like the week's shoot at Regan's Boats. Todd had been ecstatic. Action shots and posed shots all mixed in for one brochure. Since the company wanted to use a lot of it's own workers as background models, Kelly had gone along on the pretext of teaching amateurs how to pose and dress while appearing to be casual, though in all honesty, she had looked forward to seeing the "James Gang" again, as she affectionately liked to call them. ------- At first the "James Gang" seemed like a joke. A bunch of school kids playing adult games. When she had first met James, Amanda, JulieAnn and Celeste at the marina just three weeks ago, they had struck her as smart and vivacious. The three girls were real knockouts, and apparently hooked on this one guy. She was knocked for a loop however when the youngest one, Amanda, made it very clear Kelly was not to get any ideas about 'their property.' It was the self assured way this girl, who was maybe old enough to be in Junior High, had said it. No threats but simply a declaration of fact. And she had made it stick too! But, they had posed like they had been born into the business, and were easy to guide and direct. Todd had signed the girls on the spot. Kelly shook her head. It was that and other little things during the day that began to convince her these kids were on to something big... something she was not privy to. It was love, a sharing and something else that Kelly just couldn't put her finger on. She found their joy infectious and had spent the day laughing with them and their good-natured pokes at James. At first glance, James was just another good-looking jock, an inch shy of six feet but comfortable with his size. But when he smiled at her, she was sure he could see right through the air of competence she had carefully woven around herself. She found herself wanting to pour out her heart to him, to tell him she too could give and share, if only she had the chance. With an effort she killed the thought. After all he was not hers, and never would be she realized with a sadness that was almost profound. It was made even worse the next day when the other three girls arrived and Kelly discovered another one was on her way! She had quickly become friendly with the girls once Amanda had explained to them that the ground rules had already been established regarding James and that Kelly posed no threat. The girls were easy to get along with. Funny and sassy, they had a carefree attitude about life. Brenda and Sara, two of the new arrivals were as stunning as the other three. Nicole, a bit older, was definitely high-class model material but seemed to have no interest in modeling what so ever, but Brenda and Sara had signed on as well. Then, this last week at Regan's, Kelly had met Sherri. Wow! Sherri was one of those creatures born with the look and the attitude to make it on the runway. She was an innocent beauty, but sensual as sin. Kelly had of course signed her on the spot, waiting now only for the parental consent. She had vowed never to take on a runway model. Knowing all too well from first hand experience how quickly these girls became addicted to themselves and amphetamines. That never ending battle to stay slim pushed by an ego that was built on nothing more than their looks made runway models a real pain. The only reason she had considered Sherri at all, for anything other than regular model work was the support group she had in the "James Gang." Kelly had been there once, the so-called 'glamour' world, and had nearly been caught in the trap. It was seeing her friends slowly entering a darker world away from the footlights that was one of the main reasons she got out when she did. The travel and the money had all been good and the parties were lots of fun as long as you kept it within limits. But the ever-increasing use of drugs by her friends bothered Kelly. It seemed, as they got older - as if twenty was old - the fight to keep the extra pounds off was a war that could be battled with pills, if you didn't mind losing yourself in the process. It had not been worth it for Kelly. If, and that was still a big if, Sherri should enter into the world of the highly paid models, Kelly was going to stay by her side and keep that part of the 'glamour' world away from her. Besides... James and the other girls would never forgive her if something happened to Sherri. ------- Kelly hit replay on the CD player. The Morissette CD "Jagged Little Pill" seemed to echo her feelings. This CD, once a mantle of her independence and accomplishments, now seemed to reflect her solitude in an oppressive light. No longer a badge of honor, her newly acquired sense of loneliness only served to remind her of the emptiness in her life. The parties, the boyfriends had been merely smoke-and-mirrors, distractions in her path. Grabbing a pillow, she waltzed in the room, her mind drifting back to the two days at the Regan shoot. A crossroad in the path of her life had revealed itself that would lead her to something new, something more personally satisfying. A successful career was not enough any more. Kelly had discovered a part of her had been missing. She wondered if she would ever find it. It had been twilight on the third day of the Regan shoot. Joking with Brenda and Sara, she had wrangled a chance to try out one of "his" kisses. "Hah!" She had thought. She'd been kissing since she was 13; there was nothing she didn't know about that. She'd show them! She was certain she could and gave him one of her best, but he had stopped her, halfway, with her mouth gaping and her tongue hanging out. "No," he said, quietly, tenderly, "Let me kiss you." And he did. Kelly shivered just remembering the moment, and her nipples, dark as chocolate and the size of large pencil erasers, puckered with the memory. It was not just a kiss; it transcended that. Kelly was no virgin and no stranger to sex, but what his kiss did to her! It shouldn't even be called a kiss. He had licked her lips and nipped at her tongue, nibbled at the soft nape of her neck, kissed her eyes and softly bitten her ears. He had stroked the inside of her teeth with his own tongue and lightly, lovingly bitten on and sucked on her lips. He engulfed and entrapped her senses and emotions. She was powerless, already too far lost in his tender caress. Kelly moaned and clutched her pillow harder. It had been like nothing she had felt, it was warm, it was love and she wallowed in it. It lasted forever and it was over much too soon. She had found herself wrapped round his leg, grinding away as the lust boiled and exploded in her. She had never climaxed like that, not fully clothed and certainly not with such intensity, her whole body had been one orgasmic mass. Kelly's eyes closed as she fell into an armchair, the memory bringing a tremulous smile to her face. She had been shocked, not just at her feelings, but that she never once felt dirty or lewd, humping like a bitch in heat on the boy, out in the open, as three of his girlfriends had looked on. Instead she was made to feel good, and natural, as Sherri and Sara smiled softly at her, their eyes saying they understood the joy she had just experienced. Then Brenda had asked if she trusted her. All Kelly could do was nod yes, knowing at the time she would give anything to experience the rapture again. And then Brenda had shown her. Kelly now realized that was when the big change had occurred. ------- Peeling the sheets off the bed and picking up her discarded clothes, Kelly dumped them in the laundry room. Gloria would take care of the laundry Monday. It wasn't that Kelly was lazy; to the contrary, she tended to work herself too hard. Gloria was there to give her house a lived in look as much as the little cleaning Kelly required. Luckily Gloria liked working in the garden as well and in the past few years had turned Kelly's plain grass lawns into a beautiful landscaped front and an all natural herb garden in the back. Kelly had met Gloria in Jamaica. Gloria had been working at the guesthouse in Mobay, (the local name for Montego Bay), where Kelly and some of the other models stayed for two weeks while doing a swimsuit "special edition" for a sports magazine. It was also where she had first met Todd. Gloria was a large black woman, who spoke not only with her hands and eyes, but when excited dropped to the native patois. Though cultural differences should have set them apart, Kelly and Gloria became close friends and had stayed in touch since the shoot. Gloria had one habit that never failed to crack Kelly up. She would watch and talk back to the television soaps to which she was thoroughly addicted. It had been a pleasant surprise when not long after Todd and Kelly had moved to Charlotte, Kelly got a phone call from her friend. Gloria was in the states and looking for work. Kelly didn't have much to offer at the time, but Gloria gladly took the job of housekeeping and house sitting. Kelly always paid her in cash out of her own pocket and never asked Gloria about how she wound up in Charlotte. Now she could well afford to give "G" a real job with the company but "G" insisted she liked taking care of Kelly. "Cha, me no go no where. Me place here by your side, somebody got to watch out for you." Over the past few years, more of her family started to arrive and where they could, Kelly and Todd helped them find work or get enrolled in schools. One of Gloria's older daughters, Vanetta, manned the phones on a part time basis at the Charlotte studio. Todd had helped her get enrolled in an MBA program at the University of North Carolina, and this gave her a chance to earn some money on the side. For one of Gloria's sons, they had fronted the money for the young man to start his own landscaping business. ------- Kelly put fresh linen on her bed and headed for her bath. Feeling a bit more settled, Kelly grabbed one of her 'sometime' favorite CD's out of the rack beside the high tech Pioneer stereo unit and slipped the disc in. She was in the mood for something from the former bad boy who knew all about broken hearts and wasted lives. As she headed into the bathroom, Larry Gatlin started to cry out "Broken Lady" from the big surround sound speakers, and Kelly cried right along with him, though just slightly off key. Sometimes, she thought, only Larry could understand what real life, Kelly's life, was all about. Out of habit, after emptying her bladder, Kelly got on the scale and made a mental note. 112 pounds and holding steady, barely two pounds over her weight of four years ago when it really mattered. It was funny she thought. She could eat what she wanted and didn't need to watch her weight anymore, but old habits are the hardest to break and Kelly just preferred to be careful with her weight and what foods she put into her body. She started the water, adding some herbal bath crystals and organic sea foam and sauntered out to the kitchen for something to eat while the tub filled. Grabbing a couple of stalks of celery, an orange and a bottle of mineral water from the fridge, and a banana from the counter, she next stopped at the kitchen island for the rest of her real morning meal. Two large multi vitamins, three cayenne pepper capsules, two celery seed capsules, a garlic capsule, ginseng, a handful of vitamin C's, a couple of lecithin capsules and most important of all, her birth control pill. By the time she made it back to the bathroom, the tub was nearly full and she had swallowed most of the pills. The banana helped the pills go down better than the water. Testing the temperature with her foot she climbed into the tub. Setting the jets on the Jacuzzi to a muscle-relaxing pace she slowly munched on the celery. Kelly believed in preventative maintenance. Taking a long leisurely soak was one of the few real pleasures in her life and as she continued to listen to Larry Gatlin croon out hit after hit, she slowly peeled the orange and savored it piece by piece. Kelly played little games in her mind as the jets washed the tension out of her body. A fit body was nothing without a fit mind, and Kelly enjoyed solving complex math problems in her head while the jets did their job on her muscles. Then it was time for the serious business of bathing and shaving. While Kelly preferred to keep most of her body waxed, there were always a few strays that needed attention, especially around the bikini line. Satisfied with the effort she took a sea sponge and proceeded to scrub every inch of her body until her skin was a bright pink. With thoughts of Brenda on her mind, she draped one leg on the edge of the tub giving one of the jets a direct path to her vagina. Turning the pressure setting up just a couple of notches was a sure fire way to guarantee quick satisfaction. Shuddering in the aftermath of a wicked orgasm, made more delicious by the thought of her red headed friend, she struggled to her feet, drained the tub and turned the shower on so she could wash her shoulder length brown hair. A few minutes later and a quick wipe down of the tub and Kelly was wrapped in a big fluffy towel. Kelly padded back into her bedroom where she had a custom built vanity with an over size mirror and all her personal make-up. She dropped the towel and did a turn in front of the mirror closely examining her reflection with a critical eye. Not bad for 25 she thought. A nice tight 35" ass that nicely filled out a pair of shorts or jeans, slimming to a 24" waist and swelling back up to a respectable 31" A cup. Thank God she didn't need a bra she thought. She hated the confinement and preferred the free and easy feeling of her breasts moving with the rhythm of her body. Pulling slightly on her nipples confirmed they were as sensitive as always and would stand out nicely against a white blouse or a t-shirt. The darkness of her nipples gave ample proof to anyone looking, and many people did, of Kelly's disdain for confining her mammary treasures. Drying her hair took little time as she was blessed with fine hair, and just a touch with a curling iron gave it enough body to accentuate her face. A little bit of make-up, just enough to add depth to her brown eyes and add a bit of color to her cheeks and she was ready to get dressed, though preferred not to until absolutely necessary. It was nearly noon so she decided to give Todd a wake up call to make sure he was ready for his afternoon sitting. Kelly chuckled as she hung up the phone. Ever since she had turned Todd on to the natural vitamin supplements, he was forever thanking her. She knew the Cayenne capsules increased the blood flow and could imagine how it affected Todd. Her own labia lips swelled when she was aroused and this had started after she herself had started adding Cayenne to her regular regimen of vitamins. All the mail from the past few days was neatly piled on her desk in her office. The regular utility bills had been paid by Gloria whom she trusted implicitly, and Kelly knew stubs matching payments were filed. There were a few post cards from around the world from old friends still in the business, some advertising flyers that she promptly filed in the waste can after a very quick glance, and a new stack of the magazines she subscribed to so she could keep track of current trends. It was nearing one and she still had four hours to go before Mark would be stopping to pick her up. While Kelly had installed a satellite dish with a subscription to nearly every channel available, she rarely watched the tube herself. She had done it more for Gloria then herself, though with a small smile she had to admit she did enjoy a few shows such as "Queer as Folk" and "Six Feet Under," and on the odd night she would watch a blue movie. Knowing she had time to kill she booted up her P-4 with the 20" monitor and checked her e-mail. There wasn't much since this was her personal account. Business correspondence was routed through the studio. Kelly smiled with delight to find a note from Brenda who it appeared was still at Regan's. Though it was carefully worded, Kelly could read between the lines and sent a short reply back. Dear Brenda, I also found 'working' with you a real pleasure. I sincerely hope we get more opportunities in the near future to 'work' together again. You are a beautiful 'model' and I am pleased we can be friends as well. I hope you are not working too hard and enjoying every minute of your time. Fondly, Kelly There were a few other short notes from others and as usual a pile of 'Spam.' She quickly answered the other real letters and deciding against surfing, shut the computer down. She read the postcards but none were of any real importance. Mostly they were updates on who was where and doing what. Nothing that required a response though she did note one of her model friends was getting married again. This she put aside so she could send a gift, the rest she filed away. Picking up her magazines Kelly strolled back into the living room and flopped into her favorite piece of furniture, a large, overstuffed leather swivel recliner that nearly swallowed her up. It was one of her simple pleasures to curl into that chair and relax. The feel of the leather against her nude skin was cool and comforting. She had planned to read until four. When she finally heaved herself out of her comfortable chair she realized she had drifted off to sleep. There was just enough time to touch up the makeup, freshen herself up and get dressed. Mark would be here in less than 20 minutes. Kelly had decided on something semi dressy. Mark had said it was going to be a special evening but had refused to elaborate. He could be a bit controlling that way. Before putting any clothes on, Kelly applied a light touch of "White Witch," a Jamaican perfume she had fallen in love with. Friends would bring back bottles for her whenever they went to Jamaica, and of course Gloria could always make sure a fresh supply was available within a day. Gloria seemed to have some good connections. Knowing the evening would end in sex Kelly applied a few extra drops on her breasts and her pubic hair. Slipping on a cream-colored knee length dress with a deep cut "V" both in front and back and ruffled shoulders; Kelly inspected herself in front of the mirror. The dress had a long slit up the side and though she hated to wear them, she slipped on a pair of French cut thong panties of the same color. Mark was going to freak when he realized her nipples would be discernable to anyone looking closely, but the dress was sheer enough that without the panties, her pubic hair would be visible as well! Thank God she no longer had to wear those heels from her runway days and she slipped on a pair of beige sandals. No pantyhose, just her natural tan. A matching clutch bag from her wardrobe finished her outfit. She deposited her essentials such as her keys, cigarettes, her cell phone and a wallet into the bag and was just closing the clasp when the doorbell rang. Mark was so predictable this way. Kelly figured 5 o'clock meant 5, but Mark was always early. ------- Mark checked his reflection one last time in the tinted glass of Kelly's storm door before ringing the bell. He was dressed in a full three-piece suit despite the warm weather. Mark always wore a suit, a necessity for a civil servant with aspirations of moving up the political ladder. At 31, he figured he had better make a start in the next round of municipal elections. Kelly would make the perfect partner for a potential candidate. Great looking former cover girl model, now successful businesswoman she was the perfect match for him. He clutched the roses behind his back with a tighter grip. They had been dating casually for a year now, and Mark had decided they should become more serious. He disliked these trips she went on with her partner, but had used the time to set up this special evening. Before he could give the bell another push Kelly opened the inside door. "Hello Darlin'," he said in his southern drawl. God, she sure looked stunning. "Hi Mark," she replied, letting him in. She had never gotten into those endearing terms with him. Mark kissed her on the cheek as he handed her the roses. "Mark, you shouldn't have," she said. She had tried to explain to him once about the superstition models have with cut flowers, but he laughed it off and said she deserved beautiful flowers. "Come on in, while I put these in water," she said. "Do you want something to drink before we go?" Mark looked around carefully as he stepped into the house. "Gloria's not around is she?" he asked. Kelly stopped on her way to the kitchen, turned around and said "No, why?" "I stopped by while you were gone to drop off something as a surprise and she was watching some soap on TV. I could hear it all the way out here, which is as far as I got because she said that if you weren't home I couldn't come in. I think maybe you should have a talk with her and remind her she is only the cleaning lady and she shouldn't be watching TV on your time." Kelly resumed her trek to the kitchen and smiled to herself. "Good for you G," she silently cheered. She trimmed the ends of the stems under water and placed them into a vase. When she finished she added a spoonful of natural sugar crystals to the water and left the vase on the counter. "You know Gloria is not my cleaning lady Mark. She keeps my house for me. There is a big difference," Kelly said. And though it was not quite true she added, "and Gloria has orders from me that no one comes in if I'm not home." Changing the subject before he had a chance to question or harp on it more, she again offered a drink. Mark glanced at his watch and said that if she was ready they really should be leaving. "Well, I'm all set," Kelly said, grabbing her clutch. "Ah, honey, don't you think you should wear a bra?" Mark asked. "I can nearly see your nipples." "Mark" she sighed, "you've been staring at them which is why you think you can see them, but with all this material gathered in the front, no one else will see anything unless they are really being impolite. You know I don't wear them." Mark was not content to let it rest however. "How about for health reasons then?" he asked. "You don't want them to start drooping because you don't support them do you?" Kelly was starting to lose her patience with him. "Mark, the day my tits sag to my belly button I will start to wear a bra. Satisfied?" "Do you have to be so coarse with your language sweetheart?" he asked trying to calm the brewing storm. But Kelly was not so easily calmed and rebuked his patronizing tone. "Assuming that in few days I was gone you actually earned a medical degree, I would have thought you had learned the chances of an A cup sagging are nearly non-existent." Mark tried to stammer out an answer, but she opened the door and waited for him to exit so she could lock it behind her. Knowing that arguing with her was useless he went to the car and opened the door for her. She was a great woman, he thought, but she needed to be tamed a bit. Kelly slid into the leather seat of his Cadillac as he gently closed the door. ------- The first ten minutes of the ride into downtown Charlotte were uncomfortably quiet. Maybe I'm just stressed from lack of sleep Kelly thought. Trying to put some cheerfulness into her voice she asked, "So, what's the big surprise tonight?" Thankful that she seemed to have gotten over her mood, Mark took one hand off the wheel and threw it back behind Kelly's seat. Feeling in control again he told her it was a multi part surprise, but hoped she was hungry. Playing it up, Kelly pretended to pout. "I rushed to wrap things up early and drove half the night just so I could be home for you for a special Friday night date and I don't even know where we are going," she said. Mark laughed and said, "Okay, I managed to scoop two courtesy tickets out of a package for the Convention bureau for the premiere of 'The Pirates of Penzance' at the Belk Theatre. Box Seats," he said with a smile of self-satisfaction. Kelly managed to avoid rolling her eyes. "You're taking me to see a movie?" she asked incredulously. Mark laughed again and said, "You really haven't been in Charlotte long have you honey? The Belk Theatre is the performing arts theatre in the Blumenthal Center. This is a live production. Real opera, everybody important will be there tonight." Kelly bit her lip to refrain from telling him it was not really an opera and the question about the movie was rhetorical since it would be a few years late for it to premiere. Instead she smiled sweetly trying to see his good intentions. She wished though that he hadn't told her that he hadn't paid for the tickets. It made her feel like a charity case or even worse, a thief. Fifteen minutes later and Mark had parked the car in a secure lot just off of Church Street. He announced with pride he had reservations for them at Sonomo's. It was a short walk to the restaurant and before the maitre d' finished asking "smoking or non," Kelly announced "smoking" and that she preferred the patio. "Honey... Kelly," she heard from behind her as she followed the maitre d' to the patio, "I thought you were going to quit that dirty habit." The look she shot him was enough to end that discussion before it began. The maitre d' seated her and asked if they cared for a drink while waiting for their waitress. Mark suggested champagne, but Kelly said it would give her a headache and instead opted for a glass of the house white wine. As the man left to get her wine and a martini for Mark, Kelly lit up. "Damn," she thought. "This is not starting out good tonight. It seems fitting I have to watch the 'Pirates of Penance' on top of everything else." Mark was very quiet, realizing he had been overly critical of nearly everything in her life tonight. This was not going according to plan. ------- Mark had a second martini while Kelly slowly sipped her wine. The waitress had come and taken their order and Mark had a dozen raw oysters in front of him insisting that Kelly didn't know what she was missing. Kelly for her part was on the verge of telling him he was eating mucus, when her own order arrived. A six-ounce porterhouse steak medium rare with rice pilaf and a Caesar salad was just right for her. For his main course, Mark had chosen a large T-bone with baked potato and green beans. Kelly watched in amazement as Mark heaped the potato with butter and a large helping of sour cream with chives. Added to the oysters he had earlier, Kelly felt nauseas. This meal was costing Mark a fortune, all in vain, in his attempt to impress her. Out of the blue her mind snapped back to Thursday morning. She had been served breakfast in bed by James, Sara, Brenda and Sherri. That had impressed her! Was it just her imagination or had Mark changed? She used to enjoy going out with him on a casual basis usually ending up in her bed. He really didn't share any of her interests like biking, roller-blading or her all time favorite of building kites and flying them down by Wateree Lake. Kelly lit another cigarette, half wishing it was a joint, as she watched Mark polish off everything on his plate and cringed when he ordered a slab of New York style cheesecake. She was beginning to see that he didn't care for her as a person as much as he liked having her on his arm for others to see. Why hadn't she realized this before? For Mark it was all an investment. He was not overly generous though he tipped big and opted for expensive public places. Kelly realized he was investing in his future, but also, sadly she knew that she could never be a willing partner to that future. Dinner over, they walked to the theatre and after a lot of handshaking and mutual back patting with the collected dignitaries, they were seated, the lights dimmed and the show began. Kelly was tempted to sleep through it, and was grateful when the intermission came. Mark ordered champagne and strawberries but Kelly only ate a few berries, while trying to drown out his suggestions about moving to a "better" neighborhood than her house on Jane Ave. She was really starting to resent his invasion of her personal life, trying to take it over like he knew what was best for her. She had been on her own since she had started modeling at 12, managing both a career and graduating school. She had traveled most of the world and had experienced life first hand in places that Mark had only seen on TV. Kelly tried to talk with Mark about this after the show was over but he was all full of his plans and trying to convince Kelly she played a major role in them. They took a carriage ride to the Dixie Tavern where Mark knocked back another plate of oysters. Kelly just had a diet 7-UP wishing the evening would end. ------- The ride home was uneventful. Mark, having had just a bit too much to drink was talking non-stop about his plans for the future and how much he wanted Kelly to be part of that future. Out of habit, Mark parked his Caddy in the driveway and after opening the car door for Kelly, locked the car and headed towards the house with her. Dark thoughts were rolling in Kelly's mind. It was pretty presumptive of him to invite himself in she thought, and if not for her sexual desire, a carry over from the last four days, she would have told him to go home. But maybe there was a chance he could bring her the satisfaction she needed. Mark accepted the offer of a beer from Kelly and said, "I'll be with you in a minute honey. I just want to see how our Panthers are doing." And with that he headed to the living room where he turned on her 36" screen. Kelly brought the beer to him and noticed he had taken his shoes off and dropped them on the floor. He told her there were just a few minutes left in the game and if she didn't mind he wanted to catch the end of it. Kelly told him to relax, that she wanted to change anyway and left him sprawled on her sofa, shoes on the floor but still wearing his suit. In her bedroom, Kelly slipped out of the dress she had worn and put it aside for dry cleaning, her thong underwear she stepped out of, and slipping on a silk robe took them to the laundry room. She returned to the bedroom and lit up another of her Canadian cigarettes while sitting in front of her vanity. She looked into the mirror as she exhaled a large cloud of smoke. She could hear Mark fidgeting and commenting on his football game as she drank from her bottle of mineral water and spoke to the reflection in the mirror. "Even if he satisfies you in bed," Kelly told herself. "It won't change him as a person." The 'James Gang' had fun outside of bed, doing things together and sharing in all kinds of stimulating things she realized. "This is not working Kelly. It's time for you to make a change." Her reflection just stared back at her without judgment. ------- The few minutes of football managed to drag into a half hour, but finally Kelly heard the TV go off. She put out the latest cigarette she had lit and tried to put a smile on her face. Mark swaggered into the bedroom. He had gone as far as to unbutton his vest, but still had his suit jacket on over top. "There's my sweetheart," he said, moving over to her. He picked her up effortlessly and spun her around. "That's a great team we've got," he said, "If they keep on playing like tonight, maybe we'll be at the Super Bowl." "Mark," she started to say. But he hushed her with a sloppy kiss and apologized for being a self-centered jerk. "But, my dear, I am going to make it up to you right now!" Mark laid her on the bed and started to remove his suit. Carefully. He hung his jacket over the back of her chair and folded his vest over top of it. He undid his tie and laid it over the vest and then took off his pants folding them neatly. Kelly thought how silly a man looked wearing boxers, a dress shirt and socks. Finally the socks were off as well as his shirt. He left his boxers on till he made it to the bed where he slipped them down and presented his cock to her face like a reward. Kelly did not feel flattered, as it was still soft and limp. "Don't I even inspire you to a hard on?" she thought. Mark started rubbing his cock over her face and hair, making suggestive motions towards her mouth, but Kelly wanted to be satisfied. She opened her gown and pointed to her mound. "Eat me Mark," she said. Though obviously less enthused by giving then receiving, Mark slid on the bed between Kelly's legs. He had done it to her enough times, but this was the first time she had told him what she wanted. Pushing her legs apart further he lowered his mouth to her pussy. Had he been a wiser man, Mark would have realized something was not quite right for she was as dry as those roast beef sandwiches they sold in the cafeteria vending machines. Nonetheless, he started stabbing at her clit with his tongue waiting for her reaction. He was surprised to feel her hands on his head guiding him. Mark was immediately annoyed that she felt the need to show him how to eat pussy, but her grip on his hair was secure and reluctantly he allowed her to move his head side to side and up and down. At least this was starting to get some response out of her he thought. Kelly was biting her lip trying to focus on her arousal, but it was slow in coming. She had to take matters into her own hands and finally started to guide him in what she thought would help, but it was slow going. Finally she told him to spread his tongue and apply saliva across her dry hole. It helped some, but it was still a long climb. Kelly tried to think of erotic thoughts hoping it would help but suddenly Mark stopped what he was doing and said his jaw was getting tired. His cock had at least inflated and though she wasn't thoroughly lubricated she guided the head of it towards her cunt. It was a rough entry and seemed only to please Mark who whispered in her ear how tight she was and how he loved being inside her. His breath on her face reminded her of all the oysters he had consumed and whether they were really an aphrodisiac or not, this was a one-sided pleasure trip and not what Kelly had bargained for. Moving carefully she rolled them over while he was still inside her and with cat like movements positioned herself so that she was kneeling over top of him as he attempted to continue to thrust into her. With her hands free, she started to massage her own clit while slowly sliding up and down on his cock. Mark tried to grab her ass to set the pace but she brushed them aside and continued at her pace. Sighing, Mark just laid back letting her bring him off. It took a bit even under her own power, but eventually Kelly had a small orgasm and then rode Mark hard until she could feel his cum start to spurt. She waited until he started to go soft and then just rolled off of him and got off the bed. There was no need for after-play. He had not bothered with any foreplay and Kelly had finally made up her mind. She went to her vanity where her mineral water still sat along with her cigarettes. As much as she knew he hated the smell of them, she lit one anyway. Mark got up and did what he normally did. He went to the bathroom to wash himself off like he had been inside something dirty. This only strengthened her resolve. When he returned from the bathroom she was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. "Well," Mark said, "I guess I better head home." "I think that would be a good idea as well Mark." Kelly replied. "Is everything okay sweetheart?" he asked. "You seem different." "I am different Mark," she said. "And it's time I changed to suit my own plans. I'm sorry but I won't be in yours anymore. Its time to call it quits before either of us wastes any more time on a relationship that is headed nowhere." "But honey, we just made love. How can you do that and then say it's over?" he asked. "No Mark, we didn't make love. You just fucked me. That's what you don't understand. There's a big difference." "Is there somebody else?" he asked. Kelly smiled and said, "No Mark, it's not 'a' somebody else. It's a whole bunch of people and they make love. I might not ever get to have them, but I'm going to try and find what the magic is." "But Kelly... how can you just make love to me and then tell me it's over?" "Call it a goodbye fuck Mark." Kelly said. "But what ever you want to call it, it is goodbye." Mark finished dressing and Kelly followed him to the living room so he could retrieve his shoes. "Can I call you next week to see if you feel better?" he asked hopefully. "Please Mark," she said, "Don't call. It wasn't a bad year. Try to hold on to the good thoughts and find yourself somebody that will be for you what I can never be. I'm not willing to change." Dejectedly he walked out to his car. Kelly locked the door and waited 15 minutes before tearing her jeans and t-shirt off. She had only put them on to make sure Mark knew the night was over. She went in and took a shower as if she could wash away the disappointment. The tears flowed from her like giant raindrops, mixing with the water from the showerhead, and cutting across her skin like thousands of tiny razor blades. ------- Mark had left before midnight. It was now three in the morning and Kelly was on her 2nd glass of wine listening to Whitney Houston singing: "Bittersweet... Memories, That is all... I'm taking with me... So goodbye, please don't cry We both know, I'm not what you need..." "Do you trust me Kelly?" That was what Brenda had asked. Kelly had. It was the reason she had broken it off with Mark and why she was left unsatisfied, sitting in near darkness listening to love songs. ------- Chapter 3 The sun was streaming through the windows and as morning moved towards noon, the light shifted across the room slowly revealing Kelly's nude body, lighting first her hair and then sliding like a silent intruder over her eyes. She brushed her hand across her face trying to shoo away the invader, but it was too late. The light had stirred something in her subconscious and it slowly turned on her other senses. Disoriented, Kelly, eyes still closed, tried to place where she was and why Aaron Neville was talking to her. "That's the way she loves, That's the way she loves, That's... the way... she loves." Ah, that's what it is she thought. Aaron was talking about Brenda. That explained why there was a bright light in the room and she was feeling warm all over. ------- Kelly woke up slowly, content to let the fantasy continue. She had reached the point between sleep and consciousness where she realized it was the stereo still playing from last night, and the warm light was the sun touching her skin. She had fallen asleep in her chair after last night's break up with Mark. With a deep sigh, she opened her eyes and looked at the clock. Jesus! It was nearly 12:00. With some effort she made the move to get out of the chair, picked up her wine glass from last night and tried to remember if she had more than three. The glass was half full, and she didn't have a headache, so she had only had enough to chase the blues away. Kelly grabbed an over sized t-shirt from the bedroom, slipped it on and switched off the stereo as she walked to the kitchen. Kelly dumped the wine down the sink, rinsed the glass and put it in the dishwasher. She opened an ice-cold bottle of mineral water and gulped half down before grabbing her morning supply of vitamins, natural herbs and supplements. This along with a couple pieces of raw vegetables would be her normal breakfast, but since today was Saturday, she decided to make something a bit more substantial. From her fridge she grabbed a couple of eggs and three strips of turkey bacon. Kelly liked to cook when time allowed for it, and her stove was a deluxe model with a built in natural gas grill which could, by placing the cover over it, be converted to a griddle. She fired up the burners and laid the healthy bacon in the center, then, as soon as they started to sizzle, flipped them, moved them to the side and cracked the eggs on the cholesterol free grease spot. With her spatula she broke the yolks and spread the eggs into a large circular pattern while the bacon continued to do a slow cook on the side. She grabbed the jar of "Taco Pete" salsa sauce from the fridge, and poured it generously on the eggs as they started to bubble. Returning the jar to the fridge, she started rolling the eggs into an instant Spanish omelet. After carefully lifting the omelet from the griddle and snatching the mock bacon, she quickly wiped down the griddle with a damp paper towel. In all it had taken her less than five minutes to create a healthy breakfast. She put the plate on the center island in the kitchen where a couple of bar stools also stood. Something was missing. Orange juice! While Kelly preferred to squeeze her own, it wasn't practical most of the time and she relied on jugs of "Tropicana" pure OJ with pulp. A large glass was called for to help counter the use of real eggs instead of the cholesterol free substitute. Kelly was a health nut, but an intelligent one, and some things she would not give up. As she dug into her breakfast she remembered she had smoked quite a bit last night and took a couple of straight vitamin A capsules to compensate. No bread with breakfast though. As much as she loved fresh bread, the carbs would be pushing it. Kelly finished her breakfast with the radio tuned to the news and was just sitting back finishing her juice when she heard the back door open. Kelly smiled. She had not seen Gloria in a week. "Cha' you home already?" Gloria asked. Her eyes spied the roses on the counter. "Did you come home for Mister Somebody?" she asked not bothering to hide her disdain. Kelly gave G a big smile and said, "Don't worry G. You won't be seeing Mark around anymore. I broke it off last night." "Good riddance to bad news girl," Gloria said turning the kettle on for coffee. "Let's not talk about him today okay G?" Kelly asked. "I'm not happy with the way things ended, but it is over for good." Kelly watched as G got a mug from the cupboard and grabbed the jar of Blue Mountain instant coffee Kelly stocked just for her friend. Kelly had an espresso machine, a coffee maker and a coffee bean grinder all for those who liked real coffee, but G preferred to drink the instant stuff with lots of cream and sugar. The two friends sat and talked for nearly an hour. Gloria had come by to pick some herbs from the garden out back, and to watch the latest Brad Pitt movie on one of Kelly's premium channels. Kelly laughed. She knew about Gloria's infatuation with "Brad." "It's a pity I won't be able to watch it with you G," Kelly said, "But I have to get some exercise. I'm going roller-blading at the studio." Kelly liked blading at the industrial park. The roads were pretty well deserted on the weekend and very well paved. She kept all of her gear stored at the studio for convenience. No use hauling it all around when Lakeview was the only place she used it. Besides, she usually had a quick shower there after her workout. "And I've got a few errands to run as well, so if I don't see you later, we'll catch up later this week," Kelly said. "You tell Mr. Todd me glad he be back," said Gloria. She had a soft spot for Todd and couldn't figure out why he and Kelly never got together. In her opinion they were made for each other but instead her friend seemed to get involved in one doomed relationship after another. Kelly cleared away her dishes. The dishwasher was not full enough to bother running it yet. She was sipping slowly on what was left of her mineral water and writing a list of essentials when the phone rang. "Tony," she said a happy lift in her voice when she heard who was calling. "What brings you to our neck of the woods?" Tony was an old friend with whom she'd had a fling a few years back. It could never be more than just a fling because Tony was a model and too much in love with himself to share with anyone else, yet he was a damn good lay! Tony explained he was on his way to a shoot in Florida and had chosen to drive down. "I don't like it Kelly," he said. "All the new security at the airports these days. Besides, I figured I could stop off and catch up with you before I head out. Are you free tonight?" Kelly smiled. Yes she was free, but she had to exercise first and do a bit of shopping for vitamins. "How's about I pick you up later?" Kelly asked. "I can cook you up something here and we can... talk." Tony was justified in his self-admiration, even if it was a vanity streak. He worked out like a demon possessed and had a magnificent body. At 6'3" and maybe 160 pounds he was a superb specimen of a man with short dark curly hair and a complexion that bordered between Greek and Italian. It was probably why he disliked airports so much these days. Profiling had become an accepted practice. Though she had not seen him in three years, she had seen his recent pictures in GQ and in a few high-profile ads. It was just as well, Kelly thought, that he was represented by another agency. His ego was too big for her and Todd's select group of models. Tony readily agreed and they made arrangements. "Hmmm," said Kelly out loud, and blushed. Things were starting to look up. She went to her bedroom to change and for the second time in less than 24 hours changed the sheets on the bed. Kelly apologized to G for having to rush off, but Gloria just brushed it off. "I'll see you soon enough. You be careful girl. You listen to what Gloria tells you. You be careful." Kelly nodded in understanding and made a mental note to pick up a fresh supply of condoms. Just the lightest touch of makeup after a quick facial scrub and a thorough brushing of her teeth. Kelly dressed modestly by her standards. Plain white slacks and a bright hand painted t-shirt and running shoes. One more stop in the kitchen where she mixed up a small concoction for herself to help cleanse her system of the meat she had eaten last night and her indulgence this morning. Three ounces of prune juice with two teaspoons of soy lecithin granules and two of milled flax seed. That should purify her system she thought as she swallowed it down in one gulp. She made this up for Todd every week, and though he drank it without question, he never asked what was in the mixture. Kelly picked up her keys and grabbed her purse and cell phone along with the vase of roses and headed out the door with a final wave shouted to G, "See you later!" ------- Kelly backed her two-year-old Artic Silver Hyundai Elantra out of the garage. No use in taking the Cherokee for driving around town. Her first stop was at Lakeview Lodge, the local nursing home. Sheila was on duty at the main office as Kelly came through the door. Sheila had modeled for Kelly and Todd for a uniform supply catalog a couple of years back. Like Todd said, use people who wear them all the time and you will have a much more natural model. Sheila, who was in her late 20's, fit the bill nicely and had managed to pay off her car loan with the money she earned. She still did the occasional catalog updates, but now she saved the money for special vacations with her husband to places like Hedonism III. "How is she today Sheila?" Kelly asked when they got beyond the usual pleasantries. "Still healthy and active," Sheila said. "Her memory is really starting to slip, but she asked about you this week which is a good sign." Sheila and Kelly were talking about Muriel, a resident who had celebrated her 100th birthday last year. Her husband had died long before Kelly was born, and her only son had died in the Second World War. Kelly had met Muriel on her first visit to the nursing home shortly after she had moved to her house on Jane. For most of her adult life, Kelly had made it a habit to drop off flowers she received from clients and admirers to the closest nursing home hoping it would cheer someone's day, asking only that it went to the woman who had the least amount of visitors. When she had first found Lakeview Lodge, bringing two-dozen white, long stem roses, and had stated her request, it had been Sheila who had pointed out Muriel and explained her unique situation. Muriel had moved in when the Lodge first opened. She was just in her early eighties but could no longer take care of her own needs. Not one member of the staff could remember her ever having had a visitor. Kelly's heart had gone out to the woman the first time and now made it a point to spend time visiting with her when she could. This was one of the things Kelly did out of pure enjoyment. Kelly had been the one to throw Muriel's 100th birthday party and had arranged for the Mayor to personally present her with a certificate. Muriel had thanked him, calling him 'Sonny.' Though three quarters of a century separated them, they were more alike than different. Neither had family. Kelly had literally been sold at the age of twelve to a disreputable agent much like the actress Patty Duke had been. She had gone to court for, and won, her independence when she was fourteen and had not had contact with her parents in the years in between. She understood the feelings of being alone in the world and could empathize with the older woman. Kelly shook the thoughts of being alone out of her head. If Muriel could make it on her own with just a little help from caring individuals, then so could she, but she was starting to see why the "James Gang" could be so motivated. They were in many ways a family of their own choosing. Kelly said goodbye to Sheila and headed down the hall to Muriel's room. She had almost cried on her third visit when she saw the photo of herself beside the old pictures of Muriel's husband and son. It was an old magazine picture taken from one of her fashion shoots, but she had since replaced it with one of Todd's favorites Putting on her best smile she stuck the roses through the door while hiding outside. "Kelly!" shouted Muriel from in the room. "I'm so glad to see you. I was worried when I heard the news," she said. Kelly put the flowers on the dresser beside Muriel's bed and as usual Muriel fussed over them. "What news was that Grandma?" Kelly asked. It was an honorary title, but one that pleased Muriel to no end. "I heard about this big party in some place called Woodstock that all you young people were supposed to be at, and you ran out of food and toilets and all kinds of bad things were happening there." At first Kelly thought Muriel was referring to the 25th anniversary of the legendary concert and then realized by the description Muriel was referring to the original Woodstock in 1969, long before Kelly was born. "It's okay Grandma," Kelly said. "I didn't go. I had to work." "That's my good girl," Muriel said. "I even heard things were so bad the kids were smoking the grass right from the ground. Why on earth would they do that?" Kelly could barely contain her laughter, but answered with deadpan face that she didn't understand it either. For the better part of an hour Kelly and Muriel reminisced about the strange ways of young people these days, with Muriel referring to the ways of the early 70's. Kelly was glad she had some knowledge of the years preceding her birth. Sheila was right. Muriel, though totally knowledgeable about the facts of the era was lost in that particular decade at the moment. They talked about how the war was going in Vietnam and the protests, and the newest scandal to hit the White House. Watergate. In many ways, Kelly enjoyed these trips in the past because although for Muriel it was just happening now in her mind, it was a history lesson for Kelly she could never get out of a textbook. Sadly though she had to leave. "I'm sorry Grandma," Kelly said, "but I have to do some grocery shopping and I have a date tonight." As she gave the old lady a kiss goodbye and a promise to try and get back sooner next time and stay a bit longer, Muriel asked out of the blue, "Are you going to marry this man sweetheart? You need someone to love you the way that you love others." Stunned and shocked, Kelly just managed to get the words out... "I'm working on it Grandma. I love you." and slipped out the door before the tears could start. ------- Kelly maneuvered her car through the parking lot at the mall and found a shady parking place close to the health food store. Kelly went in and wandered through the aisles of vitamins and supplements. The staff knew her well and with a friendly greeting to holler if she needed anything, they left her alone to her shopping. After a bit of browsing and reading, Kelly headed for the manager. Together they double-checked her order. She filled up on both her own and Todd's needs for the next month. Bulk jars of multi-vitamins especially for the heart and blood. Bottles of vitamins A, C, and E. More yet of Garlic, Halibut oil, Celery seed, Cayenne pepper and two cases of natural prune juice. She bought her lecithin granules by the pound bags and fresh milled flak seed in airtight pouches. Ordering an additional ten cases of bottled mineral water, she made arrangements to have it all delivered to the studio on Monday. Kelly signed for the purchase and left. She walked the few doors down to the drug store where she had her birth control pills refilled and looked for a discreet container of quality condoms. The condoms she chose were in a round plastic container made to look like a small stack of gold coins. Verifying the manufacturer, the date and the quality, she picked up four packs each containing three condoms. As she paid for her purchase she said to the girl behind the checkout, "Wishful thinking or what?" Finally, all done with her errands, and still with five hours left before she had to pick up Tony, Kelly headed for the studio to get her blades. ------- While Kelly had been busy shopping, Todd had been busy as well. With thoughts of Laura on his mind he had woken up to a beautiful day. After breakfast he had jogged down to the lake and back, spent a half hour with free weights and after a short break had done a half hour with the advanced Tae-Bo video. "Damn!" he said as he looked in the mirror after his shower. "I should have looked this good when I was still in university!" Through the week Todd worked out at a local gym, but enjoyed his own workout routine including running outdoors when the industrial park was pretty well deserted. As he waited for Laura to arrive, he emptied the A-12 magazines of exposed film and reloaded them with fresh rolls of 120 high-grade professional stock. He hated being interrupted during a shoot and had dozens of preloaded magazines so he could just pop one off and slip another in its place. The film from the Regan shoot, on positive film designed for brochure printing, was still locked up in an airtight vault in his dark room. The rolls from yesterday's shoot with Laura he put aside so she could watch the entire process from start to finish. With still an hour to go before Laura's much anticipated arrival, he sat at his workbench with a can of compressed air and cleaning solutions. He dismantled his two working Blads, cleaning and checking everything right down to the Lithium batteries and power winders. He was repacking his cases when the doorbell rang. Laura looked radiant in shorts and sandals and a loose fitting T. She also had a small overnight bag with her, Todd noticed, and he smiled. Laura laughed. "I thought if you didn't have any plans, and you extended the same invitation I should be prepared," she said in the way of an explanation. "What about your mother?" Todd asked. "It's covered," she said. "My friend who set this all up has her own apartment and I told my mom I would be spending the night there. I think she was so happy to see me smiling that I could have just come right out and told her I was coming back here to fuck your brains out and she wouldn't have blinked. Actually she might have called to thank you!" Laura laughed again. Todd just lifted her up in his arms and kissed her deeply. "Even if I had plans," Todd said, "I would gladly change them for a chance to spend an entire night with you." He was pleased to feel she had left her bra at home. After a few minutes of affectionate and tender kissing, Todd broke the embrace and said, "While I could do this for the rest of the day and night with you, I really think we should make some prints first. What do you think?" Laura giggled with glee and blushed remembering how far she had gone with her posing the day before. "Let's," she said. "I want to see how I looked for you!" Todd smiled. "Okay," he said, "but a few ground rules about the dark room. Do you want a soda or mineral water while I explain them to you?" Laura opted for a bottle of mineral water and Todd took one for himself. Sitting side by side on the same couch they had made passionate love on the day before, Todd explained. "These aren't rules I made for you Laura," Todd said. "These are ground rules for myself and anybody else that enters, though not many people have been in there," he added. "I never go in after drinking, not even one beer. No soft drinks, no smoking, nothing except pure spring water that I keep in the fridge inside. This is my business and I can't afford to take any chances with it. Don't touch anything until I tell you, and I'll tell you how to touch it. I work with chemicals that really aren't dangerous, but they can cause problems like staining if not handled properly. Those films are the only record of a moment, and I can't go back, so every one must be treated as the unique thing it is." Laura nodded somberly and said, "that makes perfect sense to me Todd." Todd smiled again. "Good," he said. "Then let's drink up and we can throw the film in the soup." Laura looked at him oddly, and Todd laughed, explaining that's what photographers called the mix of chemicals they used to develop film. He got up and led Laura by the hand to a man-sized opening set into the far wall. It opened into a small circular tube made of the same black plastic as the frame. It hardly seemed big enough for the two of them. The lightproof door went from the floor to the ceiling and had an opening about three feet wide and seven feet high. "We step inside, and then spin the inside drum until it opens on the inside." He explained. Seeing her puzzled look he said, "Think of it as a rotating wall. At no point can light ruin the film inside." Todd explained this to Laura as he demonstrated how the chamber turned by giving it a spin effortlessly with one hand. It spun around silently on well-lubricated bearings. "It's totally lightproof and the only access to the darkroom. It's nearly like being inside the womb." He continued. "It's a very private place closed off from the outside world." Laura rubbed herself against Todd, "Wow! A 'womb' just to neck in, our own secret world! Away from everything!" Todd laughed. He could see Laura had grasped the idea. "And we always flip this switch on to turn on the red light above the door so people will know I am in here working." Stepping inside, Todd gave the drum a gentle spin and the silent heavy door opened to a strange world so much different than the casual atmosphere of the studio or Todd's apartment. What Todd had not noticed while explaining the workings of the door was that even though he had flipped the switch to turn the red "BUSY" light on, the bulb was burned out. As they emerged from the revolving door, Laura was surprised to see it all lit up inside. It looked very much like a laboratory, all very neat and organized. "I have a stereo in here we can listen to when the film has been processed," he said, "but I leave it off till that point. I tend to get a bit intense when the film is most vulnerable to accidental exposure. I'm a bit of a stickler for doing things by hand," he continued. "No film transfer machines for me. I want to feel it going on the spools" indicating a stack of black plastic contraptions. "The smell might be overwhelming for a few seconds," he said, "but I have a good ventilation system and it will clear up in less than a minute." "And finally," he said peeling off his t-shirt, "you should take a look around now and get yourself oriented because in a few minutes the regular lights go off and the safeties go on, and they will only be on for a few minutes while I mix the soup. While I load the film on the spools, we will be in total darkness for about ten minutes. There's a flip down cover over the regular light switch that is held in place by a clasp so they don't get turned on by mistake. You should also sit here," he said indicating a stainless steel lab stool. "That way you won't get tired or disoriented standing in the dark." Laura took some time examining the darkroom. Besides the spools, there was a row of tall black canisters with funny lids, like inverted funnels. As a matter of fact, Laura thought, nearly everything in the room was black or an industrial dark gray. She noted the triple sink and the fridge and heavy steel cabinets lined against one wall were either all heavy plastic or stainless steel. Overhead were giant round light fixtures with what appeared to be orange bulbs inside them. On same wall the sinks were on, there was a huge contraption that she knew to be an enlarger and behind it was something that appeared to be a large hospital x-ray viewer, with large spring loaded clamps on all four sides. Then she saw the poster. It was nearly life size. She was surprised she hadn't noticed it at once. It was a picture of a beautiful girl about her own age, topless with only the smallest thong bottoms standing in the surf at some exotic beach. Laura was speechless. This girl was really beautiful. Warm brown hair highlighted by the sun and a gorgeous tan without the hint of a tan line, a self-assured look of confidence nearly overshadowed by the brightness and sexiness of her smile. Full sensual lips on a very kissable mouth, and a figure any women would die for with small but well-defined breasts topped with dark brown nipples that stood out and seemed to be in a state of full arousal. It was so erotic and sexy. A look of smoldering sensuality mixed a dash of mystique and yearning. Laura felt a momentary pang of jealousy. Whoever she was, she obviously meant a great deal to Todd. Todd noticed Laura staring. "That's Kelly, my partner," he explained. "You'll be meeting with her if you decide you want to try your hand at modeling as a career." He kissed her tenderly. "I have a feeling you'll be meeting her soon." "This is her?" Laura exclaimed. "The one you've never... umm..." Todd laughed. "That's right," he said. "My best friend and partner, who I have never had sex with." "Jesus Todd," Laura said. "I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of her if I was a man." But as she said it, she felt herself growing aroused. "It would be hard even for a woman," she thought. "God, she's beautiful." "Well," said Todd, interrupting her fantasy, "if you're ready, we'll hit the lights and start developing." Laura nodded and sat down as Todd turned off the regular lights, closing the safety catch, and flipped on the amber safe lights Laura had noticed earlier. The light in the room was a dark amber glow now with just enough light to see the bottles of chemicals he pulled up from a cabinet. Large Pyrex beakers and measuring cups appeared from another cabinet. "For you Laura, because you are so special, all fresh soup made just for you." She laughed with him not really understanding the cost of the chemicals. She noticed many of the switches had markings on them now. "They must be covered in that glow in the dark stuff," she thought. Todd asked her to flip on the one marked 'Vent' and she did. As he opened the first dark glass bottle she understood what he meant by the smell. Mixing up various chemicals, Todd went through his routine and when finished returned the bottles to the cabinet. In front of him were six large eight cup Pyrex measuring containers. He slowly poured the contents of two into two of the tall black tubes she had seen earlier. "You don't want to spill this stuff on you," Todd said. Checking to see they were sufficiently full, he put the two, now empty, measuring cups into the far sink. He stood the two tall tubes back against the wall and laid the inserts he had removed from them on their sides in front of him. Picking up eight of the plastic spools, he said, "now for the fun part. This is when everything we do is by touch, totally in the dark." He placed the rolls of film he had shot yesterday on the counter and asking her if she was ready, he turned off the lights. For the next ten minutes Laura listened as Todd worked silently. He unwrapped each roll of film that he then carefully wound onto separate spools. He was used to this but it always gave him a thrill. When all the film was loaded on spools he slipped them over spindles from the developing containers and slowly lowered a spindle into each container. Checking to make sure the top assemblies were on tight, he started the precision clock whose numbers glowed eerily in the dark. Not enough light to see by, but the numbers were bright enough to help him find it in the dark. He had counted the seconds between immersing the first spindle and the second and set the timer accordingly. Laura had sat quietly, but with a devilish streak of bravery, she had pulled off her own t-shirt in the dark. When Todd turned the safety lights back on, he was very pleasantly surprised and gave her one of his big smiles and a hug that lifted her off her the stool. The touch of skin against skin was electric and they shared warm kisses as the clock ticked off the seconds. They had 7 minutes of quality time, and neither of them wanted to miss out on the opportunity. Todd only broke the embrace long enough to place the developing containers into an automatic rocking cradle so the chemicals would be sure to be evenly distributed and all the film would be processed, then he turned back to Laura's waiting arms. ------- Todd and Laura were lost in their own little world. Their soft moans of mutual pleasure masked the muffled sound of the back door opening. While Todd was toying with Laura's puckered nipples, and she was stroking his ass, Kelly entered the studio. Pulling up and locking her Elantra at the rear door of the studio, Kelly had unlocked the studio door and let herself in. She looked all around for Todd but he was nowhere to be seen. The light above the darkroom wasn't on, so she knew he wasn't in there. The upstairs was deserted as well. She wrote a quick post-it note and left it on the fridge saying she had come and grabbed her gear to go blading. She changed in one of the supply rooms in the back into spandex shorts and a matching top. Very carefully she fastened her knee, elbow and wrist pads and made sure her helmet was on good and tight before slipping on the blades, finally pulling on a pair of kid-hide bicycling finger-gloves. As much as she loved to go roller blading, she was not going to take any chances with her body - a habit she learned while modeling. Kelly had learned how to blade for a sport shoot a few years before she left that part of the business and loved the feel of speed and the tone it gave her legs. As usual the company had given her all she had worn in the shoot, and except for replacing the wheels twice a year, having switched from the factory issue ABEC-3 to the ABEC-4 bearings, everything was still in top condition. She stepped out the back door and heard the lock click behind her. Then she hit the streets with a vengeance! Starting out at a slow glide she quickly felt herself loosen up and started pumping her legs and swinging her arms. One time, a few years ago, a traffic cop had clocked her coming down hill towards the lake doing over the posted speed limit. Seeing she had all the protective gear on that should be used, and not really having a basis for giving her a ticket, he tried to warn her about her speed. She in turn got his badge number, his name and precinct and had a copy of her original photo enlarged, framed and sent to his precinct with the caption, "Speed Demon". It had gone over well with the local unit and all the officers on the force now knew about her and Todd and the business they had established and brought to Charlotte. It was an added bonus having local law enforcement watch out for your interests, and they in turn had talked her into doing a once a year talk at local schools about good safety practices. After an hour, Kelly had pretty well worked any stiffness from her body and felt loose and limber. The blading had been a good idea and a good way to clear her head of the residual frustration following last night's break up with Mark, but now she was ready to hit the showers and slowly skated her way back to the studio. ------- Todd and Laura reluctantly broke their embrace as the clock ticked off the last 15 seconds. After he drained the chemicals into specially labeled plastic jugs, Todd attached a hose to the top of each container and twisting it once to allow water to flow out, he turned the taps on high to thoroughly rinse the residual chemicals off the film. Thirty seconds was all he allowed for the rinse and then, while the containers were still in the sink, Todd dumped the water and filled the containers with fixer until the solution overflowed. Dumping a bit out of each, he resealed the containers and placed them back in the cradle for a three-minute cycle - time not wasted by either of them. Their arousal had increased a lot and Laura had dispensed with her shorts and underwear and Todd was fingering her to a hot and fast climax while they continued to neck. Laura just made it before the timer went off and once again Todd drained the chemicals into appropriately marked plastic jugs. Laura was starting to realize Todd had been very serious about his comment about her being worth the fresh 'soup.' Attaching the hoses once again, Todd started the final ten-minute rinse. He turned the stereo on, already tuned to an easy listening station, and took a bottle of spring water for them out of the fridge as they waited for the final rinse to be complete. Laura sat quietly and watched transfixed as Todd meticulously washed the Pyrex containers and dried them before returning them to storage. Between the little chores, Todd took swallows of the cold spring water and suckled on Laura's nipples, sending more spasms of pleasure through her body. He opened up the containers, hoping for the perfect result he had worked so meticulously toward. As each roll unfurled he used a soft rubber double-sided squeegee to remove the extra water and flipped on a light table to inspect the negatives with Laura waiting anxiously for the verdict. She tried to look at the negs, but she could make no sense out of the reverse color patterns. Fortunately Todd seemed quite pleased with the results and the clarity. He took them to a drying cabinet and set the heat and the timer explaining there would be a 20-minute wait before he could start to print. He turned the regular lights back on so he could see what he was doing and started to get the printing trays out when Laura stopped him in his tracks. She literally pushed him onto the counter pulling his pants off in the process, exposing a healthy hard-on. Grasping his tool firmly in her hand she stroked his balls with her other hand as she got to her knees between his spread legs, then started softly kissing the head and blowing cool puffs of air on his rapidly swelling organ. She teased the end of it with soft sucking on the tip and alternating by driving her tongue into the slit. Todd's hands were in a white-knuckled grip on the edge of the counter and his sack had tightened with the full load that had been building since her arrival. Pulling his foreskin forward, Laura managed to get her tongue between his foreskin and his glans and was swirling her tongue around his now raging cock head. Between Todd's moans and groans of appreciation and the radio, neither one heard Kelly re-enter the studio. Kelly removed her blades and started for the shower when she heard music playing in the studio. Calling out Todd's name got no response, so with curiosity she entered the main part of the studio. She realized the music was coming out of the darkroom but the light still wasn't on. She guessed Todd must just be doing some cleaning up in there and stepped into the roll around door. Laura was now working feverishly on Todd's swollen cock, which had expanded, to a deep purple, pulse pounding, ready to erupt weapon when Kelly stepped into the well-lit darkroom. "Oh, excuse me." Kelly said as her eyes took in the scene. "Oh fuck," gasped Todd. "Oh shit," cried Laura, who in her shock had removed her mouth from Todd's cock, but there was no holding Todd back. His cock twitched and started to spurt. Thick streams hit Laura smack dab in her eye, followed by more streams in her hair, in her ear and her cheek while other smaller spurts landed on her tits and legs. It was an intense climax for Todd made more so by the abrupt stop and the unexpected audience. "Oh Jesus!" exclaimed Kelly. With an eye full of cum, Laura fell back from her kneeling position right on her ass and ended up rolling on the floor now laughing hysterically. Todd was trying to find something to cover himself with but had his hands full trying to hide his still twitching cock from Kelly. Kelly thought she should politely back out. It would be the proper thing to do, but she was strangely fascinated. She looked at Laura admiring the girl's body and her total abandonment of pretense. She looked again with interest at Todd's toned body and when he saw her looking he blushed. A bemused smile played on Kelly's face. "Well Todd?" she finally asked, "Are you going to introduce me to your lady friend?" But she could not hide her smile any longer and while Todd was blubbering something about not expecting her today, Kelly walked over and helped Laura off the floor. "Hi," she said. "I'm Kelly." Pulling tissues from the container on the counter, she carefully wiped Laura's cum filled eye. "Let me wet this," Kelly said, "or it will get all dry and crusty." Kelly ran some water in the sink and wet another tissue returning to administer aid to the young beauty. Still giggling, Laura introduced herself, but made no move to cover up. "Contrary to popular myths," Kelly said, "Cum does not make for good conditioner for the hair. Let's go and get you cleaned up proper." Taking Laura by the hand she led her upstairs to the shower. Kelly sat on the john while Laura started the shower and the two girls exchanged small talk. Kelly, knowing where all of the supplies were in the apartment bathroom handed Laura bottles of her own shampoo and conditioner she kept there for those occasions when she stayed over or had needed a rinse down after a sweaty day. A whiff of herself reminded Kelly why she had chanced on the scene downstairs in the first place. Laura was washing her face when Kelly asked, "Would you mind if I shared the shower with you?" An image of the breathtakingly sexy model flashed through her mind and Laura instantly became wet between her legs again. The woman she had so admired in the poster downstairs wanted to join her in the shower. "Er, oh yes!" She stammered. Kelly sensed a bit of hesitancy in Laura's voice and said it would be okay if Laura wasn't comfortable with the idea, to which Laura quickly and rather enthusiastically confirmed it was fine by her if Kelly wasn't uncomfortable. As Kelly peeled off her spandex, which she tossed into Todd's clothes hamper, she said. "After years of modeling, you get to the point where you don't even notice or pay attention." It was a lie, but Kelly believed this little white one could be forgiven. She was attracted to Laura in a strange way. She reminded Kelly of the innocence and free spirit she had admired in the girls of the "James Gang." For the next ten minutes the two girls helped each other wash and rinse off. Kelly enjoyed washing Laura's back and it just served to arouse both of them, though neither was yet ready to admit to their Sapphic feelings. As the hot water started to run out, the girls climbed out of the shower and helped dry each other off. Kelly expressed admiration for Laura's boobs, while Laura said she would love to have Kelly's build. "Well," Kelly said, "this is turning into a mutual admiration society. How about we raid Todd's fridge for a beer? Are you up for one?" Laura nodded enthusiastically. "But what about Todd?" Laura asked as they seated themselves at the kitchen table. "He'll probably use the time to compose himself and clean up a bit," Kelly replied. "He's actually quite shy." Laura laughed and said he didn't appear that way, especially not yesterday. "Oh," said Kelly, "You were his portrait yesterday? You must have made quite an impression to get an invite back." "Actually an invite for the night," Laura said and then suddenly blushed. With an effort Laura looked Kelly straight in the eyes and asked, "Are you okay with this? I don't want to be stepping on anyone's territory." Kelly thought for a minute keeping Laura's honest gaze. "Yeah, I'm totally cool with it," she said. "I recently learned a lot about sharing someone you are close to. Todd seems to be quite happy and he's been my best friend for a lot of years now, so if you make him happy, then I am happy for him and thank you for it." They finished their beer in silence, both thinking about the comment Kelly had made about sharing. Finally Kelly took Laura to the closet in Todd's bedroom and said, "Feel free to help yourself to something to wear." Laura took a look and finally grabbed a t-shirt and pulled it over her head. She started to say she had other clothes downstairs, but Kelly just hushed her and said, "It's okay. It's more for Todd's benefit than yours. I doubt you'll be keeping it on long anyways, but at least you can be comfortable while he tries to talk his way out of this!" Kelly laughed. They laughed again as Kelly pulled a matching Star Trek t-shirt out of Todd's closet. "Now let's see if we can't put some bounce back into your hair." With that the two girls headed back downstairs to the makeup table. Todd had managed to get his pants back on but it was obvious that he was still seeping from an awesome climax. For a moment Kelly felt a pang of jealousy, but remembering how Brenda and Sara and Sherri had watched her hump James, she brushed the thought aside and on impulse leaned over and gave Laura a kiss on the cheek. Laura was surprised but not repulsed, and out of some primal instinct returned the kiss on Kelly's lips. Laura suddenly blushed out of confusion with her current feelings. She had only just an hour ago met Kelly under the most bizarre circumstances and yet she felt a bond with her. Kelly felt the hot rush and squelched a desire to devour the young girl. She knew Todd had plans with her and it would not be right to intrude. It also went against her nature, or at least it would have before the days with Brenda and the girls from the "James Gang." Telling Todd to go and get himself cleaned up and changed, Kelly started to work with Laura's hair. After applying some styling gel to her hair, Kelly took the blow dryer and with a brush working feverishly, quickly styled Laura's hair. "I do hope Todd has offered you some work modeling for our agency," Kelly said between strokes. "You really have a beautiful face and figure and you could make some good money at it." Laura confirmed that Todd had mentioned it and was all set to ask Kelly details. With a gentle press of her finger to Laura's lips, Kelly said, "I don't think now is the time for this. Didn't you have other plans for today?" she said with a smile. Laura giggled and said, "That's right! I guess the shock scrambled my brains." Kelly laughed with her and asked if she could come by on Monday and she would explain it all in detail if Laura was still interested. "It's not as glamorous as it looks," Kelly said. "It's hard work but it can be fun and rewarding." Todd rejoined them as Kelly finished applying light makeup to Laura's face, and Kelly announced she had to get moving, telling Todd that Tony was in town for the night, and adding Gloria's welcome back. "How did your date go last night?" Todd asked as an afterthought. "Is our future Governor still as interesting as ever?" he asked with a touch of sarcasm. Why was it that everybody seemed to know Mark was a jerk except for her, Kelly wondered? With a sigh she gave a quick run down of the disaster of the previous evening's date. Todd could see the uncertainty in Kelly's eyes, and reached out for her and hugged her. "It's for the best Kell," he said. "Your lifestyle would never have met with his approval." Kelly just nodded. Taking a deep breath, Kelly turned back to Laura and said, "So I'll see you here on Monday?" Laura nodded and Kelly gave her another kiss on the lips, whispering, "Enjoy yourself tonight." Then Kelly gave Todd a kiss on the lips, the first time ever and said, "Be good to her, and have a great time." Kelly changed back into her traveling clothes and with a fond look back waved goodbye and left. As they stood in a lover's embrace, Laura said, "You know she loves you don't you?" Todd nodded slowly and thoughtfully. "I always knew she did, but I'm not sure now in just what way. She needs somebody special in her life, and I don't think she knows herself yet just who." Laura wondered about that herself, the taste of Kelly still on her lips. "Just as long as you leave a bit of love for me Todd." Todd lifted Laura's face to his and said, "There will always be love for you Laura." Then he kissed her. "Now how about we print some pictures and then make some happy love?" ------- Chapter 4 Kelly drove home from the studio in a state of confusion. Had it not been for her planned rendezvous with Tony, she could have easily stayed at the studio and spent some more time with Todd and Laura. It wouldn't be right though she thought. Obviously Todd and Laura had plans for the evening. Again Kelly felt that pang of jealousy. Laura was an attractive girl, and Todd was single and available. And then there was the kiss she shared with Laura. It reminded her of Brenda. Kelly licked her lips, remembering the taste of both Todd and Laura. This is getting to be too fucking weird, Kelly thought. It was the first time she and Todd had shared a real kiss, unlike the sisterly ones she had given him in the past and his response had certainly not been brotherly. Her mind drifted back to that moment in the darkroom where she had found Laura on her knees sucking on Todd's cock. It had been a tremendous turn on, but now she found herself wondering if it had been the sight of Todd fully aroused or of the enthusiasm Laura had shown giving him head. She was obviously no stranger to oral sex, but it was the carefree happy abandonment she had displayed that reminded Kelly of last week. "What's the matter with me?" Kelly asked herself. "Why can't I just let go and enjoy myself like Todd and Laura or like the kids of the 'James Gang?'" "It's because you're a control freak," replied the voice in her head. "You're afraid to let go because you won't be in charge and that scares you." "I am not," replied Kelly stubbornly. "I don't try to control anyone other than myself." But the voice in her head would not let her be. Even after she parked her car and had walked inside her house, the voice was still asking her how often in the last 10 years she had really enjoyed sex with a partner. "Admit it Kelly," the voice persisted. "The best you ever had was with a group of kids four days ago. A hell of record for someone who claims to be so liberated." Kelly had made it to the bedroom and turned to face the mirror. "Okay smart ass," she said to her reflection, "Why don't you tell me what's wrong with me?" Her reflection didn't answer but the voice in her head said, "Go back to the source. You will find your answer there." Hmm... The source. Kelly sat down and lit up a smoke. A group of high school kids had shown her. But why could they do for her what no one else had been able to do in all these years? She had lost her virginity at 14, and had never enjoyed intimate contact as much as she had this last week. They were barely older then she had been then, but seemed to know so much more about love. "Love?" said the voice, "I thought you were looking for sex." ------- Todd took the last of the pictures out of the dryer. He and Laura had run the proof sheets after Kelly had left, and had decided on three excellent pictures. One would make a great head shot if cropped which they had agreed would be the best to show family and friends. But Laura also liked one of the first poses in the cream outfit in which her nipples were clearly visible. Todd liked that one as well. But the one they both agreed represented the new Laura was the pose she had struck herself in the nearly transparent white mini dress. It was the pose where she had raised and spread both her knees and with entire front of the dress unbuttoned exposing most of her breasts and all of her pubis, her elbows were on her knees and her hands cradled her face and a giant smile. It was a combination of angelic and erotic. Todd had made an 8 x 10 of the head shot for her portfolio and another of the one in the cream pant suit for a body shot, and then had tilted the enlarger and brought out the big paper. For her family, Todd had done an 11 x 14 of the headshot, making it as close to life size as possible, and for Laura's room a 20 x 30 of the waist up shot in the cream pantsuit. Then Todd had printed two 20 x 30's of the most revealing picture. One he rolled into carrying tube for Laura and the other he cold mounted and hung inside the darkroom. Laura had blushed with pride. "I would hang it in the studio proper." Todd explained, "but I'm afraid some people might think the picture is just a bit 'over-exposed, '" he punned. Laura laughed with glee. Packing up all of the darkroom equipment and returning it to a state of order, they had finally settled back with a beer. Laura still wore Todd's t-shirt and nothing else. She pulled her one leg up on the couch and facing him allowed him to see the treasures that awaited him. Todd was enjoying the view and with a devilish glint in his eyes asked Laura if she smoked. "I did," she said, "but now, just occasionally." "Ever smoke anything besides tobacco?" Todd asked as nonchalantly as possible. Laura caught on right away and laughed. "I tried it a couple of times," she said, "but it never did anything for me." "Do you want to try it with me?" Todd asked. "Before we go out and eat?" Laura looked at him for a minute. She had trusted him this far and he had been a perfect gentleman until she had wanted otherwise. "Sure," she said. "I don't know if it will do anything for me, but I'm willing to try it again with you." Thirty minutes and two joints later they were sucking on mineral water. "See," Laura said. "I must be immune to this stuff. It doesn't do anything for me." "I can see that," said Todd laughing. "Is that why you are twirling your pubic hair then, cause you're just bored?" Laura looked down at her hand as one finger continued to make little twirls in her pubic tuft. She burst out laughing. "Do you feel like chicken balls?" asked Todd. "I don't know," said Laura doubling over with laughter. "What do chicken balls feel like?" Laughing even harder at her own joke when she saw the look on Todd's face. Todd smiled and as Laura continued to laugh he made his way to the phone and called his favorite Chinese restaurant. It was on his rapid dial so it was a quick call and Todd ordered enough to feed four. Chicken fried rice, chicken balls, Chinese noodles and a stir-fry of beef and broccoli with extra mushrooms, a large order of fried won tons and half a dozen fortune cookies. Todd asked for delivery and was told it would be there in 30 minutes. Todd was a well-known customer and a generous tipper. On his way back Todd slipped a few old rock CD's into the stereo and told Laura the music from the late 60's was the ideal background when stoned. They were half way through the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's when the food arrived. Then the fun began as Laura attempted to eat with chopsticks dropping more on herself than in her mouth. Pulling Todd's borrowed t-shirt off to reveal her splendid birthday suit she continued to stab at her egg roll and her chicken balls finally spearing them and, with the sweet plum and cherry sauces dripping all the way to her mouth, enjoyed it like it was the greatest food on earth. Of course Todd licking off everything she dribbled on herself made it a much more interesting meal. Laura was nearly sated and fell backwards as Todd spread more of the red cherry sauce over her body, then crawled up beside her and carefully licked her clean from head to toe. Laura was really getting into this personal attention but sought added attention in another area and dipping her fingers into the cherry sauce smeared it over her cunt lips. Todd, never too stoned to miss a clue, went to work licking her swollen pussy lips and sucking her nectar as well as the sauce, bringing Laura to a screaming orgasm. "Oh, fuck," she said as she regained her composure. "You are fucking great with that tongue." She pushed him over and ripped off his remaining clothes. Smearing his cock with sauce Laura started to lick it like a Popsicle. Enjoying the buzz and feeling frisky, Laura dribbled more of the cherry sauce on his balls and spent considerable time sucking each testicle into her mouth and tongue washing it clean, finally gobbling both balls into her willing mouth. Todd was writhing in ecstasy. Laura licked up on side of his rigid cock and then backed off, admired the tool she knew would bring her more pleasure later and then licked up the other side. After another pause, she caused Todd to buck up from the floor, as she swallowed his stiff prick as deeply as she could. She found that if she didn't try to force it, and since his cock was good and slippery, she could slide him right down her throat. She had heard about this, but had always been afraid to try it for fear she would gag. But now, it just seemed so easy and judging from Todd's moans, it brought him great pleasure. She held him deep in her throat for a minute, feeling his swollen glans tight in her throat. It was pulsating with pleasure and it took Laura a minute to figure out what to do next. She could feel the tell tale signs of his impending climax. Holding one hand on his waist so he wouldn't push up and grasping his swollen balls with her other hand, she tried using her throat muscles the same way she would if swallowing food. Just a gulping motion really but judging from the sounds of Todd, it was pleasurable for him, and Laura did so much want to give this man the kind of pleasure he gave her. Using her throat muscles she milked his cum right out of him. She could hear Todd groaning and gasping as she felt shot after shot pump into her belly. She held on to him until he softened and slipped out of her mouth, then crawled up to lay beside him as they exchanged hot and soft kisses and caressed each other. It was only 9 o'clock. Still feeling a buzz, they packed up the left over food to take upstairs. Todd took a last look around and satisfied the studio was reasonably presentable, took Laura by the hand and led her to his apartment where they would start all over again. ------- Kelly had decided on a simple summer sundress and sandals. There was really no need to impress Tony, as he would be more concerned about his own appearance. Besides, she thought, with any luck she would be out of them soon enough. Putting a bottle of a decent vintage red on ice, she pulled two thick steaks out of the freezer and put them into the fridge. She let her Elantra slip through traffic to pick up Tony at the new Hilton Garden, after a brief stop to pick up fresh French bread. Tony was standing in front of the hotel like he was posing, and Kelly could see quite a few female heads turn his way more than once. Even a few males took a second look. Since he was a regular model in major magazines, people often thought of him as someone famous they just couldn't remember the name to the show or movie he had appeared in. He knew this and enjoyed it. This was typical Tony. He liked the attention. Dressed for it and groomed for it. His hair was carefully unkempt, one hand in his pocket the other looking at his watch. He wore a blue blazer, open of course, over an immaculate white shirt, unbuttoned just right to show his tan and his well maintained physique. Head casually dropped though his eyes took in all the sights around him. Kelly wondered if Tony actually had a normal way of standing. A short honk on the horn caught his attention and he glided to Kelly's car and casually got in. He gave her a quick peck on her cheek as she slid the car back into traffic and back to her house. "How are you doing Tony?" Kelly asked. "Were you waiting long?" "As usual love, I am doing superb. And no, I actually came down early to catch a breath of fresh air. You were right on time." "Cut the bullshit Tony," Kelly laughed. "Fresh air my ass. You came down looking for attention." Tony shrugged. She was right of course, but both knew it was a carefully guarded secret. Professional models are rife with insecurities. As the city dropped away behind them, Tony relaxed a bit more and started talking about his latest project and his career in general. His insecurity showed more and more as he talked. He was close to 35 and had to work out daily to keep his muscular tone. Hours a week on a tanning bed to keep his tan totally even and he had recently discovered new horrors. "You wouldn't believe it Kelly," he said. "One morning I wake up to find I have visible hair in my ears. I nearly died! Antonio was doing the photography and pulled me aside to tell me. He's a real friend. Stopped the shoot while I got it taken care of, well actually I had it shaved, but now the agency is suggesting electrolysis to remove the hair permanently. Can you believe this shit? I don't mind the chest waxing, but shaving my ears..." Tony shivered with disgust. "Hey" Kelly said, "Don't complain to me about a little thing like that. How would you like to wax your bikini line?" Tony grimaced at the thought. "What's even worse," he continued, "I was offered a five year contract for business suits for Brooks Brothers." "What's so bad about a five year contract?" Kelly asked. "Suits for executives? Are you serious? If I took on a job like that, my career would go right out the window. I might as well wear a sign saying middle aged!" "Well," Kelly said. "It's not that bad for guys. Look at George Hamilton. How many women do you see at his age still wanted as full time models?" "Not me Kelly," he said. "I'm going to be young forever. I thought maybe I'd do something like you've done and start my own agency, but if this is your car, I guess I'll have to find something more profitable to get involved in." His remark stung Kelly, but she didn't bother to correct his misconception nor did she feel like explaining she had a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee in her garage. She pulled in and parked the car and Tony got a look at her house for the first time. "It must be hard on you to have dropped from the good life to a little place like this," he said. This was not going well. Kelly and Tony had been involved for a short time when she was modeling, and had kept in touch after she opted out, but this was their first time together since she had gone out on her own, and quite frankly, she was proud of her house. She could have afforded bigger and better, but this one had character and appealed to her. It had been bought outright from her investments, and Kelly had decorated it to her liking. "So Tony, where do you call home now?" she asked, perhaps a bit more brusquely than she intended, though he took no notice of her change in tone. "Ah, you know me Kelly," he said. "I never felt comfortable settling down, so I just stick to the penthouse suites of good hotels where ever I end up." "Don't you find that eats away at your savings pretty quick?" she asked seriously. "Are you investing for that day when this business is no longer as rewarding?" Tony turned rather quickly and said, "Please don't talk to me about investing. I put all my money into technology stocks a couple of years back and was happy to sit back and watch my money double on a monthly basis. Fucking computer kids. I was vacationing in Cannes when my broker called and suggested pulling out my money cause it had started to flag a bit. You've got to realize Kelly, I bought in on margin for an additional $50 grand, cause I'd been watching this dot-com crap slip and rise for a while. I asked around and everybody told me computers were the way of the future and to just enjoy the ride. I told my broker to hold off cause something that good was bound to come right back up again, and by the time I got back to the States, I had less money than I put into the damn stocks to start off with, AND I had to pay off the balance of what I owed for the extra shares I bought." Tony was livid with anger. "I won't even touch a computer now. And then I was doing a shoot for Martha and I was telling her about the beating I took. She turned me on to IMClone, some drug company or something and I figured I'd let one good investment pay for the other and I bought $30 grand of that stock and now that one is in the crapper too and I'm stuck with eating the bill for that one as well. I tell you, it'll be a cold day in hell before I pose for anything she's connected with again." Kelly was about to say how sorry she was for him when she realized his own arrogance had done him in. She and Todd invested some of their earnings, but never bought on margin. Careful research and background checks guided their investments, and as a company, they had a nice solid portfolio that they monitored constantly. No overnight millionaire dreams clouded their minds. As she opened the door she had the feeling she had made a mistake. There was no doubt that Tony was good looking, but as self-absorbed as he was, he saw nothing outside of his own reflection. With a sigh she put down the bread, opened the wine and poured them both a drink. Tony sat back content with a drink in hand and watched as Kelly prepared a fresh salad and turned the grill on. The steaks were still frozen in the middle the way Kelly liked them for grilling. Pulling a local wine out of the cupboard, she filled a tray and allowed the meat to absorb some flavor. Tony watched amused as she added some fresh cloves of garlic, chopped shallots, fresh ground black pepper and a splash of sesame seed oil to the mix. Tony laughed, "You've turned into quite the domestic Suzy Homemaker haven't you?" "I enjoy it," Kelly retorted. "It's one of the reasons I bought my own house. You can't do this in a hotel." She pulled two large potatoes out and scrubbed them under the tap and then wrapped them in foil and tossed them into the oven. She put plates on the table and fresh butter before sitting down herself. Kelly allowed the meat to marinate for a while as they dug into the salad topped with fresh sliced mushrooms and an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing along with Kelly's own combination of fresh herbs. "Actually," Tony said between mouthfuls, "this is quite good." Kelly warmed to the compliment, and they continued on by tearing of chunks of the baguette and smearing them with butter. It was a peaceful change and Kelly was content to listen to more of Tony's stories about the changing world in which he traveled. Tony was one of the elite male models who had achieved public recognition. Unlike the top female models though, he was not known by name outside of those directly involved in the business. They both lit up after finishing their salad and Tony laughed at the irony of learning how to smoke before the ban on cigarette advertising had started. Kelly laughed with him and said, "Hell Tony, even Joe Camel is out of work in that field now!" She got up, cleared the table, turned the potatoes and lit the natural gas grill. Lifting the steaks out of the marinade, she gently laid them on the heated grill. Adding a tablespoon of cognac to them, they sizzled and the flames licked the meat as fire met alcohol. Pulling fresh plates out of the cupboard, she asked Tony how he wanted his steak. "Rare, like me," was his reply. Kelly sighed, and wondered if he had always been this self-absorbed or had she failed to notice this in him when she was younger and more impressionable. A nice smell rose with the steam and smoke and somewhat regretfully Kelly turned on the range exhaust fan. After a few minutes she turned the steaks, making sure both sides were seared. Waiting for the meat to cook, she brought out sour cream and chives to go with the Yukon Gold potatoes. "You know Kelly, you really have to try sprinkling caviar on sour cream for baked potatoes. I had that on my last trip to Monaco." Kelly turned her back to Tony, closed her eyes and let out a silent sigh. Lifting the potatoes out of the oven and turning it off, she placed them on the back of the grill to keep warm. She used her finger to press on the steaks, and seeing the slight indentation she left ensured her it was cooked inside and out. Tony might prefer it to be more on the rare side, but Kelly never took chances with meat. She quickly grabbed a saucepan and put it on a burner and threw a dollop of butter into the pan before adding a few cups of mushrooms. She sautéed them quickly, silently thanking Gloria for keeping her pantry and fridge stocked. Lifting a steak onto each plate, and smothering it with mushrooms, Kelly turned the grill and the fan off and placed a potato on each plate as well. Carrying them to the table, she set them down and after refilling the wine glasses she dug in. Tony inspected the meat closely and for a minute Kelly thought of reminding him he was not in a restaurant but in her home and in her kitchen. Then she thought of James and wondered if he would appreciate this simple meal more. And thinking of James naturally brought her mind back to Brenda. ------- Todd cautiously dried Laura after a long shower where they had continued to kiss and caress. She was still shivering and quivering from the orgasmic experience, and a careless wipe with the towel would have driven her into another climax. He had pressed Laura against the shower wall, and lifting her legs, slipped his cock into her, driving her to a multi-climatic frenzy as the water bounced off their faces and bodies. They had continued to stroke and caress each other with soap-covered hands sliding their slippery bodies against each other until the hot water ran out. Laura experienced a constant stream of orgasms from Todd's gently yet persistent caresses and her clit was so sensitive now it seemed just a glance from Todd would make her start squirming again. Naked, they had adjourned to the living room to continue their lovemaking. Todd rolled a few more joints and they sat cuddled on the sofa in Todd's living room watching a Monty Python film on cable. The buzz they got from the grass brought on the inevitable munchies and they had broken open the fortune cookies and made up funny fortunes for each other as they rested and recuperated. Relaxed and comfortable with each other, they were just putting in time before the fun and games started again. They were high in every sense of the word, high on love and life. Laura ended sitting upright on the sofa while Todd sprawled with his head in her lap staring up her, gently stroking her breasts and stomach. Laura was an active lover, both imaginative and willing. She had discovered her sexual nature at an early age, and had read a great deal about sex. She also loved to browse the sex story news groups on the web, her only solace for the last few months since the break-up with her fiancé along with her own hand, but Todd was so much better. "So fucking much better" she mumbled. "What's that?" Todd asked, raising his head from her lap. "Oh... Nothing," Laura said, blushing as she realized she had said it out loud. Todd smiled at her and using his lips grabbed a mouthful of pubic hair and pulled gently on it. She was an exceptional lover Todd thought. Contrary to many peoples opinion, Todd was not the Casanova they thought. Sure, the opportunity was there but being a bit shy himself, he tended to avoid pushy self-centered women, which in his line of work desbribed those most of the ones he met. Not to say Todd was inexperienced, but with fewer notches on his belt than most people imagined. Todd pulled again on her pubic hair with his lips and Laura squirmed as the lifting of her curly pubic hair pulled her labia against her clit. "You better be prepared to finish what you start mister!" she said laughing. Todd's response was quick and to the point. He rolled off the couch and was between her legs in a flash. Spreading her legs over his shoulders he got right into her pleasure groove and started licking her outer lips as Laura scrunched down further to give him better access at her hot and steamy cunt. Todd started nibbling on those luscious lower lips carefully avoiding her clit. Turning his head and spreading her legs further, he could manage to nibble on each labia lip in turn taking time out every few minutes to kiss and nibble on her delicate thighs. The juices were running out of her now full force, but Todd still avoided contact with her clit, opting instead to lick her butt hole, which was coated now with her cunt juices. She squirmed with delight and tried to force his head to her pleasure button, but Todd had strong neck muscles and she couldn't budge him. She was starting to thrash in frustration when Todd very slowly inserted a finger into her hot and dripping hole. Very slowly, and when he was in to his second knuckle he slowly withdrew it again and repeated the process with two fingers. "Jesus Todd" Laura cried. "I'm so close... please let me cum!" But Todd was not to be denied his pleasure. He continued to nibble at her hair and her lips and inserted his middle finger again into her sopping cunt, lubricating it. He withdrew the finger slowly once again and then slipped it effortlessly into her ass allowing him to get his thumb into her cunt forming a clamp between his finger and thumb. Gently manipulating his finger and thumb he could feel the wall separating the two. Extending his thumb into a miniature penis firmly locked as far in as he could get it, he slowly fucked her ass with his middle finger. With his other hand he tried his best to hold her stomach down so that he could continue to tease and please with his mouth, but finally relented and latched his lips on to her clit and sucked. "Oh my God!" she screamed out as the rush of the orgasm overtook her. She climaxed once and then again and again, spraying his face with her juices, finally in tears as her multiple climaxes subsided. She had to push his mouth away. Her clit felt like it was on fire and the tears were streaming down her face. Todd looked up and quickly confirmed they were tears of joy. Kneeling in front of her Todd guided his rock hard cock towards the delicious pussy he had been eating and slowly entered her to a chorus of "O's!" Todd slowly slid his entire length into her, slowly pulling nearly all the way out before making the slow journey back in. His cock was coated with her juices as well as his pubic hair. His face was still wet with her cum and she grabbed his head pulling him to her and kissed him and licked his face clean, savoring the taste of her own juices. "Please Todd. Stop. Don't cum inside of me there. I want to taste your hot spunk in my mouth and feel it warm my belly." Todd slowly withdrew and stood in front of her. She grasped the base of his hard cock with one hand while the other searched for his butt hole. Using her own juices she wet a finger and easily slipped it in searching for his prostrate. She was quickly rewarded for her efforts as his balls contracted and his cock swelled in size turning a deep purple. Carefully she licked her own juices off his cock and then started probing at his piss hole with her tongue. Todd was reaching critical overload but her hand on the base of his cock was preventing him from cumming. Laura swirled her tongue over his glans causing Todd to groan in pleasure and finally she slipped her mouth over the entire head and with the help of lots of saliva managed to get the entire length down her throat again with her nose resting in his pubic hair where she could smell her own spicy juices. Remembering her learned lesson from earlier in the evening, she allowed her throat to relax until the head of his cock was well inside and then started using her swallowing muscles to milk the cum right out. As she felt the head swell inside her throat and his breath become ragged she started pumping the finger in his ass and released the grip on the base of his cock and switched that hand to milking his tight balls. With a groan and a cry he let loose a torrent of hot spunk down her eager throat. Load after load erupted out of him until his knees started to shake and she could see his leg muscles start to quiver. Todd grasped her shoulders for support as his knees started to give out. Letting him slip out of her mouth with a thread of cum trailing she pulled her finger from his ass and used both hands to lightly stroke his back causing severe spasms in him until the sensation was too much to bear. Slowly Todd sank to his knees, finally collapsing on the floor with his head resting on her hot crotch. Laura had never enjoyed sex as much, or the act of giving as much as she did with Todd. He made her feel special, and he treated her so lovingly. It was hard to believe this was only her second day with him, but she vowed to herself she would do what ever it took to make sure it would not be the last. She raised her feet wrapping her legs around the man she had come to love. Such a gentle, loving man. Laura realized she would probably never be his only love, she had seen the look in Kelly's eyes, but if Kelly didn't mind sharing... ------- Tony fished a little blue pill out of a container in his jacket pocket. "Dessert for me" he announced as he swallowed it down. Kelly, though never having been with a man who used it, recognized it as Viagra. Okay, she thought, he's being presumptuous, but then hadn't she been as presumptuous when she bought the condoms? Kelly really needed a good fuck. Her only source of pleasure for the last few days had been with her own toys and hands. She remembered Tony as a good lover, but as her mind kept telling her, that was then and she was not the same person she was last week. Clearing off the table and putting everything away, they retired to her bedroom where after some preliminary kissing, Kelly slipped off her light sundress and peeled off her panties. Remembering Tony as being overly proud of his body she pulled back the covers on her bed and laid back propped on her pillows, waiting for the show to begin. She didn't have long to wait. Tony preferred the lights on so that he could dazzle his lovers with his good looks. He struck a number of poses taking off the blazer that he had worn all through supper, and with the practice of repetition, casually yet carefully draped it over the closest chair. "God," thought Kelly, "I should've turned on Madonna's Vogue CD so he could strip in style!" Tony did it with class. It was part of his routine, and he had it down to a science. The white shirt that set off his tan so nicely was slowly unbuttoned starting with the cuffs. He never buttoned below the belt line as it took away from his show, so as he undid the last one above his belt, he opened it wide for full effect, showing his hairless chest and dropping the shirt on the floor behind him. Women loved this. Tony knew because he practiced often enough and had often asked his one-night lovers how much they had enjoyed the show. Slowly and with a casual air he ran the fingers of both his hands through his hair, flexing, stretching his elbows wide to allow Kelly full view of his rippling abs and his chest and upper arms. He had looked for but as yet had not been able to find a skin product that would stay, not stain, and give him the well oiled look they used on him during his photo shoots. Sliding his hands over his abs he unbuckled and unzipped his pants in one smooth motion and then slipping his thumbs into the waistband bent forward sliding the pants straight to the floor pulling his socks right down with them. Tony always wore loafers for just this reason and as he straightened up again he was naked except for his jockey shorts now visibly bulging. Tony so loved the idea of making love that he never failed to arouse himself. He had convinced himself he took the Viagra only to please his lovers. Kelly had to cover her mouth to stop from giggling. Tony had added a few new moves, but it was the same routine he had used the first time they had sex. The only difference was back then she was barely eighteen and Tony had wined and dined her. Once again in a perfectly practiced pose, Tony slid his hands down behind his back and into and hooking his jockeys with his thumbs sliding them off his ass allowing his now hard circumcised cock to spring free. It was a source of aggravation to Tony that this was the only muscle he had that he could not increase in size or girth. The one part of his body that would forever be average, but the Viagra did help. The little blue wonder pill not only allowed him to stay hard longer but also made his cock look and feel stronger. Casually he sauntered over to the bed and slid down beside Kelly pressing his body to hers. Placing one hand on her head, Tony tilted it so that he could kiss it deeply and his other hand traveled up her naked body to rest on her breast. Gently toying with her nipple, Tony kissed Kelly many times before he let his mouth trace kisses down her cheek to her neck where he kissed and nibbled for a while before slipping his mouth over one erect nipple. Kelly responded to his touch. It was hard not to. Tony was an excellent lover and quite practiced. He knew the sensitive spots on a woman's body and treated each for the required time. Tony could have written the manual on how to make love to a woman because he followed it so closely, never deviating from the text. As he trailed kisses along Kelly's belly, she arched her back. It wasn't romantic, but her body's sexual triggers were firing on cue. Tony continued kissing downward until he reached her carefully trimmed patch of pubic hair, then spreading her legs wider he began to slowly lick the length of her slit. Her juices started to flow. Much too soon though he latched on to her clit and sucked and nibbled on it until he was rewarded with an orgasmic shiver from Kelly. Kelly had climaxed, but it wasn't the strong release she needed, and she gently pressed on Tony's head to keep him at her pleasure center. Tony obliged but shifted his position so his cock was now close to Kelly's mouth. Pulling her knees up, Tony shifted once more so he was now kneeling over Kelly's head, trapping her between his legs leaving no doubt he was looking for reciprocation. Pulling on her ass, Tony lapped away at her hot box with long strokes each one pressing down on Kelly's clit. Kelly would have preferred him to be licking in the other direction, but the sensation was there and she could feel herself slowly moving towards another climax. Knowing what Tony wanted she opened her lips and with her hands guided his prick past her teeth gently scraping the underside of his glans. Tony was trying to give her a good time, but Kelly nonetheless kept a firm hand wrapped around his cock. She did not want to discover where her gag reflex might be if he were to start thrusting. Kelly sucked on his cock head and slid her lips up and down over it as she herself had another small climax courtesy of Tony's ministrations. She expected a hair trigger release based on his rigid state, but after her climax, Tony rolled over and lifting her knees went to stick his stiff prick into her hot cunt. She managed to scramble away however holding him off with a raised hand as she pulled a condom out of the nightstand. Tony looked at her quizzically. "Sorry Tony," she said. "No glove, no love." Tony looked on with disdain as he allowed Kelly to place the Trojan in place. Kelly preferred to put them on as it insured her safety. Tony was a true player, and Kelly was not willing to risk her health for any man. Thanks to the added power of the Viagra, his erection had not diminished one bit and he soon had Kelly back into position and slipped his cock into her. Kelly kept her knees up allowing him the greatest penetration and enjoyed feeling his pelvic bone slamming into her clit. Tony kept himself raised using his arms as braces against the back of the bed and now totally involved with his own satisfaction rammed his cock home again and again. The bed was rocking with the power of his thrusts and within minutes Kelly was climaxing again and again. Powerful climaxes this time to match the strength that Tony was fucking her with. The sweat was building on Tony's forehead as finally his own climax approached. Dropping to his elbows his thrusts became shorter and quicker until finally he reached his peak as well. Dropping flat on Kelly he grunted and rutted as the last of his spunk flooded out of him. He was now drenched in sweat and his heart was beating fast. They rested together for a few minutes neither of them speaking until Kelly could no longer bear his full weight on her and she nudged him to roll off. "Wasn't that great?" he asked when his breathing had slowed down. "Just wonderful," Kelly said. Her orgasms had been powerful at the end but she felt bruised in her vagina and her thighs. She could not complain about the multiple orgasms, but she felt empty inside. Something was missing. ------- Laura woke up from a dream. She had been dreaming of someone washing her. Slowly she opened her eyes. She was at first disoriented in the strange bed and then realized she and Todd had finally made it to his bed to sleep. She was lying on her stomach with both arms above her head and again felt the strange sensation. Turning her head she saw Todd licking her armpit. "Eww," she said trying to move away. "That's gross!" Todd laughed and said, "I can't help it. You smell and taste so good, I just had to have more." "Ugh... Not from my pits," she said. "I'm all sweaty and stinky there." "No you're not," he laughed. "You smell like a woman to me... actually a very sexy and erotic love goddess. One I hope who will stick with me for a long time." Laura flushed, thrilled with excitement. "Will you want to lick my pits all the time?" she asked jokingly. "Only when you don't have antiperspirant on," he said. "It's good now cause we showered when we came upstairs, but that stuff causes my tongue to curl up!" sticking out his tongue to imitate the effect it would have on him. "But that was hours ago," Laura said sitting up. "I've been sweating a lot since then!" Todd pressed his head close to her chest. "I like the way you smell Laura," he said softly. Laura kissed him and they turned so they sat facing each other on the bed, exchanging kisses and soft words of endearment. Laura played with his cock as he toyed with her nipples. Holding each other's gaze, Laura draped her legs over Todd's and moved slowly forward until she felt his hardening cock pressing against her moist tunnel. Using her hand she guided him in feeling him harden as she inched forward and on to his lap. They locked arms around each other and Laura gyrated on him slowly feeling the tell tale signs of her excitement building. Still keeping eye contact they both became quiet as Laura ground her way to a climax opening her mouth and latching on to Todd's as she crossed the critical line. "You've spoiled me for life," she finally panted. "I couldn't begin to count how many times I've gotten off tonight." And then softly added as she kissed his neck, "I love you Todd." Feeling the warmth of her words and sincerity, Todd whispered in her ear, "I love you Laura." Leaning back slightly she looked Todd in the eyes once again. Their gaze locked on each other, clear eyed, the effects of the marijuana having worn off while they had been sleeping, Laura said, "You don't have to say that Todd. I know you care for me." Todd never broke the intense look between their eyes. "Laura, I never say anything I don't mean. I really do love you. I'm not going to make any promises I might not be able to keep, but I am also not as promiscuous as people think I am. You are a beautiful woman, full of life and full of love. You are fun to be with and there is only one other person I have ever felt so connected to. Only one other person I would even consider licking under her arms... And I haven't." Laura nodded. Wise beyond her years, she finally said, "Kelly." Todd broke their gaze and nodded. Laura lifted his chin and forced him to look into her eyes. "It's okay Todd," she said. "I once had an exclusive relationship, but in three years, it never approached what I feel for you. I don't believe in chance. I think I was destined to meet you, and I knew the first time I took my clothes off for you that I was accepting you as you were. I'm not asking you to change who you are, and I won't try to change you. I really love you and if it means sharing you..." Laura thought hard and long before she continued... "Then I will be happy just knowing you love me." They kissed softly and yet with passion. It might break all the conventional rules and be frowned on by much of society, but both knew that now, in the middle of the night, locked in a lover's embrace, the truth had been spoken. Laura sat up with a start. "You're still hard inside of me." She said with surprise on her face. "Couldn't you cum?" Todd blushed a furious red. "Not in my present condition," he finally admitted. "What condition?" Laura asked with genuine concern in her voice. Todd's blush only increased. Laura kissed his face all over. "Come on Todd, you can tell me." She said. "I... I have to pee." He finally whispered his blush now creeping into his scalp. "Oh!" said Laura with glee, "Can I watch?" Todd's blushing had extended even more and he looked at Laura with a mixture of shock and surprise. "I've never done it with a girl watching," he said. "I'm not sure I can." Laura dismounted from his lap and taking his hand led him to the bathroom. "Now's the time to find out," she said with a devious twinkle in her eye. Todd reluctantly let her lead him. "Maybe you'll let me hold it while you tinkle" she laughed. Standing in front of the toilet with his cock still hard, Todd expressed his frustration. "I can't get it to start," he said. "I'm too hard to bend it and some built in instinct won't let me go while I'm pointed skyward." "Nonsense" Laura said. "I've babysat lot's of little boys and they have no problems peeing with a hard on. You just need some inspiration." Laura turned the taps on in the sink. "Does that help?" she asked. "I'm feeling the urge," Todd replied, "but getting it to start is harder than I thought." Laura laughed and Todd realized the pun he had just uttered. "You're just worried that you will pee all over the wall," she said. "How about peeing in the shower?" Todd looked at her with shock. "Oh, come on Todd" she said. "Don't tell me you've never done it. Girls do it all the time. Come on. I've never seen a man pee before. Let me help you." Laura turned the sink taps off, stepped into the shower and turned the taps on. She pulled Todd into the shower standing directly in front of him. "Come on Todd..." she said. "Piss on my belly and my cunt." "Laura," Todd said, shock on his face at her obvious willingness and frank language. "Oh don't give me that look," she said mockingly. "This from the man who has licked my ass and my armpits. You know you want to do it." It was too much for Todd and between her coaxing and his willingness to explore new territory proved to be the key and slowly his urine started to flow. Laura grabbed his cock in her hand and guided it, now spraying full force, across her belly and then aiming it directly at her pubic hair watching it run down her legs into the drain. "Oh, this is so nasty!" she said laughing. She turned around quickly and said, "Spray my asshole Todd." Todd now into the game fully gladly obliged her, but soon both of them felt the pressure start to weaken. Laura turned back around and holding his now deflating cock pressed it against her cunt lips letting the remaining hot stream wash across her clit. Then they embraced and kissed. A deep and meaningful kiss knowing they had shared a special moment. After a few more minutes embracing and kissing they turned the shower on and washed each other off again before heading back to bed where they cuddled in each other's arms face to face before drifting off to sleep. ------- Kelly and Tony had showered separately after their sexual tryst. Kelly going first and then drifting off to sleep. She woke up in the middle of the night feeling something pressing on her butt hole. She turned her head and realized Tony trying to slip his cock into her ass and without a rubber on! She rolled over quickly and let loose with a right cross that caught Tony smack dab in the jaw causing him to howl in pain and roll off the bed. Kelly jumped out of bed with both fists raised standing over him. "What the fuck did you think you were doing Tony?" She yelled at him. He curled up even further into a ball and Kelly responded by kicking him hard in the ass. "Answer me you motherfucker!" she screamed. "Did you think I would sleep through that you fucking rapist? Stand up and let me show you what I think of your brilliant idea!" her hands clenching and unclenching as she stood over him. "Please Kelly," Tony whimpered. "Don't hit me in the face." Kelly stepped back. Her anger was still seething but she understood what he was saying. As a professional model his livelihood depended on his looks, and in her rage she could easily destroy him. After several minutes and taking many deep breaths she finally backed away telling him to get up. Grabbing his clothes from the floor she threw them at him. "Get dressed and get out," she said with a deadly calm. Tony continued to whimper... "I'm sorry Kelly," he said. "Shut up you fucking bastard. How dare you?" Kelly marched over to the phone and called for a cab. Into the phone she said to the dispatcher, "There's a $20 tip in it if the driver can be here in ten minutes." Still nude and pacing the floor she watched Tony try to dress while still on the floor. "For fuck's sake, stand up and get dressed properly you brainless shit." Tony dressed quickly keeping a wary eye on Kelly. Satisfied that he was dressed enough to get out, she opened her front door. "A cab will be here shortly," she told him. "Now make it a point to lose my number from your little black book. I never want to see or hear from you again!" Tony carefully maneuvered around her and stumbled to the street still buttoning his shirt, socks in his pocket. A pathetic sight Kelly thought. What the hell had she been thinking? She closed the door behind him and stood at the window as she heard the squeal of tires turning at the end of the street as some ambitious cabby looking to cash in on the extra tip raced in. Let Tony settle the bill when he got back to his hotel she thought. She knew the cabbies that worked this area in the middle of the night. Tony would not get out of forking over that tip. As the cab sped away Kelly allowed herself to fall back into her big chair, folding her legs underneath her. Her emotions wrung out, and no place to vent her disappointment, a stream of tears started a flow down her cheeks. "Fuck, fuck, fuck..." ------- Chapter 5 Todd and Laura were asleep, face-to-face, entwined with each other, when the sound of a ship's emergency klaxon went off. Todd rolled his head back and groaned. "Sorry," he said to Laura reaching over her, "I forgot to turn the alarm off last night." Laura, stirred by Todd's movement, turned to look at the alarm clock he was trying, without much success, to swat. "Hey," she said. "I recognize that. It's a 'Shuttle Pod' isn't it? From Star Trek?" Todd laughed. "No sweetheart," he explained, "that is a 'Shuttle CRAFT.' Actually it's a highly detailed, miniaturized scale model of the Magellan, part of the medium range shuttles currently in service on the Enterprise-D." "Oh," Laura said. "I've seen that show. It's the one with Scott Bakula as the Skipper right?" Todd groaned as he rolled over, rubbing his temples. "How can I love a girl who doesn't love Star Trek?" he asked. "And you're thinking of the show 'Enterprise.' And it's not a commercial boat so the rank is Captain," he added. Laura laughed as she pulled him back on the bed. "I know that my Captain. I was pulling your leg. My dad is a 'Trekkie, ' and for the longest time I had a crush on Will Riker, first officer on board the galaxy class starship NCC 1701-D." She continued giving details of the show as she planted kisses on his face and neck and other exposed areas within her reach. "Ah," he said with obvious pleasure, "so it's not just my body you're after, you want my mind as well!" "And your heart," she added silencing any further discussion with a deep, long kiss. They made gentle yet passionate love in the bed that had been the scene of a more aggressive, demanding fuck fest the night before. They went at it leisurely, savoring each moment of the intimate contact until both achieved a quiet yet enjoyable orgasm. Still pressed deep within her womb, Todd rolled to the side so as not to place too much pressure on Laura. She rolled with him and clamped her legs trying to keep his cock firmly planted inside, though she could feel him softening. With a sigh of regret she released him from her grasp and said, "Now I need to empty my bladder!" With a mischievous grin on his face, Todd said, "Oh goody! My turn to watch." "Oh no you don't!" she said laughing as she ran for the bathroom, but even though she reached it first she did not close the door on him. He walked up to her slowly as the first sound of water hitting water met his ears. Bending forward he kissed her lips and slowly slipped his hand between her legs letting the hot stream wash over his hand. Laura blushed but said nothing until Todd searched to find the source of the stream. "Oh... don't do that or I won't be able to finish," she said. Puzzled, Todd asked why. "Girl plumbing is different," she explained. "If you excite me, then the flow turns off. It's like being tickled." Todd stopped playing and was content to feel the last of her pee dribble over his hand. Grabbing some toilet paper Laura wiped herself and stood up stepping over Todd's arm. "Well?" she asked. "How did it feel?" "Strange but somehow exciting at the same time." He replied. Laura laughed and said, "Maybe next time I'll give you a shower of it!" Todd smiled. This girl had an adventurous streak. Finally, after washing his hands, he asked Laura if she would like breakfast. "Oh let me make it," she implored. "You can relax and watch TV or something. I think I can find my way around your kitchen well enough." "But I'd rather help you," he said. "Okay, then you can do the dishes afterwards," she laughed. "Now go and do something totally because you want to. I'll holler if I can't find anything or whenever it's ready." Todd kissed her on the forehead, on the nose and finally a soft one on the lips. "Okay," he said. "I'll leave you to it." After Laura left the bathroom Todd took a minute to empty his own bladder, which he suddenly realized was full, and then took the time to shave. He didn't want Laura's beautiful face scuffed with whisker burn. It was difficult shaving though because his face seemed to be frozen into a smile that wouldn't go away. Looking at his own reflection in the mirror he said, "you are one lucky son-of-a-bitch!" Todd brushed his teeth as well, wiped down the vanity and headed for the living room to catch up on the world news. He had caught up on CNN's World Headline News and was changing to a local news channel when he caught the scent of bacon frying. Hmm... Bacon. He knew he had some but it had been in the freezer. Laura was obviously finding her way around the kitchen without difficulty. Todd sat back suddenly very relaxed, both hands behind his head. He gently drifted off to sleep thinking of a CD Kelly had bought him. ------- Todd had never understood Kelly's love of Country music. A couple of years ago Todd had volunteered his talents for a Celebrity / Charity Cattle Drive in Fort Worth. It was for a good cause, a children's treatment center, and Kelly had come along. It could have been a single afternoon shoot, but Kelly had convinced him to go for the entire five days. She knew most of the actors and singers that would be taking turns leading the 'green-horns, ' and Todd always did like doing a job right. They had decided to drive down, hauling the trailer behind them - a working vacation for both of them and a chance to escape from what had been a hot and humid summer in Charlotte. On the second day of the drive, Kelly had turned off the CD player and tuned the radio to 99.5, KPLX, "the Wolf." Todd was a fan of Classic Rock, and after an hour of listening to the station, wanted to switch back. I don't understand what you like about this music Kell," he had said. "It all sounds like the same three chords. The only thing I see different is each song has worse singers." "That's because you aren't listening to the words Todd," Kelly said. "It's not the melody, it's what the singer is telling you." "What?" Todd had smirked, "that his best friend has run off with his wife and the pick-up's out of gas?" Kelly had remained silent. He obviously wasn't getting the message. "Look Kell, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I just don't get it." "It's okay Todd." She had said. "You can change it back if you want." Todd had decided to leave it. She wasn't asking for that much, and besides being his partner, they were best friends who shared everything. About a half hour later he said to Kelly, "You know, I know I've never listened to this station before, but that announcer sounds real familiar to me." Kelly had laughed. Todd liked hearing her laugh. "He should sound familiar to you. That's Maurice Minnifield from 'Northern Exposure' you're listening to. Barry Corbin." "Shit... No way!" he said astounded. NX had been one of his favorite TV shows before the network had pulled it off the air. "Yes way," she said, mimicking the teens they so often had to deal with. "If you had read the material the charity had sent you instead of just agreeing to do it, you would know that Barry is one of the celebrity trail bosses." "Damn. I didn't know he was into this cowboy stuff." "Not just him either," Kelly continued with a self-satisfied smirk. "If you want to we could drop in on Janine Turner. She has a ranch around there as well." Before Todd could reply Kelly heard the strains of a familiar old tune starting on the radio and turned it up. "Try listening to the words of this one Todd. Forget the music, just listen to the words." Willie Nelson was singing "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground." The song had finished and Todd realized what Kelly meant. A few minutes later they pulled into a truck stop for lunch and on the way out Kelly had bought the CD for him. Kris Kristofferson: Super Hits. "His voice sounds a bit weather worn, but I think this CD will tell you more about yourself, about me and about the two of us than any other I can think of right now. He's been where we've been Todd, and he tells the story better than we could ourselves." Todd went to slip it in, but Kelly stayed his hand. "Listen to it first when you aren't driving and when you are alone. Some of the songs on this album hit too close to home for me to be sitting next to you when you hear them. Just know that I think you're the Pilgrim." Kelly had then reached into the console and slipped Bob Seger's Greatest Hits into the CD player and they both continued the drive down singing along to "Old Time Rock and Roll." ------- "Todd, wake up. Breakfast is ready." Laura shook him gently by the shoulder. "I'm sorry Laura," he said. "I didn't mean to fall asleep." Laura just pressed a finger to his lips. "Don't worry about it. I would have loved to watch you sleep but my feeble attempts at cooking might just taste a bit better if still warm." She laughed. "By the way, did you know you sing in your sleep?" Todd gave her a skeptical look. "I was singing?" Laura laughed. "Well maybe not exactly singing, but you were definitely humming out a tune... I think its called 'Why Me Lord.'" Todd looked stunned. It was one of the songs from the Kristofferson CD Kelly had given him. "Well," he said finally, "I guess that's how lucky I feel having found you in my life." Laura's eyes misted at the compliment. She led him to the kitchen where she had prepared French toast along with a plate of fried eggs, crisp bacon and hash browns, fresh perked coffee and a large glass of orange juice. Todd's eyes widened at the sight. "Wow," he said as he took his seat. "I'm overwhelmed Laura. Who would think that someone as good looking as you could cook as well?" Laura punched him playfully in the shoulder. "Really," he said. "I didn't even know I had the makings for all of this here." "Didn't you shop for it?" Laura asked. Todd blushed sheepishly. "Actually, Kelly usually keeps my cupboards filled. I never used to eat at home. Which reminds me..." He got back up and grabbed his package of prepared vitamins and his container of pre-mixed health juice. Laura looked at him and the prepared packages in the fridge. "Let me guess," she said smiling. "Kelly also prepares these for you." "I guess I never learned to take care of myself properly," he said. She patted him on the shoulder and smiled. "Kelly must be quite a cook herself to keep your cupboards filled with what I found." Todd dug into the stack of French toast and between his sighs of pleasure he said, "She is, but she doesn't get much time to do it. And she never does it for herself." He leaned over and kissed Laura's nose, "and I've never seen her tinkle either!" "Will you please stop worrying about me being jealous," Laura said. "Really, I like Kelly." A small blush came to her cheeks. "She's a big part of your life, I can see that. She said to me that she was happy for both of us and I believe her. I think she and I could become great friends. Now tell me what those pills were and what was in that thick brown drink." Todd laughed. "I have no idea," he admitted. "I trust her judgment, and can swear to the positive results it's brought to my life, but I have no idea what it is. I figured I was smart knowing the difference between mineral water and spring water," he said laughing. "By the way, did I tell you that you are a fantastic cook?" he said as he polished off the bacon. "You did just by the way you tackled your breakfast," she replied smiling. Todd insisted she sit and relax while he washed up the dishes. "At least I have this part down to an acceptable level," he said laughing. "But you barely ate anything yourself. Don't you like your own cooking?" "That's the problem," she said. "I like it too much, but a girl has to watch her figure you know! I usually just have a glass of juice and a grapefruit in the morning. Indulging myself in French toast is definitely not something I would do on a regular basis." Todd looked at her seriously for a minute. "You know Laura, I do believe you and Kelly will get along fabulously." Laura thought hard and long before she answered. "Todd," she said. "What if it's me that strays?" He looked at her quizzically. "I'm not saying that I plan to, but I want to be honest with you. When Kelly and I were taking our shower yesterday..." she started to blush deeper. Todd sat down and took her hands in his. "Yes my love?" Laura had trouble meeting his eyes. "I can't really explain it. I've never been with a woman before, but yesterday, I got really turned on by Kelly." Todd kissed her hands. Sucking each finger gently before opening her hands and kissing her palms. "Laura," He said, "I do really love you, but that doesn't mean I'm putting chains on you. I told you that I couldn't promise anything more than my love for you. Why would I expect anything different from you? Life has a nasty habit of throwing us curve balls when we're all set for straight pitches. Love is the one thing we can enjoy. Forget about the morality police and live and love for the day. If something does come from this, my love for you will not change. Would you love me any less if you found happiness with Kelly?" "No, of course not," Laura said suddenly, and then understanding filled her eyes. "I've never met anyone like you or Kelly before," she said. "I hope I don't turn out to be a disappointment to you." "Never my love," Todd said. "You've already captured my heart. Now how about joining me for an episode of Enterprise while we let our breakfast settle?" "Okay," Laura said brightly, "But only if you tell me which cast member you most lust after! I want to know all your fantasies!" "Hmmm" said Todd. "The males don't do anything for me, so I guess it comes down to T'Pol or Hoshi." As they settled down in front of the TV to watch a taped episode, Laura laid her head in Todd's lap. "I'll be your Peter meter," she said jokingly. "You'll have to be honest cause I'll be able to feel if you get hard." "Okay," he relented. "I'd have to go with Hoshi. She's more sensual than T'Pol and there's always that oriental mystique." Laura sighed and closed her eyes, listening to the show. She had seen this episode a few times and simply wanted to enjoy cuddling next to the man she loved. ------- Laura jumped up with a start. She had dozed off from the combination of the physical activities and the large breakfast but a dream had awakened her. She realized she had fallen asleep, but was left with an unsettling feeling. She sat up and turned to Todd with concern on her face. "Todd, you have to call Kelly." At his confused look she explained she was concerned about Kelly. "It's hard to explain Todd," she said, "but I have this feeling..." "Feeling?" he asked. "I know. It sounds weird, but I get these... call them what you will, but I have a feeling that something is wrong. It just came over me." Todd had seen too many 'coincidences' over the years to ignore intuition and reached to pick up the cordless phone. Hoping he wouldn't be disturbing Kelly and thinking Tony might still be there, he hesitated. Still, worry started to creep in so he picked up the phone and then jumped as it rang in his hand. Somehow, he almost wasn't surprised when the caller display revealed it was Kelly's number. "Hello?" he said cautiously. "Mr. Todd?" asked the voice on the other end of the line. Todd recognized the voice of Gloria. "What's wrong Gloria? What's happened? I was just about to call Kelly." "You better come down right now Mr. Todd. Something's wrong with Miss Kelly. She done locked herself in her room and I can hear her crying," Gloria said. "I'll be there in a few minutes Gloria," he said. Hanging up the phone he turned to Laura and said, "Your feeling was right. Something is wrong and I have to get over there." "Let me come with you Todd," Laura said. "I might be able to help." Todd just nodded and they quickly got dressed. Taking Laura's car was handier and she drove as Todd gave directions. They made it to Kelly's in minutes. As she parked the car Todd turned in his seat and asked, "How did you know?" Laura looked at Todd for a minute and said, "Don't get spooked okay? I get these feelings once in a while. Usually when I'm sleeping and just at that state before I hit REM sleep. Usually about someone I have on my mind. It's not a big thing and I'm certainly no Miss Cleo." As they got out of the car Todd said, "Okay. I guess I understand. It must be what they call women's intuition cause Kelly does that to me sometimes as well." Laura breathed a silent sigh of relief. It was something she didn't like to talk about. She didn't understand it, but on those occasions when it did happen, she was invariably right. Gloria had left the door open and as they entered she started explaining how she was on the way to get an ice cream when she felt the urge to stop at Kelly's. Todd rolled his eyes as he turned and looked at Laura. "It must be a woman thing," he mumbled. Todd managed to calm Gloria down, and noticed that Laura had instinctively found Kelly's bedroom and was talking through the door. "Kelly?" she said. "I need to talk to you. I've got a problem." Todd quietly made his way to stand beside Laura. Between soft sobs he heard Kelly ask, "Can it wait Laura? I'm not feeling so good right now." Laura raised her finger to Todd's lips. "Actually Kelly, it's rather important and I need your help." Laura seemed to know that Kelly would put her own problems on hold if someone else was in pain. Kelly really wanted someone to talk to, but realized that Todd was probably with Laura and she didn't want him to know what had happened the night before. Todd might blow up and go looking for Tony. And Kelly could never discuss this part of her life with Gloria as close as they were. Kelly was terrified she was going to lose her mind. Dabbing at her tears she finally said, "If it's really important, I guess we can talk, but I don't want Todd or Gloria to see me in this condition. Tell them I'm okay and let them go home, and then we can talk." Laura smiled. She had guessed right about Kelly and said in a soothing voice, "Just give me a minute then and I'll tell everyone you're okay and let them go home. I really appreciate this Kelly." Taking Todd back to where Gloria was waiting, she explained to them that Kelly would be okay now. She would stay with Kelly until she felt better and call Todd later. "Take my car back," she said. "If I need a ride back, I'll give you a call." Gloria looked at Laura closely, finally nodding her head. "She is right Mr. Todd. Miss Kelly needs a sister to talk with, not a friend." Giving Laura a nod she said, "you take good care of my girl now." With that she headed out the door. At the door Todd looked intently at Laura. He was genuinely concerned for his friend. "It's not a problem Todd," said Laura. "Trust me. She's in pain and she doesn't want you to see her like this." "Okay, but I'll keep the phone close at hand. Call me if you need help or when she's feeling better." Laura kissed him and said, "You really do love her don't you?" Todd looked away but Laura pulled his chin back so he had to look her in the eyes. "I guess I do. I just never realized how much, and I'm not sure in what way. She's saved me from myself and she's my best friend." Laura just smiled at him and said, "It's okay Todd. It is possible to love more than one person, and you give what you can. Now be a sweetheart and go home. I promise I'll call you as soon as she's feeling better." Todd kissed her once more with love before slipping out the door. Laura locked the door and went to Kelly. ------- When Kelly heard the car pull out of her driveway she slipped a t-shirt and a pair of boxers on and unlocked the bedroom door. Crawling back on her bed she lit a cigarette and tried to compose herself. Knocking softly Laura walked in. She looked at Kelly. Puffy eyes, scraggly hair and a red nose looked back at her. Laura moved onto the bed facing Kelly. She nodded to Kelly's smokes and asked, "Mind if I have one?" Kelly passed the pack of her Canadian Cameo's and her lighter, then placed the ashtray between them and shifted to sit cross-legged to face Laura. Laura said "Thanks" and lit one up, placing the pack between them before shifting herself to mirror Kelly's position. For a good five minutes neither spoke, just sitting silently looking at each other. "Rough night?" Laura finally ventured. Kelly snorted. "Yeah," she said, "the worst." "Todd worries about you," said Laura. Kelly looked away. "You know both of you do that when you don't want talk about something that concerns the other," Laura said. With an exasperated sigh Kelly said, "I thought you had a problem." "I do," said Laura, "It's you." Kelly's head snapped up like she had been slapped. "How in the hell can I be your problem? We only met yesterday. You don't know me well enough to hate me yet." And with that said the tears started to flow freely. Laura carefully removed the lit cigarette from Kelly's fingers and stubbed both out, moving the ashtray to the nightstand and then slid up to sit beside Kelly pulling Kelly's head into her own shoulder. She let Kelly cry for a long time, softly patting her head and rubbing her back until finally the sobs started to break into gulps. Looking around the headboard she found a box of tissues and pulled a handful out which she slipped in between their bodies to wipe at Kelly's eyes and nose. "I don't hate you Kelly," Laura said softly. "How could I, or anybody else, hate somebody like you?" Kelly blew her nose loudly then looked Laura in the eyes. "How fucked up can my life be when someone I thought was a friend runs down everything I have ever accomplished and then treats me like a street corner prostitute?" Kelly sobbed out. "Do you feel humiliated?" Laura asked. Kelly looked into Laura's eyes. "Yeah," she said finally. "I was humiliated." "And that's why you didn't want Todd to see you like this. Even though he loves you." "You've got that wrong Laura. We're just best friends." "Isn't this something you would want to share with your best friend?" Laura asked. "No, the reason you didn't want Todd to see you like this is because you love him and he loves you, and you didn't want him to see you in this pain. Especially over another man." "You don't understand..." Kelly started to say, but Laura placed a finger on Kelly's mouth. "What I don't understand is how you two can keep on fooling yourselves about how you feel for each other." "Nothing ruins a friendship faster than sex," Kelly said. "Is that what happened last night?" Laura asked. "No," Kelly spit out. "Tony was a self centered egotistical prick before. But the first time we had been intimate I was a lot younger and I didn't realize then just how big a prick he was." "So what about the guy you broke up with the night before?" Laura asked. "Mark?" Kelly laughed. "He wanted to change me into something like a Rolex he could wear on his wrist. Another trophy to add to his collection and to impress his friends." "I see," said Laura. "So Todd must really have something wrong with him for you not to want to share his love as well as his friendship." "No... that's not it at all!" Kelly said. "I can't take a chance on ruining what we have." "So you think if you admit to him that you love him it will ruin your friendship?" "I don't want him to feel committed to me," Kelly finally whispered. "From what I've seen so far, you two are already pretty committed," said Laura. "You have a business together that looks pretty good, you pick up his groceries and lay out his vitamins, hell, you do more for him than most wives do for their husbands." Kelly laughed for the first time. "I guess it does look like we're an old married couple doesn't it? But doesn't that bother you? I mean, aren't you interested in a long term relationship with him?" Laura got up and kissed Kelly on the head. "Yes I am, and I've already told him how much I love him, but don't confuse love with sex. Sex with love is fantastic, without love it's just filling a primal need." Kelly nodded her head. She realized how true those words were. "But I'm no hopeless romantic," said Laura. "I'll be with Todd as long as he loves me and wants me around, but I haven't put a ring through his nose or a leash around his neck. I'd be pretty naive to think I could have all of his affection and attention. We've already discussed this and it's a non-issue. Love is something you don't measure or dole out in portions. It's totally without limits. Now let's get you fixed up." Pulling Kelly by the arm she got her off the bed and seated in front of the makeup mirror. "Do you have cucumber in the fridge?" Laura asked. "We have to get that puffiness around your eyes down." "Actually I do have cucumbers in the fridge," Kelly said, "but I have something that works better." Pulling open one of the drawers she brought out a jar of 'Dead Sea' facial mud. "My emergency repair kit" Kelly laughed. "Let me put it on for you," Laura said, a warm stirring filling her. ------- An hour later Kelly's mudpack had dried completely. She had her eyes shut and could barely move her lips, but was content to let Laura pamper her. While the mud was drying Laura had called her mother and explained she was going to be spending the night at a new friend's house. Her mother, glad to see Laura happy again didn't question who the friend was. Laura prepared a large pitcher of fresh fruit juices and with a straw helped Kelly to take sips from the glass. Kelly was totally relaxed and before the mud set completely asked Laura how she knew about the humiliation she had experienced the night before. "I was 15 and I fell in love with the high school's football hero. I was so happy he even paid attention to me that I was sure this was the stuff of fairy tales and we would live happily ever after," Laura explained. She had surrendered her virginity to the 17 year old that, according to all the girls in school, was the dream catch. "I was an advanced student and getting good grades when I met him, and he was a late starter. The more involved we got the more time I spent doing his homework and less time on my own. He would call and I would jump to be with him. We were a steady item until last year when he was offered a football scholarship to some college in Michigan. I was sure we would go there together, but after he received his confirmation, he told me that we had rushed into our relationship too soon and should start dating other people. By that time my grades had slipped so I was barely passing having spent all my time on his homework. I realized I had been a convenient tool for him to advance his career hopes and my family couldn't afford to pay for my tuition at any school. I started working full time this summer hoping to be able to save enough that maybe next year I could apply to a local school." Laura took a break in her story to fetch a basin of warm water and a washcloth. As she carefully moistened the mud and wiped Kelly's face clean, she continued. "I was hurt and humiliated," she said. "My folks were disappointed and I've been trying to get my life back on course ever since. I've been doing some correspondence courses to bring my grades up to match my SAT's, but it's slow going. I was all set to give all males a wide berth and then a friend arranged for me to have a portrait done by Todd to cheer me up. As you noticed yesterday, I have given up on my vow of celibacy and I haven't felt so positive about myself in years. I realize now that my former fiancé was a user, so yes, I think I know what it feels like to be totally humiliated." Kelly's heart went out to Laura. "Now then," said Laura, "time to take care of your hair. I think you are due for a long warm soak in a tub. You do have one right?" Kelly laughed. "Yes, I do, but how about we have something to eat before that?" Laura felt her stomach answer for her and said, "that sounds great, but you have a really good friend who is probably on the verge of a nervous breakdown if you don't call him and let him know you are okay." Kelly nodded silently. "And I want you to tell him just how you feel about him," Laura added. "No," Kelly said. "I'm swearing off sex until I get my head on straight." "Jesus Kelly," Laura said with a bit of frustration in her voice, "I didn't say you should offer to jump into the sack with him. Obviously you have some issues to work out. I just want you to admit your feelings for him and let him know you are okay." Reluctantly Kelly picked up the phone and dialed Todd's number. The phone was answered on the first ring. ------- There was a hesitant "Hello" from Todd as he answered the phone. "Hi Todd, it's me." Kelly said. "I'm sorry I made you worry about me." "You didn't make me worry Kell," said Todd. "I worry about you all on my own." Todd's last remark caught Kelly off guard. "Why do you worry about me Todd?" she asked. "I know you Kell, you put up a brave front and you act like you know exactly what you're doing, and that you're in charge, but I know you better than anyone, and I think you'd like to let go once in a while and let somebody else take charge. The only problem is, you've been going to all the wrong guys for it. You've been on your own for a long time kiddo, and you and me are the only family either of us has. That's why I worry about you. It eats me up when I see you hurt." "But... in all these years, you never made a single move towards me," she said. "That stupid rule you always spout off about not fooling around with models." "Jesus Kelly," Todd sighed. "There's no rule. I just said that cause I didn't want to hurt you. You're my best friend and I love you, but I didn't want to be another disappointment to you where sex is concerned. I wouldn't jeopardize our relationship over something like that. Every time you broke up with another guy you've been hurt and angry. I didn't want to be one of those guys." "Oh Todd. I do love you, but you have a wonderful new girlfriend now, and I won't get in the way of your happiness. I just wanted you to know that I love you. I'll see you at work tomorrow okay?" Laura took the phone from Kelly's hand and took over the conversation. "She doesn't understand does she?" Todd asked Laura. "No, not yet," said Laura, "but I think the time is close. Would you be awfully disappointed if I didn't come back to the studio tonight?" "Of course," said Todd, "But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, and I love you all the more for it. Do you want me to drop your car off or will you come in with Kelly tomorrow?" Laura looked at Kelly and asked, "Would you mind if I spent the night with you?" Kelly looked at Laura with curious eyes. "No, I wouldn't mind, I just thought you said that to your mother so you could spend another night with Todd." Laura laughed. "No, I don't need permission from my mother to stay out for the night, I just call her so she won't worry." Turning back to the phone she said to Todd, "I'll ride in with Kelly tomorrow. Have a good evening sweetheart. Try and dream of me." "I love you," said Todd. Laura hung up the phone. "Okay, that's all taken care of, now let's talk about food!" Laura said smiling. "What do you feel like having? I'm not Martha Stewart but I can fix us something." Kelly started laughing, and seeing Laura's surprised look laughed even harder. Finally bringing herself under control she said, "I'm sorry Laura. I wasn't laughing at you. But have you ever heard of IMClone?" and promptly started laughing again. ------- Kelly insisted on doing the cooking but didn't object when Laura jumped in to help prepare the grilled chicken over a garden salad. While the two girls cut and sliced vegetables for the salad, Kelly told Laura the story of Tony's recent stock market misadventures. While Laura knew nothing of the stock market, she could appreciate the irony of Kelly's humor. "I sure can use the roughage," Laura said as she dug in for a second helping of salad. "I've had nothing but takeout for the last two nights and then I made things worse this morning by making breakfast for Todd and ended up eating way too many carbs." Kelly looked at Laura and asked, "And Todd didn't offer you a container of his go-juice?" "Is that the brown stuff in the little bottles?" Laura asked. "That's the stuff." "I think he might have been afraid to give it to me," Laura laughed. "I asked him about all those pills he took and the drink and he said he didn't have a clue what it was." "That man needs to learn how to take care of himself," Kelly said as she got up and pulled a container of the same out of her fridge. "Here you go Laura, this will help clear you up and out, but for the best results you should have it everyday. Which reminds me, I haven't had my own vitamins today." Kelly popped open her large vitamin bottles and took out double doses. As she handed Laura half of the pills, she noticed Laura looking curiously at the small bottle. Kelly pulled one out for herself and said, "be sure to shake it well Laura, and don't sip it. It's four ounces of prune juice with two tablespoons of ground soy lecithin and two of milled flax seed. What I do is take the pills and swallow the juice to chase them down. The pills are all natural and you don't have to worry about reactions to any of them." She showed Laura the way to do it. After Laura had swallowed all of the pills and emptied the juice bottle she said, "That wasn't so bad." Kelly laughed. "I'll have to set you up on a regular regimen of these if you want to see some really amazing results. If you want, we'll mix up enough tonight so that we can stock Todd's fridge for you. I'm assuming that you will be spending a lot of time there." "As much time as I can," Laura said, "but I still have to go to work through the week if I hope to get back to school." They had washed the dishes and were sitting at the table having a leisurely smoke and a glass of wine. "Do you want to go to school for the sake of going Laura, or do you want to earn a degree?" "Is there a difference?" Laura asked. "A big difference," Kelly said. "I earned my bachelor's in fine arts while I was on the road modeling. It's called 'distant learning, ' or at least it was when I did it. Some friends we made recently, they are way ahead of any kids their age because they didn't stop studying for the summer and are doing it the same way. It's a lot faster as well because you can move at your own pace, and if you have the ambition you can really move ahead because you aren't slowed down by the class speed." Laura nodded and then finally said, "I'll have to save a bit more first I think, but I will definitely look into it. Thanks for the tip." Kelly grasped Laura's hands. "Please tell me you're going to give modeling a chance." "Yeah, well both you and Todd talked about it, but I don't want to be a charity case simply because I'm sleeping with Todd." "Oh my," said Kelly. "Who's the one with a self esteem problem now?" Laura laughed a little at that. "Ironic isn't it? All my life I had wanted to get a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology so I could help other people. But then a jock suckered me in, and now I dish out fast food at Arby's. I was devastated Kelly. Because he was a late starter and a slow learner, his classes were caught up in no time with me doing his homework and assignments and he had enough credits to graduate in January. Meanwhile, I didn't get mine done because he was busy doing me. Three days ago I would have thought a job offer as a model was a cruel joke, but I've seen the prints of what I look like 'purtied up.'" "Well Laura, this isn't a cruel joke, and it's not charity either. You get to earn your own way, and if you play by the rules, you won't get hurt." "Rules?" Laura asked. "Yep," said Kelly leaning back. "This is a job and we have specific rules for all our models. They're not too hard to follow. You never allow yourself alone in a situation with just the photographer on a paid shoot. If he doesn't have an assistant there, you walk out. You never do your own make-up, and if the person taking care of your hair and make-up isn't doing a good job of it, you walk out, because you also represent us. The client always pays for the travel and if you are given first class, I don't ever want to hear that you cashed it in and took coach instead. You only work overtime if approved by our company via fax so we can make sure that you get paid properly for it, and you never, ever model anything not specified in the contract. No uppers, downers or diet pills. No speed, crack or coke in your private life and you never drink on the job. No tattoos or body piercing either as long as you are under contract with us. Sound too harsh?" Laura looked at Kelly with her mouth hanging open. The girl who had a few hours before been in so much pain had just turned into the ultimate business woman. "And finally, if another agency approaches you, you talk to us first. That's just common courtesy. I think that just about covers all of it. Any questions?" Laura just stared at Kelly for a few minutes. "Umm... why the rule about changing tickets on a plane?" Laura finally managed to get out. Kelly laughed and returned to her normal self. "Because you are worth it. Any of our models who travel, we insist they get treated as special people. No cheap motels either. We don't want you to think less of yourself than what we think you are worth." "Ah, okay, but... umm... what about a little grass?" she finally asked. "Not on the job," Kelly said smiling. "Wow. I never realized..." "That it's a real job?" Kelly finished for her. "It is but the pay off is pretty good. I've seen your body, and I'm quite sure that Todd captured your best points and features even though you have a lot of them. I don't think you're a prude, but one of our clients is adding lingerie to his catalog line. Nothing cheesy and nothing important will be exposed and both Todd and I know the photographer and the make-up people. If you're interested I'll give him a call. I'm quite sure I could arrange for a five day session, four hours a day at..." Kelly thought carefully. "I'd have to check with Todd and see the photos but I think I could easily get you three fifty to four fifty per hour." "Four and a half bucks an hour?" Laura exclaimed. "I thought you said a person could make a reasonable living at this." Kelly laughed out loud which was unfortunate, as she had just taken a sip of wine that sprayed out all over Laura. "Oh God, I'm so sorry Laura," Kelly said still laughing as she reached for the paper towels and tried to dab off the wine from Laura's t-shirt. "I meant four hundred and fifty dollars an hour." Laura blushed feeling foolish. Kelly saw the blush and reached her arms around Laura hugging her from behind. "Now I think we both need a bath!" ------- Kelly had run the tub and filled it with naturally scented bubbles. She had turned the stereo on low playing "Women of Soul" and lit a few candles. Both girls had climbed into the Jacuzzi, with Laura complaining that she was supposed to be pampering Kelly. They sat facing each other letting the jets wash their cares away. "Just supposing," Kelly said. "What if Todd and I did consummate our relationship. How would you feel?" "Hmm" said Laura. "It was only yesterday when I asked you if I was trespassing on your territory. What was it you said to me?" Kelly laughed. "Yes, but that was different. Todd and I didn't have a relationship." "Excuse me?" Laura said. "It seems to me you have a much stronger and longer relationship than I have with him." "Maybe," said Kelly, "but we've never been intimate. What would you say if you found Todd and me getting it on?" Laura leaned back and thought carefully. "Well," she finally said blushing, "If I happened to walk in, I'd probably ask if you would mind if I joined in." It was Kelly's turn to blush. "It wouldn't bother you?" "Kelly, I told you that Todd and I have already discussed this. He's as stubborn as you about your relationship, but if he's happy, then I am happy for him. I only hope that he will still have some room in his life for me." "Hmm," was all that Kelly could say. She remembered the special relationship between Sherri, Brenda and Sara with James when she had seen them at Regan's. She wondered if she could handle an open loving relationship like they had. And then there was the question of her feelings towards Laura. Her thoughts were soon interrupted by Laura who was insisting Kelly turn around. Kelly did and felt the sea sponge washing her back. "Hmm, that feels so good," she said. "It's the one spot I can never reach." "I know exactly what you mean," replied Laura. Kelly allowed Laura to scrub her back and sides and then turned again letting Laura do her legs and her chest. She watched, fascinated, as her nipples grew under Laura's ministrations. Laura finally beckoned Kelly to stand and she carefully washed between her legs, both front and back with a loving touch. Not willing to just be a receiver, when Laura finally stopped the scrubbing Kelly did the same for Laura. The bath water had cooled a bit but the body temperature of both girls was hotter than before. Both were novices at instigating love with another woman so finally with more than a bit of sexual tension and frustration, they allowed the water to drain from the tub and stood under the showerhead washing each other's hair. Eventually, reluctantly they got out of the tub and towel dried each other, then Kelly announced she had a tub of raspberry sherbet in the freezer, and wrapped just in their towels they each got a bowl and headed for the living room to watch a repeat of "Six Feet Under." Finishing their desert and with the inevitable bottle of mineral water, Kelly decided to give Laura a pedicure and paint her toenails. She fetched an old sheet from the closet and spread it on the sofa. Laura turned sideways and laid back as Kelly turned to face her, her foot in Kelly's lap, knee raised, allowing Kelly an unobstructed view of Laura's pussy. Kelly took great care and time cutting and buffing Laura's toenails before finally putting on a coat of very light pink nail conditioner. Kelly's towel had loosened with her movements and had dropped to her waist exposing Laura to a visual feast of her breasts. The talk had become very quiet and limited, both girls lost in thoughts of their own. Laura offered to do Kelly's feet but Kelly had just had hers done earlier in the week, though she did accept Laura's second offer of a foot massage. Dusk had descended and with another glass of wine the two girls made small sporadic talk. Kelly was giving Laura advice on losing the razor and doing her legs, groin and underarms with wax strips. "It will last much longer and you don't get the stubble two days later," Kelly said. "Maybe later this week I can help you with it since it will be your first time. The first time is the hardest, and you need to put a balm on the skin afterwards to stop you looking like a boiled lobster." After putting away the polish, files and buffing pads, Kelly returned to sit beside Laura on the sofa. It was getting late, but not late enough to head to bed so Kelly switched to a Blue Movie station. Fate was dealing the cards tonight, and instead of the cheesy, straight to video, adult flick they had expected to see, the Canadian film "Better Than Chocolate" started, featuring Christina Cox and Karyn Dwyer. A life affirming story about two young lesbians who fall in love. "I can change to something else if you like," Kelly offered. "No, that's okay," said Laura. "This looks like a good movie." The towels the girls had worn earlier had been discarded. Both had seen and been seen nude by the other quite a few times in the past two days. With a bowl of fresh strawberries between them and a thick rich cream for dipping the two girls put their feet up and watched the plot unfold. About an hour into the movie, Laura retrieved her towel and laid it across her lap. She was incredibly horny. Catching the movement out of the corner of her eye Kelly said the light was bothering her eyes a bit and did Laura mind if she turned off the overhead light, leaving only a table lamp on for illumination. Laura said she didn't mind at all and a few minutes later slipped her hand under the towel and tried to manipulate her clit without being noticed. Kelly was as aroused by Laura's actions as she was by the movie and shortly placed her own towel over her lap. "It's getting to you too?" asked Laura. Kelly smiled. Within minutes the pretense was dropped and both girls were shyly masturbating under their towels. Laura was the first to gasp out her climax setting Kelly off on her own. A few minutes of heavy breathing and then a few more as they exchanged embarrassed glances. "Oh what the hell" said Kelly, "We're both adults, let's just admit that the movie was a terrific turn on." "Maybe not just the movie?" Laura replied shyly. Kelly looked at Laura and finally nodded. "Probably not." As the credits rolled on the screen, Kelly said, "Well at least we know in the movies there is still a happy ending to be found." "I think in real life there are happy endings as well Kelly, but too often we are afraid of reality taking the pleasure out of it." Kelly turned the television off and asked Laura if she wanted to spend the night in the guest room. Laura blushed that beautiful blush again and said, "If you don't mind Kelly, I'd really prefer to sleep with you. Not that I would try anything," she quickly added, "I'd just like to cuddle you and feel you next to me." Kelly stood up and extended her hand to Laura. "That's fine with me," she said with a smile. Putting everything away and cleaning up the living room the two girls retired to the bedroom for the night. Both exuded a delicious aroma of sex, and as they climbed into bed, Laura kissed Kelly on the lips and said "Good Night Kelly. Thanks for sharing with me." Kelly's eyes misted as she kissed Laura back and said, "It's me who should be thanking you. This has been one of the best nights I've had in a long time." As Kelly turned on her side, Laura snuggled up as close as she could till they fit together like two spoons in a drawer. Laura found the courage to reach around and grasp Kelly's breast in her hand and hearing the contented sigh from Kelly, quickly fell asleep. ------- Chapter 6 Kelly woke first in the morning and found she had moved through the night ending on her back with Laura's arm draped across her. Finding her resolve, she kissed the beautiful girl quietly sleeping beside her. "Good morning sleepy head," Kelly said. "Time for us to get up and go see if Todd is hard at work yet." Laura smiled at Kelly before reaching up to give her a tender kiss. "My god," Laura said suddenly, "It's Monday already. I have to go to work this afternoon." "No problem" said Kelly. "It's still early and we need to have breakfast." "Hmm, sounds good," said Laura getting out of bed. Pulling on one of the multitude of T-shirts Kelly had in her closet, Laura followed her to the kitchen where Kelly was setting out two bottles of juice, a fist full of vitamins, a few stalks of celery, a carrot and an orange. Laura groaned. "Don't tell me this is your idea of breakfast." "Chew slowly baby. It'll last longer that way." Laura swallowed the pills and drank the juice and sat forlornly chewing on the celery and carrot when all of a sudden she felt her stomach growl in a menacing way. "Ah Kelly. I think I might have eaten something that disagreed with me last night. I'm getting cramps." "Well it wasn't me," Kelly said with a pretend pout. "But seriously, you might want to think of moving to the bathroom. The first few times with the 'go-juice' can be an experience on its own!" "Oh no!" screamed Laura as she made the dash for the bathroom. "Argh... I should have known... Prune juice..." Her voice faded away as the bathroom door slammed shut. ------- Todd woke up to an empty apartment and an empty feeling. It felt strange, because for Todd, women had come and gone from his life on a regular basis, but he had never felt empty in the morning. He loved women. He treated them right and never made any promises. In the years since his sexual awakening, he had never had to look far for female companionship. The strange thing was as his reputation as a photographer grew he looked less and less, though the opportunities increased. He had convinced himself he would remain a bachelor for life - he liked his life and had rationalized that a woman would crowd it, but so much had changed in the last week. First there was Kelly. She had changed since their encounter with the "James Gang" at Regan's. For the first time in a long time he had seen her really happy, and then these last few days, she had taken a nose-dive. He felt her pain and wished he could do something to take it from her, but she didn't want to share this with him. Todd knew she had spent the previous night with Tony, and tried to call him at his hotel. Todd knew Tony well enough to know where he would be staying and was surprised to hear he had checked out already. And Todd was not one to pry. If Kelly wanted to tell him she would do so in her own good time. Then there was Laura. There was no denying she was a beautiful girl, but beauty did little for a photographer who had made so many models famous. It was the rest of her that captured his heart and mind. She was a free spirit who had been wounded, but still had managed to keep her pride and sense of humor. He loved the way she could read his thoughts and her playfulness - she laughed with him and her laughter was contagious. He could see himself spending a great deal of time with her, possibly the most time he had ever considered spending with a girl, but she had brought up the one secret love in his life. Laura had seen through his façade and made him admit his feelings towards Kelly. In a matter of just three days, he found himself in love with two women. One he had loved for years but had never acted on because he feared it would end their friendship and another who he had known just a few days but with an adventurous streak to match his own. Finally, the call from Kelly last night, freely admitting her love for him, had boggled Todd's mind. Laura had made it clear she didn't expect him to be sexually faithful and had more than hinted she might have feelings towards Kelly herself. There was a lot of love going around right now and yet Kelly was still hurting. Shaking his head he climbed out of bed. A quick shower, his vitamins and juice and in his usual attire of scrubs, he headed downstairs. While the studio hardly ever had any walk in clients, especially since Todd stopped portrait work, Gloria's daughter Vanetta would be coming in to take care of the phones while Todd worked in the dark room or dealt with advertising clients. New York would be calling with their reports and questions and then there would be the inevitable calls from their models with the usual complaints or complimentary remarks. He hoped Kelly would show up soon - he really didn't like this part of the business, preferring to stay behind the camera and create art. Yet he still felt concerned about Kelly and if need be, Vanetta could route any important calls through to him on his cell or to Kelly's. Vanetta had been a godsend. Todd and Kelly had been in business just over a year when Gloria had called Kelly out of the blue saying she was in Charlotte. Todd remembered Gloria from the swimsuit shoot in Jamaica and knew the ever-outgoing Kelly had made friends with the older woman. Gloria had eased a lot of Kelly's problems with the house during those first years when Kelly would be gone for days at a time. Then, about a year later, Gloria's daughter arrived. She wanted an education and Todd had pulled a few strings at the University of North Carolina, and Vanetta was enrolled in a MBE program. Her grades put her in the top of her class and everyone was delighted with her. When she mentioned wanting to find work to supplement her allowance, Todd had suggested to a willing Kelly that Vanetta would be great for handling the phone and correspondence. For a 22-year-old student, she was level headed and goal oriented. Now Todd and Kelly could easily leave for days at a time without worries about answering services or call forwarding. Delton, her brother arrived a year later, and Todd had helped him set up his own landscaping business, something the 20-year-old seemed to enjoy very much. Again, using contacts Todd and Kelly had made in the Charlotte community, Delton had quite a few corporate clients. Delton also had a real knack for growing things and had a small greenhouse outside of the building where he kept his equipment parked. Delton grew a wide assortment of vegetables, and to Todd's delight, some of the best medicinal marijuana to be found in the southern states. Delton only grew a few plants each year for his family and for Todd. Boiling the seeds made a great pain killing tea, though Todd was less interested in headache relief than he was in the buzz he got from smoking the leaves. Seeing it was nearly 9 o'clock, Todd grabbed an apple from the kitchenette in the studio and unlocked the door just in time to see Delton dropping Vanetta off. He often felt envious of the close family relationship Gloria had with her kids. Todd gave a wave to Delton as he pulled away. "Good morning Todd," said Vanetta, smiling as she entered the studio. "Mom sent some muffins for you this morning, in case you were hungry." Todd laughed and thanked her. Vanetta dropped her schoolbooks on her desk, turned the studio phone on and checked the answering machine while the computer booted up. Ten minutes later she had a stack of neatly written notes from the answering machine, and a larger stack of email printouts. "Do you want to look through these Todd?" she asked. "Mom said Kelly might not be in this morning. Is she feeling okay?" "Just put them on Kelly's desk," he said. "There can't be anything too important or the phone would be ringing off the hook by now. If Kelly doesn't show up soon, I'll give them a look over, but thanks for asking about her. She has a friend staying with her right now who will see she gets feeling better, though I'll probably give her a call and check how she is feeling if we don't see her in the next hour." "Okay," said Vanetta as she walked back to her desk. "By the way," she said with a coy smile, "Mom says you've got a new girlfriend and this one is special." Todd blushed. Vanetta laughed. "Oh, and before I forget," she added, "Delton is going to tear out his ganja this week and wants to know if a pound will last you till the next time he plants some." Todd smiled. His one small vice and this past weekend had been made more memorable because of the high quality pot. "That should be more than enough," Todd said. "Just tell Delton to let me know when I should come around to pick it up, and no arguments about me paying for it either this time." "You just don't understand do you Todd?" Vanetta said with a hint of impatience. "Delton grows it for Mom and the family. You've become part of the family, so Delton doesn't mind giving it to you. Otherwise, what we don't need, he would just burn. If he takes money from you, it would make him a dealer, and that goes against everything Mom ever taught us." Todd held up his hands surrendering. "Okay, enough already," he said laughing. "I see your point. Now since the phone isn't ringing off the hook, don't you have some home-work you could be working on?" With a self-satisfied smirk, Vanetta turned in her seat and opened her books. Her mind though was on Todd and Kelly. She couldn't understand how these two had managed to survive without family support, and keep their sanity. But what she had said to Todd was true. They had become part of Gloria's family by way of an unspoken adoption. They were nice people and went out of their way to help. She knew the studio was not so busy that they couldn't take care of the phone calls, except for those rare times they were away on the road. She had promised her mother she would not let this opportunity go to waste and studied extra hard to make both Kelly and Todd proud of her. Todd, after minutes of indecision finally picked up the phone and dialed Kelly's number. ------- Kelly answered the phone on the first ring. An ashen-faced Laura sat across from her slowly sipping a cup of herbal tea with honey. "Hi Todd," she said. "I was wondering when you would call." "Is everything okay?" Todd asked, concern in his voice. "Well," Kelly laughed, "I'm feeling better, but I'm afraid Laura has a minor problem." Laura quickly shook her head no. She didn't want Todd to know she had spent 20 minutes on the toilet. "What's the problem?" he asked. Being tactful, Kelly asked him if he remembered the first few days after she had started him on the go-juice. "Oh, god... How could I forget?" He said. "Hey, wait a minute, you didn't give her that stuff did you?" "Not to worry Todd," Kelly said. "I just started her on a regimen of proper herbal care. She's taking something right now that will make her feel better in a little bit. We'll be in as soon as she is up to it, but I think I'll call her boss and tell him that she won't be able to come in to work today. You won't mind if she spends the day at the studio will you?" "Of course not," said Todd. "Good, then you should see us in about an hour." Kelly said. "We both send our love! Oh, and while I think of it, Laura said you shot some good pictures of her in some lingerie. Could you be a sweetheart and scan some of the film? I was thinking about Jorge's idea of expanding his catalog to include his new lingerie line and I think she would be the perfect wholesome model for the catalog. Of course I haven't seen the prints, what do you think?" "Hmm..." said Todd thoughtfully. "You're right. I've made some prints and she would be ideal for his catalog. Besides, Mike is his studio photographer and last I heard Marge was still doing make up for Mike. This could be a decent way for her to break into the business. But how does she feel about it?" Todd asked. "I already told her that she wouldn't be showing anything in print that she doesn't want seen and I said the same thing about Mike and Marge that you did. I just think she needs a bit of prep work and some confidence building." "Okay" said Todd, "I'll get the scans done and sent off to see how interested he is while I wait for you two to make it in." "Sounds like a plan!" Kelly said. "See you when we get there." "Oh god," Laura said. "It's happening again," and with the words trailing behind her she dashed off to the bathroom. ------- Kelly had suggested to Laura, after her first unexpected encounter with the porcelain seat of relief, that she call in sick, but Laura had refused saying the assistant manager who was in charge of the shift she was on would turn nasty and cruel. He liked to belittle the staff in front of customers. Seeing that Laura would not be able to handle an eight hour shift, when Laura had left for her second run, Kelly decided to call Arby's herself. Someone obviously in a hurry answered the phone brusquely. "May I speak to the senior manager in charge please?" Kelly asked nicely. "You're talking to him," replied the voice on the other end. "No, we aren't hiring, no we don't deliver, and no, you can't talk to any of the staff. Any other questions not covered by those three answers?" Kelly was a bit put off by the man's demeanor, but since she was calling on Laura's behalf, decided to bite her tongue. "Actually I'm calling on behalf of Laura Williams who won't be able to make it in to work today," Kelly said. "She's feeling a bit under the weather." "Listen lady, I don't care if she's feeling under a hurricane, you tell that little tart to haul her cute little ass in here on time or she's fired." And hung up the phone. "Well," thought Kelly, "so much for the friendly call." She punched in another number on the phone and after letting the receptionist know who was calling was immediately put through to her favorite lawyer. "Kelly," said a warm voice, "what can I do for you today?" Kelly and Todd had met Steve, a bright and ambitious young lawyer, when they first settled in Charlotte. At the time he was struggling to build up a corporate clientele for himself, as he didn't want join an established firm. He was the self-confident type who knew what he wanted in life and would work hard for it. Steve was just the kind of person that attracted Todd and Kelly, quick to cut to the heart of the matter, not interested in wasting time, meticulous in his details and careful in his research. Steve was the one who had finally come up with a suitable name for their new business venture. Now he was paid a yearly retainer by "TKO Inc." and made a healthy income keeping all contracts legal and enforced. In the years since they had opened, Steve had moved to a larger office, and gotten himself a partner who specialized in entertainment law. Between the two of them, they made a formidable team. Kelly quickly explained her phone call to Arby's leaving not a single detail out. "Hmm" said Steve after a few minutes thought. "Does she want to go back to work there?" "No" said Kelly. "She probably would have given her notice today anyway, but she really is under the weather. I can get medical papers to prove she is quite dehydrated right now and in no condition to work." "No, I don't think it will go that far Kelly," Steve said. "And he referred to her as a tart and said to get her cute little ass in?" "Yep!" said Kelly with a smile he couldn't see. Steve could be ruthless, and many of the people who knew him regarded him with a mixed amount of fear and respect. "I happen to know the owners of that franchise," he said. "I guess the question is, do you want to make an issue out of this?" Kelly laughed. "No, no issue Steve. Laura herself didn't hear it and she was going to give her notice, but I think a written apology would be nice and a severance check would fit the bill. I'm sorry I can't tell you which assistant manager I spoke to, but from what Laura has told me, this is not his first time badgering female staff." "It's okay Kelly," Steve said with that confident tone. "You asked to speak to the senior management and he said he was it, right?" "Yep." "Are you going to be at home for a while?" "Probably for the next hour anyway," Kelly said, "then we'll be at the studio. "Okay, leave it with me. I'll get back to you as soon as I can." "You're a sweetheart Steve." "How about you tell my wife that next time I'm working late?" he said. Kelly laughed, said she would and said goodbye. Just as she hung up the phone she could hear the toilet flushing, and a few minutes later Laura walked back into the kitchen on shaky legs. "God," Laura said, "I have to be 50 pounds lighter now. I'm not sure if I like this healthy living stuff." Kelly put some ice in a zip lock bag and wrapped a tea towel around it and placed it on Laura's forehead. "Hold that there," Kelly said. "It will break the sweats down. Actually, it's only the first day that you get this reaction. After today you will be as good as new, and this will only be a memory. What you are losing now has been sitting inside you for some time. Stick with this program, and you will lose some weight, but not 50 pounds." Kelly said laughing. "Now, I need to get some fluids into you, and then I can tell you how long before the worst of it is over." "How can you tell that?" Laura asked. "Easy" said Kelly as she lifted half a watermelon out of the crisper. "This will give you vitamins and fluid and you will swallow the seeds. When you see them come out, you will know that you have been thoroughly cleansed!" "Ugh" said Laura. "I never swallow the seeds." Kelly arched her eyebrows at Laura and said, "Never?" Laura realizing what she had just said laughed. "Well, almost never." With a bit more herbal tea and honey to help the watermelon and seeds go down, the color started to come back to Laura's cheeks. Assuring Kelly she was feeling better, the two girls got dressed and ready to head to the studio. "I usually don't drive down," Kelly explained, "I enjoy the nice leisurely stroll, but considering your 'condition, ' a ten minute walk might be too long, so I thought it might be safer if I drove." "Well, I hope I'm through this cleansing soon," Laura said, "I have to be in to work by five." "Oh," said Kelly. "I'm sorry but I forgot to tell you that you have the day off. I called in for you when you were occupied." "And Tim didn't put up a big stink?" Laura asked amazed. "He can be such a prick." "No," Kelly lied, "He was the perfect gentleman and hoped you would be feeling better soon." "No way did you talk to Tim then," Laura stated. "Oh" said Kelly backing the Elantra out of the driveway, "I can assure you that I definitely talked to Tim." ------- "Hello Vanetta," said a smiling Kelly as they entered the studio. They had arrived just before lunch. "Hi Kelly," came the lyrical response. "Laura, this is Vanetta," Kelly said making the introductions. "Vanetta is G's daughter and works us to the bone!" "Hi Laura," said Vanetta rising to shake her hand. "I've already heard about you," she said with a big smile. "And don't believe a word Kelly says about me making her work, she barely stops moving long enough for me to catch her!" she added with a laugh. Kelly looked at the stack of notes and letters on her desk. "No rest for the wicked," she said with a smirk. "By the way, speaking of the wicked... where's Todd?" "After he called you, he said he had to make some scans from the negatives of Laura," Vanetta said. "He had me email them to Jorge and then went back into the darkroom. He said he wanted to run some more prints." Kelly looked at the light above the darkroom door; turned and said to Laura, "See... I didn't barge in Saturday, I'll bet the bulb is burned out on his busy sign!" Vanetta looked curiously at Kelly while Laura blushed. "Laura, would you mind telling your man that I'd like to see the pictures as well, and then tell him to fix his light?" Laura's face lit up with a smile as she headed for the darkroom. Kelly got herself a bottle of mineral water from the well-stocked fridge and asked Vanetta if the herbal store had delivered on time that morning. "Yes they sure did!" Vanetta laughed. "Poor Todd didn't realize you always tip the delivery guy for bringing it all in and the guy stocked the fridge and the closet and then stood there while Todd thanked him for being so courteous!" "Oh God, he didn't?" Kelly asked. "I can't believe he's been here this long and has never seen me tip for delivery. I know he does with his food delivery..." "It's okay Kelly," Vanetta said. "I took ten dollars out of petty cash for the poor guy and then tried to explain it to Todd afterwards. But I'm still not sure if he got it." "I know," sighed Kelly, "he's a genius with a camera but sometimes he can be so immersed in his work he forgets the rest of the world." Kelly asked Vanetta if she wanted a drink. "Diet 7-Up please," she replied. Kelly pulled a cold one out of the fridge and a glass for Vanetta and set it on her desk as she sauntered over to her own. It took Kelly about half an hour to go through all the messages. None of the phone calls required return calls, and with her own computer fired up she responded to a few emails from clients and a few from models. She kept a database of all complaints and compliments her models gave regarding assignments they had been on. Too many complaints and the client would end up on their 'unwanted work' list. Good clients who treated her models like people with feelings always got the best service. Although the New York office sent her weekly updates of who had worked for what company, Kelly kept a personal log of models reactions and experiences. Once a year she would compile the information and update her preferred client list. These people would receive a personal letter from Kelly thanking them for treating her models well, and advising them of their preferred status. It also helped to cross-reference how much work each client had provided in the year, and which models they preferred. Kelly had seen the change in models requested over the last few years. It helped her when people applied for work or when, as in the case of Laura, she met someone who would be perfect for a client. Kelly was just finishing her last response when the phone rang. Vanetta answered, "TKO, how can I help you?" Looking up at Kelly she put the caller on hold and said, "It's your lawyer. Are you free for him?" Kelly nodded as she hit the send button on her email and heard Vanetta say, "Just one moment sir, I'll patch you through." Kelly picked up the phone and pushed the blinking button. "Steve, what have you got for me?" Steve laughed. "Well Kelly, if it's okay with Laura, there is a letter of apology waiting along with a check for six months wages if she signs an agreement not to pursue any further action, AND, Tim Blake, that's the Assistant Manager's name, will have to attend 'sensitivity classes' if he wants to keep his job. Standard restrictions of course will apply to Laura not discussing this incident with anyone or disclosing any details of the settlement. If she's agreeable to this, we can have this wrapped up before the day is over." "That's great Steve!" Kelly said. "I'll have to pass it by Laura, but I'm pretty sure this will be more than satisfactory." "I'm glad to be of service," Steve said with a laugh, "I'd like to have gotten more for her, but I think this is the best we can expect without taking it to court. I didn't think you wanted to go that route. This is a very fair settlement and she gets the money immediately without any mudslinging." "You're right as always Steve. It's fast and fair, and there's no reason to make this some titillating news filler." Steve just laughed. "Just one more thing Steve," Kelly said. "Don't take your fee out of her settlement okay? Bill TKO for it. Laura is one of our special people." "Not a problem Kelly." Steve knew about Todd and Kelly's special people, after all, when he was a struggling young lawyer he had been one of them. Although he had told them his idea for TKO was an abbreviation for "Techno-graphical Knock Outs", the idea had come from their contagious enthusiasm and had sparked the idea of "Todd and Kelly Overwhelm." "Great," Kelly said. "Love and hugs to Melanie." Kelly sat back in her chair well satisfied with Steve's results. It was the 21st century and no one deserved to be treated like property. She wondered for a minute what was taking Todd and Laura so long, and then slapped her forehead. "Duh Kelly. Where have you been?" she thought to herself. Vanetta finally closed up her books. "I'm sorry there isn't more I could do today Kelly. I always feel like I'm getting paid to study. The least you could do is let me clean up in here." "Oh" Kelly said. "Now I'm forgetting things. You've got classes this afternoon right?" "Yes, right through till eight tonight," Vanetta said. "Okay, but I want you to understand something Miss Etta. You are doing a great job doing just what you do. So today was a quiet day, and I wasn't here most of it anyway, but you know there are days when things aren't so quiet, and neither Todd nor I are free. You do a wonderful job of making our clients feel important and they know their messages will get through. We have someone come in to clean the studio once a week, and you know there are times when we're not here for days. It makes both Todd and me happy, and secure, that you're watching out for our interests when we're on the road. As for you studying... If there is nothing happening, you might as well get in all the study time you can. God knows you've taken on a course load that would make the average student cringe. You just keep on doing what you've been doing, and everybody's happy okay?" Vanetta leaned over and gave Kelly a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Kelly," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow." ------- Todd knew that Jorge would want to see real prints of the model that might introduce and represent his new lingerie line. Jorge had wanted to expand his catalog into this market for some time, but had been reluctant. His clothes were meant for real people, and though Todd and Kelly had a fine group of models, none had captured his eye as being "the" one. He didn't want a standard fashion thin thing, he wanted to appeal to the young newlywed wives, so the model could not make his lingerie look like it only fit the "beautiful" people. He wanted a wholesome "girl-next-door" but with just the right spirit. Todd knew what Jorge wanted and was quite sure that Laura would fit the designer's needs. After he had scanned some of the less revealing negatives and given them to Vanetta to email to Jorge, Todd had brought out his trays and started to print up a storm of 8 x 10 glossies. Those that were a bit too daring, he dodged by hand to blur details until he was satisfied he had a dozen good quality prints. Laura looked sexy and exciting in the photographs and Todd was getting aroused remembering the day he took them. Todd wished he could be the one to do the shoot for Jorge, but the bottom line was that besides not being able to pay Todd what he was worth, it would also infringe on Mike's bread and butter. Mike was the catalog photographer who did all of the shoots for Jorge. Still, Todd thought, it would be a great thrill to be the one who brought Laura into the public eye. He was wondering how Laura was feeling when he heard the darkroom door spin around. There she was, the woman of his desires. Todd quickly threw the last of the prints into the rinse water and after rinsing and drying his hands he took Laura's head in his hands and kissed her like he hadn't seen her for months. Laura melted like butter in his embrace and as their tongues dueled her hands slid down the front of his pants, feeling his stiff cock swell more at her touch. His hands moved down to cup her unfettered breasts and as she slid down, he lifted her t-shirt over her head. She returned the favor, pulling his scrubs down, then taking his ever-growing cock into her eager mouth, kissing it all over from the head to his balls before sucking on the helmet and slipping her tongue under his foreskin swirling around and around while her free hand cupped his balls. She could feel him approaching his critical peak and pulled her mouth back just before he shot, reliving the moment they had shared on Saturday. She caught most of his spunk in her mouth, which she eagerly swallowed before latching her hot mouth back on his twitching cock. Todd shook and groaned as her hot tongue washed the last of his seed away, his fingers locked in a white knuckled grip on the counter's edge. Todd wanting to reciprocate tried to lift Laura on to the counter, but she held him back saying later would be better. They held each other close for a little while, as Todd regained his breath and his heart slowed back towards normal. Seeing he still had all the chemicals out, Laura asked if he would make an 8 x 10 print of her "best" pose for Kelly. Understanding a bond was forming between the two girls, the two loves in his life, he slipped the negative into the enlarger and made sure the focus was crystal clear. Finishing this last print, Todd emptied the chemicals into their proper containers while the prints dried. Laura glanced at the clock and realized they had been in the darkroom over an hour. Slipping her t-shirt back on she helped Todd finish clearing up and they stumbled, blinking out of the darkroom together laughing. Kelly tried to look sternly at the couple who were still flushed with sexual excitement, glancing at them and her watch, but the lovers were all smiles and Kelly couldn't keep her pretense up any longer. Pointing to the warning light above the door, Kelly said, "I'd sure fix that light Todd, unless you like people walking in on you with your pants around your ankles." Todd laughed as he said, "Only if it's you Kell." He gave her a huge smile, he was glad to see her back in good spirits. So much had changed in the last week. He now saw her in a totally different light. "Honest Kelly," Laura said with a sly smile, "we weren't doing anything except exposing film." "Aha..." said Kelly, "then maybe you can explain why your t-shirt is on inside out now when it wasn't when you went in there?" "Oh my God!" Laura said, her cheeks quickly turning beet red. Then she looked down and saw the t-shirt wasn't inside out. "Gotcha!" Kelly laughed. Laura laughed, as did Todd. A feeling of free familiarity was forming between them. Laura had brought this to them. "Lunch time," Kelly said, and headed to the studio kitchenette. "Oh lord... I don't think I could or should eat another bite," said Laura. "But I insist sweetie," said Kelly. "You need your nourishment." She stopped and looked closely at Laura. Noticing a small spot on her cheek Kelly kissed it away and smiling, said, "More than what you just had!" Todd was the one blushing now as he realized Kelly had just licked a drop of his cum from Laura's face. Laura just smiled knowingly, and kissed Kelly full on the mouth, sharing more of the essence of Todd. It was erotic and sensual, but finally they broke their kiss leaving a slender string of saliva stretching and finally breaking from their lips. The silence was heavy in the air. The girls gazed at each other, breathing deeply; still not sure about the feelings they were experiencing. And Todd got hard. Kelly pulled out some fresh pita bread and slicing three open she stuffed them with sliced smoked turkey breast, a low fat cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and some chopped cucumber and onion. It took a little while to prepare the lunch and Kelly was grateful that Laura pitched in without a word. "Beer anyone?" Todd asked. Kelly looked at him quizzically. "It's okay Kell," he said. "I did the prints and don't plan on any more darkroom work today. I'll get to the Regan stuff when we get Sherri's release." "Well in that case," said Kelly, "I'll have a glass of dry red wine, thank you." "Laura?" Todd asked. "Oh not for me," she quickly responded. "I have a touch of a stomach flu and wouldn't want to risk it." "Okay, at the very least some mineral water," said Kelly. "Just what I need," Laura grumbled, "more fluids. I already feel bloated." Todd missed the message, but Kelly was quick to run to the storage closet and pull out a fresh bottle of celery seed capsules. "Take two of these with lunch Laura. You had two this morning, but you can't overdose on them and it will take that bloated feeling away." "Are you sure all this healthy stuff is good for me?" asked Laura with a laugh. "Hey, I used to be an acne faced, 98 pound weakling with limp hair to boot," said Todd, "now look at me!" "Okay already" said Laura. "So you have nice hair now and a clear complexion, but you're still a weakling!" Kelly laughed and Todd flexed his well-trained and muscled arms. "So you think I'm a weakling?" he asked defiantly. "You bet!" said Laura. "I can lick you any day of the week!" Kelly snorted her wine out through her nose, coughing and sputtering and choking and laughing. Laura got up to hold Kelly's hands over her head and slap her on the back. "Don't you laugh too hard Missy. And don't be tempting fate too much either cause I'm pretty sure I could lick you too!" Kelly finally caught her breath and wrapping an arm around Laura's waist softly said, "Tempt, tempt, and tempt." Todd got a towel to wipe the table, and lunch was finished in relative quiet and small talk. Todd noticed both girls seemed to be occupied with their own thoughts. After lunch, Kelly got out the standard contract form, while Todd went to change the light bulb and get the prints out of the dryer. "I'm sorry Laura," Kelly said, "but we can't protect you without one of these." Laura just smiled as she signed. "Don't worry about it Kell. You already told me there were rules and such, and I like what you told me last night. This is business." "Thanks Laura," Kelly said with a smile. "It's the only really formal thing we do around here. It's usually a lot easier when we're less emotionally attached to the person signing. Just to get it perfectly clear though, this does not make you an employee of TKO. We just act as your agents, and I guess in a way, we also act like your protectors." "I suppose I should start thinking about giving my notice at work then," sighed Laura. "Oops" said Kelly. "That's something else I sort of forgot to tell you. Tim said you were fired." "But, but you said he said I could have the day off." Laura blurted out standing up. "I need that income!" "Well, I guess in a manner of speaking that's what he said, but don't you worry honey... I got your ass covered!" With that Kelly placed her hands on Laura's butt and pulled her towards her until Laura was so close she had no choice but to sit in Kelly's lap to avoid falling over her shoulder. Kelly calmly explained that Tim had been a bit rude on the phone and that she had taken the liberty of calling the company lawyer. Laura sat quietly listening but her eyes grew big as she heard the outcome. "Wow" she finally said. "Tim taking sensitivity classes. Who would have thought... ?" Kelly was surprised to see Laura was more impressed with her former boss having to take the course then the six months wages. This girl sitting in her lap, the one she had the strange attraction to, was definitely not a user. She gave and gave, never expecting a thing. Kelly could see how she had been so easily duped by the jock. "So," said Kelly, "if those terms suit you, all you need to do is say yes, and a check will be waiting for you at the lawyers and you can pick it up any time tomorrow. You'll be working long before the money runs out, I promise." Laura kissed Kelly. "You're too good to me Kelly. What did I do to deserve you AND Todd?" Kelly gave Laura a kiss back as she said, "That's funny, and I was just wondering what we did to deserve you!" Still holding Laura around the waist she dialed Steve's office and after Laura answered his queries she handed the phone back to Kelly. "It'll be all done by tomorrow afternoon Kelly," he said. "Thanks Steve. And remember you and Melanie have to come to the company BBQ August 3rd. If we don't run into any more urgent problems, we'll get a chance to catch up then." "Right!" Steve said. "Nice touch you added this year. We have the invitation on the fridge. 'A full day of food and fun courtesy of TKO, at Carowinds Park. Bordering a new adventure.'" Kelly laughed. "So call me hokey," she said. "Todd's got a site set up at the campground where real chefs will cook you culinary delights. Those of us from around here will be meeting at the studio where we will take a charter bus to the park. Our people from New York will be picked up at the airport and shuttled over." "We're looking forward to it," said Steve. "Great!" said Kelly, "talk to you later." Kelly swiveled her chair taking Laura for a spin as she hung up the phone. The motion caused Laura to wrap her arms around Kelly just as Todd was coming out of the darkroom. "Hey," he said. "No necking on the job!" "You're just jealous," said Laura giving Kelly a kiss. "I am not jealous," said Todd with a three-dollar pout, "just feeling left out is all." Suddenly Laura's eyes widened and she jumped off Kelly's lap and raced down the hallway. Kelly put her hand to her mouth to cover her smile. Todd had two envelopes in his hand. The first contained the prints he made in case Jorge called. The other was Laura's special picture. He spread the pictures for Laura's portfolio on the desk. Kelly whistled as she went through them. "She really does stand out on film doesn't she?" "Yeah," said Todd, "and when she relaxed and just had fun with it, she posed like it was second nature to her." It was 15 minutes later when a shaky Laura re-appeared. She sank down in the chair facing Kelly. Holding her hand to the side of her mouth so Todd couldn't see, she silently mouthed the word "watermelon." Kelly nodded slightly. "Todd, be a dear and make a pot of tea." Todd looked befuddled but went off to make tea. When he was well across the studio and out of earshot, Kelly said, "The worst is over now. What you have to do now is just relax for the day and rest. Now that your system has cleaned out last year's fast food, drinking a bottle each day will not have this affect on you. If you like you can ask Todd. He's been taking it for over four years now." "Thanks," said Laura, "but I'll take your word for it. I'd rather that Todd didn't know that right now my butt hole feels like it's on fire!" Kelly smiled. "Poor baby. You need to put some Aveeno cream on it." "I know what that is!" said Laura. "I've used that on kids I babysat. It's diaper rash cream. I think we have some at home." "Maybe after you have some tea Todd should take you home to get some. I guarantee you will feel a lot better after a good night's sleep. Then tomorrow we'll put out a week's worth of vitamins for you to take in the morning if you are here. I always have lots of extras at my place if you happen to be there." "Thanks Kelly, but I can drive home myself. Remember? I've got my car here. Todd drove it back last night after dropping me off at your place. I really should put in an appearance at home anyway because they have no clue as to what has happened to me in the last few days." "Now you just sit and relax. I'll fix you a cup with lots of honey." "Thanks Kelly." Kelly got up to help Todd fix the tea and returned with one for Laura and one for herself. Todd wasn't a big tea drinker and he just had a bottle of mineral water. They sat quietly looking at the pictures with Kelly commenting on every one of Laura's best features. Laura looked to Todd who handed her the other envelope. "Kelly," she said softly. "I asked Todd to print this one up especially for you. Only Todd has a copy of it and I will NEVER give a copy to anyone else." Kelly took the envelope and pulled the print out which Todd had dry mounted on a stiff foam backing. It was a beautiful matte finish, some of Todd's best paper stock. She looked at the picture and felt her heart race a bit. Her eyes were slightly misted when she looked up again at Laura. "Thanks Laura. I'm going to keep this in a special place." The two girls looked long and deep into each other's eyes. It was Laura who reached out with her hand taking Kelly's, and with her other held Todd's. Todd nodded slowly and thoughtfully. He took Kelly's other hand forming a circle. All was quiet as they basked in their own thoughts. It was the ringing of the phone that finally broke the spell. "TKO, Kelly speaking," said Kelly. "Kelly, darling. How are you?" "Hello Jorge." Kelly said winking at Todd, "I'm fine, how are you doing?" "Today, I am doing wonderful. Tell me where you have been hiding this angel?" "Oh?" said Kelly, "you're calling on business. Let me put you on speaker phone so Todd can hear what you are saying." Kelly held a finger to her lips to Laura. "Todd, you crazy bastard," said Jorge. "I was just trying to find out from Kelly where you have been hiding this angel. Why didn't you send me her photos before the last catalog?" Todd laughed. "Because I knew that you would want her and I think she would look better in your fall catalog." "Have you got any prints of her? You know how I hate seeing jpeg's on screen." "I might be able to find some prints Jorge, but you have to realize she is one of our special models. She has been on hold for some time and has never appeared in any magazine or catalog. We want to make sure that she comes out as a fresh face in something worthwhile and not for a single shoot." Todd smiled as he winked at Laura. "Let me see the prints then you crazy bastard. If she looks as good in print as on the computer, I will pay for her to come down so Mike can take a few test shots." "Whoa there Jorge," Kelly interrupted. "You know we think you are one of our best clients, but if you want Mike to shoot a roll or two, she gets paid." "Ah, always business with you Kelly. Let Todd do the talking. He knows that an artist is never appreciated." Todd laughed. "Not that simple Jorge. If I let you have her for a day or two and it's not a paying job, Kelly will kill me. But trust me. She looks better in print, and if you want her for a test run with Mike, then I'll see if Kelly won't let you try her for a reduced rate. You do realize though that the model will not sign a release for you to use anything you shoot unless she gets full payment." "Ah, you are starting to sound just like Kelly now." "Come on Jorge," Kelly said, "you mailed what... 300,000 catalogs last spring? You are one of the top ready-to-wear designers and you want to quibble prices for what could be the most stunning girl-next-door this century?" "Okay, okay. You send me the prints overnight and I'll pay $300 per hour if I use the film." "Jorge, Jorge," Kelly said. "You'll pay $400 an hour with a guaranteed two day four hour sessions and if you decide you want to use her for your new line, I'll be nice to you because I like you and let you have the freshest new face for an additional $200... unless of course you want to arrange for an exclusive." "You two," Jorge finally laughed. "Okay. Deal. I'll pay for first class tickets, two days at four hours per day at $400 and if she is as good as you say, I will make her the center piece for my lingerie line." "Okay Jorge," said Kelly, "but only because you are a friend and a good customer. If you like the prints and want Mike to shoot her, Marge does the make-up okay?" "Okay." "Then if you want her as your introduction for your new line, and you place her in your flyers and magazine ads as well, we'll make you a real good deal." "Fair enough," said Jorge. "So I will see the prints tomorrow?" "Yes Jorge, just for you!" said Kelly with a laugh. "Okay then. I'll call you tomorrow after I see the prints." "Bye Jorge." And Kelly hung up the phone. "Me?" said Laura incredulous. "Yep," said Kelly, "You. Do you like to fly?" "I don't know. I've never flown before. I've never been out of the Carolinas." Todd looked at Kelly. "What do you think? Have someone from New York take her by the hand for her first outing or one of us?" "Preferably one of us, but we haven't been back to the office in New York for quite a few months. So maybe all three of us should go?" Kelly said hopefully. "That sounds like fun!" Laura said. "Can we share a room?" "Let's wait to see what Jorge thinks of the prints first before we make any solid plans okay?" "Okay," said Laura. Her mind was already mulling over the possibilities. "But now, I have really got to get home and tell my mom what's going on. She's never going to believe this." "Will you be coming back later?" Todd asked hopefully. "If you want me to," Laura said shyly. "Besides, I owe you a shower." It was Kelly's turn to be confused but she didn't pry. "By the way Todd," she said, "Laura wants to get back into school. Do you think you can make a phone call on her behalf? She wants to become a psychologist, and the Applied Health department at the UNC has a part time class schedule and off campus learning. I checked this morning. She's a couple of weeks late for the summer semester, but I'm sure..." Todd cut her off. "No problem. I'll make a call later this afternoon and see if I can't take her in tomorrow for an interview." "Wow," Laura said. "You guys seem to know everybody." Kelly laughed. "Not everybody, but Todd is an easy mark for a good cause and a few years ago, there was this gentleman who gave the university a brand new wing. Todd already had a well-deserved reputation, and when he volunteered to do the portrait, including picking up the tab for the printing, the man was thrilled. So now when you enter the main building you see Todd's handy work front and center on the founder's wall. You can't miss it because we printed 48" wide and 70" high! Needless to say, Todd has a bit of influence at UNC and sometimes teaches creative photography there." Laura just stared at them. "If you will excuse me a minute I have to call FedEx for a pick up," Kelly said. Todd got up and got a FedEx shipping envelope and Kelly wrote out the address label and the instructions after she got off the phone. Laura was gathering the photos Todd had printed for her on Saturday to take home, as well as the clothes she arrived in, when the phone rang again. Seeing both Todd and Kelly busy she answered the line. "TKO, Laura speaking. Hold on a minute please and I will see if she is available." Laura pressed the hold button and said to Kelly, "a girl by the name of JulieAnn from JamPC wants to know if you are in." "Oh. This must be important," Kelly said. "I'll say good bye for now then Laura, give me a call later on and let me know what your mother said." Laura gave Kelly a sweet kiss on the cheek and said, "You bet!" Todd helped Laura out to her car as Kelly picked up the phone. ------- "JulieAnn, to what do I owe the pleasure?" There was the usual exchange of pleasantries before Jules explained the reason for the call. It seemed Sherri's parents wanted to meet with Todd and Kelly before they would sign the consent to let Sherri model. "That's no problem JulieAnn," said Kelly. "Do you have an address and phone number for them? We might be able to get this straightened away by the weekend." Jules gave her all the information. Kelly wanted so badly to ask about Brenda but wasn't sure if JulieAnn knew or would understand her particular interest, so she bit her tongue. Jules filled her in on what the "James Gang" had been up to and seemed to remember something. "Kelly, do you think you could take on a couple of gymnasts? James and I were at his sister's training camp and there were two girls there who were very interested in modeling." "As a matter of fact," Kelly said, "we just landed a major sportswear and equipment account that Todd will be shooting here in the studio. How about you have them give me a call when the camp is finished and we'll see if they fit the criteria we are looking for. Just give me their names so I know they were referred by you." Kelly made a note on her list for Vanetta and herself: Cara and Ami, gymnasts. "Thanks for the tip." Kelly said. "At least I can take a breather not having to worry about finding someone comfortable on the equipment." "Great. I think James is bringing them to the Eyrie with his sister for a day or two and I will have them give you a call then. Thanks Kelly." "See you at the opening then JulieAnn." After she had hung up the phone, Kelly wanted to kick herself. She had not been brave enough to ask for Brenda, and she desperately wanted to talk with her. She wasn't sure if she was still at Regan's or back at the marina. Kelly still had another hour before FedEx would be stopping off to pick up the parcel, so, with Todd busy doing other things, she wrote an email to Brenda. Dear Brenda, I've been thinking a lot about some of the things we 'discussed' last Thursday at Regan's. I seem to be a bit lost emotionally and was hoping to discuss more of this matter with you. Todd has a new girlfriend, and she and I seem to get along famously... nearly as well as you and I did last week. My recent relationships have all ended in disaster, though Todd and I seem to be crossing new ground which after all this time has been a real eye opening experience for both of us. We have no plans to pursue this course at present, as I am not sure it would not end in a disaster as well in which case our professional relationship would suffer, and that is not a chance I am willing to take! Now I find myself in a quandary over my 'friendship' with his girlfriend. I don't want to intrude on his life or be a leech. Yet... HELP! Affectionately, Kelly Kelly shut off the computer and headed for the studio kitchen. Todd was sitting watching CNN on the small TV. "How are you feeling Kell?" he asked cautiously. Kelly came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest and kissed the top of his head. "Right now, I feel fine. A bit strange, a bit different, but really Todd, I'm feeling good." Todd reached back with his arms circling Kelly's waist, resting the back of his head against her breasts. "I'm glad to hear that Kell. I really do worry about you." Kelly knew he was telling the truth and took her hand and softly stroked him under his chin, her other hand now softly swirling his sparse chest hairs. "Todd..." "Yes?" "I don't want to come between you and Laura." Todd turned in his chair and pulled Kelly to his lap, drawing her head to his shoulder. For a while he just hugged her. Not tightly, but with affection. "I don't own Laura," he whispered softly in her ear. "I want to spend as much time with her as possible, but she has a mind of her own and I think her feelings for you are pretty clear. It's funny but she asked me early on if I would still have room in my heart for her when I realized I loved you. Now I'm wondering if she will have room for me." "Oh god yes," Kelly said. "It's clear she adores you, and before your imagination runs away with you, we aren't doing anything other than a bit of kissing." Kelly realized she was blushing as she said this. Todd hugged her a little tighter sliding his hands up under the back of her shirt and rubbing her bare back. "What ever happens Kell, my feelings for you won't change. Just let life happen. Enjoy the good times and forget the bad." He gave her a small kiss, which might have led to more but the FedEx truck pulled up. "Damn," said Todd. "This is the story of my life. Every time I have wanted to get close to you, something interferes." Slipping off his lap, Kelly said with a sigh, "maybe it's better this way Todd. I really need to get my head on straight." "I've waited this long Kelly," he said as he got up to send the parcel on its way. When he returned the spell had been broken and Kelly was the consummate professional again. "With the rush, I forgot to tell you about the call from JulieAnn," Kelly said. "Sherri's parents want to meet with us before they sign the release allowing her to model." Todd sat facing her. "Okay, I guess I can see where they're coming from." "So can I," said Kelly, "but the entire 'James Gang' lives in Laurel Canyon, outside of Charleston." "Damn," said Todd. "A whole day wasted driving. Want to call Chris and fly down?" Chris was a friend who owned a small fleet of light aircraft. "Let me give Dr. and Mrs. Prevan a call and see what day would be good for them. You've still got the Regan photos to print, and we can't use any of the pictures Sherri is in without the release. And I'm willing to bet we're off to New York as soon as Jorge sees the prints of Laura, that's a lot of time to be away from our work." "Yeah," said Todd, "and I've got that entire catalog of gymnastic equipment and clothing to shoot before the end of August, and I still haven't found one of our models who can do anything on any of the equipment." "Aha," said Kelly, "JulieAnn gave me the names of two gymnasts who are friends of James' sister and who want to give modeling a shot. Their summer camp is nearly over and we should expect a call from them. If they look reasonably good, that's one less problem to worry about." "Thank god for small favors," said Todd. "Are you going to call Sherri's parents now?" "I'll get right on it boss," Kelly laughed as she picked up the phone. "Hello, Mrs. Prevan? This is Kelly Jennsen from TKO... I understand you and your husband would like a bit more information about our agency before allowing Sherri to model for us." Todd fetched a couple of Molson's out of the fridge, looked at the dwindling supply, and loaded the last four bottles from the case in the supply closet. "Okay then, we should arrive somewhere around 2:00 o'clock Wednesday then. Thank you, it was a pleasure to talk with you as well." "So I guess we're a go for Wednesday then," Todd said when Kelly hung up the phone. He opened one of the cold beers for her. Kelly looked at him and the beer. "Are we celebrating something, or are you just trying to get me drunk so you can have your way with me?" she said smiling. Todd laughed. "No, unless you're celebrating the last 6 bottles. I locked the door, the day is over and it's been a good one." Kelly took a long pull off the bottle. "To answer your question, yes we are a go for Wednesday. I made it late enough so you can decide if you want to fly down or drive." "Let's fly," said Todd. "It'll be quicker and easier and we can have a cab drop us off so we don't have to run around in circles." Kelly called Chris who said he would have a plane fueled and a pilot waiting at noon Wednesday. Todd reached over and took the phone from Kelly. "Chris, it's Todd. I was just wondering if you have one of those planes that can land on water. You know what I mean, the pontoon type used by people wanting to get to a private island. Yeah? Great! Thanks Chris, see you soon." ------- Chris was always glad to help out TKO. He had retired as a Navy Captain after the Gulf War, having done his 30 years - and having seen his share of action. His love for flying had never left him and being in his early fifties on his retirement, had opened up his own charter service. His little charter business had grown slowly but steadily. Todd and Kelly had met him when they were doing the Charlotte Tourism & Convention Bureau brochure. Chris had mounted a gyro pack into the open doorway of an old Jumpmaster so Todd could shoot aerial scenes of the city both in the daytime and at night. Since it wasn't a standard job and involved low-level city overflight clearance, Chris had done the flying himself. It had taken four days and nights before Todd was satisfied with the results. What surprised Chris was that as they had taken off on a number of occasions, Todd had taken shots of the planes lined up on the tarmac when they were at various heights and from various angles. And on one occasion they were airborne when Chris' pride and joy was coming in for a landing near dusk. Todd had shot a number of pictures of the Challenger 300 with its landing lights on and an orange sunset behind it. A week after the job had been completed; Todd presented Chris with a portfolio of finished glossy 8 x 10's and a poster sized one of the Challenger. Todd refused to take any money for them, it was a gift from TKO to Chris, he said. Kelly had put Chris in touch with a reliable yet inexpensive printer and Chris had brochures in every major hotel and convention center in Charlotte. Since then Todd had regularly taken another set of runway shots each year of the ever growing fleet. ------- Todd hung up the phone and Kelly said, "Care to clue me in?" "I was just thinking that when I get old man Regan's shots done, since we don't need to bring down all the equipment, we could fly in." Soon after the Tourism shoot, Todd and Kelly had started to book all their short overland trips with Chris. He was a friendly man and a straight shooter. "Smart thinking!" said Kelly. "It would save time and we wouldn't look so road weary." Kelly lit up one of her Cameo's. "No beer and hardly any cigarettes! Guess I better make another call." She looked at the clock. "I'll make that one from home though. It's about time I headed that way." "Are you sure you don't want to stick around?" asked Todd. "Laura might be coming back..." "Thanks sweetie, but I stole her from you last night. I really don't want to interfere with your personal life." "Jesus Kell, we've been through all kinds of shit together. What makes you think this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back?" "Fuck," said Kelly. "Look at me Todd. Look right into my eyes. You've known me for seven years now, when have you ever seen me with another woman?" Todd thought this over carefully. He could see the emotions building in Kelly and didn't want to cause her anymore pain. But he was also her friend. "Okay. I've never seen you with another woman Kelly, but then again, I've never seen you with a normal man either. You're right. I've known you for a long time, and as your friend I'm going to tell you that every single guy I've ever seen you with has ended up hurting you. That's why I didn't want to mess with you and fuck up our friendship." Kelly sighed. It was true. From her early start in the business, she had been only with men who desired her for how far it could take them or their careers and the occasional flings with male models. "So," she said, "instead of a normal man, I'm now strangely attracted to a normal woman." "I'm not sure I would call Laura normal," Todd laughed. "She's very unique, but she didn't come looking for anything. She didn't want anything from either of us. She didn't hop in the sack with me to find a new career, and she didn't stay with you last night to advance it either. If you could have seen her Friday, she was so shy and withdrawn." "I guess you brought out the animal in her then," Kelly said with a smile. "I think it was in her all along. I'm not sure, but I think she was hurt bad by someone." "She was," said Kelly, "but it's history now, and I'm pretty sure she's never had a relationship with another women either." "So," said Todd, "where do we go from here?" "Home," said Kelly. "I don't know what's going to happen next. As much as I realize I have feelings for you that go beyond friendship Todd, I'm not sure I could or should take that next step yet. Especially since you seem pretty committed right now. Don't let me fuck up your life." Kelly got up and gave Todd a kiss and headed home. ------- The phone was answered on the second ring. "Allo? Celine?" "Oui" "C'est Kelly, comment ca va?" "Tres bien! Et toi?" "Ah, comme ci, comme ca, tout va bien." "Tu as besoin de plus de contrebande?" "Huh?" said Kelly. Celine laughed dropping back to English. "Hey girl, you need more practice. I asked if you were calling for more of our fine Canadian tobacco and beer!" "Oh that hurts Celine. I don't just call when I run out of my favorite smokes." "I know," said Celine. "I was just razzing you." Celine had been a top earner as a magazine model and had come up the ranks with Kelly in the early years. She was FBI, Full Blooded Indian, and a Mohawk of the Iroquois nation. Taking Kelly's advice before Kelly left the modeling part of the business, Celine had started off campus courses in education and finally quit the business herself to earn her Master's. The last time they had spoken, Celine was into her doctorate of native studies - fluent in French, English and an assortment of Native American languages, she wanted to teach native culture. "Have you found a school yet?" asked Kelly. "Yes," said Celine. "Actually I will be starting at a number of high schools this September, I've been hired by the District School Board of Niagara. Imagine Kelly, 23 schools, a different one each day of the month for eight months!" "I'm happy for you Celine. I'm so glad it's working out the way you wanted. What happens when you get your doctorate?" "You mean besides doubling my already hefty salary?" Celine asked laughing. "Come on Celine... teachers don't get paid that much." "You forget Kelly. This is Canada. I'll be starting off at 60 grand a year plus I get subsidized by the First Nations as well." "Jesus. I didn't realize Canadian teachers made that much," Kelly said. "Yeah, and nearly tax free for me too," Celine laughed. "Okay, don't rub it in." Celine and Kelly talked for an hour more catching up on the latest news in their respective lives. When the subject of the contraband came up again, Celine said she would have her cousin Jimmy run it over the Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls and then shipped down via a native trucking company in Buffalo that ran regular trips to Florida. "We've had to change the way we do it now," said Celine. "The government has it's ass all cranked up about the amount of stuff coming into the country. I'd bet that at least half of the males in my family are running booze and tobacco into the country. Jimmy is going to feel real strange shipping it out! One of my uncles owns the trucking company and has three warehouses in Buffalo where he stores stuff to bring back in." Kelly was nearly on the floor laughing as she listened to the antics of Celine's family. Finally promising each other they would get together for some real quality time, Kelly hung up the phone. Kelly had just made it to the kitchen to fix herself something to eat when the phone rang. Seeing the caller display read "Williams" Kelly answered instead of letting the machine pick up the call. A warm feeling came over her the minute she heard Laura's voice. "Hi Kelly," said Laura, "how are you feeling?" "Physically pretty good, emotionally I'm a bit mixed up, but how are you doing?" "Well, my butt still hurts somewhat, but emotionally I'm about the same as you." "Why's that Laura?" Kelly asked. "Well... do you remember last night?" "Yes, very clearly," said Kelly. "I don't think I would have been able to hold on to my sanity if it wasn't for you." "I'm sure you would have made it through by yourself Kelly," Laura said. "You're a tough cookie! But I was thinking about later last night when we had our bath and then watched the movie and what happened then..." Kelly blushed at the memory. "Yes," she said softly, "I remember." "I just wanted you to know that before this weekend, I haven't been naked around another girl since the first year of high school, and I never touched another girl before this weekend either." "God Laura, I hope you aren't on the family phone!" Kelly said. Laura laughed. "No, I'm on my own phone in my bedroom." "Well, obviously I've been partially nude around other models and at different beaches, but if you want to know the truth, last night was the first time I just sat nude with another woman for the sheer enjoyment of it." "Well," added Laura shyly, "I have never ever masturbated in front of anybody before. And afterwards... I have never slept nude with another girl. Not the way we did last night." "Are you feeling regret now," Kelly asked with concern in her voice. "No, quite the contrary. God, I'm glad I called about this; I wouldn't be able to look at you and tell you this. The truth is it really turned me on. I mean, I really love Todd, but I think I love you too." "Well," said Kelly, "I'm pretty sure I am falling in love with you as well." "No... I mean I think I could really love you." Laura emphasized the last part of her sentence. "I understand Laura," Kelly said. "I think I feel the same way, but I don't want to screw up anything between you and Todd." "Why would it?" Laura asked. "That's what I'm trying to figure out and deal with Laura." "Well, I was thinking of heading back to Todd's in a bit. Do you want to come over?" "Thanks sweetheart, but I think I've got to do a lot more soul searching and come up with some kind of answers myself. You enjoy yourself and I'll see you tomorrow." "Okay," said Laura, "but the invitation is open, and if that isn't what you feel like right now, I'll just have to come over for another girl's night." Kelly laughed. "I think I would like that." "Count on it then," said Laura. "Sleep well tonight and remember I really do care for you." "Have a good time tonight Laura." Kelly hung up, and stared at the phone for a moment, her thoughts whirling, then with a shake of her head headed to the kitchen. After a quick bite, she took a shower and headed off to bed. It was still early but two good ground-shaking orgasms relaxed her before she drifted off to a deep and restful sleep with Laura's picture clutched to her breasts. ------- Chapter 7 Laura arrived home a little after 6 o'clock Monday afternoon. Laura and her three younger siblings lived in a modest but friendly home on the south side of the city with their parents. Her dad was a policeman and her mother worked part time in a grocery store to help make ends meet. After liberally applying Aveeno on her butt to soothe the burning, she had supper with the family. As usual, it was a lively affair during which the family shared the news of the day. As the dishes were being cleared away, Laura brought out the portraits she and Todd had chosen as being presentable for family viewing. "Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you about a few other things that have happened over the weekend." Hearing the seriousness in her voice, her mother told the younger kids to scoot, leaving just the three of them in the kitchen. Laura explained she had lost her fast food job, but she had been offered an opportunity to be a model. Her father was disappointed. "Laura, I see this scam all the time. Girls are told they should be models and then end up shelling out a few thousand dollars for a portfolio and never getting any work. We get complaints about this racket all the time." "It's not like that, dad," Laura said. "I didn't quit my job, I was a little bit sick this morning and I was fired. But Kelly, she's one of the owners of TKO, she called her lawyer for me, and..." "Did you say TKO?" her dad interrupted, "I KNOW them!" Besides Kelly's contributions to the police safety committee, TKO also sponsored a summer day camp for the less fortunate kids of Charlotte. "If they're the ones who offered you a modeling job, then I'm not going to worry. They're highly respected in the business community." Turning to his wife he said, "I've told you about them before, remember?" "But Laura, what will you do about money until you actually start modeling?" asked her mother. Laura explained how Kelly had managed to get her six months of severance pay. Her dad whistled through his teeth. It was a hefty sum for a family that usually just managed to make the paycheck last through the month. Since Laura had started work, she had been giving her parents a portion of her pay to help cover the expenses, plus she was a frugal girl and had purchased all of her own clothes as well as the six year old Honda Accord she drove. "Mom, dad, this is an opportunity for me to get my education and make enough money so I can finish school. I'm getting enrolled tomorrow, and I promise I will make you proud of me. If it all works out, I will continue to help here with the expenses, but I have to be honest and tell you that I won't be spending much time at home anymore. It's not that I love you any less, but between school and work, it would just be easier for me to be able to spend more time at the studio or at Kelly's." Her father looked at her mother. The spark that had been missing from their daughter's eyes for so long was back and she was charged with excitement. Both of them realized it was more than the lure of a career as a model that had lit that spark but as open minded as they were, neither was willing to ask about the obvious fact that Laura was in love. Laura's mom was more excited about Laura returning to school. Laura had always been a bright girl, but her disastrous affair with the jock had destroyed her chances at a scholarship, and even though her mother worked part time to supplement the family income, it was still a struggle. They simply couldn't afford the extra money for university. "Just you be careful honey," her mother said. "We don't want to see you hurt again." Understanding this was their subtle consent Laura kissed them both. "Don't worry about me you two. I'm never going to let anyone use me again." With a deep sigh, her father asked if she would still be coming home regularly to visit and maybe spend a night or two. Laura had laughed, and giving her dad a big hug said, "Of course I'll be coming home to see you and the family. I love you guys. I wouldn't have made it through this last year without your support!" Laura went to bed early that night after making a quick call to Kelly and a call to Todd to let him know she would be spending the night at home instead of returning to the studio. "It was a bit of a shock to them," said Laura, "but they seem okay with the fact I won't be living at home full time anymore. I figured another night in my own bed for their sake would help. Promise you'll dream of me tonight, and I will see you early in the morning. I love you Todd." ------- Laura woke up early Tuesday morning. Packing a small travel case with some essentials, she gave her mother a kiss. "Don't worry about me mom. For the first time in a long time I finally feel like I can have the future you wanted for me." Turning to her sister she gently reminded her that her side of the bedroom was still off limits. "Maybe if I end up getting a room at UNC, I'll move some stuff out and pack the rest and give you a room of your own," she said laughing, "but that won't be for a little while yet!" Her mother walked her out to her car and giving Laura a big hug reminded her to be careful. "Don't worry mom," she said, "I've got both my eyes wide open. And I'll be checking in on a regular basis." There were tears in her mother's eyes as Laura drove off. Her first-born was leaving the nest. She hoped she would fly like an eagle. Laura's eyes were still misted as well when she pulled into the studio parking lot just after 8 o'clock. The home she had grown up in and had been loved in was now part of her past. She felt confident of the future ahead of her, but as much as she would miss seeing her family on a daily basis, she knew her destiny lay before her. ------- Todd was extremely pleased to see Laura at the door and after taking her travel case, he handed her a key. "Laura Williams, I am delighted to share my home with you for as long as you will have me." With those words, Todd led her up the stairs to what was now their apartment and she unpacked. Since they had a full day of appointments and errands to run, they decided to take a quick shower first. Laura had a mischievous smile on her face as they stepped into the shower. Placing her hand on Todd's chest she pushed him back until he was forced to slide down on his back in the tub. Straddling him Laura spread the lips of her pussy with her hand and though a bit embarrassed by her own boldness, she aimed a stream of urine at him. It quickly turned into a full blast and she manipulated herself so she could spray Todd from his cock to his chest. Todd developed an enormous erection much to his own surprise. Her bladder had been full since she woke up, and as she blasted Todd, it seemed like there would be no end to the flow. Still spraying, she lowered herself till she was squatting right over his stomach, drenching him as the excess ran down his sides and into the drain. As the flow finally slowed she stood again and placed a foot on his chest holding him in place. With one hand she turned on the water setting the temperature and then removed the showerhead bringing it down with her as she knelt resting her butt on his thighs. The showerhead had a built in flow switch and after rinsing Todd lightly she grabbed the bottle of liquid soap and started to wash his chest, moving in long stroking motions dragging her nails across his hard stomach and building up a soapy froth in his pubic hair. Todd's cock was twitching with excitement, the head turning a deep purple. Stroking his soapy cock with one hand, Laura lathered her own pussy and then using Todd's cock like a dildo rubbed the head back and forth over her now blood engorged clit. This sensation was too much for Todd, feeling his swollen glans scraping first against a patch of pubic hair and then sliding between her slick lower lips. As she stroked his cock faster and faster against her cunt lips to achieve her own orgasm, it finally became unbearable, and Todd arching up in a spasm of ecstasy felt his cock slip into Laura who sank down on him as she reached her own orgasm. They both shivered in the afterglow of the sensory overload. Laura finally pushed her way up saying, "Damn, that's hard on the knees!" Todd laughed and promised next time he would get on top which sent Laura into a giggling spasm. They washed each other properly and after drying off headed to the kitchen for breakfast. To Laura's dismay, she watched as Todd brought out two bottles of the 'go-juice' and the same vitamins she had taken at Kelly's, but at least he offered her cereal and whole-wheat waffles. With a sigh, Laura passed on both and stuck to celery stalks and a grapefruit. They both heard the studio door open and Todd said, "That'll be Vanetta. Kelly rarely makes it in before 10." "Todd, do you think my check will be at the lawyers today?" asked Laura. "I don't want to seem in a rush, but I only brought a bathing suit, a pair of jeans and a few pairs of panties. I thought maybe I could buy myself some new clothes today." Todd looked at her for a moment, slapped his forehead and said, "Damn, I keep forgetting this is all new to you. Okay. Clothes are going to be the least of your worries. Besides what you saw downstairs, we have other rooms filled with everything from jeans to business suits. About the only things you'll need are underwear and shoes." "Maybe I can get Kelly to go shopping with me," Laura mused. She pulled on jeans and a t-shirt as Todd called the lawyer and then the University. "Okay, we can go now and get you enrolled and pick up your course material," Todd said. "First we stop at the lawyers." They headed down the stairs to be greeted by a smiling Vanetta. ------- Kelly managed to roll out of bed around nine. After "breakfast," she made the bed, slipped on comfortable slacks and sleeveless top, locked the house and walked down to the studio. The walk was Kelly's respite from the hectic life. For ten minutes she could enjoy the world without feeling like it was exercise. It allowed her to breath fresh air and gave her a chance to meet and greet the mailman and neighbors and shop clerks. Driving to work was saved for rainy days or if she was in a hurry. Besides, she always carried her cell phone if she was needed. There was a fruit stand on the corner just before she entered the industrial park, and Kelly was friendly with the operator. As she was almost always a daily customer, he knew what she liked and would tell her honestly what was the best and freshest, so it was rare for Kelly to arrive at work without something for them to eat. Fresh mangoes, passion fruit, papaya and grapefruit would do it today. Kelly walked into a room of smiling faces. Todd and Laura were sitting with Vanetta swapping stories. "Good morning Kell," said Todd, who took the bag of fruit from her arms and carried it to the kitchen. Laura kissed Kelly on the cheek and said, "Hi, I missed you." Kelly blushed a bit but kissed Laura back and whispered, "Not as much as I missed you." Vanetta said "Good morning" and handed Kelly her morning stack of messages. Flipping through them quickly Kelly pulled a couple of important ones out and set them aside for first response. Since it was nearly time for a morning snack anyway, Kelly tugged Vanetta away from her desk and all four ended up in the open kitchen. While Todd brought out the juicer, Kelly and Laura scrubbed the fruit Kelly had picked up to remove any pesticides. Some was placed in the draining tray to be transferred to the fridge while others were sliced to add solid snacks to go with the mid morning juice. Todd had taken four large beets, six large apples and two bunches of celery out of the crisper and was feeding them into the juicer. Vanetta crushed ice while Todd added eight carrots to the mixture. Finally, he peeled and quartered a large Spanish onion and added a bulb of garlic. Todd stirred the mixture and poured out four tall glasses, putting the remainder in a glass pitcher. He quickly and efficiently cleaned the juicer and placed the left over pulp into a bag for Delton's mulch pile. Finally, all seated at the table, Vanetta recounted for Kelly what she had been telling Laura about the staff and environment at UNC's Applied Health department. "She's going to love it in the Psych department," Vanetta said. "Everybody's afraid to talk to the psych students because you always get the feeling you're being analyzed!" Vanetta was laughing as she continued telling about various professors and the on campus activities along with the pranks played. Laura was looking cautiously at her glass of juice. The beets had given the mix a deep red color. "What's the matter Laura?" asked Kelly. "Well," said Laura, "Nothing is really the matter. I mean... I like a garden cocktail as much as anybody, but I always thought they were mostly tomatoes." Todd laughed. "The name brands are, sweetheart, but the beets are better for you. Lots of natural iron and vitamins, it's really good for the blood. Another lesson learned from 'doctor' Kelly." Laura tasted it and looked surprised. "Hey, this is really good!" Everyone laughed and Laura pretended to pout. "I can't help it," she said. "This healthy living is all new to me." Kelly reached over and put an arm around her. "It's okay Laura. We know it takes some time to get used to, but trust me, in a few weeks you will really see the difference and you will wonder how you managed to get through life without it." Kelly went silent for a moment. What had she just said to Laura?... "Trust me." She thought of Brenda, and how Brenda asked her: "Do you trust me?" Kelly's thoughts were interrupted when Laura spoke up. "Todd's going to take me to the university in a bit after I make one other stop, but I was wondering Kell if you would mind going shopping with me this afternoon. There are some things I need to get, certain things that I don't want to be picking out with Todd waiting or seeing." Kelly laughed. "Sure Laura. How about we treat ourselves to a visit at the spa as well?" Laura's eyes lit up. "A spa? I've never been to one." "You're going to love it. It's nice getting pampered." "You've got a date," said Laura winking at Kelly, "Right after I get enrolled." As they finished their juice break, Kelly headed to the correspondence she had to deal with. She said to Todd as she headed to her desk, "John wants to know when he can deliver the gym equipment." "Damn. I hate to clutter up the place with it and we still haven't seen the two girls JulieAnn was talking about. Tell him he can deliver it in two weeks. I'll just have to get busy and hope that JulieAnn has a good eye." "I wouldn't worry too much about JulieAnn's taste. I doubt she would even have given them any false hopes if she didn't find them attractive, though you could always call James and get his opinion." "Nah," said Todd. "You're right. They might be a strange group, but they definitely aren't stupid." He stopped at Kelly's desk and giving her a kiss on the cheek said, "Okay, if you need me, give me a call. I'm going to take Laura to Steve's and then to the university." "You two have a good time," Kelly said with a smile. Laura gave her a big smile in return. "I'm so excited," she said. "I thought my chance for an education and career was gone." Vanetta took Laura by the arm and walked with her towards the door as Todd headed out the back door to get his Chevy Tracker, his "in town" vehicle. "Laura," said Vanetta out of earshot of Kelly, "It might not be my place to say, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Todd and Kelly... they're really special people, the world would be a nicer place if there were more like them. It's not often they get this involved in other people's lives. I know. I was lucky. My mom said the best way I can show them how much it means to me is to get the best grades possible, and make the most of my life and the opportunities given to me, so I'm going to pass the same advice on to you." Laura looked at Vanetta for a moment and then her face lit up with her open honest smile. She hugged Vanetta and said, "I know what you mean Vanetta. I thought this was all lost to me. I intend to make the most of this opportunity." Vanetta smiled back at her. "Mom said you were the sunshine that was missing from both their lives. I think I can now see why." Laura blushed. "I'm flattered, but really, I'm just a girl who was lucky enough to meet them." Vanetta bit her tongue. She didn't want to tell Laura her mom had consulted the "Obi Man" after the incident on Sunday, and he had told her Laura's arrival had not been a coincidence. While Vanetta herself didn't place much faith in the old Shaman, her mother still followed the old ways. For the young kids in Jamaica, Obeah was more myth and folklore, but even Vanetta had to agree there was something special about Laura. ------- Laura climbed into Todd's Tracker. "Nice" she said. "It gets me around town," said Todd, "but for longer trips I like the Hummer. This is just the right size so I can see and be seen and it's got enough room so I can toss my equipment in the back." "Well," said Laura, "I like it." The first stop was at the lawyers where Laura signed all the forms swearing her to non-disclosure and waiving any future legal action and received a check for just slightly over $10,000. Laura was hopping with excitement when they got outside of the law office. "I've never held this much in my hands at any time in my life," she said to Todd. "God, I hope it's enough with my savings to pay for the first year at the university." "Well, most of your school work will be off campus for the first year anyway, so it's a lot less expensive right off the bat." "Oh, I know," said Laura, "but what if there isn't enough modeling work for me to keep up the payments?" "Don't you worry sweetheart, I've never been wrong when it comes to knowing what the camera likes." "Okay," said Laura, "I'll trust your camera eye," but there was still a hint of hesitation in her voice. Todd pulled over to a nearby park and stopped the truck. "Honey, you're thinking about the wrong thing," Todd explained. "I think you are beautiful, but the jobs you'll get, and I am sure there will be a lot of them, aren't about your beauty. It's more about how good you can make the clothes look; they're the real stars in a catalog. It's also one of the reasons you need to take care of your body now. Make-up can only hide so much, so no more digging in the dirt for you, Princess!" Laura laughed, "Yes my lord, I will obey. Now can I play with your royal scepter?" "What? Here? In a public park?" "Well," said Laura kissing him deeply, "if you act natural like you're just taking a break from driving, no one will see me." With that said, she ducked down and disappeared from sight. Slowly she undid his zipper and pulled out his rapidly growing cock. "Hmm," she mumbled from below. "Somebody is happy to see me." Todd just gasped as she engulfed his cock in a big wet swallow. He raised his butt slightly as Laura tugged at his pants trying to get access to his balls. With them firmly held in one hand and the other putting a tight grip on the base of his cock, Laura started to lick up and down the sides with a wet yet coarse tongue. It took only a few minutes before Todd was bucking in his seat begging for release. Laura slowed her pace and bobbed up and down on his blood-engorged prick with a calculated measure. She knew he was close, but wanted his climax to be really strong. Swirling her tongue around the head she felt the skin of his glans tighten ever more. Wrapping her lips around the head she ran her tongue back and forth over his slit trying to drive it into the little hole. She could feel his cock twitch in the hand that was still holding tightly to prevent him from coming while her other hand felt his balls shrink down to a tight package little larger than a golf ball. With a perverse pleasure she slobbered all over the head of his engorged cock and started to rapidly bob up and down and then released the pressure grip on his shaft which caused Todd to buck in his seat as shot after shot of cum went down her greedy throat, not a drop spilt. Finally Todd slowed and his thrashing and twitching settled to random spasms. When Laura was satisfied that she had emptied him and captured every drop she sat up, surprised to see tears in Todd's eyes. "Did I hurt you?" she asked with concern. Todd shook his head no, panting. He had no strength and no breath left to talk. Laura leaned back against her door and put her feet up on the seat, giving him time to compose himself. She sat quietly watching him as he slowly came back to earth. "That... that was... that was so fucking good," he finally managed to get out. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," said Laura with a smile, "But I'll bet I enjoyed it more!" "Not a chance," he said. "That felt too good." "Ah, but to have that kind of power over you... To decide when you can cum and how long to make the pleasure and agony last, that's the greatest thrill." "Look," said Todd. "I'm still seeping cum!" Laura bent quickly and licked up the glob forming on his cock head. Todd grabbed her and crushed her to him as he asked, "Do you realize how much I love you?" "Yes I do," she replied, "You show me every single day." Reluctantly Todd pulled up his pants and started the Tracker back up. "We actually have a semi fixed appointment at the registrar's office," he said apologetically. Registration didn't take long nor did it cost Laura half as much as she expected. What she didn't know was that when Todd had called and set up the appointment, he had also arranged a good portion of the bill to be sent to him. They spent nearly an hour picking up Laura's course outline and meeting some of her professors and picking up the textbooks and online material she would need. Though she was getting a late start on the semester, she was quite sure she could catch up quickly. She had been a good student once and vowed to be one again. After a visit to the main building where Laura got a chance to see the portrait Todd had done for the benefactor, they headed to a small diner Todd favored for lunch. "Doesn't this food go against all the health stuff you take?" Laura asked. "Nope," said Todd, "I guess I'm a Buddhist at heart. All things in moderation." "Now that's a philosophy I can live with," said Laura digging in. ------- Kelly had turned on a Bonnie Tyler CD after Todd and Laura had left. The music soothed her as she typed out replies to the morning missives. Other data she entered on her computer and with Vanetta's computer programmed to share files, she had Vanetta proof and file them on the office server. It was a quiet and peaceful day and Kelly was still feeling good from last night. She told Vanetta that a shipment would be arriving any day from Buffalo, and put $1,500 in the petty cash box to cover the costs. Vanetta was used to these shipments as they occurred about once every four to six months. "Make sure you tip the driver well if he brings it all in okay? They're having a rough time with a crack down in Canada, and I don't want my supplier to think this is a waste of his time." "No problem Kelly," said Vanetta. "I don't have classes today so if you like, I could stick around here while you and Laura go out." "Thanks Vanetta, that's nice of you to offer, but Todd will probably close up and just work out this afternoon. There's not much on the go right now. Well, actually there is, but we need release forms signed and after Todd prints up the Regan pictures, we'll be gone again. However if you're free tomorrow, it would be nice if you could be here as long as possible since Todd and I have to go out of town." "Sure, no problem," said Vanetta. They ate a quiet lunch together and afterwards when Vanetta left for home, Kelly logged on to her home account. She was pleased to see a letter from Brenda waiting for her. Dear Kelly, I was sorry to hear that Jules called you on the day I arrived back at the Eyrie and I didn't get a chance to talk to you personally. Life is so busy right now that I barely have time to think for myself before something else pops up. But I would and will always find time for you. In a way I think it was a smart move to drop your boyfriend. Just based on our "discussion" last Thursday, I think you are not appreciating the finer things in life. I would like to discuss more of this in person since it seems there is more to the story than what you have written me. As for Todd's new girlfriend, aren't Todd and you the best of friends? Don't best friends share? Look at my situation! And I honestly don't know why you are reluctant to pursue the change in your relationship with Todd. It's pretty hectic here at Max's and I will be heading back to Regan's Thursday morning. I think I will be there for most of the month, or at least shuttling back and forth. I wish we could get together for a real sit down talk, face to face. Are you guys still planning to attend the grand opening of Mueller's Wheel? Let me know if you are, because then I can plan on some private time for you and me to talk. Affectionately, Brenda Kelly filed the letter away. She would have to ask Todd if they were still going to the opening. "Damn," she said out loud. "Time seems to be my greatest nemesis." Kelly thought over what Brenda had said. Share with your best friend. "Hmm... I wonder how Laura would feel about that," she thought. Then as quickly she shook her head. It might work for the "James Gang," but they were just teenagers. And yet... there was no denying they loved each other, and shared James. Her thoughts were interrupted by the return of Todd and Laura. Kelly was about to get up to greet the smiling couple when the phone rang. It was Jorge. Kelly waved at Todd and Laura as she spoke with Jorge. "Well of course I knew she would look good to you Jorge," she said. "That's why we haven't shown her to anyone else. You are one of our most valued customers." Jorge told her the pictures had arrived and he was smitten. Laura was just the kind of girl he was looking for and had called Mike in for a professional opinion. Then after being reassured by Mike, he had shown the photographs to his marketing people. The excitement had really grown, and some wanted to start production on the new lingerie line immediately. But first Jorge had some questions for Kelly. "Yes Jorge, natural. 34B, no silicone in any of our models, you should know that. Yes, a student at the university down here. No, not a scar on her, and no tattoos." Kelly looked at the contract Laura had signed. "No Jorge, you know we don't allow our models to use any drugs. Yes, the pictures are very recent. Last week. Five foot eight," Kelly said. "120 pounds. No, the hair has never been colored. Jorge... you are wearing me out here. What you see is exactly what you get. She's gorgeous, clean and natural." Kelly quickly scanned through her customer database. "Jorge, in your last catalog you used 78 of our models for your beautiful clothes. You paid over $100,000 for their time. That was just one catalog Jorge. Do you want to know how much you paid for our models for entire year?" Jorge was busy blustering when Kelly said, "Look Jorge, you were the only one either Todd or I thought of, and we thought of your lingerie line, and how long you've been looking for the right girl to bring it out. She's a natural; you can see it in the pictures, that smile is going to do it for you my friend. She looks mature enough and yet innocent, but more importantly, she is a totally virgin face. Okay, twice, yes..." Kelly fired up her calculator and started punching in numbers, totally in business mode now. As Jorge continued to ramble on about hours, Kelly kept on entering numbers. "Okay Jorge, plus a waiver that she is exclusive to you for a year, renewable with a 33-1/3 percent increase for each successive year as long as both parties are in agreement? All travel costs to be paid by you? Okay, because you've been good with us, let's try this. I think we can talk her into five hundred per for the first year, and if you supply the travel and accommodations, I'll see if I can convince her to do the two big conventions a year for free." Kelly laughed. "You like that eh Jorge? Well, I've gotten nothing but positive responses from every model who ever worked for you, and customers like you we want to make happy. Let me run it by her and I'll get back to you in about an hour." Kelly hung up the phone smiling. Both Todd and Laura were waiting for the news with their breaths held. "YES!" Kelly shouted. "Full page ads, a special flyer at Valentines, the Bridal issue and both catalogs." "Is that good?" Laura asked. "That's damn good," said Todd who was figuring in his head. "It means you will only work about eight weeks out of the year," explained Kelly, "but you will be the exclusive model for the lingerie line. You will also do two trade conventions in the year, one in New York and one in L.A., and you will do them for free, but in the first year alone, after TKO's fees, it means you will earn over 60 thousand before taxes!" Laura fell into the closest chair, her mouth open. "And if it goes as well as I think, your modeling fee will increase from five hundred an hour to six hundred and fifty per in the second year. If you work hard and manage to stick it out for four years with Jorge, you will be pulling in over one thousand an hour!" "By the time you finish the third year towards your PhD, my dear, you will have earned..." Kelly stopped to punch in some numbers, "four hundred and thirty thousand dollars!" "Oh my God!" "But" said Kelly, "for you to actually earn that just from Jorge, you have to remain in pristine shape, and you have to make the clothes come alive. Jorge is aiming at the young newly married women, so you have to make them believe they will look as good in those outfits as you do. The first year is already guaranteed thanks to Todd's magnificent photography." Kelly smiled at Todd. "But keeping the job will depend on you." "I understand," said Laura going quiet. "I might have been able to get you the same kind of money elsewhere," said Kelly, "but not with the repeat work and you would have to put in a lot more hours. This way you only need to be on the job about two weeks per season." Laura started to cry. Todd looked bewildered. Kelly understood and moved in close to Laura pulling the sobbing girl to her chest while patting her gently on the back. "It's okay baby," whispered Kelly. "You deserve it. Every bit of happiness you can get." Todd finally realized why Laura was crying. He remembered the shy hurt girl he had met nearly a month ago and how last week she had transformed before him like the proverbial duckling. She was still the same girl, right down to her dimples, but now she saw her life opening before her, with dreams and goals unimaginable to that Laura who just last week worked at Arby's. An hour later, after Kelly had confirmed with Jorge that Laura had accepted, and a call to Steve to check and formalize the contract that would be sent via courier to his office, the three of them had another glass of the juice Todd had made that morning. "How can I ever thank you two for what you have done for me?" Laura asked. "By being as good for the catalog shoots as you were for me when you weren't thinking about being a model. Make Jorge's clothes come to life. Get that second and third year rolling so you can go on for the fourth and fifth when you will really be making good money," said Todd "Earning your doctorate in Psychology so you can fix up my life," laughed Kelly. "Seriously though," Kelly continued, "You are now going to have to take solid control over your lifestyle. Stick to the vitamins, no sun-tanning beds, always wear sunscreen when you go to the beach or plan to be outdoors for any length of time, and don't cut your hair unless Jorge requests it and then only if you approve. Jorge won't be ready for you for about a month at which time we will go with you for moral support for your first week on the job. That gives us a month to get you prepared and coached." "Uh oh," said Laura. "It sounds ominous." Kelly laughed. "It's not as bad as it sounds, you just need a few lessons in posture and walking, and there are some female issues we need to discuss. But we can do that while shopping, if you still want to go." "Oh yes," said Laura. Turning to Todd she said, "Promise you'll miss me?" "Miss you?" he asked incredulously, "after this morning, I'm going to go to the gym and build up my strength before I come back here for a well deserved nap!" Laura laughed and to Kelly said, "I'm afraid that's one little lie you told Jorge. About me having a virgin face. Todd simply couldn't make it to the university this morning with out stopping for a blow job!" Todd flushed with embarrassment, but Kelly and Laura just laughed. ------- The two girls headed off in Laura's Accord. Laura asked if Kelly would mind if they took a little side trip to her parent's house before they went shopping and to the spa. Kelly agreed. She was curious as to what kind of family Laura came from. Laura's dad had finished work and was home as well. As they entered the house, he looked up, noticed Kelly and said jokingly, "Well if it isn't the speed demon herself!" Laura looked perplexed until her dad explained that every precinct in town had an autographed poster of Kelly in her safety gear, and he had been at one of Kelly's school lectures about the importance of wearing safety gear. "Why Officer Williams, how sweet that you remember," Kelly said with a smile. "Call me Harry," he replied. "This is Meg," he added as his wife came into the room and gave Kelly a big hug. "So you're going to have my baby go back to school. I can't thank you enough." Kelly was starting to feel a bit embarrassed. "Really, it has little to do with me or my partner. We offered Laura a chance and she took it. Personally I was glad to hear she plans on going back to school. We like all of our models to work for a higher goal. Modeling is just a means to an end in our company." Meg sat the girls down and offered them coffee, but both declined. "No coffee?" Laura laughed and said there were a lot of lifestyle changes she had to make now she was officially a model. "What?" her father asked. "You've already got a job?" "Actually, it's a contract for a full year for Laura," Kelly said. "She has been signed to model exclusively for a client of ours." Kelly mentioned the catalog and Meg recognized the company name immediately. "Exclusively for this catalog? Isn't that going to cut into her school time?" asked Laura's father. "No daddy," Laura explained. "I'll only be working eight weeks out of the year for them." "Humph. I can't see you paying your way through school on only eight weeks worth of work." "Actually daddy, I don't want to make you feel bad, but I'll make $58 thousand the first year, and if they renew the contract for another year, I'm guaranteed a 33 percent increase." "Sweet mother of Jesus," said her mother. "Holy shit!" said her father. Kelly noticed a distinct family trait in the way the Williams' jaws dropped, and smiled. "And," added Laura, "I wanted to let you know that I am now officially registered as a student in the psych department at UNC." Meg pulled Laura to her in a big hug and said, "I'm so happy for you baby." "Thanks Mom. Kelly and I were just about to go out shopping but I wanted to tell you both the good news first." "I'm glad you did," said her father. "Now I know my little girl is going to be okay, I'll sleep better." "I think it's wonderful what your company does for the underprivileged kids of the city," Meg added. Kelly was feeling less than comfortable with the praise. She could never explain to anyone why she and Todd were so actively involved with the lonely and the impoverished children. It was something even she and Todd rarely spoke about. As the girls got up to leave, Meg gave both girls a kiss on the cheek and a big hug. Harry gave Laura a big hug lifting her off her feet saying, "You make us proud now, ya' hear?" Then with an awkward look held out his hand to Kelly who leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm really glad to have met you Mrs. Williams," Kelly said. "I can see where Laura gets her qualities and caring traits, and Officer Williams, it was a pleasure seeing you again." "Harry!" he replied. "The name's Harry!" "Ok, Harry," Kelly said with a smile. "I'll call soon," Laura said as they stepped out the door. As they got into the Accord, Kelly lit up. Her nerves were starting to fray. "I don't need a PhD to see you aren't very comfortable with intimacy or family situations," Laura said as she drove to the South Park Mall as Kelly had suggested. "Don't get the wrong idea Laura. I think your parents are terrific, and they obviously love you very much. It's not something I talk about, but I want to tell you how lucky you are. My parents sold me to an agent when I was twelve. I had no say in the matter at all and when I turned 14 I sued to liberate myself from them and the agent. He was not a nice man; let's just leave it at that. By then I was getting some good reviews and the job offers kept on coming. I shopped around for a decent agency and over the next few years started to build up a tidy sum. They weren't easy years Laura, and I learned early on that the only person who was going to look out for me was me. There were lots of people who were willing to use me, and being young and naïve, I didn't know any better but I was also growing up. I had missed most of my education so I started taking off campus courses to get my high school diploma. I guess you could say I enjoyed learning and went right from that to a Bachelor's in Fine Arts. Now I only take a single class at a time because I do have a full life, but I'm well on the way to a Masters in Business Administration. Seems I have a head for business," Kelly laughed. "I never realized," said Laura. "But if you were on your own all that time how did you hook up with Todd?" "Ah, now that's where life gets interesting," said Kelly. "I had just finished a cover for one of the monthly's when I got a call from my agent asking if I would be interested in a special swim suit edition for a popular sports magazine. The money was nice, I was 18 and it would give me a month in Jamaica, all expenses paid. I had been in the biz for six years and had never had a real holiday. We were flown down to Jamaica on an executive jet. There were twenty-six of us, twenty-four who would be in the mag, and two alternates in case someone got sunburned, stung by a jellyfish or something like that. It was my first time doing a high profile shoot and it was also going to be my first time doing a topless shoot. I quickly discovered most of the girls who did these top-line shoots were pill pushers or 'Snow Bunnies.'" At Laura's enquiring look Kelly explained that a "Snow Bunny" was a girl who snorted coke. They had made it inside the mall and had found a fresh fruit juice specialty kiosk and with a tall fruit drink each they sat at a small relatively secluded table. "So to continue with my tawdry tale," said Kelly with a smile, "The magazine had us all booked into a fancy hotel in Mo-Bay which would be used as our center of operations since we were going to be shooting at Dunn's River and the famous beaches of Negril etcetera. I didn't want to stay at the hotel with the other girls and took a room at a guesthouse just outside of Mo-Bay, and made myself comfortable for the month. That's where I met 'G, ' and as fate seems to have planned it, Todd was staying at the same place. I didn't know it at the time, but aside from the money being paid to pose, there was a hefty bonus for whichever girl made the center spread. So Todd didn't want to stay in the same hotel with the girls who would do anything to influence the photographer. Besides, having been to Jamaica many times, he preferred the guesthouse." "I won't say we hit it off right away cause I think he felt I was going to try some of the same stunts. It was a week before he realized I wasn't offering to hop into bed with him and he started to talk to me anywhere other than on location. He totally cracked up when he found out that I didn't know about the bonus. I think that's when he let his hair down and let himself be who he really was and we soon found out we had a lot in common. He was the first man who didn't try to get into my pants after sharing a beer." Kelly smiled with fond memories. "We went out dancing at night and I found I could have a good time with him. Though it was never planned, and nobody would believe I hadn't slept with him to get it, his one photo of me was chosen for the center spread. I think you've seen it in the dark room?" Laura blushed remembering how hot she had gotten looking at that poster. "Our paths crossed about a dozen times over the next couple of years and we used to call each other just to talk. We grew to be real friends, and one day we were talking and I was bitching about how the agencies treated the models like select cuts of meat with no brains. Todd was getting pretty tired of nothing but model shoots and wanted to spend more time taking quality pictures that didn't necessarily have a person posing in front of the camera. I had been real careful with my earnings over the years because I knew one day the ride would stop and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do next when Todd suggested I should be an agent. Well we talked about it for a few months and I convinced him we should start our own business that would specialize in product advertising and handle models as a sideline. That way we could make sure that the 'real people' models we wanted to specialize in would be treated properly and with respect. As we grew, we hand picked the best agents to handle the daily modeling assignments, and we moved to Charlotte. Todd is the only family I have." "What about Todd?" Laura asked. "Doesn't he have any family?" Kelly sighed. "It's not something I would tell anyone else," she said, "but Todd is alone as well. His real name isn't Ayres, or it wasn't when he was born. He's had it legally changed. It used to be Vanden Ayres. He was born in Holland to very strict Catholic parents. His mother was very abusive and his father had a mean temper. They emigrated here when Todd was only seven and his life was pure hell. His salvation came during a grade eight class trip to a university campus photo lab. He became interested in photography and saved his paper route money to buy himself a camera. By the time he finished high school, he was earning enough money taking pictures for the local paper that he could afford to pursue his dream through university. By the time he was finished he had already established a good reputation and ended up working for an ad agency. He hasn't seen or spoken to his parents since he left high school. It's not a good topic of conversation with him." "Okay," said Laura. "I won't mention it to him, but why did Jorge call him a crazy bastard on the phone yesterday? That kind of bothered me." Kelly laughed. "In the inner circle of modeling, Todd has a reputation as being one of the greatest fashion photographers of our time. Jorge tried to hire him full time for his company and Todd told him that he couldn't afford him. Jorge said you haven't heard what I'm offering yet, but Todd just laughed and said that it didn't matter cause it still wouldn't be enough, and that's the same answer Todd has given every company since then who has tried to hire him full time. So that's why Jorge calls Todd a crazy bastard. He means it affectionately though. He's a good client and all of our models enjoy working for him. He's a bit strange himself. He was a top fashion house designer and one day walked out and started a home-based business where the average woman could not only go into the clothing business for herself, but with affordable fashions that last. In ten years he has become bigger than Mary Kay or Avon in direct sales." "Wow," was all Laura could say. "I never realized what a different life it is for other people." "It's not so scary though," said Kelly, "Todd and I are exceptions when it comes to family problems. You've got good family behind you and that will help a lot, plus you have the best damn agency in the world looking out for your interests! Now how about we get some shoes?" Kelly totally ignored the Sears Laura was familiar with, and steered her to a high-class shoe store. "When possible stay away from any heel over an inch high," said Kelly. "It will save you a lot of grief and varicose veins if you don't wear heels other than for work." Laura was a bit awe struck by the attention of the sales attendants, and after measuring her, the manager personally brought out samples for Laura to try. Various offerings of Amalfi and Munro and other fine Italian leather slid effortlessly on her feet. An hour later and with three pairs of "must have" shoes for Laura, two pair of low heels and a pair of sandals, all designed for comfort, light as air and hand stitched quality, they finally left and headed directly over to Victoria's Secret. "I'm not sure what to do about a bra Kell," said Laura. "I don't like wearing one, but I don't want my boobs all floppy when I get older either." "Well," said Kelly, "you're more blessed in that department than I am but I do know what I tell all our female models. If you wear a bra and when you take it off your boobs feel like they've been freed from captivity, you need to wear one when you are active, but if all you are doing is sitting around, then you don't need one. But, that doesn't mean it has to be a uniform bra. There are a lot of good support bras in here that will make you look even sexier than you are now." Laura giggled. "Can I get the kind that lets my nipples show?" Kelly laughed with her and took her to the back and knowing the sales girl who was working, explained to her what Laura needed and that they had to be perfectly form fitting and extremely sexy. Laura blushed, but her embarrassment evaporated quickly as the girl measured her and then returned with half a dozen different styles, all of which were light and extremely gorgeous. At Laura's request Kelly stayed in the change room with her as she tried them all on. Two styles in particular really gave Laura extra lift and support and cleavage, and Kelly called the sales girl to see if those models came in different colors. After selecting six new bras, it was time to find some panties. Kelly suggested high-rise French cut with full cotton inserts. "Thongs look good on models," Kelly explained, "but for everyday use they aren't as practical as a good secure fit. It's like the low-rise panties. Unless you need them for belly baring jeans or shorts, it's just a nuisance as they keep sliding down. Better to settle for comfort." Laura insisted Kelly stick around, and that's when Kelly brought up the thing that had been on her mind all afternoon. "Laura, I can tell you shave your legs, but how long can you go between shavings?" Laura blushed and said she realized she was starting to show a bit of stubble but that generally she could go for four days before it became really noticeable. "Honey, can I suggest you stop shaving and go for waxing instead? After the first few times you can go for months without repeating the process, and your legs will become softer for it and if you do it regularly, the hair growth will slow down to nothing. Less hair grows back every time after waxing, and if you keep it up, eventually you won't have to do it at all anymore. I only get mine done once a year now." As Laura tried on the panties, Kelly brought up the other issue. "Laura, I hate to be the one to bring this up, but you're going to be modeling a lot of lingerie..." With that Kelly reached down and pulled lightly at Laura's tufts of pubic hair left exposed by the underwear. "Oh no." Laura wailed. "I shaved it once to... you know... see what it was like but it was so itchy when it grew back in." Kelly was shaking her head no, but smiling. Laura's face showed the fear and dismay. "Not waxing!" Kelly nodded. "Right to the fold between your leg and groin. Trimming the length will be up to you." Laura had a dejected look on her face and settled on a dozen pair of assorted high cut panties as well as a silk camisole and matching boxers. As she paid for her purchase, Kelly told her the waxing wasn't that bad if done right, and by trained professionals. "You'll see sweetheart, as soon as we get to the spa. Besides, if it hurts I'll kiss it and make it all better for you." No sooner were the words out of her mouth when Kelly and Laura both realized what she had said. Kelly was the one blushing now while Laura smiled with the thought. They sat in the car for a few minutes while Kelly called ahead to the spa arranging two mud baths and a leg and bikini wax for Laura and a massage to follow. Since it was Tuesday, there would not be a long wait. She then called Todd letting him know that she and Laura would not be back till around 10. Following Kelly's directions, Laura drove them to the secluded spa. From outward appearances it looked like a very large, well-designed and maintained old mansion, with only a small brass plaque at the gate announcing 'Members Only', but was one of the few remaining exclusive women's clubs left in the Carolinas. Kelly flashed a smile at the security guard as Laura stopped at the security gate. "Good afternoon, Jim" "Good afternoon, Miss Jennsen", he replied, looking in the window, "It's nice to see you again." He stepped away from the car and made a note on his clipboard as the barrier rose. As Laura drove up the winding driveway to the parking lot behind the main building, she realized how private this place really was. A very old and thick hedge surrounded the buildings and the well-manicured lawn, backed by trees that further blocked prying eyes. As they walked to the private side entrance, Laura realized how her old Honda really stood out amongst the sleek assortment of Mercedes, Jag's and Porsches. Getting fresh robes and towels from the front desk after signing in, the two girls headed to the locker room which seemed much more like an elaborate dressing room complete with recliners and sofas and a bar. All of the staff knew Kelly by name and greeted her as an old friend and she introduced Laura as her very close and dear friend. The implication was not lost on the staff, and they treated Laura like a visiting dignitary. After changing into the gowns and leaving their clothes in the side-by-side hand finished oak lockers, they headed to the common area with their towels in hand. They had no sooner settled into comfortable leather chairs before a young blonde girl came in to take their drink orders. "I'm feeling like something fruity tonight Amy," said Kelly, "How about a cold strawberry daiquiri?" "Fresh today Miss Kelly," said Amy. "And for you Miss?" she asked looking at Laura. Never having tried one, Laura smiled at the girl who was probably the same age as she was, and said she would have the same. They barely had a chance to settle in to a conversation when another Scandinavian blonde walked in and announced that Mistress Helga had suggested a steam bath to open Miss Laura's pores before waxing. Kelly thanked her and asked what time Mistress Helga would be ready. "In about 45 minutes Miss Kelly," she responded and left the room. "Mistress Helga?" asked Laura with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, I doubt it's her real name," said Kelly, "but she's the manager here and runs this place like a well oiled machine." Amy returned with their drinks and a plate of fresh strawberries on a bed of chopped ice. "The steam bath will help this drink feel like you've had two," said Kelly. "Suck it through the straw and you'll think you've had four!" "If this is going to hurt a lot, maybe I better have a couple of these," said Laura. Kelly laughed. "It won't be that bad Laura. Just think of it as 'training' for your chosen career." "Will you stay with me Kelly?" Laura asked, suddenly serious. Kelly could see the uncertainty in her eyes and reached for Laura's hand. "Don't worry baby. I'll be with you every second and I'll hold your hand." They finished their drinks in relative quiet and headed for the showers. The showers themselves were something to behold. It was like a giant dorm shower with multiple gold plated heads spouting water from the walls. Gold grate-like racks lined the walls holding top name shampoos, conditioners and natural hand made soaps. There were a few privacy curtains for those who desired it, and slip proof benches both in and out of the line of the spray. There were about a half dozen women already in the showers, but Kelly just took off her robe, hung it with her towel and walked into the room. After a moment's hesitation, Laura followed suit. There were two women in a corner soaping each other's bodies using their bodies more than their hands. Laura thought she recognized one as the publisher of Charlotte's newspapers, but it couldn't be. She must be mistaken. Kelly saw Laura look and laughed quietly. "It must be something about communal showers," she said. The ladies soon moved to an area where they could pull a privacy curtain across. "Not to worry honey, they just don't know who you are and this is a very discreet club." They showered quickly, scrubbing each other's back before walking into a cold rinse stall. From there they retrieved their robes and towels and headed for the steam room. Though Laura felt very comfortable being naked with Kelly, she was a bit self-conscious walking into a room where the better part of all the clients sat around in a semi fog of steam totally nude. Following Kelly's lead, Laura had left her robe in the short hallway and wrapped the towel around herself, but was surprised to see Kelly remove hers to lay it on the marble surface that served as wall to wall benches around three sides of the room. Many of the women were sitting or laying on the higher of the two-section platform. The cloud of steam only offered slight coverage. It was one thing to be in a shower with other women as that was reminiscent of her junior high school days, but to just sit or lay openly was disconcerting. Suddenly it dawned on her that shortly, another woman would be looking very close at her genitals, and stripping away the light furry covering from most of it. "Kelly," Laura whispered softly, "I'm not sure that I can go through with this. I thought I was prepared for this, but I haven't been naked in front of more than a few class mates years ago, and then only for a few minutes." "I understand sweetie." Kelly said. "Try not to think of yourself nude, but instead you are dressed just like everyone else. Wouldn't you feel out of place if you were wearing a bathing suit in here?" Laura laughed. It did seem pretty funny and would attract a lot more attention than just being in her birthday suit. She settled back like Kelly and just closed her eyes letting the steam open up the pores on her body. She was nearly dozing when an attendant came in and gently shook her telling her that Mistress Helga was ready for her. Wrapped in their towels and carrying their robes they were escorted to a private room with a very professional and gleaming gynecologist's chair. Laura disrobed and sat in the chair as directed by another Scandinavian blonde who said she was to prepare Laura. Kelly was sitting on a stool beside her, holding her hand, when Mistress Helga entered the room. Mistress Helga was a pleasant woman with a distinct accent and the demeanor of a professional. She quickly explained the process and that it would not be a hot wax removal as done in beauty salons, but rather a warm wax based solution of herbs and other ingredients that would make the process less painful and quicker. It would also greatly reduce the number of times Laura would have to have the procedure repeated before all of the hair follicles were totally removed. "My dear," said Mistress Helga, "in ten years you will appreciate what you start today." Laura nodded nervously. "Underarms?" she asked. "Yes," answered Kelly for Laura. Quickly and with the aid of the assistant, she used a soft brush to spread the solution on Laura's underarms and then her legs, right down to her toes. As the solution went on under her practiced strokes, her assistant applied sterile strips of what appeared to be a stiff gauze material pressing it firmly into place. With Laura's legs completely covered, Mistress Helga used a remote control to electronically open the stirrups spreading Laura's legs wider and wider. Slipping on a pair of latex gloves, Mistress Helga applied a different solution to those tender areas Laura needed permanently nude. She asked Laura if she had a particular form or style she preferred, but Kelly intervened and told Mistress Helga that Laura did not want to be completely bare, nor did she want a fancy design but instead something that could be easily covered by a small bikini brief. Mistress Helga nodded her understanding and applied the new solution to the inside of Laura's groin, completely denuding her of any hair below or beside her vagina, leaving just a three inch triangular shaped patch right above her labia folds. More solution over the patch went right to Laura's belly button, and with the gauze firmly pressed into place, the assistant started applying a layer of another sealant to the exposed gauze being very careful not to spread it past the material. Finally satisfied, Mistress Helga said, "Well now, Miss Laura, this is the only really uncomfortable part of this procedure. I would ask that you remain motionless in this position for ten minutes at which time I will return. Though she was in an awkward position, Laura was no longer self-conscious about her current state. Mistress Helga had been very professional in her manner, much like a doctor. For the next ten minutes with Kelly still holding her hand, the two girls made small talk. "What I don't understand," said Laura "is why it will take two weeks to shoot the catalog. I figured it out and working four hour days, five days a week Jorge must have a few hundred designs he wants me to pose in." Kelly laughed and explained that she might be lucky if she tried on two outfits a day. "It will take Mike about an hour and a half shooting off a lot of film on each outfit hoping for that one special shot. Don't you remember how much time Todd took with you in the two outfits?" Laura remembered. Doing a bit of mental gymnastics she finally said, "Wow. I never realized how much work goes into a catalog." "Advertising is the first and most important step on the way to a sale," said Kelly. "Between Marge redoing your makeup and Mike wanting to change backgrounds, I doubt you'll see more than 15 outfits introduced by you in the fall catalog." "Out of curiosity," Laura asked, "why did you tell Mistress Helga to leave my pubic hair in such a basic pattern? It's really not much different than what I had to start with, I would have thought something more exotic would be called for." Kelly laughed. "Styles come and go, but you want to look like everyday people which is why you are forbidden under our contract to get any tattoos or body piercing other than the single holes in your ears. You can always shave a pattern into the basics, hell you can even shave it all off in the future if you like and you aren't going to be required for a shoot for a few months. Shaving lets it grow back in, but this waxing will be permanent in a few sessions. The really nice part is you won't have to worry any more about razor nicks or itchy bumps. Your legs will look and feel so smooth." "I don't understand Kell," Laura said. "If this is such a miracle cure, why don't more women do this instead of shaving?" "Simple economics my dear. A pack of razors costs less than five dollars and will last you nearly a year. This on the other hand costs $800 a treatment not including membership fees." "Oh my God! I can't afford this!" "Relax Laura" said Kelly. "Take this as a gift from someone who cares for you." "Kelly, I can't let you do this. It's too much." "Laura... too much is a relative term. Why were you worried about telling your dad how much you were going to make this year?" "Well, you know," said Laura. "It's more than he will make in a year in a dangerous job. I didn't want to embarrass him or make him feel bad." "There. You see? You're starting to understand and get some perspective on what's too much. Besides you're going to have to save up enough to pay for your education." "Okay, then I will graciously accept with my heartfelt thanks," said Laura, "but if it's not getting too personal, can I ask you why you have a guest membership to this place. I mean... it's for women only. Do you have friends you bring here?" Kelly dropped her head for a minute and then looked Laura right in the eyes. "I guess it's always been my wishful thinking that I could share this place with a close friend, but in the four years I've been coming here, you're the first person I have ever shared this with." Laura was about to say more but was interrupted by Mistress Helga's return. "It is nearly time," she said. "I know you are worried about pain, but let me assure you that it will be little more than a slight stinging sensation. The formula is my own, and it includes special herbs that have numbed your skin and dilated your pores loosening the follicles." She checked the gauze all around to verify it had taken evenly and had dried completely before she pressed on a button on the desk. In less than a minute, her assistant and another girl entered the room. "Now then, if you are ready..." Laura nodded squeezing Kelly's hand. As the two assistants took their places on each side of the chair, Laura asked Kelly if this really was painless. Mistress Helga stood between Laura's legs and grasped the top of the gauze in two firm fisted hands while her two assistants stood on the outside of Laura's legs each holding a double handful of the cloth. "I'm not sure sweetheart. I had my first ones done in New York. Mistress Helga has only done a bit of touch up work on me these last few years." "Kelly..." said Laura with anxiety in her voice. "It's the first time that's a bitch," said Kelly nodding to Mistress Helga. With a nod from their mistress, all three pulled downward at once. "Holy Fucking Jesus Christ!" screamed Laura. As she sat forward in the chair the two assistants quickly and deftly pulled off the short strips still under Laura's underarms. Laura didn't even notice this last bit. She was looking forward at her vagina checking carefully if it was still where she had seen it last. Her eyes were moist, but not as much from pain as shock. "You see," said Mistress Helga. "It stings a little the first time because there is so much to remove, but next time it will be much easier." Mistress Helga left the room as her assistants gently rubbed a cool herbal lotion into the parts of Laura that were bright red. Kelly herself took on the task of smearing lots of the lotion around Laura's vagina and soft belly. With long deliberate strokes she applied the lotion using the whole of her hands to smooth it in, rubbing well beside and past Laura's exposed vulva and right to her butt. As the assistants finished her underarms, legs and feet they left Kelly to finish the job she had started. Laura's skin was no longer red and the stinging sensation was soon replaced by arousal as Kelly's hands continued to slide back and forth beside her enlarged clit now easily exposed in the hairless region. It was sensory overload. Between the tension and anxiety and the application of the wax compound and the removal of it to the constant sliding of Kelly's hands over her sensitive vulva, it was not long before Laura was breathing in short shallow breaths. Seeing Laura on the verge of a climax, Kelly extended her thumbs so that as she stroked she deliberately pressed against Laura's clit. Within seconds Laura was panting and with a deep groan achieved a massive orgasm before collapsing back into the chair. Kelly continued to rub softly and gently slowing her motions down and retracting her thumbs, though she was fascinated with the size of Laura's clit and how it seemed to pulsate. Finally an embarrassed Laura grabbed her towel and threw it over her head giggling. Kelly stepped back and took a seat again. From under the towel a quiet voice said, "Kelly, will you still respect me in the morning?" Kelly laughed and pulled the towel from Laura's face. She was surprised to see a blushing Laura underneath it. Giving her a gentle kiss on the lips, Kelly said, "You earned my respect long before this. You are a loving soul and if Todd hadn't found you first maybe I would have." Pulling on her robe, Laura followed Kelly out to the covered patio. This area was reserved for the clients who smoked. As soon as they seated themselves, Amy was at their side. She placed a tray of assorted imported cigarettes on the table and lit the one Kelly chose, before asking if the ladies would like another drink. "I certainly would," smiled Kelly and ordered another strawberry daiquiri. Laura felt she deserved one as well. As Amy walked away, Laura said, "You know that's the first time another woman has touched me in that way, and the first time another woman has ever given me an orgasm?" "Are you bothered by it?" Kelly asked. "No, just amazed. It was so overpowering." "I'm sorry if I over stepped the bounds of friendship Laura, I think it was just the heat of the moment. It won't happen again." Laura looked at Kelly with puzzlement in her eyes. "Why?" she asked. Kelly sighed. "I'm not going to interfere with you and Todd." "Kelly Jennsen. I swear you are the most difficult person to get close to. I've already told you that I told Todd about my feelings for you. He doesn't feel threatened by my attraction to you and before I met you, Kelly, I have never had any feelings for any other woman." Amy returned with their drinks and Kelly took the opportunity to grab another cigarette. When Amy discreetly left, Kelly looked at Laura and asked why. "What do you mean 'Why?'" Laura asked. "I mean why would you bother to explore any feelings you think you might have for me when you have Todd? I know Todd and he's a great catch. I'm sure from what I have seen of you two that he satisfies you in bed, so why bother with me?" Laura's eyes misted over for a second. "Because I love you Kelly." Kelly pulled Laura into a close embrace and whispered, "I love you too baby, more than you know. So much more than you know, but I can't take anything away from Todd." Laura could see a soul in turmoil in front of her as Kelly settled back into her chair. Finally she said, "Kelly, can you tell me how high is up? How long is forever?" Kelly looked at her with a confused expression. "Don't you see Kelly? That's like Love. You can't measure it. You can't limit it. Just think on that for a while. When I was with you Sunday night, I didn't feel less loved by Todd, I just felt twice as loved." They sat in silence for a while as they finished their drinks and then it was time for Laura to shower off the soothing balm. Out of habit or for the sheer enjoyment of it, Kelly showered with her. ------- Chapter 8 After their shower, an attendant showed them to the mud bath. Entering a room with a number of narrow acrylic beds, they were directed to leave their robes and escorted to two beds side by side. The beds were more like shallow baths, complete with a drain on one end and raised edges as well as a built in head rest. Before they lay down, a layer of warm mud was poured on each bed and the girls were capped with plastic hoods to protect their hair. Sliding into a comfortable position, attendants poured more mud over the rest of their bodies until every square inch was coated. One of the staff placed protective coverings over their eyes and then proceeded to brush the same mud on their faces. A sheet of clear cellophane wrap was placed over top of the beds, tucking them in like blankets right up to their shoulders. A small electric pump sucked out the air from between their bodies and the wrap to keep the mud moist longer. Told to relax, the girls were advised an attendant would check on them every five minutes until the mud dried. "This has quite a rich odor doesn't it?" said Laura. "It's the sulfur in the mud," explained Kelly. "It might be a bit strong but it will take all the toxins out of your body. Girl, you are going to shine tonight!" "As bright as you?" Kelly laughed. "Oh, I might have a bit of a glow about me, but no one to shine for." "Kell, can I ask you something personal?" Kelly laughed again. The two daiquiris had helped her to relax. "Sure Laura, after what happened earlier, I don't think there's much left that would be too personal." "Well, that's just it," said Laura dropping to a whisper. "Before I saw your picture in the darkroom, I had never had any feelings towards another girl that way. I'm okay with it... I mean... I figured I was just overwhelmed with how beautiful you looked in that picture and then I met you and things have continued to grow. I'm just wondering if you ever..." "Ever made it with another woman? Is that what you mean?" Laura was glad her face was covered in mud since she was sure she was blushing furiously. "Yeah... I guess that's what I wanted to know." Kelly's voice turned very somber. "Honey, if you had asked me that a week ago I would have told you that I had never in my life been involved with another woman, and had no plans to ever try it." Kelly sighed. "But sometimes things change in a big way real fast. I had lots of opportunities when I was modeling, but never took any of them seriously. Some of the women in the business are as bad as some of the men. They like what they see and want to either own it or use it." "But to answer your question," Kelly continued, "Last week I made love with a woman for the first time in my life. But it wasn't sex." "Say what?" said Laura. "I know. It's hard to understand. It was so different! But I am so grateful to that girl because if she hadn't shown me... well, the special moments we've had would probably never have happened." "Wow," was all Laura could say. The girls had been laying in the beds for over half an hour and slowly their body heat dried the mud to a hard crusty texture. It was starting to get just a bit uncomfortable when the attendants removed the plastic coverings. Both girls laughed at each other caked with a thick layer of what was now a greenish, ghoulish covering. The attendants gathered their robes and led them to the rinse room. "I feel stiff as a board," said Laura. "That'll disappear as soon as they turn the hoses on us," Kelly laughed. It was almost like a carwash except for softer bristles on the hose nozzles. Girls in one-piece bathing suits scrubbed Laura and Kelly down with professional strokes that came from years of practice. It was even a bit arousing as the bristles brushed against their vulvas and between their butt cheeks. In a matter of minutes all traces of the mud was washed from their bodies and they were handed fresh robes and directed to the whirlpool. "Timing is critical in a hot tub," said Kelly. "More than 15 minutes and your blood will rise in temperature much like a fever. A lot of people have suffered brain damage from spending too long in these things." They sat in the swirling waters for ten minutes letting their pores release whatever was left in them. Laura especially was feeling the sensations as the water tingled the newly hairless areas of her body, then left for the showers. It seemed to Laura she had spent most of the day in the shower with Kelly, but she was enjoying every minute of it. She loved to lather Kelly's body up with the hand made natural soaps. It felt erotic and loving and when Kelly washed her, she was positive her scent of arousal was noticeable. God, she had been in a state of arousal for most of the day and not including the early morning release with Todd, had only climaxed once the entire time. Kelly gently pulled Laura's head down to lather her scalp once again, and was surprised and thrilled to feel Laura's lips around one of her nipples. She had been horny all day as well but hadn't had a single climax the entire day. Her body ached for one, yet she was hesitant to bring herself off in front of Laura. This time she didn't have the security and privacy of a towel to hide it from Laura, but she needed it so badly that when Laura switched from one excited nipple to the other, Kelly gave in and pulled Laura's head close to her chest. She felt Laura's hand slip between her legs and between the glycerin soap and Laura's gentle touch, she could feel her heat rising. "Oh Baby," cooed Kelly, "Please don't stop. I need it so bad." Laura had no intention of stopping and continued to suckle on Kelly's small breast, sucking in the hard nipple and gently biting it as her hand stroked the soft fur between Kelly's thighs. With Kelly holding her head, Laura could hear her heart beat increase in tempo and reluctantly let the nipple slip from her mouth. Spreading Kelly's legs a bit further she slid her own leg between Kelly's and kissed her. Their legs, locked like scissors were only adding pressure to the hand in Kelly's slippery folds and Kelly started to hump Laura's hand, moaning into her open mouth, their tongues dancing softly against each other until Kelly's body convulsed in a climax. But it was not enough for either girl and as Laura withdrew her hand they locked legs tighter and slid and rubbed their hot cunts against each other, their hands exploring the other's body. They moaned into their kiss as their hands groped and clasped what flesh they could reach as they approached their orgasms. Kelly's first orgasm at Laura's hands had only heightened her excitement, Laura was still hot after her earlier orgasm, and their passion peaked almost simultaneously. They continued softly kissing each other and gently holding each other until both came down a little. Laura looked over Kelly's shoulder, blushed and whispered, "It must be contagious! There's a couple doing the same as us behind you." Kelly giggled. "You ought to see behind you!" "Does this go on here all the time?" "Not all the time sweetheart. There are a lot of powerful women in this club, and it's one of the few places they can let their hair down and really be themselves." "Maybe we caused this sudden outbreak," whispered Laura. "Then we better hurry up and get out of here before the place is packed with women in heat." The girls quickly rinsed and used fresh towels to dry each other, then indulged in a manicure while waiting for a slot with the spa's professional hairdressers Laura also had her eyebrows tweezed by a professional for the first time in her life - it stung a bit, but they used the same lotion to minimize the pain. The hairdresser did Kelly first, being familiar with her tastes and style, an easy maintenance cut that did not require fancy styling as Kelly preferred the wash and go convenience. After years of having to keep her hair in the styles of the day, Kelly had been glad to switch to an easy maintenance layered look. When she was in a hurry she didn't need a blow dryer or curling iron. For Laura, Kelly helped pick a style that would lend itself to a variety of ways she could wear it, trimming very little off the ends but shaping it to suit her face better. As Laura was being trimmed and styled, Kelly ordered supper for them. It was getting on in the evening and more members were arriving, many just for the camaraderie, a place to be with other powerful women who shared similar ideals and lifestyles. Others came for the relaxing pool and whirlpool to soothe the stress of their daily routines while others came for the fitness program offered by the club. And of course there were also the high profile women who met their lesbian lovers at the club. It gave them a sense of freedom and security knowing the club valued their privacy and maintained absolute discretion. After dressing, Kelly and Laura sat down to a chilled shrimp cocktail, followed by perfectly cooked steamed fish on a bed of wild rice with fresh broccoli and a salad side. They accompanied their meal with a glass of excellent white wine Kelly discreetly pointed out a few women seated at different tables. "Those two ladies to your left have high profile careers as well as husbands and children. They're also lovers. This club gives them the security of knowing their secret relationship will not leave these walls." "And those two in the far corner, they not only have a regular membership here but have a guest room they rent by the month." Kelly laughed. "Not every one wants to put on a display in the showers." Laura blushed. They ate quietly exchanging small talk, neither of them discussing what had happened earlier. Light, delightful girl talk about a variety of subjects, just like old friends. For desert they treated themselves to a bowl of ripe, pitted black cherries set ablaze on a mound of French vanilla ice cream. Laura reached across to grasp Kelly's hand. "Thanks Kelly," said Laura. She started to lightly stroke Kelly's hand, her nails grazing Kelly's palm. Kelly shivered with the sensation. "I hope this isn't just a one day thing," Laura continued. "I can't bear the thought of not having you in my life. I'm really sorry if I'm making things complicated for you Kelly, but you bring out something in me that I've never felt before." Kelly smiled softly at her young companion and took the hand holding hers and raised it to her lips, kissing it gently. "Laura, honey, I can't go on pretending. I need you. I love you and I can't think of my life not having you." Tears were starting to well up in Kelly's eyes. "But I won't hurt Todd either so when we go back to the studio, I've got to tell him how I feel about you." Laura used her other hand to wipe the tears from Kelly's eyes. "Finally!" she said with satisfaction. "Then you'll see that Todd knows how I feel about you." As it was already ten, Kelly signaled for the bill and signed it, adding a hefty tip for the staff. The afternoon and evening treatments and refreshments were already billed to her account. As they walked to Laura's Honda, Laura mentioned the expensive cars occupying the parking lot. Kelly just laughed. "I come here in my Hyundai, but it's 100% mine. Don't be impressed by luxuries if you aren't sure they're paid for. Todd and I pay for everything. It's too easy to get trapped by a lot of little bills that add up and if one day you can't pay them, it all goes away. If you haven't paid for it, its not yours." The drive back to the studio gave Kelly time for another cigarette. Laura parked out back and used her own key for the first time to get into the studio. Todd was nowhere to be seen, though muted sounds could be heard from his apartment upstairs. Laura dropped her parcels at the foot of the stairs and grabbed a couple of bottles of mineral water from the fridge. Kelly sat quietly on the sofa she had crashed on the night they had returned from Regan's and that Laura and Todd had first made love on. Laura opened a bottle for Kelly and handed it to her before she went looking through the collection of CDs. Picking one of her favorites, she put it in the machine and then holding a finger to her lips, to Kelly's amusement she opened the Victoria's Secrets bag and pulled out the silk boxers and camisole. Trying hard not to giggle, she did a quick strip and changed, putting her clothes into the bag, and returned to sit beside Kelly. "Let's see how long it takes him to realize we're home." Picking up the remote for the CD, Laura turned the unit on quietly and skipped through the first few tracks until her very favorite song came up and then cranked up the volume. Deborah Harry's voice came blasting through the speakers. "One way or another, I'm gonna find ya' I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha One way or another, I'm gonna win ya' I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha One way or another, I'm gonna see ya' I'm gonna meetcha, meetcha, meetcha, meetcha One day, maybe next week I'm gonna meetcha..." Laura leaned closer to Kelly as the song was playing. "I've loved this song ever since I saw the movie 'Coyote Ugly.' It turned me on to a whole new brand of music I'd never paid attention to before." "I know," said Kelly, "I think some of the best music recorded was in the 70's and 80's. Hey, how do you feel about country music?" "Country?" asked Laura. "I was country when country wasn't cool!" "Barbara Mandrell," said Kelly. "I'm impressed." "Ah, don't be. That's my dad's influence on me. You can name just about any good country artist and I can tell you what they sing. Actually, I like most music except for 'Rap' and that's spelled C, R, A, P!" Kelly was still laughing as Todd made his way down the stairs. "There's the missing piece of the puzzle," said Laura standing up to greet him. "Hi honey, I'm home." Todd kissed her than leaned away to get a better look at her. Aside from the silk nothings she was wearing, she had a glow about her. Her nails had been done, her eyebrows and her hair, and she felt soft as a baby. "Well look at you," he finally said. "You look fantastic. That hair cut will work wonderfully for you." Looking over at Kelly he smiled and said, "And you look wonderful as always Kell." "Actually, I hadn't planned on stopping here Todd, 'cause we've got a flight to catch tomorrow, but there's something I need to get off my chest." Laura sat back down beside Kelly to hold her hand. With her other hand she turned down the volume on the stereo and noted with irony that the CD had moved forward to "The Tide Is High." Todd could see this was important so he sat down facing the two girls. Kelly took a big gulp of water and started to talk with a trembling voice. "Todd, you know I love you and I wouldn't do anything in the world to hurt you, but, I can't deny my feelings for Laura anymore." She started to cry. "Hey now... there's no need for tears," said Todd as he quickly moved over and parked himself on the arm of the sofa putting his arms around Kelly. Laura had known this wasn't going to be easy for Kelly, but hadn't realized the depth of Kelly's anguish. She turned, kneeling on the couch and wrapped her arms around Kelly from the other side gently kissing her friend all over the top of her head. Kelly's sobbing quieted to gentle shallow gulps of air. Todd was stroking her back while Laura continued the gentle kissing but moving down to plant some on Kelly's face and neck as well. Kelly started to reciprocate. Slowly and tentatively she gently kissed Laura on the lips and then as Laura made a line of kisses to Kelly's neck, Kelly nibbled gently on Laura's ear. Todd slipped his free arm around Laura encouraging her to continue. Kelly was overwhelmed with emotions. Her mind kept telling her that she should stop this now but there was no denying her growing arousal. Deciding to move things along, Laura deftly unbuttoned Kelly's blouse. Before Kelly could protest, Laura took Todd's hand and placed it on Kelly's exposed breast, which he readily and easily slipped into the palm of his hand feeling her nipple harden. A small moan escaped from Kelly's mouth, which Todd caught by pressing his lips to Kelly's. Laura slid down and captured Kelly's other nipple in her mouth and gently suckled on it feeling it stiffen and tighten with desire. Kelly wanted to say no, but Todd's mouth was on hers and it just tasted too good. As Laura shifted position again to loosen Kelly's jeans, Kelly extracted herself from Todd's mouth to kiss Laura deeply and soulfully at the same time grabbing Laura's camisole from the bottom and lifting up. They broke their tender embrace long enough to the camisole off Laura and this time it was Kelly who took Todd's hand and placed it on Laura's breast. As Kelly turned back toward Todd, who had come downstairs shirtless, she latched her lips onto one of his nipples. Her inhibitions were not completely gone, but arousal had replaced fear and she felt so physically and emotionally charged now that she knew she would continue on towards an orgasm. After more kissing and groping, the arousal level in the room was noticeable in the heat the three of them generated. The room was humming with electricity. Finally summoning up her the last of her resolve, she managed to squirm her way out of the three-way collision and stood up. Todd had seen her nude on more than one occasion but that had been work related, when shyness or modesty simply didn't cross her mind. The need and the love in his eyes fueled her desire. Her need was great and she pulled Laura's boxers off leaving her totally nude. Next she yanked Todd's scrub pants off and for only the second time saw his erect cock. Then she slipped her own jeans and panties off. Todd reached for her and slid his hands down her firm ass, but after the first pass Kelly pulled free and motioned for Todd to scoot to the middle. This was the first time that Kelly and Todd had ever looked at each other in a sexual way. Todd could smell the arousal of both girls and his cock glistened with pre-cum. He had never been involved in a three way and wasn't sure what he should do. Laura who had initiated this group grope was now also at a loss. Finally Kelly laughed. "Well?" she asked as she perched herself on the coffee table, "What do we do now and how do we do it?" Laura reached over and started to slowly stroke Todd's cock. "I'm not sure. This is new to me. I just know that I'm not going to stop now." Todd grinned sheepishly and said, "That goes for me too. I'm already too damn close to even try stopping now." "Okay, let's try this" said Kelly taking charge. "Todd, you move down and spread your legs so Laura can get between them. Laura, you can't leave Todd in that condition so you do what you think is right and I'll just fit in where I can find room." Todd turned on the sofa spreading his legs and Laura got on her knees and started to kiss his hard cock. Kelly slid up behind Laura and rubbed her small breasts on Laura's back as she bobbed up and down on Todd's cock. With her hands free, Kelly started to massage Laura's tits that were swinging, stopping every so often to tweak her nipples. Laura was moaning with pleasure so Kelly let one of her hands slide down and glide into Laura's wet cunt. With Laura's butt against her belly, Kelly could feel Laura tighten with anticipation and she could hear Todd moan loudly. She let the hand that had been squeezing Laura's tits drop and slid it forward until she felt the base of Todd's cock, wanting to participate in Todd's pleasure. She lowered her hand to cup his balls amazed at how tight they were and felt Laura's jaw touching her hand on each down stroke. Kelly gently kneaded his balls and in a matter of seconds Todd cried out and fired a volley of cum directly into Laura's eager mouth. As Laura lovingly milked Todd's cum, she felt herself peaking from Kelly's ministrations, so she turned around quickly pulling Kelly on top of her and kissed her. Kelly managed to get her hand back on Laura's steaming twat and realized as she was kissing Laura that she was sharing Todd's cum and that his cock was now bobbing just inches from her head. She felt Laura's hand find her clit and soon she was working her way to an orgasm as well. Todd, pinned under the two squirming, moaning girls, watched in a haze, caressing them where ever he could find an opening but was literally pinned by the two as they manually brought each other closer and closer to orgasm. Laura peaked first and muffled her scream of delight into Kelly's mouth. Seeing and feeling Laura cum was just the boost Kelly needed to cross her own threshold of pleasure and she climaxed seconds behind Laura humping her hand like a bitch in heat. The three of them were sated for the moment and with just a touch of awkwardness they slowly untwined. Kelly scrounged around for her purse and pulled out a cigarette. Lighting it she said, "Well, I guess this sort of changes things a bit doesn't it?" Todd said, "Well, I guess it does a little bit at that." Kelly walked over to the stereo and slipped out the Blondie CD and slipped in another with a twinkle in her eye. Moving it ahead to the track she wanted she turned the volume up before hitting play. A distinctive bass track started thumping out of the speakers as Shaggy started belting out "Angel." Dancing her way back to the sofa, Kelly took Laura's hand to dance with her. "... Girl you're my friend when I'm in need, The feeling I have for you is so strong, This could never be wrong You must have been sent from up above, Thanks for giving me your love..." As the two girls danced naked together Todd sat back getting aroused all over again. As the song ended Todd suggested they move to the bedroom upstairs to continue, but Kelly said, "One step at a time okay Todd?" But both girls went over and started to kiss him and before long Todd had two willing hands wrapped around his prick jerking him off while they exchanged kisses all around. His climax happened too fast and jets of hot cum caught the two girls off guard while they were kissing each other. Streams of cum landed on both of them from their chins to their breasts. As they laughed and licked his surprise off each other, Laura said, "Turn about is fair play." Taking her cue from Laura, Kelly landed on the other side of Todd and both girls took his hands and placed them where they would do the most good. It was an awkward position for Todd but he gave it his best attempt, sliding a hand over each pubic patch and searching with his fingers for clits. Finding both of them he slid his middle finger back and forth over each until the girls were moaning and he started to slide his dual fingers farther and deeper slipping into the two vaginas and pulling out copious amounts of fluid from both to help lubricate the action on their clits. The girls slid lower and lower on the sofa giving him as much access as possible and soon Laura reached her peak, closely followed by Kelly. With a sigh, Kelly finally said she should head home, but both Todd and Laura said that would be foolish. After what they had shared, the only logical course of action was for the three of them to just go to bed together since both Todd and Kelly had to leave early the next morning. Seeing that arguing would get her nowhere, she picked up her clothes as did the other two and they walked upstairs together where they fell into bed with Todd in the middle. It wasn't long before all three were fast asleep. ------- Kelly was the first to wake up Wednesday morning and she slowly extricated herself from the tangle of limbs. Heading to the bathroom she relieved herself and then stepped into the shower. "Mind if I join you?" Laura had woken up and found Kelly missing and heard the shower running. She wanted to make sure that Kelly had nothing but positive feelings of the night before and decided the best course of action would be to shower with Kelly which they had done so many times the day before. She was pleased to see Kelly greet her with a big smile and an invite into the shower. The girls soaped each other up and rubbed their soap-covered bodies against each other. "God this feels delicious," Kelly said. "Hmm... Don't I know it," replied Laura. "I could do this all day." Kelly laughed. "I thought we did that yesterday." "Mm hmm," mumbled Laura, "but I really like the feel of your body against mine." "Yeah," said Kelly slightly blushing, "I know exactly what you mean." "Hey you two," said Todd who had stumbled half asleep into the bathroom, "Leave some hot water for me." Both girls laughed and rinsed off. ------- Todd thought it was strange to be alone in the shower this morning when he had gone to sleep with two beautiful and naked girls the night before. But, the truth of the matter was that the whole night had been strange. Todd had always been attracted to Kelly and had loved her for years without ever expressing his feelings. With her background he had avoided any sexual comments or even thoughts because she was, as far as he was concerned, off limits. Her relationships were usually short lived and more often than not ended in disaster, and it hurt him more than he could even admit to himself to see her pain. Since his departure from the fashion circuit and the world travel it entailed, his bed partners had diminished in number. Not that he slept with the models, God... he would prefer to masturbate rather then go to bed with one of them, but the makeup girls and fitters and hairdressers he met at every shoot had kept him active enough. Since settling in Charlotte, though he had had a few one-night stands with the occasional girls he did portraits for, though never with one who might become a model for the agency. He had been reluctant to take on Laura as a portrait since it was set up by a former one night stand, but her friend had convinced him to at least meet her at a local mall. It was the sadness in her that finally broke his resistance. He recognized the pain in her eyes - he had seen it too often in Kelly and sometimes when he looked unprepared into the mirror. Then he ended up breaking his own rule about not sleeping with a potential model for the agency, and had fallen in love for the first time in his life, or at least a different kind of love from that he had for Kelly. Of course until the last few days, he thought his love for Kelly would never be spoken of let alone taken further. It hadn't been truly consummated last night but they had taken a giant leap forward and he was really happy to see Kelly smiling this morning. It had not been the three-way as so often depicted in erotic literature or in magazines, but it had been pleasurable, and it had been fun. He thought back to Kelly's choice of music last night. "You must be sent from up above, you appear to me so tender, Thanks for giving me your love." Watching the two girls dance together he had heard those words over and over and it lent credence to his belief that whoever ruled the fates and destinies of life had to have played a role in this. They had been sent Laura, and she was the key to all of the radical changes in their personal lives. Granted, Kelly had been different since their trip to Regans, but it was Laura that had turned the tide for both of them. "Todd, did you fall asleep in the shower?" he heard Laura ask. Shaking the cobwebs out of his head, Todd finished washing and climbed out of the shower. He found the girls sitting at the kitchen table, Kelly with her cigarette and pills and bottles of 'go-juice' all laid out. Laura had a grapefruit in front of her that she was eating without sugar, but rather peeled like an orange. Kelly was complimenting Laura on her good eating habits. "Grapefruit will burn away fat faster than anything other than exercise, but celery is the only negative calorie food in the world." "Huh?" said Laura. "It takes more energy to eat celery than it provides, hence the negative calorie label." "Wow. So you could make a meal out of it and you would actually lose weight doing it." "Yeah, technically I think that's right, but there's only so much celery you can eat before you feel bloated." "Then why did you give me celery seed to take away the bloating I had the other day?" asked Laura. "Ah, good point. Celery seed is concentrated and a natural diuretic. I take it every day, as you should too. It helps clean the blood and prevents fluid buildup. I find it really handy when I come close to my period." "Why aren't you teaching this stuff Kell?" "My, you certainly are full of good questions this morning aren't you Sweetheart? Well, the main reason is that most people are leery of taking any natural products to solve common ailments, and the medical profession makes people like me out to be dangerous quacks, yet they prescribe chemicals that are not natural to do the same things. And above all, I will not be treated as a joke. I have a serious business with Todd and I only share my secrets with those who have an open mind. Aside from Todd, you are the first person I have actually put on a full regimen of supplements. I've advised some of our models about parts of it, especially the celery seed and cayenne, but other than that, unless they ask about a specific problem, I let them use their own good judgment." Todd had been smiling through this entire conversation as he ate a bowl of cereal. "Okay Kell, now tell Laura how you justify your smoking when you are such a health fanatic." Kelly stuck her tongue out at him. Laura was glad to see the playful banter between the two. She had been a bit concerned about how they would see each other in the cold light of day but both seemed to be quite at ease with what had happened. Kelly turned to Laura and said, "I don't recommend smoking to anyone Laura, but I'm sure you've seen the fashion shows on TV. Professional models do it as much for something to do as a way to stop stuffing their faces while waiting between shoots. I'll admit it. I'm addicted, but I also stuff myself with blueberries and grapes because they are full of anti-oxidants, which everybody should do anyway, but I also have what's called an O/C disorder. A genetic gift from my parents," she added with a wry smile, "the only lasting thing they ever gave me." "O/C?" "Obsessive Compulsive disorder," filled in Todd. "Thankfully it makes me a dogmatic worker and smoking is my one bad habit, unlike the biological couple that gave birth to me who are hooked on crack." "Okay, no dwelling on bad history," said Todd. He picked up his 'go-juice' and his dozen pills, "Here's to good health and happiness." "Here, here!" said Kelly and scooped up her pills and swallowed them down in one gulp to be chased down by the 'go-juice.' "Wow... you swallowed all those in one go," said Laura with amazement. "It's from practice and usually from being in a rush," responded Kelly. Mimicking Kelly, Laura swallowed all the pills in one go as well. "I'm impressed," said Kelly. "Don't be," said Laura. "I figured that if I could deep throat Todd, this should be a breeze." Kelly turned a quizzical eye to Todd who was blushing furiously. "Really?" Todd was busy looking at his pills and picking up a few at a time ignoring the look. Laura and Kelly both started laughing at the same time. "You'd think that after last night nothing could embarrass him now," said Kelly. "I know," said Laura, "but you know Todd." "Well, I used to think I did," laughed Kelly, "but these last few days have certainly opened up my eyes." Kelly took a couple of bananas and gave one to Laura. "Got to keep the electrolytes up in your body Babe." As Laura munched her banana she watched with amusement as Kelly attempted to insert the banana down her throat without gagging. "Careful Kell," she said. "Bananas can break. A good cock can only go soft." Todd was getting another woody as the girls discussed this topic that was near and dear to his heart and other parts further south when they heard the studio door open. "I guess we better get dressed and get to the airport," Kelly said to Todd. "I think I'll pick out a conservative suit from downstairs, and get my briefcase loaded." Turning to Laura she said, "What are your plans for today?" "I thought I'd hang around with Vanetta for a while and then scoot over to the university and get started on my studies. Maybe stop at some car lots and see what kind of car I'd like to get." Todd was quick to respond. "Don't spend what you haven't earned yet." Laura laughed and said, "Don't you worry my sweet man. Like Kelly said to me, if you haven't paid for it, you don't own it. And I am not looking for anything flashy, but I would like to see what I could get for a reasonable price that will last me for a few years, once I have the money." Kelly smiled. "Buy new sweetheart. Then drive it till the warranty runs out and trade for a new one again. Now I have got to get myself dressed business like. I'll see you guys downstairs." ------- Kelly came down the stairs dressed in one of Todd's T-shirts, much to Vanetta's surprise. "Good morning Vanetta," Kelly said as she went to one of the storage rooms. Vanetta managed to mumble a response. Kelly spent enough nights at Todd's that she kept a small cabinet containing clean panties and other personal garments as well as a selection of shoes. Those nights had been different though. She had either crashed on the couch downstairs or if they had been watching a show together she would curl up on his sofa upstairs. Kelly chose a light raw silk jump suit in a conservative shade of blue complete with pinstripes. A wide belt cinched her waist accenting her curves but the double breast pockets helped to mostly conceal the fact that she was braless. While Kelly was sorting through the brochures for their company and the model contracts, Laura was busy upstairs packing her purchases in dresser drawers Todd emptied for her. Not that Todd had much in them. He was a man of simple tastes when it came to clothes and had black socks, white socks and gray socks, all in bags of 12. A drawer of boxer shorts for when he needed to wear them and that was it. Scrubs, T-shirts and jeans made up the balance of his wardrobe plus one suit still hanging in its dry cleaning bag along with the matching tie. Laura slipped on a pair of her new panties and a new bra and threw another of Todd's T-shirts on and headed downstairs in her new sandals. Vanetta's eyebrows arched visibly as Laura walked by with a cheerful, "Good morning." She was too stunned to reply. Laura chose a pair of designer jeans and a flowered peasant blouse. She joined Kelly at the studio make up table and with a little help from Kelly managed the professional makeup applicators and Kelly showed her how to use the big-barreled curling iron. Todd came bounding down the stairs whistling a happy tune dressed in blue jeans and the inevitable Star Trek T-shirt, no socks and a pair of hand stitched moccasins. He said his good morning to Vanetta and finally Vanetta stood up and said, "Okay. I've got a question and I think I have a right to know the answer." Silence descended on the room as everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to Vanetta. "I just want to know," she said, pausing for dramatic effect, "Just how many of these Star Trek T-shirts are hidden upstairs. Haven't you got any Star Wars?" The ice had been broken and everybody laughed. Todd booed the notion of Star Wars being in the same league while Laura and Kelly just continued to laugh. Vanetta smiled and turned back to her work. Just maybe the Obi Man was right. Putting her papers and essentials into a very classy Gucci shoulder portfolio, Kelly asked Vanetta to call them a cab. Todd had nothing of importance to bring other than his experience so he just stood looking casual and ready for what ever might come his way. Kelly glared at him. All Todd had to do to ever get ready was to throw on something comfortable. His clothes reflected his laid back casual attitude and aside from brushing his teeth and shaving, he was always the epitome of wash and wear. Goodbye kisses were exchanged as the taxi pulled up out front and Todd and Kelly headed off to the small commuter airport. As promised, Chris had a four seat Cessna fueled and waiting to go. The Cessna 174 was the newest plane in Chris's fleet and the smallest, ideal for short trips since it was economical and had all the niceties of a larger corporate jet. Kelly explained to the pilot where they were headed and he suggested landing at Summerville, where they had a nice airstrip and there were always cabs available. The pilot would wait for them to return and fly them back. "You can avoid the traffic out of Charleston and be in Laural Canyon about 20 minutes after we land," he told them. As he went to file the flight plan, Todd and Kelly stopped to chat with Chris. "How's it going stranger?" asked Kelly. "Busier that a three legged dog trying to take a piss on the wheel of a moving train," said Chris shaking his head. "I wanted to be successful in business, but not at the expense of other people's lives. Ever since September 11th, more and more people are flying my 'Friendly Skies.' I've had to hire on two more pilots to keep up with the demand, and I'm taking a plane out myself now nearly everyday." He turned and spat on the tarmac. "I tell you, if they ever catch sight of those sons a bitches, I'll volunteer to fly combat again." After a moment of remembrance, he turned to Todd. "Now what's this about wanting a pontoon plane? You planning on doing some in country fishing?" Todd laughed and said no. "Ever hear of Regan Boats?" "Yep, heard of them, seen them, but I'm not really a boat guy." Todd went on to explain they had done a shoot for Regan and that because of the remote location and lack of major highways it was a long five-hour drive to get there. "But they have a nice lake where they test their boats, and I was thinking it would be easier on Kelly and me if we flew down." "Can you show me on the map where this place is located?" "I can show you where it's at on a road map if that's any help. I also called Chuck Regan for permission and he told me to give you these GPS coordinates. He also suggested a SSW approach would be best." They stepped into Chris' office and he pulled out a road map of the location. Navigation maps were fine for pilots, but to get a civilian to try and read one was damn near impossible. Todd followed the roads along with his finger until he came to the location of the town where Regan's was. "That's the place, but I don't see the lake." Chris checked the GPS numbers and compared them to the navigation maps until he spotted the place the lake should have been. "Yep, it's a big enough area for a lake. Since they gave you permission and coordinates to land, it must be big enough. I can get you in there without any problems. I've got an old Cessna 170 I bought when I first started charter flights. It's a clean little machine, but just a three seater." "Thanks Chris," said Todd shaking his hand. "I wasn't looking forward to that drive just for an afternoon meeting." "No problem, just let me know a couple of hours ahead of time when you need it so I can prep her." Their pilot came and told them he was ready whenever they were, so saying goodbye to Chris, Todd and Kelly climbed into the back seat of the Cessna. Thirty minutes after takeoff, the pilot announced they were coming into visual range of the Summersville airstrip. As promised, a taxi was at the field with the driver playing cards with a few pilots. Kelly gave him the address to the Prevan house and the driver whistled between his teeth. "That's a ritzy neighborhood," he said. "Most of the houses there either face the Ashley River or back up onto it." It was a pleasant 20-minute drive, and as they got out, the cabbie handed them a card with his cell phone number. "I'll cruise around this area for a while, maybe get a bite to eat, so if you want me to take you back to the plane, just call me." Kelly tipped generously and in a low voice said, "Try to stay within 10 minutes of this place. I don't see any other cabs, and I'd hate to have to call and wait for one." The cabbie looked at the size of the tip. "You bet lady!" As they walked towards the door they could see it open and a woman come out to greet them. "Miss Jennsen, Mr. Ayres?" "Hello Mrs. Prevan," Kelly said. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person." "Please, come inside, my husband will be home in just a few minutes, can I get you a drink? Coffee, tea? Perhaps some lemonade?" "Lemonade sounds good to me," Kelly said with a smile. Todd said he would have the same. Just as they got their drinks, Sherri's father arrived with his son in tow. "I'm telling you Samuel, 90% of the game is in the putting. I don't understand how you can drive a ball 250 yards and then take five shots to sink a ten foot putt." He noticed Todd and Kelly for the first time. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm trying to teach my son the finer points of golf. I don't know where Tiger's father found the patience to teach a three year old." Sammy looked at Todd, "Is it true you're gonna make my sister into a model?" At Todd's nod he started to laugh. "Are you sure you've really met the dweeb? Turn her sideways and she doesn't even cast a shadow!" "Samuel! That will be quite enough out of you young man. Take your comments to your room." Mrs. Prevan turned back and apologized for her son's rude behavior. Kelly started to shrug it off when Dr. Prevan interrupted. "I'm sorry but I have to agree with my son. Sherri is just 13, and while her mother and I might think she is beautiful, I don't see her as model material." "Dr. Prevan," Kelly started. "Just call me Ron." "Okay then Ron, I was 12 when I started as a full time model, and I didn't have the bone structure or the natural beauty that Sherri has. We now have over 200 models represented by our agency, but Sherri will be our first runway model. When Todd and I started our business we sort of agreed that we would never take on a top line model because of the problems that come with inflated egos, but we've met Sherri and she's got a good head on her shoulders and a strong support group. She can make very respectable money at this, more than enough to retire on within a decade. She will have the opportunity to travel, see the world and have her choice of jobs." "Our Sherri?" asked Mrs. Prevan. Todd was scrutinizing Mrs. Prevan and she was becoming uncomfortable under his gaze. "Let me guess," he said. "Your mother, she's Native American. I'd even venture that she's Navajo from the Yuma tribe." "My God! How can you tell?" Todd laughed. "I'm sorry, I was just trying to see where Sherri got her good looks from and now seeing you, I realize she has Native blood in her which explains her skin tone and hair." Ron was curious. "How do you know it's her mother and not her father?" "In photography circles, we often say the way to tell what a girl will look like when she grows older is to look to the mother." Mrs. Prevan, or Faye as she insisted on being called, blushed with the compliment. She turned to Kelly, "I know we haven't met but you seem vaguely familiar." "That's what I was thinking as well," said Ron. "Wait... The Swim Suit edition of..." "Yep, that was me in 1995" said Kelly. "I still have that issue in my study," said Ron. "Todd's the one who took that photo," explained Kelly but quickly added that Sherri would not be doing any shoots like that. "She's got the build for a top line runway model, much better than I had." "Were you on the cover of any magazines Kelly?" asked Faye. "Do you mind if I call you Kelly?" "Oh, please do," said Kelly. "If you read any of the women's magazines you've probably seen me in one ad or another and possibly on a few covers." Kelly opened up her portfolio and showed some samples of Todd's work as well as some literature and samples of their other models taken by studio photographers. "If you and Ron are agreeable, Todd and I have decided we would take her on and prepare her for her debut, but she would be under our supervision alone, and Todd would be her only photographer until she actually hits the circuit. We don't tolerate drugs or body decorations and we insist that all our models work for a higher education and goals for themselves. She won't attend any show without my direct supervision. I think she has a fine career ahead of her with opportunities that most girls just dream about. Now it's up to you whether she lives that dream and makes a nice salary for herself or if this ends here." "And you really think she has what it takes?" asked Faye. "Ron, Faye, we flew in from Charlotte just to meet with you. I've been in this business 14 years and Todd has photographed nearly every big name model you can think of. He has an artistic eye that most companies would die to have on staff. I retired from the business by choice and Todd because he wanted to pursue other avenues of his skills with a camera, but we both could have retired for life on our savings. It took a lot of soul searching before we decided that Sherri was bright enough and mature enough to be able to handle the life." Ron had been looking through the letters from their bank manager and the letter from Steve along with references from major catalogs. Finally he shrugged and said to Faye. "If she wants to do it... I won't stand in her way." Faye lit up like a Christmas tree. "Let's give her a chance then honey. At least she'll gain a world class learning experience out of this." Kelly pulled out the contract that Ron read over carefully before signing and passing it to his wife to sign. "Do you two know anything about this group she's spending the summer with? She was staying with her friend Amanda but now they seem to be traveling quite a bit all over the place. We got a call on Monday inviting us out to Brookhaven for the weekend and a chance to play Harbour Town." "Harbour Town?" asked Todd. "You don't play golf do you Todd?" Todd laughed. "No I don't Ron. I'm just not coordinated enough for the game. All that hand and eye and posture stuff is too much like geometry for me." This started Ron Prevan on a lengthy discourse on the benefits of the game. Todd could not bring himself to call it a sport. He listened attentively because the question of the James Gang had been skillfully avoided. He might look absorbed or pre-occupied with his thoughts, but Todd had a mind like a steel trap, was a member of Mensa, and very little escaped his lips that he hadn't planned. Kelly and Todd graciously declined Faye's invitation to dinner, saying they had to get back for an advertising brochure they were working on. Kelly called the cabbie and seven minutes later they were bidding farewell to the Prevans. On the ride back to the airport, Todd said, "That was almost too close for comfort. Do you think they have any idea of what their daughter has been up to this summer?" "I doubt it," said Kelly, "but that is also none of our business." ------- After Todd and Kelly had left, Vanetta and Laura had gotten into a good discussion about life. It started when Vanetta went to make some tea and asked Laura if she wanted a cup. With the girls close to the same age, and now going to the same school, it didn't take long for them to strike up a friendly conversation. "You've lived here all your life?" asked Vanetta. "Yep, I haven't even been out of the Carolinas," Laura said. "Not even to Florida to see the rat?" Laura looked confused. Vanetta laughed and explained about Disney. "When my brother and I first got here, that was his biggest wish, so Todd and Kelly took us down." "Vanetta, I don't understand," said Laura. "Your mom talks different than you do - your English is better than most of the kids I went to school with." Vanetta laughed. "Oh, if I get excited I drop back into patois, my brother is even worse, but mom insisted we learn to speak English properly." "How long have you been here Vanetta?" "Four years this summer." "Are you planning on staying after you finish your studies?" "Absolutely. Jamaica is great for the tourists, but if you want to get ahead in life you do everything you can to get into the US." "I guess I really have to expand my boundaries," said Laura. "I can name most places on any map, but they're just names to me. I know nothing about the culture or the history." "That's one of my goals too. I want to travel and see more of the world. Kelly took me to Canada once. Now that's a strange country to visit!" "Really? I always thought they were just Americans with a different government." Vanetta laughed again. "You ought to hear how they talk. And all their road signs are in two languages and everything you buy is printed in two languages. It can get pretty confusing especially when they talk about liters and kilometers or the temperature. Kelly told me to pack light but on the plane the captain said it was a comfortable 32 degrees at the Toronto airport and I was wishing I had brought a winter coat only to find that their 32 is like 96 for us." Vanetta was laughing hard now with the memories and said, "And don't get me started on their weird money. They don't have a one-dollar bill but instead have a coin. Now this one was pretty easy to figure out. It's got a picture of a bird called a Loon on it so they call the one-dollar coins Loonies, but the two-dollar coin has a Polar bear on it and they call it a Toonie! It sure gets heavy carrying around a bunch of change up there." Laura was laughing at the way Vanetta was relating her experiences. "Maybe I'll get to see it one day." "Don't you worry girl. My mom went to see..." Damn she thought. She had let it slip. Laura was looking at her to finish her sentence. "Okay, just don't get all spooked on me okay Laura?" She paused for a minute and continued. "Mom went to see this, uh, old Jamaican fortune teller after what happened Sunday. She didn't even mention your name but when she went to see him he already knew your name. He said something about you being the missing piece of the puzzle and now that you are here, you'll make both Todd and Kelly whole again." Laura sipped slowly at her tea. She couldn't dispute what Vanetta had said since she herself had a gift for seeing or understanding what went on in other peoples lives. "I hope you don't think I'm crazy for telling you this," said Vanetta. "No. No, not at all. I get these - feelings - once in a while so I know there is such a thing. Call it second sight or psychic, I believe some people can see more than others, but I don't think I'm making either Todd or Kelly whole, I think they did that for me." The girls finished their tea quietly and then Laura headed off to school. ------- "How do you feel?" asked Todd. "Fine," said Kelly, "How about you?" Todd smiled. He knew Kelly was avoiding the subject on his mind. They had been flying for 20 minutes, having asked the pilot to detour over and circle the Eyrie. Kelly was trying to hide the smirk on her face from Todd, but finally relented because he was still her best friend in the whole world. She turned to face him. "It was fun, and it was different Todd. I don't know what you were expecting, if it was everything you hoped it would be, but I had a good time. I've got to say I was a bit nervous at first, but you were so cool about it, and you do have very talented hands. And a very tasty mouth!" "No regrets?" "Absolutely none. You?" "The only regret I will have," said Todd quite seriously, "is if last night was the first and last time. I think last night was something different from anything I could have imagined." "How so?" "Well, we didn't go as far as we could have, but the experience itself was so natural and relaxed. I can't really describe it in words cause I've never felt so alive and yet happy, and there was no pressure or rush... you know what I mean?" Kelly smiled. "Yep, I do Batman. I was thinking the same thing. It just kind of flowed. There was a bit of awkwardness in the beginning, but after that stage it just felt really natural and loving. I had a couple of good orgasms, and then we just kind of moved on like it was a natural thing. You know that in all the times you and I have shared a room this was the first time we actually slept together?" "How did you feel about that?" Kelly laughed. "Strange. You weren't rushing out of bed to get back home to your wife or off to work... I liked it very much." Todd smiled. "And I didn't have to feel guilty about cheating on Laura either since she was in bed with us!" Both of them laughed, causing the pilot to look back at them. "So I take it last night wasn't just a one night fling?" Kelly thought for a minute before answering. "Nope, as long as Laura is okay with it, and she seemed quite happy this morning, I'd like this to be a part of my life. Not an everyday thing, but a regular thing." ------- As the plane taxied towards the hanger, Kelly and Todd were planning Sherri's first in-studio photo shoot to set up her portfolio. They waited in Chris' office for a taxi to take them back to the studio. "That gym equipment is going to arrive soon," said Todd. "Any idea of how long before those two gymnasts can come down?" "I'll have to check with JulieAnn, but I think she said training camp was over this week. How long will you need them for?" "You better plan on at least four weeks," said Todd, "but where are we going to put them up? I don't like the idea of leaving them alone in a hotel every night, and at their age, I'm sure their parents wouldn't be happy with that idea either." "Hmm... Four weeks. Well, you've got a spare bedroom..." "Just what I need," said Todd. "Two teenaged girls staying at my place. Uh, uh. You better plan on making your spare bedroom available!" "Argh! Why do I always end up being the babysitter?" wailed Kelly. "Cause you have such a mothering instinct," laughed Todd. ------- Except for a few phone calls, it had been a quiet day at the studio and after Laura left, Vanetta had gone on line to the University and downloaded her study assignments. She was well ahead of most of the students in her class because she made it a habit to read ahead and download assignments before the professors handed them out. She was very serious about her commitment to her mother and to Todd and Kelly. With a 4 point GPA two years running, she was used to having three texts open in front of her and had spent most of the afternoon buried deep in them. She had eaten her lunch at her desk and was starting to feel a bit hungry when she realized it was past 6. It didn't matter to Vanetta. She grabbed an apple out of the fridge and a bottle of water. She did so little at the studio to earn the salary she was paid, that when Kelly had asked if she could stay a bit later, Vanetta had been glad to. She would stay until they returned. She had been on her own in the studio for days at a time when Todd and Kelly had been out of town, but what they didn't realize was on those occasions, she never went home. She would have her brother bring over a change of clothes and she would shower in the studio washroom and sleep on the sofa in the studio. Vanetta took the responsibility of the safety and protection of TKO's property very seriously. It was 6:30 when Vanetta heard the cab carrying Todd and Kelly pulling up to the studio. She went to the door and greeted them with a smile. "Was it a good trip?" she asked. Kelly smiled at her. "An excellent trip thanks." Todd went to the fridge and pulled out a couple of bottles of mineral water and asked if Vanetta wanted something. "No thanks Todd. I've just got some messages for Kelly and then I'll be heading home if you don't need me for anything else tonight." "Can I give you a ride home?" asked Todd. He always asked even though the answer was always the same. "No thanks Todd. It's just a short walk. I need it after sitting all day," she laughed. Vanetta turned to Kelly and said, "Most of the calls were routine. You'll find them on your desk. A couple of companies called asking for information. Those that I could verify as being legit, I sent out the regular brochures. Those that claimed to be new and needing special attention I wrote the names and particulars down and left them on your desk. Actually the only call of importance had to do with the note you left for me about two new models." Kelly's ears perked up. "A Ms. Nicole Petitcoeur called regarding model contracts she would obtain for Cara and Ami. She also said the other forms were notarized and in the mail. She said you would understand." "Yes I do!" said Kelly. "Thanks Vanetta, that's the news I was waiting for. Now Todd can hide in the darkroom for a few days. Those are the last model releases and contracts for the Regan shoot." "Did I hear that right?" asked Todd, handing Kelly her bottled water. "We're all set now to start printing the Regan photos?" "Yep!" "Great!" Kelly thanked Vanetta again for staying so late. Vanetta packed up her books, cleared her desk and with a wave and a "see you tomorrow" left Todd and Kelly alone in the studio. "I'd suggest you start tomorrow on the Regan film, but I know you, so what would you like to eat before you disappear into the darkroom?" Todd laughed. "Why don't you surprise me? I'll get changed and throw the film in the soup and I'll be ready to eat in an hour if you don't mind sticking around that long." Kelly kissed him, then smacked him on the ass and told him to get moving. ------- Laura had gone directly to the university after leaving the studio. She had managed to sit in on a few lectures and attend a discussion class and a study group which gave her a good idea of how far behind she was and which areas she would need to get to work on immediately if she wanted to get caught up. After school, she had stopped by her family's home and spent a bit of time with her parents before heading back to the studio. The oldest of the William's daughters still living at home was shocked by the change in her older sister's appearance. They had a girl to girl private talk and Laura had promised her that if she helped their mother out a bit more, she could have the entire bedroom by the time school started, and if she maintained an A average the entire year, she could have Laura's Honda. Her younger sister wanted to know why Laura was being so generous. "Listen sis, you know I screwed up royally last year. I lost nearly everything I had worked for, but mom and dad stood by me. I got lucky and was given a second chance, but it means I won't be here much anymore, and mom needs all the help she can get. Second chances are like winning the lottery. They don't happen often and almost never to anybody we know. I'm just trying to give you a bit of incentive to not make the same mistakes I made. Don't let anybody take your dreams away, okay?" "Deal!" said her sister with enthusiasm. It was after seven when Laura walked into the studio. She gave Kelly a big kiss and looked around for Todd. "He's in the darkroom," explained Kelly. "We finally got the model release forms and contracts taken care of for that big ad campaign Todd shot last week. He's working with slide film, so he's going to be pretty pre-occupied, but he should be out in about an hour to eat. I'm fixing him something right now, are you hungry?" "Not really," said Laura. "I had a late lunch. How did your trip go?" "It was good. We found someone who could possibly be one of the top super models by the end of the decade when we were at that boat shoot. She's only 13, but she's got all the makings. We had to get her parents consent before we could start booking her, but I'll bet that before another year has passed she'll be a cover model on most of the teen magazines." "Wow," said Laura. "Lucky kid that you found her instead of somebody that would just use her and toss her away." Kelly smiled at Laura. She had really paid attention when Kelly had told her about her introduction to pro modeling. "I'm just going to fry up a few skinned chicken breasts for Todd and a couple of baked potatoes. If I know Todd, he's going to want his protein. What are your plans for the evening." "Gee, I hadn't really given it much thought. I guess I better get used to the idea that Todd will be busy at times." Without thinking about it, Laura started to help Kelly prepare a heaping plate of healthy food for Todd. "So, how was school today?" Kelly asked. "It was good. I figure I'll be caught up and up to speed in about two weeks if I put some extra time in. The schedule's a lot looser than high school was." "Yeah, they have to make allowances for the kids who work and they expect you to want to learn and study on your own. Those that get in because they have rich parents usually waste their time. That's why off campus learning is the fastest way to go. You don't have to wait for the rest of the class, you can go at your own speed." "But I did find out today that I need to learn basic Latin," said Laura. "Really?" "Yep. And do you know the first thing I learned is what we did last night?" Kelly looked at Laura with suspicious eyes. "Really! It's called a 'massage et trois, '" said Laura. "Laura Williams. That's French, not Latin, and it's called 'Ménage et Trois.'" "Uh, uh," said Laura. "Its massage cause all we did was rub each other!" Kelly started laughing out loud. Reaching for a cucumber, she threatened Laura. "I'll show you how to 'Massage' you!" Laura laughed and ran around the counter. "Wouldn't work anyway," she said. "It's too small!" Both girls laughed at that and finished preparing Todd's supper. "Have you eaten yet Kell?" "No, I like to wait a while after flying before I eat. It gives my stomach a chance to settle down a bit." "Are you up for some company tonight?" Laura asked with a twinkle in her eye. "I'm sure I can give you something to eat that won't bother your stomach." Kelly smiled. "I'd like that." ------- Todd fumbled his way out of the darkroom just after 8. After giving Laura a deep soulful kiss he said to Kelly, "Well, they're drying, so I can't be sure, but from initial appearances, they look like they came out well. I won't know for sure until I make contacts and then start running prints." Turning back to Laura he said, "Sorry babe, but now that I know I can go ahead and print, I can't stop myself." "So who's the obsessive one now?" smirked Kelly. "Careful Earthling or I'll put my Vulcan nerve pinch on you!" Laura and Kelly both laughed at him. Todd shrugged and sat down to eat. Between bites he asked Laura if she could amuse herself because he was going to be busy for some time. "That's okay Todd, I've already heard about your work habits. I'm going home with Kelly tonight. She hasn't eaten yet because of her stomach and I had a late lunch so we'll probably eat out tonight." Kelly had to stifle a laugh, but the double meaning had slipped by Todd. His mind was on printing. Laura winked at Kelly. As he ate, Laura repeated her joke about the Latin she had learned. Finally, Todd finished his meal and giving both girls big goodnight kisses headed back to the darkroom. ------- As it was getting dark, Laura drove them back to Kelly's, stopping just once along the way to pick up fresh black raspberries and a quart of Black Forest frozen yogurt. "Not exactly a substantial meal," remarked Kelly, "but healthy." "I quite agree," said Laura. "I'm sure I'll be hungry again within an hour." They sat at the kitchen table and ate the desert before the main course. "Well," said Laura, "I know that I would love to get out of these clothes and take a shower." Kelly found herself trembling with sexual anticipation. Clearing up the dishes and closing down the house for the night, the two girls headed for the shower, not even bothering with the bath. Like they had done so often the day before, the girls soaped each other in from head to toe. Laura paid particular attention to Kelly's vagina bringing her to the edge of a climax many times until Kelly was whimpering. "Not yet dear," whispered Laura. "I need to 'massage' you first. Then maybe I'll 'Ménage' you!" The sexual tension was building. They helped dry each other off, and naked, padded off to the bedroom. Laura insisted Kelly lay down flat on her stomach and then straddled Kelly's ass, lightly rubbing her own pussy hair against the firm cheeks then spread Kelly's arms out to the sides and started to slowly massage her neck and shoulders, feeling Kelly going limp under her careful ministrations. When Kelly sighed softly, Laura changed her tactics and started to run her fingers ever so gently over Kelly's arms and back and down her sides, alternating her soft finger strokes with light nail scratching over the exposed skin. Kelly gripped the sides of the bed and stifled a moan as Laura moved down and firmly kneaded her ass before stroking her legs down to her toes. Kelly was panting now. With a light slap to Kelly's backside, Laura told her to turn over. Kelly did as she was instructed, her very erect nipples betraying her excitement. Laura repeated the same procedure of intermixing gentle finger pad strokes with light scratching all over Kelly's arms, breasts, stomach and legs. Every time Laura ran her fingernails over Kelly's abdomen, it twitched in reply to the stimulation. Kelly's eyes were closed but she felt Laura gently tweak her nipples between her fingernails and then slide slowly and provocatively towards her very wet pussy. Laura traced around the pubic patch especially playing on the soft tender flesh on the inside of Kelly's thighs, but avoided touching her vaginal lips or protruding clit. Then Laura leaned forward and kissed Kelly, gently at first then with gradually increasing depth and passion. Suddenly, she pulled away to peck Kelly's lips and leaving her gasping as she kissed the sweet hollow of her neck before sliding down to suckle on her nipples. Laura was in no hurry and wanted this to be as good for Kelly as possible. Only a woman in tune with her own sexuality could understand what another woman desired. Laura blazed a trail of kisses down from Kelly's breasts to her navel where she spent considerable time twirling her tongue before moving down further, but again avoiding her swollen lips. In a change of pace, Laura moved further down the bed and began sucking on Kelly's toes, one at a time as if she was giving each one a blowjob in turn. She licked and kissed the soles of Kelly's feet before moving up nibbling and kissing Kelly's calves and working her way to the delicious tender thighs. Kelly was in such a state of arousal that her nectar was flowing freely out of her engorged vagina which was now fully flowered in anticipation. "Please Laura, no more..." Laura recognized the urgency in Kelly's voice and seeing her friend's ass bouncing on the bed decided she had taken Kelly as high as she could go before the sensation became too much to bear and she lost the arousal. Slipping between Kelly's legs, Laura placed a light tentative kiss on her blood-engorged clit, which sent Kelly into spasms. Slipping her tongue into the hot crease, Laura slowly scooped up a full load of the essence streaming out of Kelly and used this as lubricant to make the flat of her tongue slide easier over the extended clit. She heard the sharp intake of breath from Kelly and not hearing it released, knew that Kelly was on the very edge of her climax. Softly forming her lips into a mini vacuum, she sucked on Kelly's clit until Kelly screamed out in ecstasy as the first orgasm overtook her. Kelly's knees came up to her chest as she thrashed around the bed, her nails digging into the mattress, but Laura did not release her strangle hold on Kelly's clit. Softly she continued to suck on it while slipping a finger into her hot and steamy gash pressing upward on Kelly's G-spot. Another mind-boggling orgasm overtook Kelly who was moaning now, but still Laura wasn't finished. Releasing her tight grip on Kelly's clit, Laura blew soft gentle puffs of air on it making it twitch in response before dipping her head down to tongue fuck her friend, gently removing her slippery finger and inserting it with a twist into her anus. Within seconds, Kelly crashed into a third orgasm. Slowly moving her ass fucking finger back and forth, Laura slipped her tongue back up to Kelly's clit and with her free hand tweaked Kelly's nipples until finally Kelly pushed Laura away, begging her to stop. Tears of joy and pleasure were flowing from Kelly's eyes as she pulled Laura up next to her and rained kisses all over her face, tasting her own juices at the same time. Laura cuddled Kelly and eventually her breathing quieted to gentle snores. Laura smiled and closed her eyes. ------- Kelly slept for just under an hour, cradled by Laura's loving arms the entire time. She awoke with a sheepish grin, memories flooding her mind. She kissed Laura whispering, "What did I do to deserve you?" After a long time just kissing, Kelly pressed Laura on to her back. She loved the feel of Laura's bigger boobs. Pulling a bottle of whipped and flavored body cream from the drawer of her nightstand, she put generous amounts on both of Laura's breasts. Kelly massaged those lovely mammary glands till Laura's nipples were all puckered and standing erect. Then Kelly licked and nibbled on Laura's breasts with an unexpected hunger. Laura who had always believed there was a direct nerve cluster that ran from her boobs to her clit was panting, the scent of her arousal in the air. She was hot and horny and with a bit of coaxing managed to convey to Kelly she was more than ready to reach the pinnacle herself. Kelly traced a line of kisses down from Laura's breasts right to the top of the V of her freshly nude labia. The cayenne was already working in Laura's system; her outer lips were engorged and puffy, her clit extended like a small penis. Without wasting any time, knowing her friend desired her own climax, Kelly spread Laura's legs and raised her knees, looking nearly straight down into Laura's tunnel of love. Kelly kissed the swollen lips and tasted the juices. Licking slowly at first, Kelly covered Laura's cunt lips with wet sloppy kisses trailing her tongue over and in between the separate folds. Curling two fingers, Kelly inserted them searching for that soft spongy area she knew was the 'G-spot' and started to slowly stroke that area from the inside as her lips and tongue focused on the outside. Soon the sensations became overwhelming to Laura and she was trying to force her cunt into Kelly's face. Kelly was more than happy to oblige and using her teeth lightly nibbled at the engorged clit. It took but minutes before Laura climaxed with a burst of female ejaculate that sprayed all over Kelly's face and chest. Caught by surprise Kelly backed off for a moment watching the spray as it burst out of Laura, but then quickly latched on to her clit again this time sucking it like she would a cock, bobbing her head up and down using just her lips. Laura's second orgasm was as intense as the first and she could feel herself building up to yet another. Kelly had switched from sucking to rubbing her face all over the hot juicy cunt slathering long sloppy strokes the entire length of Laura's slit, rubbing her clit with her nose as her tongue probed the deep recesses. As she felt Laura approaching yet another climax she stuck her tongue into Laura's ass while shaking her head to make her nose into a makeshift dildo to stimulate Laura's clit until she was over the edge with a scream. Then Laura collapsed. Unconscious. Kelly held her and stroked her softly and gently for 20 minutes before Laura came around. The room smelled of sex. "I love you Kelly." "I love you Laura." They laid side by side softly stroking and caressing each other. "God, I love your boobs," said Kelly. "They're yours. Do with them as you wish," laughed Laura. "But how will you get along without them?" asked Kelly. "But seriously, I would play with them all day long." "Well, I happen to adore yours," said Laura, slowly tracing circles with her nail around a nipple. The covers were pretty well off the bed and the two girls were nicely intertwined and sleepy. "Still hungry?" asked Kelly. "Mmm, I could definitely be tempted to go for seconds," said Laura. "Me too," said Kelly, "You taste better than anything I have ever eaten." ------- Chapter 9 The ringing of the phone did not wake Kelly up Thursday morning. The poking in her ribs by someone in bed with her did. "Are you going to answer that fucking thing?" Laura asked. "My head is going to explode." Glancing down at their nude bodies, seeing the partial glass of wine on the nightstand, and feeling the dried remains of last night's multiple orgasms brought back a rush of memories. Kelly blushed slightly and peeled her sticky body off the bed, untangled herself from Laura and reached for the phone. "Hello?" she said, feeling relaxed but drained. "Hi Kelly, did I wake you?" It was Todd. Sometimes his constant cheeriness was enough to drive her bonkers. It was especially irritating in the mornings. Kelly did not do mornings well. "No Todd" she replied looking at the wall clock. "I'm always up and raring to go at seven in the morning." Cursing herself for her lack of self-control she lit up another Cameo and took a deep drag. She chased down the acidic taste with the lukewarm wine still in the glass. She could hear Todd laughing on the other end of the line. "Jesus Todd, it's Thursday. What's so important that it couldn't wait until the afternoon?" Todd, still laughing said, "I got the proofs from the Regan shoot done. I worked all night on them and would have called you earlier but I know how cheerful you are in morning." Kelly should have been excited now. This was a big step up for their agency. This was the kind of work that paid the best and gave their company the greatest exposure, but her mind was still on last night. "That's great Todd," said Kelly, looking longingly at the supine, languid body of Laura. Kelly took her nails and dragged them softly, teasingly across the smooth belly of her lover. "Well?" she asked, forcing herself to the business at hand, "How do they look?" "Fan-fucking-tastic" was his response. "Remember that blonde... Sara? The one that came with James?" "Yeah," said Kelly becoming interested because Todd was not usually this enthused regarding a model. "What about her?" "Did you see the stunt she pulled with the boat where it looked like she was airborne? Standing the boat on its tail?" "Okay" she thought. "Different kind of model." Kelly racked her memory but it was just seven in the morning and she barely recalled anything from those two days other than Brenda and the experience with James. "Refresh my memory," she said. "Forget it Kell. If you had seen it you would have remembered. Anyway, the pictures turned out fantastic. This is a no-brainer sale, and if old man Regan distributes them the way he was talking, we are going to be the hit of the next boat show circuit!" "That's great Todd" "No, wait a minute," he continued. "There's one shot of Sara that I want to submit to one of the major boating magazines!" "He's positively on fire!" Kelly thought. "This is front cover material!" he continued. "I don't mind the reputation boost, and our agency's profile wouldn't be hurt by the publicity either, but since it was on the customers dime and using his boat, we need a release form allowing me to submit it." "Hmmm..." Kelly was thinking out loud now. "The publicity wouldn't hurt Regan either," she continued. "Do you feel like taking a trip out there to deliver them personally? I can call and see if he's available." "I'd love to go," said Todd, "but you'll have to make the arrangements. I want to crash for a few hours. Call me if Regan wants to see what he hired the best for." "Okay," said Kelly. "If I don't wake you up with a call, then obviously today is a no go, but if it's a go, I'll give you time to make yourself look human first." She was laughing quietly as she hung up the phone. As much as Kelly wanted to climb back into bed with Laura, she called Regan's. It was still early, but the plant was open and after explaining to the receptionist who she was, she was instantly patched through to Chuck's office. "Good morning Kelly," he said. "I was just having coffee with Brenda and Amanda. Brenda just arrived back this morning. She's also brought her friend Amanda." "My God," thought Kelly. "Has it only been a week? It felt like a lifetime ago!" Kelly explained her reason for calling. "You're telling me the brochure is done?" Chuck asked. "Just so we're perfectly clear Mr. Regan, the film has been developed and the proofs are done. This is what you contracted TKO for. I'm sure you have your own choice of printer for the brochure, but if not I can certainly put you in touch with a few of the best in the country." "You're right of course Kelly, I do have a company that does all my copy-editing and printing. I guess I just assumed it would take longer before I would see the prints. I've had lots of ad agency photographers over the years, but never one that delivered in such a timely fashion. If the pictures are any good, I will owe my friend who recommended your agency a bottle of my best wine." Kelly was smiling to herself as he said this. Had it not been for the delay in getting Sherri's contract signed, Todd probably would have finished the pictures by Monday. "I'm quite sure you'll like the pictures Mr. Regan. I haven't seen the proofs yet, but Todd was very excited when he called me a few minutes ago. He worked all night on them, and you know we put our reputation on the line with every shoot we do, and as it says in the contract, if you don't like the results, you don't pay a cent." "That was another reason I thought I would give your company a try," said Chuck. "I like to see that kind of self assuredness in all the people I do business with." He sighed. "Regretfully, these days, for most companies CYA is SOP." Kelly laughed. "And please," he added, "No more Mr. Regan. Just call me Chuck." "Okay Mr... Chuck, I understand you spoke to Todd about us flying in?" Kelly asked. "That's right Kelly, as long as you don't try to land in my lake with a modified L-1011, you should have plenty of space." Chuck Regan was as excited to see the pictures for his new brochure as Todd was about showing the results. Kelly explained Todd's special request and Chuck was quite obliging, telling her to bring along the consent form and even suggested that since he advertised in nearly all the boating magazines he would be glad to be of help in making sure it got to the right person. They made arrangements to meet after lunch and Chuck insisted they stay for dinner at his house. "Wow," thought Kelly as she hung up the phone. "His mood and disposition has really changed since the week of the shoot." Kelly next called Chris and asked how long it would take before his floatplane would be ready to fly and if he had a pilot available. Chris told Kelly he would have the Cessna 170 floatplane fueled, inspected and ready to roll in three hours. "Thanks Chris, will there be any problems coming back? We might be a little on the late side." "How late are you talking Kelly?" "Possibly as late as 8." "Hmm... It won't really be dark yet, but that's a long time for the pilot to sit around. Especially with how busy we are right now. Is there any chance of you staying the night and getting picked up the next morning? If not, I'll have him drop you off and I'll come and pick you up myself when you're ready to head back. I'll give you a special rate for any inconvenience." "You're a sweetheart Chris. Let me check to see what we have on the go and what kind of accommodations they have there. Maybe it would be better if we stayed the night. I'll let you know just as soon as I know. But we will definitely be flying out at 1 o'clock okay?" "You got it!" As Kelly hung up the phone she felt a hand slide around her waist and work its way up to tweak her nipple as a soft mouth kissed her back. "Another trip?" Laura asked. "I'm sorry sweetheart, but I'm afraid so. I'm just trying to figure out what to do now. If we come back late, we're going to be bushed and rushed. This is a lucrative deal for us, and I don't want to screw it up by watching a clock." "So why not spend the night? There must be a sleazy motel you and Todd can spend the night at," Laura laughed. "Oh God. I hadn't even thought about that. We've shared rooms before, but that was before..." "So? Why not take the opportunity to get better acquainted?" "Without you there? I'm not sure Laura." "Well, you can always do what you did in the past and pretend what happened the other night didn't happen, but you'll be missing out on an experience. Trust me." "Maybe," said Kelly. "Are you sure you'd be okay with this if it did happen?" Laura laughed as she rolled off the bed, pulled Kelly up and hugged her tight. "Kelly, I love you, and I love Todd. I also know that Todd loves you as well as he loves me. Love grows as you share it, it doesn't diminish." To emphasize her point, Laura trailed a wet tongue over Kelly's neck, gently nibbling on the tender areas. "Mmm... you smell good," said Laura kissing Kelly's throat. "That's because I smell like you!" Laughing and kissing Laura and Kelly fell back on the bed. ------- Just after 9, freshly showered, the girls were having breakfast and vitamins together. Breakfast of course consisted of fruit and raw vegetables. They were discussing what Laura would be doing with her free time when Gloria came in. Gloria saw the two girls sitting, laughing and smiles on their faces. She had never seen Kelly so happy. This wasn't the way she had expected to see Kelly happy, but the Obi-man had said Laura was going to play a large part in Kelly's happiness and future. He had also said something else to "G," something she had not even told her daughter. She just smiled at Kelly with the secret knowledge deep inside. "Good morning G," said Kelly with a beaming smile on her face. "You remember Laura?" "Morning baby gal," said Gloria, "Ya man, me remember Miss Laura." "Please Gloria, just call me Laura, otherwise I'll have to call you Mrs. Clarke." Gloria laughed, "Cha, you no call me that. Let it be, you friend wit my chil', you call me G." Laura laughed as well. "Okay then it's settled. I'm Laura and you are G." Kelly had hidden her face and her smile during this exchange. After four years of trying, Todd still couldn't get Gloria to call him anything other than Mister Todd. Gloria was shaking her head as she put the kettle on to make her morning cup of Blue Mountain instant coffee. As G sat at the table lecturing the girls on the need for a more substantial breakfast, Laura mentioned what a delightful daughter Gloria had. "Ya, me proud of her, but ya know, that girl, she got a gift of the gab. Me fret she talk too much. Big problem that." "No," said Laura realizing she should not mention the discussion about Gloria's spiritual consultant. "She was just telling me how beautiful it was where she grew up. St. James Parish?" "Very beautiful, but no opportunity fee me kids." Kelly excused herself and made a phone call to the tourist center in Jacksonville asking for names of motels close to Regan's. Half an hour later she had booked herself and Todd into a room. She then called Chris back and confirmed they would be staying the night and arranged for a pickup time the next day just after lunch. Kelly could hear Gloria and Laura discussing Miss Cleo and Gloria in an excited voice proclaiming the woman as a fraud and had never practiced anything from the psychic world in Jamaica. As G got more vocal her English dropped further into patios and Kelly smiled as she realized Laura was not only keeping up, but was starting to use some of the same expressions. Kelly was happy. Gloria had always been a good judge of people and if she liked Laura then it was a good sign. Kelly remembered Chuck saying Brenda had just had coffee with him and she knew from Brenda's email that she was supposed to be back at Regan's today so the next call she made was to her. As her fingers dialed the phone she realized she was shaking with anticipation. She had not seen Brenda in over a week and though both Kelly and Todd were planning to attend the grand opening of the Marina's new "Wheel" office in a week, she couldn't wait to see Brenda. She needed to talk to Brenda. Hell, she plain needed Brenda right now. So much had changed since the last time when Brenda had asked Kelly if she trusted her. ------- "Hello?" "Brenda?" Kelly asked, a catch in her voice. "Kelly!" said Brenda, her voice brimming with joy and happiness. "How are you feeling Honey?" Kelly started to say she and Todd would be visiting that afternoon, but Brenda told her that she had already heard the news. "Tell me the rest of what's going on in your life Kelly. I was getting a little bit worried about you based on your emails." "I think you turned me into a lesbian," Kelly whispered. Brenda snorted. "Bullshit. If you were inclined that way you would never have tried to hit on James." "Yes, but I've had two really bad experiences with former boyfriends over the weekend, and yet last night I had a fantastic time with a girl." "And this is what you're basing your conclusion on?" Brenda asked laughing. "Well, no... the night before Todd and I got physical as well, something we always said wouldn't happen, but we weren't alone." "Sounds interesting," said Brenda. "Who was the other person? Wait, let me guess... the girl you spent last night with." "How did you know?" "Lucky guess," said Brenda. "How did it turn out?" "It was good I guess," said Kelly, "It didn't go, you know, all the way, but it was satisfying and fun." "Just not as good as last night though right?" "Last night was different Brenda!" Brenda looked up and saw Rick, one of the young technicians hovering around her desk. Covering the mouthpiece she told him to find something useful to do, out of her sight. Alone again, she turned her full attention to her friend on the phone. "What do you mean Kelly? Why was last night different than the night before?" "Well, the night before was like it was planned. Do this first, and then do that. It was more like connect the dots than making love." Brenda laughed. "That's okay Kell, I've been having a devil of a time getting people to stop playing connect the dots with my freckles. But you said it was fun and satisfying. That sounds like a step in the right direction to me, so what's the problem?" "It just wasn't the same as last night. Oh Jesus. I don't understand this. I really love Todd and want it to be the same with him as it is with Laura, but it's not." "Laura huh. Nice name. So tell me what's different with her alone than when you're with Todd?" "This is going to sound really stupid Brenda, but when I'm with Laura, I feel like a real woman." "Did James make you feel like a real woman?" "James... ? Yeah, well, even though we didn't do anything except for me humping his leg. God I still can't believe I did that." "That's okay sweetie," said Brenda, "You just need to learn how to enjoy men. You're coming later today? How about we spend some time together and work this out?" "Thanks Brenda... I knew I could count on you." ------- Kelly lit up another and contemplated calling Todd. Knowing he could be showered and dressed in minutes, Kelly decided to let him sleep a few hours more. She re-entered the kitchen to a heated debate on the merits of Brad Pitt's new bride. Gloria of course was devastated. Kelly put the kettle on and made a pot of tea. "Well, it looks like we'll be off again this afternoon, hopefully back tomorrow." "Don fret pon it chil', tings gunna be a'right. Run 'long now, go tek care ya business." "Thanks G," said Kelly. "Once this job is out of the way, we should be home a bit longer. Todd has that gymnastic equipment shoot to do and that will keep us in town for a while." As Kelly poured the tea, Laura said, "Well at least this way I get plenty of time to study and catch up to the rest of my class." "One day girl, it'll be you that's off running to catch a plane," Kelly laughed. "We'll be the ones staying behind." "I doubt you'll ever stand still too long Kell. Something in you just drives you to succeed." Gloria nodded in agreement. ------- Kelly packed a small overnight bag with a few changes of clothing and underwear, her makeup case and slipped into a pair of safari shorts and a light cotton blouse. Laura helped her tie her hair back into a tight roll held together with a wooden comb. That, and an oversize shoulder purse carrying all the essentials she might need on the trip was all she needed. It was getting on to 11 so they drove back to the studio in Laura's car. She would have the honor of waking Todd up. Friendly greetings at the studio with Vanetta and Laura rushed upstairs while Kelly explained to Vanetta about the impending trip. As she waited for Todd, she read over the morning mail, updated her database and took a Gravol for motion sickness chasing it down with a bottle of mineral water. Knowing her smoking time would shortly be limited she indulged herself as she heard the shower running upstairs. Todd and Laura came down the stairs both with huge smiles. Even Kelly had to smile. Laura could be insatiable! Todd had thrown on a set of scrubs, packed another pair and a few t-shirts into an old canvas bag, running shoes without socks though he had at least packed a couple of pair as well as underwear. Out of the closet he took his travel camera, filled a small artic cooler pack with film from the fridge, slipped in a few chemical cold packs to keep the film cool, checked his batteries and packed it all in a polished aluminum case. "Todd, you haven't even combed your hair," said Kelly. Todd looked at her in surprise, then shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. Everything fell into place. "All set? Wincing from the scathing look Kelly threw his way, he gave Laura his cell phone. "It's fully charged sweetheart. Just leave it on and I can call you from Kelly's. When we get back we'll have to get you one of your own because in this business, you never know where you'll be when you're needed." Kisses and hugs exchanged, Todd and Kelly took a cab to the airport. The flight was uneventful and the pilot comfortable with water landings. Receiving permission to land, they were directed to a dock where they were greeted by the technician who had cleared the lake traffic for them. As the Cessna took off again the boats headed back into the lake and the technician led them to a side door opening on a walkway that took them directly to the main office. ------- During the flight, Todd had shown Kelly the 11 x 14" glossy prints he had made the night before. Kelly was impressed, and knew that Chuck would be amazed. It filled his criteria to the letter, and the quality and lighting was perfect. Announcing themselves at the main reception area, they were asked to have a seat and that Mr. Regan would be down shortly. They had barely seated themselves when Chuck bounded down the stairs from the upper offices. "Kelly, Todd," he said, shaking hands with both of them. "Good to see you again!" Chuck sat down beside them in the spacious reception area and offered them drinks. Kelly asked for a diet 7-up while Todd, the real caffeine addict asked for coffee. Chuck asked the receptionist to arrange for it and then turned to Todd. "I understand you've got something exciting to show me Todd," he said. Todd smiled and opened his portfolio case. Although Todd had shown them to her on the plane, Kelly still got a rush seeing that first picture of Sara standing Chuck's stepped hull on its stern. Its stark angular lines only helped accentuate the smooth curves of its driver. Her blond hair billowing behind her while her hands were gripped on the controls and a smile of pure satisfaction on her face showed her complete mastery of the boat. "Sweet Jesus," Chuck mumbled turning the picture from side to side. "Look at that control, and the spray coming off the stern," he said. "It makes you want to go and sail forever." Todd just smiled. The drinks arrived and Chuck still couldn't take his eyes off the photo. Finally he said, "that girl... she did more than stand the boat on end, she and her friends have managed to stand the industry on its end." He looked up at both of them. "I want you both to know how pleased I am that you brought this group out here." Looking at Kelly he asked if they were all under contract to the agency. Kelly thought quickly. The contract was legal and binding of course, but they had been hired for a brochure, not a secondary promotion campaign. But she knew that the "James Gang" was involved with Chuck now on a business level as well. "Mr. Regan," she began carefully, "we billed you scale rate, and paid scale to the group to be fill-ins for background, and our contract was for pictures for an ad brochure..." She held up her hand as she saw him start to speak. "However, it is one of the best action shots Todd has ever captured and we won't charge anything for any other use of this photo for publicity purposes." She turned to Todd. "Is that kosher for you Todd?" Todd quickly nodded his enthusiastic response. "That leaves only Sara to clear it with then," Kelly said. "And since the 'James Gang' has other business dealings with you, I think this can be settled between you and their company. We'll even forego any fees if she agrees to your using it." Chuck looked at Kelly closely for a few minutes, no sign of emotion could be read on his face. "They hooked you too didn't they?" he finally asked breaking out in a smile. Kelly and Todd both laughed. "They are an unusual group," Kelly said, "and yes we got hooked the same." "Mr. Regan," Todd started. "Please," Chuck interrupted. "Call me Chuck." "Okay then Chuck," Todd continued, "I'd like to get your permission to submit this to various boat magazines." "Yes, Kelly mentioned that on the phone this morning," Chuck said, "but tell me Todd, how would you feel if I placed this in the biggest one, "International Powercraft," as a pull out poster? Double page? That will guarantee it being on the cover as well." Todd's mouth dropped open. "That would cost you a fortune," he finally managed to get out. "Not quite as much as you might think Todd. You see, the magazines also want something spectacular that people would put on their walls instead of the inside of a bird cage. They'll absorb most of the cost if we let them put the name of their magazine in..." He paused and looked at the picture again. "Say in this corner here," pointing to a blank section of water. "Our name will go underneath as the builder and yours and the TKO logo will be directly below that." Looking at Kelly for approval, which he got in the form of a smile, Todd grabbed Chuck's hand and said, "You've got yourself a deal!" Chuck laughed and asked Todd how large they could make a print from the original without losing quality. Todd assured him that with the Hasselblad's larger format, they could easily enlarge in segments up to wall size. "That's great!" Chuck said, "Because that is just what I want to do with that main wall across from the reception desk," pointing at a wall that currently held smaller pictures of the different Regan boats. "Now what say we go upstairs and plan on lighting a few fires under the sales staff," he said with a smile. Turning to Kelly he said, "And I know there is someone here who has been asking about the time of your arrival every half hour or so." Kelly hoped her blush wasn't showing. ------- Ten minutes later they were seated in Chuck's office in nice plush leather chairs, fresh drinks at their sides. Chuck had his secretary contact their local Digital Print and Copy center to dispatch a pick-up courier. Because he was Chuck Regan he was told that everything would be put aside to run this job through the minute it arrived. He ordered five 20 x 30" prints, and 100 8 x 10" glossies. Apologetically he told Todd that he knew it wouldn't quite be up to the quality of the original print, but he wanted to put them on the wall so people could see them with out having to pass the original around. "Why the glossies?" Todd asked. "Because I know that Sara is going to get a lot of requests for autographed pictures," said Chuck with a knowing smile. Kelly placed a call to Sara at the marina. She had to wait some time before Sara could make it to the phone but had an interesting chat with JulieAnn. Kelly explained to Sara what had transpired and that she was entitled to renegotiate for this shot. Sara discussed this with Jules while Kelly stayed on hold and when she came back on line said, "So I'm going to be a centerfold model?" Kelly laughed at that. She hadn't thought of it quite that way, but yes, technically she would be. "Yes, complete with the staple on your navel!" "Cool!" said Sara. "Wait until my folks hear about this! My dad's going to have a heart attack!" Sara said she had to get back to finishing work on a boat she was demonstrating later, but to fax the paperwork and she'd sign it. JulieAnn came back on the line and asked if they could find time to meet the two gymnasts. "They're going to be in Brookhaven on Monday for lunch. Sara will be demonstrating a boat we fine-tuned. I realize it's short notice, but..." "No, that's okay JulieAnn. Sherri's father had told us about going to Harbour Town this weekend for golf. From his enthusiasm, it sounds like a great golf get-a-way. Besides, we'll be here until tomorrow and there's really no need for us to rush back to Charlotte for the weekend. We'll just have to see about accommodations and renting a car. Let me get back to you on this okay?" Kelly hung up the phone and turned to Todd. "Feel like spending the weekend in South Carolina? Those gymnasts are going to be where Doctor Prevan is playing golf this weekend, though they won't get there until Monday." "A weekend at a golf resort?" asked Todd, "You're kidding me right?" "Are you talking about Brookhaven?" asked Chuck. "If you are then it's much more than a golf resort. It's actually a beautiful island with wildlife sanctuaries and of course lots of boats. It's a prime vacation spot." Kelly knew what Todd was thinking. "Chris is sending the plane back tomorrow anyway, we could have him fly Laura down to join us." "It's really busy at Brookhaven this time of year," Chuck continued, "I doubt I could get you a place on the south end of the Island on this short notice, but there's a Hampton Inn directly across Short Creek. That's the commercial area and right next to the marina. I've got a few connections there. If you like, I'll make sure you get one of their best business suites and I'll have one of my boats take you there tomorrow." Chuck then asked his secretary to book them into a two bedroom executive suite with a living room. "That's really kind of you Chuck," said Todd. "We really appreciate that." "Guess I better make a few more calls too," said Kelly. She called Chris and explained the change in plans, and then called Laura, telling her to pack for a weekend holiday and where to meet Chris in the morning. Finally she contacted Jules to confirm the Monday lunch meeting. "Where are you two planning on spending tonight?" Kelly told him that they were booked at a nearby motel. "Nonsense." Chuck said. "You'll stay at the house with us." Todd looked at Kelly who looked back at Todd. This was so different from the man who had hired them. Todd said, "Thanks Chuck. We'd love to!" With all the arrangements made, Chuck smiled and asked them if they wanted to go to their rooms and freshen up. Todd was all in agreement, hoping to catch a few more hours of sleep, but Kelly hesitated. "Don't you worry Kelly," Chuck said with a smile, "I haven't forgotten." Chuck asked his secretary to page Brenda. "Just tell her there's a problem here only she can solve. Ask her to please hurry." Turning to Todd and Kelly he once again thanked them for bringing this group into his life. Looking directly at Kelly he said, "Did I hear you correctly downstairs when you referred to them as the James Gang?" Kelly laughed and asked if Chuck had met the entire group yet. Chuck said with a wry smile he had only just met the entire group on Monday. Kelly and Todd both laughed. "Quite a team aren't they?" asked Kelly. "Well," said Chuck. "If Brenda is any example of dealing with them full time, I'm sure that my life will be the richer for it. I like all of them, and Amanda is here with Brenda this week. They are truly an amazing group. Brenda has been here nearly full time since last Thursday staying up at the house with Anna and me. She has been both a breath of fresh air and a candle in a dark room for us. The house hasn't been this lively or happy in many years." "Chuck," asked Todd, "do you understand anything about this Ferris wheel showroom at Max's?" Chuck looked at him strangely for a moment and then laughed. "Yes Todd, I do know a bit about it," he said and then started to explain Mueller's Wheel. After a couple of minutes Todd started laughing as well, finally understanding. A solid knock at the door interrupted any further conversation and Brenda entered the room. Kelly looked at her and a lump formed in her throat. Brenda spotted Kelly, grabbed her by the waist as she was getting out of her chair and gave her a big long hug. "Hi Kelly," Brenda said with a twinkle in her eye. "I've missed you." "I've missed you too Brenda," said Kelly her eyes misting over. Still holding on to Kelly, Brenda said Hi to Todd and to Chuck she said, "This had better be what was important Chuck cause as of now, I'm off the clock!" Chuck just laughed. He still didn't understand all of the interpersonal dynamics of the "James Gang," but he knew enough never to argue with a winning combo. "I was only going to ask you to show our friends to the guest rooms Brenda," he said with a smile. ------- Brenda led them to the house. "Separate rooms?" she asked with a smirk. Todd and Kelly looked at each other. "Oh, this is just plain silly," said Kelly. "We had only booked one room at the motel. Just one room, that's all we need." Todd laughed and unpacked his bag. Anna heard voices and came to investigate. She remembered Todd and Kelly, and with all the grace a young lady could muster greeted them with a happy smile. Todd was captivated by her delicate child like features that were offset by her dark, beguiling eyes; eyes that seemed to have seen too much. He hadn't noticed those eyes last week. Something had changed in this little girl's life. Sleep was suddenly the last thing on Todd's mind. He had to capture those eyes. "Anna, why don't you show Todd the garden and the swinging tree," Brenda said. "I've got some business to talk over with Kelly." Anna grabbed Brenda's arm as she looked at Todd. "Is he a bag of candies too?" she asked. Brenda smiled at the little girl. "Yes sweetheart, but somebody else's candy." Todd was looking at Anna, then he said solemnly, "Ms. Regan, I would like to take your picture, may I?" "Sure!" She giggled, "What do I have to do?" "Just be your beautiful self," smiled Todd. Todd looked at Brenda, "Brenda, can you find something light, a pale beige top for her? I want to do a natural light portrait. Kell, can you accent the eyes? I'd like more depth. Shadow both top and bottom lids in a light charcoal shade. Not too dark, thin out the lips a little and maybe tie her hair up on her head? Do you mind?" Brenda was already thinking of how Chuck was not going to like this, but took Anna and exchanged her t-shirt for a camisole and for good measure added a hand crocheted shawl of natural cotton thread. Before long Anna was decked out in off white colors and her hair done up in a high spray, exposing her ears with slight wisps of hair just noticeably brushing her cheeks. Her eyes, the ones in which Todd saw such knowledge and sadness were now highlighted to amazing depth and maturity. Anna's face was a fascinating study of the conflicts between a child and a woman. Grabbing his camera case Todd held out his arm to Anna who took it gracefully. What Todd didn't know, and couldn't know, was that Brenda and Kelly had managed to transform little Anna into a younger version of her mother. They strolled out together leaving Brenda and Kelly alone together for the first time in a week. ------- Pulling back from a soft kiss, Kelly whispered, "I couldn't stop thinking about you all week, you totally spoiled me for any man." Brenda laughed. The two girls were sitting on Brenda's bed and she had taken the precaution of locking the door to ensure their privacy. "Now you know that's not true Kelly, you told me you had a good time with Todd when Laura was there with you." "But that's just it. I think I did it more for a chance to be with Laura than for Todd. I mean I really love him and he makes me feel good but..." "But what Kelly?" asked Brenda as she softly stroked Kelly's cheek. Kelly sighed and allowed Brenda to pull her close. "With a man I feel like I'm just another conquest. It's so predictable." "Is that the way it was with Todd?" "Well, no, he was much more considerate and gentle with me but..." "No Kelly, no buts. He was different with you because he loves you and cares for you." Brenda was stroking Kelly's arms now, sending goose bumps up and down Kelly's body. "I guess I'm just not used to being treated like anything other than a trophy fuck," she said sadly. "I think it's that and a bit more sweetheart. Remember when you convinced us to let you kiss James? You tried to set the pace and the speed of the entire episode. I think you've become used to just giving it up for the man of the hour and then setting the pace to get things over with." Kelly slowly and with tentative fingers reached out and stroked Brenda's breasts until her nipples became stiff. The two girls leaned towards each other and shared a long passionate kiss. "Mmm, I like that, but keep talking," Brenda said as she slipped her hand under Kelly's blouse. "James just caught me off guard is all," said Kelly as she helped Brenda remove her top. "No, I think he broke your rhythm of how fast things should move along and that's why you responded like you did. You weren't in charge anymore." "What? I'm never in charge!" declared Kelly. As the girls repositioned themselves on the bed so they could leisurely stroke each other, Brenda asked, "Okay, so with you and Laura, she took charge right?" "Argh... No! That's not how it happened either. It just happened. She's fun, loving and caring and somehow we just ended up in bed together." Brenda stopped nibbling on Kelly's nipple long enough to say, "So it wasn't planned. Kind of like you and me last week." "Mmm... Yeah, just like that. You and I were goofing around and things moved on from there. I guess with Laura it was the same way." "And on the night that Todd participated, did you let things just happen or did you start off by thinking who was going to do what and how?" Kelly suddenly tensed and sat up. "I do take charge don't I?" Wistfully, she added, "I told myself, once, that I would never be used, never be manipulated... So long... So long ago..." Tears formed in her eyes and she turned her back to Brenda, feet on the floor and covered her face. Brenda snuggled up behind her, hugging her, letting Kelly cry as she came to terms with her own demons. ------- "Why do you want to take my picture?" asked Anna. "Because little angel, you've changed since last week. I know that look, and I want to capture it on film." With a bit of defiance in her voice, Anna asked, "What look?" Todd looked at her and smiled a sad smile. "The look that says you've seen something that hurt you." "I did not!" "It's okay Anna." Todd knelt down so they were eye to eye. "I won't tell anybody and I won't pester you about it. I think you are a very mature young lady with incredible strength. It's not easy knowing something that you can't share." Anna's eyes started to brim with tears. "I promised not to tell." "It's okay sweetheart. No one is going to know. Just be strong." "But how did you know?" Todd laughed gently. "If I tell you will you dry your eyes and let me take your picture?" Anna nodded. "Okay, this is a secret too. Look at my eyes and you'll see the same thing, Kelly's too. If you want to see the difference look at Brenda's. You'll see pretty quick that Kelly has the same look as me and you, but Brenda doesn't." Anna looked closely and did some serious thinking. "I understand," she finally said. "I didn't realize it before. You know who else has sad eyes? My Grandpa. Does it ever go away?" Todd hugged the fragile little girl. "It goes away for a while if something makes you really happy, but unless the problem is fixed, it always comes back." Todd positioned her in front of the swinging tree. The dark wood made a beautiful contrast to her blonde hair and her pale outfit. Kelly had done a super job bringing more depth to Anna's eyes, yet in a subtle way. "Should I smile?" asked Anna. This was the difficult part. Todd didn't want to hurt the little girl anymore than she had been. "How about you think about your special secret," Todd suggested and immediately Anna's face changed from a little girl to one of a mature adult who had seen tremendous pain. Yet even through that pain there was the face of a beautiful child. Bracketing his exposures, Todd snapped off an entire roll of high-density film, moving all the time, zooming in and out with his lens. Anna's eyes followed him constantly though her body never moved. "Oh my God!" Chuck's voice sounded from behind Todd, then in a whisper, "Deanna?" ------- He stumbled towards them with tears stinging his eyes. He had left the office after a meeting with the sales staff. He had been enthused like he hadn't been in a long time and as he did whenever he had something on his mind, he went to Helene's garden to have a talk with her. He had not been a happy man for a long time, Chuck suddenly realized. He missed his wife. He missed his daughter. Anna helped fill the void left by the two women he loved, but for years he had slid deeper and deeper into a depression, becoming reclusive and controlling. Then a week ago a group of kids had come to help out with the brochure shoot. They were just kids. Oh sure they were nice enough, even knew something about boating and perfect as models. But they hadn't been there one day before one of them, Sara, had told him what was wrong with his boat. He had been furious. This girl had actually scolded him for being stubborn and did something with his boat, something that was so unconventional, so simple and, in retrospect, so ingenious. And she had been right too, but she wasn't satisfied and pointed out an embarrassing sideslip problem. He had stomped off to his tech people wanting to know why they hadn't caught this problem. After he had cooled down, he had to admit this group of kids knew their stuff. What the hell they were doing modeling was beyond him. He invited them to spend the night and for the first time in a long time had smiled and laughed. James, Brenda, Sara and Sherri. They had made the evening something to remember. They were far from typical teens. He had discovered they were troubleshooters in a number of areas, and even had a contract researching for InterCoastal. But he had managed to contract their services to help his design team and the redheaded one, Brenda had stayed and in one day designed a brand new hull using a revolutionary method that would turn the world of boating upside down. The design was not without some technical problems, but her approach to it had been so unique and she had managed to pull all the staff together, working like a team. Something he had not been able to do since his daughter had left his life. It had been a glorious weekend having Brenda in the house. She surprised him at every turn and Anna adored her. He had felt the years dropping off of him like weights. Then he had flown her back to their base of operations and met the rest of the group. What he wouldn't give to have them all working for him. And then he had. Given it all. Now the plant was working with renewed enthusiasm and spirit. Brenda was back as well as that pixie Amanda. Amanda. He still didn't know what to make of her. She was a born speed demon and could make a boat perform as nobody could. She had a way of knowing just when the setup was right and, last seen, she was up to her armpits in grease with the mechanics in the garage. She was a bit too affectionate for comfort, but perhaps that was just his age talking. Maybe teenagers are just different kinds of people. He thought again of his daughter Deanna. Maybe if he had seen her with a bit more compassion he would know where she was now and he could try to mend things with her and to un-say those things he had said. Chuck sighed and strolled out of the garden. "Oh Helene, if you could only see the changes." He thought back to the picture Todd had taken of Sara, how proud he had felt, as if she was his... his own daughter. His eyes were misty as he headed towards the swinging tree when his breath caught in his throat. Deanna was back! "Oh my God..." ------- "No Grandpa... It's me, Anna." Chuck froze in his tracks. He realized his eyes and desires had played a cruel trick on him. Todd was obviously taking pictures of his granddaughter. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's just an old man's eyes and memory. You look beautiful Anna. Just like your mother." "If you miss her Grandpa, why don't we try and find her? I've seen it done on TV lots of times. You call this detective and he can find anybody who's missing." It hurt Anna to lie to her grandfather like this, but she had promised her mother she wouldn't tell where she was, but, in her own young mind she justified that convincing her grandfather to look for her wasn't breaking her promise. Besides, he seemed to miss her so much. Todd looked at him but stayed silent. Chuck gave way to an awkward smile. "My daughter, Anna's mother, we had a falling out when she was still a teenager. I didn't make life very easy on her and I'm afraid I've lost her for good." "I understand Chuck. Maybe better than you know. I haven't seen or spoken to my parents in 10 years, but if you have the stomach for it, ask Kelly for HER story. I'll bet you never treated your daughter the way Kelly's parents treated her. Anna's right. If you want to find your daughter, just get on the phone. The world is just a village now and finding people is a lot easier than it ever was." "Maybe she doesn't want to be found?" Chuck sighed. "Thanks Todd. I'll think about it." With those words he walked away deep in thought. Todd turned to Anna. "I think I know what you've learned in the last week." "Please don't say anything Todd. They have to work it out themselves. It'll ruin everything if you let on that you know." Todd smiled. She was still so young and innocent but mature beyond her years. "Don't you worry angel. I'm an expert at knowing nothing." Anna laughed. "Well I know something else." "And what would that be?" Todd asked. "None of the girls here, not Amanda or Brenda or your girlfriend wear bras!" Todd laughed out loud. "Well Anna, that is pretty observant of you, but I had noticed that myself. I also noticed you're not wearing one! And Kelly is my partner, not my girlfriend." Anna blushed. "Well, if she's not your girlfriend, then why do your eyes go all mushy when you look at her?" "Okay little lady. I think we've got enough pictures. Let's put the film on ice and get a cold drink." "Okay. Huh! It's not just Grandpa who's good at changing the subject when he wants to avoid the truth." ------- Kelly and Brenda had moved out to the patio where Kelly could smoke. And she badly needed one. Her eyes were red rimmed from an hour of crying and she was using Todd's icepacks for her eyes as well as for the headache that had started. Kelly hadn't bothered putting her blouse back on, and with a shrug, Brenda left her T-shirt off as well. Chuck was at the plant; Todd and Anna were off taking pictures... Besides, it was a lot like life at the Eyrie. "The way I see it," said Brenda, "You've spent years being told how to stand, how to walk and when to sit... everything. Then when you weren't on show, you didn't know how to act. But you soon found out that men wanted you, although you knew they didn't love you, so you became the one to set the rules and the conditions because you knew that you would eventually be obligated to end up in bed with them, so you learned to set the pace." "God, am I that transparent?" "No honey, it's just that I've watched you work remember?" "What do you see Bren?" asked Kelly. "Please, tell me honestly how I look to other people." Brenda smiled and said, "You look foxy!" "Brenda!" "Okay, I'll be serious for a minute. You look confident and self-assured when you're working. It's because you know all the answers and can take care of anything that comes up. But when you let your guard down... when you don't have to be in charge, there's a playful side to your nature. Good humored and funny. You really can be a girl's best friend." "Then what happened when I pestered you girls to let me kiss James?" "Ah, now we see the other side of Kelly. You haven't been treated very well by men in your life have you?" Kelly took another cigarette out, lit it up, took a deep drag and looked away. After a while she said, "That might be the understatement of the year." "And that's why you have a split personality." Kelly's head snapped up, "What?" Brenda laughed and patted Kelly's hand. "No sweetie, not that kind of split personality. It's just how you deal with men. I've seen how you act and work around Chuck and other men when it's business. As long as sex stays out of the picture, you can get along with them just fine. That's why you managed so well at the marina after Amanda told you that James was off limits and she reminded him that he was to keep his hands to himself. He became 'safe' for you and you got along fine with him." "But then last week when you wanted to know what made him so special, and we let you find out, he was a sexual male again in your eyes and you took charge. If it weren't for the fact that James is such an adorable and loving goofball you would have just ended up disappointed and disillusioned again. But James really respects women and knows how to make them feel good. He broke your pace and that's why you were forced to let go. And once you weren't in charge, you really relaxed and enjoyed yourself." "Does that mean I have to let the man take the lead?" Kelly asked. "No, because real love is shared and nobody should be in charge. The pace is set by both parties for their mutual pleasure, and it's different each time or situation, and how much each wants to do. There is no simple plan for making love. You can create one for having sex, but not for making love. When you and I spend special time together, do you think we're having sex?" "No, and that's the funny thing. I tried explaining that to Laura. I said that for the first time I really made love." "And what about you and Laura? Did you make love or have sex? "Oh Brenda," Kelly laughed. "We made love all night long and it was the greatest sex ever!" Even Brenda laughed. "See... Making love is not about giving up control, it's about allowing yourself to share with somebody. To enjoy an encounter with somebody you care about." "And last week... Did you care about me then?" asked Kelly. "Oh Kelly, I love you. You were so good with all of us. You were fun to be around, you could get things done, and you were foxy as hell! I would have loved to have had you for a sister growing up." Kelly took Brenda's hand and kissed each of her fingers. "And I would have loved to have had you for a sister and a friend." "So, what about Todd. Do you really love him?" "More than I could ever say Brenda. For a quarter of my life he had been my best friend and the closest thing I've had to family." "And are you ready to take your relationship to the next level now?" "Yeah, I think so, but I feel like a virgin all over again. I'm all nervous and jittery." "Well just relax and remember there's no timetable and you only need to go as far as both of you want to take it. I know you had a hard time growing up Kelly, let Todd and Laura make it up to you." "Thanks Brenda. I really do love you. I'll always be grateful to you for opening the door for me to see the other side, and now especially indebted for holding a mirror up for me to see myself in." Brenda leaned back in her chair and smiled. "I think we're going to be good friends for a long time Kell. I hope Todd and Laura aren't the jealous type." ------- Supper was a modest affair. Despite Chucks protests, Kelly had insisted on cooking. "I like to cook Chuck, and I rarely get an opportunity to do it for family." After an orientation tour, Kelly had insisted on absolute privacy in the kitchen, but allowed Brenda to help. Soon they were whirling in there like dervishes, but Todd was not sure how much cooking was done and how much was just joyous fooling around. Todd had retired with a Heineken to the living room with Chuck and his snifter of brandy. Anna was sitting on the floor watching him dust off and reload the camera equipment, as he made idle conversation with Chuck. Amanda was semi sprawled on the love seat leaning lightly on Chuck's shoulder. Her eyes seemed to close periodically like she was falling asleep. Obviously she was very enamored with Chuck. "Can you imagine Todd, this little girl was covered in grease just an hour ago?" Todd laughed. "Nothing about the James Gang surprises me Chuck." "Maybe I'm just old fashioned," offered Chuck. "No, I don't think so," said Todd. "Times change and sometimes it's people who don't. Maybe it's because I capture the times on film that I see it more clearly, but I've learned to just keep an open mind. My values aren't the same as other peoples, but that doesn't make theirs any less valid." "Hmmm... Maybe you've got something there." And Chuck took a drink and settled back in deep thought. Maybe Amanda's affectionate nature was part of the culture of the new generation or it could be from her background. Either way he decided that he really didn't mind the warmth this little blonde was sharing with him. He was jolted back to the present when he heard the distinctive click of the shutter of Todd's Blad firing. "That should prove to be an interesting picture," said Todd. "Your face looked like it was carved in bronze. Like a Rodin." Meanwhile, Kelly had browned thin bite-sized slivers of a standing rib roast in a wok with a mixture of her own recipe of spices and herbs. Brenda had sliced potatoes that Kelly was pan-frying along with the batch of Jamaican style bannock made the way Gloria had taught her. Between the two girls they had prepared a medley of steamed green and wax beans mixed with cauliflower and broccoli. There was also a garden salad garnished with devilled eggs. ------- "That was delicious Kelly," said Chuck. "Shucks, t'weren't nothing really. If I had known I'd be cooking in a kitchen like that I would have ordered in something special to whip up, but with this gorgeous girl helping me it was sheer delight." Kelly said wrapping an arm around Brenda's waist. "I think I've been living in the past too long," Chuck said. "Too much ritual and ceremony and doing things cause that's the way we do it. Instead of heading back to the living room, how about we go sit on the dock? It's still daylight and it might be nice to sit back with a couple of beers." Working together, they quickly cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. With a cooler loaded with ice cold Heinekens and soft drinks, Chuck, Todd, Kelly and Brenda headed out to Chuck's private dock complete with nicely padded reclining solid patio chairs. Kelly sang, badly, all the way down the walk. "We don't need no buried treasure No buried treasure - we don't need it. We don't stand on ceremony Cause life is phony in spite of it. You can never be all you wanna be When you're living for gold. We don't need no buried treasure I still got you... I still got you in my soul" "That's the way Chuck," said Brenda as she saw him take a swig out of his bottle. "Let your hair down and relax." "Just give me time Brenda. I don't have much hair left to let down and these changes are coming faster than I'm used to." Ten minutes later Amanda and Anna came down each carrying a tall glass filled half with root beer and half with ice cream. Kelly settled back and lit up a cigarette. "I've been meaning to ask you Chuck. Are Anna's parents on vacation? We didn't see them last week and I thought they would be joining us for supper." Todd and Brenda looked away as silence descended on the group. "Ah hell, this is getting to be the worst kept secret in this house Kelly so I might as well tell you the story. But first, do you mind if I have one of your cigarettes?" Kelly passed the package and the lighter. "Grandpa, I didn't know you smoked." "Well sweetheart, I don't really, not anymore, but sometimes temptation is hard to resist. And that, Kelly, is why you don't see my daughter Deanna around here." "I went into deep mourning after my wife Helene died and I neglected my daughter who was in mourning herself. I loved her, but every time I looked at her all I could think about was her mother. I didn't pay attention to her or her need to be comforted and she found it somewhere else. That's how Anna came to be." "I was furious with her and we fought long and hard. I simply refused to allow her any human weaknesses and over time we drifted so far apart we didn't even talk anymore. Then one day she couldn't take my rejection anymore and moved out. I couldn't handle losing her and Anna, so I fought and won custody of Anna." "In the beginning Deanna came to visit quite often, but business was booming and I was unable to delegate - you see I had every expectation to pass the business on to her, even though I was too stubborn to admit it. Instead, I kept reminding her of how disappointed I was in her and soon the visits started to dwindle until she stopped coming altogether. I drove her out of our lives and it is something that I have regretted ever since." "I haven't seen or heard from Deanna in years. I have no idea of where she is or how she is doing. I hope one day she finds it in her heart to forgive this old man who is just beginning to accept his own role in what happened. Like Todd said to me earlier tonight, times change but sometimes people don't. I really want to show her I've changed. I really miss her and feel horrible for the way I treated her." Brenda bit her lip as Anna fought to keep her tears back. "So, there you have it, my skeletons." Kelly got up and gave him a warm hug, as did Brenda. "As long as you have the will Chuck you can set things right again," said Kelly. "I'm sorry for bringing up such painful memories." "No Kelly, you didn't bring them up, they are on my mind every single day." Trying to lighten the mood a bit, Todd turned to Chuck. "You know, Anna told me all about your beautiful garden, but we got so tied up in doing a natural light portrait that I never got a chance to see it." Chuck got up, grateful for the change of subject. "Well, step right this way Todd and let me introduce you to my darling Helene's garden. I just have the privilege of keeping it for her." "Chuck, do you mind if we went swimming here?" Amanda asked. "Me too, Grandpa?" "Sure, go ahead! Anna practically grew up in the lake!" Chuck laughed as he led Todd up the hill. "Anna can show you where to find clean towels down here and there's a heated shower that's supplied by water from the house." He called back over his shoulder. "I have to get my suit..." Anna said. "Why? Haven't you skinny dipped before?" Amanda asked. "No!" "Like your grandpa said, 'We don't have to follow customs here' - not between friends, right?" chuckled Amanda who, as soon as Chuck and Todd were out of sight, slipped out of her blouse and shorts, sliding her panties down at the same time. Her sparse pubic hair glistened in the sunlight, and with her sneakers off, she dove off the end of the dock. Following that lead, Anna quickly peeled off her own t-shirt showing the beginnings of breast buds. Pulling off her shorts she followed Amanda into the water. Brenda looked at Kelly. With a conspiring wink she stood up, and slowly peeled off her top exposing her freckled breasts. Her skirt followed and she pulled Kelly up out of her chair. Brenda slipped Kelly's blouse off and unbuttoned her shorts and then the two of them waded into the lake. Chuck was showing Todd his Saffron garden when laughter from the dock trickled up the hill. "Do you hear that Todd? That's a sound that gladdens my heart. It's been too many years since I've heard that." "Chuck, I know this is a touchy subject for you, but what about Anna's father? I'm old enough to be her father and if I thought I had a daughter somewhere you can damn well bet I'd be either fighting you for custody or visiting her every week. Doesn't he know where Deanna is?" "I don't know who her father is," said Chuck sadly. "I was so angry with Deanna and so miserable that when I finally got around to asking, she wouldn't tell me anything except that he was a good man and had left before he knew she was pregnant. I told her that he was a poor excuse for a man, but Deanna has her father's stubborn streak - I never did find out." The two of them started walking back to the dock. "If you really miss her Chuck, then don't let pride stand in your way. Do what your heart is telling you and find her. Even if she doesn't want to be found at least she'll know you loved her enough to look for her." "That's exactly what I'm going to do Todd. With Brenda is taking over the day-to-day operations at the plant, I'll be letting their company run things. They are an extraordinary group of young adults, and I could do much worse than let Anna learn from them. I've seen their investments, Todd and I'll tell you, there's nothing that could surprise me any more about any of them." He stopped short and stared. "Er, Chuck... Your mouth is open." Getting no response, Todd continued, "Well I guess there was at least one more surprise you weren't expecting." They had made it back to the lake and found the source of the laughter in the water. The four girls were swimming, laughing and splashing. And they were naked. A fact well demonstrated as Amanda climbed up on the dock and dove in, her naked butt flashing in the sunlight. Brenda spotted them and waved, her breasts bobbing invitingly. Kelly waved as well and hollered an invite to join them, showing her puckered nipples. Anna squatted down so that her little buds were covered by the water, but Amanda seemed to make it a point to jump up and down trying to coax the men into the water. Both Chuck and Todd politely declined. "It shows, you know," said Todd. "What shows?" "That you're trying real hard not to look." "Damn. Nobody does that here. At least not anymore." Todd looked at him quizzically. "Okay," said Chuck. "When we first started here, Helene and I used to go skinny-dipping all the time. Even after Deanna was born we used to take her into the water with us. We stopped about the time that Helene became sick, when Deanna was 12." Todd just nodded. "Todd, is there any more beer in that cooler? And could you pass Kelly's cigarettes over." Todd laughed and passed Chuck a beer and the smokes. Taking a deep swallow Chuck gestured at the bathing beauties, "This doesn't affect you or bother you at all?" Todd turned in his chair and looked at him, "Chuck, I've been a photographer for close to 15 years, with my share of glamour shots and swimsuit editions and lingerie. I've also shot on the beaches of Rio, the Caribbean and Europe. Chuck, you must know that beach nudity is the accepted norm outside of America! After a while you become aware that nudity and so-called mores are socially induced standards. It's fine when you apply them to yourself, but it is not fine when you impose your standards on others - it is a gross invasion of their privacy and rights. Deanna must have proved that to you." "I have a right to ask you not to smoke around me because there is some evidence showing second hand smoke can cause harm to others. But to tell you how to dress, or when to enjoy yourself... ?" Chuck sighed deeply and put out the cigarette. Todd laughed. "Sorry Chuck, I can get a bit preachy at times. And I didn't mean that you couldn't smoke. Hell, it's your house and your lake! I was just using a common reference. Something you could relate to." "I know Todd, but it's a lousy habit that I picked up in Vietnam. I rarely ever light up anymore, but it seems like all day I've been talking about a daughter I love and that I haven't even tried to find. I'm not exactly a model parent am I?" "Chuck, you described a beautiful scene to me a little while ago. I could see myself as a father doing that with my wife and kids. Unless you beat Deanna, all you have done is been stubborn because your pride was hurt." "Beat her? Hell no. I never laid a finger on her. I was loud and angry, but no parent can hit their own child!" It was Todd's turn to sigh and he turned back in his chair to look out over the water. "You'd be surprised Chuck. You would really be surprised at what parents can do to their kids." Chuck suddenly remembered what Todd had told him earlier. "Hell, I'm sorry Todd. I forgot." "It's okay Chuck. You want another beer? This Heineken is good. Kelly always gets us Molson's Extra Dry from Canada. It sure beats the near beer we have here." "Near beer?" Chuck asked. "Yeah," laughed Todd, "But closer to water!" Chuck was laughing with him when Kelly came out of the water and walked up to them, doing nothing to hide her beautiful body. "Hey beautiful," said Todd, "did you have a refreshing dip?" "The water's great, you should have come in and joined us," she said as she opened a cupboard and pulled out a towel. "We were talking about world affairs and such," said Todd. "It's not often you get to hear a perspective on it from somebody who remembers Nixon resigning." "Not to mention the first time the Beatles played in the US," said Chuck. "The who?" asked Brenda as she climbed up the ladder, her beautiful breasts jiggling like bowls of Jell-O. "Not the Who!" said Chuck laughing, "The Beatles!" Brenda looked perplexed. "Then am I supposed to guess who?" Chuck was howling with laughter. "Not the Guess Who, they're Canadian! The Beatles! They were the beginning of Rock and Roll the way you know it today." Kelly looked at Brenda. "I have a lady friend who's old enough to be my great grandmother. She lives in a retirement home and she's always talking about the past." Turning to Chuck she said, "But Muriel, my friend, she insists that it was Elvis who started the Rock and Roll era." Brenda shrugged, smiled, and snatched Kelly's towel away from her to dry her face. "I listened to a lot of Queen growing up cause it was my mom's favorite band, but personally I like classical music." Further discussions about musical tastes were interrupted by a small voice coming from the water. "Grandpa. Will you cover your eyes? I want to get out of the water." "Why should I cover my eyes?" asked Chuck. "Because I've got no clothes on!" "Oh. Did you lose them in the water?" "NO! I left them on the deck!" "Did someone force you to take your clothes off?" "NO!" "So you took off your clothes because you wanted to. Have I got that right? And now you think maybe that wasn't such a good idea because I'm here? You might not remember Anna, but I was changing your diapers when you were a little girl." With the frustrated "ha" that only a preteen can properly do, Anna climbed out of the lake with defiance. "Fine! Be that way then!" Chuck looked at his granddaughter. "You look beautiful baby. And it's pretty easy to see that you aren't grandpa's little girl anymore." Anna smiled and blushed and ran over to give Chuck a big wet hug. "I'll always be your little girl Grandpa." Todd smiled. She was starting to sprout breasts and was rapidly developing a real hourglass figure. He also noticed that although Chuck wasn't blatantly staring, he had been admiring Kelly and Brenda as well. With a final splash, Amanda leapt out of the water and stood proudly on the lawn, hands on her hips and her legs just slightly spread. "Okay Anna, how about you show me where the shower is?" Though she was just a few years older than Anna, Amanda was without a doubt a full woman. She was smart and self confident with more than a bit of pride in her well-trimmed figure. Todd saw that Chuck looked at her a bit differently than he had the other girls. And his hand trembled as he relit his cigarette. ------- Showered and dressed again the girls sat with Chuck and Todd and watched the sun go down. It was a glorious sunset, the perfect ending for a glorious day. The girls were yawning, it had been a long and hectic day for them all, but Kelly, who should have been tired, was trembling with anticipation of the night ahead. Chuck bid everyone a good night and headed off to bed to do some serious thinking and reflection on the day. Brenda tucked Anna in and quickly washed up. Chuck had left the room assignments to Amanda and her and they had again picked the same room she and Sara had shared. They had been up since before 6 a.m. and although she longed to join Amanda, Brenda had one more task to perform. ------- Todd closed the door behind him and just stood there looking at Kelly. "What are you looking at?" asked Kelly. She had been slowly pacing around the room pretending to be checking out the furniture. "I'm just watching my best friend," said Todd. "You are so beautiful Kelly, but I don't want you doing anything different. I'm not pushing for anything." Her smile melted away his apprehension. "I know you aren't Todd. That's maybe why I've always loved you. You've never tried to use me or take advantage of me. Just bear with me a little longer okay?" "I'll tell you what Kell, I need a shower, so why don't you think about what you want to do while I get cleaned up." Todd headed towards the attached bathroom, but Kelly beat him to it. "Let me wash your back for you Todd. I'll bet a good soak in a tub filled with bubbles will get you feeling good and relaxed." Todd smiled and stepped aside. Kelly ran the water in the tub and picked a scent of wild flowers from the bath beads, not overpowering but a delicate essence. Chuck had good taste. As she adjusted the temperature of the water, she noticed Todd slipping out of his clothes. She tried not to look but even with her head bent forward trying to focus just on the bubbles that were rising she could see Todd was rising as well. She felt herself blushing. With a deep breath she turned off the water and turned to face him. She tried to look him in the eyes, but his cock had swelled and his sack had tightened. It was his turn to blush. "I'm sorry Kelly, but I've thought about this moment for a long time. Years actually. I'm not putting pressure on you, but I can't control or hide how he reacts to you knowing there is a possibility." Kelly beckoned him to come closer. She was still seated on the side of the tub but stopped Todd just before he put his foot into the water. Delicately, with a hand on his belly and one on his ass, Kelly leaned forward and gave the head of his cock a long soft kiss. It bounced in response. "I think they call that a 'Lick and a Promise, '" Kelly said scooting aside to let Todd get into the tub. "I hope you don't make too many promises Kell, I've got a loaded weapon and it's set on automatic fire." Kelly laughed with him and gave him a shove. "Let's just hope your phaser is set to maximum pleasure then!" Kelly stepped away from the tub and slowly, deliberately, started to remove her clothing. Todd had seen her naked enough times before, but knowing she was performing this slow, erotic strip for him made his cock pulse to the beat of his heart. She slowly unbuttoned each and every button of her blouse and then her shorts but removed neither. Tantalizingly, she turned her back on him and looking at him over her shoulder she slipped the blouse off each arm in turn, then still hiding her breasts from his sight she stretched up, tightening her butt muscles and with a bit of wiggling and clenching managed to shuck her shorts without using her hands. She backed a step toward him, away from the shorts puddled over her shoes then with her thumbs slowly slid down her panties, bending to show her ass, the hint of color of her asshole and her nether lips pouting. She held that position for a moment and then sensuously stretched back up while doing a slow pirouette exposing her front for Todd. The look on his face just fueled her desire. "Scoot forward so I can get behind you," she said to him. Climbing into the tub behind him she wrapped her long legs around his waist feeling his stiff prick against her calves. For a moment she just wrapped her arms around Todd and whispered, "I love you Todd." Todd leaned his head back and replied, "I love you Kelly. I always have." The planned quick bath turned into an hour-long affair as they took turns washing each other. Slowly, lovingly caressing each digit and part of the other's body as if they were partaking in a sacred ritual. Finally the bath water became too cool to continue the loving caressing and they stood to rinse off. They dried each other with the same gentle and loving touches they had shared in the bath, gently kissing parts of each other's bodies as they were dried. As Kelly brushed her hair, Todd went back to the bedroom to get their toothbrushes. He came back in with a smile wider than Kelly had seen in a long time. She looked at him quizzically. "Take a look by the side of the bed," was all he said. Curiosity overtook her and Kelly went to the bedroom. On the nightstand there stood a silver bucket filled with ice and a bottle of champagne. Dom Perignon. Beside it, a matching tray arranged with cheeses and crackers. A note lay on the tray. Dearest Kelly and Todd, May your journey tonight be filled with the same pleasure and gentle love you have given so freely to others. Love, Brenda Todd put his arm around Kelly as he saw her eyes mist over. Turning her face up, Todd said, "Honey, friends are the family we chose, not those we were born to. I'd say we're growing a great family." Kelly just hugged him. There was nothing she could add. Finally finished in the bathroom, Todd and Kelly retired to the bed. They sat facing each other as they shared a glass of champagne. Then Todd took the pillows and fluffed them up placing them behind Kelly. A gentle push placed her in a reclining position and they simply kissed. Soft and gentle kisses on the lips and other places close by interlaced with deep and soulful kisses that threatened to steal their very breath away, even long after their glass of bubbly was finished. Kelly's scent of arousal was matched by the stiffness of Todd's cock, so he slowly lowered himself on the bed until his face was at her feet which he kissed and licked, sucking on each of her toes before slowly moving up her body tracing his tongue along the way up past her calves and thighs just narrowly avoiding her steaming slit. Instead he moved upward and repeated the process starting at her hands and fingers gently sucking each one before moving down to trace a path of kisses along her arm. Kelly just laid back her eyes closed in bliss. Todd kissed and licked her underarms before moving on to her throat and ears where he nibbled gently. He kissed along her brow and on her eyes and nose before moving in a straight line down her chest to her belly. Todd gently licked her navel before venturing lower to just where her pubic hair started where he gently tugged with his teeth causing Kelly to moan in delight. But Todd was far from finished. He moved back up and kissed and lavished a trail of concentric circles around her small but sensitive breasts each time drawing the circle closer and closer till finally he slipped the first nipple in his mouth causing Kelly to arch her back up in pleasure. Having teased her nipples long enough Todd resumed his path back downward to her hidden treasure. Positioning himself in the most comfortable way he gently spread her vulva with his fingers and blew soft puffs of air on her extended clit before reaching out with his tongue to give Kelly her first actual sexual kiss. Kelly nearly blasted off the bed the minute she felt Todd's tongue touch her clit. She was so aroused, but had vowed to be a willing partner and not try to take charge or set the pace. She was glad Brenda had explained this to her. This was sheer ecstasy. Just letting Todd set the pace. Her own fireworks were close to going off and so far he had only planted one kiss on her blood-engorged clit. She would not be able to take much more. With her hands she let Todd know that she enjoyed what he was doing and continued to stroke whatever part of his body she could reach. Todd caught the hint and judging by the flow of juices out of Kelly and her shallow breathing he knew that she was close to her first orgasm. Licking slowly along side of each of her outer and inner labia lips he finally dipped his tongue into her hot box drawing out enough nectar to coat her sensitive clit on to which he finally latched like a baby suckling at a mother's nipple. It didn't take long before Kelly crossed the threshold of desire and went directly into pleasure mode, her hips bucking as she thrashed on the bed beneath him. "Oh fuck Todd. Oh God... oh that is so fucking good." She clutched at his hair and pushed his face deeper into her now freely flowing cunt as she exploded into a second orgasm quickly followed by a third. Delirious with pleasure, she had been pushing his head around her juice-covered twat until that final peak where pleasure threatened to turn to anguish. Quickly she pulled him up and kissed his face all over licking her own juices off of his face. Her breathing was labored and her actions were sporadic as she slowly came down off the mountain she had peaked. Releasing Todd she let him roll to his side as she took long slow breaths trying to find a sense of balance again. She was still horny but too sensitive right this moment to take any more. Todd had asked for nothing in return, but seemed content to lie there watching her as she came down off her high. She graced him with a smile that showed she was utterly content and satisfied. Then she placed a hand on his chest and worked her way down his chest kissing him and suckling on his nipples until her mouth came close to the swollen cock glistening with pre-cum on it. Licking her lips she opened her mouth and swallowed him as deep as she could. She was rewarded with a slight bucking of his hips and a low animal moan that escaped his mouth. Being careful not to scratch him with her teeth, Kelly latched a firm oral grip on the engorged cock in her mouth sucking in an alternate rhythm of soft caresses to as much suction as she felt she could apply without hurting him. She listened to his responses and discovered what he liked best. Pulling his foreskin forward she swirled her tongue between his glans and foreskin eliciting deep moans from Todd. All too soon he started to buck under her ministrations and Kelly could tell he was getting close. She wanted to prolong the pleasure for him but also wanted him to cum into her willing mouth. As his breathing shortened and stopped for short periods, she used her free hand to massage his scrotum and slid his foreskin back with her lips locking them just below the head of his glans and using short wet strokes with her lips to bring him over the crest. His fists beat the sides of the bed as his cum flooded her mouth. Kelly swallowed as rapidly as she could so she could savor every single drop. He did taste delicious. Slowly the blood left his penis and it became softer although it still throbbed in her mouth. Kelly contented herself by inhaling the aroma of his sensitive prick and every few minutes swallowing his cock totally into her mouth. "God Kelly, that was fantastic." "I'm glad you enjoyed that," she replied from her position, "but we're far from done." She was rewarded with a twitch of his cock. Knowing he would require a bit of time to recover from his first climax Kelly climbed back up to share more kisses with him. "Why did we wait so long?" she asked. Todd sighed. "I guess we both needed to learn that we could be okay with each other like this. You are okay aren't you?" "Fucking right I am!" said Kelly. "I wonder how long we would have kept up the pretense if Laura hadn't made us acknowledge the truth about our feelings?" "I don't know Kelly, but I'm sure glad she came into our lives." "That makes two of us!" With gentle stroking from Kelly, Todd slowly rose back up to full attention. Keeping him on his back Kelly slowly straddled him, a knee on each side of his legs. She spread her aroused pussy lips with one hand and with the other slowly slid Todd's hard cock back and forth across her clit and labia coating him with her juices. Then the moment of truth. Taking a deep breath, Kelly guided the head of his dick into her tunnel. She heard his gasp as her heat enveloped him like a custom made glove. Kelly bit her lip, the pleasure was so intense. Slowly she continued to lower herself on to him until there was nothing left to insert. Leaning forward she said to Todd, "You just relax and let me do the work this time." Moving her hips back and forth and side-to-side crushing their pelvic bones together, Kelly managed to cum twice more before Todd finally erupted deep inside her. The pleasure for both of them was too great and Kelly allowed her legs to slide back until she was laying flat on Todd with his cock still buried inside of her. With a contented sigh she cuddled him and he wrapped his arms around her. Deep sighs of contentment escaped both of them and before either of them had a chance to think they fell asleep. ------- Chapter 10 Todd woke up to the feeling of a warm mouth gently sucking on his very erect cock. He had been dreaming, or so he thought, a very erotic dream filled with vivid sensual imagery of a sexual night spent with Kelly. As his eyes slowly took in the sight of Kelly's head bobbing up and down on his shaft, he realized it had not been a dream. It had finally happened. He and Kelly had totally consummated their relationship. "Good morning, beautiful," he said. Kelly stopped only long enough to shush him saying she was busy and returned to Todd's now throbbing dick. Throbbing because he was aware this wasn't a dream and her attentions to his shaft were bringing him precariously close to the edge. Kelly could feel his glans swelling in her mouth and started to slow the pace down to make his climax last and to make it special for him. She had wanted to have him cum while still asleep but was just as pleased to feel him respond so vigorously to her ministrations knowing it was her sucking on his cock. Gentle squeezing on his balls was enough to bring Todd over the edge and with bucking hips he shot his load into her eagerly waiting mouth. As he softened after the intense climax, Kelly continued to bathe his deflating cock, washing off with her tongue the remnants of last night's coupling. Todd moaned sporadically. Finally, with a deep satisfied sigh, Kelly swung her legs off the bed and stood up. "I think we better have a shower before we make an appearance, don't you?" she asked. "Gee, I was kind of hoping to let everybody know we had a great time last night," Todd said with a wicked grin. Kelly grabbed a pillow and took a swipe at Todd's head with it but he ducked around her and carried her to the shower. They made slow leisurely love in the shower, Todd supporting Kelly's weight easily when her knees collapsed as her orgasm overtook her. Todd finished just seconds behind her. Todd slipped into a fresh pair of scrub pants and a new Trek T he had recently bought on E-Bay. It was black with red and gold lettering that read: "Set phasers to lightly broiled." Kelly laughed at his newest acquisition. After he had brushed his teeth and was putting his personal effects away, he noticed the time. He rushed back in to the bathroom where Kelly was just applying a light touch of makeup. "Do you realize it's nearly 11 o'clock?" he asked her. "Wow! We were either really tired or we wore ourselves out!" Kelly quickly slipped on a white T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. Sliding her feet into her sandals, she said, "I guess we better make an appearance before they think we do this on a regular basis." Todd stopped in his tracks. Turned to Kelly and said, "It was wonderful, Kell, I hope that it does happen on a regular basis from now on." Then he kissed her. Kelly felt butterflies in her stomach. "It was good, wasn't it, Todd. And if you like, it will be regular from now on." ------- They discovered quickly that the house was nearly deserted. Only Anna had remained to wait for them to wake up, and a smile lit up her face when she saw them. "Good Morning," she said, "Grandpa has a surprise waiting for you, but told me I was to make sure you eat a hearty breakfast first. It's the most important meal of the day you know," she said solemnly. "And I'm going to make it for you!" As they sat in the kitchen to eat Anna's idea of a hearty breakfast - blueberry waffles - Kelly's cell-phone rang. "Hello?" "Hi, Kelly," said Vanetta. "Do you remember Todd giving his cell-phone to Laura? She's beside herself. She was in class and had the phone turned off and when she turned it back on it said her voice mail message center was full. She didn't know how to retrieve them and came here to see if I could help her." Vanetta laughed. "There were a lot of them! Peter from IC, that's all he said to identify himself, is in a panic. He needs Todd to be at a place called Brookhaven for the unveiling of some new modified boat." It was Kelly's turn to laugh. Peter was high strung to start with and she could imagine him trying to locate Todd. "Why didn't he just call the studio?" she asked. "Well," said Vanetta, "That's just it. I got three calls yesterday while I was here but the person calling just asked for Todd and didn't want to leave a message. Today he called again and asked where Todd was, and I just said he had flown out and that I wasn't sure when he would be back. I told him the last I heard you guys would be gone all weekend. I guess that's when he started calling Todd's cell." "Thanks, Vanetta. We're actually headed there later. I'll have Todd give him a call. We'll be staying at the Hampton Inn in Brookhaven and you can give him my cell number if he calls again, but don't let on where we're at." "Okay, will do, hold on..." said Vanetta. "Laura says she's just getting ready to fly out to meet up with you guys. Do you want her to bring anything?" Kelly conferred with Todd for a minute and came back on line. "Vanetta, Todd says he has plenty of film with him. You know Todd, never brings enough clothes but has lots of film!" Laughing at the joke, the girls hung up. Todd just laughed with Kelly. "I know somebody will always call and ask me to take some pictures. Maybe that's why I always take the extra film." Todd's mood started to turn sullen. "But I have no idea of what Peter expects or wants. I don't particularly like having my plans disrupted. You don't call a pro and expect him to just be available. You book a shoot, you know that." Kelly realized some of his childhood trauma was behind his sudden outburst of hostility. His mother in particular. She had always placed unreasonable expectations on him and then belittled or beat him when he failed to perform to her crazy standards. Kelly let him work it out quietly. He had spent years learning to cope with the abuse he had suffered at the hands and words of his parents and she knew he would get over it as quickly as he had entered this mood. But she hadn't anticipated Anna's reaction. Anna moved closer to Todd and put her arm around him. "I think I recognize those eyes now," she said quietly. Todd looked up, and slowly his smile and good mood returned. Hugging Anna tightly he said, "Yes, sweetheart... Now you know." He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "You are going to grow up to be a very special lady and you will make somebody very happy." Anna blushed. She asked if they would like coffee or tea to which both Todd and Kelly said, "Yes, please!" With a confused look, Anna asked, "You want coffee AND tea?" Kelly explained she liked tea with honey and that Todd was a coffee addict. Anna promised to fix Todd's problem and uncovered an espresso machine. "Yeah! That's the ticket," said Todd laughing. Turning to Kelly he said, "I guess I better call Peter. But this is going to cost him." Kelly laughed as she envisioned how Todd would make Peter squirm. She remembered her call to Vanetta and realized that while she had packed enough vitamins for an overnight trip, she had not packed enough for longer than that. She regretted that it was now to late to ask for Laura to bring more as this was going to be a long weekend. With a cup of Earl Grey tea sweetened with honey, Kelly headed for the patio to have a cigarette before going with Todd to see Chuck's big surprise. She was content and not only feeling it, but from the looks she got from Anna, showing it as well. Anna made Todd a large espresso that she brought out to the patio for him. She was quite taken with Todd, and a secret wink from Todd caused her to blush again. ------- "Hello, Peter, I hear you've been trying to find me." Peter quickly explained that he needed Todd to go to Brookhaven to take publicity photos of a new boat that IC was introducing that Monday. How important it was because the rumor mill had already been started and the shares should be flying by Tuesday. Lots of media outlets were already making their way to a small resort island in South Carolina because of the rumors. Had Todd ever heard of Brookhaven? Todd said the name sounded familiar but had never been there, nor did he let on that he was headed there that very afternoon. "Actually, Peter, if you're getting all this press coverage, what do you need me for? I'm on a short vacation." Peter explained that while the press would be there in force, IC still needed to have a presence there as well. And they'd need the photos for the Press Release for their record-breaking boat. "Well, it's a long way for me to travel, Peter, but I understand. Just as long as you understand IC will be picking up the tab for this little trip plus a little extra for lack of notice and cutting into my vacation." Peter readily agreed and after telling Todd the boat would be at Short Creek Marina, and that he would meet him there on Sunday, they hung up. ------- Todd laughed and said to Kelly, "Now we can bill as much of this trip to IC as we want." Kelly nodded but said nothing. She could see there was something tugging on his mind. She knew well enough to let him think it out. She lit another and waited. Anna had quietly disappeared. Finally Todd looked up and with a calm yet calculating seriousness in his eyes and voice said to Kelly, "Our stocks are doing okay, right? I mean... we're not losing anything in this crazy market." Kelly leaned forward; she caught the drift of where Todd was headed. "Yeah, they're holding steady. Growing at a steady rate, no major losses. Why, what's that Mensa mind of yours thinking of?" "Well, I'm not much on hunches, Kell, but we met the James Gang on a shoot for IC. Now Peter is desperate to have me shoot publicity photos of a new boat and he said something about IC shareholders. AND... is it just coincidence that we're meeting the James Gang at Brookhaven on the same weekend?" "You think it's connected?" asked Kelly. "I know that Chuck thinks a lot about their abilities..." She let the thought hang. "I think we should look into it is what I'm thinking," said Todd. Kelly quickly dialed the broker who handled TKO's investments. "Jim, it's Kelly. Can you tell me how InterCoastal is doing?" She waited a minute before Jim came back on the line. "That's an interesting question, Kelly," Jim said. "IC has been a steady performer but has seen some ups and downs lately. It opened at $33.00 a share on Thursday but has crept up to 44 as of now. Hmmm, maybe it's just a better than expected earning statement. You want some of it?" he paused, "Do you know anything about this?" "Nothing, but thanks, Jim. I've got to talk it over with Todd first. I'll call you back in an hour." Just as she finished explaining what Jim had said to Todd, Anna returned with Brenda. Kelly got up and gave Brenda a big kiss and thanked her for the champagne and cheese. Brenda raised her eyebrows in a questioning look. "Well? Details, girl!" Blushing in front of Todd, she whispered in Brenda's ear, "I guess I'm not a lesbian after all. At least not exclusively." Brenda glanced at Todd who seemed to be very content and relaxed, gave Kelly another kiss and said, "I'm happy for you, babe." "You know you two do an awful lot of kissing," said Anna. "That's because we're special friends," said Brenda. Anna just gave one of her "I don't think I'm being told the whole story" looks. "Anna told Chuck you guys were finally up, and he wanted to know if you were ready to see what he's got," said Brenda. "As ready as we're ever going to be," said Todd getting out of his chair. No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Kelly's cell rang again. It was Chris. "Kelly, we have a problem." Kelly groaned. "What's the problem, Chris?" "It seems your friend has never flown before and she's spooked." Kelly laughed and asked for Laura to be put on the phone. A minute later a sniffling Laura was on the line. "I'm sorry for being such a pain, Kelly," she managed to get out. "I thought this was going to be fun and I was looking forward to it and all but then I got here, parked the car and then I saw that little plane..." "It's okay, Honey. They're actually safer than the big planes. But I understand. That's why I take a Gravol before I fly. It helps calm my stomach nerves. Chris should have some there." "But Kelly..." "Laura... think of this like your first experience with sex, back when you were still a virgin. It will be as exciting as you know it can be, but the first time is always a little bit scary. Besides, Honey, we miss you." "Okay. I'll do it for you guys. Gee... some jet setter I'm going to make, eh?" Kelly laughed. "Tell Chris you want to fly shotgun. The view is much better from the co-pilot's seat. Hang on and I'll let Todd tell you how much he wants to see you and he'll tell you all about the fancy hotel room the three of us will be sharing tonight!" Kelly handed the phone over to Todd quickly explaining Laura's sudden onset of alto-phobia. "Hi, Laura," Todd said in that soft soothing voice he could use so well. "Sweetheart, trust me. You aren't afraid of flying or of heights. It's just new to you and we just flew down in the very same plane yesterday. Chris is going to fly you himself, and you can't ask for a better pilot or one with more experience. You said you wanted to travel, well this is a good place to start cause you can't get everywhere by car." Laura promised to buck up and get her act together. "I'm proud of you, Laura. You'll be here in about an hour saving a lot of road travel time and with the suite we have waiting for us, I'm sure we can put the extra time to good use." ------- While Todd was busy on the phone with Laura, Kelly took the opportunity to ask Brenda some questions. "Brenda, have you guys done any work for InterCoastal lately, besides model?" "Yeah, we cleaned up a couple of their designs. Why do you ask?" "We got this urgent call from Peter begging Todd to go to Brookhaven on Sunday to take some publicity photos for this new boat." "Yep, that would be the Monster Cuddy that we got to go 80mph for them. It's going to set a new industry standard - they bolted a monster engine to a slow hull and we managed to make it perform as expected. I just hope Todd has fast film!" Kelly laughed. "His shutter is faster!" "So," said Brenda, "How did it really go last night?" "Oh, Brenda. I was so nervous, but then I remembered what you said and instead of trying to take charge, I just went along with Todd and we had a glorious time in the tub and then an even better time in bed. It was pure love and pure sex all combined to make for a perfect night." Brenda hugged Kelly and said, "I am so glad. I wanted you to be able to share that kind of love with Todd as well as with Laura." Kelly stepped back and snapping her fingers and shaking her hips she sang: "Pure love, Baby It's pure love. 99-44/ 100 percent pure love." "Kelly, you know you could make a living at singing," Brenda said with a smirk. Kelly looked at her suspiciously. "How do you figure?" "Well..." said Brenda backing away slowly, "I know I'd pay you to stop!" Kelly chased her into the house and was kissing her and tickling her; both girls were laughing when Todd and Anna found them. Anna excused herself saying she had things to do, so it was Brenda who escorted them to the conference room where she had made her own presentation last Sunday. ------- Chuck beamed a big smile at them and ushered them into the conference room. All along the wall were copies of Todd's best action photo of the year. All in poster size and the printer, who must have worked all night on the job, had superimposed the Regan Boat logo in the empty corner along with the TKO logo, Todd's name as photographer and Sara's name as the model. "Wow," said Todd. "You've got a good printer, Chuck." The original print had been scanned at a very high resolution and cropped at the top and bottom to fit a double page magazine spread. Then the printer had used a photo quality laser printer and printed them on high gloss photo stock. Brenda and Kelly sat with Chuck as they watched Todd the professional carefully scrutinize the finished product. Todd was impressed. Somebody at Chuck's printer had a good photo eye and had done as good a job of cropping as Todd could have. The posters were impressive. With the cropping, the boat, with Sara as the driver, was the center point of the photo and the quality of detail was so good that individual water drops could be clearly seen on both the boat and the spray behind the stern. Even the detail in Sara's hair was crystal clear. "Of course we'll need the original negative to have proper prints made to send to the magazine," Chuck said, "and we'll send along one of these as an example of how we think it should look." He handed Todd and Kelly each a 7 x 11 inch glossy print. "These should do well for Sara's fans," he said laughing. "7 x 11's" Todd said. "Exactly half the size of a magazine center truck. Somebody's been doing some thinking!" "That girl is going to be impossible," said Brenda. "Can you imagine living with a centerfold?" "An international centerfold!" Chuck said. Brenda laughed. "Now we'll never get her to wear panties again!" Chuck looked sideways at Brenda, "Are you pulling my leg?" "It's a long story, Chuck, but the short version is that Sara stopped wearing them when James kept taking them." Brenda sighed remembering those early days when they were all still in school full time. Chuck sighed and shook his head. The girls of the "James Gang" were all pleasant visual distractions and as Todd had said, not bound by conventional standards. He grabbed a thick box of the 7 x 11's and asked if Kelly could deliver them to Sara. Kelly said she would be delighted. "I've asked Bob, my chief engineer, to take you down to Brookhaven when you're ready to go," said Chuck. "He's got a meeting with a dealer in Savannah, so it won't be far out of the way." "Do you mind if we go back to the house, Chuck?" Kelly asked. "We're expecting, hoping our friend will be flying in soon." "That's no problem," said Chuck, "we can have lunch on the patio and watch her land." Chuck picked up a phone, called the house and had the cook prepare a light lunch. "Did somebody mention lunch?" A perky blonde asked sticking her head in the door. Wearing a white t-shirt and shorts, it was clearly evident Amanda had 'forgotten' to wear a bra again. Chuck sighed again. In a way he envied James his youth and vitality. "Wow! Get a load of Sara!" said Amanda looking at the posters. "Can I have one of these? I always wanted a pinup!" Everybody laughed. Amanda was like an opened bottle of champagne. The bubbly kept on flowing. "If you want to eat lunch with us instead of all those drooling men downstairs, we'll be on the patio in ten minutes," said Chuck. "Cool! I've been running 'sims' all morning and my eyes are getting tired. I could use a break." "I'll bet her eyes aren't as tired as those of the guys working with her," Brenda smirked. "Jealousy of my assets will get you nowhere," Amanda replied with a feigned haughtiness as she bounced out of the room. Kelly and Brenda followed behind her. Chuck sighed again and sat down. "Care for a coffee, Todd?" "What about lunch?" Todd asked. "Shouldn't we be heading that way?" "Plenty of time, Todd," Chuck laughed. "I know my cook." "Well then, I'm always up for coffee," Todd grinned. Chuck called and asked for two coffees. "Well, Todd, I've got to hand it to you. That picture is going to be very popular and won't hurt sales here at all." "Chuck..." Todd hesitated. "Are sales going to hurt any when InterCoastal unveils their new boat?" Chuck laughed. "No. It's a big and varied market. Kind of like your cameras. There's a big difference between your camera and a 35mm. So all good publicity about any boat will only push all boat sales higher. People buy according to their needs and their budgets. The smaller bass boats probably account for the biggest share of units sold." Chuck's secretary bringing in fresh brewed coffee interrupted their conversation. "The reason I asked is because I know the James Gang is also doing work for InterCoastal. I thought it might cause a conflict." Chuck shook his head. "No, no conflict at all. Like I said, different markets." "Another reason I asked is because Kelly and I, we've done pretty good since we started out and though we don't play stocks at all, we do have some investments in really well-researched companies. We've never even considered recreational or sports investments, but I've got to tell you... this group... they make things work and I got a call from IC this morning asking me to be at Brookhaven on Sunday to take some publicity shots of their new model. Somewhere in the conversation it slipped out that these pictures, actually the boat itself, was going to affect stock value." Chuck nodded his head slowly and took a sip of his coffee before he answered. "Todd, my rule for stocks is never play the market unless you can afford to lose it all with no regrets. I never advise people to invest in anything except government bonds. But I understand what you're saying. It's hard to ignore what these kids are involved in." "Based on what you know, would you ignore all these hints?" Chuck sighed. "Like I said, Todd, I never tell people to invest. However, as a friend, I will add that THIS time I won't tell you not to invest either." "Thanks, Chuck. We were leaning that way, but we don't know a thing about the boating industry and we're not players. If it wasn't for the James Gang, I wouldn't have even given this a second thought." Chuck laughed. "The James Gang... you realize that the last time that name carried any real weight was when Frank and Jesse rode with the Younger brothers?" ------- Fifteen minutes later Chuck and Todd strolled leisurely onto the patio. The cook had prepared fresh salads and grilled liver smothered with onions along with roasted baby spuds. Anna had reappeared. Being the youngest and the smallest allowed her to slip quietly in and out of places, which was how she had introduced herself to her grandfather's business. She had spent years watching and learning from some of the most skilled people in boating and probably knew as much about boats at her young age as graduating design engineers. Kelly and Todd had little to eat because of their late breakfast and excusing themselves went indoors to wash up. Finding themselves alone in the bedroom for a few minutes, Todd filled Kelly in on the not so subtle hint Chuck had given him about IC stock. Kelly was quick to grab her cell phone. "Why the rush, Kell?" Todd had asked. "The latest we can place a buy order is 4:30," she explained. "The share prices have already climbed $11 in just one day, and if we wait until Monday morning the international players will have driven the price even higher. Since we want to maximize our purchasing power, we need to get in as soon as and at the best price possible." Todd nodded and Kelly made the call. "Jim? What's the current price of InterCoastal?" She turned to Todd when she got the reply. "$48 a share. How big do you want to go?" Todd did the math quickly in his head and said "Up to a hundred grand." Turning back to the phone Kelly told Jim to purchase 2,000 shares. "You might want to look into it, Jim, maybe give Steve a call. IC is going to be unveiling a new boat on Monday." "Okay, Kelly," Jim said. "I'll put your buy order in right now and then I'll give Steve a buzz. I know he trusts your judgment." He didn't bother to add that he would be calling a few of his other clients as well. Todd and Kelly didn't play the speculate game. It wasn't a really big investment on TKO's part but it made them feel closer to the James Gang and that was what made it a thrill. Back on the patio, Chuck and Todd were still teasing Brenda about the Beatles. Anna had slipped back inside and brought Todd out another espresso for which he gave her a giant hug and smile. Amanda and Kelly were talking about fashion. It was a beautiful scene. Just after 1:00 o'clock, Kelly's cell phone rang. "Hey! What's the weather like down there?" Kelly swiveled in her seat looking skyward. Laura had to be above. "You sound like you're enjoying yourself," Kelly said. "It's fantastic! Chris just called in to somebody named 'control' and he's gotten permission to do something." Laura was yelling in the phone trying to talk over the sound of the engine. "Now he's talking on his CB to somebody down where you are. Oops... Chris just told me it's not a CB but a VHS." Chuck looked at the lake and watched as it was quickly emptied of all boats. "That must be your friend," Chuck said. "Obviously somebody is planning on making a landing." A minute later, up high and from the north, the shape of the Cessna could be seen. "Your pilot is pretty high up there," said Chuck with a hint of concern in his voice. "And it seems like he's still climbing." All eyes were turned skyward as the Cessna came closer to the lake. "Well," said Kelly to Todd, "this should either cure her fear of flying or she'll never get on a plane again." Todd nodded, his eyes on the plane. To Chuck he said, "Chris must be doing that for a reason. He's a seasoned vet with combat experience." Kelly, no real fan of flying, sat back and lit a cigarette with nervous fingers. Chuck and Todd headed down towards the lake watching as the plane turned slowly on a wing and then raced down in a sharp descent towards the lake. Audible gasps could be heard as the Cessna came closer and closer to the water with no signs of leveling out. Everyone now moved to the waterfront expecting the worst when at about 200 feet the Cessna pulled out of its steep descent. With the engine roaring it pulled back up and overshot the lake, slowing as it made a final turn and slowed to a glide smoothly touching down on the water. It coasted over to the dock where its applauding audience waited. Laura bounded out of the plane in a light blue jump suit, and judging from her nipple status, aroused and braless. Kelly wasn't sure but she thought she even saw a dark spot between her legs. Getting her balance she fell into Todd's arms giving him a big kiss before blushing and greeting Chuck. She then gave Kelly the same deep kiss and hug. Chris got out of the plane as well. Introductions were made all around. Chuck shook Chris' hand vigorously saying he was always pleased to meet a fellow vet. "How about a coffee before you take off again?" Chuck asked. "Sounds like a plan to me," said Chris. Anna, lady and hostess of the house, asked Chris if he would prefer an espresso. Chris smiled, "Now there's a young lady after my own heart. That's high octane fuel for us Tail Hookers." Anna left to make Chris an espresso while Amanda checked out the Cessna. Chris watched her with interest. "Do you like planes? Want to go for a ride, little lady?" Chuck turned to hide the smile he was sure was going to crack his jaw. "It's a nice plane, Mister," she said in a soft girl's voice. Brenda and Chuck were both holding their breath now. "But I wouldn't leave the plane out too long. You know this engine has a tendency to stall out on take-off throttle when it's cool - especially the fuel-injected ones." Amanda looked down the lake, "And the 9500 feet you need to clear the trees won't leave you much insurance." Chris stared, then mumbled an apology for assuming while his face turned beet red. Amanda laughed. "It's okay. I'm used to people judging my abilities by my looks instead of my brains. Most of the people I teach at the flight school make that mistake. Once. You know what they say when you assume." Chris said, "Yep, and I think I made a real Ass out of myself." Everybody laughed this time. Todd grabbed Laura's weekend bag and the group headed back to the patio. "Well, I hate to eat and run, but I've got to get back to the drawing board," said Amanda. She gave both Todd and Kelly a kiss on the cheek. "It was great seeing you guys again. I guess I'll see you at the Grand Opening next week?" Kelly and Todd both said they wouldn't miss it for the world. Brenda was looking at Laura who was looking at Brenda. "So you're..." they both started off at the same time causing a fit of laughter. With the ice broken they hugged each other. "I've heard a lot about you," said Brenda. "That's funny," said Laura with a smile, "I've heard a lot about you." Chuck and Chris were swapping war stories and comparing the Intruder to the Tomcats, and engine changes in general from their respective eras in the service. In particular the two men talked about the current state of military action in the world and how times had changed. Anna brought out the espresso for Chris and a pitcher of fresh iced tea before settling herself into a quiet spot next to her grandfather. This left a small circle of just Todd and Kelly, Brenda and Laura to get caught up on the events of the day. "First things first," said Laura. "I wasn't sure that you had enough 'mins and juice for the weekend being you hadn't planned on staying this long so I loaded up enough for us for a week." "Thanks, Laura. I thought about it but it was already too late when it hit me. I'm glad you did. But come on... what happened to your fear of flying?" "Well," said Laura in a pseudo whisper, "I thought of what you said about the first time being like the first time having sex. I remembered how afraid I was then and how much I like it now so I just went for it." "Once the wheels left the ground, I felt a little dizzy but Chris had given me a stick of Red-Hot gum to chew on before takeoff, and then I could see the whole city rushing away. He was great as a tour guide. Showed me your house and the studio and showed me how to follow the highways. I got so caught up in the experience that I forgot about being afraid and even forgot that I had been dizzy." "We had been flying for about half an hour when Chris asked me if I wanted to take over for a for a little bit. Wow! Talk about a power trip. I think I scared him a little when I dropped us like a stone! "Then Chris started the approach and asked if I was still afraid. I told him how much I loved it and he asked if I wanted a real rush. That's what you guys saw when we came in. I could see you at the edge of the water when Chris turned the plane back down after that long climb up! God! What a rush! Even though it looked scary flying right down to the water, I knew that Chris wouldn't let us get hurt." "But then I thought that I had peed myself cause I could feel myself all wet between the legs. It was only after he had straightened out again and started to land that I realized I had gotten really turned on by the experience! I am so incredibly horny." "Well, Todd and I will take care of that just as soon as we get to our next destination," said Kelly. "Oh? I've got to wait that long? It would only take me a minute..." Laura pouted. Kelly smiled and said to Todd, "Why don't you show Laura our room, Todd. Maybe she'd like to 'freshen up' a bit." Todd smiled, stood up and picked up Laura's flight bag saying she might want to change, and with knowing smiles from Brenda and Kelly, Todd and Laura slipped away unnoticed. "She's something else," said Brenda. "That she is. That was what I was trying to tell you. That girl brings a new meaning to the word insatiable!" Brenda just laughed. ------- Chris was just finishing his second espresso and was making plans with Chuck to take a flight in Chuck's Silver Goose when Todd and Laura came back out. Both were wearing very satisfied expressions. Laura had changed into shorts and a halter-top, her hair still damp from the shower. Chris announced he had better take off and shook Chuck's hand thanking him for all the courtesy and they confirmed a date to get together. He said goodbye to Brenda and then to Todd and Kelly. Laura surprised him by giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for making my first time so memorable," she said. Chris blushed realizing the unintentional double meaning behind her words. "Time for this fly-boy to take to the skies again," he said as he climbed into the cockpit. He stopped just long enough to give Anna a special handshake thanking her for the special pilot's fuel. The lake was quickly cleared of boats again and as the Cessna fired up, Chris guided her, turned into the wind and without preliminaries was up and airborne in seconds. As he banked to head back north we wagged his wings in salute to the group still on the ground. Minutes later he was out of sight. The house phone rang and Chuck went in for it. He returned in a few moments and said, "I hate to see you leave so soon, but that was Bob and he wants to know if you're ready to head out. He's anxious to get moving." "I just need to pack my bag and I'll be ready in a jiff," said Kelly "I'm already packed but have to take my film and ice packs out of your freezer," said Todd. "I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to show you more of our hospitality, Laura," Chuck said, "Maybe you'll come back with Kelly and Todd when we unveil Brenda's new design." "Thank you, Chuck," said Laura, "I'd like that. You have such a beautiful home." Kelly went over and gave Chuck a hug and a kiss. "Thanks, Chuck, you are a true gentleman." Chuck actually blushed. "It's me who should be thanking you," he said. "You've changed a lot of things in my life." To Todd, Chuck extended a big hand. "I don't know how to thank you for opening my eyes yesterday, Todd. I can only tell you that if I was your father, I'd be proud to tell the whole world about you. You are a special breed." To everyone's surprise, Todd clasped Chuck in an embrace. "Thanks, Chuck," he said. "That's the nicest thing a parent has ever said to me." Chuck snuck another of Kelly's cigarettes and gave her a private wink as the group headed into the house to gather their stuff. Actually Kelly was already packed, but she wanted a few minutes alone with Brenda. "I wish we had more time to spend together, Brenda," Kelly whispered as she kissed Brenda's throat. "Maybe we can get together for a nice lunch and an afternoon of gossip before the summer is over." Brenda cooed as her hands played with Kelly's body. "I'd like that, Kelly. Just the two of us someplace without the constant interruptions." Sharing a few deep and soulful kisses they slowly, reluctantly parted. "Thanks again, Brenda, for showing me and teaching me the difference between love and sex. I love you." "I love you too, Kelly," said Brenda, "but if you don't get moving I'm going to cry." "I understand, Baby, I'll be thinking of you too." Kelly met Todd and Laura in the hallway. Todd had her bag over his shoulder as well as Laura's and his own. Laura gave Brenda a hug. "Thanks for what you've done for Kelly." Brenda looked at Laura for a long time and finally said, "I couldn't have done anything for her if it hadn't been for you, Laura. Be good to her." Laura gave Brenda a quick kiss and promised she would. ------- Bob stood by the boat, a beautiful gleaming white 24-foot deep-sea fishing cruiser, and waited as the group said their farewells. "Oops, nearly forgot," Chuck said, reaching into his pocket. "Kelly, can you give this to Sara when you see her?" He handed her what felt like a small cylinder wrapped in plain paper. "No problem, Chuck. I don't think I'll see her until tomorrow if that's okay, but I'll be glad to give it to her when I drop off the fan photos." "Thank you, madam," Chuck said with a small bow. "Oh my, a gentleman AND a scholar!" Kelly was still laughing as she got on the boat. As Kelly and Laura boarded the boat, Todd stopped for a final hug with Anna. "I'll print that film we shot as soon as I get back to Charlotte," he promised her. "Then I'll send you a picture that your Grandpa can hang on the wall beside the one of your mother and Grandmother. You are a special angel, Anna, don't you forget that. And I expect to see you in a week!" Anna smiled and gave Todd a kiss. "I'll see you in a week then," she promised. Finally, with everyone on board, Anna untied the boat and Bob pulled away from the dock. Everyone waved till they were out of sight. Chuck, Anna and Brenda each had their private thoughts about the departure of their new friends. ------- Bob guided the boat out through the canal that separated Lake Deanna from the main watercourse, another new experience for Laura, a cruise in a luxury boat complete with a kitchen and bedroom. Bob pointed out the electric gate that kept the alligators from entering the private lake. "Alligators?" said Laura with widening eyes. She quickly pulled her hand into the boat. Bob laughed as he explained the heavy chain links that blocked the bottom of the canal. "This time of year you don't have to worry so much about gators as you do about the sharks." "Now I know you're pulling my leg," said Laura. "Sharks don't live inland." "No, Honey," said Kelly, "I think Bob is talking about sharks in suits. Corporate spies, right Bob?" "You got it, Kelly. People think that since this is a pleasure boat business that it's a friendly business, but there are always those that want to know what we're doing so they can beat us to the market or, if possible steal a new design. That's why this lake doesn't show up on the maps - to prevent unauthorized fly-overs." As they hit the open waterway there was more boat traffic and Bob increased the speed to 40 knots. "I could get you to Brookhaven faster," said Bob, "but this baby cruises nicely and fuel efficiently at 40." "Yes," said Todd, speaking for the first time, "and we could have rented a car as well, but overall, isn't this the fastest way to get there?" Bob laughed again. "Yep, you might be able to do 55 on the highways, but with all the detours and small towns you have to creep through, I'll take a boat any day. Of course you can fly, but for that you need to have a license or a pilot plus a plane. Then finding a place to land might be a problem too!" "Well, I like this just fine," said Laura who along with Kelly had sprawled back in the fancy lounging seats. "It's smooth and quiet and the scenery is beautiful." "Well, if you look to your right, beyond the orange groves, you may see the tip of Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom, home of the world famous mouse. Anna says she can see Universal Studio when she stands on the roof, but I haven't bothered to check. Over in that direction is the Kennedy Space Center, we watch the Shuttle launches from here." "You mean we were this close to Disney World and you didn't tell me?" Laura asked Kelly. "If it means that much to you, baby, we'll go back and take a week just to show you the tourist traps." "Thanks, Kelly. I know I'll get there one day, but I never thought I would just pack up one day and fly farther than anyplace I've ever been in my life. If somebody had told me a month ago this would happen to me I would never, ever, have believed them!" Todd laughed. "Well, you flew to Florida this morning and by supper time you'll have gone through Georgia and be in South Carolina. Not bad for a girl who's never been out of the Carolinas!" "My mother is never going to believe me," said Laura, leaning back again. "Relax and enjoy yourselves!" Bob said, "Thankfully I'll be able to relax now with your friend Brenda looking after things. There's plenty to eat and drink on this boat, just help yourself." "That sounds good," said Kelly getting up. "How about I make us a little snack?" "I'll help," said Laura. "We should be able to find our way around the kitchen easily enough." Bob chuckled. "Ah, Laura," he said, "You won't find a kitchen or a bathroom on this boat. You only find those on land. Out here it's a galley and the head." Laura blushed. "And I should warn you that if you use the head, make sure you're not sitting when you flush cause you never know what will jump up and bite you in the butt." Laura turned and glared daggers at Bob. "Uh, uh. You aren't going to fool me with that. I might not have spent any time on a boat, but my uncle tried that trick on me when he took me for a ride in his motor home. I know you've got special tanks on board for that!" Bob looked at Todd and the two men just laughed. ------- An hour later, after a few cold soft drinks and snacks, Bob asked Laura if she wanted to drive. She looked at him suspiciously. "Drive? Do you REALLY drive a boat?" "I'm sorry for poking fun at you, Laura. It's just that this is my business and my life. I'm always surprised when I meet people who haven't spent half their lives on the water. You're right of course. The proper term is pilot, but few people use those words any more. It's either taking the conn, or drive cause they think it's just a big car." "Oh! Cool! Just like on Star Trek!" Laura mocked a salute, "Aye, Captain! Does that mean I have the Bridge as well?" Bob just shook his head, looked to Todd for support but on seeing Todd's T-shirt decided to forego any mockery of the show. Kelly and Todd were content to sit back and enjoy the peace and serenity only open water can provide. They sat side-by-side holding hands, their eyelids lazily drooping. With a smile of pleasure on her face, Laura guided the boat through the river for the next hour, waving happily at other boaters. Bob had stood by her the entire time explaining all the technology on control panel in front of her, the radar, depth finder, and the VHF. "VHF?" Laura asked. "Yep, actually it's a multi-band transceiver." "God, Chris must have thought I was a real stereotypical blonde this morning. I called his radio a VHS!" As they entered a wider section of the waterway, a group of PWC drivers appeared and started cutting in front of the 24-foot boat and jumping across its wake. It tried Bob's patience. "Some of these idiots have more money than brains," he said taking back the controls. "If one of them takes a spill near or in front of us, I won't be able to stop in time to avoid sucking him under our props or running over him." Bob waited until the entire "wolf pack" was either behind or beside the boat and he shoved the throttle forward, swamping them and causing most of the Sea-Doo riders to take an unscheduled dip. "Wow! That was neat!" Laura said. "I didn't know this boat had so much power in it." "Yeah, but I shouldn't have to use it," Bob said. "The rules of the water are quite clear about this. Smaller craft always have to give way to larger craft. You sure as hell don't play games with something this big and heavy when all you've got between your legs is an artificial set of balls." Laura fetched a drink for Bob and they talked for a while longer as they watched water-skiers race along behind small powerful outboards, and sailboarders riding the wider water. Finally Laura moved back and sat with Kelly and Todd. The smell of the air changed as they turned out into the ocean, cooler and with the tang of salt. The water changed as well from the muddy brown of the river to green and then a clear azure. "And of course this is our number one source of revenue," Bob said to them as he pointed to the crowded beaches, "The holiday seekers and the snowbirds from the North and Canada! This area is called the 'First Coast' because it's the part of Florida they see first and a lot of them put down roots here, then take day-trips to see the real touristy places in the South." The white sandy beaches were wide and gently sloped, with moderate waves that broke on the barrier islands 500 to 1000 yards off shore. The boat followed the outside of the sand banks, which slowly grew in size to become a chain of large islands. "Hey Todd, how come you aren't taking any pictures?" asked Bob. "It's been done," said Todd. "Lots of pro photographers have been here and snapped off thousands of pictures to draw the tourists in. It would be like reinventing the wheel." "Well," said Bob, "we sort of reinvent our boats every year." "That's because you can," said Todd. "Technology changes quickly and you learn and can make improvements. Nature is different and change is so gradual that only mankind changes the scenery and usually not for the better." They sailed by the first of the islands. "This is Fort George," said Bob. "They've excavated continuous human settlements for the last 6,000 years. Kind of makes you wonder who did land here first." They passed by a few more islands complete with rolling dunes and choking overgrowth, riddled with rivers and salt marshes. The boat traffic was increasing as groups of kayakers and pleasure boaters wove in and out of the wide waterways and fish-rich waters. "Eighty percent of our shrimp harvest comes from here, but there's a one mile no-commercial fishing zone around these islands making it a paradise for anglers and nature-lovers." Bob pointed to a bridge from the mainland to the next island, "That bridge has a mile long gallery to fish from. They catch 10-pounders there regularly." The island sported a town at its north end and a large round building that stood out from the ocean. "That's our Sea-horse Ranch, where guests can descend to the ocean floor and watch the seahorses and other ocean life in their natural habitat." "And that," Bob pointed to an old colonial building on a low rise, "is the Ritz-Carleton Amelia, the only 5-Diamond restaurant in Florida." He pointed ahead, where the beaches began to be crowded with large hotels. "And that's Georgia. They only have 500 miles of coastline so they cram everything in it!" he said laughing. "And they only have 3 decent islands to build on!" He stopped and sighed, "But they're magnificent! At one time half the money in New York stayed here in the summer months. People with names like Morgan, Rockefeller, Pulitzer, Field and Vanderbilt all had homes here." He pointed to a small sandy island with a single house on it. "That's the Tybee Beach House, you can rent it for $2000 a night. Of course you have to book about a year in advance." Soon Bob turned the boat to deeper water. Kelly asked Laura if she wanted to sit out on the bow with her and catch a bit of sun. They changed into bathing suits in the front cabin. Kelly wore a micro bikini while Laura slipped on a more conservative body-hugging Speedo. Grabbing towels they headed to the bow along the side walkway. Kelly had brought out a couple of cans of soda for them, her cigarettes and suntan oil. Placing all her important items into the convenient holders she slid her legs under the front guardrail of the bow letting her feet dangle freely catching just a bit of spray from the salt water on her legs as Bob plowed a course through the low waves. Laura moved a bit more carefully but soon was sitting to the left of Kelly, with her legs dangling off the bow. With her back to Bob, and facing a fairly empty ocean, Kelly removed her top. She took a generous amount of tanning oil and covered her legs and arms with it and then proceeded to do her stomach and breasts so they wouldn't get burnt by the reflected light from the water. "Laura, Sweetheart, could you do my back for me?" "Sure, Kell," said Laura twisting sideways. She squirted a large gob of the oil directly on Kelly's back. "Hey! That's cold!" Laura laughed and placed both her hands on Kelly's back. "Then I guess I'll have to warm you up." Softly kneading Kelly's shoulders, Laura worked the suntan oil in. Long smooth strokes over Kelly's back running softly from the shoulders down to the very small of her back and coming back up on the sides. After a few minutes of this Laura applied more oil and started rubbing in circles. She started with small circles at first growing in size until Laura was reaching past Kelly's sides and brushing softly against her breasts. "Ah, that feels good," murmured Kelly as Laura started to apply more oil to her breasts than her back. "Are you glad to see me?" asked Laura, "or is it just a chilly breeze that has you so stiff?" "Mmm, no breeze could make me feel this good," said Kelly leaning back to allow Laura more access to her boobs. "How about you?" Kelly asked. "We don't want you to burn." Shifting positions, Kelly started to apply lotion to Laura's shoulders while Laura did her own legs. Kelly squirted some on Laura's upper arms and started to slide her hands back and forth until they slowly slipped the shoulder straps off. Checking around to make sure that Bob couldn't see, Laura carefully extracted her arms from the straps and tried to hold the suit up so her bosom would stay covered. Kelly whispered in her ear. "It's okay, Baby. Just let it go. All he can see is our backs." Seconds later, Kelly was giving Laura's breasts the same treatment she had received. With Laura's larger breasts it was an unexpected pleasure for Kelly to be kneading those golden orbs. "We wouldn't want you to have unsightly tan lines," she said. By the time Kelly was done rubbing Laura in completely, the crotch of Laura's bathing suit was damp, and her suit was down so far the top of her ass cheeks were showing. Kelly especially loved rubbing the oil in on Laura's stomach. It felt so soft, and yet so firm. Finally, and to both their regrets, they could oil no more. The bottle was empty. "I love you, Kelly. I never thought I would ever be able to love a woman in that way, but I do, truly love you." "And I love you, Laura. With more feeling and passion than I have ever loved any one else before. And now I know we can love each other and love Todd without problems. I think I've waited my whole life for this moment of understanding. I love you, and not just physically, but on a spiritual level as well." Kelly sighed, wiped her hands on her towel then opened a diet soda and lit a cigarette. Both girls were deep in thought, just leaning over the railing letting their legs swing free, the breeze off the ocean whipping their hair. ------- Kelly's cell phone rang, shattering the peaceful moment. Todd picked it up, listened for a minute and hollered forward to Kelly. Without thinking about it, Kelly turned around and told Todd to bring the phone to her. Laura turned to see what the commotion was about, much to Bob's pleasant surprise. It wasn't every day that he had two beautiful models riding topless on the bow of his boat. Laura saw him at once and quickly turned back to face the water again, a blush creeping into her cheeks. Kelly didn't even flinch but gave a wave to Bob before taking the phone from Todd's hand. Todd sat down between his two lovely ladies. ------- "Thanks, Kelly!" It was Steve. "Well, I guess you're welcome, but I don't know why." Steve laughed. "I got a call from Jim just after lunch. He said you told him to give me a shout. That's why I'm saying thanks." "Oh. Yes. I know what you're talking about now." "I don't want to say too much on the phone," he said, "But my partner and I decided if you and Todd thought it was good for TKO, then it would probably be good for us as well. We went for the same distance as you guys did." "Oh. Are you sure you did the right thing, Steve? It was just a suggestion that you take a look." "Are you close to a computer, Kelly?" It was her turn to laugh. "No, actually I'm not even sure I'm close to land right now. I'm hanging over the rail of a beautiful boat somewhere out on the Atlantic heading to an island off South Carolina." "Well, the market has closed for the weekend," he said, "but take a look at the paper tomorrow or get to a computer later on and take a look. You'll understand then." "That sounds good, Steve. We're meeting with some friends tomorrow who will have a computer. I'll take a look then." "I'm just on my way home now, but I wanted to call first and say thanks. You guys are something else." "I'm glad that you're happy, Steve. Have a good weekend." Kelly closed her phone and to Todd's questioning look simply said, "It looks like our little venture this afternoon is already paying dividends." "Oh, okay," said Todd who simply leaned back again to soak up the real rewards in life, the sun, the serenity and the love of two beautiful women. Money could never replace that. ------- They arrived at Brookhaven shortly after 5 o'clock. With little time to spare as the island came into view, both girls replaced their tops, and headed back to the bedroom to slip something over their bathing suits, placing the rest of their clothes into one of the bags. Since Bob had docked at the Hampton Inn's private dock, a bellhop was ready to carry their bags up to their suite. With many thanks to Bob for a delightful trip they stepped onto the dock. They waved once more at Bob as he backed the boat out and then watched as he gunned the engine on his way back to Savannah. Todd and Laura waited while Kelly collected their room keys. Chuck had arranged for a corner suite. Todd was excited with the view from their balcony; one side faced the end of the island and the ocean, while the other was over a wide inland canal with an untouched nature reserve beyond. Kelly slipped her arms around Todd to look at the peaceful scene. Laura moved around hesitantly. She had stayed at a Motel 6 one night, but it had been little more than a bed, a TV and a bathroom. Here, she was standing in a room that was bigger than her parents' living room, almost ankle deep in the plush carpet! It had soft, deep leather chairs casually placed around the room, a large entertainment center with a bar and fridge as well as a liquor cabinet. The room even had a balcony. She stared at Todd and Kelly and just marveled at a lifestyle that allowed for such luxuries. She was sure she was dreaming and afraid that any minute she might wake up. ------- Laura was startled out of her reverie by the sound of Kelly's voice. "Laura... are you going to join us out here and take a look at this paradise?" She shook the cobwebs out of her brain and joined her two lovers on the balcony. It truly was a breathtaking sight. After long minutes had passed, with Todd putting an arm around each girl, Kelly finally said, "Well, I want to shower off. I don't want to stain the furniture with this suntan oil. Laura? Care to join me?" she asked with a wicked smile on her face. "Oh goodie! Shower time!" She gave Todd a kiss. "You understand, dear heart, don't you? I put it all on Kelly, it's only right that I wash it off." Todd laughed and told them to have a good time, he wanted to unpack his camera and put the film and ice packs in the fridge. Laura was amazed when she saw the bathroom. Besides the large walk in shower, it also had a Jacuzzi and a bidet. "Oh wow. They think of everything don't they?" asked Laura. "Who would have thought of a foot bath? What a great idea!" Kelly turned slowly giving Laura a strange look. Laura burst out laughing. "I'm just playing the part, Kelly. Don't look at me like that. I've never seen one in real life and have no idea of how to use it, but I do know what it is!" Kelly shook her head in wonder. This girl opened so many doors that Kelly took for granted. "Tonight, Sweetheart I'll show you exactly how it's used." The shower was hot and luxurious. The girls washed each other's hair like they had been doing it all their lives. An extraordinary amount of time was spent washing each other with special attention to breasts with stiff nipples and pussies that were wet with more than soap and water. Hugging and kissing they locked their scissored legs and rode each other to orgasm. "That's just to take the edge off," Kelly said, "otherwise Todd won't get a chance for any peace." Kelly rinsed their bathing suits out in the bathroom sink and hung them up to dry. The blouse she had put on before leaving the boat she tossed into the corner saying she would send it to the hotel's laundry service tomorrow. "Hey," said Laura. "We didn't bring any clothes in with us to change into." "Oh?" said Kelly with a smile. "Were you planning on getting dressed again?" Laura laughed. "So much for Todd's chance at peace." Returning to the living room they gave Todd a start and nearly a heart attack to the poor boy from room service. "Look at this, girls," Todd said. "Chuck sent us a great big fruit basket." With no place to hide, both girls burst out laughing as the bellhop quickly departed without even waiting for a tip. Kelly selected a nice fresh mango from the basket and headed out to the balcony again. "Kelly..." whispered Laura from just inside the room. "Should you really be outside in your birthday suit? Somebody may see you!" Kelly shrugged. "If anybody looks up and they can make out my itty-bitty titties from six floors below, then I think they've earned the right to see them." Throwing caution to the wind Laura joined her, savoring the cool air on her naked body. "You know, Kelly Jennsen, you are incorrigible, and I love you for it!" The two girls leaned against the railing looking out over the island, sharing the mango. Kelly held the mango as Laura took a sensual bite, juices dripping from the ripe fruit on to Kelly's chest. "Mmm, a more delicious fruit," said Laura as she bent forward to lick the juice off Kelly's itty-bitty titties. ------- The same bellhop, possibly hoping for another view, brought up the dinner they had ordered from room service, but both Kelly and Laura were wearing the hotel robes. The meal started with creamy butternut soup, followed by grilled chicken mango salad. For dessert they had white chocolate cranberry cheesecake. Laura dipped her finger into one of the creamy little puffs of fresh whipped cream on top of the cheesecake, and with a mischievous look at Todd, slowly licked one side of her finger and then placed her finger against Kelly's mouth. Kelly swiped her tongue around Laura's finger and then opened her mouth and engulfed it, bobbing up and down a few times until she slowly slid her way all the way down Laura's finger. Laura was moaning, imitating Todd and when Kelly slowly pulled back up and off with an audible pop, Laura was shouting "Oh God, Yes!" Todd laughed good-naturedly with the girls. Pushing the dishes outside of the door, he brought each of them a bottle of ice-cold Evian from the well-stocked fridge. Leaning back in one of the oversized chairs he picked up the remote for the TV and soon found the news channel. Seeing nothing of importance on CNN's headline news, he flipped through the stations until he found one showing a ST:DS9 episode. Life was good. Kelly had settled into one of the lounge chairs on the patio and was having some quiet time with her water and cigarettes. Though it would be daylight for some time yet, the sun was making its way towards the horizon coloring the sky with multiple shades and patches of red. Laura, who had given Todd his phone back, was seated at the desk and had placed a call to her mother. As she had predicted, her mother couldn't believe her little girl had traveled by plane down to Florida just to take a boat cruise to some island off the coast of South Carolina. Promising to behave herself, Laura hung up the phone after telling her mother she loved her. As she started to get up, Laura noticed one of the pamphlets advertising all the things to do on the island. She sat back down and read through it. Most of it was golf and golf related but there was a special section on the nature reserve and then she spotted the ad for the costume photo studio. Excited, she jumped into Todd's lap. "Can we go here tomorrow, Todd? It says they specialize in costumes from the civil war era. I've always wanted to be a Southern Belle!" Todd smiled as he looked over the brochure. He noted the hours and read that "private appointments" were available. Seeing how excited Laura was Todd got up and called down to the front desk and eventually got the number of the studio owner. Todd could go many places and never be recognized, but to other photographers, his name was well known. Todd was explaining to the owner that he would like to rent the studio for a few hours the following morning and would be bringing along his own camera. A time was set as was payment. The owner only asked that he be allowed to be present for part of the time just to help Todd set up the lights and to watch him work. Laura was so thrilled she was nearly jumping out of her robe! She ran out to the balcony to tell Kelly the news. Kelly smiled at her. Through Laura, Kelly was catching and living a part of the childhood she herself had missed. Todd had a gleam in his eyes when the girls came back into the room. "I know you two have already had a shower," he said, "but could I convince you to take a bubble bath for me?" Kelly looked at Laura who looked right back at her. With matching grins they both said, "Yes!" Kelly prepared the Jacuzzi and filled it with lots of scented bubble bath and turned the jets on high to really raise the bubbles. From his equipment case, Todd pulled out a special flash that came complete with a small folding umbrella silvered on the inside. He loaded his camera with the right film and waited until the two girls finished touching up makeup and hair before they climbed into the bath. Kelly and Laura sat across from each other in the oversized tub. Making sure that bubbles covered all the important places, the two vixens posed for Todd in a variety of ways. "And the rest are for our own private collection?" Kelly asked. Todd nodded yes and Kelly got up on her knees her bare breasts now out of the water and she lifted Laura's face and kissed her tenderly full on the lips. Laura moaned softly into Kelly's mouth and wrapped her arms around her lover. Things got progressively more explicit from that moment on as Laura made her way to her knees and bent to suckle on one of Kelly's nipples. Then the girls kissed long and hard rubbing their breasts together. Bubbles and soapy water clung to their skin and the poses would have been more at home in Penthouse or Hustler. Finally Todd could take it no more and turned off the flash and camera. "I'd love to join you two in the tub," he said, "but I have to put the equipment away first." "That's okay, Todd," said Kelly. "Why don't you use the shower in the other bathroom. We can rinse off here and we'll meet up afterwards." Draining the tub, the girls stepped into the shower stall once more to rinse the bubble bath oil off. As they got out and dried off, Kelly showed Laura how to use the bidet to rinse those hard to reach spots. "God, I'm horny," said Laura. "Even this water flowing over my clit is making me hot." Kelly took her turn, making sure to part her lower lips so no one would get a taste of soap. "I know just what you mean, Laura. I'm really ready now for some serious fucking!" Laura giggled and ran into the bedroom where she jumped into the middle of the king size bed. "Laura," said Kelly as she walked into the room. "I'm not nervous anymore." Moving like a cat about to pounce on its prey Kelly came up from the foot of the bed, slowly spreading Laura's legs open. "Don't you want to wait for Todd?" panted Laura. "Don't you worry, Baby," Kelly said, as she got closer to Laura's puffed labia. "He knows where to find us!" Lying down on her chest, Kelly slowly spread Laura's cunt open like a delicate flower, blowing soft puffs of air on her extended and swollen clit between kisses on each of her thighs and labia lips. "Oh God, Kelly... I'm so fucking close right now. Don't make me wait... please?" Todd appeared in the room at that moment and with a huge smile crawled up beside Laura planting kisses on her heaving breasts and lightly biting on her nipples. As Laura broke over the edge and her orgasm overwhelmed her, Todd plastered his mouth on hers. Laura's hips bucked off the bed and it took strength on Kelly's part to hold her down as she continued and brought Laura to a second screaming climax! Laura was twitching and sweating, her body flushed, but with reserves of energy left. Twisting around she kissed Kelly tasting her own juices and smelling her own scent. It only served to be an aphrodisiac for her as she pushed Kelly down with a demand fueled by desire. As the three jockeyed for position on the bed Laura grabbed hold of Todd's stiff cock and after a few kisses on his engorged glans literally led him by his dick to a place behind her. "Fuck me, Todd," she said just before she dove down between Kelly's legs. Lifting Kelly by the knees opened up a treasure chest to Laura who wasted no time in foreplay but latched her mouth on to Kelly's exposed wet clit. She sucked on the exposed clit and flicked it with her tongue at times even biting it as Todd entered her dripping gash from behind. Todd was on his knees; his cock had easily slipped into Laura's wet, hot cunt. He drove fast and hard into her and then slowed the pace for a few strokes nearly pulling all the way out of her before driving his entire length back in. Laura was moaning and Kelly was thrashing. Todd slipped his hands around and found Kelly's breasts and started to knead them as he hunched over Laura's ass using his strong ass muscles to piston his cock in and out of Laura. Laura started to cum again, but with her mouth covering Kelly's dripping gash it just served to set up vibrations that pushed Kelly over the edge once and then again. Todd was so far the only one with control left and he continued to pump his swollen cock into Laura, but she had other ideas. With a final effort, Laura slid off of Todd's quivering cock, turned and latched her mouth onto his juicy cock. She hand pumped him at the same time feeling his cock get turgid and at his critical moment, she pulled her sucking mouth off and Todd shot his entire load all over Kelly's stomach and chest. It proved to be a bit much for Todd who fell forward, collapsing on the bed beside Kelly. Laura allowed herself to sink back on Kelly's other side, and for the next ten minutes all that could be heard was deep breathing and satisfying sounds. "God, that was good," Kelly said. "Jesus... not as good as mine," said Laura. "And so ends round one," added Todd. ------- On shaky legs, Laura staggered to the fridge and pulled out bottles of water for all of them. Kelly was still quivering from her two rapid-fire orgasms and Todd's cum was drying on her belly. Taking a quick drink from a bottle, Kelly rolled over and straddled Todd, rubbing her hot snatch against his sticky cock. She could feel life returning to it as it stiffened against her, raising her own excitement level. Rolling off of him, Kelly said to Laura, "I think he's ready for another round." "How about we make a sandwich?" Laura suggested. Kelly looked at her a bit confused. "We'll be the two slices of bread, and Todd's meat will be in the middle!" "Laura!" said Kelly in amazement, "where did you learn all of this stuff?" Laura smiled that mischievous smile. "I read all about it on the internet news groups." Kelly shook her head in wonder. Laura guided Todd to the middle of the bed and took up a position on one side of him at a 90-degree angle. Kelly saw what she was planning and took up a similar position on Todd's other side. Since they had all had climaxed quickly the first time, they could take their time now and enjoy the sensuality of what was to come. Kelly and Laura's lips met just over the top of Todd's cock which made it twitch in excitement. Then slowly the two girls, matching each other like mirror images slowly licked down the sides of his hardened shaft. The taste of Laura's juice was still on him, which aroused Kelly even more. Slowly and carefully and with tongues wrapping around as much of his meat as they could reach they slowly cleaned his cock until it was pulsing again and the head was turning crimson. Each time they reached the top they would pause for a minute to share a deep kiss before descending on his shaft again. As his sack started to tighten, Laura nudged Kelly and they both sucked one of his nuts into their mouths. With wet mouths, they slobbered and drooled all over his scrotum before heading back up again. Taking him in hand, Laura pumped him slowly as she offered Kelly the first drink. "After you," Kelly offered. "No, I insist, you deserve it." "Are you sure you don't mind? There might not be anything left after this." "Oh, I'm sure we can get at least one more rise out of him." Todd was bucking now and finally said, "Would one of you please finish me off?" With a shrug and a final, "If you're sure," Kelly dropped her mouth over Todd's now ready to burst cock head. Laura licked one of her fingers out of sight from Todd, making it good and wet and while she gripped the base of his shaft with one hand, squeezing him tightly, she winked at Kelly and quickly slipped her lubricated finger into Todd's ass. He rose off the bed by nearly a foot, damn near choking Kelly who had not expected such a response. Using her saliva to help lubricate his shaft, she bobbed her head up and down on Todd's glans stabbing at his hole with her tongue. She could feel him swell and could see Laura sliding her finger in and out of his ass and then suddenly Laura released her hand from the base of Todd's cock and Kelly's mouth was filled with an eruption of cum that was overwhelming! Laura scampered up quickly to help with the overflow and between the two girls they shared kisses and cum swapping it freely back and forth taking turns to nip at or suck on Todd's deflating prick. It took Todd a bit longer to recuperate his strength after that earth-shattering climax and for some time the three of them just laid on the bed swapping kisses and intimate caresses. Todd made for a good resting place and the girls used him extensively to share kisses with each other. It took some talking and fondling, but Kelly and Laura managed to get Todd hard again. This time Todd decided it was time for good old-fashioned fucking as he lined the girls up side by side. Aiming his cock at Laura's cunt he slowly slid into her full length and with long deliberate strokes rammed her until she was moaning out loud, her head only held in place by Kelly's mouth who at the same time was playing with those beautiful boobs again. As she cried out her climax, Todd quickly slipped out and slid his now wet prick into Kelly. Her knees went up out of reflex allowing him to penetrate as deep as he could. Laura was still trying to catch her breath but managed to get behind Todd as he drove his cock into Kelly with faster and faster strokes. Kelly was not far behind and wanted to feel Todd cum inside. She was surprised when she felt a tongue at her ass. "God, that feels good... " Kelly rapidly hit her peak and with the clenching of her cunt muscles managed to make Todd lose control and he shot his load deep inside her. All that was left of the three healthy bodies who had started this sexual journey was a mass of quivering flesh. Sweaty, sticky but extremely satisfied. Peace and quiet had descended on the room and for half an hour there wasn't a sound. Finally it was Kelly who got up and surveyed the bed. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to sleep in the other bedroom tonight," she laughed. "I don't have the energy left to move," said Todd. "I'm afraid if my legs rub together I'll cum again," said Laura. "Then why don't you two relax for a bit? I'm stepping out for a smoke." ------- Kelly saw by the clock on the wall in the main room that it was past 11. She picked up her cigarettes and stepped out on to the balcony. She was nude and the night air felt good against her skin. She slowly lit up and then leaned over the railing talking to the night. "Thanks, Brenda," she whispered to the night, hoping her words would find their way to the beautiful, freckled redhead who had taught her what love meant. It seemed the wind had heard her, as the words to an old forgotten song seemed to play back from the ocean. "I wanna know what love is... I want you to show me... I wanna feel what love is... I know you can show me..." Kelly extinguished her cigarette and did the motherly thing. She nagged both of her lovers into the shower with her and after a quick wash and rinse and making good use of the bidet, she tore the bedding off the bed they had used and piled it in the corner and then joined the other two in the other bedroom where they fell asleep cuddled closely together. ------- Chapter 11 (Special - Laura 1 written by: MikeC) I snap awake with the sharp screeching noise. For a moment I am home, and Dad is rushing off on screaming tires to another emergency. The gentle breathing next to me reminds me that I'm not home, but in a luxury suite on a resort island in the Atlantic Ocean, next to the two dearest friends I will ever have. I smile, as I taste the dried remains of last night's love play on my lips. The frenzy of sex, as we physically tried to show each other the depth of our caring; then the soft touching afterwards, relaxed, but no less meaningful. I reach and find Todd in the dark; he is soft and childlike in sleep. He is like a child in many ways, one of the many traits I love about him, his openness, his honesty, and his guileless way of looking at life. I touch his penis and he sighs in sleep, nestling closer to me, warm, and strong and needing me. I smile and blink back tears of happiness. For the first time in my life, I am in love - not the infatuation of a child, but the deep, selfless yearning I have for an individual. Two individuals. Kelly's head is resting on Todd's strong chest, looking angelic and sweet. I think she would not like me to think this way about her. Kelly is an enigma; she needs love, but has had too many painful experiences to know it when she sees it. "I will love you forever, I promise..." I whisper to the waiflike goddess who has taught me so much, and in turn given me so much of herself. I kiss my fingers and touch her lips, "With all my love, my darling..." The screech again intrudes on my daydream; it is the harsh call of a seagull searching for food. Just past six, the clock says. The sky is starting to brighten as I pad bare-footed to the patio. The slight chill in the air reminds me that I am also naked. But, as Kelly said, if they can see me from six floors down and in this light, good luck to 'em! I smile again at the ease with which I have grown so comfortable with my body. No, it's not the sex. I'd had sex with another before, but it was furtive, selfish, and shameful. With Todd and Kelly, it's nothing like that; it is open, caring and something to be prideful of. Respect. That's what it is. They respect me and my needs, my wants and most of all, my love. I grin and spread my arms wide, "I'm in Love!" I say to the world, softly so I don't wake them. I know that I can give them my all; and know they will unhesitatingly accept, giving all of themselves in return. That is what love is about; what LIFE should be all about. "Hello, seagull! Lovely day isn't it?" I grin and he looks at me, decides that I do not have food, and circles down to the river. I watch him for a bit, but I am no longer jealous of his ability for flight, "I can fly too, you know? I've had enough adventures these past two days to last me forever!" I laugh. The seagull joins his mates cruising far up the sea channel but scatters when a group of dark shadows move through the water. Then one of the slim gray shapes breaks surface and blows water up in a fountain. I realize these are the dolphins Bob was telling me about yesterday. "They travel close to shore to feed when it's deserted, mostly during early mornings," he had said, and there they are! My heart jumps as I watch them zoom effortlessly up channel. I know what I must do. I dash inside, hopping into shorts and pulling on a shirt. With a quickly scribbled note to the two cuddled sleepyheads, I rush out of the room. I step inside the elevator, then realize I am still shoeless, not to mention braless and panty-less. I shake my head, what a bumpkin! Thankfully, it is early Saturday and most people will no doubt still be in bed. The elevator doors open and I almost crash into a group of men and their golf clubs. Oh, shit! I'd forgotten what a bunch of lunatics golfers are! Six a.m. and they are already on the move! "Excuse me please! Excuse me!" I murmur as I run the gauntlet of colorful golf outfits and outrageous hats, getting a few good-natured whistles as I squeeze past. Despite my ridiculously inadequate outfit, none of them says anything, perhaps afraid that any distraction may cause them to miss the shuttle. I wave and run by the two busboys setting up the outdoor cafe and on to the docks, sprinting past the tethered boats as I race my dolphins. For a moment I was afraid I had missed them, but first one and then another sneeze-like spray of water announces their arrival. "Oh, you are so lovely!" I gush as I stand and marvel at their sleek gracefulness. They angle away from the pier, perhaps sensing me, but to my delight, they stop and cavort about in the bay across. Up close, they are even more impressive with huge, solid bodies of raw power. They chase each other with lightning forays into the deep, and then shoot up to streak along the surface. I giggle at their antics and joyous celebration of life. They seem to bring the scent of the deep ocean with them, dark and mysterious, but fascinating and challenging as well. "You are surely God's creature!" I cross my arms over my beating heart, "The wonders you must've seen!" I jump as a face bobs up to the surface, not ten feet from me. Smooth gray snout nods in the waves and the dark, unfathomable eyes gaze with glittering intelligence at me. Softly I kneel, afraid to startle him away as he looks with amusement at my earth-bound awkwardness. "You can laugh, my beautiful one, you have seen so much I will never be able to see!" His laughing eyes draw me into them and I lean with my hand out over the water. To my disappointment he sinks back into the waves but a moment later, something rubbery, and warm brushes my hand. His fin! He is rubbing his fin on my hand! My heart threatens to burst through my chest as I chuckle gleefully. Oh, if only Todd and Kelly could be here! Carefully I lie so I can reach his back and I scrape my nails along the smooth hard flesh there. No warm-blooded creature can resist a back-rub and my new friend is no exception - he quivers and squirms as I rake along his top fin, making raspberries through his blowhole. I don't know how long we enjoyed our contact but another gray form, darker, mottled and with more scars of the wild, surfaces and nudges him away. "Oops, sorry Mommy!" I laugh, "I'm not going to steal Sonny from you! Although," I sigh, "I'd elope with him if I could!" I wave sadly as Sonny looks back one more time at me, "Bye, sweetie, think of me now and then!" They rejoin the pod and swim off. I stand, still waving slowly as they disappear from view. "Are you alright Miss?" the boy from the hotel asks. "Yes, I'm fine," I smile, "Just saying goodbye to a friend." ------- Chapter 11 Todd woke up around 6:30 by nature's own alarm clock. As he went to relieve himself, he realized that Laura was not in the room. After taking care of the more pressing urge, he found the note Laura had left behind. "Hi guys! Gone to see the dolphins. Miss me! Love you!" Todd walked to the balcony and was surprised to see Laura sitting alone at the end of the pier seemingly surrounded by dolphins. Waking Kelly up he showed her the sight as he took out his camera and mounted a 400 - 600mm zoom sports lens. Kelly smiled at the sight of Laura. "I wonder what it is about her?" "I think it's because she loves unconditionally," said Todd, "and I think only little children and animals have the ability to recognize that." Kelly sat back with a cigarette and watched as Todd took pictures. Todd mounted the camera with the heavy lens on a tripod and with a remote shutter release snapped off pictures as he saw something interesting. It was a pretty sight. Laura filled a corner of the frame and dolphins, their shadows and fins slicing through the clear water haloing ripples, filled the rest. "Between Anna and Laura and Peter's requests, I'm going to have a lot of developing to do when we get back," he said, "And who knows what else I'll find of interest this weekend." Kelly smiled at him. This is what Todd lived for. She gave him a kiss and said, "I'd love to stay and watch, but I need more sleep." Stopping only long enough to empty her own bladder, Kelly drifted back to the big bed and within minutes was fast asleep. Todd watched Laura until the dolphins swam off, then packed up his equipment and waited for Laura's return. ------- Laura sat with the dolphins for the better part of an hour while the sun climbed above the horizon, then found her feet a little tender when she made it back to the hotel. She wished now she had taken a minute longer and slipped something on her feet. She realized that with just her shorts and a blouse she quickly became a topic of conversation with many of the men in the lobby, but thinking of how Kelly would handle it, she held her head high and waited for a path to clear before her, with just the hint of a blush creeping into her cheeks from all the admiring glances she received. As Laura got off the elevator, she was surprised and relieved to see the room door was open; she had not remembered to pick up a room key on her mad rush outside. Laura grabbed a bottle of mineral water and joined Todd and his coffee on the balcony. "You looked gorgeous out there," he said to her. "You saw me?" Laura asked. "Watched you for about half an hour before the dolphins took off." "Oh Todd, it was so fantastic! I can't begin to describe it to you." "You don't have to, sweetheart, I can see it all over your face." Laura smiled and kissed him. "How'd I get to be so lucky?" she asked as she gently sat down on his lap. "That's funny, I was going to ask you the same thing! What did I do to deserve you?" Her eyes misted over. "Tell me I'm not dreaming, Todd. Pinch me and let me know this is real. I could flip burgers the rest of my life and never leave Charlotte just as long as I can share part of you." Todd wrapped his arms around her and gently pinched her arm. "You aren't dreaming, Baby." They sat gently snuggling on the balcony watching the harbor come to life. ------- Kelly slid out of bed. "Damn, it's only 8:30. I hate mornings," she grumbled as she slid on one of Todd's t-shirts. She liked the bigger size and the comfort and especially knowing it would be on Todd's body later. It had long been a standing joke between them. He complained that she deformed his T's with her boobs. She countered with the fact that her itty-bitty titties couldn't dent the air! But in truth, Todd had always enjoyed her lingering scent. Todd held a finger to his lips as Kelly stepped out on the balcony. Laura was asleep in his arms. Kelly gave Todd a light kiss on the head and headed back inside to put on a pot of tea and to get their vitamins and go-juice out. As the tea steeped, she checked her cell phone for messages and decided she could probably last the day without recharging the batteries but would have to remember to plug it in tonight. "Hi there Dr. Dolittle," she said as a yawning Laura made her way inside towing Todd behind her. Laura blushed. "So, what's up for today, Kell?" Todd asked. "I've got to drop off the pictures and a package with Sara, find a working computer and see about our little venture and if I have any time left before lunch, I'm going to see about spreading your reputation around, Sweetheart. This place has opportunity written all over it for a talented, handsome photographer like you. I just have to convince them." Todd laughed. "You don't think I've got enough work to do?" "Honey... I'm only trying to find more of the kind of work you really enjoy. Besides, a bit of time on this island would be a nice change." "Look out, Todd, Kelly's in business mode," Laura said with a laugh. "And what do my favorite lovers have planned for this morning?" Kelly asked. "Laura found a brochure on one of those costume photo studios last night, and I called the owner and arranged for us to have it for a couple of hours," Todd said. "I think it might be good practice for her to do some quick changes before she gets to New York to do it for real." "Excellent idea!" said Kelly. "Gee guys... I just wanted a picture of me dressed like Scarlett O'Hara," Laura pouted. "Baby, you've got to accept the fact that from now on, when you are in front of a camera, you're working!" Todd said. "What time's your appointment?" asked Kelly. "10 o'clock. We booked the studio for two hours. Maybe we can meet up for lunch," Todd said. "It's not that far from the Marina." "Make sure your batteries are charged," Kelly said, pointing to her phone. "I'll call you after 12 or you can give me a ring when you're done." "I better get myself dolled up then," said Laura, "but first I need a quick shower to clean up. I kind of forgot my shoes in my rush this morning." "You better take care of those tender tootsies, sweetheart. You don't want to take chances with the tools of your profession. Jorge would be very unhappy." Laura dropped her head a bit. "I'm sorry Kell, I wasn't thinking." "It's okay, sweetheart. You didn't damage anything, but you do need to be careful. It takes a bit of time getting used to the life of a model. Now how about I order us up some breakfast and then give you a hand with your make-up?" "Thanks, Kelly. I'll only be a few minutes." After breakfast, the trio walked arm in arm over to the "Reliving History" photo studio. Kelly had used all her professional tricks of accenting and highlighting Laura's features to ensure the photos would have a pro model in them. Kelly saw the sign for 'Short Creek Marina' and kissed Todd and Laura goodbye. ------- The owner of "Reliving History" was waiting outside of his studio. "Todd Ayres?" asked the short stocky man. "Yes, and you must be Stan," Todd said shaking the man's outstretched hand. "Stan the Man, that's me. I told my sales staff to take the morning off and put a sign in the window saying I'd be closed till noon. Hey what's with the big Tourister case?" "Just my portable travel kit. My Blad, a couple of lens, flash... you know, the standard stuff." They slipped in the side door and Todd opened the case, pulled out his camera, and slid the ice packs aside to get at his film. "Wow!" said Stan. "Temperature sensitive film. The only time I've ever seen that was in that Clint Eastwood movie." "Bridges of Madison County," said Laura. "Yeah, that's the one." "I never travel without a cold pack," said Todd. "This film is very unforgiving. I know photographers who adjust processing time for temperature variables, but I think you lose consistency, and there are some shots you never get a chance to take over." "God, I can't believe I'm going to get a chance to see the 'Main Man' at work. I was on chat with some of my buddies last night and I could have sold tickets to this." "I don't do well in front of crowds," Todd said. "Especially other photographers... it's too much of a distraction. It's you and the model and the only thing that binds you together is the lens." "I suppose," Stan shrugged, "but I'm totally digital here. The people want to dress up in costumes and relive an era. I've got a good camera, the best lights totally balanced for 6500K, I let them pick out a costume and move around a bit for 15 minutes while I shoot off 20 or 30 frames and then my sales people just dump the whole thing into the computer. Five minutes later the customer picks out the one they like the best. They pay a minimum of $50 and they get one print for that. My sales guys are trained to sell them other poses in 8 x 10 color glossies for $20 apiece. Easy money. People that come here have money and think nothing of dropping a couple of hundred." Todd silently sighed. "So we're here for the weekend and my girlfriend has this desire to be Scarlett. Have you got anything suitable for her in that line?" Laura blushed a bit. This was the first time Todd had referred to her as his girlfriend in public. "Scarlett?" Stan asked. "You bet. I've got the classic Scarlett from the opening scenes, the Green Curtain Scarlett and the famous "I swear to God" Scarlett." He pulled aside a sliding door that led to a dressing room. "Take your pick," he said to Laura. "One size fits all. You just slide your arms into the sleeves and the Velcro tabs on the back will instantly size you." Todd had been assembling his camera and had mounted it on his own tripod plugging the flash adapter into Stan's strobe banks. Stan pulled down a backdrop that duplicated a fuzzy, seemingly distant Tara. "How's that for an authentic souvenir snap shot?" Laura saw Todd's eye twitch. "I think, if you don't mind, I would prefer something that's a bit less colorful," she said. "Todd, I'm thinking of the ivory one from Ashley's wedding. What do you think would make me stand out more?" Todd's eye stopped twitching. Thank God Laura had brains. He was about to call it all off. Pompous and arrogant people that wanted to tell him how to shoot he had dealt with a lot. It was one of the primary reasons he had been so open to change when Kelly had suggested they open their own agency and studio. With a wink at Laura, he turned back to Stan. "Sorry Stan, but Laura is a model as well. She knows what works best to suit her complexion and whatever she is wearing. You wouldn't happen to have a mottled brown background, would you?" Shaking his head, Stan wound the Tara background back up and pulled down a nondescript plain smudged looking backdrop. "This came with the unit along with a couple of other standards," he said. I never use them myself cause the patterns show up." "I guess that's a problem with limited aperture settings," Todd said. "No problem, Stan, I can compensate for that." Todd helped Laura do up the Velcro tabs pulling tightly on them to 'custom fit' the costume on to her, then moved her four feet further forward than Stan's floor markings. With Stan's consent, Todd adjusted the lights and fired them a few times manually to ensure they captured Laura without casting shadows on her. Back behind the camera, he said "Okay, Babe, do your thing." Laura turned and squinted her eyes tightly then pivoted on one foot, her hair moving and eyes wide open with a look of innocence. Todd shot one A-12 magazine during which Laura changed her pose in a variety of ways. She really was a natural and Todd could anticipate when the moment was going to be right. Slipping the finished magazine off the Blad, he suggested Laura try another costume. As she went to change, Stan asked, "Is it true that Kate is a nudist?" These were the questions Todd hated to be asked. "She's a top fashion model. I'm afraid I don't know much about her private life. I've only shot her with clothes on." "Damn. Now you've ruined my dreams, Todd. I was thinking of trying some fashion work cause I figured it would be a great way to meet some of these babes. Don't you get your pick from the best of them? I mean... with your reputation and all." Todd was holding his feelings deep inside. Laura wanted this and he wasn't going to let this little Napoleon ruin her time here. In sotto voce, he said, "Yeah, if you're interested, there're are a lot of top models that will jump at the chance to hop in the sack with you. They want to curry favor hoping you give them preferential treatment over the other girls." What he didn't add was that most of them did it out of boredom. "Ah, Right!" Stan said. "I figured you were being careful not to say anything in front of your girlfriend. Is she really a model? I haven't seen her in anything." "Oh, she's a real model, but she's an exclusive to a company that does specialty clothes. Check out the fall issues of the major women's magazines if you like." "Seems the place is overrun with models this weekend," Stan said. "While I was waiting for you I heard a bunch of guys talking about going to the marina cause there's supposed to be like, half a dozen models there for some boat promotion." "Really?" said Todd not letting on he knew the James Gang. "Maybe I'll wander over there later on and scope things out. Never know when opportunity will strike." "Yeah. Maybe I should grab my camera and head over there right now," Stan said. "You don't need me here for a while, do you? I might be back before you leave, but if I'm not," he snickered and winked, "then you know I got lucky! I'll just tell them that I'm the official photographer for Brookhaven. That ought to impress them!" "Hey, no problem Stan. Is the door self locking in case you don't get back before I pack up?" "Nah... it's a dead bolt, but I'll give you a key. After you leave just lock the door and slip the key through the mail slot." "Luck to you, Stan!" "Thanks, man!" Stan said as he waddled off grabbing a camera along the way. "Idiot," Todd mumbled under his breath as 'Stan the Man' went out the door ------- Kelly continued on the path to the marina. It seemed a lot of people were headed that way. As she passed by the barricade separating the parking lot from the rest of the island, screeching tires coming down the driveway startled her. A bright red convertible flung itself around and stopped inches from the "No Automobiles Beyond This Point" sign, with a familiar blonde behind the wheel. A guard stormed out of the security booth, "Hey you! Can't you read? No Park..." he faltered as Celeste looked coldly at him, "Er, no parking..." he tried again but faded as Celeste handed him her car keys. "Bring the package, would you? Please?" She blinked her eyes and the man rushed to obey. "Hi, Celeste!" Kelly said to the blonde beauty, laughing as she watched the guard struggle with what was obviously a heavy and awkward box. "Kelly!" She cried and ran to give her a big hug, "You're looking good!" "So do you!" Kelly kissed her on the cheeks. They held each other at arm's length, laughing at their identical outfits: shorts and shirts, except Celeste had hers unbuttoned most of the way. "Don't you feel overdressed?" Celeste laughed as she helped Kelly undo a couple of buttons. "Enough!" Kelly stopped her, "Everyone is watching already!" "Hey, they'll look at you anyway! You're hot!" "That's a nice car, Celeste," said Kelly trying to change the direction of Celeste's attention. "Thanks, it's a Solara SLE," Celeste said. "Sounded like a muscle car when you pulled in," said Kelly. Celeste laughed. "It's got a V6 - 3 liter DOHC and delivers 198 horses at my command." Kelly laughed. "What's so funny?" Celeste asked. "I just had a vision of you in a black leather outfit. Micro mini, studded bra, knee high boots with 6 inch heels and a whip in your hand." "Hmm... I could do that," Celeste said. "You'd look gorgeous." As they continued to walk along Celeste looked around. "You know, you're right. They're staring just a bit more than usual." "Well, I suppose that since this is a boating haven people recognize you from the catalog." "No... I see that, but you're being looked at... " She checked around, suddenly she giggled, "Like James does at a 20 ounce Porterhouse!" "Thanks Celeste, but I doubt anybody recognizes me. I haven't been in print since 1997." "I'm telling you, girl, a bunch of these older guys, they're looking at you like they know you." "I... oh-oh." "What?" Celeste asked. "Give it up. What did you do?" Kelly blushed. "Damn. I should have clued in. Duh. This is a sports and recreational island. Sherri's dad said he remembered me as well." "Come on, Kelly... what's the rest of the story?" Kelly snickered. "I was the center spread on the swim suit edition of Sports International back in '95." "Really? Wow, cool! Were you wearing a real tiny bikini?" "No," Kelly said smiling, "I was just wearing a one piece outfit." "Oh, like one of those real tight ones like that old lifeguard show?" "No, actually it was just a single piece of material that barely covered my butt." Celeste chortled. "Don't say anything, okay, Celeste? Don't tell the others." "Why? Did you turn modest all of a sudden or is it just because you were 'em-bare-assed' by it?" Celeste said laughing. Kelly gave her a look that said she didn't find the crack funny. "No, it's just that when people find out, they look at me differently." "No problem, Kelly, I won't say anything, but..." she stopped Kelly, took her by the shoulders and carefully checked her over, "I believe you're right! They're like wow! Way cool!" Kelly reached over and slapped Celeste on her cute ass. "I'll fix you, young lady!" Celeste was howling now, "Just remember... I'm the one you see in leather! And I've got the whip!" The growing crowd suddenly slowed their progress. "Gee. I've never tried to intimidate a crowd before," Celeste said, "Think we can squeeze through?" "Watch this," Kelly said as she walked right up to the edge of the congested area. With one hand on her hip, she spread her legs slightly and tilted her head to the left and slightly upward, not even looking at the crowd but with an expression of clear indifference on her face. As if by magic, the crowd slowly parted like the sea had done for Moses. She took Celeste by the arm and they walked through. The guard struggled valiantly to keep up. "Wow. That was really cool," said Celeste. "I'm going to have to learn that one!" A cute young girl came running up to them. "Kelly and Celeste?" "Yep, that be us," Kelly said. "I'm Lucy. James asked me to take you to the boat." Celeste shrugged. "She knows us, she knows James..." "I'm with you. Let's blow this Popsicle stand." Celeste started laughing again. "Jeez, Kelly, you're not even ten years older than me and yet you talk a whole different language." "Too many years of being on the road and picking up bad habits," Kelly said smiling. "It's the common lingo of old souls of Rock and Roll." Softly, under her breath Kelly started singing "Drift Away" to herself. "Oh, give me the beat, boys, to soothe my soul; I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away..." They spotted the boat, and Kelly realized what the crowd out front had been waiting for. Sara and Sherri were sitting on the side signing autographs, as were James and Jules. Kelly paused for a minute and marveled again at this group of kids. They were all taking this in stride. They earned their reputations by doing things and thinking of more things to do. They all should be role models for the "what's in it for me" kids that seemed so prevalent in today's society. These kids all had drive. They were motivated by challenges, not hindered by them. The James Gang. ------- Laura emerged from the dressing room with the most famous of the Scarlett dresses, the one made of the green curtains. As she approached Todd for help doing up the Velcro strips, she asked, "Where's Stan?" "He's gone to see if he can get lucky with one of the girls from the James Gang. They're here this weekend as well." "Aren't they around the same age as Brenda?" Laura asked. "Two are, I think. But I'm sure that Amanda and Sherri are younger." "You and Kelly keep referring to them as the James Gang. The other night Kelly told me the story about all these girls attached to one guy. How many are there?" Todd laughed. "Let me see. You met Amanda and Brenda, then there's JulieAnn, her sister Celeste, Sara and Sherri, all in their teens, and then there's Nicole, the oldest, but still in her mid-20's." "This James must be something really special. How old is he?" "I think about the same age as Brenda." "And Stan thinks he's going to get lucky with one of them? Hah! He's a dirty old man!" "Well," said Todd, "some people might think I'm a dirty old man too. I'm nearly ten years older than you." "No way, no chance Todd. I'm old enough to vote, but Stan, he's got to be pretty close to forty and he's fat and out of shape." "But he's the official photographer for this island," Todd said, "at least that's what he told me." Laura gave Todd a gentle kiss. "Let him keep the island," she whispered in his ear, "you've got me and Kelly." "Damn. Kelly's down there, too!" Laura said. Then she laughed. "Oh I'd love to see him try to put a move on her!" Todd laughed as well. "Come on, Scarlett. Let's do this and get out of here." "We can leave now if you want, Rhett," she drawled. "Suddenly this doesn't seem so interesting any more." "It's okay, Sweetheart, I've already got the film on the camera and you're already wearing the dress. Let's do this and pretend that there aren't more assholes like him floating around." For the next half hour Laura went through every Scarlett dress that "Reliving History" had on hand and a few other costumes as well. ------- "So tell me, how did you do that with the crowd?" Celeste asked as they walked to the boat. "What's the secret?" "It's no secret, really, Celeste. Every runway model has to learn it in time. When you're trying to get everybody's attention you have to pretend they don't exist at all. Be right in front of them and then ignore them knowing only that the world is looking at you." "I can do that. I ignore people all the time." Celeste laughed. Celeste tried a half dozen times and ways to ignore Kelly but would fall victim to the old "Catch-22" of sneaking a look to see if it was working. "You'll get it, Celeste," said Kelly; "You just have to learn how to feel it when you have everybody's attention. It takes practice." As they approached the boat Kelly waved at the four gang members. It was fun to watch them signing autographs. Celeste allowed the guard to place the box on the dock and then dismissed him with a smiling "Thank You." The group of autograph seekers dwindled quickly and Kelly looked back and saw Brookhaven staff turning people away. "Keep them wanting for more," she thought to herself. Then Kelly had to stifle a laugh. Celeste had taken charge of the gang and rousted them in a military formation for inspection. She stood back as Celeste hugged and kissed her way down the line. Kelly went and gave Sara a kiss, whispering in her ear, "I've got a secret package from Chuck for you. I don't know what it is, but..." she slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out the plain brown paper bag containing the vial-like object. "Mission accomplished!" "Yep, good stuff! Worth like 2-300 bucks on the street!" Sara said, as she sniffed the package Kelly just handed her. She looked at Kelly, "Well, aren't you going to ask me what it is?" "With real friends, I don't ask." "Damn it, girl, sometimes you're no fun at all!" "Besides," Kelly grinned, "Chuck would never have asked me if it was the least bit controversial!" "This is our secret ingredient for the Ribs Cook-off this weekend!" Sara explained, "Saffron from Chuck's garden." "I figured as much!" Kelly laughed, "Now for the really important parcel!" She handed a thick package to her, watching Sara's face light up in child-like joy as she saw Todd's picture of herself. "Like it?" Kelly whispered. "Oh my GOD! This is so awesome!" Sara cried with quaking voice, "Thank you, thank you so much!" She ran up to the others, "Look at me, look!" "Yeah, wow!" Lucy said, looking at the photo, "Sara... she's GORGEOUS!" She looked at Kelly, "Did you take this?" "My partner Todd did it, see? That's his name here... He says it's his best shot of the year, and our client is crazy about it!" Sara and Jules had cornered Sherri behind James in what appeared to be a groping session. Kelly hugged Lucy tightly. "What ARE they doing?" Lucy asked, trying to squirm out of Kelly's embrace. "Sherri's got something in her shirt, they're helping her!" Celeste laughed. "Sure!" Lucy scoffed. "Ah, you must excuse them." Celeste said, as she and Kelly watched the girls tussle and giggle around James. "And this is for you... Release forms for Erin's gymnast friends." Kelly sighed looking at the other girls, "You know, I've never really appreciated that sharing happiness can be so rewarding, until now that is." She looked at Celeste, "The sad truth is that there are way too many people in this world who enjoy causing others pain." "Yeah, I think so." Celeste said slowly, "There's no such thing as too much happiness, but sometimes, even a little sadness is too much..." "So, my lovelies," Kelly hugged Lucy and Celeste, "It means we all have to do our little bit to try and make someone else happy. Although, sometimes I wonder if those guys aren't generating too much happiness!" She laughed as they watched them fooling around behind James. ------- "You know, Laura," Todd said, "Changing wardrobe won't be this easy at Jorge's. You'll probably spend an hour getting fitted and pinned before Mike takes his first shot. This stuff here is meant to induce speed as a profit maker." "Yeah, I know," said Laura as she slipped out of the Confederate soldier costume she had put on as a lark. "But tell me... how do the runway models change so fast?" "Good point," said Todd as he started to take apart his camera. "On the catwalk, most of the clothes are made for each specific model. And made in a way that they can easily slip them on and off. Then you've got all the people backstage that you never see who fix makeup as you walk, and can curl your hair as you slip on an outfit. There are a lot of trained professionals working behind the scenes." "Oh. So the 'ready to wear' is only that ready to wear if you have help!" she laughed. "I don't think the public that watches the fashion scene really cares about that. Those clothes will rarely ever see a normal store where real people shop." "Yeah, but then what about the stuff from Sears? How come when I get it, it never looked as good as it did when I ordered it from the catalog?" Todd stopped his packing for a minute. "Now that's a fine line," he said. "The clothes worn by the models must be off the rack and they aren't allowed to be tailored to suit the models. But... that rule doesn't apply to pins and tape." "Pins and tape?" "Yep," he said as he resumed his packing. "You get the catalog and the pictures you see are flat. You can't see the back or the sides. So when a model gets into one of those outfits, they have people slapping duct tape on their backs to pull in a couple of inches for form fitting and pins on the sides to lift or tighten seams." "But you said that I would be getting pinned at Jorge's as well. I thought he was like the king of a home shopping Business Empire. And now you're telling me he uses the same gimmicks?" "No, Sweetheart, Jorge wouldn't stand for that. Besides, his sales associates, the ones that put on the home parties and display the clothes have to take the clothes with them. When I said you'd be getting pinned, that's just hems. The regular stuff that people have to do with clothes anyway. There are a lot of women who probably have the same basic build as you, but they might be an inch or two shorter or some might be a bit taller." Laura paused and thought for a minute. "I'm glad you and Kelly got me hooked up with Jorge. I know mom adores his clothes, and I don't think I'd want to be part of a scam." Todd laughed. "Hey, we get a lot of work for our models from Sears and companies like them. That's why Kelly takes care of that part of the business. I don't think we have too many models that do full outfits for major catalogs but we do have a lot that do special parts work." "Say what?" "Special parts. Like necks or hands or breasts. Stuff like that. We have some that only do legs and feet." "You're telling me that TKO has models that only do boob shots? Like in bras?" Laura asked. "Yes, that we do. We have quite a few in perfect cup sizes and with flawless skin." "Now THAT is something I would love to put on a resume!" Laura laughed. "Qualifications... perfect tits!" ------- "That's the sea-wing that Sherri designed for the boat. It's made from a miracle metal that's poised to sweep the industry," Jules explained to Kelly and Lucy as she pointed at the gleaming statuette Celeste was holding. "It's over two times stronger and more resilient than steel or titanium alloys." "What do you call it again?" Lucy asked. "It's called PhaseMetal, but it's really a mix of a lot of different metals. The lab people call it Betty-Z," Jules laughed, "because it's mostly made up of Beryllium, Titanium and Zirconium. You should look them up in your encyclopedia!" she said to Lucy. "To show you how strong it is," She pulled out a penknife, "This blade was injection molded from PhaseMetal, and after it cools..." she used it to draw a deep gouge in a sheet-metal sign, "it keeps its edge, never needing to be sharpened." Jules picked up the carton left by Celeste, who had disappeared with James. "Why don't we take this to lunch - the rest of the toys are for the parents." Sara and Sherri stopped on their way to install the 'wing' on the boat. Kelly turned to Sherri, "Hey there, kiddo," she said with a hug. "Todd and I went to meet your parents." "You shouldn't have gone to that trouble!" Sherri said. "They're here this weekend, you could have waited." "Actually, we didn't know we were going to be here," Kelly said, "But I think it's better we met them privately first anyway. They're nice people and they think a lot of you." "Yeah" said Sherri, "They were really impressed with you and Todd as well. I don't think they believed it was a real offer until you guys showed up." "It sure is. What we have to do now is set you up for a portfolio shoot with Todd. We promised your folks that for the next couple of years he'd either be doing the shots or one of us would be there if you go on location. We'll make arrangements soon, okay?" "Okay, Kelly, see you later!" Jules spoke up. "Brenda said that you were coming up early. Is Todd here at Peter's request?" Kelly turned back to business, "Yes, Peter wants him to take some pictures of... I guess this would be the boat that's 'going to turn some heads' as he put it? Is that what the crowd was doing here and why you guys were signing autographs?" "Yep, the new JamPC improved IC Monster Cuddy. She's a crowd pleaser alright." "JulieAnn, could I bother you to check on a stock price for me?" "Sure," Jules led them into the office, "Which one?" "InterCoastal," Kelly said. Jules stopped and looked at her. "Are you thinking of buying shares?" "Not really. We already bought some, but a friend, actually our company lawyer, called me yesterday afternoon and said I should check the current price. He sounded a bit enthused, so I promised him I would take a look." Jules punched in the numbers and said, "It closed yesterday at $58 a share." "I guess he was right. It's taken a real climb from when we bought in." "Kelly... Why did you and Todd buy IC stock?" Kelly laughed. "I suppose because JamPC isn't public! Todd and I, well we just wanted to share in something you guys were involved in." "You know, Kelly, if you're looking to make some quick money on this, you should maybe start selling in a week or so. Then you can buy back when it takes that little backslide as it settles into a slower but steady climb." "Thanks, JulieAnn, but Todd and I, we don't play the stocks. We have some and they're steady performers. It's just to help diversify our assets. Most of our money is in GIC's. For us this is just some fun money. We think if you guys are involved it's bound to prove our belief in you guys and what we think you can accomplish." "That's really sweet, Kelly." "Now I better get a move on. I've got some stuff to do before I hook up with Todd and Laura at lunch time." "Why don't you get them and join us at the Clubhouse for lunch. Then you can meet Sara and Brenda's parents. I know that Sara's folks will want to meet you guys, and you already know Sherri's folks." "Thanks, JulieAnn. I'll ask Todd." "And I know that some of us are dying to meet Laura. Brenda said she was something special." Kelly laughed. "Yes, that she is!" ------- Todd was just sliding the strobe flash units back into their original spots when Stan returned from the marina. Laura had just stepped out to see if she could find a couple of cold drinks nearby. "Fucking cunts," he said as he slammed his camera down. Todd felt the hair on his neck start to bristle. "Who's that, Stan?" "Them stuck up bitches who call themselves models, the ones at the marina." Todd was now seriously intent on finding out what had happened and if Stan had used language like that around any of them. "What happened?" he asked. "I got there and I was told that autographs were done for the day. Goddamn Brookhaven staff too. So, I reminded them that I've been here over ten years and I'm the island's only full time photographer. You think they gave a shit? Stupid jerks." "So you didn't get a chance to see them at all?" Todd asked. "Not in person I didn't. But one of the staff showed me a catalog they were in. Damn, they looked hot." "It sounds like your problem is with the staff then, not the models." "Nah, I sat down and wrote a note explaining that I was the official photographer for the island but the assholes wouldn't even take it to them. Said that the mayor himself had left specific instructions. Wait till I talk to him!" "Then why are you calling the models names?" "Because they're the ones who had to have said how long they would be available for autographs. Stuck up bitches." Laura picked the wrong time to return to the souvenir photo stand. "Who're the stuck up bitches?" she asked. "Them cunts down at the marina. Think they're something special. They'll be forgotten in a couple of years, but I'll still be going strong." Laura bristled. "Those 'cunts' as you call them happen to be friends of mine," she said. Stan turned to Todd. "You know them? Couldn't you clear it for me to get some cheesecake shots?" Todd picked up his case. "The way you talk about women? Forget it!" "Hey, you owe me. I let you have the run of my studio." Todd put down the case and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He slowly peeled off five hundreds but instead of handing them to Stan he tossed them on the floor. "Chump change." "You know, Stanley, the pictures you saw in the catalog? I took them. Those girls probably gave up precious time to sign autographs. One of them happens to be an architect, and at least four of them work as design specialists. And I know for a fact that one of the girls is going to be the hottest thing on the catwalks in Europe in two years." "You've got yourself a nice racket going here. A 4-gig Minolta dImage, hell, any moron can operate that. Then you've got a decent computer that your sales staff runs and a color laser printer. The entire cost of the equipment is just spit in the wind compared to what I carry in this case, and this is just my travel case." "You asked earlier about Kate... I was the photographer she chose to take the pictures of her first baby as she delivered it. You know why she wanted me? Cause I've known her for a long time and she trusts me and knows I respect her." "You'll be around a long time, Stanley, because all you are ever going to be is a cheap tourist trap. You hustle for nickels and dimes. My girlfriend here will clear more in four weeks of work than you will in a year." "Guys like you cheapen the art of photography. You're a hack with a toy. The only kind of artist you'll ever be is a con artist. You rely on chintzy backgrounds and cheap costumes. People can barely recognize themselves for all the background clutter." "When you get on chat tonight to bitch to your online buddies you can tell them that I said if they don't learn to treat models with respect and take pictures for the love of the craft, instead of the lure of easy cash or a cheap lay, they'll never get any farther than you... and that's not much of a career goal." "But you know what the real difference is, Stanley. Up until yesterday, I had never heard of you, but you knew me by name and reputation. In the world outside of this little island you are a nobody, and your customers probably forget your name before they get out the door." "Before you ever gain any respect, you're going to have to show it first, but I don't think you have the ability. You're just a contaminant in the gene pool." Todd picked up his case and headed to the door. "Come on, Laura. Let's go before we have to watch him get a dictionary out to look up the words with more than two syllables!" At the door, Laura turned back to Stan the Man. "And I would suggest you get those costumes cleaned once in a while. They stink like putrid garbage." Stan the Man watched as Todd and Laura walked out the door. His mouth was still hanging open. ------- "Hi, Kelly?" "Hi, Todd," she answered. "Are you still at that studio?" "No, Laura and I are back at the hotel. We came back to drop off the equipment." "Good. We've been invited to lunch with Brenda, Sara, and Sherri's parents. We're just about ready to go. Are you and Laura up to it?" Todd turned to Laura, "Want to meet more of the James Gang?" he said with a smile. "Yeah, I'd like that!" "Okay Kelly, where at?" "It's called the Clubhouse. The hotel has regular shuttles running over, or you can ask at the front desk and they'll run you over in one of their golf carts." "Okay, we'll head over that way now. See you soon, Babe!" ------- Chapter 12 "Wheee..." "Laura! Watch out for that pedestrian!" "Why?" she asked Todd, "he could see me coming." Todd looked back and shrugged an apology to the man. After calling Kelly he had called the desk clerk about securing a ride to the Clubhouse and had been told a golf cart would be available to them. It was one of the perks for those staying in the executive suites. To his regret he had agreed to let Laura drive. The clerk had told them to head south and they would find it easily enough. What the clerk hadn't counted on was Laura's belief in the philosophy that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points, and as such she barely stayed on any path long enough to see a direction marker. Footpaths or paved paths, it made no difference to Laura. "Come on Todd, keep score for me! 100 points for every pedestrian in funny pants that I can get to jump! 500 points for every other cart I can get to swerve." "Laura... this could be dangerous." "Todd, I'm going maybe all of eight miles an hour." "I know," he said, "but this isn't a bumper car arcade!" Laura bore down on another golfer walking along a footpath. He was wearing loud plaid pants. The golfer looked at the oncoming cart like a deer caught in a truck's headlights. She was twenty feet away when he jumped to the side cussing and swearing. Todd hunkered down in the seat. "How much further," he wondered, before they found the Clubhouse or Laura managed to wrap the fiberglass cart around a tree. "There's Kelly!" Laura shouted. "I found it. Hmmm... I wonder if this thing has brakes?" She let go of the wheel and was waving with both arms. Todd closed his eyes. After all the years of risking his neck to get the ultimate picture, he was going to end up in a wreck in a golf cart going slightly faster than a good jogger. He laughed at the irony. Kelly saw Laura coming and waved back. She noticed that Todd looked a bit stressed. Kelly, Jules, Sara and Sherri along with Lucy had arrived a few minutes earlier and were waiting for Todd and Laura to arrive before going in to meet the parents. "That's my Laura," she said to the group. "She's not driving on the path," Lucy said. "She's just cutting across everything!" "Maybe that's because she doesn't seem to have her hands on the wheel," Kelly ventured. Sherri laughed. "She looks like a fun person." "She'll fit in fine with us then," Sara added. Much to Todd's relief, Laura managed to stop the cart barely a yard from the group waiting for them. Kelly gave them both a kiss and introduced Laura to the girls. "Ladies, I would like you to meet Laura Williams, daredevil, and..." she shot a glance at Lucy, "a very special friend." The girls gave Laura hugs, making her feel right at ease. "And this is Lucy, her dad owns the marina." "Lucy, this is Todd, my partner. The face that goes with the name you saw on the picture." "Oh God, Yes!" said Sara. "When you guys called about me being a centerfold, I figured it was a nice picture, but I never imagined this!" she said as she wrapped her arms around Todd's neck. Todd blushed. "Okay... So the only ones I haven't met are..." Laura thought hard, "Celeste, Nicole and James himself, right?" Jules laughed. "You might have seen them if you had looked up. I believe Celeste was joining the 'mile high club' about the time you were driving over." "What's a mile high club?" Lucy asked. "Oh, I know!" said Laura. Jules coughed discreetly while Sara and Sherri started to squirm. It wouldn't do to have Lucy burst out with that information during lunch with the parents. Kelly winked at Jules as Laura knelt down so she was at face level with Lucy. "The reason I know is cause I just joined it yesterday. It's when people fly higher than a mile for the first time ever." A visible wave of relief washed over JulieAnn's face. "That's no big deal," Lucy said. "I've been higher than that." "So you're an old pro at flying then." Laura said to her. "But yesterday was my first trip up in a plane ever!" "Oh. Did you like it?" Lucy asked. "Very much. I had a really good pilot and he made me feel as safe as riding in one of these carts." "I hope none of the security staff saw you driving like that," Lucy said solemnly. "You can get a ticket for that! Didn't you see the signs?" "Signs?" Laura asked. "They're all along the road." "Road? You mean there was a road?" Lucy gave her one of those looks. Laura bowed her head contritely. "Next time I'll try to stick to the pavement." "Next time my butt!" said Todd, smiling. "You're a menace to golfers and photographers! From now on, I'll drive." Laura pouted for a minute, then smiled. "Good, that leaves my hands free to do other things." The older girls laughed knowing full well what Laura had on her mind. "We better get in there before they send out a search party for us," said JulieAnn. "Okay, girls. Final inspection. All buttons and such done up properly? Good. In we go." Lucy led the way through the main dining hall to the outdoor patio. Al spotted the girls of the 'James Gang' first. He stood up and waved them over. After the introductions, Al insisted they sit and order. "So," Al said to Todd, "IC sent you up here to take pictures of the Cuddy for the press people?" "Actually, it's for IC themselves. IC will invite the press here for this, but Peter will probably use my pictures for the magazines, advertising or whatever." "Careful Al," said Sherri's father laughing. "You're not talking to a regular photographer. Todd's an artist with a camera. He gave up full time fashion photography to pursue his own dreams. He and Kelly opened their own photo agency." "I'm sorry, Todd," Al said. "I meant no offense." "None taken," said Todd. "I earned my way through university doing press shoots. No shame in working for a living." "Fashion photography eh?" Al was looking at Kelly. "You look familiar. I just can't place where I've seen you?" "Here we go again," chuckled Todd quietly. Sherri's father leaned over and whispered in Al's ear. "Really? I've got all the back issues!" Al said. "Maybe you could autograph that one for me?" he asked Kelly. Kelly blushed. "It's not polite to whisper at the table, dad," Sherri said. "Well, Honey, your friend Kelly is quite famous. She was chosen as the centerfold model for Sports International's 1995 Swimsuit Edition." "Yes... we all know that Kelly was a model," Sherri replied. "That was something you needed to whisper to Al?" Sherri's mother spoke up. "She was only wearing a mono-kini." "A what? What's a mono-... oh... OH!... Oops. Sorry, Kelly. I guess I just advertised you to the whole world," Sherri said. Her father spoke up again. "Todd was the photographer for that shot. It's one of the reasons we decided to let Sherri try modeling. He's a hell of a photographer, don't you agree, Al?" Sherri's mother punched Ron in the shoulder. "Behave yourself." "Speaking of which..." said Sara, "Mom, dad, I'm going to be a magazine centerfold as well!" Sara's father choked on his water and her mother's eyes grew as round as saucers. "And Todd took the picture!" Lucy said. The eyes of eight parents turned on Todd. Kelly laughed. "No... No... Not that kind of centerfold. Sara, you better show them the photo." Sara opened the envelope, pulled out prints and quickly handed them out. "Kelly brought these down this morning. Chuck suggested I might want to autograph them." Among the sounds of admiration and compliments for Sara, Al looked one of the pictures over carefully. He turned to JulieAnn, "So you kids worked with old man Regan?" "Actually, we still do. Amanda and Brenda are down there right now." "Think you can put in a good word for me? I'd love to handle his boats." "Actually Al, it won't be Chuck you'll need to talk to about that, but I'm sure I can put in a good word for you with the new GM." Al looked confused. "Don't worry about it Al, we can go into more detail later this afternoon when we talk a bit more about having Celeste and her crew quote you on the maintenance of the properties here. She's concerned the conventional metal facings and the base fastenings have inadequate protection from the salt and wind. By the way, did I tell you she was recently featured in Architect's Digest for her innovative construction achievements and is the winner of the Inaugural Mueller Architecture Award?" Al squinted with one eye at Jules. "Young lady, if I thought that I could afford to, I'd steal you away from JamPC. You are a shrewd businesswoman!" Jules laughed. "But we can work together, Al. That way everybody wins." Al looked at her a few moments longer and then nodded. "You're right. Win-Win. I like that idea." "I have a special surprise for the golfing fathers," Jules announced, "PhaseMetal drivers from CE! They're waiting for you inside." "Really?" Al was impressed, "Is that the thin head driver Paul Azinger used to go 520 yards at Ryder?" "Yes," Smiled JulieAnn, "But with a 9.5 head for a higher loft." "I heard about that! Didn't they want $2,500.00 for that club?" Dr. Prevan asked. "That was when the metal had to be hand shaped and drop-quenched. The process is much more refined now - they'll be going to market at about a tenth of that price." "Still very impressive!" Al shook his head, "And you have connections to CE, no doubt!" "I know someone on the board," answered JulieAnn cryptically. Sara got up, "Well I hate to eat and run, but I promised Dave I'd help him out this afternoon." Sherri got up as well. "And I really need to get back to the boat. More testing and adjustments to make." "I'll give you a hand," said JulieAnn. Lucy gave her father a kiss. "I'll be at Salty Dave's with Sara." With Lucy's mother offering to be their guide, the wives decided to do the tourist thing and visit the town and craft-market. The fathers kissed their wives goodbye saying they would catch up to them after a bit of practice on the driving range with the new drivers. They invited Al to join them. "Sure wish I could," Al sighed, "but duty calls." He stood and shook hands all around. After returning to his chair he turned to Todd. "Can I talk to you about commissioning some new pictures of the island, Todd? I'd really like you to do them, but if you can't, could you suggest someone? " "Well, Al, Kelly takes care of all the business. I just do what she tells me." "I wish," Kelly laughed. "Al, you do mean the marina, don't you?" "No, the entire island. I have a few business interests here, but I'm asking as the Mayor of Brookhaven." "But wouldn't Brookhaven's official photographer's nose be out of joint if I infringed on his territory?" Todd's voice had an edge to it that brought a shiver to Kelly, and she looked carefully at Todd, whose face was carefully set in a mask of non-emotion. She looked at Laura, the question in her eyes. "I'm afraid that we had an... unpleasant encounter with 'Stan the Man' this morning," Laura explained. "I might have to get back to you on this, Al," said Kelly, "once I find out the details." "I'd like to know myself," said Al. "Maybe I can help. As the Mayor, an' I ain't bullshittin', I have a duty to make sure no one is jeopardizing our reputation or good will." They looked at him in mild shock at his language. "Yeah, no foolin', guys. This island has got a budget close to one of the smaller states, and I'm not about to allow anybody to jeopardize the wellbeing of the people who live and work here." Todd and Kelly sat back and looked at each other for a moment, and then Kelly nodded, silently telling Todd of her unwavering support. Todd asked for and got a beer; while Kelly and Laura were sipping on ice cold Evian and they all listened to Todd's version of what had happened at "Reliving History." ------- "He called them WHAT?" A few minutes had stretched out to fifteen, and Al was livid. "That's what he called them. I didn't want to let the girls know, so I wasn't going to say anything, but then you asked about me taking pictures here and not knowing you were the Mayor... I would have waited and told Kelly to pass on this. We've got enough work to keep us busy, and I didn't want there to be a conflict." "I heard most of it," Laura added, "and what I heard would have upset their parents." Todd turned to Kelly. "Sorry, babe... you were with the girls when we pulled up so I couldn't say anything." "Al, those girls are under contract with TKO as models, and we have a reputation to maintain. Whether they heard it or not is beside the point. The fact is that your official Brookhaven photographer will never get to take a picture of any model we have," Kelly said. "I understand, Kelly, but this 'official photographer' bullshit is just that. He runs a tourist shop that he rents from us. I've never been keen on the way he does business. It's almost a bait and swap scam but so far we haven't had any real complaints." "And we aren't filing a complaint either," said Todd. "I just felt you were owed an explanation as to why Kelly would have turned you down for our services." "I respect that and I won't try to dissuade you if you decide to turn me down. But give me a minute to offer a alternative." "We're open to suggestions Al," Kelly said, "right, Todd?" "My ears are always open," Todd said. "I like this place. I actually got some great shots this morning of Laura with the dolphins at the end of your pier." "So, what do you have in mind, Al?" "JulieAnn will be here quite a bit this summer. I thought that just perhaps if she was here when you have some free time to take pictures that 'Reliving History' would be closed for maintenance work, and its owner encouraged to holiday off the island. And," he said with a little smile, "that establishment will not appear anywhere in the new brochure." Todd was trying to hide a grin. "We look like we're laid back here, but we've got a good advertising budget, and we can afford to get the best man," with a glance at Kelly and Laura, "or woman, for the job." "And that is why I sure would like for Todd to do the pictures for a new brochure!" Kelly looked at Todd who nodded. "Why is JulieAnn going to be here a lot?" Kelly asked. "She's got me switching all of our phone systems and computer services. Now she's got me looking at some design work her sister did and wants me to consider letting her renovate some of the older properties on the island." "You know, Al, if I were you, I'd go for it," said Todd. "They get results from whatever they touch. You should see the changes at Regan's Boats, and I'm sure that Peter wouldn't have arranged for me to be here this weekend if IC wasn't going to make some major announcement." "Okay. I laugh a lot and put on a happy face for the people that come here. But I'm running a multimillion-dollar business, and I've seen their work! Do you know what they have done for this place? What they've done for InterCoastal?" "Well, we know that IC's stock has climbed nearly 60 percent this week alone, and I've got a feeling that after Monday, it's going to go higher yet." Kelly said. "It has?" asked Todd. "Damn right it's going to go higher." said Al. "I know that these girls are doing things. Aside from blowing my mind with their new technology, JamPC is going to shake up the boating scene this weekend." Kelly laughed. "They are very motivated, Al, and goal oriented." "So, for the pictures of the island, your idea sounds like it could work, Al. What else is there for Todd to do besides the golf courses and the marina? I need an idea of how much time we'd have to book." Al smiled. "Thanks. I'm glad that one bad apple won't ruin what I hope will be a long term relationship." "Besides the golf and the marina, and they are the major attractions, we have our own airstrip and 14 major hotels on the island. Across on the other side there's a nature preserve that's really popular with the environmentalist groups and has been heralded for helping to bring back the sea turtle population. There's even a full time staff there to monitor their activity and protect the eggs." "We've got bike concessions for those who just want to ride around and an equestrian center. You like horseback riding?" Laura nodded eagerly, and Todd rolled his eyes. "Why did I just get the feeling that I'm going to be in the saddle this afternoon?" "But Sweetheart, you like being in the saddle," Laura said. Kelly and Al laughed, while Todd blushed. "The off shore fishing is popular," Al continued, "and so is the scuba diving - there's some good diving wrecks in these waters. We've got craft shops and we even allowed a few fast food outlets to open up here. There are karaoke bars and regular bars and a main street with grocery stores and even good old soda shops." "But what's unique here, at least in my opinion, is the houses. We have a lot that were built in the early 1900s and some even before that. Most of them are smaller versions of grand old plantation mansions and the grounds have oak and willow trees that are over 100 years old, covered with Spanish moss. The island owns a lot of them now, and Celeste is right, some of them are overdue for repair and renovation." "Okay, Al, I'll work out a timetable and a price for you and then you can decide if you still want TKO to handle this." Al stood up, shaking everyone's hand. "Thanks. Now I better get down to my office and see what JulieAnn is planning to sell me on next." ------- "Where to ladies?" asked Todd as he got behind the wheel of the golf cart. Kelly looked at Laura's eager face. Her honey brown hair framed her face and the sun seemed to be absorbed in it. "So much joy, so innocent and so loving," Kelly thought. "This girl who can absorb so much pleasure out of the simple things and give so much love in return..." "Better head to the equestrian center, Todd. We don't want to disappoint our lover, do we?" Laura beamed! Todd looked at her for a minute, and then looked at Kelly. He smiled. "Okay, but if I get a sore ass..." he let the statement hang. "We'll kiss it and make it all better, right Laura?" "Absolutely!" said Laura. Todd followed the directions on the road. "Our Lover," he thought. That's what Kelly had said. Never in his wildest dreams had Todd ever thought he and Kelly would ever become intimate, and now they were and they shared a lover as well. Todd smiled again. Life had certainly changed. Renting the horses was easy and after Todd showed he was familiar with them and Kelly had ridden before they were allowed to ride on their own. Though not before Laura insisted on buying all of them cowboy hats. Kelly picked up a few cold bottles of fruit juice and some granola bars which she stuffed into Todd's saddlebag. Todd rode easy in a western saddle and they set off at a slow gait, giving Laura a chance to get a feel for the gentle mare the stable hand had recommended for her. Kelly was comfortable with her horse even though it had been a few years since she had last ridden. "Gitty-up horse!" Laura was saying to her horse. Todd and Kelly both laughed. "Okay, you guys. I know how to steer him now, but I can't find the gas pedal." Todd was laughing loudly now. "Maybe she's upset you called her a him," Kelly said, "and if you want her to move a bit faster you just give her a light nudge with your heels." She demonstrated and her horse started off on a brisk trot. Laura leaned forward and apologized to the mare for her indiscreet sexual remark, which only got Todd laughing harder. "Well, I didn't know," said Laura and inadvertently she gave the reins a shake just as she gave the horse a nudge. Between the two signals, the horse started to gallop. To her credit, Laura didn't panic and kept her seat. As she passed by Kelly she hollered out, "I found the gas pedal!" Todd stopped laughing and with a flick of the wrist was in pursuit of Laura. As he passed Kelly he hollered back, "I hope she can find the brakes!" The mare only ran for a short distance. She was a gentle beast and totally familiar with the grounds. As she approached a fork in the path without receiving a signal from her rider, she slowed back to a walk. Todd caught up to her and asked if she was okay. Kelly rode up and asked the same. Laura laughed. "I'm fine but my knees are a little weak." "Did it scare you?" Todd asked with serious concern. "Oh no!" said Laura, "my knees are weak because I nearly had a climax while the horse was running! God, I am so wet! If she had gone a minute longer I would have cum all over the saddle!" Kelly laughed. "Maybe we should have stayed at a cheap motel with vibrating beds! Bet you'd like that!" "Only if one of you were lying on top of me," Laura said. Todd dismounted and helped the girls get down as well. They walked for a bit until they found a clump of old trees where Todd allowed the horses to graze as the three of them sat down in the shade. Kelly pulled the bottles of juice and a handful of granola bars from Todd's saddlebag. Todd pulled off his T-shirt and laid back on the ground pulling his new hat over his eyes to keep the sun out. Kelly and Laura sat with their legs crossed sipping on the juice and munching on the snack bars. "You guys are so good to me," Laura finally said. "I've been on a plane, a luxury boat, got to touch a dolphin and ride a horse. All in one weekend. These are things I've read about and heard people talk about but I never thought I'd be one of the lucky ones to do any of them." "And the weekend's only started," Kelly said as she lit a cigarette and leaned back against the tree. "We should have some of Delton's grass with us," Todd said. "We could really mellow out tonight watching the sun set." "Oh no you don't, mister! I want to have some fun tonight and I need you to be alert for what I want to do!" Kelly's ears perked up. "What do you want to do, Laura?" "Well... if you guys are up for something a bit kinky..." Todd rolled on to his side looking with interest at Laura. "I thought we might pick up a few bottles of olive oil and do a bit of slip sliding tonight." "You are so wicked, Laura!" Kelly laughed. "And I love you for it!" "Does that mean you'd go for it?" "Sure, why not? I'm game for something new. How about you, Todd?" Todd grinned. "A chance to see you two glistening with oil? Count me in! But I think we better get some rubber sheets before we get all the bedding saturated." "Don't worry, Todd, olive oil is polyunsaturated!" "Where and when did you become such an expert on sex games?" "She gets it from the internet," Kelly said with a smile. Carefully picking up all their trash they rode out again and stayed to slow gaits and brisk trots before returning to the stables an hour later. Both girls were getting a bit sore in the thighs from straddling their horses. ------- Todd steered the cart back to the hotel where they dropped it off, and went for a stroll down to the main part of the tourist area. It was too early to eat again so the threesome went sight seeing. An old warehouse had been converted to a craft mall and for an hour they browsed the stalls, watched an older woman carving driftwood and Todd bought Laura a beautiful hand polished dolphin. Back on the main strip, they decided against a tour of Ripley's. As Laura said, "Nothing can be as unbelievable as my life has been since I met the two of you." They did however stop at Loretta's Condiments for a taste of the island's famous Sweet Potato ice cream. "Hmmm," said Laura. "It's yummy." "Very different, but tasty," said Kelly. "It's an outrage! Making ice cream out of potatoes," said Todd with a smile. They strolled along a bit further when Todd spotted a T-shirt shop with Trek decals on the window. "Time for me to stock up," he said with a grin. "What I don't understand is why you girls, with all of the fashions you have to choose from, insist on wearing my clothes!" "That's because we love you," said Laura. "And besides, we know you like it," added Kelly. Todd shook his head and entered the store. It had looked like a small store from the outside but Todd was surprised to see the size of the interior. The front half of the store was filled with standard tourist T's and the common concert and music T's, but the back half of the store was strictly Trek! Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops were playing Trek themes from the series and movies in the background. Todd knew he was in a store run by a kindred spirit. The selection was more than Todd could have dreamed of. He soon had a dozen assorted T's on his arm along with some assorted sweatshirts. Having two gorgeous models on his arm didn't hurt Todd's image and it obviously impressed the young man working the store! Not having a change room the clerk quickly offered the office for the girls to change in, and to model the various shirts. "It should be you trying them on, Todd," Kelly said. "Why? I never see them on myself. Besides, I think the customers would prefer to see them on you girls anyway." Laughing and giggling the whole time Kelly and Laura tried on one shirt after another. Pictures of Trek logos on white or ash, Klingon tri-foils in blazing red on black. Schematics of various ships such as the Romulan Warbird and the Klingon Bird of Prey, a beautiful Romulan logo in multi metallic colors and even new T's of the Enterprise NX. Business in the store was picking up, as the girls appeared two at a time with various T's. It was obvious neither girl was wearing a bra and the excitement of the novelty and a desire to make Todd happy had given rise to two pair of very stiff nipples. The store's air conditioning only helped them stay that way. As each T was tested and approved, Todd added them to the growing pile, and customers who straggled without buying were asked to make room by the happy owner. Many customers started to buy the T's the girls modeled and Todd was happy he had placed his on the counter. It looked like it was going to be Trek festival on Brookhaven today! Kelly realized that they were presenting an impromptu fashion show, and gave Laura tips on how to present herself and the clothes as they changed. The owner was delighted as they appeared in outfit after outfit, and quickly moved some racks back against the wall to give the girls plenty of room to strut their stuff. Laura came out wearing a white T with the letters "Boldly Go..." Her nipples were clearly outlined and the bounce in her breasts caused a collective sigh. Kelly was equally impressive in her copy of the new "Enterprise Crew" T in bright orange on a navy background. Next the girls came out wearing identical sweatshirts that read "Property of Starfleet", and minutes later in identical "Property of the Federation" but what stirred the crowd of onlookers the most was when Kelly and Laura finally appeared in the bluish gray tanks and tight shorts that featured prominently on the show as issued underwear. Knowing their sizes, Todd had picked garments a size smaller than their measurements and they fitted like a second skin, clinging in the crotch and highlighting the curve of breast. Todd turned to the enthusiastic group of mainly male onlookers. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Let's have a great round of applause for Ms. Kelly Jennsen and Ms. Laura Williams!" Kelly gave a cute bow acknowledging the whistles and applause but Laura blushed and managed only a quick curtsy before ducking back into the office. A few minutes later they stood by Todd's side as the clerk rang in all of the items. He had been happy enough with the brisk pace of business even without Todd's purchase, and was shocked when Todd said he would take them all. When Todd declined a discount, the clerk grabbed two more sets of the Enterprise undergarments and put them into the bag for Laura and Kelly. "Please," said the owner, "you guys... well actually the girls, made my week!" He looked at the beaming faces of Kelly and Laura. "You know, you girls look like models!" Kelly was the first to burst out laughing. "What did I say?" the clerk asked, totally bewildered. "They both are," chuckled Todd. "Kelly's retired now and Laura's under exclusive contract, so you won't get to see this too often!" The owner's jaw was still agape as he promised to have the clothes delivered to the hotel. They had spent over an hour in the Trek shop, and the three wandered hand in hand down the sidewalk. "You looked like you enjoyed that, honey," Todd said to Laura. "Oh yes!" she replied. "It's a... strange feeling, like... like exhibitionism, somehow!" "Oh yeah, honey, you got that right!" exclaimed Kelly, then Laura spied a small grocery store. "Honey," she said, smooching up against Todd, "would you like to get slippery?" ------- He was laughing as he came out of the store with three liter bottles of virgin olive oil. "I just got the strangest look from the clerk - I asked how they knew the olives were virgins. Then I asked him where I could get some plastic drop sheets. Turns out they have them in stock!" "Well, they won't be virgins after tonight," said Laura. "And you've never tried this before?" asked Todd. "Nope, I just read about it in a story on the ASSM newsgroup," said Laura. "It sounded like fun so I thought it might be worth trying. I know how much you like things to be slippery." Kelly laughed. "She's got your number, Todd! Now I need to find a drug store or a good cosmetic outlet. We're out of sunscreen and we ladies need to protect our fragile skin." "God, that was only yesterday," sighed Laura. "I can't believe we used up the whole bottle!" "It was fun, wasn't it?" Kelly said with a smile of fond memories. "I was sure my nipples were ready to start squirting it back out the way you slathered it on me!" "I love your itty-bitty titties Kelly," Laura said. "I wish that mine weren't so big." "Hey," said Todd, "I just realized you weren't wearing a bra when you modeled the T's. I know you were wearing one at 'Reliving History'. Where and when did it disappear?" "Oh, I've got it back on now," said Laura. "Kelly said that if I'm going to be moving around a lot, I should wear one so I don't end up all saggy when I'm 30. But it's a nice light one with lots of support. When we were trying on the T's I just slipped it off. God, could you imagine what that horse ride would have done to me if I hadn't been wearing it?" Laura gave Kelly a kiss. "Thanks for watching out for me, Sweetheart." "I've got to protect my favorite toys," Kelly said with a smile. They passed a small movie theatre that was showing the latest Brad Pitt flick but neither girl seemed interested. "Why waste time in a theatre looking at Brad, when we have a hunk like you to get our hands on?" asked Kelly. "My thoughts exactly," said Laura, "next to you, Todd, he's just too bland." Todd blushed. "Okay guys, quit with the sucking up. What do you want?" "To go dancing," said Kelly. "Ooh! Sounds like fun," said Laura, "But where?" "I saw an ad for a boat that's been converted to a restaurant that's anchored off Shrimp Cove. It's got a bar and a full menu. Live music as well." "Maybe we should call ahead and make reservations." "Good idea. I'm thirsty so why don't we stop for a bit, get a drink and then call them up?" "That sounds like a plan to me," said Laura. "Oh, wait... I see a drug store," Kelly said. "You guys get drinks from one of the outdoor vendors and I'll run in and get the number and the sun block." Todd put the packages on a bench and asked Laura to sit with them while he got them something cold and fruity. He was back in a few minutes with three bottles of Sobey's Pina Colada coconut drinks. Kelly returned a few minutes later carrying a bag and wearing a smile. "I've got sun block and a very large bottle of moisturizing lotion. I figure that with all the showers we've been taking and after washing off the olive oil tonight we should really rub ourselves in. I also called the hotel and they're going to make sure we have reservations for some time after eight." Kelly took her drink and gulped half of it down in one shot. "Damn, but I like this stuff! Tonight though, the real thing!" Kelly sat back on the bench with Todd and Laura, lit a cigarette and spied Lucy walking towards them. A big burly official looking man wearing a Brookhaven security T-shirt followed her. "Oh oh. Looks like trouble heading our way!" "I'm sorry," said Lucy, "but one of the golfers said you tried to run him over and he filed a complaint." Laura shrunk down on the bench. The security guard spoke up. He looked at Kelly and then at Laura. "Hmm. The man identified the cart as belonging to the Hampton and that it stopped at the Clubhouse. Based on his description I checked at the Clubhouse and was told that a lady had arrived with a man but had entered with the Mayor's daughter. I already made one mistake today regarding the driver of a cart, but she was a blonde, though judging by her driving I was sure I had the right girl." "A blonde reckless driver?" Kelly asked with a knowing smile. "Yes, Ma'am. But then I remembered the description said it was a brunette. That's when I decided to get Lucy." "I didn't want to tell him," Lucy said. "I told him you were sorry and that you wouldn't do it again." "But we do have rules," interrupted the security guard, "and we do have to follow up on complaints." "I'm sorry, officer," Laura sighed. "There goes my perfect driving record." She held her hands out like she was waiting to be handcuffed. "Was I talking to you, Miss?" he asked. "Seems I was just explaining out loud what my predicament was." Laura quickly dropped her hands. "Now, Lucy verified she had lunch with a gentleman and a brunette who are staying at the Hampton." "So what's the problem, officer?" asked Kelly. "It's clear to see there are two brunettes sitting with this gentleman. Lucy, can you tell me which of these ladies you had lunch with?" "I had lunch with both of them," said Lucy. "Just as I figured. I can't make a positive ID, so I'll just have to mark it down as driver not found." Todd was laughing. "Okay. How about off the record? We both know you could ask Lucy who was driving. Why aren't you? I'm really dying to know." This time the security guard laughed. "Okay, you got me. It's barely a speeding ticket. A $25 fine with a warning. If you get too many of them you lose the right to come to Brookhaven for a year, but you have to be a really bad driver or just plain malicious to gather up enough warnings. No golf game was interrupted which we would take very seriously, and no one was hurt. But the guy who filed the complaint is a real jerk. Thinks he's somebody special 'cause he's an exec with an insurance company. He's a pain in the ass is what he is. But I can't give him a ticket for that." "Thank you, officer," said Kelly. "You all have a good day now," he said as he walked away. "And I have to get back to Dave's," said Lucy. "See you guys later!" "Don't say it!" said Laura. "Say what?" asked Kelly. "I told you so!" said Todd. "Okay, I think we should head back to the hotel," said Todd. "I want to stretch out for a while before supper." "Good idea," said Kelly. ------- Todd put the bags down to open the door. He had the bag from the drug store, a bag of drop sheets and a bag with three bottles of olive oil from the grocery store. He was glad the owner of the T-shirt shop had arranged to deliver his purchases. He waved the door open and bent to pick up the bags when the sounds of delight from Kelly and Laura caused him to look up. There, on the center table, were two vases with fresh cut flowers courtesy of the owner of the T-shirt store. A note was attached. "To the most beautiful models to ever grace my store! Thanks for making my sales week one for the record books. Sincerely, Ray." "Aren't they beautiful?" said Laura. "It was a very kind gesture on Ray's part," said Kelly. Todd, seeing Laura notice Kelly's lack of enthusiasm, explained about models and their superstition about cut flowers. "See, Sweetheart, cut flowers will whither and die in a few days. No matter how much you feed them, once they are cut from the plant, they can't survive and their beauty fades too quickly. Models think it's a reminder of their own short careers. I know that whenever Kelly gets cut flowers at home she takes them to a nursing home for the residents." "Oh. I never thought of that," said Laura. "That's the biz, Honey," said Kelly. "But it was awfully kind of Ray, and he didn't know. I doubt we'll be able to find a nursing home around here that needs cheering up so let's enjoy them." "Todd, those pictures you took last night of Laura and I in the bathtub covered with bubbles... If one of those turns out good, how about we send Ray an autographed one for his store? One that doesn't expose our better qualities?" Todd chuckled. "Let's see when we get back to Charlotte. I'm sure that I can find a 'decent' picture of the two of you cavorting in the bubbles!" "What I don't understand," said Laura "is how he got these into the room." "Don't worry, Baby," said Todd. "One of the bellhops would have brought all this stuff up." Grabbing a bottle of Evian from the fridge, Todd headed out to the balcony and sat back in quiet contemplation of the day and the possibility of spending a couple of weeks on the island doing a massive photo campaign. Kelly joined him after putting away the clothes. Lighting a smoke she sat down and said, "a dollar for your thoughts." "A dollar? It used to be a penny!" "Eh, times change and you have to take inflation into account!" Todd laughed. "It's okay, Kell, this one is free. I was just trying to figure out how much time we would have to spend here to do this place justice. I'm thinking about 10 days of good weather, but it will mean breaking it up into two or three day shoots. I'll have to be out in the morning for the dolphins and the fishermen. Midday for the mansions, and judging by the sun, late afternoon for the hotels, that's going to make for long days." "You can probably do the mansions through the week," said Laura who had just joined them on the balcony, "but for the fishing, you'll want the weekends." "That's what I was thinking as well," said Todd. "Same as the dolphins... best to do it through the week when there aren't as many tourists around. I'll have to check with the people at the wildlife preserve to see when would be a good time for them, but I think the rest can be done on weekends. It would help to show the marina full of boats and the shopping area full of people." "Do you want the job, Todd?" Kelly asked. Todd took a long swallow from the bottle before he answered. "It's what we talked about, Kelly, when we started this. It's a great place to do a variety of pictures, and no hassles with models. Yeah, I want this, but I'm thinking that there will be a lot of flying back and forth, and expenses staying on location." "Wouldn't it be the same for any other photographer of your caliber? Or reputation?" Laura asked. "There's your answer, Babe," said Kelly. "This place is money with a capital M. If you swing this deal to Al's satisfaction, there are going to be a lot of people here from the big corporations that will see what you can do." Todd nodded his head slowly. "You realize that if we keep growing at this pace, I'm going to have to take on a full time assistant?" "That would be good for you, Todd. You've been working way too hard these last few years. I mean, I can still help out with moral support and fix up the models that you use, but we can certainly afford to hire on someone to lend you a hand. Even if all they do is load film for you, it will still take a burden off your shoulders." "Yeah," he said grudgingly, "It's just going to be hard finding the right person." "Don't you worry, Sweetie, I've got a feeling that the person you need is going to find you." ------- They took a quick shower and changed before heading to the restaurant. Kelly and Laura wore shorts and blouses, while Todd slipped on a pair of scrub pants and one of his new T-shirts. "I've eaten on a boat before," said Todd, "but not one that was permanently anchored." "I'm sure it will be fine," said Kelly as they made their way along the wooden boardwalk that crossed over the marsh to the converted boat. "Place looks big," said Todd. "I think I read that it's licensed for 100 so it's a fair size," said Kelly. "Hey!" said Laura, "Listen to the band! It sounds like they'll be good." They could hear the steady beat of a bass guitar throbbing. "Well, at least it's not rap or punk," said Todd. "Sounds like soul music to me," said Laura. As they got closer they could hear the strains of "Chain of Fools" coming from the boat. "Yay! Dance music!" said Laura. Their reservation was confirmed but it would still be a 20-minute wait until their table was ready. The maitre d' apologized for the delay and suggested they wait at the bar. Kelly and Laura ordered Pina Coladas while Todd settled for a Screwdriver. "Need my vitamin C if I'm going to keep up with you girls tonight," he said. "Isn't that sweet?" said Laura to Kelly, "he's always thinking of us." The band was a four-piece combo consisting of drums, bass, keyboard and a beautiful airbrushed Lado. All four of the musicians were miked and sung in a smoky harmony. The music was varied and mixed, and the band were obviously pros and used to working a mixed crowd. They played classic rock, country rock and some newer top 40 pop songs and were just breaking into The Doors' hit "Light My Fire" when the maitre d' told them their table was ready. Carrying their drinks with them, they wound their way through the crowd and sat. The band finished the Doors classic and took a break. "Eat slow, girls," said Todd, "we have all night and I like live music." "Oh, good! We can dance then," said Laura. Kelly just laughed. "We can, Sweetheart, but Todd won't get up on the dance floor. He's too shy." "I'll bet we can fix that, Kelly," said Laura with a wink. A waitress came to take their order. Todd went for the pan-fried butterfly shrimp in butter and garlic with rice, Kelly decided on "Shrimp Creole" while Laura chose the house specialty of shrimp scampi on a mixed pasta plate. "Appetizers?" the waitress asked. "Yes, by all means!" said Kelly. She looked at Todd and Laura. "Shrimp cocktails?" Receiving nods of approval, she turned to the waitress and asked for three shrimp cocktails, and a fresh round of drinks. "Are you trying to get me drunk so you can have your way with me?" asked Todd. "Ha, it would take a lot more than a few drinks," said Kelly. "But vee hav udder vays!" said Laura trying hard not to laugh. The waitress returned with hot garlic bread and a basket of clam cakes along with their shrimp cocktails, then a few minutes later brought a fresh round of drinks. They ate in relative peace until the band came back on, relaxing, just enjoying each other's company. "This is a group with class," said Todd as the keyboard player started on familiar strains of "Highwayman" by the Highwaymen. "No talking about their latest CD or telling jokes, just music. And damn good music too," he added as all four of the players lent their vocals to the song made famous by Willie, Waylon, Kris and Johnny. Their meals arrived along with ice-cold bottles of Perrier as Kelly had requested. They ate while tapping their feet to selections of cover songs from famous groups. Todd even got a taste of his Beatles. They could feel the gentle swaying of the boat as it seemed to move along with the up tempo beat of the bass guitar and the primal sounds of the drums. An hour later and the dining crowd had thinned out. Tables were pushed clear from the front opening up the dance floor, and as more people got up to dance, the band switched to more pop tunes. Todd took the last of his butterfly shrimp and making sure he had Kelly and Laura's attention examined it closely for a minute before he let his tongue slide out and he licked it slowly down the middle. He repeated this sexual suggestiveness twice more before popping the entire shrimp into his mouth with a grin. Both Kelly and Laura had their legs clamped tightly under the table. "That's it for me," he said. "I'm finished!" "Like hell you are, mister!" said Laura. "You've got me hot for that tongue right now!" "Likewise," said Kelly, "don't be planning on falling asleep too soon tonight!" Todd just smiled at them. Kelly pushed her plate away. "I'm just pleasantly comfortable, so I'm going to quit while I'm ahead." Laura placed her fork and knife on the plate in the same manner as Kelly had done, then whispered to Kelly, "Why'd we do that?" Kelly leaned towards Laura and explained it was the polite sign for letting the waitress know they were finished and that the table could be cleared. Sure enough, the waitress appeared and asked if they cared for dessert. Todd shook his head no as did Laura. "But I could do with a double of Baileys Irish Cream over ice," she said to the waitress. "Laura? Todd?" "Sounds good to me," said Todd. Laura frowned and slightly shrugged her shoulders. Kelly ordered three doubles. "Trust me, Hon, this is something you will really enjoy!" The drinks arrived with the check. Todd barely glanced at it, and then pulled out two hundred dollar bills. When she came back with his change and a receipt he just took the receipt and thanked the girl for the great meal and service and to keep the change. Laura took a sip of the Baileys. "Oh, I could get hooked on this!" "That's the problem," said Kelly, "so could I, which is why I order it after a meal. Not only does it taste great, but it helps to digest what you ate and settles the stomach." They sat back hooked on the music when the band started on a trio of Blue Rodeo songs. The lead guitarist plucked the opening strains of "Rose Colored Glasses" on his custom Lado and by the time he had sung the intro and the rest of the group had joined in on the chorus, both Kelly and Laura were swaying in their seats. As the group broke into "Floating" both girls were out of their chairs and on the dance floor moving to the very liquid beat, swaying gently with the music. The music carried them away and with gliding limbs they gyrated slowly in the center of the dance floor. With lust and love filled eyes, they moved towards each other mirroring the other's movements. The guitar picked out a distinctive sexual sound above the beat of the drum and the bass surpassing even the excellent vocals of the band. On the midsection of the song the keyboard player took over with a series of riffs like a heart racing towards orgasm. It was a long limb limbering song, but both girls were in excellent shape and kept to the liquid passion of their movements that had not gone unnoticed by the crowd. Todd smiled looking around at the crowd. It looked like most were newlyweds on their honeymoon or young executives enjoying the fruits of their labor. As the song came to an end, the band didn't even pause. They too had noticed the unusual mating ritual on the dance floor and slid effortlessly into "Try" as the girls were preparing to leave the floor. Kelly and Laura stopped and looked at each other. Keeping beat with the band they slid up to Todd and tried to convince him to join them on the floor. Todd was laughing and shaking his head no. Shrugging, the girls went back to the center of the floor that magically opened for them. This time though they weren't as subtle in their movements. Hands locked and fumbled as they moved like fire and ice against each other. Fire slowly melting ice, and ice cooling fire. By the time the band hit the second verse, Laura had locked legs with Kelly and the two of them moved like the bubbles in a Lava Lamp. Slowly Laura unbuttoned a few of the buttons on Kelly's blouse as Kelly did the same to her. Since Kelly was braless, Laura tied the bottom of Kelly's blouse before undoing the last button. Laura was wearing one of the fancy bras she and Kelly had picked up at "Victoria's Secret," so she unbuttoned Laura's entire blouse letting it move with the music. The song was drawing to a close with more applause for the two girls than for the songs themselves and Todd was making his way to the dance floor. The keyboard player saw Todd moving towards the girls and quickly slipped into a song recently revived by Tom Jones on the soundtrack of "The Full Monty." With his keyboard set to brass, he started the strip song, "You Can Leave Your Hat On", getting grins from the other band members, the drummer coming in at the end of the first bar. By the time Todd had made it to the girls the entire band was in sync and the entire crowd was swaying along and clapping along to the beat. Kelly and Laura trapped Todd between them and continued their gyrations but against him and moving around him forcing him to either dance along or physically carry the girls off. Letting the beat take him, Todd started dancing along with the girls. Kelly was in front of him, facing away, and he was slowly running his hands over her body. She felt his hands slide from her shoulders, across her breasts and downward to where at the last moment he teasingly slipped his hands around to cup her butt. Giving her cheeks a gentle squeeze he turned and did the same with Laura. She responded by grinding her butt back against his groin while the band did their best to extend the song. Finally the girls turned and with Todd between them they slid their hands over each other and over him. Laura slipped her arms underneath Todd's forcing him to raise his arms. Kelly slipped her hands under his T-shirt and slowly peeled it upward and over his head. Todd's well-muscled and tanned chest was a perfect stage for the girls to play on and against. The song ended with many whistles and cheers from the crowd. Todd blushed and escorted the girls back to the table. "And now it's time for the band to take a break," said the bass player. "We all hope you'll come back tomorrow and maybe our mystery dancers will make another appearance," said the lead guitar player. "And I think it's time we head back to the hotel," said Todd. We've got three bottles of olive oil waiting for us, and some unfinished business," he winked, nodding at his groin, which was visibly tented. Carrying his T-shirt in front of him the three hustled out of the restaurant and hit the wooden walk way laughing. "I hope Al doesn't hear about this," Todd said. "I'm not sure they have a category in their law books to cover this!" Kelly laughed. "It was worth it! I didn't think I'd ever see you on the dance floor. Bet a lot of women in there were wishing they were the ones dancing with you tonight." "Yeah, and I'm sure that every guy in that place is going to dream about that little show you two put on tonight as well." As the lights from the restaurant faded behind them and the peacefulness of the island enveloped them, Todd spoke again. "You two looked really, really hot on the dance floor. I'm the luckiest man alive." They stopped to sit on one of the benches along the pathway back to the hotel. Kelly lit one up and took a deep drag. "I don't know what happened in there," she said. "Laura and I got up to dance and the next thing I know, I'm ready to tear her clothes off right then and there." "You too?" said Laura. "I was listening to the music and all of a sudden I could feel you inside of me. Like I could read your mind and feel your desires and I wanted you so bad!" "I don't want this to sound mystical or anything," said Todd, "but you guys looked like you weren't even there at one point. You moved with each other like a hot knife slicing through butter. That smooth. Everybody saw it, but your eyes, they were just..." "In love?" asked Laura, reaching over to kiss Kelly. "Yeah, that and more." Kelly kissed Todd and then Laura. "We better button up before we go inside." Todd slipped his T-shirt back on while Kelly and Laura did up their buttons, but not before Kelly opened her blouse wide, exposing her hardened nipples to the cool ocean breeze, and to her two lovers. ------- There were an unusual number of hotel employees in the lobby when Todd, Kelly and Laura entered. As they parted to make way for the happy threesome, the reason soon became apparent. On the front desk, sitting in very conspicuous sight was a gentleman's formal top hat. Kelly and Laura giggled as they ran for the elevator while Todd blushed a beet red. As the elevator doors closed they could hear the staff singing, "You can leave your hat on." Back in their room, Todd said, "Still think we should quote on the job for Al?" "Hell, yes!" said Kelly. "This is the stuff that legends are built on!" "And I'll bet we never have to look for a place to eat again," said Laura. Todd grabbed more Evian out of the fridge and offered a bottle to each girl. After a bit of group kissing and groping, Todd broke away and excused himself. "I'd like to brush my teeth before we get down to the fun and games." "Yeah, we should as well," said Kelly. Todd headed off to one bathroom while the girls used the other. Kelly and Laura were undressed in seconds, and kissing and hugging each other. "God, I'm so horny," said Kelly. "Oh Jesus, Kelly, I know what you mean," Laura said as she lightly pinched Kelly's nipple. "I could have sucked on these right there on the dance floor." She took Kelly's hand and put it between her legs. "Feel how wet you got me, Babe?" Kelly grabbed Laura's hand and put it to her own sopping vagina. "Feel what you did to me!" They kissed a little bit longer grinding against each other and then reluctantly parted so they could relieve their bladders and wash themselves up on the bidet. After they finished brushing their teeth they headed back to the main room where Todd had pushed the furniture aside and spread the plastic drop sheets on the floor. The bottles of olive oil were on the floor as was Todd who was totally naked, his erection very prominent. Kelly found a contemporary rock station on the digital satellite feed then turned down most of the lights and opened the blinds and the glass doors leading to the balcony allowing the moonlight to spill in along with a gentle breeze through the screen. Laura meanwhile took the bottles of olive oil and warmed them in hot water in the sink. Leaving two of the bottles in hot water she poured one over the plastic sheets and gently pushed Todd back. Kelly joined her on the plastic and kissed Laura again. "Look at that hard throbbing cock," she said to Laura. "He's not going to last long in this condition," as she squeezed the base of his shaft. "Maybe we should take the edge off first?" Laura asked. She pushed him on to his back into the warm olive oil then straddled his face. Todd pulled himself into a comfortable position and spreading Laura's lower lips started to lick away at her labia in earnest. "You're right, Kell," Laura said. "He's too far gone for us to tease him for long." "And whose edge are we taking off right now?" Kelly asked as Laura squirmed under Todd's delicate probing. "Ah ah, Todd needs to cum now." Laura panted. "I'm just thinking of how he teased us at the restaurant." Kelly smiled and knelt down on the oil-covered sheet and bent forward to engulf Todd's cock in her mouth, having a hard time finding a secure hold on the oil covered plastic till she finally gave up and put her now slippery hands on his washboard stomach, her head bobbing up and down. "Oh yes, God that's good, Kelly," said Laura who was feeling every stroke of Todd's willing tongue. "Suck that cock!" Kelly mumbled out a response that only served to heighten Todd's enjoyment. Long slow slurping kisses around the crown of his cock, which was now so hard that his foreskin was too tight to move. She could feel his cock head swelling in her mouth and with one oily hand gripped his ball sac and gently massaged it and him over the edge. Laura screamed out in delight as Todd's thrashing head brought her to the point of climax, while Todd just continued to buck his still hard, still shooting cock into Kelly's mouth. Laura collapsed forward on Todd as Kelly was slowly backing off his cock dragging her teeth lightly over his sensitive glans. The two girls met in the middle and shared a kiss and his cum. They swapped it back and forth until finally Laura pressed Kelly onto her back and slid between her legs. "Poor baby," she cooed as she gently stroked Kelly's labia, spreading them to expose her inner lips. "You're so hot and I was so greedy getting off first." Laura gently nibbled on Kelly's thighs and inner lips until Kelly couldn't take any more teasing. Grabbing Laura's hair with oily hands she pulled her lover closer to her tunnel of love and cried, "Eat me now! I'm so fucking close!" Laura didn't hesitate a second. She could feel the heat coming from Kelly and expertly dove her tongue in to scoop up a mouthful of Kelly's juices before smearing her now wet mouth over the pulsing vagina in front of her. She flicked her tongue like a whip over Kelly's engorged clit sending her friend and lover over the edge with a blood pounding orgasm and a scream to match. "Mmm, tasty!" said Laura raising her head. "A touch of balsamic vinegar to go with the olive oil and I could live on this!" She dove back down and with long wide strokes of her tongue cleared a path up again and again over Kelly's throbbing clit. The strokes got longer as Laura used her nose to nuzzle Kelly's clit while her tongue dove in deep to bring more of Kelly's natural juices out, smearing them over her lover's pubic hair. When she felt Kelly ready to burst again she placed her slippery lips around Kelly's clit and gently nibbled with her teeth and sucked with her lips until Kelly was thrashing like a landed fish, her hands still locked in Laura's hair. Finally, with a deep sigh of satisfaction, Kelly released her grip on Laura's hair and gently pulled her up on top for long, soul deep kisses. Todd, having regained some blood in his upper head had retrieved the other bottles of olive oil and picked up some more towels on his way back. Though he had been quickly sated, the sight of the two girls loving each other brought his prick back to attention. He sat on the oily plastic watching the girls kiss and maul each other and then poured one of the bottles of oil right over Laura's exposed back. With the oil dripping down her back and sides, Laura moaned into Kelly's mouth. "Mmm... this feels like heaven," she said to Kelly. "Now I know why it's such a fetish!" She slowly slid off Kelly landing on her stomach pulling Kelly over to do the same giving Todd a chance to pour the other bottle over Kelly. Kneeling between the two girls he used a hand on each and started to rub in and rub over every exposed inch of their bodies. The girls just lay quietly moaning as his hands worked their magic. With both of them in such a restful relaxed state and with their legs spreads wide, Todd slid a thumb from each hand into two puckered rectums, and let his fingers find their way into two very moist and hot vaginas. "No," he said as he slowly pumped his fingers and thumbs in and out of the two delectable babes lying on each side of him, "this is heaven. No guy in the world is as lucky as me!" The plastic sheeting was totally covered with the slippery oil as the girls maneuvered their legs to keep Todd's hands where they were doing so much good and scooped oil up and over each other and over Todd. In short order he was nearly as coated as the girls were as they spread more and more oil on his chest, stomach and cock, which was now at full staff. With a sigh the girls pulled out of Todd's grasp, and pulled him down to the oil soaked floor. Laura had her hand on Todd's cock and slowly pumped it as the three of them kissed. Kelly and Todd, Kelly and Laura, Laura and Todd. Nobody kept count. Three lovers were just enjoying the totality of the sensations of full love. "You know," said Kelly between kisses, "I've always been shy of anyone touching my ass, but with you two, I get the most delicious pleasure from feeling a finger in there..." "I know," said Laura as she gave Kelly another series of gentle kisses. "The first time Todd slipped a finger into my butt I thought 'Oh No, ' but now it's 'Oh Yes!'" Todd laughed as he nibbled on one set of eraser hard nipples and then another softer but extended set on the other side. "It all depends on what's going in and who's trying to put it in. Done properly, a bit of anal insertion is fun and harmless, but if there's resistance from your partner, it's better to leave it out of the playbook." "You hear that, Kelly?" asked Laura in mock shock. "To him this is just a sport, why... he's even got a game plan!" she exclaimed. Kelly struggled to get to her feet, and then helped Laura up while pressing one foot on Todd's chest. Facing her lover, she said, "He can keep his playbook, we can invent our own rules can't we, Babe?" "Oh, you bet we can!" said Laura drawing Kelly closer for a kiss. "God, I'm sorry about your hair," said Kelly looking at Laura. "You just had me so wound up that I needed to hang on to something or I would have shot into orbit." "It's okay Sweetheart. It didn't hurt and I'm sure my hairdresser will understand!" The two were standing over top of Todd now who was relaxed and lying with his hands behind his head, oil from the two hot bodies above him dripping down on him. A soft and slow dance song was playing and the two girls danced to it like they had at the restaurant though not moving their feet much in case they should slip. Over top of Todd they ground their bodies against each other crushing breasts and kissing the way they never could have on the dance floor. Kelly's hands stroked every part of Laura's body while Laura did the same to her. Stepping back just slightly Kelly reached for her favorite toys, Laura's boobs and massaged them till they shone in the moonlight, her thumbs constantly flicking and nudging Laura's nipples. Laura reached down and started to stroke Kelly's vagina with one hand as her head bent forward to suck a nipple into her mouth. Kelly moaned. Though they were her itty-bitty titties, they were so sensitive to the touch of her lover. Slowly the girls lowered themselves back down beside Todd. Kelly grasped Todd's cock in one hand feeling its hardness. "Think he's ready for more?" she asked as she dipped her head down to suckle on one of Laura's nipples. Laura reached for Todd's cock and fingered the head, sliding her thumb across his slit and felt it pulse in her hand. "Mmm, yeah, I think he's ready for more now." Kelly lifted her head from Laura's nipple. "You're right. A bit of balsamic vinegar and this is a feast!" Both girls giggled as they moved down beside Todd so that their heads met at his cock and their legs by his head and hands. "Thank God I'm ambidextrous," said Todd as he reached out and strummed two clits with his thumbs. The girls joined in a kiss over top of his pulsing cock and then slowly opened their mouths allowing the hard tip to enter. Gently sliding their teeth over his engorged prick they slurped their way down to the base and back up to the top again where they swapped some more saliva before heading back down his shaft again. They repeated this move a number of times while Todd continued to caress their vulvas and clits with his hands and thumbs. They could feel him twitching with anticipation. Kelly's eyes were half closed with that look of sensuousness and promise. Turning her body around she slid over Todd and positioned herself over top of Laura in a sixty-nine position, pulling Laura's legs up at the knees and herself kneeling over Laura's head giving Laura free rein with her hands. Slowly Kelly lowered her head to Laura's delicious cunt and wrapping her hands around Laura's thighs separated her lips from the back, allowing her clit to stand out. She blew softly on Laura's clit before slipping her tongue into the slit before her. Laura reached over with one hand and pulled on Todd until he was behind Kelly, his legs between hers and with insistent hands Laura guided his hard cock into Kelly's sheath as she continued to broad stroke Kelly's love button with her tongue. Wrapping his strong arms around Kelly's tiny waist, Todd slid in easily and felt Laura's tongue swiping not only Kelly's clit but also his shaft and balls as he slowly but surely pumped in and out of her. Kelly moaned into Laura's cunt as the feeling of being filled to the brim overwhelmed her. Kelly started in earnest licking and loving Laura's hot box, taking extra care and time to feast on the rubbery lips that surrounded her clit. Laura, for her part, was having a hard time concentrating on both her lovers at the same time. Kelly began thrashing in earnest as she came close to her peak and Todd let go with one hand and slipped his still oily thumb back into her anus which caused Kelly to rise up, arch up under the tremendous pressure of her orgasm, and scream into Laura's cunt. Laura continued to lick away and a second orgasm took Kelly away, jerking so violently that she slid off Todd's iron hard cock and probing thumb and shot forward on the oily plastic sheets. With barely enough breath to get the words out, she said, "Fuck her, Todd, get down here and finish Laura off!" Todd quickly scooted down and slid between Laura's legs. He would have climaxed already but the mix of the Kelly's wetness and the olive oil had reduced much of the friction. Stabilizing himself on his elbows so as not to crush Laura he easily slid into her willing cunt. A few strokes later and Laura came with an earth shattering orgasm, but Todd was still too slippery to gain the friction he needed even though Laura's vaginal muscles convulsed around him. He kept pounding away lifting Laura's ass right off the sheets. Todd was pile-driving Laura when he felt an intruding tongue reach his anus and a hand slide between him and Laura grasping the base of his shaft. At the same time Laura felt a finger slide into her butt and she climaxed again and again. Todd could feel the pressure building and the tongue that had tickled his anus was now replaced with a finger that probed deep and with a low growl he let loose his torrent of cum deep inside Laura. ------- A sensation of satiation permeated the room, three lovers' breathing quieting to the muted sound of Dolly Parton singing "Knocking on Heaven's Door" on the stereo in the other room. The full moon shining through the glass balcony doors glistened silver highlights from the three lying exhausted on the plastic sheets "Am I still alive?" Laura finally managed to squeak out. "I don't know, Babe," came an answer from Kelly. "Not me," said Todd. "I know I'm in heaven, and I refuse to come back." Kelly chuckled softly. Laura could manage nothing more than a weak smile. "I am such a slut," Laura said after about ten minutes. "Why's that, Sweetheart?" asked Kelly. "Cause I can barely move and I'm already thinking of the next time we can do this!" she laughed weakly. Kelly laughed as well. "I guess then I'm a slut too. Fuck, that was good." "You guys are going to insist on bringing me back from the dead aren't you?" Todd said slowly moving. He pulled the girls close to him and kissed them one after the other over and over again. "What did I do to deserve you two?" he mumbled between kisses. Kelly curled up next to him in a fetal position and buried her head on his chest. He could feel her hot tears falling from her eyes. "Are you okay, Kelly?" he asked with a tenderness she had never experienced before in her life. Laura crawled up on his other side and slowly stroked her head. "It's okay, baby, you go ahead and cry... I understand." Instantly Todd understood the emotions Kelly was going through. To have been bargained like used furniture at such a young age and to have been so used and abused for so many years... He realized even though he had been her one true friend for all these years, she had never truly been loved. Until now. He hugged both girls to him tightly and softly, quietly, tears formed in his eyes as well. He was a few years older than Kelly, and his life had been no bed of roses either but he had fought his way out, and he had ended up on the other side of the camera. As a male he hadn't been sexually abused like Kelly had at the hands of the scum her parents had sold her to, but like her, he had never known real love until just recently. He had always loved Kelly, but not as a lover, and then Laura had come along and seen through the mist and haze, the smoke and mirrors of their relationship and had brought them together the way they were meant to be. "It all feels so right," he said, stifling a sob. Laura could see the moisture in his eyes and cradled his head in her one arm while pulling Kelly closer with her other. She understood. ------- An hour later and they had mopped up as much of the olive oil as they could. Todd had carefully folded the plastic sheets up and disposed of them in a garbage bag he found in the kitchen area. They showered together in a strangely quiet way. Loving embraces and caresses but with hardly any words. Todd and Kelly had scrubbed Laura down from head to toe and then Laura and Todd had done the same for Kelly. When the two girls were finished with Todd, the warm water was still cascading over them. They stood together silently hugging. The three hugged as one. At Kelly's urging they did not dry off but helped spread the moisturizer she had bought that afternoon all over each other leaving not a spot untouched except their hair. Satisfied they had undone any damage from all of the showers and the oil bath Kelly wiped her feet on a towel and headed out on to the balcony. Laura joined her and took one of Kelly's cigarettes. Todd pushed the furniture back to where he thought it belonged. They had turned up the lights to clean up, but Todd had turned them down again. He went out to join his lovers on the balcony. Both Laura and Kelly were sitting on towels smoking. All three of them were nude. "It feels good out here," said Todd leaning against the railing. "I felt good inside as well," said Kelly. "Hell, I just feel good all over!" laughed Laura. Todd asked if anyone cared for a drink, and after a moment's thought, Kelly nodded yes and then Laura did as well. He went back in and opened the mini bar and found an assortment of spirits, but no Baileys. Settling on vodka, he poured three glasses full of orange juice and added a liberal dose of vodka to each. It was nearly two in the morning. "Gee, I've been mixing my drinks tonight," said Laura as she accepted her drink from Todd. "I'm going to feel terrible in the morning." "No, Honey," said Kelly, taking her hand. "We had maybe a total of 3 ounces of rum at dinner, and that was six hours ago. The Baileys was a mixed drink anyway, and we had it with ice." "People get sick from drinking because they don't know when to call it quits," said Todd. "Mixing whiskey and gin with soft drinks causes the queasiness that people experience which is why we only drink fruit juice drinks." "And hangovers are caused by dehydration of the body," said Kelly. "We had Perrier with supper and a bottle of Evian when we got back here, so I doubt if you'll feel a thing in the morning." Todd leaned against the railing again. "Of course personally I like a beer and some good grass, but that's for at home only. You can never forget that you're a public figure. The minute your picture ends up in a catalog or on a billboard or in a magazine, you become fair game. That's the way it works." Laura sipped her drink slowly as they sat listening to the insect sounds from the grounds below. Kelly lit up another and asked Todd what he was going to do in the morning. "Wait for Peter to show up and shoot a bunch of film of the boat he's so excited about." "Hmm, I've seen it," said Kelly. "It looks like a nice boat to me, but what do I know from boats? It seems a lot of people think it's something special 'cause when I got down there this morning, people were lined up trying to get autographs from the girls and James. I think it has something to do with the speed." "Well, I guess I'll find out in the morning," Todd said. "How about you girls? What do you plan to do?" "I haven't given it much thought," said Kelly, "have you, Laura?" "Nope. I lived so much today that I can't even think about tomorrow." "Maybe we'll go down and see what the big deal is," said Kelly. "Maybe we can go for a bike ride later in the afternoon. Kind of tour around and get a better idea of what Al will be looking at for his brochure." "That sounds doable," said Todd, "but now I think we should try to get some sleep." "Now that is something I could really go for," said Laura. Todd turned off the stereo while Kelly closed the blinds and the glass doors. Laura took their glasses and washed them up in the sink. Ten minutes later, the three were cuddled in bed kissing each other good night slowly, leisurely, thoroughly, then doing it again. "Thanks, Laura," said Kelly. "That was a great idea you had." "Shucks, it wouldn't have worked if we weren't all so in tune," she replied. "Yeah," Todd added. "We really are, aren't we?" "Thanks guys," Laura said. "I don't think I've ever felt so alive before. I love you both so much." "I love you, Honey," said Kelly, "and I love you too, Todd." "Oh, now you guys are going to make me cry," Laura said. "I love both of you so much that I'm scared this might end. I couldn't live without either of you now." Todd wrapped a strong arm around each girl and squeezed. "I couldn't go back now if I wanted to," he said. "Neither could I," said Kelly. She was staring up at the ceiling thinking back to just a month ago. Laura was looking at the hand carved dolphin Todd had bought her that morning and could barely remember the life she had led before finding true love. Not just with one person but two. She felt so fulfilled. Todd glanced at the two brunettes in his arms and realized he was in a position that most men could only dream about. He had two women who loved him, and who he loved with equal passion. He wasn't going to let this go. For the first time in his life he understood what love meant. "Let's get married," he said softly. Kelly lifted her head. "Who to whom? I want both of you." "That goes for me too," said Laura, finally knowing that her feelings for Kelly went much further than just lust and affection. "All three of us," said Todd. Kelly laughed. "Yeah, right!" Laura laughed as well. "It's a great idea, but I don't think it's legal in Charlotte." "You can be such a dreamer, Todd," said Kelly with a smile and a kiss. "And such a goofball," Laura said with affection and another kiss. As Kelly turned off the light, Todd thought to himself... "It could happen. I could make it happen." ------- Chapter 13 Slowly waking, Kelly rolled over. The light from the windows brought her mind up from the depths of sleep, the thoughts of their lovemaking the night before bringing a smile to her lips. She sighed with contentment at the memory of both her lovers suckling her at the same time. She opened her eyes to see the sun well up, and checked the time on the bedside clock. Ten o'clock! Moving quietly so as not to wake Todd she slipped out of bed and padded silently to the bathroom where she relieved herself. She didn't bother dressing. She was looking for Laura. Laura was on the balcony wearing nothing but a smile. She was lost in thought, her eyes closed, basking in the morning sunlight, when she felt soft hair caress her face and softer lips attach themselves to hers. "Mmm... Good morning, Sweetheart," she said opening her eyes and kissing Kelly back. Kelly straddled Laura's lap facing her lover. She held Laura's face with her hands, "How'd I get so lucky?" she asked with a kiss. "Gosh, Kell, with all the shit you've had to put up with." Laura's eyes moistened. "I wish I could have been there for you when you needed me." "Shush now, Laura. No tears from you for me. I've shed enough and I have you now." The two girls hugged tightly. Laura rested her head against Kelly's chest. "What time did you wake up, Sweetie?" Kelly asked. "Just after 8:00. I thought I was going to burst, my bladder was so full!" Kelly laughed. "So why didn't you come back to bed?" Laura sighed. "I got thinking of what you told me about Todd's childhood and yours, and how lucky I've been. Life's not fair, is it?" Kelly kissed Laura on the forehead as she slid off her lap. "Fair? Maybe it isn't, but think about this, Honey... If I hadn't gone through this life the way I have, we might never have met. Don't you believe in kismet?" "I guess I never really thought about it till now. What do you believe, Kelly?" "What do I believe, or what do I believe in?" "A little of both I guess," said Laura. "Hold that thought," said Kelly who went in and grabbed her cigarettes. After lighting one up, she sat facing Laura putting her feet into Laura's lap. "I believe there is a Supreme Being, but I also think that She is too busy with the rest of the universe to bother watching me all the time." Laura laughed. "As you've probably discovered, Todd follows the Buddhist's philosophy of moderation in all things." Laura nodded. "While I agree with Todd on the moderation, I also believe that life goes in cycles and what we do to, or for, others comes back in the form of karma. That's why I try hard not to screw anybody over or hurt somebody even unintentionally. I believe that how I live my life will in some way affect how others treat me." Laura was silent for a minute, remembering what Vanetta had told her. "Kell, would you like a cup of tea? No, no, you stay put, I'll make us a cup." Laura went inside and prepared tea for the two of them. Her mind was busy trying to remember exactly what Vanetta had said to her. They had been talking about an old Jamaican fortuneteller that Gloria had gone to see. Vanetta had told her: "He said something about you being the missing piece of the puzzle and now that you are here, you'll make both Todd and Kelly whole again." Her head was spinning. She knew that she often 'saw' things or 'felt' things others didn't but wow... A chill ran up her spine. That man had said this before the three of them had become so involved! Maybe she was with both of them to make up for the suffering both had endured when they were younger. She hurriedly finished making the tea and took the two mugs out seeing Kelly looking peaceful and content sitting there. "Tell me more, Kelly." "Okay," Kelly took a sip of the tea, smiled at Laura and continued on with her story. "I'm not sure how much you know about Judaism, but they have this yearly ritual called Yom Kippur. It means 'Day of Atonement' and on that day they fast and spend the day in reflection of all they have done in the past year. They are very critical of themselves and look for guidance on how they can be better people. From those they can, they seek forgiveness for any wrongs or slights they may have committed, and where they can't, they vow to God to set things right. They also forgive all wrongs done to them in the hopes of understanding." "That's a pretty heavy trip," said Laura. "Yes, well, I guess it helps you to face up to and deal with your own shortcomings. I really liked the idea, but a year in between... That wasn't going to work for me, so at least once a week I set time aside to reflect on what I might have said or done to hurt someone and then I set out to rectify it if possible. I'm not saying that I'm a better person for it, but I often think twice before I speak." Laura nodded and sat back thinking as Kelly lit up another cigarette. "Hey, Sweetheart... don't get bummed out by my belief system okay? It works for me, but I don't try to convert others." "It isn't that, Kelly. I know both you and Todd well enough now to know what kind of people you are. You're both kind and generous to a fault. You do so much to help other people and you don't brag about it like most people I know. If it hadn't been for my dad, I wouldn't have even known about the summer camp you guys sponsor, and I'm willing to bet that there's a lot more you guys do that I haven't even heard about." Kelly laughed and shrugged. "We do what we can." Laura looked deep into Kelly's soft brown eyes. "Maybe God was watching you." She leaned further forward and gave Kelly a soft and sensuous kiss. "Now it's my turn to watch over you and keep you happy." Kelly's eyes instantly filled with tears. "I'm so afraid, Laura," she said. "I've never been this happy and I pray like I've never prayed before that you won't just walk out of my life." "What about Todd?" Laura asked. "He's your best friend and now you two can be so much more." "Oh Honey, I love Todd, and it took you to show me just how much, but this thing we have going... It wouldn't work without you." "I agree with Kelly," said Todd from the doorway. "We might have become lovers eventually but I'm afraid it might have ended our friendship." He sat down with the girls after giving each a good morning kiss. "Growing up, I never learned what love was. Over the years, I just figured that it was for other people and not for me. And I know that Kelly has never been so free in expressing emotion as she has been since the two of you got together. You are the tie that binds us together, Laura." Laura grabbed both of her lovers and squeezed them in a tight embrace. "Then I'm going to make sure this tie is double knotted and never lets loose. I love both of you so much!" They hugged and kissed for a long time. Finally Laura said, "But you, Sir, have an appointment to keep and we need our 'mins and something to eat before you can face a hectic day." ------- It took a bit of coaxing to get Kelly into a bathrobe before room service brought up a fresh fruit plate of chilled melon slices, mango and more, along with blueberry crepes and a large pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice. Conversation was light and easy, and they probably would have stayed in the room all day if Todd's phone hadn't rung. It was Peter. He wanted to know when would be a good time to shoot the Monster Cuddy. "The best time would be between 12:00 and 2:00. After that I have to work around the shadows. Can you arrange it? Good, I'll see you down at the marina then." As he disconnected from the call, he told the girls that if they wanted to come along that he was going to meet Peter in half an hour. The girls said it would be fun to watch the world's best photographer at work. Todd blushed at the compliment. "Let's just say one of the best," he said with a laugh. ------- Kelly had decided to wear the new Starfleet issue underwear when she got dressed. It was nicely form fitting but as Laura pointed out, it left little to the imagination when it came to defining her "Final Frontier." "No problem," said Kelly as she tied one of the 'Property of Starfleet' sweatshirts around her waist. "Now the arms cover my 'Twilight Zone' and I have something soft to sit on." Laura sighed as she slipped off her T to put a bra on. "Damn, I hate wearing these things now. I wish I could go free like you all the time Kell." "But Honey," said Kelly as she cupped the two full mounds, "they give you lift as well as support. Guys will notice you coming before you make it round a corner!" Laura laughed and gave Kelly a soft kiss. She did project in the expensive bra, severely deforming the lines of Todd's T-shirt which otherwise hung loose on her. A pair of very short shorts and sandals like Kelly's completed her wardrobe. Both girls carried small clutch bags. "If we do go bicycling later, we'll have to change again," said Kelly. "Gosh, after last night, I'm not sure I could ride a bike today! I'm still so sensitive down there that even the thought of rubbing it on a bicycle seat is making me horny!" Todd, as always, was dressed in less than a minute. Scrub pants, one of his new T's and moccasins. It took him longer to brush his teeth. He had the camera bag over his shoulder ready to go but had to wait for the girls to carefully brush their hair so it wouldn't look like they had worked on it. They walked to the marina at a leisurely pace, the girls getting plenty of attention on the way. Kelly and Laura flanked Todd and the three held hands all the way. As they approached the office more than a few young couples had waved at them, but now, more and more were wearing caps, and dancing and waving on boat decks as the trio passed by. Kelly and Laura waved back good-naturedly with pleasant smiles. Todd blushed. "How many people did you say were at that restaurant?" he asked Kelly. "I'm positive the sign said licensed for 100." "And of course they all ended up here, at this very spot, at this time," grumbled Todd. "Don't pout, Todd," Laura said with a smile. "Look at the way the guys are looking at you. Envy doesn't begin to describe it!" "I told you," added Kelly, "some legends are born but others are laid!" She and Laura were still laughing at the joke when they reached the security gate. Peter was just coming out of the marina office with Al and Sara. The two men were in deep discussion about something with Sara. "Hi, Peter, Sara," said Kelly. "Good afternoon, Al." After pleasantries and introductions were made, Todd started to question Peter about the boat. Kelly and Laura drifted away looking for a seat while Todd did what he did best. Todd had put down his case, totally at ease in his own element. "So, I see a boat," he said. "It looks nice, but obviously there's something special about this one or I wouldn't be here and the stock wouldn't be climbing through the roof." "It is?" said Peter with feigned innocence. "Let's cut the bullshit, Peter," said Al. "Todd and Kelly already know the market's been moving on IC stock. Let's get to what the man wants to know. How to show the performance of the Cuddy." "Okay," said Peter. "Then you also probably know this boat is a speed demon, faster than anything else in its class. I know you can only show so much in a still picture, but that's what we need. A still image that will show off the power! Have you seen the wing JamPC designed?" Todd shook his head. "Nope. I take it this is something under the boat? Like a hydrofoil?" "Ah, you've got the idea, but it's not a foil. Hell, Sara, help me out here." Sara laughed. "No Todd, it's not a foil. That would lift it out of the water. It's a small stabilizing wing that's mounted under the hull to prevent the boat from getting sloppy or hard to handle under all the power she now has." "Okay, cool. I think I'm getting the drift. It holds the bow down, right? Does this 'wing' ever ride on the water?" "Only if I want it to," laughed Sara. "But seriously, it shows well if it's cutting through waves or somebody's wake." "And you don't want a showroom picture then," Todd said to Peter, "you want to show it in action." "Exactly!" "I can do a head on shot," said Todd after looking at the boat a while, "maybe do a close up of the wing when it comes out of the water, but otherwise, you're going to be seeing a lot of bow. I've got a lens that will get me good and clear and close up from..." Todd did some math in his head. "Probably 100 yards. Can this thing turn away in time in that short a distance? And can you get me on something stable so I can set up a tripod?" Sara looked at Todd. "I can clear you with less distance than that if you're on a stationary platform." "Something stable I can get you," said Al, "but only 100 yards? Damn. That boat's going to be doing around 70 barreling down on you. But the girls did something else yesterday when they were checking out the course. It put a rooster tail behind that boat that looked like fireworks. I think that would be a great shot." "A show off shot. Okay, I can take a few of those, but if you want to show the wing and the boat properly, I'd say get me down to water level and I'll catch it at a 30 degree angle." Todd looked up at the sun and then at the channel. "Is this where you want the pictures done?" Peter nodded. "Okay, let's get moving on the angle shots first while the sun is directly above. The channel runs east to west, so I can do the close up afterwards. Now can somebody show me how this thing actually runs?" "Todd, I can guarantee the 100 yard safety margin, but not if I have to throttle back to pull the bow up," said Sara. It was Todd's turn to laugh. "How about we make some waves then? I wouldn't want it to look like you were easing up. Defeats the purpose of this picture. Besides," he added with a wink and a stage whisper, "these guys want to sell power!" Sara laughed with him. "Okay, how about we get a decoy to run a wake at the 100 yard mark? All I need is something over six inches to slice through." They walked off together discussing the best ways to create the effects that Todd would shoot. ------- Sara was still laughing when they returned. "Are you sure about this, Todd? I was only kidding when I suggested it." "No. It's a great idea! The only problem I see is that when word leaks out, and you can bet it's going to, you're going to become hot property. There aren't a lot of female stunt drivers in this line of work. I'll bet that in less than three months you'll be offered more video work than you can dream about, IF you and I can pull this off." "Okay. If you're sure." "The only thing that does concern me is a possible conflict with Chuck." Todd said. "He's putting a lot of money into a magazine spread that clearly identifies you. Definitely not just by your name, as you saw on the pictures Chuck sent to you. You are very photogenic." Sara sighed. "The price of fame and glory. Not to worry, Todd, before we left Max's, Peter was there with a video crew and James had me put a racing suit on with a helmet." "That's good Sara, but a racing suit isn't going to look quite right on a boat this size for publicity shots. And a helmet might scare some people off." "Well, I saw that Al has nylon windbreakers and caps for sale in his office. They've all got IC embroidered on them." "That would be good! This won't be as close a shot of your face as Chuck's so if we get that blonde mane of yours tucked up, or maybe pulled through the back in a ponytail, and a windbreaker will conceal most of your body..." "Why is everybody trying to get me dressed these days?" she pouted. Todd laughed. "Well, I won't insist that you have to wear panties. Brenda and Amanda seem to think you're allergic to them or something." "Those big mouths! Wait until I catch them." But her blush and grin gave her away. Todd called Al and Peter over and explained what they would need. It turned out to be quite a list, and Al was on the phone scrambling to get the needed supplies. "I'm also going to need about 10 people for the test runs," said Todd. "I'll need them along the shore at 50 foot intervals from the position that I take." He held a special zoom lens spotting scope in his hand. Military issue. ------- Todd picked a spot that would allow him to stay clear of people and underbrush, but level with the water line. Al had supplied him with a two-way radio that Kelly now held as he had told the girls that he needed help with this shot. Kelly would relay his signals to Al who was coordinating things with Lucy who they had decided would ride as Sara's co-pilot and relay instructions. On Todd's word, Laura would note the position of the person who was standing closest to the point where Todd thought the boat would be captured best in a still life "action" shot. The background would be perfect from this location if Todd's calculations proved to be correct. "Okay Kell, tell Sara to let it rip. When they pass our first human marker, Sara should be doing the speed they'll use for these shots, so make sure that they don't vary once they've settled on it. I want to run this twice before we actually start shooting." Kelly relayed the information to Al and minutes later they heard the rumble of the Cuddy's heavy-duty engine. Timing was critical. Sara was up the channel, and a Coast Guard tug conscripted by Al to create a good size wake started up, ready to cut a diagonal swath in the general direction of the marina office. "They have to get the timing just right to avoid an accident and still to get the wake deep enough to let this wing come out of the water." "Have you seen this wing, Todd?" Kelly asked. "No, the boat was in the water when we got here, but Sara says it's gleaming silver." "That's what Celeste brought them yesterday," said Kelly, "I thought at first it was some kind of trophy or a real shiny model. But JulieAnn explained what it was and what it was made of. Now that I think about it, I guess that it did look like a wing, but not a standard airplane wing." Todd was looking through the spotting scope and he could see Sara coming down the channel. "Sara promised me that as soon as she spotted me she would veer off at full speed to show that she could safely miss me. That's why the diver's buoy is here," he explained. The tug ran across, coming from Todd's left from the far bank and was just as quickly out of sight from the center of the waterway. As Sara tore through the course she hit the first leading wake and the boat remained stable as it tore through it and the next and then the first flash of silver shone beneath the hull. As she broke through the next, Todd hollered "Now!" Laura quickly stepped to the closest human marker and held her spot. Sara veered as promised and with no more than a ten degree course correction showed Todd that he would be pretty safe on the pontoon boat Al had commandeered. "Have one of the guys drop a diving buoy into the water where Laura is standing and secure it." Kelly relayed the information to Al as Sara, who had powered down after changing direction headed back their way. She waved at Todd who gave her the thumbs up. Sara throttled up and headed back to her starting point. It took another ten minutes before everybody was back in place. The human markers were now gone and Laura stood with Todd and Kelly. "Tell Al to let her go." The second run went as successfully as the first so Todd unpacked his gear and secured the tripod and camera. He focused on the marker buoy, compensated for the diagonal cut and set the aperture to hyper focal. The trial runs were over and this time when Sara cut through the wake, Todd had his eyes glued to the viewfinder. With the sunlight reflecting off the water, he had compensated his exposure time to 1/250. "Snap!" went the camera. "At the speed she's going I can't even use the auto winder to try for a triple exposure," said Todd. "Sara's only going 60 for my benefit, but she said that this boat has topped 85!" "That's probably why the rush for the picture and why the stock is climbing," said Kelly. The radio crackled and Al asked if they were ready for another run. Todd nodded and Kelly relayed the information. Ten minutes later and a small adjustment to the 'Blad and another shot was in the can. Sara ran the gauntlet six more times before Todd said to Kelly, "have Al tell Sara that we'll be ready for her special run in 20 minutes." Kelly relayed the information as Todd pulled out large rain slickers. "Here you are ladies," he said with a grin. "Better put them on and cover up!" "Todd Ayres... Just what have you got up your sleeve?" Kelly demanded. "Peter and Al want a show off shot, and Al was gung ho on this thing that Sara and Sherri pulled off Friday. Peter hasn't seen it, but knows the terminology. I figured if it was that common, I'd want to do something uncommon, so Sara and I arranged for a little surprise." "Todd..." "Don't worry, Kell, Sara asked me if I trusted her. You can see that she handles boats with a natural skill and we came up with something really spectacular." He laughed a wicked little laugh. "Why don't you ask Al and Peter to join us down here." Kelly radioed Al and passed on the suggestion, and soon, Al and Peter were on their way. The thought of Sara asking Todd if he trusted her ran through Kelly's mind while she waited. That seemed to be a key line with the James Gang and every time Kelly heard it, she thought back to Brenda. Whatever was going to happen, she already knew it was going to be an experience nobody would forget. "Just make sure you get those slickers done up tight or we'll have to go change." "But Al and Peter aren't wearing slickers," said Laura. "Yeah," Todd chuckled. "I know!" ------- "Are you sure this is okay?" asked Lucy. "Trust me, sweetie. I know what I'm doing. Just be sure you hold on real tight." "Okay. If you're sure." "We're just going to have a little fun, that's all. We've been running the same course for over an hour and this will be the last time before we change for the head on shots." Peter asked why the girls had the heavy rain slickers on. "We've been catching a little bit of spray," said Todd with a straight face, "and the girls aren't really dressed for it." "So why do YOU have one on now?" asked Al. "You'll notice that mine isn't done up," said Todd, "I'll drop it over the camera just after I take the shot. Wouldn't want me to ruin this camera, would you?" Both Al and Peter allowed that was good thinking. What they didn't know was that Todd had slid the lens back to a wider-angle mode. Peter and Al stood close to Todd and on his word, Al notified Lucy and the tug. The tug plowed by once again and seconds later Sara came barreling down the straightway but more towards the bank where Todd was standing. "Sara... you're going too fast." Lucy shouted out. "Ya think?" Sara shouted back. "Maybe I'll have to make an adjustment here." "Has Sara been running this close to shore every time?" Al asked. "From the office it looked like she had been right down the middle." "Listen to that engine!" said Peter. "That sounds faster than what she was running before." Todd didn't reply, he had his eye locked on the viewfinder waiting for Sara's next move. With one hand on the shutter and the other holding the slicker ready to drop it over the camera, he waited. As Sara hit the leading wake she checked for the buoy, and goosed the throttle to full open as she yanked on the wheel pulling away from Todd. As James had done on the ride over, she bounced off the next wave and pulled the boat into a sideways skid exposing the starboard side to Todd. "I hope you get this on the first take," she thought to herself as a wave of spray shot up and away from the Cuddy. "Yes!" Todd thought before he pulled down the slicker. He had the boat perfectly in his sights when Sara had cranked the wheel. This really was stunt driving! The wing was mostly exposed as was much of the hull, and Todd had gotten his shot just as the fountain of water started to cascade up and towards them. Todd had caught it just as it was forming, and then yanked the slicker down to protect the camera. He felt the water hit like a wave. He knew that Peter and Al were going to be soaked. What he had failed to tell them was that by dropping the slicker over the camera, his own shoulders and front were well protected from the torrential onslaught! Kelly and Laura, having been clued in by Todd as to what to expect had quietly slipped off their sandals and moved them along with all of the other camera equipment and Todd's moccasins out of harm's way. They watched as long as they could as the wall of water came at them like a tidal wave and turned at the last minute to protect their hair, but could hear Al and Peter cussing like sailors. "Jesus Christ! What the fuck was that stunt?" Peter asked. "God damn it, I'm soaked right to the bone," said Al. Then he started to laugh. "What's so fucking funny," Peter demanded. "Did you see the boat?" Al asked him. "Yeah, I saw the fucking boat. I was damn near in it!" Al grabbed Peter by the shoulders. "No. I asked you if you saw the boat!" "Yeah, it skidded..." slowly it began to dawn on him. Brushing the wet hair from his forehead, he asked Todd, "Did you get that on film?" Todd just smiled. "You are one crazy mother... " He stopped himself as he realized Kelly and Laura were standing there. "Anybody can do a rooster tail," said Todd. "Now how about we get set up on the pontoon boat so I can get a few head on shots? " Sara radioed in as she motored back at a moderate pace, "Got to fuel up! Give me half an hour!" Todd gave her a big two thumbs up, then picked up his camera and took it to where his moccasins and case were lying. The girls had already shed the slickers and Laura handed hers to Peter. "You might need this if you intend to stand so close to the water, Peter." Kelly laughed. ------- It was nearly two o'clock by the time the Cuddy was refueled and the pontoon boat was in position. They couldn't overcome the rocking of the boat caused by the tug so Todd decided to shoot by hand without the use of a tripod. It was a bit trickier, but with a shorter, lighter lens, Todd was sure that he could make it work. They had all the details worked out regarding the tug and the speed so it was just a matter of repeating the same motions, except this time Todd would concentrate on the silver of the wing. With the sun behind him it really gleamed in his eyepiece. He had switched the large open viewfinder for the single, closed eyepiece when he decided to change the lens. It took less than an hour to complete the shots, the last of which was one of Sara's ideas. The tug dug in deeper and faster. Instead of the diagonal line it had run towards Sara on an opposing path before, now it was cutting and swerving seconds before Sara hit the huge whitecaps it had churned up, sending the Cuddy up and out of the water with barely the screws touching. It was an excellent shot showing the Monster Cuddy handling heavy waves with ease, remaining nearly parallel to the water. Todd was sure he could see water running off the wing as he snapped the shutter. Sara headed in to dock the boat and the pontoon boat, though faster than most, took more time to reach the pier. Todd used the time to unload the film and had it safely on ice and the camera packed away when they tied up. Kelly and Laura had waited on shore for this series of pictures and greeted Sara as she pulled the boat into its berth. A crowd of onlookers had gathered and cheered as Sara and Lucy got off the Cuddy. "That was pretty impressive, Sara," said Laura. "Do you have to apply for a special pilot's license to fly that boat?" Sara laughed. "You know, I've never gone that fast in a car! Well, except maybe one time when Celeste was driving. But on the water... I can't explain the rush." "So," asked Todd walking up, "what do you do for your next number?" "Actually, I've got to catch up with Celeste and Sherri. We're doing a few numbers during the amateur talent time while the 'cook-off' is taking place this afternoon." "What kind of numbers?" Laura asked with more than a bit of curiosity. "Well, Sherri plays the keyboard and Celeste kills cats," Sara said laughing. "Celeste does what?" Todd asked. "I think she means Celeste plays the violin," said Laura, to which Sara nodded. "And I pretend I can sing. Aren't you guys going to be coming?" Sara asked. "We never heard a thing about it," said Kelly. "You've got to come!" said Lucy. "Sara's been helping Dave out with a secret recipe!" Al and Peter were walking towards them after discussing some business plans. "Dad, you've got to invite them to the 'cook-off, '" Lucy demanded. "Actually," said Al, "I just assumed they were coming, but now that you mention it, Kelly, you're a pretty big name celebrity. How would you like to be on the judging panel?" "Well Al, I'm..." "Please, Kelly," said Al. "It will give the entire affair more glamour... and if you would do this for me I would be really grateful. And I'll be sure that Todd can keep his hat on." "Oh God, is there anybody who doesn't know that line now?" asked Todd. "I'm sure there are a few people staying by the wildlife preserve who haven't heard yet, but I'll be happy to send someone over there and pass along the good news." Al was smiling at them. Kelly shook her head. "Okay Al, but just for you." Sara had been watching the entire scene unfold. "I haven't heard," she said, then noticed the time. "Sorry, I've got to run. Need to rehearse." "Hold up, Sara," said Laura, "I'll go with you and tell you all the tawdry details!" She gave Kelly and Todd both a chaste kiss goodbye, promising to catch up to them at the cook-off. "I better get this equipment back to the room," said Todd. "No use in lugging it around all afternoon." "Er, how soon can I see the prints?" asked Peter. Kelly turned back and looked at him. Todd had seen that look before and remained quiet. "If I recall, Peter, you forgot to book this session and called Todd and I away from a very pleasant vacation that we haven't had for a long time. You said you needed photos taken this weekend. Seems to me Todd has gone far out of his way to do just that." "Ah, come on, Kelly," Peter pleaded. "This is something really big for IC, and my career especially." Kelly eased up a bit from her stare. "Well, you did introduce us, in a roundabout way, to the 'James Gang' so you get some brownie points for that, but even under normal circumstances it would be a week before Todd could print them properly. We were sort of hoping to stick around here for a while longer and pick up on our vacation time." "Well, can I take the film? Maybe I can find one of those one-hour photo shops to print them up?" "Jesus Christ!" spat Todd. He glared at Peter for a moment, then turned and walked away, while Kelly regarded Peter with a shocked look on her face. Peter sighed. "Is this about money?" "You don't understand, Peter," Kelly explained patiently. "Todd doesn't give a damn about the money. You pay a fair rate, but we have other commitments to customers who have been with us from the beginning. Todd's going to be working 18 hours a day in the next week. He only has a few days left before his vacation is over. And I know there is NO way that Todd would ever trust his film to a generic chemical bath even if you could find a place that could handle that size film." "I'm sorry, Kelly," Peter said. "What can I do to make things right with you and Todd?" Kelly thought about it for a few minutes. IC had some clout and Kelly would rather have them for customers, but still, TKO was not a part time or even a small time operation. "A trip," Kelly finally said. Peter looked at her blankly. "A vacation to make up for this one. We'll give you plenty of notice. A vacation to Jamaica on one of your biggest boats." "Ah, but Kelly... we don't make anything over 30 feet, and you are talking about two days cruise time." "So? Are you saying you can't arrange something for a group of us?" Kelly asked. With a sigh Peter said, "I can arrange something." "That's the spirit, Peter!" "That's it?" Peter asked. "You don't want my first born?" Kelly laughed. "If I wanted a child I'm sure I could manage without you, Peter. A vacation will do just fine." Al laughed and slapped Peter on the back. "I don't understand why you don't have these kids on a permanent retainer, Pete. You know Todd is the best, why wouldn't you have him doing all of your advertising and publicity pictures? That little stunt he and Sara pulled off there where we got soaked? Just imagine how that's going to look on the cover of 'Marine Quarterly' magazine!" "I better catch up with Todd," Kelly said. "I'll see if I can't get him to rush these through for you. Monday midnight, how does that sound?" "That would be great, Kelly!" Peter said. "The papers will be here tomorrow but they won't run it till Tuesday, so if I can get the prints by Tuesday morning, my ass will be covered." "And the vacation?" "Hell, I don't see any problems at all. Let me set it up so that you have a full crew and lots of good food!" "Okay. I'll want that in writing of course, but otherwise, we have a deal," she said shaking hands with him. "Al, I'll catch up with you later at... where the hell am I supposed to be?" Al laughed. "Yes, we have some more to talk about as well. The 'cook-off' starts in an hour, so how about I have Lucy come and pick you up at the hotel?" "That would be good, Al. See you gentlemen later." ------- Sherri and Celeste were working out an arrangement that Sara wanted to try out during the "cook-off" entertainment hour. "If it doesn't work with the violin, Celeste, I'll pick another number," Sara said. "It'll work," replied an exasperated Celeste. "It's just that it's basically an acoustic guitar piece, light drums and a harmonica." "Which song?" Laura asked. "It's 'Stay A While' by The Bells," answered Sherri. "I've got the synthesizer set for the acoustic guitar and the drum tracks laid in. I can even do the harmonica piece cause it's only one chorus, but it's not written for more instruments." "And you want this song because..." "I want to sing it for James tonight," said Sara. "Actually, it'll be my voice but the three of us want to do it for him." "I think I understand why," said Laura with a gentle smile. Turning to Celeste she asked, "Can you make that fiddle talk, girl?" Celeste tilted her head as if trying to see what Laura was getting at. "Okay, sorry, that's my country roots showing," Laura laughed. "Look, I know the song. I remember it as a duet. Why don't you just take the man's part, you know, really drag that horse hair over the catgut and make it talk." Sherri arched her eyebrows as if she had been listening to an alien, but Celeste started to nod, understanding. "Start playing, Sherri," she said. "Let me try this out." Sherri played the opening verse and chorus of the song and backed off a bit when it came time for the second verse. Celeste had been standing quietly with her violin at her waist tapping the bow against her leg. As the first chorus ended, she raised the violin up and on cue, pulled out the most beautiful if somewhat mournful sound ever. Her eyes slowly closed as she got further into the piece. She continued on through the chorus and as the third verse started, Sara joined in. It made for a lovely combination, and after a repetition of the chorus, all three instruments, violin, acoustic guitar, and voice faded out. Sara and Celeste had played beautifully off each other on the third verse. It made for a powerful and deeply emotional love song. "That was a great idea, Laura!" Sherri said. "I guess I was thinking too much in the classical sense." "The violin is used more as a single voice in country music, so I automatically think of it as another singer," said Laura. To Celeste she said, "You ought to try 'Faded Love' sometime. That's my favorite piece for a singing violin." The three girls of the "James Gang" went through the song once more from top to bottom. Sara started right after the lead in riff from Sherri. As the song wound to the end Laura was clapping. "That was great! Are you guys doing all the music this afternoon?" Sara laughed. "No, we're special guest performers doing this for Dave. We plan on doing three songs and getting off stage. Finalists and runner-ups from the talent contest will be filling the rest of the time. Why did you ask?" Laura blushed. "Well you know how you guys are doing this one song for James? I was kind of hoping I might get a chance to do one for Todd and Kelly. I didn't realize that all the time had been allotted or that it was only going to be for finalists of a contest. When Sara said it was going to be amateur entertainment, I thought I might try and slip in." Sara looked at Sherri and Celeste. "Nobody said how many songs we were going to do, right?" "Not that I heard," said Sherri. "Me neither," echoed Celeste. "Which song do you have in mind Laura?" "You guys ever hear of Rod Stewart?" "Yeah, my dad still listens to him once in a while," said Sherri. "Something about a girl named Maggie?" "Yep, that's him, but that's not the song I'm looking for. He's still recording, you know, and he has this great love song..." The girls talked it over and realizing they only had a half hour to prepare, ran for the nearest computer and downloaded the lyrics and music. "This will work out great!" said Celeste. "I can fill in for the cello and Sara can help with the harmony... If you want us to that is." "That would be great!" said Laura. "And I would love it if you guys helped me with this. You realize that if it hadn't been for you guys, I probably wouldn't even be here right now." Sherri and Sara just nodded. They remembered how Kelly was at the Regan shoot, and how different she was now. They had time enough to go through the song three times and each time it sounded better and better. Celeste packed her violin away and carried it off stage with her as a crowd was slowly starting to form. "So," said Sara, as they sat at a table with large cups of iced tea, "tell us all about this tawdry night and Todd's hat. Sounds interesting!" Laura explained the whole story of how Todd, being as shy as he is, didn't want to get on the dance floor with Kelly and her and how they had finally convinced him to get out of his chair. "I think he was more hoping to escort us off the dance floor before we got arrested for indecent exposure," Laura said, "but once he was on the floor, well, Kelly and I just trapped him and then he got right into the groove of it with us and the band played that song from 'The Full Monty' and all day long people have been reminding him of his little show and tell last night!" "It sounds like you guys are really getting along fantastic," said Sherri. "We're so happy for all of you." More people started to arrive and Laura started to look around for Todd and Kelly. "Hmm... I wonder what's keeping them?" "So when you see us get on stage, you pay attention, okay, Laura?" asked Celeste. "We'll set it all up for you after the second song and you be ready to come on up." "Okay, Celeste." "You aren't nervous about this?" asked Sara. "The first time I did it I was literally shaking." "Nah, in my family it was a given that you would sing for your supper. All four of us girls were in choir, the younger three still are. Daddy got us all into the Christmas pageant by the age of five and we went with the Policemen's choir every year to nursing homes and such singing carols. Singing is as common around our house as talking is!" "You've got three sisters?" Sherri asked. "Yep, Cathy, she's sixteen now, and the twins, Sam and Jen. They turn fourteen in September." "Wow," said Sara, "I hope you guys have a lot of bathrooms in your house!" Laura laughed. "Nope, just the one, but it should be a bit easier now that I'm not living at home anymore." "Are the twins identical?" asked Celeste. "So much so that even I have trouble telling them apart," laughed Laura. "And don't think they don't use it for all it's worth either!" People were starting to set up the big Texas style BBQ. A long row of halved oil drums, with palmetto and mesquite over oak logs was fired up by workers from various restaurants with help from the island maintenance crews. Picnic tables arrived on the back of a flat bed trailer pulled by a tractor and soon an area large enough and comfortable enough to easily handle over 200 people was all set up. "We better get a move on," said Sherri. "See where Jules is and get ready." "Remember to keep an eye out, or maybe I should say an ear out for us," said Celeste to Laura. "We'll bring you up in style!" "Thanks guys!" said Laura as she waved goodbye to them. She sat back sipping on her ice tea wondering where Todd and Kelly were. ------- Kelly never did manage to catch up with Todd but found him sitting on the balcony with his feet up. "Hi Honey, I'm home," she said as she stepped out on the balcony. Though he was pissed off with Peter, he couldn't hide the smile from Kelly. For the past three nights, she had given of herself to him in a way that could only be described as love. And Laura had been the same, giving and not demanding nor expecting anything other than to be loved. He was sure it was love and he basked in it. Not even the Peters of this world could take that feeling away from him. "Hi, Babe," he said as he pulled her into his lap. He kissed her soft and gentle and then held her against him in a snug embrace. For minutes they sat quietly just holding each other. It was Todd who broke the embrace by giving Kelly a loving slap on her butt. "Okay boss... what did you get me into?" Kelly laughed as she got up from his lap and perched herself in a chair facing him. Taking her time, she lit up a cigarette. "How would you like a real vacation, Todd? Not just a weekend away but an extended one, back to Jamaica where we first met?" Todd smiled. "That would be nice. What's the catch?" "I mean a real long vacation. No flying." Todd looked at her quizzically. "An all expense paid cruise courtesy of IC, complete with a full crew to attend to our slightest wishes." Todd laughed out loud. "For real?" he finally asked. "Absolutely. In writing even. And with proper notice, any time at all we want to go." "Okay, that does appeal to me, but what do I have to do?" "Develop what you shot today to get one really excellent shot for IC for Monday midnight." Todd leaned forward and rubbed a hand over his face. "I really do need to get an assistant, Kell," he said. He sat silently for a minute. "Not a problem, Sweetheart," he finally said. "I'm only sorry that we'll have to leave here tomorrow morning." Kelly looked at him. Todd was generally an easygoing guy, but one of the reasons he had been ready to quit shooting models was because of the pressure and unreasonable demands by agents and clients. "I'll hate to go too, Todd, but you seem to be taking this a lot easier than I expected." "Oh, I was good and pissed when Peter asked for the film," said Todd, "but as I was walking back here all I could think about was that I had two gorgeous women who love me and nothing else really mattered." Kelly smiled a gentle smile, her eyes getting a bit moist. "I do love you, Todd. And I know what you're talking about. Nothing else does seem to matter, does it?" "And if I'm not wrong, marriages performed on international waters are legal," he added. Kelly laughed. "You are incorrigible, Todd Ayres!" "Honey, just out of curiosity, how come you're not using the digital back for the 503CW? I thought that would cut down on your time in the darkroom," Kelly asked. "Ah, it's okay if all you want is some test shots," said Todd, "but the quality and definition isn't up to par yet with real film. It's like an MP3 compared to an original recording. Most people can't hear the difference, but when you want to expand it, that's when you find your limitations." "Oh, okay, I can understand that." "That's what 'Stan the Man' was using at 'Reliving History, '" Todd said. "He was using a 4 gig Minolta dImage. It's fine for his kind of instant print tourist shots, but if you ever wanted to enlarge it, well, the quality would really degrade." "But it's not like I'm ruling it out for the future," he continued, "Canon is going to start shipping their new EOS-1Ds near the end of September. Now that's a camera I want to try out. It's an 11 mega pixel with a full 35mm frame. It'll shoot three frames a second for up to ten shots. I sure could have used that this afternoon!" "Did you place your order yet?" Kelly asked with a grin. Todd laughed. Kelly knew him too well. "You bet I did, Sweetheart! The body alone is going to cost me 8 grand, but I can use all my 35mm lenses with it." "So you'll have a new toy to play with in the fall and forget all about me," Kelly pouted. "There's no way that any camera is ever going to come before my ladies," he said swatting her playfully on the butt. "Promise?" she asked. "Would I lie to my wife to be?" "Argh... Dream on, lover!" "You better call Chris and have somebody pick us up in the morning," Todd said. As Kelly went inside to call Chris's office, Todd thought to himself, "It could happen. I know I could make it happen." ------- As promised, Lucy picked them up at the hotel, calling from the front lobby. Together they strolled down to where the "cook-off" was getting underway where they found Laura sitting at a picnic table under an old leafy tree talking with Al. "Sorry, Laura, but we have to leave tomorrow morning," Kelly said. "And Al, as soon as I have a figure for you, I can fax it over with all the details. I'd prefer to discuss it in person, but like you say, duty calls." "That sounds great, Kelly," he said. "I really appreciate that you would even consider the job after seeing what Todd can do with a camera. If you got one of those shots of the wing, IC stock is going to soar! But I'm sorry that you have to leave so soon." "So are we, Al," said Kelly hugging Laura. "We really wanted to spend more time here, but as you heard..." "Yeah," Al sighed. "Sometimes work gets in the way of the life we want to live." "Hey guys," said Laura. "Why the gloomy faces? We'll be coming back, right?" Both Kelly and Todd laughed. Leave it to Laura to show the positive side. "I'm quite sure we will be," said Kelly. "So Al, when is the judging and where do you want me?" "The preparations are underway now," said Al, "but the actual judging won't take place till 5 o'clock. We've got some live entertainment performing shortly, and I'll call the judges up on the PA when it's time." "Just out of curiosity, Al, how can you guarantee fair judging?" Al laughed. "All prepared dishes will be delivered to me and Lucy's mother in a private secure room. There will be nothing to identify the cooks by, and a number will be assigned to mark each sample. You just write down the number of the one you think tastes best, and then I compare the numbers from the different judges and announce the winner. Wouldn't want anybody to think we were biased in any way." "That sounds fair," said Kelly. "I'm curious," said Todd looking around. "There's no admission price, I see all kinds of people cooking up a storm, so who's picking up the tab?" Al shrugged his shoulders, "It's part of the tax program on the island. Sort of a recreational fee for times and events like this. Then the restaurant chains with franchises here, they donate their time and food, it's one of the conditions before we even consider letting them open a place here. The big hotels help out with staff and food as well." "It sounds like you've got a great community growing here Al," said Todd. "We want it to be a family," Al said. "Things like this bring people closer together. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get back to it. I'll see you in a while," he said to Kelly, "and I hope to see all of you before you have to leave." As Al walked away with Lucy, the girls from the "James Gang" came up to join them at the table. "James is going to go nuts if he doesn't get back in time," said Jules. "In time for what?" asked Laura. "In time to eat copious mountains of ribs!" said Sara. "That man of ours sure likes to eat!" "Where are the parents sitting?" asked Todd looking around. "Oh... They all left this morning after a final round of golf," said Sherri. "My dad still can't decide what he'd like more. An autographed picture of Kelly from that SI Swimsuit Edition or a PhaseMetal driver for my snotty brother!" Kelly laughed. "If I remember correctly, it sounded like your brother would be better off with a putter!" A guitarist got up on the bandstand and after getting some help adjusting the volume levels managed to wrestle out a version of "Wind Beneath My Wings." Another singer got up and with the help of a Karaoke tape mangled a song by Dido. "I guess we should start moving up," said Celeste picking up her violin. "See you guys later." "You've got to hear this," said Laura, "they're doing a song for James, and he isn't here to hear it. What a pity." "They'll probably do it again tonight then," said Jules. "I hear you helped them arrange it this afternoon," she said to Laura. "No, they had it, they would have figured it out by themselves," said Laura. A man got on the stage, told a few jokes and then announced that the other finalists of Salty Dave's amateur contest would be up shortly to entertain them but now by special request of Salty Dave himself, "Sherri, Sara and Celeste!" The girls took to the stage and Celeste took out her violin as Sherri seated herself at the synthesizer. Sara, with microphone in hand, said, "We'd like to thank Dave for his wonderful taste in music." She waited for the laughter to die down, then continued "We'd like to dedicate this number to someone who is near and dear to us. It's called 'Stay A While.'" Sherri opened the riff and silence descended on the crowd as Sara began, her voice soft yet strong and vibrant. Into my room he creeps... Without making a sound, Into my dreams he peeps... With his hair all long and hanging down. How he makes me quiver, How he makes me smile, With all this love I have to give him, I guess I'm gonna stay with him a while. When Celeste picked up on the second verse after the chorus, it sounded like an angel had come to earth to weep. As Celeste and Sara worked their way through the third verse and a double of the chorus, the crowd was whistling and clapping and shouting for more, but none were clapping louder than the table where Kelly, Todd, Laura and Jules were sitting. Sherri and Celeste did a duet together of "Orange Blossom Special." Sherri had set the synthesizer to a harmonica like sound, and Celeste made "Sweet Girl" sound just like a mournful train whistle. It wasn't the conventional version of the "Orange Blossom Special" as Sherri added more instruments yet and laid on a drum track that had Celeste sawing her bow at a frantic pace. When they ended their version, Celeste wiped her forehead. As the applause started to settle down, Sara came back on stage with bottled water for Celeste and Sherri, and once again took the mike in hand. "We have a special treat for you this afternoon as well, something Dave doesn't know about, something that we have been fighting to keep a secret from some other very close friends." Laura got up and walked towards the stage. "We have a special guest vocalist with us today, Miss Laura Williams!" Though the crowd had never heard of her before, the introduction made it seem like they should have, so they applauded loudly while Kelly and Todd just looked at each other with an expression of "did you know what this is about?" Jules just smiled smugly. The other three had told her what was going to happen. Laura made it up the steps and took one of the microphones from Sara. "Thank you," she said to the crowd. "It's an honor to be performing with these talented ladies." The applause rose again for the three girls of the James Gang. "I'm proud to call them my friends, they've been very 'instrumental, ' no pun intended in helping me find my dreams." "I'd like to dedicate this song to two very special people who made all of my dreams come true. Todd, Kelly, this song is for you. I love you guys." Laura looked to Sherri who keyed in a single note to start the music and with a voice as pure as mountain dew Laura began: It's been a long road Getting from there to here It's been a long time But my time is finally here Celeste joined in with her violin, And I can feel a change in the wind right now Nothing's in my way And they're not gonna hold me down no more No they're not gonna hold me down Sara joined in on the chorus, wrapping an arm around Laura, 'Cause I've got faith of the heart I'm going where my heart will take me I've got faith to believe I can do anything I've got strength of the soul And no one's going to bend nor break me I can reach any star I've got faith Faith of the heart By the time the four girls had reached the last two choruses, Sherri had added celestial effects to the instruments on the synthesizer. The applause was thunderous. It was a song that many people could relate to whether or not they recognized it as the opening theme from Enterprise or just as a Rod Stewart hit. Laura gave a small bow and then pointed to her co-conspirators that resulted in a lot of table pounding. Looking to the table where Todd and Kelly sat, she blew a kiss and then blushing slightly got off the stage. Kelly sat with tears in her eyes as she and Todd waited for Laura with open arms. ------- After a few more numbers by other finalists, Dave himself came out and called for a big round for all the performers and a special thanks to his guest performers. "And if you want to catch them live again, I hear they will be at Carnegie Hall sometime soon. Just stop in at Salty Dave's for details!" Al came on to the stage and announced that the "cook-off" was complete and asked for the judges to come forward and render their verdicts. It was Kelly's turn to head to the front of the stage where four other visiting dignitaries were waiting. Even with hot burgers and ribs, roasted corn on the cob, hot dogs and cold drinks and so much more food, the crowd seemed to want a bit more. A quick thinking Al sent Lucy scurrying back to the table where the girls of the "James Gang" were sitting with Todd and Laura having a great laugh as Todd told the story of Sara's little slide to Jules, Celeste and Sherri. "I would have loved to have seen that," said Sherri. "We did a spin yesterday that got the crowd wet but that was from a distance. I'll bet this was like a monsoon!" "Kelly and I turned at the last minute," Laura laughed. "We saw this wall of water coming and decided not to get it in the face!" "Poor Al," said Celeste. "That was really naughty of you guys!" but she couldn't hide her smile. "Al thought it was great!" said Todd. "He's the one that had to explain to Peter just what the boat did." Lucy was nearly out of breath when she reached the picnic table. "Dad asked if Sherri and Celeste and Sara could do a few more numbers... the crowd is asking for more live music." "Care to join us Laura?" Celeste asked as she picked up her violin case. "Thanks, Celeste, but it's you three who should be up there. Maybe we'll do another set together another time and place." The trio got up and moved quickly to the stage, leaving Lucy and Jules with Laura and Todd. "I wonder how Kelly is making out?" Jules said. "Why do you ask?" said Laura. "We made a new friend here, you saw him on stage. Dave from Salty Dave's. He's one of the competitors in the 'cook-off' today. He used to be the reigning champ until one of the other restaurants won the title last year. He thinks this is a thing of honor now." "Redeeming his honor?" Todd asked. "Sounds like he would make a good Klingon! Of course if he were, he would have skewered the p'Tag and roasted him over a slow fire last year, but I guess that's frowned on by humans." Jules and Laura laughed. "Maybe we should get something to eat while she's judging," Jules suggested. Laura looked at Todd. The smell of the open barbeque drums was enticing. He nodded. ------- Since the "James Gang Trio" was on stage at Dave's request, Jules suggested they grab some burgers from him. Lucy who was helping out quickly spotted them. "Come here guys!" she waved them over. To Todd and Laura she said, "this is Dave and his girlfriend Janet." Dave handed over the grill to one of his staff and he and the lanky brunette slipped away so they could talk. He shook Todd's hand with a firm grasp. "You're the photographer," he said. Todd nodded, "And you're the cook who's looking to redeem his honor. Q'pla!" At Dave's puzzled look, Laura translated. "He's wishing you success in Klingon." Janet laughed, lightly punching Dave in the shoulder. "Told you that song was from Enterprise!" To Laura she said, "You really did a great job on that song. I never thought of it as a love song before." "Thanks," said Laura blushing at the compliment. "I wanted to tell the whole world how I felt about Todd and Kelly. This seemed to be about as big a piece of the world I could find!" Janet looked at Todd who was beaming. "So... you two are?" "This is my girlfriend Laura." Todd said. "But I thought your girlfriend was one of the judges," Dave said. "Yep! That gorgeous one at the end is Kelly," said Laura. Janet put a hand to her forehead. "I think I need a drink." "I'll get you one," said Lucy running off. "She's a sweetheart, but she won't get the kind of drink I need right now," said Janet slowly sinking to an open bench seat. "I should have stuck to my turtles. They're a lot less complicated." Jules turned to hide her smile. If only Janet knew! "Life is only complicated if you let it become that way," said Laura. "You're going to tell me that you don't get jealous?" Janet asked. Laura shifted her eyes from side to side as if waiting for a punch line. "Am I supposed to?" "God, I need a double!" "Al was telling us about a turtle sanctuary on the island. Is that where you work?" asked Todd. Janet looked up. "Yes. We actually recover the eggs after the female has laid them and hatch them ourselves. We've been quite successful at it, but we'll never bring the population back to what it was." "Why not?" asked Laura. "Because people don't give a damn about turtles," said Todd. Janet's head whipped around. "Yes they do!" she hissed. "I'm sorry, Janet, but I've been around the world a few times. You might give a damn, your friends might, but people in general couldn't care less. If they did, you wouldn't have to hatch eggs to try to save the species." Janet looked like she was going to cry. Dave was about to say something but Todd held his hand up to him. "I'm sorry, Janet, I remember people like you from university. I love what you try to do, but as long as people buy drums made from turtle shells, or think that soup made from a turtle is a status thing, you're fighting a losing battle." "So you think I should just quit? Is that it?" "No," said Todd in a softer voice. "Never quit. We all have to keep fighting, not just for the turtles but also for the whales and the dolphins and the rain forests. It's better to die on our feet fighting then to kneel in submission and accept defeat." "I'm sorry," she said. "I know you're right... It's just we could do so much more but it always comes down to money." "Well, I'll tell you what," said Todd, "we're quoting a job for Al for a new brochure for the island. He's proud of what you do. If we get the job, I'll work with you on some pictures that will show just what can be done." "Thanks, Todd. I'd really appreciate that." "But I'll tell you something else," Todd added. "You need to talk to more people, the way you just talked to me. Make them listen. Appeal to their good nature. While it won't create a miracle cure, these people," he waved his arm in a sweeping motion over the crowd, "they will help. Most people are basically good and want to do the right thing." Dave nodded in agreement. Lucy came back with a box full of cups with iced tea and started to hand them out. "Honey," Dave said. "Todd's right. People want to do the right thing. It's just sometimes they need to be shown what the right thing is. I know you've been avoiding the club cause you think it's just a bunch of teenagers that hang out there, but they're the ones that you should be talking to. Make them believe that hope for the future lies with them. You'd be surprised at how many are interested." "You really think so, Dave?" she asked turning a hopeful eye towards him. "I know so, Janet. I'll even prove it to you after the BBQ is over." Todd and Laura took a couple of burgers and some corn and headed back to their table after saying goodbye to Dave and Janet. Jules had loaded up a plate for herself and asked out loud, "I wonder how Dave's going to prove it?" ------- Kelly was having a hell of a time. There were six plates of ribs in front of her with numbered tags. From the small tastes she had of each, rinsing her mouth out between tastes with Perrier, she had quickly eliminated two. The first to lose out was one that was so heavily spiced with various peppers it nearly burned Kelly's tongue. Somebody had gone a bit heavy with the Scotch Bonnet peppers. Kelly remembered the distinctive taste from her time in Jamaica. The second one to bite the dust was one where the chef had killed the taste with too much dry mustard. It might be a unique flavor, but Kelly felt it was not properly utilized on the ribs. This left her with four that were rather good, two of which were actually very good, but even though she knew one of the recipes she was tasting had been helped along by Sara, she had promised herself to be a fair and impartial judge, and if asked, would be able to state why she had turned down the "also rans." She gave number six a failing grade for being overly dry, and number four, though a good mixture, had used too much honey trying to emulate an oriental flavor. Kelly felt it took away from the taste of the meat. Having definitely eliminated the four from competition, Kelly tried both numbers five and three again. Both had a similar flavor on the palate. A pleasant taste, though as she looked closer at the two remaining plates, she noticed a distinctive orange tinge to both plates. It took some will power but Kelly forced herself to overcome the memorized taste of saffron. Scraping the meat of all sauce she instead focused on the other tastes. Without the sauce, one was rather normal with no distinctive flavor at all, but the other had just enough kick to it to appeal to her sense of taste; spicy, but not overly so. The meat was tender and easy to chew. Rinsing her mouth after each bite, she tried both again to make sure her decision was accurate. It was definitely number five she preferred as her choice of best ribs. Slipping her personal comments into her purse, she marked number five as the winner and sat back from the table. She was surprised to find that she was the last of the judges to finish, but satisfied herself that neither Emeril nor Jamie could have done a better job! Seeing she was done, Al came and collected all of the judging cards. He thanked the judges for their efforts and announced to the crowd that the winner would be announced a bit later but for now, the food was going on the grill! Kelly realized she had really been into a mindset with the tasting of the ribs. While she had been aware of music playing behind her, she hadn't realized it was Sara and Sherri and Celeste. She gave a thumb's up to the girls and headed back to her table. ------- "Are we too late?" asked a familiar voice. Todd looked up and gave James a friendly handshake. Jules and Kelly had their backs to him and hadn't seen him and the three girls approach. JulieAnn jumped up and hugged James. "You're never too late, Sweetheart, especially when it comes to food!" Since Jules was the only one who knew everybody at the table she made the introductions. "Kelly, Todd, this is Erin, James' sister, and these two ladies are Cara and Ami. We'll leave you to get acquainted while we get this big lug a few pounds of ribs!" Todd leaned back and scrutinized the two gymnasts. Cara was about 5'7" with a natural gymnast's physique. A bit gangly, but he knew enough about gymnastic competition to realize she had gone into a growth spurt. "How bad is it?" he asked her. Cara blushed. "I could have kept competing, but it would have meant surgery, and the doctors said that I'm still growing. I won't qualify for the nationals this year, so rather than getting scarred for life, my coach suggested I quit now." "Smart coach," said Todd. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail but was a nice rich brown. She had some nice curves, but her muscles detracted from them. "Can you still hold a pose on the major equipment? If you don't have to worry about a dismount or any maneuvers?" "I was still doing it all last week," she said. "Welcome aboard, Cara," said Kelly. "All I can promise right now is this one shoot but if you are interested, I could find more work for you." "Actually, I'm not sure if I want to pursue it as a job. I've got plans to go into sports medicine, but I thought this would be fun and a great way to close out my years of training." "Smart choice," said Todd. "So Ami... What's your story?" Ami was just a bit shorter than Cara but with more curves. Shorter, darker hair but very nicely built. "I won't make the national team this year either, and I'm getting a bit too old to continue trying to make it again. This year I was plagued with a rare disease in gymnasts." "A disease?" Kelly asked. "Yeah," said Erin. "She caught a bad case of the Klutz!" Todd laughed. "Well that won't prevent you from being photographed. What are your plans for the future?" "I'm not sure yet. I want to stay near the action but I don't want to be involved the way Cara is planning. Actually, I was thinking of going into sports photography." "Well, that's a lofty goal," said Todd, "but there aren't too many women in the field, so you could corner a niche market. But it's not instant pictures." "Oh, I know that," said Ami. "I'll have to finish school and then hope someone will take me on as an apprentice." "Ooff," said Todd as Kelly's elbow hit him in the side. "You understand that we'll need you in Charlotte for at least four weeks, right?" asked Kelly. Both girls nodded. "Can you be ready to go in a few days? We're already running behind schedule." "We're ready when you need us," said Ami. "But where will we stay and how will we get there? Our folks don't want us traveling alone." Kelly turned to Laura, "Would you mind another flight to pick these girls up?" Laura smiled. "I'd be glad to help." "Okay, how about Laura comes to the Summerville airstrip on Wednesday and picks you up at your homes so your parents can see that you have an escort to take you to Charlotte. As for a place to stay, if you don't mind sharing a room, I have a guest room you can camp out in." "That would work!" said Ami. "Cara and I are used to sharing quarters. It's like a professional necessity." Kelly shook hands with the two girls, "Then we'll see you on Wednesday! Maybe you want to go and grab some food and come back and join us here. I know that James and JulieAnn will be back shortly." With a laugh and giggles the three girls ran off in search of food. "Don't you want something to eat, Kelly?" Todd asked. "Not now, Sweetheart. I had so many bites of ribs that it's all I can taste." She sat back and lit a cigarette. "I told you that your assistant would find you!" "Who? Ami?" Todd asked. "Why not? You were younger than she was when you started," Kelly said. "And she might as well apprentice under the best," added Laura, "Besides, she can do home study and be free to really give you a hand when you get busy." "I don't know," said Todd. "Maybe I'll let her try some film on a 35 and see if she can develop it. A lot of people think photography is just snapping off pictures." "Trust me, Todd," Laura said. "I've got a feeling about her." ------- James and Jules came back to the table. James was carrying two plates of ribs. "You're going to eat all that?" Kelly asked. "This is just his appetizer!" Jules laughed. "Hey," said James as he dug into the first plate. "Did you hear the girls on stage?" Kelly laughed. "They've been up there most of the afternoon. They seem to be a big hit with the crowd." "I was just getting my first plate loaded when they started on this one song..." His eyes drifted away. "Laura was up there earlier with them," Jules said. "You should have heard the four of them! Laura did a special love song for Todd and Kelly." Kelly wrapped her arms around Laura. "She's such a sweetheart!" Laura gave Kelly a kiss. She sat back and looked at James with such curiosity that he stopped eating. "What? Have I got rib sauce all over my face again?" Laura laughed. "No, it's just that I've heard so much about you that I wondered what you would look like. Now I'm just comparing the physical you to the one I had pictured in my mind." "And do I measure up?" "I'm not really sure," said Laura. "I think I was mentally prepared for a Brad Pitt/George Clooney combination but now I think you look more like Matt Damon." "It's not his outside appearance that attracts us girls," said Jules, "it's what he's got in here," she said tapping his heart. "Now that, I can understand," said Laura. "I wonder what's going on with Dave and Janet," James said. "When I got my ribs, Janet was acting a bit strange. Actually a bit dazed." "Oh," said Todd, "that might be my fault." James looked at him for an explanation but it was Laura who explained to Kelly and James what had happened. "She might love her turtles, but I think she realizes now that without people to support her, she's fighting a losing battle." "She's got to get people involved," said Todd. "And Dave told her that she needed younger people as they were the ones that would take up the cause, and then Dave said something about he was going to prove that point to her after the barbeque was over. I'm curious as to what he has up his sleeve." The music stopped and Al got up on the stage. Taking the mike from Sara, he announced that the rib cook off winner had been determined. Cara, Ami and Erin made it back to the table in time to hear the results. "I'm pleased to say that all the participants gave a good showing, but in the end there can only be one winner... Reclaiming his title as the grand master of ribs is Dave Michon of Salty Dave's!" The applause was loud and gratifying. Sara, still on stage, was beaming from ear to ear. "Dave, get up here to pick up your trophy and say a few words." Al said. Dave got up on the bandstand gently pulling a reluctant Janet with him. He thanked Al and held his trophy up high. He looked to the side of the stage and gave a nod to Lucy who took off running. "I'd like to thank the judges first of all," said Dave, "but also my fellow contestants. You made me try harder!" This brought another round of applause from the audience. "But," he said in a more somber voice, "I learned a valuable lesson this year as well. I'm not perfect. And I can't do everything alone. We are all, all of us, dependent on other people." Lucy scrambled up the steps carrying a wooden box the size of a shoebox. "Sometimes we have to let others help us carry the load. This box is the result of a year's worth of donations from teens that have spent a few nights at my club. Nobody asked them to donate, we just told them what it was for, and they gave of their own free will." "Janet," he said turning to her, "this is just a small offering from the young people who live on or visit Brookhaven to help save the turtles." Janet's eyes misted over and a tear ran down her cheek. "How much?" someone from the audience hollered. Dave turned back to the crowd with one arm around Janet. "I have no idea. We were going to count it tonight, but someone told us this afternoon that this was as big a piece of world as she could hope for in one sitting. Al said there's over 200 people here right now, so I'm saying that we need to do more!" Kelly looked at Todd who whispered in her ear. She quickly climbed on to the top of the picnic table and hollered out, "Whatever is in that box, TKO will match it!" Jules looked at James who nodded. She too climbed on to the table and hollered out, "And JamPC will match it as well!" Peter, vice president of InterCoastal, shook his head and said a silent "what the fuck," got up and said "And InterCoastal will match it!" The applause got louder and louder as one after another, various visitors who represented corporations also vowed to match it. The tears were running down her face as Janet tried to thank everyone. Al brought a screwdriver up on the stage and cracked the top of the box open for every one to see. Sherri started playing Queen's "We Are The Champions" in the background as Janet and Al carefully counted out the money in the box. Al stood up and taking the mike announced that all those who had volunteered to match the generosity of the teens that visited Brookhaven were now responsible for $428.73 each! Laura, who had always been good with numbers, did the math quickly in her head. She confirmed the numbers with Jules and announced to their table that Janet had just lucked her way into 9,850 dollars and 79 cents. As Janet and Dave left the stage, Al waited for the crowd to quiet down. "I would ask for everybody's cooperation tomorrow. Short Creek Channel will be closed to all boat traffic starting at 9:00 A.M. InterCoastal will be running speed tests between 11:00 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. You're welcome to come down and watch, but please, stay out of the channel during that time." "Where are you going, James?" Jules asked. "Back for more ribs! It's probably the last good meal I'll have with you giving all our money away." "I shouldn't have asked," said a smiling Jules. ------- The "James Gang Trio" did two more numbers, thanked everyone for the applause and got off stage. On the way back to the table they picked up some food and drinks and caught up with James on his way back with two more plates of ribs. Janet and Dave stopped by a few minutes later and sat to talk with the group that now occupied two picnic tables. Laura introduced them to Kelly. "That was really something special you guys did," said Janet as she sat down. "Actually," said Todd, "what we did today was try to prove something to you. What's really special is what this will do for you next year." "What do you mean?" asked Janet. "This was a drop in the bucket as far as fund raising goes. What we, and JamPC and IC and all those other corporate heads gave is nothing. Next year... That's when it's going to cost us!" he said laughing. Janet looked at Todd like he had grown a second head. "I know what he means, Janet," said Laura. "Dave had a donation box up in his cafe. Teens that dropped money into it, well for them it was just pocket change, but it came with good intentions. What they saw happen today, and what they will hear about over the next year if Dave prints out a good sign to go with the box, is they will put in more money cause they're going to want to beat whatever today's total was. And they'll know Janet, they'll understand that the companies only matched what they contributed." "She's right, Janet," said Dave. "Those kids will work even harder at it now!" "And you can put it right on the sign, Dave," said Todd, "TKO will again match whatever they contribute. Sight unseen. Make it a challenge for them!" Dave laughed. "You don't mind if I tell some of the other companies that you've already committed yourselves?" "I'd be surprised and shocked if you didn't!" said Todd. Dave and Janet got up to leave. "If you'll excuse us," said Dave, "I find people more approachable on full stomachs." Todd laughed. "That's the spirit. But Janet, remember what I said. It's you who has to talk with the same passion as you did earlier." As they walked away, Kelly said, "They seem like a nice couple." JulieAnn and Laura smiled at each other and then at Todd. ------- "I wish we could stick around a bit longer," Kelly said to the group. "I'd love to be able to fill Cara and Ami in on what they'll need to bring and what they won't need..." "It's okay, Kelly," said Ami, "We'll just bring our stuff that we took to the camp with us if that's okay. We're used to packing light." "That would probably be all you need," said Kelly, "anything else we can pick up in Charlotte for you. Contrary to how it looks, we don't work all the time! Just remember that Laura will be picking you up Wednesday morning." Todd stood up. "James, ladies, I guess we'll see you next weekend." Laura gave each of the "James Gang Trio" a hug. "Thanks guys. I really appreciate you letting me do a number with you." Kelly sighed. "JulieAnn, would you like an advance peek at the pictures? I know that you guys were the driving force behind this IC venture, and I guarantee that no news photo is going to compare to what Todd shot off this morning." Sara laughed. "Damn right it won't come close. Todd's a pro, and we planned it all out before we tried it and then ran test runs. It's not something I would try with anybody else." "That would be great, Kelly. You've got our email address, and then I can let Al have a look as well." Kelly smiled a warm smile at the group. "Till next weekend then." After the goodbyes Todd and Kelly and Laura strolled off back to their hotel to get ready for an early morning flight out. ------- "You told her WHAT?" asked an incredulous Kelly. "Well," said Laura defensively, "Janet asked and I saw no reason to hide the truth. At least she only thinks Todd is the lucky one to have two girls. I didn't tell her that you and I were involved as well!" Kelly laughed. "No wonder James thought she looked a bit dazed!" "Well, at least she wasn't at the restaurant last night," said Todd. "Then there would have been no doubt in her mind!" Both Kelly and Laura laughed at that. "I'm sure that she'll hear about it soon enough." "I take it then she doesn't realize all the other girls are with James!" Kelly said. "Wouldn't that blow her mind?" said Laura. Kelly was laying out the clothes she would be wearing in the morning and packing the rest away. Laura decided to help. Todd just picked out another t-shirt and concentrated on making sure his ice packs were well frozen and that his camera equipment was all packed up tight. It was still fairly early but Todd had gotten enough information about the size of the island and all of the businesses and activities available from the Hampton's manager, plus a couple of the older brochures. As usual for Todd, with all things taken care of, he flopped down in front of the TV to catch up on the latest news. "How about steak for supper?" Kelly asked. "I really feel like chewing some protein tonight." "Just steak?" Todd asked. "Smothered in mushrooms." Kelly added. "If you want fries or a baked potato with it, I'll be glad to order one for you, but I'm just going to have a Caesar salad with mine, and a deluxe jumbo size Pina Colada!" "That sounds great!" said Laura. "Yeah, that would do it for me too," said Todd. "But how about we slip the drinks into the freezer when they come and have them on the balcony afterwards?" "Now you're talking. And while we're waiting for the food, I better call Vanetta and let her know we'll be coming home earlier than we planned." "Are you sure she'll be at home?" Todd asked. "No, but I do know that she'll be at the studio." "At the studio?" "Yep. She thinks we don't know, and obviously you didn't, but whenever we're out of town she stays at the studio 24/7." "Why would she do that?" Todd asked. "She's trying to protect the place. By having lights on and off at different times it looks like there is someone there all the time, which there is." "Doesn't she have a social life?" Laura asked. "I can't see how she can," said Todd. "She's always studying or at work." Kelly just smiled as she dialed the studio's private number. ------- Kelly and Laura and Todd were sitting on the balcony again after a delicious meal of steak and mushrooms. The Pina Coladas had stayed nicely frozen in the freezer and after their meal, all three had stripped off what little clothes they had left on and were just enjoying being in each other's company while sipping on their drinks. "What was the proper name of that song," Laura asked looking up from her straw. "Which song is that, Honey?" Kelly asked. "I know!" laughed Todd. "She's thinking of 'the Pina Colada song, ' right Babe?" "Yeah! That's the one," Laura said. Kelly laughed as well. "It's called 'Escape' by Rupert Holmes. Why did you want to know that?" "Before yesterday, I'd never had one of these," Laura explained. "Maybe that's why the song didn't really mean that much to me. Or it could be because now I understand the other stuff he sang about." They sat silently for a while contemplating what Laura had said. "My boobs are a bit tender tonight," Laura said. "I think they're always tender," laughed Todd. "Are you due?" asked Kelly. Laura did some thinking and finally nodded. "But usually I get bloated and get cramps just as I come due," she said. "I told you the vitamins would help," said Kelly. "Wow! They've really made a difference," said Laura. "I know," said Kelly. "I have to keep an eye on the calendar myself to avoid little accidents." "If you two will excuse me for a minute, I think I better slip something in." "You know, Todd," said Kelly, "as well as I thought I knew you, I have no idea if you have any hang-ups about sex with a woman on her period." "Not me," said Todd. "It's just a part of life. I haven't done it often, but it's nothing that washing won't take care of." "Did somebody mention washing?" asked Laura. She was wearing a pair of panties now. "Yeah, I was just asking Todd if he had hang-ups about having sex with a woman while she's menstruating." "Oh, gross!" exclaimed Laura. Kelly laughed. "I never thought I would see anything about sex that would turn you off." Laura finally grinned. "Maybe it's because I've never done it, or because of the whole society thing." "That's what I was trying to explain to Chuck the other night," said Todd. "We let North American mores and rules dictate a way of life to us when in reality we are part of a much bigger social system." "Well, I've been brought up on those standards and rules," said Laura, "so maybe we can just let me adjust to it slowly before I try it, okay? I mean, I went to school where everyone still refers to it as 'the curse.'" "Really?" asked Kelly. "I haven't heard that since I was twelve. But then again, I can understand your view. When I was in Europe, there were a lot of women who didn't shave their legs. I thought that was going extreme!" "How about the ones who don't shave their pits?" added Todd. Kelly turned to him. "Ladies don't have armpits, Sir, we have underarms!" Laura and Todd both laughed. "I know that when I first started growing hair under my arms, my sister Cathy used to call me Chia-Pet!" "Well, I won't rush you into trying anything new," said Todd. "When and if you want to, I'm sure you'll let me know." "But that doesn't mean I can't..." and with that Laura sat in front of Todd and dropped her mouth over his cock. Not bothering with preliminaries, she sucked until the head was deep in her mouth, then tongued the vein at the base, drawing back slightly as his cock grew rapidly, almost penetrating her throat. Slowly, she drew her teeth lightly down his shaft then laved the head, drooling spit so it ran down his shaft and onto his ballsack and suddenly dived back down engulfing the full length of him. She couldn't quite deep throat it all and pulled back to suckle on him, her tongue working against the sensitive underside of his throbbing head. Kelly had been surprised by Laura's spontaneous action, and, smiling, she leaned back against the railing giving encouragement. "Suck that cock, Laura, make him cum. Oh, he's feeling it already, I can see his balls tightening up!" Todd was moaning out loud as Laura cupped his balls with one hand and with the other gently twisted on the portion of his shaft not currently in her mouth. Laura started to hum as she continued to suck sending even stronger sensations into his glans and seconds later Todd could hold off no longer and shot his load into her eager mouth. Laura got up and shared her reward with Kelly, the two girls mashing breasts against each other as they shared a deep soul kiss. "Something about this place..." said Todd. "What's that Honey?" Kelly asked. "Because the three of us are naked outside basking in the moonlight?" "Yeah, we couldn't do this at home," he said. "Maybe on the roof of the studio, but that would be risky." Laura sighed. "I guess we'll have to wait for times when we're out of town then, someplace a bit more private." Kelly laughed. "You should have arrived at Chuck's the night before. All the girls were skinny dipping!" "Now that would be cool!" Laura said. Kelly was sipping at the last of her jumbo Pina Colada. "Laura, I'm not trying to be pushy or anything, but if you have an issue with sex during your period, how are we going to give you any pleasure?" Laura thought on that a moment. "Like we do with each other in the shower?" she ventured. "I'd do that with you anytime," laughed Kelly, "but what about Todd? You know he wants to pleasure you as much as I do." "Jesus. I've never had to think of any of this before. Maybe it will be okay as long as you're okay with it, Todd." "You already know that I'm okay with it, Sweetheart." Todd said. "But don't worry about it. When the time is right, let's just let it happen." ------- Todd fetched bottles of Evian from the fridge and they shared some of the fruit from Chuck's basket as they sat on the balcony, listening quietly to the sounds of summer. The rest of the evening was occupied with small talk, touching and smiles as they thought of their return to Charlotte the following day. "I wonder when I'll meet Nicole," Laura said. "I'm curious now to meet the last member of the 'James Gang.'" "Probably at the grand opening of Celeste's 'Wheel' next weekend," said Todd. He yawned. "I'm about done in. Anybody else ready for bed?" "You go ahead Babe," said Kelly. "I think Laura and I need a shower first." ------- Chapter 14 Vanetta heard the phone ringing. "Oh no," she thought to herself, "Not now, Kelly!" "Shouldn't you answer that?" asked Bobby lifting his head from her damp curls. "Damn it, Robert!" she said swinging her leg over his head. "I was so close!" Still nude she padded across the office floor, reached across her desk, and picked up the private line. "Yes, Kelly?" she asked. Kelly laughed on the other end of the line. "Did I call at a bad time?" "More than you'll ever know," said Vanetta starting to smile. "How did you know it was me?" "Because Todd never calls on this line," Vanetta said, "and I don't think Laura knows this number yet." "I'm sorry about that," said Kelly, "I'll let you go back and try to finish what you started. I just wanted to let you know that we'll be back before noon tomorrow." "Okay," said Vanetta. "I'm sure that Bobby won't mind starting over. By the way, that special shipment you were expecting arrived Friday afternoon." "Great!" said Kelly, "say hi to Robert for me, and I'll see you tomorrow." Vanetta laughed. "Right! Let him know that you know he's here. I don't think so!" "Have a good night, Vanetta," said Kelly warmly. Vanetta hung up the phone and walked back to the studio couch. She had turned on lights in Todd's apartment earlier to give the appearance he was home, but downstairs in the studio, a dozen coconut-scented candles cast a warm glow over the cream satin sheet covering the couch - and Bobby, waiting for her and wearing nothing but a smile. ------- Robert Payne had been her boyfriend for nearly a year. She had met him two years ago at the university when he was a TA for one of her business courses. He had shown an interest in her from the start, but Vanetta had been leery of his attentions. During her few years in North Carolina, she had twice dated white boys only to find their interests no deeper than the allure of her coffee colored skin. It brought back disturbing memories of the rich men who visited Jamaica to rent young dark girls. Her mother had warned her about dating outside of the still visible color bar, but for some reason that bar had never excluded Todd and Kelly. It was through Kelly's help that her mother had managed to secure landed immigrant status, and allowed Vanetta and Delton to follow shortly afterwards. With the help of Todd, Vanetta had been accepted to UNC and Delton had been able to start his own business. Todd and Kelly, what a combination. Not once in all the time she had known them or worked for them had she felt or seen any signs of being different. Todd had never once suggested anything sexual towards her, though she knew she was not unattractive. Actually, Vanetta was very attractive, but Todd treated her more like a sister than an employee or even a co-worker, and Kelly had always been just like a sister to Vanetta. Vanetta remembered fondly the "family" trip Todd and Kelly had taken them all on to visit "The Home of the Rat," the first year they had been in Charlotte. Before Vanetta had taken on such a heavy course load at UNC, she had gone with Kelly on trips to Canada, New York, and even California. Perhaps it was the fact that Robert reminded her of Todd that, after a year of excuses, she finally accepted a date with him. Robert had picked her up at the door of her mother's house and taken her to a movie followed by a pizza. He had been fun to talk to and after the date officially ended, he had walked her back to her door and hesitantly placed a small kiss on her cheek. Vanetta couldn't understand why Robert had persisted in asking her out when he could have his choice of women. Two years older, he was over six feet tall and weighed in at all of 145 pounds. He had thick dark hair, which he kept fashionably short, and a neatly trimmed beard. Like her, he was an honor student bent on doing his best, and had a thirst for knowledge. He was in his final year at the University and planned on teaching high school business after he graduated, but for the time being worked part time for a realty firm. They had dated all of six times over a two-month period of time, and he had never tried to go further than the kiss on the cheek at the end of each date. After the third month he had brought her home to meet his parents for a holiday meal. His mother was a teacher and his father an editor for the North Carolina Nation. After a few more visits with his parents and seeing no sign of being anything other than a girl whom their son was seriously pursuing, Vanetta eased her guard. Vanetta had expressed her concerns to Kelly, who had really listened. Kelly had said, "You can't love if you're afraid of being hurt." Two weeks later after another movie, Vanetta had slid closer to Robert and instead of a pizza they had gone parking. He gave and received a lot more than a kiss on the cheek that night and afterwards they had both laughed about how they were acting like teenagers necking in a car. Though it was obvious that they both intended and hoped to take their physical relationship farther, they had still taken their time. Robert was fun to be with and the two of them spent many hours just talking and laughing. In the month that followed their first serious necking session, Robert had moved slowly and carefully. His first foray had been to slip his hand on to her hard and flat stomach, stroking it slowly and had lovingly played with her belly button, which had given her the giggles. On their next date he dared to venture his hand up farther and had cupped her breast in his hand over top of her bra. Vanetta took the initiative that night and undid her bra to give him free access to her 36C breasts, her nipples the size of pencil erasers and hard with desire. She... the memory still made her nipples pucker thinking about it... she had gently pressed on his head letting him know she wanted them suckled. Things had heated up from that point and they started to date weekly, sometimes skipping the movie all together. In time, Vanetta had allowed Robert to go farther and the night he finally slipped his hand inside of her jeans and panties it took very little manual stimulation from him to bring her to a climax. That was the night she first undid his jeans and let his rock hard cock spring forth to her gaze. It looked so needy, all pink and with a ruby red head that she took it in her hand and gently stroked it. She was not prepared for how quickly he ejaculated or how strongly. Some landed on her blouse and some on his shirt, before she tried to stop the flow by placing her palm over the top of it feeling more spurts hitting her hand. As he slowly breathed back to a semblance of consciousness he started to apologize, but she hushed him with a kiss. She looked at her dark hand holding his baby pink cock and laughed at the cum seeping out over and through her fingers. Cream to go with her coffee colored skin. Robert had confessed that night to Vanetta that she was the first girl to ever have seen or touched his penis. "I had once promised myself I would be a virgin on my wedding night, Netta." She had smiled at him. "I understand Bobby. You're the first man who has ever touched my boobs much less down there! I wasn't saving it for marriage, but I promised myself that my first time would be with someone who loved me, and who I loved." "And I do love you, Netta," he had said. They continued the weekly visits to their private lovers lane for another month, necking and petting, masturbating each other to the point of climax. They were comfortable with each other at this point in their sexual discovery, and often had multiple climaxes in an evening. The time in between was spent snuggling and hugging and making sweet love talk. While they had both been total virgins, they were not stupid and knew what the next step would be. Nearly nine months after their first date, Robert asked if she would consider spending the night with him at a Holiday Inn. The virginity she had protected for so long she surrendered to Bobby that night, a special night for both of them. Bobby took her out to a fancy restaurant, and then dancing. Shortly before midnight, they arrived at their room and stood for long minutes kissing just inside the doorway, neither wanting to rush the moment. Robert slowly undid her top, kissing each square inch of skin as it came into view, then helped her out of her shoes and nylons, leaving her clad in just her lacy black bra and panties. Vanetta pressed him back towards the bed, slowly undoing his shirt buttons, slipping it from his shoulders, tossing it aside then undoing his belt, unzipping his pants. He stepped out of his slip-on shoes as she slid down his pants to join his shirt in an untidy pile. She had pressed him back on the bed and pulled his socks off, and then reached forward to pull his shorts off. He actually blushed. "You're going to blush now?" she had asked in surprise. "I've seen him in all his glory and he sure is in his glory right now!" she said as she looked at his obvious excitement. Vanetta sat down next to him on the bed and after a few more deep soul kisses she moved back and gently nibbled her way down his chest. "I know guys are supposed to really like this," she had said as she raised her head over his throbbing cock, "but while I have an understanding of what I'm supposed to do, you'll have to let me know if I'm doing this right." With that she lowered her lips to his cock which twitched wildly in response. "Oh God, Netta," he moaned. "This is my first and I don't know what it's supposed to feel like but whatever you're doing, it feels so good!" Vanetta had heard enough talk from the girls in her classes to know she should wet her lips and suck and slide on his shaft and swirl her tongue around the head. All this she did to please him. "Oh Jesus, Netta... I can't hold back," and no sooner were the words out of his mouth when he fired his first load into her. The first splash of his thick hot cum nearly gagged her but she instinctively swallowed. She found that aside from tasting a bit salty, she didn't mind it at all and continued to suck on his cock until it softened in her mouth. Bobby clasped her to him and kissed her deeply whispering repeatedly how much he adored her and would do anything for her. They lay together for a while letting Bobby get his bearings back and then he undid her bra and slid off her panties, seeing her nude for the first time ever with the lights on. He was transfixed by the darkness of her desire-puckered nipples against her skin, and laved his tongue across the nearer, then sucked it gently. The other received the same attention, and then each firm globe was subjected to his butterfly-light kisses. He slowly kissed his way to her navel, her moans, and quickened breathing encouraging his efforts, then on towards the source of the musky aroma filling his nostrils. He nipped at the short crinkly hair of her mound with his lips, then changed position and was facing her pussy for the first time ever. Gingerly he spread her labia with his fingers, gazing in wonder at the moist complication of her pink center, and then touched his tongue to the wetness of her arousal. The taste of her, along with the pheromones inflaming his senses finished him and he dove right in, licking from her oozing hole to her swollen bud. That first lick nearly lifted her off the bed! It was so much better than his fingers. And then he did it again and again! Vanetta was bucking her hips off the bed to meet the flat of his tongue as he slid it from her vagina across her clit in steady long strokes, until finally she could take it no more and grabbing his head ground her pelvis against his face until she saw fireworks! Bobby continued licking, avoiding her sensitive clit until her breathing quieted, his cock engorged almost to the point of pain, and was surprised when she pulled him up to cover her. She kissed him deeply, tasting herself on his lips and tongue, then pushed him away a little to look into his eyes. "It's time, Bobby. Tell me you love me, and then fuck me. Take my virginity, drive your wonderful cock into me and make me cum!" Bobby reached down to socket himself in her hot hole, smearing their juices onto his stiff shaft, then pushed in a little until the head of his cock was pressed against her maidenhood. "Darling, I love you with all my heart," he whispered, then with a single slow stroke drove his manhood to its full depth into her, feeling her hymen tear and coming to rest with his mound tight against hers. Vanetta's eyes opened wide at the fleeting pain, but it quickly faded at the sensation of her virgin sheath stretched around the shaft buried deep within her. He looked down at her, concerned, but was relieved when a smile of lust spread across her face. "Oh, yes, Darling, fuck me!" She wrapped her legs around his hips, feeling his cockhead pressed against her cervix deep inside. With painstaking slowness, he pulled back until the head of his cock was once again spreading the lips of her cunt, and without stopping slid back into her. "Oh, God! That feels incredible!" she exclaimed as her hips swiveled, trying to get him deeper. He withdrew again, and then pushed into her faster, mashing her swollen clit between them. Having cum earlier from her oral attention, Bobby's climax was slow in building but Vanetta quickly found herself climbing toward another orgasm. His powerful, rhythmic thrusts never stopped as she writhed beneath him, gasping for air, then as he approached his peak, his grip shifted to her shoulders pulling her down onto his steel-hard shaft as he lunged into her. She soared toward another peak, even higher than the last, wrapping her legs tight around him as her greedy cunt tried to suck him in. Her moans were words now, a chant of "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" in the same cadence as his balls-deep strokes, getting louder as she got closer. Then he lost it. He was MAN, and nothing existed in the world save for the woman beneath him, slamming into her and locking her body to him as he spurted his life-giving essence into her sucking cunt, frozen in the endless instant of their shared nirvana. He collapsed panting onto her, the blood roaring in his ears, then after a few minutes pushed himself to the side still sheathed within her so he could see her eyes, and the love they held for him. "Oh fuck!" he whispered when he could speak again. "That was incredible!" Vanetta smiled weakly. "That was way beyond expectation," she whispered in return. "I love you." "I love you," he said, and pressed his lips to hers in a long, loving kiss, then they lay for a while just looking at each other, caressing and sharing little smiles and kisses. His cock eventually shrunk from its warm nest, to a disappointed "Ohh!" from Vanetta. "Never mind Darling," he smiled, "Give it a few minutes to rest, and it'll be as good as new." He reached to grab a handful of tissues from the bedside cabinet and gently cleaned their combined juices from her as he looked closely at her swollen mound. "Mmm, that smells good!" he exclaimed. "What?" "Fresh-fucked woman!" he grinned up at her. "Oh, you!" she laughed. "C'mon here!" and pulled him up to kiss him fiercely. ------- They made love twice more that night before they were both too exhausted to try any more and went to sleep cuddled against each other. That night had confirmed their true feelings for each other and they dated as frequently as possible. While making love was not always possible, they did it every opportunity they had. They sat in the library at the university, sitting on the floor in the back rows looking at sex guides and manuals, making mental notes of what they wanted to try next. They still went to the movies and had their pizza nights, but neither had much spare money. It had been Vanetta's idea that Bobby come by the studio on those nights when Todd and Kelly were out of town. While he left at a reasonable hour, Vanetta remained the night, sleeping on the couch where they had made love earlier. Tonight was the first night the phone had ever rung. ------- "Anything important?" Bobby asked as Vanetta slid back on the satin sheet. "Just Kelly letting me know that they'll be back around noon. That means you can spend the night if you like," she added shyly. Bobby smiled at her. She was stunning. Her skin was flawless and looked darker and richer on the cream colored satin. "I'd love that, Sweetheart," he said as he bent over her to suckle on her firm breasts and large puckered nipples. She gently pressed on his head reminding him where he had been when the phone had interrupted them. Licking his way down her flat stomach he soon slid back between her spread legs and deftly parted her labia exposing the pink tender flesh inside. He loved the taste of her and eagerly worked his way into her with his tongue. Soon she was gasping for breath as Bobby took her over the edge twice. Vanetta was kissing Bobby, tasting herself on his tongue. "I love you, Bobby," she said. "And I love you, Vanetta," he said with the tenderness that comes with sincerity. Since they no longer had to worry about Bobby leaving, they took the time to fix something to eat from the studio kitchen, listened to some music, and cuddled. They had time, and the tender and loving words and gestures and touching stoked their fires again. Vanetta gently pressed on Bobby's chest until he was reclined on the couch. Kneeling between his legs, Vanetta took his semi stiff cock in her hands, the pale skin of his cock contrasting with her dark skin. As she gently played with his prick it began to swell and Vanetta slipped it into her mouth. She loved to feel it grow and brushed the tender glans with her tongue, sucking as much of him into her mouth as she could before he was fully hard. Her hands moved down to stroke and caress his scrotum and thighs as his cock became fully rigid. Allowing her teeth to gently scrape his engorged member she alternated between wrapping her lips around and sucking as she slowly bobbed her head, and teasing him with the scraping of her teeth, swirling her tongue around his glans. Vanetta could feel his balls tighten and she knew he was close to coming. Gently cupping both his balls with one hand she wrapped the other around his pulsing shaft and slowly pumped it up and down while she sucked on him wetly. She had learned it was his favorite way. Soon he was moaning out his love for her and his total devotion as his hips bucked and he let loose with a torrent of cum that she eagerly drank. As Bobby lay there panting in the afterglow of his climax, Vanetta continued to gently pump his semi-engorged prick with one hand as she straddled him, rubbing the head of his cock against her wiry pubic hair. She knew that he especially liked that and soon his cock was almost as hard as before. Vanetta continued to stroke his cock against her cunt with one hand making sure that she brushed it across her clit as well. Moving forward she slipped his new erection right inside of her hot vagina and she rode him until she climaxed, falling forward on him and planting kisses all over his face and neck, and of course nibbling on his ears. Bobby loved the feeling of Vanetta's tongue in his ear and it brought him close to another orgasm. Wrapping his arms around her he thrust up with a manic pace as his breath became ragged. Vanetta herself was rapidly approaching another climax as well and ground her cunt against him on every stroke until both of them crossed the point of no return. Moaning softly, Vanetta let her legs splay out keeping him trapped in her hot box, her tits mashed against his chest. Wrapped together, they fell asleep to the sound of each other's gentle breathing. ------- Todd woke up early Monday morning and quietly slipped out of bed leaving Kelly and Laura clutched in an embrace. After relieving himself, he splashed his face to finish waking up, and then packed up the last of his camera equipment and moved it and the girls' packed cases to the door. They were leaving with considerably more than they had brought with them, most of it Star Trek T's. Laura had refused to pack the dolphin he had bought for her, insisting that she wanted to see it through the night. He smiled at the thought of how pleased she was with small mementos that would remind her of special times. Todd brushed his teeth and took stock of the suite. No visible damage, but he left a sizable tip for the housecleaning staff, much larger than the day before. The Hampton had been good to them and he intended to spend more time there in the future, especially if this deal with Al went through. Satisfied that he could do no more, he returned to lean on the balcony, looking at the island. It was still early, but he could see the golfers heading out for an early morning start. Unlike the previous night, Todd had slipped on a pair of scrub pants and one of the new t-shirts. All the dirty laundry was in a bag waiting for the last items that Kelly or Laura might add. Though he didn't want to leave, Todd knew that IC was depending on him to deliver, and he would. He was anxious himself to see how the shots turned out, but his thoughts drifted to what he had said to Kelly. He had the love of two beautiful women, and this last month had been the happiest of his entire life. "Hey sailor! Looking for a good time?" Todd laughed as Kelly joined him on the balcony. He gave her a kiss. "Nope, sorry lady," he said. "It can't get any better than what I have now! This is as good as it gets!" Kelly smiled at him. Like Todd, she had cleaned up, brushed her teeth, and for the first time since they had arrived at the Hampton she was on the balcony dressed. Barely. "I could get used to this," she said to him. "I'm thinking of asking Al about buying a cottage out here if we land the job. What do you think?" "I think the chances of getting a cottage here is going to be somewhere between none and not a chance in hell!" he laughed. "But it wouldn't hurt to ask him. Maybe if we suggest opening an office down here the chances would improve though." "Are you serious?" she asked. "Not really," he said. "But it would be a nice place to come to when we want to escape." "Yeah, it never hurts to dream does it? I see you left a nice tip for the staff, and all the packed stuff is by the door. Are you getting psyched to start printing?" "Yeah, I guess," he said. "I've got a lot of film to process, from Regan's to the bubble bath pictures. Might as well run it all through at once, it won't take much extra time." "Oh, I forgot to tell you," Kelly said. "When I was talking to Vanetta she said our Canadian beer had arrived." She took out a cigarette and lit it. "Just in time too. I was nearly out of my favorite vice supply." "When will the plane be here?" Todd asked. "In about an hour. I figured I'd let Laura sleep a bit longer and then if she hasn't woken on her own, I'll just have to help her." Kelly smiled. "She's a real sweetheart isn't she? I can't remember ever being so happy." "That's funny," said Todd, "I was thinking the same thing before you came out. I can't remember ever being so at peace with myself." "Are you guys talking about me behind my back in front of my face?" came a sleepy voice from behind. "You bet," said Kelly as she gave Laura a good morning kiss. "We were just saying how lucky we are that you came into our lives," said Todd as he kissed her. "Luck? Or Kismet?" "Maybe a little of both," said Kelly. "Are you nearly ready to take another flight?" "Yep. Got all my stuff ready to go. You think the pilot will do what Chris did for me on Friday?" "If he does," said Kelly, "he'll never father another child! Speaking of flying, I better take a Gravol now." Laura looked out to the pier hoping to catch sight of the dolphins once more before they left but it was a bit late in the morning. "Don't worry, Sweetheart," said Todd reading her expression, "next time we come, we can get up really early and go down and visit your friends." ------- Half an hour later, a bellhop came up and carried their bags down to a waiting golf cart. Kelly settled the bill for the room and asked the manager about the availability of rooms should they land the contract to do the new brochures. "Well, we always keep a few rooms open all the time just in case," said the manager. "Like when Mr. Regan called. Some people you never want to turn away. I'll be sure to add your name to the list." Kelly thanked him and left a few business cards for him. She saw Todd and Laura waiting in the cart wearing the cowboy hats Laura had bought them and remembered to slip her own on. "Might as well go in style," she thought. Kelly recognized the pilot who had come for them as the same one who had taken them to Laurel Canyon to visit the Prevans. He gave a friendly smile and wave as they pulled up, and helped Todd stow the luggage on board. "I've just got to top up the tanks," he said, "So we should be ready to take off in about 15 minutes." Laura went with him, fascinated by the bigger plane. Kelly moved off the runway and parked herself in the grass lighting up her last before she would be airborne. Shortly, the pilot motioned them over, and, after an uneventful flight in smooth air; they landed in Charlotte shortly after 10 o'clock. Kelly couldn't hide her smile at Laura's enthusiasm for flying, feeling some of her lover's excitement herself, and saw the same smile on Todd's face. While Laura fetched her car from the parking lot, Kelly went to talk to Chris about another round trip to Laurel Canyon on Wednesday for Laura to pick up the two girls. Laura parked the car close to the office and Todd shifted the baggage from the plane to the Honda. Laura dashed in long enough to thank Chris once again for the fantastic flight he had given her on Friday, and then they drove back to the studio. Vanetta was waiting for them. Bobby had left before eight. She had arranged for Delton to pick up fresh fruit and vegetables and he had dropped them off that morning. While Todd unpacked his camera and carried the film into the darkroom, Kelly and Vanetta set about making a large pitcher of juice and Laura made a phone call to her mother letting her know she was back safe and sound. "So the weekend was successful?" Vanetta asked. "Very," said Kelly, "Probably as good as last night was for you!" Vanetta ducked her head slightly. "Hush now, Kelly. That's supposed to be a secret." Kelly laughed. "Don't you worry, your secret's safe with me." Laura came back in time to help clean fruit for a midmorning snack. "I've got all the dirty clothes in a bag," she said to Kelly, "can we wash them at your place?" "Of course," said Kelly. "I've just got a few things to take care of here and then we can head out. I'm sure Vanetta's anxious to get home as well," she said with a smile. "There's nothing else planned for today, and Todd's going to be in the darkroom for quite a while. We'll stop and get you a cell phone of your own, and come back after supper to make sure that Todd has something to eat." Todd came back out after 15 minutes, just in time to join the three girls for a morning juice break. Laura got the vitamins and the go-juice out and the four of them discussed the day's activities. "I've got about 100 negatives to develop," Todd said, "so if Vanetta is heading out, could you forward the calls to your phone, Kell?" "No problem. Laura and I are going to stop off and get her a cell of her own, and then we figured on doing the laundry. How long do you think before you'll be able to come out and eat?" "Hmm, fresh soup, developing time, drying time... give me about two hours, okay?" "It might take a bit longer than that before we can make it back," said Kelly, "but if you print the contact sheets, we should be back in time to feed you and to take a look at the master's work!" Todd laughed. "I can only hope I got a few decent shots out of the whole weekend." "Now you're just being humble," said Kelly. "I'm looking forward to seeing the ones you did of Anna and Laura." After drinking a double serving of the fresh juice, and downing the vitamins chased back by cold fresh fruit, Todd gave his two lovers a kiss. "See you guys around 2 then." "I should get running too," said Vanetta, "I might make it in time for afternoon classes." "You go then, girl!" said Kelly. "I can tell you all the sordid details of Todd's strip dance tomorrow." Vanetta raised her eyebrows at Todd who just sighed. "You might not have time tomorrow," said Vanetta. "There's a note on your desk about a big shipment of equipment coming tomorrow afternoon along with some burly men to unload it all and set it up. I guess it's pretty heavy." "Perfect timing," said Kelly. "Thanks, Vanetta." "Oh, and I filled the fridge with beer, the rest is in the back room along with your cigarettes." "What a wonderful way to start out a new week," said Kelly. "I'll have to take a couple of cartons home with me!" "And on the subject of good news, Delton left a package for you as well, Todd. It's in the crisper in your fridge upstairs." Todd gave her a big smile. "Be sure to thank him for me if I don't see him in the next few days." With that he turned and headed back to the darkroom. "Did I leave enough money for the Canadian delivery?" Kelly asked. "More than enough," said Vanetta. "Remember their dollar is only 62 cents US." "And you made sure his trip was worthwhile?" Kelly asked. "He was more than happy," said Vanetta. "I asked him to stay for lunch and I cooked him up one of those nice thick steaks from the freezer." "Was that a smart idea?" asked Kelly. "Being alone with him in the studio?" "No worries, mother dear," laughed Vanetta. "He called ahead to make sure that somebody would be here so I had Delton stop by and he helped unload the truck while I was cooking lunch. After he finished eating he stuck around a while to chat. He said it was nice not to have had to run down empty. Said his next stop was to pick up a trailer full of oranges. Would you believe he gets seventeen dollars wholesale on a ten pound bag?" Kelly laughed. "Yeah, 17 Canadian!" "Still, it's a worthwhile trip for him," she said. "But, I have to run. See you tomorrow!" "Have a good day, Vanetta," Kelly said. Laura said goodbye to Vanetta as well and silence descended in the studio. "I've just got to check my email," said Kelly, "and then we can head out ourselves." "Okay," said Laura. "I'm going to put my dolphin in the bedroom upstairs and I'll be ready." Kelly quickly skimmed through her mail and email, entered the numbers from the last few days on who had been where and the feedback. There were no complaints and more than a few compliments towards clients from the models. Kelly brought her database up to date and then shut off the computer. Setting the studio phone to forward calls to her cell, she and Laura left the studio locking the door behind them. ------- "Kelly, I need to stop at a drugstore as well," said Laura as she eased her car out of the parking lot. "I should stock up as well," said Kelly. "I shouldn't need them for another week or so, but it's not like they'll go to waste. There's a good store near my place so we can stop there on the way home. First let's head into town and get you a phone." Laura found a parking spot near the corner of South and Euclid. Locking the doors, and dropping money in the meter, the girls entered the At-Comm store that serviced TKO's cell needs. "Hiya Kelly!" Kelly turned to see Benny coming out of the back office. "Hi Benny," she said. "We need to get a third cell on our plan for Laura here," introducing Laura to the manager. "Okay, something small and compact?" "Preferably." "Well we have a special on right now on this Sony Ericsson T68i with a camera attachment for only $199.99," he said lifting a small palm size phone from the display stand. "The T68 is a triple band phone with a full color screen and is packed with features. It has GPRS, Bluetooth, and EMS and the T68 has advanced calendar and contacts features that you can synchronize data with your PC. It comes complete with a hands free ear bud, an in-car charger and a belt clip." Kelly laughed. "Now don't try too hard to sell us on it, Benny!" "But Kelly, this is a great phone! Color display with voice activated dialing, voice recording and voice command. The Lithium Ion batteries will let Laura talk for up to six hours without recharging or stay on in stand-by mode for 144 hours! It's even got a 500-name phone book and an additional 250 on the included SIM card." It was Laura's turn to laugh. "I don't even know 100 people!" "My dear girl, someone as pretty as you will soon need all 750 slots!" Kelly sighed. Benny was really into the latest electronic gear. "You've not only got text messaging, but predictive text input! An internal antenna, an alarm clock with a snooze button, a silent vibe mode, but best of all, it weighs only three ounces." "Okay, enough already," Kelly laughed. "How long will it take Laura to learn all the features?" "About an hour, if she's half as smart as she is good looking, to get the basics, and then the other features will come quickly as she needs them." "Do you like it, Laura?" Kelly asked. "It's beautiful," said Laura. "I've never seen anything like it." "Okay Benny, we'll want a message center for her and call waiting as well. Can you set it up so we can walk out of here in the next half hour?" "For you, Kelly, I can walk on water. Let me get right to it. And you want this as part of the TKO plan?" "Yep." "Give me 15 minutes, and I'll have it all set to go." "That's great, Benny, we'll be back shortly then. We're going to grab something to drink from the deli across the road." As they headed out of the store, Laura asked about the silent vibe. "You use that when you're someplace where you don't want the ringing of a phone to interfere with whatever is going on around you. It's quite a powerful vibrating unit too!" "Maybe I should slip it into my panties and have you call me a few times," sighed Laura. Kelly laughed. "Don't you have a regular vibrator for those special times?" Laura looked dejected. "I bought one of those 'pocket rockets' that were all the rage a couple of years ago, but it irritated me more than it ever gave me pleasure." "Ah, I know the one you're talking about. Trust me, if you want to enjoy a vibrator, you are better off with one that will guarantee results!" "And do they come with a written guarantee?" joked Laura. "Not quite," said Kelly, "but Carol Queen endorses the one I use as does Dr. Betty Dobson, author of 'Sex For One: The Art Of Self Loving' and you can't get higher endorsements than from those two ladies!" "I'm surprised you use one, Kelly." "Before you, Sweetheart, I didn't have much fulfillment from my partners. I read Betty's book and learned that I could and should take matters into my own hands if I didn't want to settle for being a frustrated sexual being." "Well, who's this Carol Queen you mentioned?" "Ah, she's one of the founding members of 'Good Vibrations', a minority and women owned company that specializes in the sale of aids for females. They also give lectures. I've had the good fortune to meet both Betty and Carol over the years attending their seminars. It looks like we'll have to get you the Cadillac of personal fulfillment for those times when you want to just have a solo session or when neither Todd or I are around to fill your needs." They entered the deli and ordered a Hero, which they split, and two iced French vanilla cappuccinos. "It's the 'Hitachi Magic Wand' and I just happen to know a store downtown that stocks them!" Kelly said as she sat down. "Kelly, I can't walk into an adult store here in Charlotte! Somebody might recognize me and tell my dad!" "Don't you worry, Babe. It's a special lingerie shop that just happens to carry toys for grown ups!" "But if it's so good, why do you want a partner?" Laura whispered. "Oh Laura... As good as the results are, and let me tell you they are really good, there's nothing that beats sharing sex with someone you love." "Yeah, I can understand that. One of the things that made the last few nights so special was being able to cuddle next to my lovers." Kelly smiled. They finished their drinks and sandwich and headed back to At-Comm. Benny had the phone programmed and had even entered some quick dial numbers for TKO for Laura. "Do you want that wrapped or are you going to start carrying it now?" Benny asked. "I might as well get used to keeping it on me," said Laura as she clipped it to her waistband. "I thought as much. I've got all the instructions in the bag with the warranty." To Kelly he gave a few cards that had Laura's new number written on them. "Just bill it all to our account, okay, Benny?" "Will do, Kelly. If you need anything else, you know where to find me!" "Thanks Benny," Kelly said as the girls left the store. "Since we're downtown anyway, let's drive over to the lingerie shop before we head home." "I'm going to feel so weird shopping for a vibrator," said Laura. "Relax Sweetie, you'll see real quick that they treat this very seriously, and nobody is going to give you a second glance." Twenty minutes later they were driving back to Kelly's, Laura still blushing from the experience, but she had a Hitachi Magic Wand of her own. They stopped at the drugstore in the strip mall where Kelly bought her supplies and after stocking up on some essentials and a couple of boxes of panty liners and four boxes of Tampax Compak Multipax, the ones that fit discreetly in the palm of the hand, the girls returned to Kelly's. "I like the multipax," said Kelly. "I don't have to bother buying separate boxes for heavy days or light days or for through the night." "I'm just glad we both use regular absorbency," said Laura. "Otherwise we would have had to get two stashes and we wouldn't be able to help each other out." Kelly and Laura tossed the dirty clothes into the washing machine and then retired to the kitchen with a bottle of mineral water. "What should we fix Todd for lunch?" Laura asked. "Hmm... He'll probably end up snacking all night on it so how about we make him some chicken fingers on a bun and leave him enough chicken so he can snack when the urge hits him?" "That sounds good," said Laura. The buzzer went off on the washing machine and Laura went to transfer the clothes to the dryer. Kelly had taken a few cartons of her Cameos from the studio and packed them away in her closet after taking a couple packs out for her immediate use. The girls sat and waited for the dryer to finish and then folded the clothes and sorted them. Laura packed most of her new clothes with Todd's to take back to the studio but left some at Kelly's knowing she would be spending a lot of time here. She also left her Magic Wand in the other nightstand beside Kelly's bed. Kelly and Laura stopped at the supermarket where Kelly did her grocery shopping and picked up a large package of fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts and a bag of Kaiser buns before they headed back to the studio. ------- Todd had processed the film and the negatives had looked promising. He set up his large trays for printing and ran off contact sheets of everything he had shot. He knew that Kelly would like to see them when she and Laura came back. While the contacts were drying Todd got on the phone. He had done a shoot for a diamond wholesaler a year back and had been fascinated with the entire process of the cutting and polishing. He had absorbed enough information about the four C's of diamond quality that he could speak about them with some knowledge. He called the president of the company and laid out his request. "That's an unusual request, Todd," said Johan. "We've never tried mounting three hearts on a ring before. If the stones are too small, you won't be able to see the cut, and if you make them large enough to see that they're hearts, you'll be looking at a mighty big ring. I like the way you think though." "Damn," said Todd. "I really want something that says 'I love you' but not garden variety." "Ah, I must have misunderstood you when you first said what you wanted. I could have sworn you said two engagement rings, identical." Todd laughed. "That's what I did say, Johan." "And do you plan on marrying two girls?" "I'm not planning it, Johan, I'm going to do it!" Johan laughed at the other end of the line. "Then might I suggest you get a set of three rings?" "I only need two," said Todd. "No, my friend," said Johan laughing. "I meant two sets of three rings: One engagement ring with two interlocking wedding bands. I could design you a custom set that would have a large heart on the engagement ring with small stones on the sides and for the two wedding bands we could put a smaller heart on each of them with say a cascading cluster of stones falling away from them. That way, when your 'brides' are wearing all three rings you would have a diagonal line of hearts." "That would work!" said Todd. "How long would it take you to make that up?" "We could probably make them in about a week depending on the size of the stones. We can mount them here and I can give you the name of a good jeweler who can size them for you in Charlotte or you can send me the sizes and I will have them made right to size here. What kind of band were you looking at? Did you want to go with the platinum? It's quite popular right now." "No, I think I would prefer to stick to 18 karat gold bands," said Todd. "Platinum is nice, but I want something a bit more traditional." "You want traditional? And you plan on marrying two women?" "Yeah, I know, so I'm an oxymoron in the flesh," laughed Todd. "And how large would you like the main diamond?" "What size would you recommend, Johan? You're the expert." "Yes, I suppose I am," he sighed. "For a heart shape I think you will have to go at least one carat to show the stone off properly. But you realize this is an expensive cut." "How about bigger?" Todd asked. "If we go much bigger, they won't be practical to wear, Todd." "Okay, you got the idea of what I want. I'll get their sizes here and let you know by the end of the week if that's okay." "That will be fine. Just out of curiosity, if you don't mind me asking, is one of the brides to be Kelly?" Todd laughed again. "Yep, sorry Johan, but I am taking her off the market!" "Congratulations, Todd. I'll send you over a copy of the design once I have it drawn up. Then you can tell me if you like it or want to change it in any way." "That would be great, Johan. Do you want the number of my bank?" "Todd, I know you, that's good enough for me." "Thanks, Johan. I'll look forward to the artwork and I'll get those sizes to you this week." After he hung up the phone, Todd was humming to himself as he slid the negative of Chuck into the enlarger. Seeing it in full size, Todd knew he had really captured the real essence of Chuck. He maneuvered the sliding table around until he had a cropped image he felt would do the most justice and still humming turned off the lights and pulled out a sheet of 8 x 10 matte finish paper. As he looked at the picture of Chuck caught unawares with that thoughtful gaze, Todd remembered the man who last Friday had said he would be proud to call Todd his son. Todd slid the exposed print into the developing solution and reached for his special 11 x 14 stock. ------- "Oh Todd! She's gorgeous!" said Kelly. "Wow... look at her eyes," said Laura, "they totally dominate the picture!" Todd was smiling. Taking a drink from his mineral water he asked, "What feeling do you get when you look at her?" By "her" he was referring to Anna. He had finished the pictures of Chuck and Anna first. He wasn't sure why he wanted to do these first, but it seemed more important to him than InterCoastal's paying job. Kelly and Laura had arrived back at the studio a bit later than they had expected. Their two-hour trip had turned into a four-hour excursion, but Kelly knew that Todd would not be waiting to eat. He was more than capable of finding something to snack on if he got hungry, but she also knew that he probably would continue working in the darkroom till they got back. And he had. Todd had printed 8 x 10's of Chuck and Anna and 11 x 14's on his special stock. He hadn't even bothered to start printing any other pictures until he had the 11 x 14's mounted on a foam core back. "I'm not sure," said Laura. "I feel like I'm looking at a beautiful young girl, but those eyes... they're haunting. It's like she knows something I don't and she's telling me with her eyes." Kelly rubbed Todd's shoulders as he took another bite of the chicken breast bun. "I feel a bit sad," she said. "Maybe sad isn't the right word but solemn, serious. What ever did you say to that girl to get that expression?" Todd was smiling from ear to ear. When he took a picture that could evoke such emotion, he knew he was in his groove. He pointed to the one of Chuck, making sure he didn't touch any of the finished prints. After he had heard Kelly calling him to come eat, he had finished off the Cuddy shots and hung them up to dry. He had covered his chemicals and come out of the darkroom carrying the finished pictures between two hands, touching only the sides and stood them up on the display case in the reception area of the office where the lights were set for best exposure. "And this one of Chuck, the profile, it's something else altogether. When did you take that one?" Kelly asked. "While you and Brenda were making supper Thursday night. Chuck and I were just making conversation, talking about Brenda and the rest of the 'James Gang' and I was just cleaning my camera. Amanda was kind of cuddled up to him and he was just sitting there, calm and serene, just as you see him. Something we were talking about, times changing, or something and he got that look of a man deep in thought. Actually he was so deep in thought, he didn't even see me raise the camera or focus in! I doubt I could get a look like that if he knew a camera was around." "Well, I think we should pack them up proper and ship them down to him with a personal letter of thanks for his hospitality and kindness," said Kelly. "That's what I was thinking as well, Sweetheart." Todd finished his second chicken bun and headed over to his workbench where he had the contact sheets of all the film he had exposed that weekend. He washed his hands and picked up the red wax pencil he used to write on the 16 x 20 thin glossy sheets. Using the larger sheets he could put a roll of film on each sheet and after he was done with them, they would get stored along with the negatives in a fireproof cabinet. After a year, they would be transferred to an old fur storage vault he and Kelly had bought. With fur being out of politically correct season, they had really lucked into the purchase and it was located in a warehouse they had bought outright. The space they didn't need they rented to out to Steve who had bought a very large old safe and placed it in the building to house his important legal documents. Through Steve they had rented out more of the space to other legal firms that wanted to keep important papers like wills, or in some extreme cases, valuables that belonged to clients. The other renters paid for the elaborate security system and Steve and TKO split the small profit. Todd picked up the sheet of the two girls in the bathtub from their Friday night romp. He had already circled four shots that he thought were exceptionally good, but none of them would ever be seen by outsiders. They were just a bit too revealing. Kelly and Laura looked over the sheet with the large round lighted magnifier mounted to the bench and finally decided on one that would be appropriate for Ray from the T-shirt shop. "That's another one to mail out," said Kelly. "Laura's going to sign her first autograph!" "Here's some that Laura hasn't seen," said Todd pulling another sheet out. It was the pictures Todd had shot from the balcony of their suite of Laura and the dolphins. The water, though a beautiful array of blues and greens, seemed transparent and glistened from the early morning sunlight. The sun also picked up the golden highlights in Laura's hair. They were beautiful shots and innocent, the model not even knowing she was being watched. Todd had selected a few that would be good for stock photos and ones to add to Laura's portfolio. Her expression told an entire volume of stories. Next they looked at the pictures of Laura taken at "Reliving History." They agreed with Todd's choice of pictures, including a fabulous one of Laura in a confederate soldier's uniform standing slightly sideways, rifle in hand with the butt grounded. "But what about the ones for Peter?" Kelly asked. "That's what I thought you would get to first!" Todd had purposely left this one turned upside down on the table and with a smile turned it over. Because of the set up time for each shot he had only shot off one roll of film that Sunday. Of the shots he had taken, all were good, but four really stood out. The first was a close up of the wing as it cut through the wake the tug had generated, the silver gleaming in the sunlight. The second one Todd had circled showed the wing exposed but the bulk of the hull out of the water, but it was the third that made the girls laugh. It looked like Sara had been skating with the boat and at the last moment turned her blade to send a cascade of ice slivers flying. Except in this case it was a side view of the Cuddy as it skidded towards them and the wing, the hull and the screws were exposed through a sheet of water that was crystal clear in the focus. Individual drops seemed to blast out of the picture towards the viewer and the girls remembered Peter and Al's response to Sara's little stunt. As they laughed with the memory, Todd pointed to the one he thought was the best of the bunch. It had been Sara's last run and with the power opened up on the Cuddy, after the tug had totally churned the water, the Cuddy was captured in all its glory with the entire hull out of the water as well as the wing and screws, water running off the side of the hull and from the wing. The boat was literally flying much like a dolphin breaking surface on the run. "That's a great shot, Todd," said Kelly. "Peter should be real happy with any of these, but I think this one is the one they'll use." "Am I missing something?" Laura asked. "You don't seem as excited by these pictures as you do about the ones of Chuck and Anna." Todd gave her a sad smile. "This is my work, Honey, I liked the ones I did for Regan's more because they didn't put the pressure on me like Peter did. From the beginning when Peter called, this was a production shoot with deadlines and lots of pressure. The ones I took of Anna and Chuck, that's my life. When we were at Chuck's, the first time, it was also a paying job, just catalog work, but Chuck left me alone and didn't ask for anything special. Then when I got the shot of Sara, it was unique and special and made it all worthwhile. And Chuck was as thrilled with it as I was. I can't impress Peter because he expects more than the best, and specifies exactly how it should look. It doesn't leave much room to be creative." Laura thought about that for a minute and slowly nodded her understanding. "Anyway," he said, "I've printed these four on good stock so you can call Peter and tell him that they're ready." Kelly looked at the time. It was only four o'clock. "If they're dry, I might be able to get them to him with UPS or Fed-Ex overnight. Let me call him and see where he wants them sent." Laura and Todd went back to the kitchen to clean up the remnants of their late lunch. ------- Kelly lit up a cigarette as she sat down at her desk. She dialed in Peter's cell number and waited for an answer. "Hi, Peter," she said when he answered. "How did the press shoot go today?" "Poorly," he said. "We'll get the headlines for setting a new speed record, but they were more intent on shooting the boat as it broke the speed record. It doesn't show the modifications of the boat, so for all intents and purposes it just looks like a boat in the water. I was watching the photographers and it could just as well have been going 50 and nobody would know the difference. I'm really starting to appreciate Todd's vision. Dare I ask how things are coming at your end?" Kelly took a deep drag and said, "You not only may dare, but I'm pleased to tell you that Todd was so thrilled about our vacation courtesy of IC that he went right at it and he has them done. I was just calling to see where we should deliver them?" "They're done already? Damn, Kelly, if I can get my hands on them now, I can get them digitized and sent to the papers. How do they look?" "Better than even you could have hoped for, Peter. Todd got four really excellent shots out of the day, and if you want them digitized, we have the equipment for that here." "Well I was just getting ready to fly out myself and head back to Rhode Island but I'll need to catch a local flight to get to a major airport. Any chance I can fly to Charlotte and send the digitized images out from your end and pick up the finished prints?" Kelly looked over at Todd who was smiling, talking to Laura. "I think that would be safe, Peter. We'll get them digitized so all you have to do is contact the various papers and send it out from here. Call me when you land and I'll come and pick you up at the airport." "Thanks Kelly!" ------- "So his newspaper photographers didn't quite deliver on what he wanted to sell eh?" Todd smiled smugly. "They didn't know anything about the boat or the wing, Todd. They thought they were just looking at a boat that went faster. Can we get the negs scanned in Tiff format so he can send them to the papers from here?" "Are we going go get the credit for the photographs?" "I'll insist on it," Kelly said. "Sure. I can fire up the Nikon transparency scanner and give him high resolution images." Todd said. "You know, as much as he pissed me off, I wouldn't want his job. I promise I'll be nice to him!" Kelly laughed. "What, and spoil your reputation?" Todd fetched the dried prints and the corresponding negatives and started to scan them into files. Kelly and Laura took the clean laundry upstairs and put everything away. They were going to sit and watch TV while Todd finished his printing when Kelly thought of something and headed downstairs again. "Todd, when you finish scanning the prints of the boat can you scan the ones of Anna and Chuck for me? I told Jules I'd send her copies of the Cuddy but I think they'd like to see what you did for Chuck and Anna as well." "Sure, once this workhorse starts going, it's no problem doing a few more scans." "And I might as well get the ones of Chuck and Anna packed up now and call for a pick up. There's still time to get them out today." Kelly sat at her desk and wrote a nice personal note to Chuck thanking him and offering these pictures as a way of friendship. She prepared the shipping box and packed the pictures so they wouldn't be damaged and then called Fed-Ex to come pick them up. Laura was starting to miss Kelly's company and came downstairs to offer to watch for the courier if Kelly was called to the airport. Todd returned to the darkroom to print out the one for Ray and another of Laura with the dolphins that he would send to Al. ------- Peter hadn't called yet when Todd emerged once again from the darkroom. He had the picture of the girls in the tub for Ray and the one of Laura's early morning close encounter. Kelly and Laura both laughed as Laura practiced signing her name on photographs with a special pen. When she finally had it right she and Kelly signed the one to Ray with "Love and Kisses." Todd scribbled underneath their signatures, "Live Long and Prosper!" Kelly got out another shipping envelope and wrote a note to Al regarding the picture of Laura and asked him to deliver the bubble bath print to Ray. She simply addressed the envelope to the Mayor of Brookhaven. The envelope had just been sealed when the phone rang. Peter had arrived. "I can pick him up," volunteered Laura. "I'm getting to like that airport!" "That would be great, Laura. That way I can write up a contract for him to sign about our vacation." Laura had just pulled out of the driveway when the Fed-Ex truck pulled in. Kelly signed off on the shipment and for a moment there was silence in the studio. "What have you got left to do, Honey?" Kelly asked Todd. "Just the ones of Laura from 'Reliving History, ' but you know Kell, all of a sudden I'm just beat." "I know, Sweetheart. You push yourself too hard. Look... there's only the three prints you want, you've got the chemicals out now, why not run them off and then pack it all away? I'll even give you a hand." "Thanks Kell, but you've got to write up a contract for that vacation, remember?" Todd smiled. "I guess that's incentive enough for me right now!" Todd went back to the darkroom once more. Kelly returned to her computer and pulled up one of the standard contracts Steve had created for them, changed the fee from dollars to "two week vacation in Jamaica via boat large enough for seven passengers, all inclusive." She added a line regarding time and with proper notice as she had promised Peter. Satisfied this would more than cover their needs, she printed off three copies, one for Peter, one for their own records, and one for Steve. Laura still wasn't back from the airport so Kelly took the time to convert the Tiff files Todd had scanned to smaller Jpegs, and then composed an email to JulieAnn. Dear JulieAnn, As promised, here are the pictures that Todd got of the Cuddy with the wing. I'm sure you and the rest of the gang will be as excited with these shots as Todd and I were. I've also attached two pictures that Todd took while we were at Chuck's. These are two of Todd's best shots in the last year. I know you guys are pretty involved with Chuck, so I thought you would like to see them. We've already sent the originals to Regan's. I hope that now the speed trials are over, you can relax a little bit, but knowing the "James Gang" I'll bet you are already working on another project. Best of luck and much success in your ventures. Hugs to all! Kelly Kelly had just pressed the send key when Laura pulled in with Peter. It would be cutting it close, but if Peter called the papers first and told them he was sending the files, they should be able to replace the pictures to go with the story. ------- "Hi Peter," Kelly said as he entered the studio. "Care for a drink before you get on the phone?" Laura smiled. All Peter had talked about on the drive over was the pictures. He so badly wanted to get something that would boost interest in the boat, and had been disappointed in the news photographers who were more interested in the speed than in the stability. Though Laura had been there, she really didn't understand the reason for his concern, but she did realize this was an important thing for Peter. She had tried to assure him saying how impressed she was with the pictures, but Peter wanted to see for himself. "Please, Kelly," he begged, "Let me see at least one picture that will show the wing. It's the most important part of the boat and what allows it to utilize the full power of that monster motor we put into it." Todd picked that moment to re-emerge from the dark room, having cleaned up his chemicals and washed and put away his trays. The last pictures he had developed were in the dryer. "Hi Peter," he said, "Want a beer? It's the good stuff." "No thanks, Todd, all I really want is to see a picture that will capture the boating world's imagination, then I can catch the next flight out and report with good news to the board." Todd laughed as he pulled one of the Molson bottles out of the fridge for himself, asked Kelly and Laura if they wanted one, which they declined, and said to Kelly, "Why not give him his package, Honey?" With a smile Kelly handed Peter the protective shipping envelope. Peter opened it with shaking hands. His hands steadied, as did his breathing, as he saw the first picture. By the time he had all four spread out on the desk he was beaming from ear to ear. "Thanks Todd," he said. "You've saved what was nearly a disaster. And you have these scanned already?" "They're all set on the computer," said Kelly. "All you need to do is call the papers that were there this morning and get their email addresses and you can send them out right from here." "Maybe I will have that beer after all," said Peter. As Laura went to get him one, Peter got on the phone and started to call the big daily papers that had shown up at Brookhaven that morning. Before he could get through to the first paper, Kelly slid him the three contracts for the vacation as well as a note stating that Todd would receive the credit for the photos. Peter signed the contracts with pleasure, and as he spoke with each of the papers, he made it perfectly clear that the photos would be credited to Todd Ayres. Kelly helped him enter the various newspaper emails and they sent one different picture to each of them. Most would run similar pictures, but this way all four pictures would show up in different papers. As he sat back, finally satisfied that only good pictures would be shown in the papers, he took a long swig of his beer and leaned back in the chair. "So," he finally asked, "When did you guys buy in?" Kelly laughed, said it had been Todd's idea, and told Peter of the Friday morning decision. It was Peter's turn to laugh. "Al was a bit pissed that he didn't get his buy order in until just before the market closed Friday. I'll bet he paid a lot more for his shares than you did. I'm nearly certain that between last Friday morning and this Friday, the value will double. That Cuddy was nearly a white elephant until JamPC fixed the problem. We couldn't do a thing with it, and we had some of the best engineers working on it." "They are an amazing group," Todd said. "They seem to brainstorm as one and find alternate solutions to conventional problems. I wish they were a public company!" "You and me both!" said Peter. "Thanks for getting this done for me so fast, Todd. I'm really sorry for being so callous back at the island. Sometimes I open my mouth before my brain kicks in. I hope you understand that I have a board to answer to." "It's okay, Peter," said Todd. "Kelly helped me to see what kind of bind you were in. I only have to answer to these two women. I'd hate to have to answer to a board!" "And speaking of the Board," Peter said, "I'd love to stick around for a while but I have a meeting with them first thing tomorrow morning. I better get on a plane." "We'll drive you back to the airport." Kelly said. "No thanks, Kelly, if you can call me a cab, that will do just fine. I'm not in panic mode now, so I can relax and fly home." Laura called a cab for Peter and fifteen minutes later he was gone with the pictures and the contract Kelly had drawn up. ------- "Anybody hungry?" Todd asked. "I'm beat and I thought we could order something in and go sit on the roof and pretend we're still at the island." "Miss it already, Sweetheart?" Kelly asked. "I think it's all the fresh air I miss," laughed Todd. "I've been in the darkroom since we got back this morning!" "This is shaping up to be a busy week," Kelly said. "The gym equipment will be coming tomorrow, and I have to clean up my guest room for Cara and Ami." "I'll be glad to give you a hand with that, Kelly, if you can wait until after my morning classes. God, I'm going to have to really study now!" Kelly laughed. "It's okay, Laura, you just take your time and get as many hours in as you can. Gloria will be there to give me a hand, and I don't have that much to move." "No kidding," said Todd. "I think half of your stuff is here anyways." Kelly pouted. "Just my sports equipment." "Are you guys sure you don't need me tomorrow?" Laura asked. "Baby, we want you," said Kelly, "but we think your studies should come first." Kelly phoned in an order for a bucket of chicken wings and a large pizza then went out to pick it up. While she was gone, Todd rolled a couple of joints and then with Laura's help, wiped down the patio furniture on his roof. When Todd had remodeled the upstairs into his personal living quarters, he had replaced the large window at the end of the hall with a solid, steel cased fire door. It opened onto the fire escape that ran across the back of the building, ending on the flat roof. Over the years he had built a small, enclosed sundeck with screening to keep the mosquitoes at bay, and furnished it with comfortable patio furniture, though he hardly used it. On those occasions where he had wanted to enjoy the outdoors he had mostly gone to Kelly's house where the back yard had been transformed at the hands of G and Delton. Kelly returned with the chicken wings and pizza. She knew that Todd wanted to light up and mellow out, which is why she had ordered the chicken wings. Laura helped her carry the food up to the roof and Todd brought along an Eskimo chest filled with cold beer on ice. Todd opened the beers and passed them around and then proceeded to light the first joint. After taking a deep hit of the potent grass, Todd said, "This would have been good in Brookhaven!" "Yes it would have been, Todd, but we have our own rules to follow." Kelly gently reminded him as she took the joint from his hands and took a deep hit herself. Rather than exhale she moved to Laura and with an open mouthed kiss exhaled into Laura's lungs. "Wow! That's a turn on by itself!" said Laura after she exhaled. They passed the doobie around and around until there was nothing left but a small roach that Kelly shoved into the end of one of her cigarettes. Then they dug into the pizza. ------- By the time the pizza was demolished they were feeling a nice buzz and Todd opened another three beers. They nursed the second beer as they watched the stars brighten the crisp, clear North Carolina sky. They talked of life and love and the important things that lovers often do. An hour passed and Todd lit the second joint. By the time the roach had found its way into another of Kelly's cigarettes, they were all pleasantly buzzed and soon the munchies hit. Between chicken wings, Todd mentioned how quiet and peaceful it was. Even though it was a weekday, the industrial park was pretty well deserted this time of night. Regrettably, they all had early morning schedules and decided it would be smarter to call it an early night. Cleaning up went quickly and without effort. Todd locked the sundeck and the door to the fire escape making sure to turn the alarm back on, while the girls disposed of the garbage and put the empty bottles away. They had a communal shower that night, all three of them trying to fit into the shower at the same time. After the other two promised not to look, Laura pulled out her tampon and quickly wrapped it in toilet paper and tossed it into the wastebasket. Though it was crowded with three bodies, they managed to soap each other up and Kelly and Laura managed to have a mutual climax through their locked legs. Todd's erection was at full mast, and shyly, Laura invited him to slip his hard cock into her wet and very juicy cunt. As they were all still nicely stoned, Todd was able to hold back on his own orgasm and lifting Laura so that her legs encircled him drove her over the crest again and yet once more. His stamina was flagging though and he let her down gently on quivering legs. It had been the first time she had been loved while on her period. Both Kelly and Laura noticed that Todd was still hard. Turning Todd into the water, Kelly washed off his prick and then sat on the side of the tub to suck him to a well-deserved climax. He was a good man. Todd was the first to dry off after stepping out of the shower and after he left the bathroom, Laura inserted a fresh tampon and slipped on a pair of panties. Not wanting Kelly to be left out, Laura led her to the bedroom and proceeded to give her a wicked tongue-lashing that left Kelly writhing and clasping at the sheets. A few more minutes of kissing, and the fatigue that had followed them all day took its toll, and soon all three were fast asleep, the two girls cuddled to Todd. It was just 10 o'clock. ------- The alarm went off at 8 the next morning and after they brushed their teeth, dressed and had their vitamins, go-juice and a simple, very healthy breakfast of raw vegetables and mineral water, Laura offered Kelly a ride back to her house. "I can walk, Sweetheart," Kelly had protested, but Laura had been adamant. "Nonsense. I know you can walk it and usually do, but you have work you want to do and I have to leave anyway or I will be late for class. You said yourself there was little to do right now, so why not let Todd get his equipment set up?" Kelly relented. Though she had slept well, she was still a bit tired and a ride sounded real good. Laura made sure her new phone was turned on and attached to her waistband, grabbed her books and after she and Kelly had given Todd lots of kisses to last him the day, they took off. Todd settled back in Kelly's office chair and waited for the delivery van to bring the equipment. He was glad there were professionals coming with the delivery to set it all up as he was not quite caught up on his rest. Laura dropped Kelly off at her house and they shared a few quiet moments necking in the driveway before, with a deep sigh, Laura said, "I love you, Kelly." "I love you too, Laura," said Kelly. "Try to get done what you can because you'll be off flying again tomorrow." "I will, Kelly, I promise. I haven't forgotten that this is my chance." Kelly rewarded her with a big smile. "I know you haven't forgotten, Honey, I just think that we sometimes expect too much from you." Laura's eyes misted. "You could never ask too much of me, Kelly. Love has no limits." Laura backed carefully out of the driveway and Kelly waved at her as she drove away. ------- Chapter 15 Kelly watched Laura drive out of sight before she turned and entered her house. It felt a bit strange being alone for the first time after all these weeks. She let out a sigh and put on the kettle to make a cup of tea. Soon the kettle was singing as she stood leaning against the counter with a cigarette in hand, staring out over the lush back garden. The sound of the back door opening stirred her from her reverie and she smiled as she took Gloria's coffee mug from the cupboard. "Hi, G! Isn't it a wonderful day!" Gloria smiled as she made herself a cup of coffee, taking three spoons of the rich raw sugar as usual. "You look happy," she said. "Oh, G, you don't know how happy I am!" "Good." Neither woman said much more as they sat to drink. Kelly didn't question how after over a week's absence, Gloria wouldn't ask where she had been or how she would know that today she really needed her help. Years of experience had taught her that Gloria just somehow knew, and the older woman would never pry or ask where Kelly had been. "I'm glad you're here, G. I have to get the guest room ready for a couple of young models who will be staying with me for about a month." "You no fret 'bout it girl, we get it done soon enough." Kelly lit up another and relaxed. Gloria had a calming effect on her. Gloria looked at the cigarette Kelly had lit up. "Chil' don't you think maybe it be time to give dat up?" Kelly looked at Gloria in surprise. She had never suggested to Kelly that she should stop smoking. "After all these years you're going to tell me that my smoking bothers you?" "No baby, it no bother me. Me thinks maybe you should slow down a bit now." Kelly wanted to pursue the subject further, but G wasn't going to talk about it any more, and changed the subject. Kelly shrugged. It was something else she had learned about Gloria over the years. When she was ready to say something she would and nothing could make her talk about it before. She spent the next half hour telling Gloria about the weekend, the trip to Chuck's and then to Brookhaven, Laura with the dolphins and the horseback riding. Gloria nodded as Kelly told her story. Kelly was the happiest she had ever seen her. The Obi-man had been right. All that had been missing from Kelly's life had been something to tie her to Mr. Todd. If that something was Laura, well, that was okay too. Gloria wasn't going to judge. She still remembered meeting Kelly for the first time at the Guesthouse in 1995, and the dark cloud she saw in her soul. She had asked the Obi-Man about her then, and he told Gloria "She will be important in your life, and your family." How important she hadn't guessed, but here she was with her children in another country, making a future for themselves. Kelly had grown a lot smarter over the years that followed, but that dark cloud never lifted until Laura came into their lives. ------- Todd opened the door to look right into the chest of one of the biggest men he had ever seen. Todd worked out very regularly with free weights as well as his other exercises, but this man, he was built like an oak tree. "Mr. Ayres?" the tree asked. Todd looked up to find the face from which the voice had come. "Yes?" he finally got out. "We've got a delivery of gym equipment for you." "Yes, I was expecting you. I have a shipping dock at the back of the studio if that will make things easier." "It sure will. This stuff is big and heavy. We're to set it up for you. I hope you've got room for it." "I cleared it all out last week," said Todd. "There should be plenty of room. I'll go and open up the bay door." As the tree walked away Todd noticed another big man doing stretching exercises beside a large truck. ------- Laura had parked her car and rushed into the campus just in time to make a lecture about relationships. As the professor went on about healthy relationships, Laura smiled to herself. She wondered how he would feel about the relationship she was involved in. The professor seemed to think jealousy was the cause of most relationships failing. Jealousy of possessions and of relationships the other had with friends. The second worst sin in a relationship was communications, or rather a lack thereof. Laura felt that while the professor made some legitimate arguments, she couldn't see how they were applicable to her situation and skimmed through the textbook looking for things she could relate to. Laura finally found it in a section marked users and enablers. Using a highlighter she marked sections of the chapter that described her life before Todd and Kelly. She saw how foolish she had been allowing the jock to use her and how she had let it happen. Her mind was brought back to the present when the professor mentioned that no relationship could ever truly be society's ideal of each partner giving 100 percent. "I consider any relationship good if both partners give 51 percent," he said. "That's over 100 percent between the two of them, and something obtainable. A bit of give and take and you can find that happy middle ground that will lead to a lasting relationship." Laura gave his statement a lot of thought. She knew that she gave everything to her relationship with Todd and Kelly and knew they did as well. She beamed. "Wow, that's 300 percent!" she thought to herself. After the lecture, study units were handed out, and then she headed off to the library to access the computers and do a bit of studying. She quickly found she could relate much of what the text discussed based on her parents' relationship. She realized she had been lucky to have had such a supportive family. She felt a touch on her shoulder and turned to see Vanetta standing with a tall, slim man with a beard and a scholarly look. Laura beamed at Vanetta, "Hi Vanetta! Are you in for classes today, too?" "Just a couple today," Vanetta said, "And to pick up more study units. I find I can get a lot more done on my own at the studio than I can here at school." "I'm looking forward to that day," said Laura. "But since this is my first semester of the first year, I think I better put in an appearance, don't you think?" "Hell girl, they don't even notice you. I agree there are some lectures you should try to catch, but you can get them on the computer at the studio or at Kelly's just as easy. Everything's electronic now." Robert cleared his throat. "Yes," said Vanetta rolling her eyes in mock exasperation. "Laura, this is Robert, my boyfriend. Robert, this is Laura." Robert formally shook Laura's hand and asked, "So you're Todd's new girlfriend?" Laura smiled. "Yes, I guess I am." ------- Todd watched quietly as the two men unloaded the equipment and set it up in the bay that Todd usually reserved for shooting boats and cars. The tree took out an electronic measuring device and took notes of the dimensions of the large bay. Finally satisfied with the 18-foot ceiling height they began to set up the Uneven Parallel Bars, attaching guy wires to stacks of donut shaped weights. "Is all that weight really necessary?" asked Todd. "They aren't really going to be performing any workout routines." The tree, who had introduced himself as Jim, looked at Todd. "Don't matter. We do it right or we don't do it at all." "Sorry," said Todd. "I wasn't trying to tell you how to do your job." "It's okay," said Jim with a smile. "People forget their physics when they watch gymnasts. They pull a lot of torque when they come out of a full body spin." Next they brought in a Balance Beam and a Vault. Jim said, "Your models won't be able to do much with the vault other than a few simple moves. We brought along a small tramp to help them launch with, but don't expect them to be able to do anything fancy on it. If you want more on the Vault, you'll have to sacrifice the tumbling track." "No, that's fine," said Todd. "As long as they can mount it and hold a pose for a second, that's all I really need." They pulled out large rolls of double sided tape and laid down a 30-foot length of tumbling mat that was six feet wide. During a break from the lifting and locking equipment into place, Todd offered them a drink. They both chose mineral water, and Todd learned they were former Olympic athletes. In their field, there was no money after they retired, but during their training years they had finished college and CrossTrain Sports had hired them as safety advisors and fitness promoters. They went around to schools all over the country talking to budding athletes and doing free inspections on the school's gym equipment. "You look pretty fit," said the one who introduced himself as Matt. "Work out much?" "I go to the gym three times a week for a few hours," said Todd, "and when I can, I like a full day workout that includes Tae-Bo and running." "Get some swimming in if you can," said Jim. "It'll help keep your joints limber." Matt laughed. "Jimbo's right. He was a fullback in college but his knees let him down. Tried hammer and discus for a few years, but now he's pretty well just a weight man." Todd looked at 'Jimbo' figuring him to be a good 300 pounds of muscle. "How much do you press?" "Ah, on a good day I can do 400, but those days are getting fewer and fewer. Mostly I just keep on lifting to keep the muscle tone." As they went back to work, they locked everything securely and then covered the entire floor with mats. It had taken them nearly five hours to get everything into place, tested, and approved. The last item out of the box was a rather large wardrobe box filled with both school type athletic uniforms and custom exotic ones. With handshakes that could have crushed coconuts, they said goodbye and promised they would be back to pick up the equipment when Todd was ready. "The Boss said for you to take your time. He's hoping the new uniforms will be an added bonus to the equipment sales. That stuff the kids in school are wearing on the equipment is often a hazard." Matt added. As they drove away, Todd realized that he had not had a proper workout in nearly a week, so he locked up and headed downtown to his gym. He was going to need to develop his stamina to keep up to the two loves in his life! ------- Kelly and Gloria had cleaned up the guest room and replaced the linen, laid out towels and other items the girls might need. Satisfied the room would do, the two women relaxed in front of the TV to watch G's favorite soap opera. Kelly wasn't into soaps, but she loved to watch Gloria's reactions as she told the fictional characters who was cheating on whom and who was doing the wrong thing. Kelly started to doze off half way through the program and finally Gloria convinced her to take a nap. Yawning, Kelly thanked G for all her help, peeled off her clothes, and climbed into bed. Within minutes she was out like a light. Gloria left after her soap was finished, locking the door behind her. Had she waited another ten minutes she would have met Laura who had checked at the studio after classes and finding it empty, headed to Kelly's. ------- Kelly was fast asleep on her bed, spread-eagled on her stomach and having the most erotic dream. Someone was lightly stroking the cheeks of her ass while a finger explored the contours of her pussy as it pouted between her spread legs. Responding to her dream lover she rolled over, one hand moving to touch a nipple while the other stole between her legs to feel the thick bush adorning her seeping lips. Something was wrong! The feel of the luxurious hair finally percolated through and her sleep-fogged mind reminded her that she had kept her pubes trimmed for years, then the tongue sliding between her nether lips brought her eyes open with a snap. "OOH!" ------- Laura had seen Kelly's Elantra parked in the driveway and let herself in with the key Kelly had given her that morning. Hearing nothing in the quiet house, she decided to have a look before leaving and found Kelly in the bedroom in the most pleasant condition. Nude. She sat quietly for almost half an hour, watching her lover sleep, and thinking of their three-way romance, but temptation had finally gotten the better of her. She stripped and carefully joined Kelly on the bed, trying not to wake her. At first she had been content to just stroke Kelly's ass. It was so firm, so tight, and so delicious looking. But she soon slid her other hand underneath Kelly to cup her vulva. Then Kelly had turned in her sleep, and that flawless skin was too much for Laura to resist. She slid down the bed and placed her head between Kelly's legs and slowly started to extend her tongue towards the secret treasure. As Laura's tongue made its first exploratory strokes Kelly had buried her hand in Laura's hair and woke up. Seeing it was not a dream but Laura, Kelly murmured, "Hi Sweetheart," before falling back to enjoy the pleasurable sensations her lover administered with her tongue and hands. It didn't take long before Kelly had her first orgasm, but Laura continued on and pushed Kelly into a second. Kelly collapsed on the bed pulling Laura up so the two could kiss. Kelly could taste her own love juices on Laura's lips and moaned into her mouth, letting her hand slide down to gently brush Laura's pubic mound. Kelly was surprised to find Laura without panties, and gently pushing the string of the tampon aside, began to stroke Laura's clit. Laura was soon panting into Kelly's mouth as she approached her first climax. As Laura crested, Kelly began to kiss her way down Laura's body, taking extra time to feast on those two delectable globes with their puckered brown nipples. As Kelly moved further down, Laura stopped her. "I'm sorry, Honey," she said sadly. "I'm not ready to go that far yet." "Well then, maybe you're ready to try something a bit different?" Kelly asked. Laura was a bit skeptical but she trusted Kelly so she nodded her head. Kelly pulled her own Magic Wand out of the bedside drawer and slipped a lubricated condom over top of the tennis ball sized head. Laura looked at her quizzically. "It's easier to just take the rubber off afterwards and not have to worry about cleaning the unit itself," Kelly explained. With the Magic Wand ready to go, Kelly closed her legs and physically maneuvered Laura into a position where she was straddling Kelly, their pelvic bones just touching. "Scoot down just a little bit, Honey," Kelly said. "We need a bit of room for our friend here." Intrigued, Laura moved down far enough to see the two pubic patches just slightly apart. Kelly turned the vibrator on low and slid it between them resting it on her own clit and instructing Laura to position herself so that her clit would be in direct contact with the vibe as well. She gasped as the powerful motor made contact. "Now it's up to you to use your imagination," Kelly told her. "You can lean back, lean forward, or sit up straight. Whatever feels best to you." Her eyes closed with pleasure, Laura tried a variety of positions. She could tell by Kelly's ragged breathing the vibrations were bringing her close to climax. Laura was not far behind and dug her fingers into her calves as she leaned back to direct her clit right on the buzzing head. Then Kelly turned up the power and both girls crossed their peaks. Slowing the motor down again, Kelly encouraged Laura to try different positions and to keep riding her. Kelly's hips were gyrating underneath. Three strong climaxes later, Laura collapsed on Kelly. "God, where did you ever learn that?" she asked. "I told you I attended a lot of lectures," Kelly laughed. She turned off the vibrator and pulled it out from between the two of them. She peeled the condom off and wrapped it in tissue, but not before Laura noticed a few spots of blood on it. She blushed furiously. "God, I'm sorry Kell," she said. "I've probably got some on you as well." "Honey... It's only blood. Remember? I'm a woman too!" Laura rolled off Kelly and the two just cuddled till they both fell asleep. ------- Todd had an excellent workout in the gym, building up his heart rate and a good sweat during three intense sessions. He remembered the men who had come to set up the equipment. He had no desire to build that kind of muscle mass, but looking in the mirror was pleased to see he was well toned and his muscles well defined. Todd showered at the gym, dressed, and drove his Tracker to the dealership for an oil change and a wash. He was flipping through some old sports magazines as he waited in the reception area when the owner came out to see him. "Hey Todd, I see you made the national papers again." "Hi Erik," Todd said. "Which paper am I in?" "I've seen you in three so far," Erik said, "the ones I subscribe to for the customers. Some kind of fancy boat." Todd laughed. "I had almost forgotten about that, Erik. It was a busy weekend." Erik opened up two papers and showed two different pictures of the Cuddy. "Hell, there's even a small one in the Wall Street Journal." "The Journal?" Todd asked. Erik shuffled sections of paper around until he found it. It was on an inside page along with a short write up about IC unveiling its new boat. "Thanks, Erik, I guess I should pay more attention to the news." "No problem, my friend. Your truck should be ready in about ten minutes." Todd looked at the article in the Journal. According to the writer, this was the reason InterCoastal stock had risen so dramatically in the last week. Testing of the speed and stability of the new Cuddy exceeded all industry standards for a boat of this size and type, and had broken a speed record for its class. The article went on about the new stabilizing wing the boat incorporated and how this was going to set new industry standards for safety, speed and fuel economy. Smiling, Todd unclipped his phone and called Kelly. ------- Kelly and Laura had stripped the sheets off the bed and tossed them in the wash, then decided to take a relaxing bath while the machine was running. They were just drying off when the phone rang. Kelly answered. "Hi, Babe," said Todd. "Have you bothered to check with Peter on how the publicity pictures worked out for him?" "I never even thought about it," said Kelly. "Actually I think I forgot about the whole thing." "Well, I was just having the Tracker serviced and Erik pointed out to me that the pictures were in three different papers in his shop alone. One of them was the Wall Street Journal." "The Journal?" Todd laughed. "Yeah, that was my reaction too, but he showed it to me. It's with an article about the rapid climb in the InterCoastal stock price." "Well, Laura and I were getting ready to head to the studio. How about instead of us going there, you come here? The weather is nice and we can light up the barbeque." "That sounds good," Todd said, "want me to bring anything?" "No, just bring your body over. That's all we need!" Todd laughed. "I'll see you in about an hour, babe. I have one more errand to run." After Kelly hung up she explained to Laura the change in plans and pulled three steaks out of the freezer. "Kelly," Laura said, "I was talking to Vanetta at school today and she said there's no real reason to attend classes, that they broadcast lectures on the Internet to registered students and I can do all my studies at home." "Yep, that's why they call it distant learning," Kelly said. "Well I was thinking that I should get a new computer. The one I had my sister uses a lot and I'd hate to take that from her. I've still got money left from the settlement and thought if you didn't mind I could set it up here." "Oh, Sweetheart," Kelly said, "you just tell your sister to keep your old computer. You don't need to buy one. There's three at the studio and I have one here." "But I don't want to inconvenience you," Laura said. Kelly laughed. "Don't you fret about that, my pretty, Vanetta uses one at the studio all the time. And I rarely use mine. Why waste the money?" "Well, if you're sure it's okay..." Kelly gave Laura a swat on her butt. "How can you even ask such a question when we share everything else?" Laura laughed and agreed. Together they put fresh sheets on the bed and headed to the kitchen to prepare supper. ------- Todd stopped off at the studio to pick up his containers of used chemicals. About once a year he took them to a small shop that specialized in recycling chemicals. While there were no chemicals in Todd's soup that could be reused, they would extract the silver particles from the processing solution for a fee. The silver was melted down and turned into one ounce silver coins with the TKO logo on one side and the weight, content purity and the symbol for recycled on the other. It cost Todd nearly as much to have this process done as they were worth, but he felt better knowing he was not contributing to the pollution of the planet. Currently he had over 100 of the coins sitting in the safe with his proof sheets and negatives. After dropping off the chemicals, and with clean storage jars in his truck, he headed to Kelly's, picking up a copy of the Journal on the way. Todd liked the outdoor barbeque at Kelly's, part of the remodeling of her back yard. Todd could almost taste the meat that he knew Kelly was preparing her special way. Todd parked his Tracker and as he stepped out he could hear the girls laughing in the back yard. ------- Todd was finally relaxed. He was lying in the hammock in Kelly's backyard with a cold beer after a super meal prepared by the girls while Kelly and Laura were sitting in reclining loungers sipping on mineral water. "That weekend must have really worn me out," Todd said. "As well as I slept last night with my sleeping beauties, I was still tired today and you know, I had totally forgotten about Peter sending those pictures out to the papers." "I know what you mean," said Kelly. "G ended up telling me to go to bed this afternoon. I was bushed, and until you mentioned the papers, I had forgotten all about them as well." "You think maybe we did too much on the weekend?" Laura asked. "No, Sweetheart," said Todd. "It isn't that we did too much but there was a lot of pressure to get from one point to the other on business, and there was so much business to attend to. The time we spent doing what we wanted was great. That's why I want a real vacation now. No business, just doing what we want." "It's going to take another night through the sheets before we recover, I think," said Kelly. "Why don't we just call it an early night then and get back into your normal patterns?" suggested Laura. "Ah, Honey, I feel bad now asking you to fly to Laurel Canyon to pick up Cara and Ami." Kelly said. "Hey, that's a job I don't mind at all," Laura said. "I've never done so much traveling in my life, and I get to fly again!" Kelly laughed. "I'm glad you enjoy it, Laura. Soon enough it will be as common for you as driving and the thrill might disappear from it." "I hope not," said Laura, "I never got as big a rush out of driving as I do flying. Being above the world, watching the cars putter along..." Kelly smiled remembering the girl who last week was terrified to get on a plane. "So," said Kelly, "what's the Journal saying about IC?" Todd had brought the paper out with him but they hadn't opened it yet. He tossed it to Kelly. "I'm too tired to even read it," he said. Kelly flipped through the pages until she saw the picture of the Cuddy with its exposed wing. There was a short piece to go with the picture describing this new technology and the impact on the InterCoastal's stock value. Kelly flipped through some more pages until she found the latest posted share price. "Hmm," she thought to herself, "not bad for a weekend of relaxation." Todd's eyes were beginning to close, and Laura was sprawled back in her chair quietly looking at the sky. It was still early, but obviously the three were tuckered out. With an effort, Kelly got up and gave Todd a gentle shake. "Come on sleepyhead, it's time for bed." "Yeah, I suppose I should head home," Todd said. "Don't be silly," Kelly said. "Let's just go to bed here. We all have to go to the studio in the morning." "I give up," Todd said. "You talked me into it." With that he headed off to the bathroom to brush his teeth and relieve himself before crawling into bed. Laura insisted on helping Kelly clean up the yard and put the chairs away but Kelly shooed her off to bed as well. "You've got to travel tomorrow, Sweetheart. I get to put my feet up." Grumbling about bossy women, Laura did as she was told. Kelly put away the chairs and picked up the last of the dishes and went inside the house. She washed the dishes and put the leftovers into the fridge. By the time she was done and had taken care of her own personal needs, she finally made her way to the bedroom. Laura and Todd were already fast asleep. They had pulled the blankets back and were lying on the sheets nude. Laura was on her back, her dark brown nipples standing up as if anticipating something. Todd was on his stomach with one arm draped over Laura's belly. Kelly smiled, removed the last of her clothes, and crawled in behind Todd draping an arm over him. Within minutes she was asleep as well. ------- Todd woke up Wednesday morning to the smell of bacon and eggs, and alone in bed. Looking at the alarm clock he saw it was 8:30. He had slept nearly 12 hours. Pulling on his scrubs he headed to the kitchen. "Well, look what the cat dragged in," laughed Laura. "Breakfast is nearly ready, so we would have gotten you up in a few minutes anyway," said Kelly. Todd rubbed his eyes. "I guess that gives me time to empty myself then," he said. "Want me to help you again?" asked Laura. Todd blushed and Kelly raised her eyebrows. "No thanks, Sweetheart. I think I can do it myself today," said Todd. As Todd left the kitchen, Kelly said to Laura, "you realize you are going to have to explain that to me!" Laura laughed and promised to fill Kelly in on all the details later. As they were sitting down to breakfast Todd said, "Isn't there some kind of law against you being up this early, Kell?" "I probably could have slept longer," she replied, "but the phone woke me up." "Anything important?" "It was Rachel. She's got a buyer for that row of duplexes we bought two years ago; actually it's sort of a semi trade. She's got a seller of an 80-unit apartment complex who ended up over his head and needs to bail. He's about 150 grand into the bank after rebuilding the place. It's totally empty now, and the bank won't wait until he starts filling it. She convinced him that she might have a buyer to take over the note and for the balance set him up with occupied duplexes." Todd leaned back and thought about this. Rachel was their real estate broker and loved the commissions she earned off of TKO's realty investments. It was a safer hedge against inflation than the meager interest rates offered by the banks. It had been Rachel who found the studio for Todd and Kelly when they first moved to Charlotte and then had gotten Kelly's house at a bargain price. In the years that followed, she found Todd and Kelly smart investors, and with ready money in the cash-strapped market. Without having the hassles of bank mortgages, Rachel had made TKO her number one client when she found a bargain. And there were bargains, but not for people who needed bank approval. The duplexes were good cash generating units, but it took a lot of work keeping tenants and collecting the rent. An apartment complex would save a lot of headaches since they could then hire a manager to live in and take care of any problems. The more Todd thought about it the more the idea appealed to him. "What do you think, Kell? Want to take a look later?" Kelly laughed. "I knew you would want to see it, so I told her that we would meet her at eleven o'clock right after Laura leaves to pick up the girls." They finished breakfast, and after cleaning up the dishes and dressing, the three of them took their own cars to the studio. Todd had convinced Laura to take his Tracker to the airport. "You don't know how much stuff Cara and Ami will be bringing with them so the extra room will make sure you don't need to make two trips." It was just after ten when the trio arrived at the studio. Vanetta was at her usual post. Todd showed them the equipment that Jim and Matt had set up. "I'm going to need a couple of days to adjust the ceiling floods, but I think this is going to work out nicely." Kelly, Laura, and Vanetta looked at the uniforms. "Some of these are pretty skimpy," Kelly said. "We might need to do a bit of hair removal. I hope the girls don't mind." "I'm sure you can arrange that without a problem," said Todd. Looking at the time, Laura said she better be heading off, so Todd handed her the keys to the Tracker and after goodbye smooches she was out the door and on her way to Laurel Canyon. After checking to make sure there was nothing important that had to be taken care of, Kelly told Vanetta that they would be back just after lunch and she and Todd took off in her Elantra. ------- The apartment complex was in an older but well maintained subdivision of Charlotte. Rachel was waiting for them. "Hi guys," she said with a smile. "Glad that you made it." "Hi, Rachel," Kelly said as she shook hands with the tall thin brunette. "You want to tell us the rest of the story?" Rachel looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Kelly, I should have told you the whole story right from the get-go. The building was built 20 years ago, and closed by the city last year for not meeting the revised building codes. Fred, the owner, bought it hoping to bring it up to standards, but the banks were skittish of lending him the funds, so I helped him obtain the money based on the assets of his construction company and his family home. It's taken him and his crew nearly a year to bring it up to code, and he's fallen behind in his payments. He actually had a good loan officer at the bank, but I suspect someone there has seen an opportunity to make a quick buck by calling the note and offloading the property to someone they know to sell for an easy profit. Of course the bank itself doesn't care as he's breached his contract." She sighed. "So his loan officer got sidelined, and yesterday he got notice of payment, and if he doesn't pay off the entire note by the end of the week, they'll foreclose. And he'll lose everything. I suppose if you wanted to get it cheap you could wait until next week and buy it direct from the bank. But I have a suspicion that whoever set this up already has a buyer." "Anyway," she concluded, "I knew you were thinking of unloading the duplexes, and thought that maybe you would be interested in some sort of a deal." Todd nodded. He could understand Rachel's position. She had arranged financing for the man and now he stood to lose everything. She was trying to alleviate the problem she had helped create in the first place. Kelly looked at the two-story building. The brickwork had been sandblasted and the roof was obviously new as were the handicapped ramps at the doors. She did want to drop the duplexes, but Rachel was right. She could just wait a week and make a cash offer to the bank. "How close are you to Fred?" she asked. "He was one of my first clients and every time I found a rundown house I called him. He's restored a lot of houses in town but this was his biggest project ever. He would have done okay but between waiting for inspectors and extra work he hadn't anticipated, he just kept sliding further behind. He's in his late fifties, and this would destroy him." "Let's take a look inside, then," Kelly said. After an hour of inspecting the apartments, it was clear that Fred was a craftsman. The walls were smooth with fresh paint, the cupboards in the units had all been replaced, and 20 of the apartments on the first floor were handicap accessible. "Give us an hour to do some thinking on this, Rachel," Kelly said. "I'll call you at your office." Rachel thanked them for taking the time and after locking the doors she drove off. Todd and Kelly remained behind sitting on the hood of the Elantra looking at the building. "Buying it from the bank at the cost of someone's livelihood goes against the grain, Honey," said Todd. "Yeah," said Kelly as she lit a cigarette. "Me too." There was silence between the two for a while as they thought it through. "I don't think anyone else will care about what happens to Fred," offered Kelly. "They'll just grab the bargain and let him go down the toilet." "Yeah," agreed Todd. After another minutes thought, Todd said, "You know, if we could turn this into a seniors' complex..." Kelly thought about Muriel and slowly nodded her head. "Maybe it's time we did something for people again, those who need it. Let me check with Steve and see if we can get permission for zoning." Todd nodded with a smile. Kelly called Steve from her cell phone and explained the situation and the need for a quick answer. "Give me ten minutes, Kelly," he said, "I've got a few contacts down at city hall who can give me a definite answer. I'll call you back." Todd and Kelly drove to a nearby store and picked up a couple of bottles of Sobey's that they drank in the car. True to his word, Steve called back within ten minutes. "You're in luck," he said, "there's a shortage of housing for the elderly, and the area you're in is wide open for any kind of enterprise, but to prevent other people claiming age discrimination, you'll need to clearly identify it as a seniors' complex." "Thanks, Steve. I think we'll have Rachel get in touch with you later. We're going to trade that row of duplexes for this building." "Anything I can do to help," said Steve. Kelly said goodbye and closed the phone. "Well, Mr. Ayres, I guess the decision is up to us now." Todd rubbed his face, the way he usually did when thinking about something serious. "Real Estate is a good investment, but those duplexes, we have people moving in and out all the time and even though we have a management company to take care of things for us, we're paying a lot for maintenance of the buildings. This would be a smarter choice, and it would make me feel better knowing we were providing a service as well." "And," said Kelly, "Rachel's always been good to us. She's steered us into some prime properties long before they hit the open market and gotten us the best price possible..." Todd looked at Kelly and smiled. "Go ahead and give her a call." Kelly dialed Rachel's number. It only rang once, suggesting that Rachel was sitting waiting for the call. "Rachel, has Fred seen the duplexes? Does he know what he's getting in exchange?" "Yes, and he thinks he will just about break even, which to him is a whole lot better than going under." "Okay, Rachel, you know the drill. Present Steve with the paperwork and the documentation proving the building is up to code, and we'll do the deal." "Thanks, Kelly! I owe you guys big time." ------- It was just after one o'clock when Kelly pulled her car back into the studio parking lot. Vanetta told them that Laura had called from the airport in Summerville and that they were on their way. Kelly made lunch for the three of them while Todd started arranging the floods. By the time lunch was finished, Vanetta was ready to head home and Kelly caught up on her correspondence and her data entry on her customers. She was just finishing up when Jorge called. "Hi Kelly," he said in a jovial voice. "Do you think I can have Laura for the last two weeks in August?" "Of course, Jorge. Her schedule is clear because she's under exclusive contract to you." "Well, I was worried she might be busy with school work." "No problem Jorge, she's on a flexible timetable so when you need her, you've got her. We'll bring her up in person, Todd wants to get together with Mike anyway, and I've got to make my semi annual visit to the office. So let's plan on arriving on the 15th and you can have her till September 1st." "Thanks Kelly. My people have been working off the pictures that Todd took and created a few special outfits for her to debut in." "That's great, Jorge! So, we'll see you in a few weeks then. Take care." Kelly went to tell Todd the news. "Think she needs any more lessons in posing?" Kelly laughed. "Not after that weekend at Brookhaven!" he said grinning. "I still remember that bathtub scene." "Just as long as nobody else sees those pictures!" laughed Kelly. They both heard the sound of Todd's Tracker pulling into the parking lot. ------- Cara and Ami were giggling as they entered the studio. Laura was just shaking her head. "It's like having my younger sisters over," she said. "Just a constant giggle fest." Cara and Ami dropped their bags on the floor as soon as they saw the equipment. Rushing over they felt the wood and examined the mats. "Wow!" said Cara. "This stuff is so new, I'll bet nobody's ever touched it." Todd had followed the girls over and asked if it met with their approval. After a convincing round of affirmative sounds, Todd chuckled and said, "Now I'll show you what you'll be selling," and led them to the box of outfits. Ami lifted up one that was nearly a second skin. "Bet I would have gotten an extra half point if I had worn this at regionals!" As the gymnasts looked over the outfits, Kelly took Laura aside and asked how the trip had been and if there had been any difficulties with the parents. "Surprisingly not," said Laura. "I asked the girls about it on the way to the airport, and they said that they've been on the road for so long that their parents are used to it." "Did you get a chance to eat?" Kelly asked. Laura laughed. "I'll say. These girls were on about food before the cab was halfway to the airstrip. I had to make a stop so they could pick up some snacks and drinks and after we landed I headed right for a restaurant. If I ate half of what they do, I'd look like the Goodyear Blimp!" "Yeah, I can see their metabolism rate is high," said Kelly. "They're used to burning it off, but with them leaving competition, they're going to have to cut back. Thanks for picking them up, Laura." "No problem, Kell. It's not like I'm doing much else these days." "Speaking of which," said Kelly, "Jorge called today and you make your public debut in front of Mike's camera the last 16 days of August." "Todd said Mike is a good photographer, so I'm not nervous any more," said Laura. "I'm actually looking forward to it. I'll get as much studying done between now and then so that I look like I'm making headway." Todd had shown the girls the change room as well as the rest of the studio. They were brimming with excitement; grabbing a couple of the more expensive outfits in their respective sizes rushed off to try them on. Minutes later they made a dramatic entrance. Kelly looked at Laura who looked at Kelly. "Todd, can you give us a few minutes?" Kelly asked. Todd already knew what was coming and said he would be upstairs watching TV. "Ladies," Kelly began. "There are a few things Laura and I will help you with in the next week before Todd can actually start shooting." "Like what?" Ami asked. "We're all set to hit the bars now. These outfits are great!" Coughing discreetly, Laura got their attention and she looked down at their pubic areas where tufts of hair were clearly exposed. Cara looked at Ami's groin as Ami looked at Cara's. "Oh my God!" said Ami, blushing furiously. "It's okay," Kelly said. "We're all models here, you two are just inexperienced. That's why we're going to show you the ropes, and the tricks." Cara had her hands over her crotch. "That's another thing we'll have to take care of as well," said Kelly. "Those hands look a little bit rough, and those nails! But don't you worry, that's why we asked for the extra time. We knew that there would be certain areas that would require some tender loving care." She didn't notice Cara's nipples harden as she spoke. "How about changing back into your regular clothes and we'll head to my place, which will be your home while you are here, and get you settled in and then we can talk about what we need to do." As the girls ran off to change, Laura went upstairs to get Todd. The girls were changed, and had their bags back in the Tracker, but Laura and Todd were still upstairs. "Just give them a minute," Kelly said. "I'm sure there's something important they had to discuss." ------- Laura was breathing through her nose as she took Todd's cock deep into her throat, swallowing around his length. His breathing and guiding hands were both out of sync as he approached his climax. Laura found that with practice, taking Todd deep in her throat became easier every time and she so enjoyed the pleasure it brought him. Feeling him stiffen, she slid her mouth back to swirl her tongue around his glans while her hand stemmed the flow of semen to prolong his pleasure. When she finally released the grip on his shaft, she bobbed down again taking him all the way in while massaging his balls with her hand. Shots of hot cum fired deep into her stomach, and she continued to suck on his cock until it was completely deflated. Licking her lips, she gave him a kiss and suggested they should head back downstairs. "So, Laura is Todd's girlfriend?" Cara asked. "Actually, she's also mine, and I'm Todd's girlfriend as well. I figure I might as well tell you right now since we couldn't keep it from you for more than a day or two at the most." "Cool!" said Cara. "There're a lot of girls in gymnastics who fool around with each other..." "And a lot of girls who play both sides of the court," said Ami. "Then we found out that Erin's brother has all these girlfriends who fool around with each other too." "Ami... That's supposed to be a secret!" Cara said. "It's okay, girls. We know about the James Gang." Ami blushed. "We were curious, you know, and after James had this talk with us about doing what feels right when it feels right, Cara and I took a shower together. Not like the ones at school where all your classmates are watching but a private one. I've never been with anybody, but Cara had a boyfriend last summer." Cara just threw her hands up. "Jeez! Is there anyone left you haven't told?" she asked. "Sorry Cara, I was just trying explain that he kind of used you and that you didn't find the sex satisfactory at all." Cara looked dejected. "Yeah, for all he did for me, I might as well have just frigged myself and kept my dignity and at least had a climax." "James is right, you know," said Kelly. "You know when the time is right, and you do what feels right. There's no age limit or expiration date; so don't rush in to something you aren't ready for. I never thought I could have a relationship with another woman and it took quite some time before the innocent flirting led to something more serious." Cara seemed like she was about to ask something else but Todd and Laura came down the stairs at that moment and they decided to head to Kelly's, let the girls get settled in, and then make supper. ------- Cara and Ami unpacked and put their personal stuff away while Kelly and Laura went about making supper. Todd sprawled out on the couch in the living room, having been shooed out of the kitchen. As suppertime approached, Laura got the vitamins and "go-juice" out. "Shall we start the girls on the same regimen?" she asked. "First, let's find out what they're taking now," said Kelly. "Okay. How long do you think it will be before Todd is ready to shoot them?" "Well," said Kelly. "First off, we're going to have to fix up some of the wear and tear that their exercises caused, then Todd will want to go through the various poses they can perform while either holding a pose or 'in motion' shots. I figure we have about two weeks before he starts." Cara and Ami entered the kitchen and asked if there was anything they could do to help. Kelly smiled at them. "Thanks girls, but we've got it under control for tonight. Why not pull up a chair, there's a few questions I've got, and I'm sure you have a few yourselves, but is the bedroom okay? Do you have enough space?" "Oh," said Ami, "the room is great. We don't mind sharing a bed, and we didn't bring that much stuff. We brought our bathing suits and mostly T's, tank tops and shorts." "Yeah, I didn't think of it 'till we got back, but I should have asked if you minded sharing a bed. I know it's a big one, but I could have arranged to get two singles," Kelly said. "Nah, we don't mind do we, Cara?" said Ami. Cara blushed slightly and asked, "When will we get trimmed down there? Can we do it ourselves or will you help? I'm not really that shy, but I wouldn't want complete strangers doing it." Laura smiled as she remembered Kelly taking her to see Mistress Helga. "I'm sure we can work something out, right Kelly?" "Sure, it's really not such a big deal. By the way, what vitamins are you girls taking?" Cara looked at Ami before answering. "We don't really take vitamins, we used to drink this stuff to help build muscles. It was supposed to contain all kinds of vitamins, but all the iron in it made us constipated." Laura nearly laughed remembering her first encounter with the "go-juice." "Well," said Kelly, "we're going to put you on an all natural vitamin routine. Ask Laura, it does wonders for the skin, eliminates bloating and cleans all the toxins out of your system." Laura was already placing two extra helpings of the vitamins and 'go-juice' on the table. "Kelly showed me the easiest way to take these," she said, and demonstrated popping all the pills and capsules in her mouth and washing them down with the 'go-juice.' "And I can personally guarantee that you won't be constipated!" "By the time a week has gone by," said Kelly, "you'll already notice the difference. Now, do either of you have allergies to any food or anything you don't like?" "No," said Cara. "We'll eat just about anything!" "I'm glad to hear that," said Kelly. "I didn't think of it before we started on supper. We're having chicken Alfredo, with a fresh salad. We have mineral water, soda water and 7-Up in the refrigerator. Take what you like for supper, and anytime you get hungry or thirsty, just help yourselves." The girls picked up their vitamins tentatively, dropped them into their mouths like Laura had done and then swallowed down the "go-juice." "Ugh," said Ami. "That sort of tasted like prune juice but it had some kind of granules in it." Laura handed them both bottles of mineral water. "You'll get used to it real fast. It is prune juice and the stuff you noticed in it is milled flax seed and ground soy lecithin." "Flax seed... Isn't that supposed to be good for sore joints?" Ami asked. "It sure is," said Kelly, "along with a lot of other things it's good for. We take it twice a day and supplement it with fresh fruit and vegetables. The good news is that if you take it regularly, you can even indulge in a chocolate bar every now and then." "I don't want to sound rude," said Ami, "but Cara and I are kind of big protein eaters. What we can do to a steak would shame most dogs!" Kelly laughed with them. "The fridge is always stocked with all kinds of snack food. Turkey Jerky, cold chicken, smoked fish, and we like our steak as well." A visible sign of relief was visible on Ami's face. "Laura, do you want to get Todd? I think we're ready to eat." "Oh!" said Ami. "Let us get him. Last time Laura got him it took her nearly half an hour!" As the two girls bounded out of the room, Kelly was shaking with laughter. ------- Todd poured three glasses of wine before he sat down to eat. Cara and Ami were looking at them longingly. Kelly noticed the look and nodded to Todd. "Just as long as you don't head home with any bad habits," she said. Todd poured two more glasses. "We won't," promised Cara. "My dad had a heart attack a few years ago," said Ami. "Now he drinks a glass every night before he goes to bed. His doctor said it's full of anti-oxidants, so we'll just consider this part of a good healthy diet!" Everybody laughed at that. "It actually is quite good for that," said Kelly, "but you could get the same from eating lots of blueberries." "But blueberries don't taste this good," said Cara, licking her lips. After supper, Cara and Ami insisted on doing the dishes. It was just after seven and the five of them were sitting outside. As usual, Todd was sprawled in the hammock. All of them had bottles of mineral water. "What do you girls do for entertainment?" asked Kelly. "When we were in competition, we didn't have much time for leisure activities," said Ami. "I like to read." "Between practice and travel, there wasn't much we could do," said Cara. "Mostly games like Foosball or ping pong when we weren't doing homework. No serious sports though in case we got hurt. When we could, I could settle down for a good movie, but otherwise, I just read whatever Ami finished." "An athlete's life isn't all that glamorous," said Ami. "You were always working out to keep in shape. Even now, we'll have to do our warm up exercises every day just to keep our muscles toned." "Do you like biking?" asked Kelly, "Or roller-blading? After work hours, the studio streets are nearly empty and there's good pavement." Both Cara and Ami nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, tomorrow we'll see about getting some bikes and blades for you girls. I have to get them for Laura as well." "That's a pretty impressive TV you've got in the living room," said Cara. "Yeah, I'll say!" echoed Ami. "Must be over 40 inches and with surround sound speakers!" Kelly smiled. "And over 100 channels to choose from, though there's little I watch. Feel free to watch what you like, but I'll warn you now, Wednesday nights at 8, don't even think about touching the remote if Todd's around!" The girls looked at her quizzically. "Enterprise comes on," explained Laura. "Oh, I should have guessed. Sunday at Brookhaven you were all wearing something from Star Trek," said Ami. "Speaking of which," said Todd, "It's getting pretty close to that time now. If you ladies will excuse me?" "Do you have movie channels on your cable?" asked Ami. "Only about nine of them," laughed Kelly. Then her tone turned serious. "Look, girls, I want to get something perfectly clear with you okay?" Cara and Ami nodded silently, wondering what was coming. "I'm glad to open my home to you, happy to in fact, but I'm not your parents or your guardian." Kelly stopped to light up a cigarette. After a deep drag she continued. "Considering your backgrounds and the responsibilities you've handled, I'm not going to restrict you from anything. That's not my job. My job is to make sure that you look good and stay in good health. A glass of wine or a beer isn't going to destroy you or your looks. I'm not the morality police. The same goes for the TV. If you want to watch a movie that society says you aren't old enough to watch, then it's your choice and decision. You're the ones that have to live with your actions and decisions. If there's something that you want from a store where your age is a factor, Laura and I will be happy to pick it up for you, just as long as you realize you are going to be treated like adults and equals. End of lecture." She said laughing. Cara let out a deep sigh. "Wow. I thought you were about to lay a whole bunch of rules on us!" "Yeah, me too," said Ami. "But don't worry, Kelly. We'll respect your house and stuff." "We've also learned not to talk to other people about where we've been or what we did there," said Cara. "When we were in Europe, most of the countries we went to had no drinking age. That's not something we really wanted to tell people in Laurel Canyon!" "And we certainly didn't tell anybody about the beaches either!" added Ami. Kelly laughed. "I know all about those beaches, girls. Did you just go to look or did you go native?" Cara and Ami both laughed. "Most of us went native when the coaches weren't around. It was so cool going topless, and nobody even paid any attention," said Cara. "I thought it was just because my boobs were so small at the time, but even the bustier girls didn't get much of a second glance." "It's because the lifestyle isn't as uptight there as it is here," said Kelly. "It really is a different world outside of the US." Laura pouted. "I got out of the Carolinas finally, but I'm still waiting for my first trip out of the country." "Most of the countries we've been to have been really cool to visit, and we had a great time, but France... they think they're so perfect and look down at us all the time. You'd think they forgot who saved their ass in WWII!" said Ami. "It's convenient for some people to forget who their friends are," said Kelly. "That's why we keep a database of all our customers as well as models. We have no need or use for people that don't appreciate or remember their friends." "I know I'll never forget," said Laura leaning over and giving Kelly a kiss. ------- Todd came out after "Enterprise" was over. He was carrying a beer in his hand. "Well, I guess I better get my butt back to the studio." "Whatever for?" Kelly asked. "There's nothing you can do there tonight, why not just spend another night?" Todd glanced at Cara and Ami who just smiled. "I take it they know then?" "Well, they would have figured it out pretty quick even if Laura hadn't blown the secret back at the studio!" Kelly said and then she started to laugh, as did Laura. "What's so funny?" Todd asked as both Cara and Ami started to laugh too. "Todd," said Laura, "I 'blew' the secret!" Todd blushed and leaned into the hammock taking care not to spill his beer. "It's going to be damn hard being the only male among four women," he said. Laura laughed again. "I should hope it's hard!" Everybody including Todd groaned at her pun. ------- They stayed outside for another hour enjoying the cooling breeze and then Cara and Ami said they were going to head off to shower, then to bed and read. Kelly told them to go ahead and they would see them in the morning. Todd raised his eyebrows after the girls headed in. "I don't think so," said Kelly. "Maybe curious, but nothing has happened yet." "Well we know that Cara has had a boyfriend," said Laura, "but I'm not sure about Ami." "What do you mean, Honey?" Kelly asked. "Oh, you know those feelings I get. I don't think that a boyfriend is what Ami is looking for." "Are you serious?" Todd asked. "If you're born to swing just one way, Sweetheart," Laura said, "you only look one way." "But what about you and Kell?" Todd continued. "As far as I know, you had never entertained the idea of making love with another woman before you met Kelly, and even for Kelly it's a recent change." "Well..." said Laura. "I can understand Kelly and Brenda, or for that matter any of the James Gang girls. They're very sexual and open, very loving and sharing. While I had never sexual feelings for another woman, the thought didn't repulse me. As you know, I'm very sexual myself. I'm not sure what it was about Kelly that drew me to her so physically and emotionally, but from the first time we met, I was hot for her. I don't want to make it sound too mystical, but I believe we have a bond. The same bond I have with you, Todd. I feel like this was meant to be." Kelly was nodding. "That's what I think, too. It's something that was meant to be. We just had to wait for the time to be right." ------- Cara was soaping Ami's back. Unlike the shower they had shared at Brookhaven, this time there was actual physical contact, though it had not gone beyond the washing of Ami's back. "What do you think, Ami?" Ami was enjoying the touch of Cara's hands on her back, her eyes closed with pleasure. "I'm sorry Cara, I was kind of out of it for a minute. What do I think of what?" "This place, the setup, the being treated like adults, about Todd and Kelly and Laura." "Mmm... right now I'm loving it," giggled Ami. Cara gave Ami's butt a slap. "Seriously!" "Okay!" said Ami rubbing her lower cheek. Then she smiled. "I think I'm going to love it here. I like the three of them. I like the way they talk to us like we actually have brains. The house is nice and we can do pretty well whatever we want to." "Yeah," sighed Cara applying more soap to Ami's back. "I like it, too." "I think you better give that soap to me now, Cara, or I'll fall asleep from the way you're doing my back." "Am I that boring?" "Hell, no. It feels too good!" "Okay, then," said Cara as she handed the soap to Ami. "Well, turn around. I'm going to do your back." Cara turned and the minute that Ami's hands first made contact with her back her nipples stiffened right up. "What was it really like, Cara? To be kissed by Josh." Cara sighed. "Honestly? You promise not to tell anybody?" "I swear, Cara. I've only been joking about your fling with him cause you never told me what really happened." "Well, kissing him was the pits. He didn't know how and kept trying to force his tongue all the way down my throat. My lips hurt for days after every time he was necking with me. That's why I let him go farther in the first place. My mouth couldn't take it any more. I figured that if I let him play with my boobs he'd be more gentle." "And was he?" "NO! It was like being mauled by a monkey. He handled them like they were fruit he was checking out for ripeness and when he wasn't squeezing them he was twisting my nipples like they were built in volume controls." "So why didn't you stop him?" Ami asked. "You've always let on you went all the way." Cara's face fell and her eyes started tearing up. Ami wrapped her arms around her friend. "It's okay, Cara, if you don't want to talk about it." "Later maybe. When we're in bed." The girls rinsed off and dried themselves with the big fluffy towels that Kelly had laid out for them. They brushed their teeth and slipping on baggy T's headed to the kitchen. "See if there's any of that chicken left," said Ami looking over Cara's shoulder into the fridge. "Nope, but there's smoked fish in here if you want some of that." "Great, I'll see if there are any crackers, and grab a couple of bottles of that mineral water at the same time." "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have a beer?" Cara asked. "Nah, not tonight." Stacking a plate with crackers and fish, the girls headed off to their bedroom. They sat on opposite ends of the bed with their feet up, the plate between them reading Ami's latest obsession, the "Prey" series by John Sandford. They heard the shower turn on and the sound of giggling and looked at each other blushing. ------- As Kelly cleared away the empty bottles she noticed that the girls had made themselves at home. She smiled. She liked the two gymnasts. Leaving a small light on in the kitchen she went and joined Todd and Laura in the shower. Kelly and Laura took turns soaping and stroking Todd's cock in the shower and as much as he tried to hold off, he shot his load within five minutes. "It's such a waste to see it go down the drain, isn't it?" said Laura. "Yes it is. Todd, you should be more considerate." Todd laughed. Three could play this game. Taking Kelly by the waist, he turned her to face Laura, reaching one hand down to stroke her clit then delved further to spread her love secretions. The scent of an aroused woman filled the shower stall, counterpoint to the smell of soap as he gently ran his fingers over her clit hood, stretching it back to expose her engorged button. Laura decided to help and slipped two fingers into Kelly's hot cunt, pulling forward slightly till she felt the spongy "G spot." Soon Kelly was squirming, just on the edge of orgasm. With a thrust of her hips she buried Laura's fingers deep inside and let loose with a small scream as she came. But Todd was far from done. He knew Kelly could cum again within seconds if he just brushed her clit hood so that her now super sensitive clit wouldn't feel like it was being bruised. Gently he used two fingers to slide back and forth over her outer labia gently tugging them upward to push the sensation to her clit. He could feel her start to shake again and Laura had crouched down so as to piston her fingers like a cock inside Kelly's vagina. This time it was a sobbing moan as Kelly came to her peak again, going limp in Todd's arms. It was a good two minutes before Kelly could stand by herself again, when she turned to Laura with a devilish look in her eyes. "So, you thought you'd help Todd did you, my pretty? I'll fix you for that and your little kitty too!" Laura had no place to move to and soon Kelly's fingers were all over her, tickling! Laura begged for mercy between howls of laughter, but Kelly wouldn't let up. "Don't, Kelly, if I laugh too hard I'll pee myself!" Todd encouraged Kelly to keep on going and slid down between the two girls as Kelly continued her attack on Laura's ribs. "Argh!" screamed Laura and Kelly laughed as she watched Laura's bladder give way to the tickling. What surprised her was how quickly Laura grasped her vulva and aimed her spray right on Todd's chest and groin. "My goodness. We are a little kinky, aren't we?" said Kelly. But curiosity quickly overcame her and she placed her own hand in the stream still gushing from Laura. "Mmm... Feels nice." Kelly said, putting both her hands into the stream, cupping them, letting them fill up before releasing her catch onto Todd's raging erection. Finally Laura's flow petered out and as Todd rinsed himself, Kelly played with Laura's wet box. She wanted to warm Laura up so that Todd could slide right in. When they had washed the sheets from Kelly's bed, Laura had told her that until her period was done, Todd would have to be satisfied with oral sex from her. But she had shown back at Brookhaven that she was not averse to fucking in the shower with Todd. Todd turned and saw Kelly working magic with her fingers on Laura's clit. Stepping up and bending slightly he slipped his cock in. The heat and the tightness was fantastic and he slowly built up a steady rhythm holding Laura up under her ass while she leaned back against the wall, her arms around his neck. Kelly saw Laura's eyes grow distant and knew that her climax was coming soon. Todd could feel it as well and started to increase his tempo, until Laura moaned out her climax into his mouth. The water was starting to lose its heat so the three of them finished off their shower quickly and after drying off, Kelly and Todd headed for the bedroom leaving Laura to insert a fresh tampon. ------- Ami and Cara had listened closely to all the moaning, laughter and screaming, speculating about what was going on in the shower. When the shower finally turned off and they heard footsteps leading away, Ami went to return the now empty plate to the kitchen, wash it up and put it away. She and Cara had promised each other they were not going to act like spoiled kids, but would live up to their promise of respecting Kelly's house. Ami had just stepped out of the bedroom when she ran right into Laura. "I'm sorry," said Ami. "I thought you guys had gone to bed." Laura was standing in the hallway naked but for her panties. Ami tried to look away, but her eyes were drawn like magnets to Laura's beautiful boobs. Ami was still wearing her t-shirt, but her nipples had visibly hardened, something that Laura noticed. "That's okay, Ami." Laura smiled at her. "I hope we didn't make so much noise that we woke you two up." "No, we were still reading. I was just going to wash this plate up and put it back." "You can just put it in the sink," said Laura. "No need to go washing single plates. We'll catch it in the morning with the breakfast dishes." Then Laura leaned forward and whispered, "If you call what we'll be having as breakfast." Ami giggled, said goodnight and walked away while Laura went to the bedroom. As Laura got into bed, Kelly asked her what had kept her. "I ran into Ami in the hallway. She was going to wash a single plate. I told her to just leave it in the sink." "And that's all you were wearing?" asked Todd. "I hadn't brought anything else in with me." "Maybe I should talk to them for a second," Kelly said. "I know they said they would respect our stuff, but washing a plate?" Kelly climbed out of bed and slipped on a t-shirt. "Be back in a minute," she said as she headed down the hall. ------- "And all she was wearing were panties?" Cara asked her eyes wide. "Yep, and she just stood there as friendly and calm as if nothing was wrong." "What did she look like?" "You know what she looks like, Cara." "Yeah, I know she looks good dressed, but you know... what did she look like?" "She's got gorgeous boobs, big nipples too! A small waist and hips that just flare out. God, I got hot just looking at her." "Lucky you," Cara said. She was about to say more when there was a knock on the door. "Hi guys," said Kelly. "Look, I appreciate the fact that you are willing to wash up after yourselves, but honestly. You don't have to go to extremes. Laura said you were going to wash a single plate. If it's sticky, sure, rinse it off, but just put it in the sink." "Okay," said Ami. Cara gulped. "Uh, Kelly, is it normal to see people walking around here with only panties on?" Kelly smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. "Actually, that's a bit overdressed in this house when it's just our family. If it bothers you, Laura and I can manage to wear something while you're here." "Oh no..." said Ami. "It doesn't bother us does it, Cara?" "Nope, it doesn't bother me. Ami was just a bit surprised is all," said Cara. "But you don't have to worry about running into Todd in the nude," laughed Kelly. "He's a perfect gentleman and always has his pants on... except of course when he's in bed with Laura and me." Kelly got up and headed for the door. "Good night, ladies. Pleasant dreams." ------- Kelly got back to the bedroom to see Laura's head snuggled in Todd's groin. Seeing Kelly she said, "I'm just warming him up for you, Sweetheart." "Oh goodie!" said Kelly. "I feel a need to have something long and hard inside me right now." Kelly gave both her lovers a kiss and then straddled Todd easily sliding his cock into her hot cunt. Her eyes closed with bliss as she pressed herself all the way down till their pubic hair meshed. Kelly rode Todd slowly. She placed her hands on either side of him and kneeling, used her pelvis to slide as far off his cock as she dared before she bore back down in a mighty thrust. Todd was good and hard and having come twice earlier in the evening could hold out longer, though Kelly was every bit as tight as Laura. Kelly rippled her internal muscles, massaging his cock while at the same time hitting every nerve in her vaginal canal. It felt so good! Todd thought he could hold out longer, but what Kelly was doing to him was magic and he started thrusting back at her, meeting her stroke for stroke. He felt the end of his cock bouncing on her cervix and from the look in Kelly's eyes and the rosy blush of her breasts, he knew that she was close to coming. He grabbed her hips and on each down stroke she made he ground his pelvic bone against her clit until finally with a yelp, she was over the top riding a long climax. Two strokes later, and his hot seed was filling her up to overflowing. Panting, Kelly collapsed on Todd and they kissed gently before Kelly rolled off. She was about to reach for the tissues when Laura stopped her. "Let me do it," Laura said, a lustful look in her eyes. Holding one hand on Kelly's filled cunt and her thumb gently stroking Kelly's clit, Laura first licked Todd clean, sucking his deflating cock all the way into her mouth and using the broadside of her tongue to get all traces of Kelly and his cum off. Satisfied that Todd was now clean, she scooted down the bed and put her head between Kelly's legs. First she licked the combined cum and juices off her hand and then stuck her tongue into Kelly scooping out everything she could get. The taste of Todd was everywhere and she started to slurp Kelly like she couldn't get enough. With her one hand she kept Kelly spread open and used her thumb to keep beating out a primal rhythm on Kelly's clit while her other hand was up toying with Kelly's breasts. Soon Kelly was on the verge of another orgasm and Laura shifted herself so she could raise Kelly's legs and tilt her vulva before diving in to finish her lover off properly. The groan of satisfaction escaped from Kelly's mouth as her hands reached down pulling Laura harder against her cunt. "My God," Kelly finally managed to get out as she pulled Laura into her arms, kissing her all over her face and adding some deep soulful kisses as well. "Now I know you were heaven sent." All three of them cuddled together and after a few minutes of goodnight kisses they were fast asleep. ------- After Kelly had left, Cara had turned to Ami. "Did you notice that Kelly wasn't wearing panties?" "Yeah," said Ami with a smile. "I'm really going to like living here." They put away their books and turned off the lights after they crawled in under the sheets. "So?" said Ami. "Are you going to tell me the rest of your experiences with Josh?" "Yeah, I suppose. After I let him at my boobs, such as they were, he started to try to get farther. I was pretty curious myself, but it seems that nothing went right. The first night he got his hands into my pants he tried to drive a finger right into me. I wasn't even turned on or wet enough. He talked me out of my pants saying he was going to give me a real treat, so I let him." "And?" Ami encouraged. "Was it a treat?" "Hah. He was going to eat me out, he said. Of course I had heard about this from the other girls and I figured this was one thing he couldn't screw up, but he managed. In all his attempts at licking me, he never once got near my clit, and I doubt if he even knew I had one. All he did was lick at my pubic hair way above my vagina. I tried telling him that he was off the mark, but all he did was complain about hair in his mouth and he kept trying to spit it out." "So why did you continue?" "I guess because a lot of the girls in our group had boyfriends and they had gone all the way, and I didn't want to deal with the thoughts I was having about the other girls who seemed so happy with each other." "Did you have those thoughts, too?" Ami asked. "I thought I was the only one." "Did you ever notice that when we went to a meet there were some girls who always shared the same room? I envied those girls, but I didn't want to become one. I was taught that it was wrong, so I settled for Josh. I was going to become a woman with him. The last time we were together, he brought a condom along. He was telling me that the first time for a girl is never good so not to expect too much since he was going to pop my cherry. I didn't bother telling him there are few gymnasts who have an intact hymen, but when he shoved it in me, god did it hurt. Even the lube on the condom didn't help and after a couple of strokes I finally pushed him off of me. He got all pissed and started telling me how much he had done for me and I hadn't even given him head. He tried to push my head down to his dick, but he forgot that I work out every day. I finally relented and gave him a hand job. After that he started to brag to all his friends about how he was the one who popped my cherry and that only he could make it with the ice queen. I was never so happy to see summer vacation come to an end." Ami reached over and hugged Cara. "You poor baby. How can guys be so cruel? They screw everything they can and they're called studs, but if we indulge in some sex, we're called sluts and tramps. I'm never going to let a guy get his hands on me." Cara sat up. "Are you one of those girls?" Ami was slow in answering. "I don't know. I mean I'm not sure. But when I saw Laura in just her panties in the hall, I just got so hot. But I do know that no man is ever going to touch me, even if I have to remain a virgin all my life. They just don't turn me on. Like Todd, he's a real nice guy, but he doesn't do anything for me. It was the same with Erin's brother. He's nice but he doesn't give me the same feelings that I get when I look at girls. But don't worry, I'm not going to molest you!" "What a pity," said Cara. "You don't know what you're missing. I might not be as beautiful as Kelly or Laura, but I'm available." "Don't joke about this, Cara. I might be as disappointing to you as Josh was." "No girl could ever be that bad." "How do you know?" "Because girls understand girls." "Hmm... You've got a point, but be careful of what you wish for. You might just end up getting it. Maybe you should think about it for a while." "Yeah, maybe you're right. Good night, Ami." "Good night, Cara." The two girls turned so their backs were to each other. After a while, Ami was still awake and hearing a steady breathing coming from Cara, slowly slipped her hand down to her pussy and gave herself a satisfying orgasm. Cara had been waiting for Ami to fall asleep so she could relieve the horniness which had been building in her loins since they soaped each other in the shower, and listening to Ami's self pleasure had just made her hotter. Finally, to the sound of the soft snore from behind her, she moved her hand slowly over her body, thinking of Laura and Kelly and their special relationship, but by the time her fingers reached her damp curls, it was Ami's face which filled her mind's eye... ------- Chapter 16 Kelly woke, completely and instantly, totally unlike her usual return from the land of Nod. She lay quietly for a while, reveling in her lovers' touch. She knew that Todd's hand was on her ass, that she held Laura's panty clad cheek. She could feel how their legs tangled, and Laura's warm breath on her breast. Feeling mischievous, she slid a finger under the elastic and stretched it out... "Do that and I'll bite!" said a quiet voice from under her chin, and sharp teeth closed around her nipple, sending goose bumps down her spine. She teasingly stretched the waistband and felt the teeth bite harder, so quickly slipped her hand under the panties to caress the warm flesh. Instantly the bite became a kiss, then a suckle. It felt good, so fulfilling to have her lover at her breast, and she nuzzled her lips in the soft hair. Laura pulled away with a pop and tilted her face up for a kiss. "Mmmm, good morning, honey." When they broke the kiss, Kelly looked at Todd over Laura's head, seeing him totally relaxed, a little drool at the side of his mouth. "God, I love you," she thought. She looked down at Laura. "Love you, Babe. But I have to go." It took a while to untangle themselves without waking Todd, but eventually both had extracted themselves and pulled on T's so as not to embarrass their houseguests. As they headed for the kitchen, they heard the TV with its sound turned low in the living room. ------- Cara woke shortly after 8:00, feeling Ami wrapped snugly around her. The feeling was comforting, intimate, then she felt Ami tense. "Oh! I'm sorry Cara, I'm so sorry!" Ami tried to push away, but Cara held her close. "It's OK, it's no big deal! If I hadn't been here, you would have been wrapped around a pillow!" But the truth was... Ami liked it. She liked waking with Cara in her arms. The girls didn't know what time Kelly, Laura and Todd would be getting up and had decided, based on Laura's comments about breakfast, that they would check out the TV. Grabbing a couple of bottles of Evian, they sat in front of the barely audible TV. Just in case the threesome in the other bedroom weren't early risers, they didn't want to disturb them. And following Kelly's comments from the night before, they hadn't bothered dressing but sat in their own nightshirts watching Women's Volleyball on TSN when Kelly and Laura popped in. "Good morning, ladies," said Kelly, "I trust you slept well?" Laura said "Hi," and continued to the kitchen. "Very well, thank you," said Ami. "It's a real comfortable bed," said Cara wishing she was still in it feeling the warmth of Ami's body. "So are you girls ready to start a modified diet?" Kelly asked. "Since you won't be working out as often or as intensely, now is a critical time not to let 'fab' turn to flab." "I suppose," sighed Ami. "Don't you girls worry. I know it's going to take a bit of time to adjust, so let's just start slowly. Have more meals, but less carbs, and after breakfast, we'll go out bike shopping. That will help through the transition period." "Cool!" said Cara, turning off the TV. Laura was laying out the vitamins and bottles of go-juice when Kelly, Cara, and Ami walked in. "And for breakfast we have," said Laura smiling, "grapefruit slices, fresh orange juice, celery and carrots." "And don't forget," added Kelly with a laugh, "it's an all-you-can-eat buffet!" Both Cara and Ami groaned. "What? Not satisfied with the 'Continental Breakfast' supplied by this fine establishment?" asked Todd, smiling as he entered the kitchen. Todd had woken up shortly after Kelly and Laura had left the bed. He had dressed and relieved his bladder and stood in the hallway smiling as he heard the discussion in the kitchen. "Good morning, Sweetheart," said Kelly giving him a kiss. Laura came around the table to plant a kiss of her own as she greeted her other lover. Todd sat down, swallowed his vitamins, and downed his go-juice. As he chewed on a celery stalk, he looked at Kelly and sniffed the air. "Not smoking this morning?" Kelly shook her head. "I think I'm going to cut down," she replied. "G suggested that I shouldn't smoke as much. She wouldn't tell me why, but you know she wouldn't have said it without a reason, so this morning I decided "No more smoking in the house!" "Jesus. I wonder what brought that about?" said Todd. "It's not like you smoke a lot to begin with. What? Maybe 10 on a bad day?" "On a really bad day," nodded Kelly in agreement. "And didn't you tell me that smoking is a part of your... uhm... lifestyle that you can't change?" asked Laura. She had nearly mentioned Kelly's obsessive-compulsive disorder before remembering that the two gymnasts knew nothing about Kelly's personal demons. "It's not a big deal," Kelly said. "So, I'll just take the few extra steps when I really want one, and maybe I'll decide I don't really want it that bad." Laura found herself thinking of the Obi-Man - what else did he tell Gloria? What else hasn't she told Kelly? ------- Todd grabbed the cordless phone and called the studio. Vanetta answered on the first ring. "Hiya, boss lady," he said jokingly. "Anything going on that I should be aware of?" "Uh huh. Okay," said Todd in response to what Vanetta was telling him. "I'll give him a call from here. I meant to do it yesterday, but I was too tired to bother. And can you call CrossTrain Sports for me and ask them to ship down a big box of chalk, priority?" He listened for a moment and then turned to Cara and Ami. "Is there a special kind or size you need? Or anything else that we don't have that you need for your work on the equipment?" Cara looked to Ami. From what they had seen, Todd had it all. "Nope, all we need is the chalk, just say a case of 24, and they'll understand." "Did you hear that, Vanetta? A case of 24, yeah that's right. Okay, I'll probably be in later this afternoon. We're going out for a while this morning." Kelly took over the phone from Todd. "Vanetta, did you get Laura's new cell number added to the speed dial? Good. That way you'll always find two of us anyway," she laughed. "If I don't see you later, you have a good day." Kelly disconnected and sat down to have another grapefruit, while Todd punched in a number he had pulled out of his wallet. As he waited for his call to get patched through, he explained that Peter had called and left a message asking him to call when he came in. He paused for a moment as he was transferred to Peter's private secretary. "Since I won't be going in until later this afternoon, I figured I might as well give him a call now." "Hello, Peter! I hear you're looking for me." Todd listened to the VP of InterCoastal explain why he had called. "Yeah, someone pointed them out to me, so we grabbed a copy of the Journal on Tuesday." Todd said. "It looks like they were impressed with the wing. Nice story too. What's that?" Todd laughed. "No, we haven't looked at the price other than what the Journal said. Really? Well, I'm glad we could help you out, Peter. Yeah, okay... I'll talk to you later. Hang on." Todd handed the phone to Kelly. "Peter says he has to talk to you." "Hi, Peter," said Kelly. ------- Peter apologized for not having called sooner but with the coverage the press had given the Cuddy's new speed record and the innovative design of the wing, he had been deluged with calls. Dealers from all over were clamoring for copies of the pictures that had shown up in the major papers and other papers had picked up on the story and wanted regional slants. "The board was very impressed," Peter said. "The results of what JamPC designed and the speed record they set has everybody talking, but with Todd's picture to visually show how and why, well it's just got the whole boating industry talking." "That's great, Peter. We're really happy for you," Kelly said. "But the reason I had to call was that I told the Board on Wednesday about our little agreement. After I showed them what kind of pictures the news people had taken and the extra effort TKO gave to really push the story, they said to name the time and how long you want to go for and IC will set you up in the best boat available, fully staffed!" Kelly looked at her lovers before answering. "How about the last two weeks of September, Peter? Three weekends. Leave on Friday and return on Monday after the two weeks. That will make it 17 days." "Leave it to me, Kelly. I'll get back to you on the details and specifics." "Thanks, Peter. Talk to you soon." Kelly walked over and wrapped her arms around her lovers. "My darlings, clear your calendars for the last two weeks in September... We are going on a sea cruise to Jamaica! A real vacation!" Todd looked up. "Really?" "Absolutely, Sweetheart. No work. Just relaxation." "Oh my God!" said Laura. "An ocean voyage, out of the country, to Jamaica!" She squealed with delight. "And now I think I will go for a cigarette," said Kelly grabbing a bottle of mineral water. Things were going so well. For the first time in a long time she felt that everything was perfect and it all felt right. Her professional life and her personal life were all in order and she had never been happier. As Kelly sat back in the lounger, before she lit up, she remembered her first real kiss from James, and the night with Brenda. That had been the start of this new life, a life with not one, but two lovers. She smiled as she remembered the first time she met Laura. Nude, on her butt on the darkroom floor, cum on her face. A lifetime ago, so much had changed. She lit her Cameo and took a deep drag. It was hard to remember how life had been before the happiness she enjoyed now. ------- Cara and Ami joined her in the back yard. Ami spoke up. "We were wondering, Kelly, if you guys wanted to work out with us while we do our exercises. It will do wonders for toning your body." Kelly cocked her head. A good exercise routine might be a smart idea. "I'm game," she said, "but I can't speak for the other two." "Oh, we've already convinced them," said Cara. Kelly laughed. "I can see that you two will fit in very nicely!" "The only problem is space. We don't want Todd to move your living room furniture every day, so if you don't mind, before we go out to do the other things we have to do, Todd said we could do it right in the studio," said Ami. "That won't be a problem," said Kelly. "We're not on any timetable, and besides the dressing room there's a shower in the studio itself. And... lots of clothes to change into when we're done!" They headed into the house to get dressed for the day. ------- Kelly, with Cara and Ami in her car, followed Todd's Tracker and Laura's Accord in a cute little parade to the end of her street and then Todd and Laura turned right, heading for the studio, while Kelly made a quick detour to the outdoor fruit stand. As she got back into the car with a large bag of fresh fruits and vegetables, she said, "I hope you girls like beets." Ami just made a face. Cara laughed. "Don't worry," said Kelly, "you won't even taste it once it's been juiced." As Kelly pulled into the studio, she noticed that Laura had parked her Accord around the back. It made good sense. With the three of them spending nearly every night together, there was no need to have three vehicles running around. "I didn't think I'd see you today," said Vanetta as Kelly entered the studio. "Well, it seems that Cara and Ami have decided we should participate in their morning workouts," said Kelly. "Oh, this I have got to see," said Vanetta laughing. "You're not usually awake at this hour much less exercising!" "Well," said Kelly grinning, "sometimes things change." Vanetta took the bag from Kelly and said she would prepare the fruits and vegetables while they worked out. Todd ran upstairs to change into a set of sweats. Laura and Kelly had decided to wear their Star Fleet issue underwear for the work out, and had brought clothes with them to change into afterwards. The five of them lined up on the tumbling mat after Cara had clearly made the point that no shoes or socks were allowed on the mat. Ami was on one end and Cara at the other with Todd in the middle sandwiched by Kelly and Laura. Before starting, Ami had asked if it would be okay to turn on some music and when no one objected, Vanetta showed her the CD collection and how to adjust the stereo. Ami selected a compilation CD of timeless Rock and Roll tunes. As she explained to the group, this was a low impact workout to promote tone and limber up muscles, then on a count from Cara, the two started their regular routine showing the other three how and what to do. Most of it was stretching and reaching, reminding Kelly of the Yoga classes she had taken. "Remember," shouted Ami, "if you feel a muscle going tight, don't push it any further. Just try to hold it at the tight point for a minute. You'll get farther every day we do this." By the time 20 minutes had passed, Cara and Ami were into full splits on the mat. Kelly eventually made it all the way down as well, and Laura was just a few inches off, but Todd, as flexible as his Tae Bo exercises had made him, was having trouble spreading his legs that far. Thankfully the next move allowed him to drop on his butt as they all pulled their feet in to their groins trying to keep their knees flat on the floor. This was of course no problem for Cara and Ami who quickly slid into place and proceeded to bob their heads and shoulders down to the mat. Surprisingly, Todd could get his feet into his groin and keep his knees on the floor but it was an area where Kelly and Laura were having difficulty. Ami told them to rest their elbows on their knees and then as they bobbed up and down with their upper torsos, the elbows would stretch the leg muscles. Another 15 minutes passed and Todd was flat on his back, wiped out. Laura soon joined him, simply rolling from her position to flat on her stomach. Kelly managed another five minutes and then gave it up as well. Cara and Ami kept at it but with more intensity for another 20 minutes. Jumping up, Ami said, "That wasn't so bad, was it?" "You guys are in better shape than we thought," added Cara. Todd just groaned. Ami clapped her hands. "Time to hit the showers, kids." As Todd crawled up the stairs, followed by Laura, Vanetta laughed and turned on the juicer. Kelly showed the girls where the shower was along with the towels before she headed upstairs as well to join her lovers in a warm shower. ------- Ami was soaping up Cara's breasts as the water from the shower beat down on her back. "If camp had been like this," she said, "I might have enjoyed it a lot more." Cara sighed and pulled Ami against her, letting her well lathered boobs squish into Ami's. "Cara," Ami whispered in her ear, "you realize this is a step farther than just showering together." "Mmm hmm." Taking that as an affirmative, Ami wrapped her arms around Cara and hugged back, gently nibbling on Cara's ear. "God, I'm so hot," said Cara. "I can fix that," said Ami turning and changing the temperature of the water to icy cold. "Argh," screamed Cara. "That's not how I thought you were going to fix it!" Ami rinsed off and stepped out of the shower. "Remember what I said last night about being careful what you wish for?" Cara nodded. "Well, I... I really need you to think about this, Cara. The next step... it really takes us to the point of no return..." Ami caught Cara's eyes. "I know what I want, I've wanted it for a real long time, but if you're only playing, well..." She looked down at her hands, "I don't want to lose you as a friend - but I don't want to get hurt, either..." Cara dropped her towel and hugged Ami. "I couldn't hurt you, Ami. You're my best friend." Ami's eyes got wet and she felt tears running down her cheek. "But will you still be my friend if we go farther and you decide you don't like it?" "Oh, Ami. I can't believe that I won't like it. I feel so close to you. But no matter what, I will always be your friend." "Then let's wait a bit, Cara. When the time is right, we'll know it." The girls reluctantly broke their embrace and got dressed. ------- Vanetta finished whipping up a large pitcher of juice and poured out six large glasses over crushed ice. She was clapping as Kelly, Todd, and Laura came down the stairs. "I never thought I would see the day," she said. "What day?" asked Todd. "The day that you conked out from exercising for one, and Kelly moving so much so early in the morning!" "But they did good," said Ami as they entered the kitchenette. "I didn't expect any of you to make it past the first ten minutes." Kelly raised her eyebrows. "It's because they're special exercises for gymnasts," explained Cara. "It's easy to see that Todd works out, but not for doing back flips, and while it's easy to see that you and Laura are in good shape, there's a reason why there are so few gymnasts over 20. That was our regular routine we went through, and you guys managed to keep up for most of it!" "All of a sudden I'm feeling old," sighed Kelly. "I'll never get those splits down to the ground," said Todd. "Ah, that's a defeatist attitude I hear," said Ami. "I bet if you keep doing this with us every morning you'll be doing splits like you've been doing them all your life." "I kind of liked it," said Laura. "It made me feel alive. My legs are still warm from the tension, but I could feel myself getting just a bit further when I held my position." She looked at Todd, "just think what fun we could have, Honey, if I can sit in that position!" "I swear, Laura, I think you were born horny," said Vanetta. "Nothing wrong with that," said Kelly. "Ha!" said Laura, looking at Vanetta. "I didn't see Robert complaining when you had your arm around him yesterday!" "Who's Robert?" asked Todd. Laura blushed suddenly remembering that Robert had said he had never met Todd. "He's a friend I met at school," said Vanetta. "We've been dating for a while." "Oh," said Todd. "I didn't know." "You'll meet him at the company party," Vanetta added. "He's looking forward to meeting you." Kelly decided it was time to change the direction of the conversation. She knew that Vanetta was concerned about the race issue. "So, Ami... You think you want to be a photographer?" Kelly asked. "Yeah, but there aren't many schools that offer photography as a full time program any more." "What got you interested in photography to begin with?" asked Todd. "A couple of years ago, we were competing in Europe and an American journalist was covering the event. He was sitting just behind our bench and had this fancy camera, but he didn't know when to shoot. I saw the article afterwards and realized that he couldn't anticipate what was going to happen next. Then I started looking through the sports magazines, and except for 'macho' sports, most pictures of female athletes were really pathetic. I think there's a good opportunity for someone who has been in sports, and especially women's!" "You realize it's more than just taking pictures," said Todd. "Oh yeah, for sure! After I saw what had happened, I got a few books on photography and even took a few courses, but it cost too much money to get further than a pinhole camera, so I had to let it slide. It might look good when we win medals, but most people don't realize how much money our parents put out for us to stay on the team if we even qualify." "You made a pinhole camera?" Todd asked somewhat surprised. "Yeah, it was easy," said Ami. "How did you develop the film?" Todd asked, now really interested. "Well, there wasn't much to develop," Ami said. "The idea was that it was supposed to be a one shot deal, but I figured out a way to tape down a roll of film in the box I made and pull the film out a section at a time. I weaved the start of the film on a thin needle that I glued a button to. It was too thin though so I only managed to move the film forward six times before it jammed on me. After that, I went to the local newspaper and someone in the film department helped me take the box apart and develop it." "What did the end result look like?" Todd asked. "Ah, you know. You have to figure out how long to expose the film and you've got to do it by pulling back the tape over the pinhole. I took pictures of my mom's flowers, and you could see that they were flowers. Two of the negatives were too dark from over exposure and the last two, well I guess that a pin hole is only good for one pull on the tape cause they got really fuzzy when the hole got ragged edges around it, but I got one that was pretty clear." "And you liked it? Taking all that time just to get one picture?" "It was great! I'd probably have taken on a summer job so I could buy a real camera, but for the last year it's been practice, practice and more of the same." "Want to see my darkroom?" Todd asked. "That'd be cool!" As Todd and Ami headed for the darkroom, Vanetta said she was going to get back to her schoolwork. Kelly headed over to her own desk to check on the mail and file the reports from New York. Cara helped Laura clean up the kitchen. "Laura, do you mind if I ask you something personal?" "No, go right ahead, Cara," Laura laughed. "If it's something I don't want to answer, I won't, but you should always feel free to ask." Cara shyly said, "Okay, I was just wondering, you know, how you knew that you liked girls." Laura paused and turned to face Cara, leaning back against the counter. She looked at the ceiling as she thought of how to answer the younger girl. Finally she said, "I didn't know. If somebody had told me six months ago that I was going to be turned on by another woman, I would have laughed at them. But you have to realize, we're not talking about another girl here, we're talking about Kelly." "What difference does that make?" Cara asked. "I fell in love with Kelly the first time I saw a picture of her, and when I met her the next day, I felt all warm inside." "Did you fall for Kelly after a bad relationship with a guy?" Laura laughed. "I did have a really bad experience with a guy before I met Kelly, but before I met her, I was already making it with Todd, and believe me, that was no bad experience!" "So, are you now bisexual?" "I'm not sure, Cara. I think about that occasionally. I guess technically I am, but I'm also monogamous, sort of. I have a male lover and a female lover, and I wouldn't cheat on either of them." "So... If I have this right, you're in love with two people. And the gender really doesn't have anything to do with it." "Yeah! I guess that would be as good an explanation as any," said Laura. "I mean, I can look at other people and appreciate their beauty, and now, I look at both men and women." "Are you ever afraid that Todd and Kelly might want to fool around with somebody else?" "No. If it should happen, then it happens. All I ask for is that they continue to love me the way I love them. Jealousy is a dangerous game." "So it all boils down to love?" Cara asked. Laura thought about that for a minute and then said, "Yeah, I think that my love for them allows me to be free with them and to enjoy both of them as friends and as lovers." "I think I understand," said Cara. "Is this about Ami?" Laura asked softly. "Is it that obvious?" "It is to those of us who have been down that road," said Laura. "She's gay, or at least she says she is, though she's never had a relationship with a girl. Is that possible?" "Very," said Laura. "We're born with our desires. When they show themselves is just a matter of timing." "I love her, you know," said Cara. "She and Erin have been my best friends through all the years we've been training, but I don't have the same feelings for Erin as I do for Ami. There's something about her that really makes me want to love her." "So what's stopping you?" "She is," said Cara dejectedly. "She says that when the time is right, we'll know it." "Well, I have to agree with her on that," said Laura. "You don't want to rush into a relationship. The worst thing you could do is pressure her into doing something that she's not ready for, and the best thing that you can do is be supportive and understanding and remain her friend." "Yeah, I guess you're right." ------- Ami was overwhelmed by Todd's darkroom. "Wow, this is even bigger than the one at the newspaper!" Todd laughed. "That's probably because the newspaper doesn't have to worry about the fancy stuff." Ami took her time looking around, checking out all the various chemicals and equipment, when she spotted the posters of Kelly and Laura. "Wow," she said. "They really look hot! I hope my body turns out as well." "You've got a lot going for you already," said Todd. "Now if you watch your diet and stick to the vitamins that Kelly put you on, you'll just continue on to grow more beautiful." Ami looked at Todd. "You know I'm gay, don't you?" "Does that mean something special?" Todd asked. "Well, I just meant... I mean... I wanted you to know right off the bat." "Okay. I pretty well knew it, but I don't see what difference that makes." "It means that I will never have a male lover," Ami said. "And I guess that what I'm also saying is that if you're thinking of having a group of girls like James does..." she looked at the floor blushing, "I won't be one of them." Todd realized how difficult that had been for Ami to say. "Not to worry, Ami. James is a nice guy, I like him, and he does have a few more girlfriends than most guys have in a lifetime, but I'm not looking to be like him. I'm very happy and satisfied with Kelly and Laura." Ami sighed with relief. "But does your sexual preference exclude having male friends?" Todd asked. "No... I suppose not. I never really thought about it that way. I guess I figured that being a lesbian meant I would only hang around with girls." "It seems to me that you're limiting yourself, then. There are lots of guys who you could be friends with and they wouldn't expect anything more from you." "You think so?" "Sure, why not? You have a pleasant personality and you're easy to talk to. I bet there's lots of guys that would love to be friends with you." "Why?" "Because in a lot of ways, you're a safe friend of the opposite sex. Once the issue of sex is out of the way, they can let their hair down and talk openly and honestly without worrying that you're measuring them up. Friendship is more important than a sexual relationship because good friends stick around when life gets rough." "Is that why you get along so good with both Kelly and Laura? Cause you guys were friends first?" "Well, Laura is fairly new in my life, but I knew from the first day I met her that she was a girl I could really enjoy as a friend, and Kelly I've known as a friend for years. We just became lovers this summer." "Wow. How long have you and Kelly been friends?" "Since 1995 when we met on a shoot in Jamaica." "And it took all this time before you guys got it on?" Todd laughed. "Yeah, and it was Laura who convinced us that our friendship wouldn't be damaged if we did." "You guys are something else. We heard you laughing in the shower last night and I was thinking how much I would like to have a relationship like that. You know... laughing and joking and still be intimate." "Is this about Cara?" Todd asked. Ami blushed again. "Yeah, I guess. We've been friends for years and she's suggesting that we go farther, but I'm afraid that if we do, that the friendship will suffer and I don't have a lot of friends to start with, so I can't afford to lose one." Todd sat down. "I know what you mean, Ami. That's why I wasn't willing to risk Kelly's friendship over sex, but now, I have it both ways." "The best of both worlds. I wonder if I'll be that lucky." "And sometimes that's a risk you've got to take," said Todd. "Only you know if taking the next step will change things. Take your time and figure it out. Your heart will know when the time is right." Ami gave Todd a hug. "Thanks, Todd." "Any time, Ami. Now we better get back out before they send a search party after us." "Are you afraid that Kelly or Laura might think we're up to something in here?" "No... they both have a good idea which way you lean, but they wouldn't question it one way or another. There's no jealousy in our relationship." "Does that mean you would consider having another lover?" Ami asked. "No, not really. I love both of them and I intend to marry both of them. I've had my share of lovers, and none have ever made me as happy as the two I have now, so I'm not looking any more." Ami shook her head. "I hope I can be as happy as you guys are one day." "You're a nice person, Ami. I'm sure you'll find that happiness with somebody." ------- Kelly was on the phone to Mistress Helga. The club didn't allow girls under the age of 18, something that Kelly already knew, but since both girls needed some special care, she had called asking for a reference for a good, discreet place where they could get the bikini wax and some special attention to their nails and calluses. Mistress Helga gave her a number and said to give her name as a reference. Kelly made that her next call and set up an appointment for the girls later that afternoon. Todd decided to stay behind and clean his cameras and reload his film magazines. He had shot a lot of film over the weekend, and with the rush to develop it on Monday and the exhaustion after the rush of preparing the studio, he was glad to let the girls go off on their own to do their shopping and whatever else they planned. Besides, he wanted to order more film and he had other things planned for the day. Kelly and Laura kissed Todd goodbye and arranged to meet back at Kelly's for supper at 6:00. ------- "Well, girls, I've made an appointment for you today to get waxed," Kelly said. "I know that it can be a bit embarrassing having somebody else between your legs, but the woman who did Laura's first waxing recommended a very professional yet quiet place. I hope you don't mind. It's just that it will be quicker and less painful than trying to do it yourselves even with our help." "We can deal with it," said Ami. "Right, Cara?" "Yeah, I suppose. It's not like we'll be meeting these people for lunch afterwards, right Kelly?" she asked hopefully. Kelly laughed. "I know what you mean, Cara. It's like going to lunch with your gynecologist... you'd feel a bit awkward knowing how much of you she really knows!" All of the girls laughed at the thought of what you would discuss over lunch with a gynecologist. "See any good pussy today?" quipped Laura. "Oh god! Could you imagine!" said Ami. "It would be like asking for referrals!" Kelly burst out laughing. "Yeah, I'm in the market for something new! Anybody you'd care to recommend!" They were still laughing when they pulled up to a popular sports store. An hour later, they had purchased three bikes and three sets of roller blades along with helmets and all the protective gear with delivery promised to the studio that afternoon. "Safety first," said Kelly when they were being fitted. "And this way, while we wait for the shooting to start, we can take some nice leisurely rides or blast around the industrial park on the blades. It's too nice to sit inside all the time." After the sports store, they headed to Victoria's Secret to pick up a couple of pairs of thong underwear for Cara and Ami. "I don't recommend these for full time wear," said Kelly, "but if you wear them this afternoon, you won't have to expose all of yourself to get waxed." "It's funny," said Ami, "I wouldn't have a problem dropping my drawers at your place, but to have somebody work on me down there, it just feels so clinical." "No kidding!" said Cara. "It's like the difference between showering with the girls at camp and visiting the doctor. Somehow, even with the gown and all, I still feel more exposed with the doctor." "I could even see myself posing for Todd like you and Laura did," said Ami, "cause that's art!" "Oh, that's right," said Kelly, "you were in the darkroom." "Pose how?" asked Cara. "In the buff!" said Ami grinning. "You ought to see the way these two look through Todd's eyes and camera! I hope one day I can be that good. He really made them look sensual!" Kelly and Laura laughed. "Yep, in those pictures he made us look sensual, but he can also make us look like something raunchy!" said Kelly. "You should see the pictures he took of us at Brookhaven!" "That's the first thing I'm going to buy with the money I make," said Ami. "A good camera! Then I can take those kind of pictures of Cara!" "You wish!" said Cara, but her blush betrayed her. Ami wanted to photograph her nude! "All in due time," said Kelly. "Now, how about some lunch? There's a great deli where Laura and I ate on Tuesday. They have a hot Pastrami on rye that is piled high with real meat!" "Yeah!" said Ami. "I could go for that!" "Me too," said Cara. "Not knocking your healthy breakfast, but I would love to shove my face into some hot steamy meat right about now!" The double meaning was not lost on anyone in the car, and they giggled all the way to the deli. Five minutes later they were seated in a booth at the deli on Euclid with big sandwiches piled high as Kelly had promised. Tall ice-cold glasses of watermelon juice topped off the meal. Kelly looked at her watch. "After lunch, we can browse around for a while if you girls like. Your appointment isn't till 2:30." After a very satisfying lunch filled with laughter, they hit the street. For the next hour, after making sure there was time on the parking meter, the foursome browsed the nearby stores, mostly window-shopping. Cara and Ami picked up a pile of postcards which they intended to send home to their parents and friends, and then it was time to go. Kelly had gotten directions when she made the appointment, and with ten minutes to spare pulled into the nearly empty parking lot. It was a combo salon for hair, sun-tanning beds, manicures, and of course hair removal. Cara and Ami used a tanning room to change into their thong underwear. A private screened booth occupied one corner of the shop. It contained little more than a reclined stylist's chair, modified with the stirrups you would see on a gynecologist's bed. With the referral having come from Mistress Helga, Joanne, the owner, took on the task of the waxing herself. It was a small confined area and all four girls could not fit in it at once. Cara asked Laura to stay with her, and Kelly said she would go with Ami. Cara went first as the result of a coin toss. It was clear that both girls were nervous. Kelly and Ami waited in the hair salon proper as Cara and Laura went in. "I don't get it," said Cara, her eyes moist. "I've broken bones and sprained muscles that would have most people howling in pain but I'm afraid of this!" Laura held her hand softly. "It's okay, Cara. The first time I went, Kelly took me and they did my vulva, my legs, and even my underarms! I think they could hear the scream down in Florida!" "Did it hurt that bad?" asked Cara. "No, that was the funny part. It barely stung, but the shock is what caused me to scream. I promise that all you'll feel is a quick tug, a small rip and you might walk a bit gently right afterwards, but it's just hair." "I'm glad you're with me, Laura. I didn't want to show Ami I was afraid." Laura smiled gently at the young girl and patted her hand. "I know, sweetheart. It's like sex. The thought of doing it the first time is scary." "My first time was awful!" said Cara. "He just wanted bragging rights for his friends." Laura gave a wry smile. "Maybe that's why we hit it off so well. My first time was lousy and his attempts afterwards got even worse. He just wanted someone to do his homework for him." "And you weren't afraid to try it again?" "Hell no! What he couldn't do for me, I did for myself thinking that he was just inexperienced and it would get better, but he just didn't care. Then I met Todd, and he cared. Then I knew how wonderful it could really be, and I haven't regretted a single day since!" Just before Cara could ask about how Laura had gotten involved with Kelly, Joanne came in, checked the temperature of the pre-treat and the wax and asked if Cara was ready. With a sigh of surrender, Cara said she was and the beautician pulled a small round stainless steel stool up between Cara's spread legs. Laura helped adjust the thong to preserve Cara's modesty, and then Joanne spread a topical ointment on Cara's tender skin, waited as it was quickly absorbed and then applied the warm wax with multiple strips of precut gauze. Cara kept her eyes focused on the ceiling but her grip on Laura's hand intensified. It was a long three minutes while the wax cooled and adhered to the hair and the gauze and then with a quick yank it was gone. Cara hadn't made a sound, but her grip on Laura's hand had tightened to the point where Laura was sure she would have bruises. A tear ran down Cara's cheek, but not from pain. It had been an emotionally charged few minutes and after the quick snap that removed excess hair, Cara could release her pent-up emotions. Joanne then applied a liberal lathering of a soothing balm to the red area and Cara finally released Laura's hand. "I'll give you a few minutes to settle down," said Joanne, "then you can get dressed and I'll do your friend." Cara laughed suddenly. "If there was nobody else in the shop, I'd let out a blood curdling scream," she said. "Then try to convince Ami that it doesn't hurt!" Joanne smiled a wicked smile. "You know, we don't advertise it, but we also do body piercing here for those who are into that kind of thing, and that usually gets a scream, so... If you want, I've only got a few clients in right now, and they're all regulars, so..." "Oh, Laura, can I?" Laura couldn't hide her own smile. She knew that Kelly would wonder, but she liked a good joke. She shrugged. "She's your friend, if you want, go for it." Cara warned them to plug their ears and took a deep breath before letting loose with the loudest, most piercing, glass-shattering scream she could manage. Joanne and Laura had to cover their mouths to stop from laughing. They waited another five minutes before Laura stepped out followed by Cara who walked out of the booth bow legged and with tears in her eyes. They were tears of laughter, but combined with the way she walked and the scream, she could see the fear in Ami's eyes. Kelly came rushing over, hugged Cara, and asked Laura, "What the hell happened?" Laura winked at Kelly out of Ami's sight as Ami was now also trying to comfort Cara. "No... Really, Ami," said Cara between sniffles. "It doesn't hurt." More sniffles and a few cautious steps. "You'll be okay, Ami, really." Kelly was biting the inside of her cheek as she led Ami into the booth, trying her best not to smile. "Cara should have been an actress!" she thought to herself. Minutes passed slowly, then a voice called out: "Cara, god damn it... you had me scared shitless!" No one could hold in the laughter any longer. Even Ami, realizing she'd been had, was soon laughing as well. Cara hugged her as she emerged from the booth. "I'm sorry, Ami, it was just too good to pass up. Maybe if I hadn't been treated to a cold shower this morning I might not have thought of it!" Ami gave Cara a soft kiss. "I'm sorry Cara, it was the only thing I could think of at the time. Things have been happening so fast." "I understand, Ami." "Okay girls," said Kelly. "Joanne has agreed to fit both of you in for haircuts as well. So let's save the smooching till later and get the full treatment, shall we?" Joanne knew well who Kelly and TKO were, and would love to have some of Kelly's business. Charlotte might be a big city, 25th largest in the US, with over half a million people who call it home, but the privately owned business community was still small enough that they knew each other well, or knew of each other. Joanne spent an inordinate amount of time on the two girls sculpting their hair in such a way that with their respective styles, it would still easily fall into place without a lot of work. During the time she worked on their hair, a manicurist worked on the girls' finger and toe nails, cutting, trimming and buffing them until they shone while a second girl wore half a pumice stone away removing the thick calluses from their feet. Joanne suggested a solution for their hands to soften up the calluses there, or as she explained to Kelly, at least remove the discoloration. It was 5:30 by the time the foursome drove away from the salon. Kelly made a quick stop at the health store for enough "Dead Sea Mud" to do two facials and they headed home. ------- Todd had finished cleaning his cameras and had his magazines loaded with fresh film long before the girls had even reached the salon. Vanetta went home at 3:00 leaving Todd to check his lighting equipment. He was amazed by the silence. Prior to Laura's entering his life he had been much of a loner, keeping company with just Kelly. Although he had never lacked for female company when he wanted it, none had ever shared his life or heart as Kelly and Laura now did. Now a strange feeling overcame him. He felt lonely. Wandering around the studio, he tried to pinpoint when this change had occurred in his life. He liked solitude and really didn't care for social events, but he did enjoy having Kelly and Laura around, and not just for the sex, although it was the best he had ever had! He felt emotions building up inside him totally unfamiliar. Fear. Fear that he might lose this good thing he had. Finally, realizing that he had no say in what may lie ahead for the three of them other than his actions, he decided he would do whatever was in his power to keep both of them happy. Whistling a little tune, he went through his equipment storage closet until he found what he was looking for. Checking through the bag to make sure everything was where it should be, he put the bag by the door. Todd knew he was going to be spending more nights at Kelly's while the gymnasts were staying there. While switching days between the studio and her house was possible if it was just the three of them, he knew that currently, it wasn't feasible nor fair. He knew how Laura and Kelly felt about each other, and he couldn't even think of not sleeping with both of them now. So Todd filled a gym bag with some scrubs, underwear and more T's, and placed it by the door as well. Just one phone call to make to his film supplier and Todd was set to leave. ------- The ringing of the phone stopped him at the door. For a minute he contemplated just letting it ring, but some instinctual, primal feeling told him to answer the phone. Reaching over Vanetta's desk, not even bothering to check the caller ID, he answered: "TKO, Todd speaking." "Hello, Todd," said a deep, smooth aged voice on the other end. "Hi, Chuck! How are you doing?" Chuck laughed. "Just fine, Todd, how are you and Kelly?" "We're fine. Actually, Chuck, we've never been better!" "I'm glad to hear that. I called to apologize." "Apologize?" Todd asked. "What in the world for?" "For not calling sooner with my deepest most sincere thank you." Todd was wondering why. "But you already did that, Chuck, when we were out at your place last week." Chuck laughed again. "Been a busy week for you has it? I saw the pictures for IC with your name on them. Nice job! I have a small interest in seeing them do well, but I was calling about a package I received from you on Tuesday. I was out in the afternoon and my secretary signed for it and Wednesday was a mite hectic so I didn't see it until this morning." "Ah," said Todd. "Yeah, it's been a week all right. I even forgot about it." Chuck's voice turned very sober. "Todd, you are an artist. That picture of Anna... I look at it and see three faces looking back." Chuck stopped for a minute, and Todd could feel the other man's emotion and remembered his reaction when he had seen his granddaughter after Kelly had done her makeup for the open-air portrait. "I see Anna, her mother, and her grandmother all in those eyes." Chuck paused again. "I'm glad you like it," said Todd. "She's a beautiful girl. And hey, what did you think of the shot of yourself?" Chuck laughed again. "That, my young friend, was very sneaky," he said sounding pleased. "Brenda suggested that I use it with the brochure, you know, to show who Regan Boats really is, and then Anna and Brenda started to rearrange my living room trying to make me the center of the wall. And so all we've done all afternoon is move pictures around until I told them they had to stop so I could order frames." "I'm glad you like them, Chuck. I really enjoyed taking them." "Well, the other reason I'm calling is to see if I can get a reprint of the one of Anna. I'd like to get a 16 x 20 of that one; I already have the perfect frame for it. Just bill me whatever you want. I can't put a price on art." It was Todd's turn to laugh. "Well, Chuck, as tempting as that sounds, and I don't come cheap, but when I do pictures for my friends, they're always free. I'll get it out to you the beginning of next week." "I'm not going to argue with you, son. Just promise me that you and Kelly and your other friend will come visit us soon for a weekend. We'll sit on the dock, drink beer, and ruminate on life. No work, just friends sharing some quality time." It was Todd's turn to choke up and his eyes got moist. "We'd like that very much, Chuck. We're tied up for the next six weeks, but real soon after, okay? I'll tell Kelly and Laura to keep their schedules open. Then in a few weeks we'll call and see what's good for all of us." "Thanks again, Todd. I'll wait to hear from you and hope to see you soon." "Thank you, Chuck. You take care of yourself and say hi to the girls for me." As Todd hung up the phone he wondered why his own parents had never appreciated him. He shook his head rapidly to clear the thoughts. He didn't want to think about them. Refused to let even the thought of them intrude on his happiness. Taking a deep breath, Todd was nearly set to go out the door again when he remembered that Delton had left a package for him. Vanetta had said she had put it in the crisper in his fridge upstairs. Taking the stairs two at a time, Todd opened the drawer and carefully placed the foil package on the table. Opening it he saw a kilo of pure bud, vacuum-sealed in 12 individual bags. Todd laughed. This was nearly two and a half ounces per month for the next year! (Life could be good!) It was way more than he and Kelly would use, but since Delton grew it only once a year, it was better to have a bit too much than not enough, and this was good shit! No stems or seeds ever. Todd resealed the foil and stuck the package back in the crisper minus the bag he had taken out to leave at Kelly's. It was 4:30 when Todd finally pulled out of the studio parking lot. A quick stop at a local smoke shop where he bought a pouch of tobacco and five packs of rolling papers. He would toss the tobacco out later, but it was a lot less suspicious buying papers when you bought something to roll. Another stop at the drug store Kelly frequented where he bought ten rolls of Kodak Gold 200, a four pack of AA batteries, and then drove straight to Kelly's. His clothes were already put away and Todd was sitting with a beer watching one of the movie channels when he heard the door open. ------- "Hi Sweetheart," Kelly said as she kissed him hello. "Hey Babe," said Laura with her own kiss for him. "Ladies," Todd said rising and greeting Cara and Ami as he hugged and kissed both Kelly and Laura. "Did you get everything done that you wanted to?" Kelly asked. "All done and even more," he said. "Are you hungry?" "Definitely getting that way," he said. "What are we having tonight?" "I thought I might make up some Nasi Goring," Kelly said. Todd smiled. It was one thing from his Dutch past that he didn't mind revisiting any time. Kelly had seen Todd order it once, and watched in awe as he devoured two enormous helpings of the Indonesian rice dish. Wanting to surprise him, she had called the restaurant before they left town and gotten a recipe from them that would be relatively easy for her to make at home. Using a Conimex dried spice pack that she bought by the dozen from the international grocery store downtown, all she had to do was boil the rice and add the meat. "So can you hold out for another hour?" Kelly asked with a smile. "I sure can!" Todd said. "Besides, I've got something to show Ami, so if you don't need her, I'll take her out back." "No," said Kelly with a smile at Laura. "We can manage without her." Todd picked up the camera bag he had sitting on the floor and led Ami outside. When Todd and Ami were safely out of hearing distance, Kelly said to Laura, "I knew the minute she started talking about that pinhole camera that he would do this. He likes passion." Cara looked puzzled. "Don't worry, Cara," said Kelly sympathetically, "Todd's not going to try and make a move on her. He knows she doesn't swing that way. She just won't have to wait to buy a camera. He's going to let her use one of his to see if she really likes it, and if she has the eye for it." Cara sighed in relief. "Well, then I'm happy for her. I'm sure that she has the talent." "You really love her don't you?" Kelly asked. "That obvious is it?" asked Cara with a blush. "Maybe just to us," said Laura. Kelly put the spice mix into a saucepan to re-hydrate the mixture of vegetable slivers, and in another pot put 8 cups of wild rice. She pulled four quick fry pork cutlets and a pound of liver out of the freezer. Laura volunteered to fry the meat. She was curious what this would taste like. Cara asked if she could help with anything. After being told that there really was nothing to do until the meat was cooked, she parked herself on a chair. "Can I ask you guys a personal question?" Laura smiled, remembering the conversation from earlier that morning. "Sure," said Kelly, "fire away." "Well... see, I've loved Ami for a long time. We've been friends since we were four. Her and Erin and me, we were the Three Musketeers. We've been training together for as far back as I can remember, and while I love Erin, it's more like a sister. With Ami, it's something else. I get all soft inside and..." she blushed a bright crimson. "Ami really turns me on." "Sounds like sexual attraction to me," said Kelly, watching the rice. "Yeah, I know it is, but last summer I did something stupid with a guy cause I didn't want to... couldn't deal with the idea that I might be gay. Now Ami thinks I'm just curious, and she's afraid that if she goes beyond just friendship with me that she'll get hurt." Kelly turned to look at Cara. Saw the pain in her eyes. "That's understandable, Cara. That's why you can't rush into these things." "I think that Cara is looking for help in seducing Ami," said Laura. "Oh," said Kelly. "I'm not sure that I have an answer for that." "That's why I wanted to ask you guys how you got to the point you're at." Kelly looked at Laura who nodded. "Laura and I were attracted to each other," Kelly said, "but except for a very brief weekend fling, I had never been with another woman. However, that weekend showed me a lot more about love than I had ever learned on my own. It didn't happen overnight with Laura and me, we kind of built up to it. I think the first time we showed any sign of being turned on around another woman was the night we masturbated together while watching a movie." Laura smiled at the memory and picked up the story. "The next time, we masturbated each other, and from there things just picked up until we got to where we are now." Cara's eyes were big as saucers. "You guys masturbated in front of each other?" "Well," said Kelly, "it wasn't quite that blatant. We had towels over our laps." "It was a sign of beginning to trust each other," said Laura. "Well, we sort of masturbated together last night, only Ami didn't know that I was awake and I did it after she fell asleep." Kelly laughed. "Are you sure she was asleep?" Cara blushed again at the thought. "The only thing that you can do if you're serious about wanting to pursue a relationship with Ami is to be loving towards her and let her set the pace," said Kelly. "You can show more affection, but if she backs off, then don't push yourself on her. Give her time and space when she needs it." "And talk to her," said Laura, "not just about your desires but what you like about her and things you have in common." "Thanks, guys," said Cara. "Okay," said Laura. "The meat is ready, what do you want done with it, Kell?" "If you could cut it into real small cubes that would be great," said Kelly, who had turned the heat off the rice and had a towel over the top to keep the moisture in. As Cara and Laura cut up the meat, Kelly added the spices to the rice and then transferred the entire batch to a wok where she started to lightly fry it up. When Cara and Laura had the meat cut, she added it to the mix and took a jar of super hot dried red pepper paste out of the fridge. She added a tablespoon to the mix and with chopsticks stirred it all around mixing it all in. Laura and Cara set the table, and Kelly suggested beer to go with the meal. "It enhances the flavor," she said with a smile. "Then we can call the shutterbugs in and we can eat." Cara got five beers out of the fridge and Laura got the vitamins as Kelly quickly fried up five eggs, one to go on top of each plate. The smell in the kitchen was delicious. ------- Todd and Ami sat down facing each other in the yard. Opening the bag he said to Ami, "this is the camera that paid for my university education. It's a Pentax K1000, considered to be the workhorse of the professional photo journalist." "Wow," said Ami. "You paid your entire university tuition with this camera?" "Not just tuition," said Todd, "but also my living expenses and money to put into the bank." "God, I'd have it gold plated or something and put on a mantel!" Todd laughed. "It wouldn't be a working camera any more if I did that. Besides, it's just a camera. It's just a tool. It's your eye that decides if you have what it takes to be a photographer. That's why I'm going to let you use it. Let's see if you have what it takes." "Oh my God!" Ami squealed with delight, "You don't mind? I mean, what if I screw it up or something?" "Then it would be a broken tool. No more, no less." Ami hugged Todd and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Todd. I'll take really good care of it, I promise." Todd laughed again. He loved seeing the joy in her eyes. "Okay, there's two zoom lenses with the camera. The one that's on it now is good for distance. It's a 70 - 210mm with a macro on it as well. The other is a 28 - 85mm which is good for indoors and close ups, and it also has a macro on it." "What's a macro?" "It's like a close up setting. Like if you wanted to take a picture of a penny, and you didn't want a lot of background, just the penny. You switch to macro and it lets you do super close ups. It's a bit tricky, but you'll get used to it." Ami was peering through the viewfinder. It seemed like she was born to hold a camera as her right hand cradled the body with her finger over the shutter release and her left hand twisted the lens to focus and zoom at the same time. "Wow! This is so cool," she said. "There's a squirrel on that branch over there and he's all I see through the lens. Is that what would come out in the print?" Todd smiled. "Yep, what you see is exactly what you'll get. Notice the little bracket in the middle on the right? It has a little bar above or below it. That's the light meter. You need to get that bar inside the bracket all the time if you want the correct exposure. Otherwise your pictures will either be too dark or too light." "I see it," said Ami. "It's just below the bottom of the bracket now. How do I adjust that?" She was looking intently at Todd, eager to devour the knowledge. Todd went on to explain about shutter speed and aperture, focus, and then the basic mechanics of loading and unloading film. He took her through the basics of 'depth-of field, ' and a little about how to compose a picture. The entire time he was talking and showing her, Ami had blocked out the rest of the world. She absorbed all he was saying like a sponge. Todd looked up, saw her rapt attention and said, "You'll probably forget 90 percent of what I've said before you go to bed." But he was smiling as he said it. "There's more to this than I could explain in a day, but I sometimes teach basic photography at UNC, and a couple of years ago I even wrote a small book on the basics of using a manual camera for my students. I'm sure that Kelly has one around here and if you read it, and practice, I'm sure that you'll get the hang of it in no time." Ami was speechless. Todd pulled out a flash from the bag and showed her how to mount it on the hot shoe. He helped her put the batteries into the flash and walked her through the most basic settings for flash photography. Then he talked her through loading her first roll of film. "Well, Kiddo, you're now a lethal weapon. You're loaded for bear!" Todd said handing her the bag. "Read and study, but more importantly shoot. That's how you learn. There's ten rolls of film here to get you started, and you'll develop your own film in my darkroom." Ami hugged the camera close to her body slipping the neck-strap over her head. She had no intention of taking it off! Todd sat back and finished his beer as he watched Ami go from one point to another, quickly adjusting the aperture before focusing in on her target until Laura called them in for supper. ------- Kelly saw Ami waltz in with the camera around her neck and with mock dismay said, "Oh no, even in my own house there will be no escaping the dreaded lens!" Ami quickly raised the camera, focused and fired, capturing Kelly in a burst of white light, spatula in hand lifting an egg onto a plate of steaming spiced Nasi. "I think you created a monster, Sweetheart," Laura said to Todd. As they sat down to eat, Kelly asked Ami if she was going to take the camera off. "Oh," said Ami. "I've turned it off and put the lens cap back on. I just want to get familiar with it around my neck." Todd tried hard not to smile as he broke the yolk on his egg and mixed it in with the rice. After the fifth mouthful he looked at Kelly and smiled, expressing his appreciation for his favorite meal. Cara panted. "Whew... that's spicy!" and picked up her bottle of beer and took a long drink from it. FLASH! "Gotcha!" said Ami with a self-satisfied smirk. "I don't think it's going to be safe around here for a while," said Laura. "Okay, okay. See? I'm putting the cap on and turning the flash off," said Ami with a pout as phony as a three dollar bill. As she put the camera down in her lap, Todd could hear the flash charging again. The little minx had already figured out where the controls were without looking, and he would bet the cap was off again as well. During a delightful dinner, interrupted only three more times by unexpected flashes, Todd told Kelly and Laura about the phone call from Chuck. "That's nice of him," said Kelly. "I like him, and he seemed really taken with you, Todd. It's a pity about his daughter, but who knows? Maybe he's already started to look for her." "I hope so," said Todd, "for both his and Anna's sake." "Do you think they'll be at the opening of Mueller's Wheel?" Kelly asked. "Damn, I had forgotten about that with all the rush stuff. Guess we better do some real office work tomorrow, Kell. Get us rooms and all that stuff and we still have to do a quote for Al for his new brochure." "Okay," said Kelly, "then why don't you make the print for him tomorrow and we can give it to him on the weekend." "Good thinking, Batman," said Todd. "Cara and Ami can check the equipment out proper tomorrow, and I can discuss some ideas with them for the poses. What about you, Laura?" "I'll be around if you need something, otherwise I'll just be doing my course online," said Laura. "Okay, then," said Todd. "A leisurely evening, a day of work and then off to see the 'James Gang' on the weekend." "What are we going to do on the weekend if you guys are gone?" Cara asked. Kelly laughed, "You're coming with us, of course. I'm sure that Erin will be there as well." "Road Trip!" yelled Ami and Cara. Todd rolled his eyes. "Where do these kids get their energy from?" "Suppressed sexuality," said Ami, straight-faced. ------- Cara and Ami had volunteered to clean up, so Kelly, Todd, and Laura found themselves in the back yard again clutching ice-cold bottles of Evian. "Do you know what Ami told me this morning?" Todd said. "We were in the darkroom and she wanted to make sure that I knew she was gay. Said that she didn't want me to entertain any thoughts of adding her to my bed." Kelly laughed softly. "She's a sweet kid, Todd. I like her straightforward approach to life." "Can you imagine how little social life these girls have had?" asked Laura. "To hear them talk about training and practice... it must have taken up most of their lives." "I've seen it before, Laura," said Todd. "It's a lot like what models go through except gymnasts start earlier in life. In every city, thousands try, maybe a hundred will last through the first year. From those, who give it their all, and stick to it, they might find a dozen good enough to compete and then they have to compete hard against gymnasts from other cities and other states, and in the end, every four years, we might get to send eight to the Olympics. It's a real bitch if you have a bad day at a regional competition and you get disqualified or cut from the team. Or you're born just one year too late and by the time the next Olympics rolls around, you've gone through what Cara did. A growth spurt and all of a sudden, nothing works the same any more. And injuries... athletes are more prone to injuries that can destroy years of practice and dedication in one misstep. At least these two can say they made it to the Nationals, and have some medals to show for it. Now they've got to learn to adjust in the 'normal' world. In a way I think it's unfair to do that to kids." "Don't they want to do it?" Laura asked. Todd laughed. "Hell, by the time they're old enough to realize what kind of life they're into, they believe it's what they want. Look at Tiger. His dad started him off with a putter before he was three. You think he became the most famous golfer of our time because one day he woke up in his crib and decided that golf was going to be his life?" "Wow. I never realized. But what about models, Kelly? You started when you were 12. I know you were forced into it, but couldn't you have gotten out of it altogether, Kell, at the time you gained your freedom?" "I suppose I could have," said Kelly lighting a cigarette, "but by the time I really knew that I had a choice, I had been doing it for two years and had no real money to show for it. I couldn't go back home, so, since the work was there, I decided I would make as much as I could. I had well over a million in the bank before I was 17, and no living expenses since I was always on some location. I had no idea what an average annual income was. Then when I got it all figured out, I just kept on getting more for my time and I hoarded it. Made some smart investments with the help of friends and pulled it all out again when I decided to take Todd's advice. Since then, I've never looked back." "You guys must really find me naïve," said Laura. "I mean... I'm so dull. The most exciting times in my life have been with you." "No, Honey," said Kelly. "You're not dull. You're exciting. With your looks and your brains, you would have ended up doing something special with your life. But you know... I'm glad that we found you first. You're our rock!" "My thoughts exactly," said Todd. Laura blushed. "If I'm anything it's because of the two of you. I love you both so much." ------- Ami was devouring the book Kelly had found for her. "Todd Ayres: Introduction to Photography." She was hunched over the book with the camera in one hand, flipping pages with the other. Cara sat across from her, content to read the latest John Sandford novel, and every few minutes looking at her friend. That's how Kelly and Laura found them. Todd had mentioned bringing over the goodie bag courtesy of Delton, but Kelly had suggested that with Ami's newfound passion for taking candid shots, it might be better if they saved it for the bedroom. "Are you girls ready for a mud bath?" Kelly asked. "A mud bath?" Ami had asked. "I thought we were only getting facials." "You are, dear, but you'll probably want a bath afterwards and we have a nice big Jacuzzi if you haven't noticed." The girls were led to Kelly's bedroom where not so long ago, Laura had applied the same treatment to Kelly. Ami insisted Cara go first, and Kelly and Laura applied a thick coat of "Dead Sea Mud" to her face. On Laura's advice they had changed into t-shirts since they would be easier to wash afterwards. They had just finished putting the mud on Cara when Kelly noticed Ami had left the room. She realized what was coming next and motioned for Laura to step back. FLASH! "What was that?" Cara asked, her eyes closed due to the mud. "What was what?" Kelly asked suppressing the urge to laugh. "I thought I heard a snap. That better not be Ami with that damn camera again!" "I didn't hear anything," Laura said, "and Ami's sitting right here while getting her own mask put on. Now try not to talk because the mud has to set. You'll be a half hour with a face that will feel tighter by the minute." "Okay," grumbled Cara. Then Kelly and Laura seriously put a layer on Ami. When both girls were covered, Kelly said she was stepping out for a smoke and by the time she came back they would start to melt off the dried mud. ------- "How's it going?" Todd asked. "They're both covered in it now," said Kelly as she lit up. "They look kind of cute with their hair pulled back and sitting there with green faces and their tiny white T's." "By now, they shouldn't even be able to talk," said Laura. "But Ami managed to get a shot of Cara looking like the creature from the black lagoon." "Maybe you should turn some music on," said Todd with a mischievous grin. "To hide the sound of you snapping some pictures of your own?" Kelly asked. "You bet!" Kelly turned on the stereo and Todd entered the bedroom after retrieving the Pentax. The bedroom was well lit, so they wouldn't notice the flash, and if he cocked the camera away from the girls, he could easily sneak in a few photos. Three shots later, he put the camera back where he had found it. "Turn about is fair play," he said as he came back outside. At 9:15, Kelly and Laura came back in with a basin of warm water and two face cloths. Gently they wet down the dried mud and as it dissolved, two red faces appeared from beneath the green coating. As careful as Kelly and Laura were, there had still been some dripping and both girls were sitting in rather wet T's, their nipples clearly visible through the now transparent material. "I would suggest you head right into the tub now," said Kelly. "I'll show you how to adjust the water and the jets. You might as well take a nice leisurely soak while you're at it." Laura headed out to join Todd while Kelly helped the girls pick up fresh clothes and then showed them how to operate the Jacuzzi. Both girls peeled off their wet T's and panties while Kelly was in the bathroom with them. Kelly took a minute to inspect the areas where they had been waxed. "It looks like you're still a little red," said Kelly. "I'll add some good moisturizing bath salts to the water and aside from the bubbles and the delicious smell, it will help with the slight swelling." Neither Cara nor Ami were the least bit embarrassed by Kelly's almost clinical inspection and prognosis. Making sure that the girls were comfortable, Kelly returned a minute later with two fresh bottles of ice cold Evian for them and told them to enjoy themselves. Outside again with Todd, she said, "If you're still in the mood to light up, Cara and Ami will be pretty occupied for at least an hour." Todd smiled and produced a fat spliff he had rolled earlier. "Just one," he said as he lit it, "to help us relax." ------- Cara and Ami sat in the tub facing each other, their breasts bobbing in and out of the bubbles as the jets churned the water. "Ami," Cara ventured. "If I said the sight of you like this turned me on, would you be upset if I masturbated in front of you?" Ami nearly choked on her Evian. "You want to masturbate? In the tub? With me watching you?" "Yeah," said Cara. "I didn't think of that part, but yeah, I guess if you wanted to, you could watch. It's just that seeing you naked, and feeling your legs brushing up against mine... Hell, Ami, you know you turn me on, but I don't want to push you into anything." "Yeah, sure... why not. If it makes you feel better, but I don't think I'll watch." Cara slid a hand down her legs, spreading them even wider. Her middle finger found her aroused clit instantly and she started to flick it as her other hand grasped her own breast. Her eyes were locked on Ami who was very carefully reading the label on the bottled water, trying very hard not to sneak glances at Cara. Cara could see Ami watching, and smiled. She was so close now. She slipped her middle finger into her slippery vagina, and then added her index finger, thrusting them in and out as her thumb strummed a beat against her rock hard clit. Her breath was becoming ragged and her body started to lurch. A last look at Ami before her eyes closed in bliss showed that Ami's nipples had puckered and that Ami now had a hand in the water as well. Cara cried out in joy as her climax rode over her. She had always been silent when approaching orgasm, but knowing that the object of her desire was watching her, she just let loose with a groan and then a scream. As she crested a second time, her legs clamped shut and she squirmed and slid in the bath, her head going under the water, from the bath oil Kelly had added. As she came up for air sputtering she was surprised to see Ami's head back as her elbow showed clearly what her hand was doing under the bubbles. Ami had only been able to take it for so long, watching Cara masturbate and knowing she was the reason for her friend's horniness. Her own cunt cried out for attention and she had slowly drifted her hand down to her own pleasure patch. She had toyed for a bit, just feeling her clit and sliding a finger over her labia lips feeling the lubricant she was secreting. She wasn't even aware that her fingers had started to work their magic in earnest, and no longer cared if Cara could see her watching or not. Hearing Cara's breath come in shorter and shorter gasps and seeing her friend's face color with the onset of her climax nearly drove Ami over the edge herself when she felt Cara's legs clamp shut on her own, driving her finger inside! Even as Cara went under water, Ami beat a steady rhythm on her clit and seconds later was rewarded with the rush that overtook her. When Ami came down from her self-induced high, she looked at Cara only to see her friend smiling back at her. "Was it good?" Cara asked. Ami blushed. "I got so hot looking at you that I got carried away." Cara took a long gulp from the bottle before replying. "Ami, I know that you don't want to get hurt, and I sure as hell don't want to be the one to hurt you. I don't know where I'm going in life. I'm too young to make life long commitments, but I do love you and I want to make love to you. I won't rush you or push you into anything you're not ready for, but you do turn me on so much..." Ami slid forward in the tub, silencing any more from Cara with her finger on her lips. With one hand she cupped Cara's breast as the other pulled Cara in close for a kiss. It was a tender kiss, long and lingering. Their lips parted and Ami ran her tongue over Cara's teeth and the inside of her lips. Cara for her part allowed Ami to take the lead, but as the kiss became more urgent, she reached out and drew Ami closer to her, cupping Ami's butt cheeks and easily lifting her on to her lap. The kissing intensified and four hands explored two bodies. "God, Cara. I love how you kiss," said Ami as they broke for air. Cara nibbled softly at the nape of Ami's neck. "Maybe it's the way Kelly and Laura share so much love with Todd that I don't feel so 'absolute' in monogamy any more." "Well," said Cara, "look at Erin's brother. He can't satisfy all those girls every night and they came right out and said they share love with each other. I think we've been duped by the movies and books into thinking everyone has just one perfect partner." "Maybe it's a society thing to prevent people from expressing love with those they really care about," said Ami. "I just know that this feels good, it feels right, and right now, I'm not concerned about who you might be with next week or next month or next year. As long as you really love me when you make love with me." Cara softly kissed Ami's eyelids and her cheeks and ears before moving back to her lips. Between kisses she softly whispered, "When I say I love you, Ami, I really mean it. When I make love to you, you will know that I am loving you with every fiber of my being." Ami's eyes welled up with tears that Cara tried to kiss away. "Then love me, Cara, love me now, love me tonight." That finished their bath and they rinsed off in the shower, washing their fresh cut tresses. Drying off turned out to be a contact sport as each used hands and lips on the other until they just gave up, running for the bedroom holding their towels in front of them. ------- Kelly, Todd, and Laura heard some of the screams of pleasure coming from the guest room. "Sounds like the girls are having a good time," said Laura. Todd was feeling very mellow from the joint the three of them had shared. "It does sound that way doesn't it? You think we're a bad influence on them?" "No," said Kelly shaking her head. "They've been in love for a long time. Now they're just acting on it." "Cool," said Todd. "It's getting me hot just hearing them," said Laura. "Then what are you waiting for?" asked Kelly. "Let's get our man hard and ready." "But Kelly, I still have my period," said Laura. "So what," said Todd. "It's dark out here and we'll need to take a shower before we go to bed anyway." "Out here?" Laura asked. "Why not?" said Kelly moving closer to Todd, "I don't think either Cara or Ami will be finished for quite some time." Todd allowed Kelly to slide his pants off exposing his rapidly inflating cock. Sitting on the end of the lounger Kelly bent forward to suck it into her mouth bringing it up to full attention. "I'm not sure," said Laura. "What about the neighbors?" "They can't see over the shrubbery," said Kelly as she pulled off her t-shirt and shorts and panties. "Besides, I'll only share Todd with you. They'll have to find their own stud!" Laura finally shrugged and peeled off her own clothes. She stepped into the house for a minute to grab a box of tissues and removed her tampon before stepping outside again. Todd had pulled the cushion out of the lounger and laid it on the grass. Kelly was kneeling over his head as his tongue worked wonders on her clit. "Come on, Sweetheart," Kelly said to Laura. "You've gone too long without that hard cock inside you. Climb on and ride this cowboy." Laura stood astride Todd and slowly sank down with her hands on Kelly's shoulders, trapping his shaft between her vulva and his belly. Kelly cupped her full ripe breasts, teasing her nipples into full erection under her thumbs and drew her into a wet openmouthed kiss. "Oh God, that feels good," she breathed as her puffy labia spread over Todd's thick dick and rubbed her clit as she made tiny movements with her hips that oozed her copious lubrication over his shaft. "Up a little, Honey," said Kelly as she reached down to grasp the rod under Laura, mixed Laura's natural slipperiness with his pre-cum and wiped it over his plum-sized helmet. She held the solid shaft upright, then Laura's hot cunt engulfed it in one smooth stroke. As she did, Kelly pulled out her hand and flicked Laura's engorged clit causing her to jump a little from the sensation, and then Laura took him in to the hilt. Laura savored the feeling of Todd's stiff cock filling her, then rose till she felt the head just penetrating her hot wet hole then engulfed him in her once more, faster. Todd lifted his hips to meet her down stroke and their loins slapped together. "Oh, Honey," she wailed, and pulled her lover into a crushing kiss with one hand behind her head, the other twisting Kelly's erect nipple. With Laura doing most of the work, Todd could direct his attention to the cunt covering his mouth, licking, sucking, and drinking down his lover's copious juices as she writhed above him. His hands held her cheeks apart giving him free access from her trimmed bush to her hot brown star, and he used every bit of it to tease her toward her peak. He felt her stiffen as she hit a crest, avoiding her clit as she cruised the wave for a minute, then set about urging her toward the next. ------- Cara raised her head up from between Ami's legs. Between them, the girls had tried every position they could think of so far and accumulated nearly a dozen climaxes. Cara was just proving her love for Ami again, with every fiber of her being. When they had hit the bedroom on the run, they had fallen into bed kissing and hugging and stroking each other, but their lust soon turned into humping against each other, bringing them both off. After that, they had switched to a sixty-nine position allowing them to lick each other for the first time at the same time while still allowing their hands to stroke and caress the other's body, showing both girls how satisfying physical love could be when both partners were doing it out of love. After the first few climaxes, Ami had pushed Cara onto her back and with her hands on Cara's stomach finally had a close look at her friend as she licked and sucked her to two more orgasms. Her face wet with Cara's juices, she had crawled up beside her friend and the two had rested in each other's arms, hugging, kissing, and caressing each other. Cara had just finished returning the same kind of love and had used her fingers inside Ami's hotbox searching for and finding her "G" spot bringing forth a copious amount of love juice and leaving Ami squirming on the bed. It was as Ami was coming down from her latest orgasm that she had first heard the sound. She had gently patted Cara on the top of her head just as Cara was about to try to bring Ami off again. "Listen," said Ami softly. Cara listened with Ami and they could hear someone groaning outside. Carefully and quietly they had slipped off the bed and turning off the one light they had left on for their lovemaking, they carefully and slowly opened the curtains. Right there not ten feet away was a naked Kelly riding Todd's face while an equally naked Laura was humping up and down on his cock, and the two girls were kissing each other as well as groping each other. "Wow!" said Ami softly. "Double wow!" said Cara. They watched for nearly ten minutes hugging each other and softly stroking each other until Kelly finally collapsed and rolled off onto the grass, arms and legs splayed. Laura continued to ride Todd until they saw him start to buck back in earnest and the look on his face was clearly one of pleasure. They could hear him mumble something and then Laura fell forward kissing the lips that had so recently been latched onto Kelly's cunt. Then Laura finally rolled off as well, giving Cara and Ami a clear view of Todd's cock. "I wonder why they did it outside?" Cara asked. "Hmm... You know, if we could hear them, maybe they heard us, and didn't want to interrupt us," said Ami. "Maybe the sound of us having so much fun turned them on," said Cara. "We can always go out and ask them," snickered Ami. The girls continued to watch as Laura cleaned Todd and then herself with tissues and then both pulled pants on leaving only Kelly in the buff. They then put the cushions back on the chairs and sat down relaxing with their drinks. "C'mon, get your panties on and we'll go outside," said Ami. "Are you serious?" Cara asked. "Why not? Kelly said that most of the time she and Laura are nude around the house anyway. And you, my dear, have nothing to be ashamed of!" Cara blushed. "Neither do you, Ami." "Okay," Ami said. "We'll just visit for a short time and then come back and maybe we can pick up where we left off." "I'd like that," said Cara. "Besides," said Ami, "I want to get a picture of you just the way you are." "As long as you don't show it to anybody," said Cara. "Well, Todd will probably see it, but if you're willing to go out in just panties, it won't shock him, besides, you've got to see the pictures of Kelly and Laura he has in the darkroom!" ------- "Everybody decent?" came Ami's voice from the kitchen. "We're always decent," said Kelly, "though not always dressed. Come out at your own risk," she added with a laugh. The laugh however caught in her throat as Cara and Ami came out into the yard wearing only the thong underwear Kelly had bought for them earlier in the day. "And here I was worried about me," said Laura looking at the girls with an admiring glance. "Yeah, well, after last night and what Kelly said about the casual attire around here, we thought we would just join you for a bit before we hit the hay." Todd, still riding the high from Delton's good weed, and the great sex, had his back to the girls but upon hearing the direction of the conversation turned in his chair and looked at the two half naked girls. "Hi," he said as he turned back around. "Hi yourself," said Ami, blushing slightly. Todd turned around once more. Looked up and down at Ami and said, "Yeah, I guess I am." Kelly giggled, Laura said, "Dean Friedman, circa 1976." "Huh?" said Cara. "Never mind Laura," said Kelly, "she's a music trivia buff. I'm guessing Todd said something from a song she knows." "Right you are, Sweetheart," said Laura giving her a kiss. "And the song was 'Ariel, ' quite a strong techno and synthesized song for its time. Now, who wants fresh water?" Todd raised his hand. Kelly nodded and Cara and Ami walked into the house to give Laura a hand carrying them out. "Thanks girls, they can be quite hard on the boobies if I carry more than three at a time!" Ami laughed. "Bet that puckers the old nipples quick!" "Is Todd, like, really stoned?" asked Cara. "Nah, not really," said Laura. "He's just really mellow now." Laura stopped and turned on the stereo, setting the speakers to low, and from her previous inspection found and retrieved a golden compilation of hits of the 70's. As the three headed back to the yard, Ami said, "I thought he might just be sexed out." Laura blushed. "Did you... ?" "Yep," said Cara proudly. "But we missed the beginning of the show." "Oh my god!" said Laura blushing. "Don't worry, Laura, we won't tell Todd we saw you riding him," giggled Ami. "Or Kelly filling his face!" added Cara. Laura narrowed her eyes in mock sternness. "Who would have thought we had a couple of peeping toms in the house!" "It wasn't our fault that you guys were making such weird noises outside of our bedroom window," said Ami. "Well, maybe if you had heard the noise coming from your bedroom, you'd understand what got us all worked up," said Laura with a smirk. "The time was right," said Ami. "And it was perfect," said Cara. "And I'm happy for both of you," said Laura. ------- The five of them sat outside watching the stars come out until the heavens were filled with pinpricks of light. Finishing off the icy water, Cara and Ami announced they were going in for the night, thanking Kelly and Laura for a great day, and Ami giving Todd a special hug thanking him again for the use of his camera. Back in their bedroom, true to her word, Ami had Cara posed on the bed, her pert breasts showing nicely, nipples nicely extended thanks to Ami's willing mouth, and she shot off one frame after another doing both close ups an and long body shots. For the sake of modesty, Cara kept her legs crossed gently allowing just a slight sight of pubic hair in the pictures. Finally, the erotic nature of what they were doing got the best of them and after putting the camera away and turning off the lights, the two girls dove into bed to continue what they had been doing earlier. During a break in their lovemaking, Cara asked Ami how she had felt sitting outside with Kelly, Todd, and Laura nearly in the nude. "Actually, Kelly was completely nude," reminded Ami, "and Todd was wearing pants, so he had everything important hidden. But other than that, I felt quite comfortable. Natural, if you know what I mean." "Yeah, I do know," said Cara. "That's why I asked you. I noticed the conversation was a lot more insightful and honest. Maybe without clothes to hide behind you can open up more." "Well, dear, you can certainly help me out right now by opening up more," said Ami. ------- Nobody had bothered setting an alarm, and Kelly was the first to wake up to the smell of Blue Mountain coffee. That meant only one thing. Gloria was here. Looking at the clock Kelly was shocked to see it was past 10. Gently shaking Laura, she explained the situation and slipped a t-shirt on before slipping out of the bedroom. Knocking softly on the door of the guest room got no response so Kelly quietly opened the door to find Cara and Ami, nude, asleep in a lover's embrace. She smiled gently and then tapped the girls on the most convenient spots available. Both girls slowly came awake and with shy smiles pulled the covers up. "I just wanted to let you know that Vanetta's mother is here. She watches my house for me when I'm out of town and helps me to keep it orderly. I just thought you might want to slip on a T before coming out this morning. I wasn't expecting her, so she's probably got something on her mind that she feels I should know about." "Okay, Kelly," mumbled the girls. Kelly's next stop was the bathroom where she emptied her very full bladder. "Good morning, G" said Kelly as she entered the kitchen. "Mornin', chil" said Gloria. "Me must talk to you." "I was wondering what brought you over this morning," said Kelly as she sat down. "Good morning, Gloria," said Laura as she entered the kitchen. "Mornin' Laura," said G looking at the two happy faces in front of her. "Hiya Gloria," said Todd, stepping into the kitchen. "Is this girl talk or can I get a drink of something?" Gloria smiled a big smile. "Good mornin' mister Todd. You wan fer me to make you a cup of the good coffee?" "No thanks, Gloria," Todd said. "I'll put on a pot of tea. If I'm in the way just let me know." "'Jus as well all tree of you is here. Miss Kelly needs go see the doctor. Sooner the better." Kelly's head snapped up with a start. "See a doctor? I was just in for a physical four months ago, G. I'm in perfect health." "You jus listen to old Gloria. You ring up today - go see the doctor." The look on Gloria's face was determined and Kelly knew better than to argue with her when she had her mind made up. Sighing, she reached for the cordless phone and dialed her personal physician, Dr. MaryAnn Myers. The phone at the doctor's office rang only three times before the receptionist picked it up. Kelly said who was calling and asked to be patched through to the doctor. She was on hold for five minutes before Dr. Myers picked up the phone. "Hi, Kelly. Jen said it sounded important. What can I do for you?" "Hi, MaryAnn. I know this might sound silly, but somebody is insisting that I need to see you as soon as possible." MaryAnn Myers had been Kelly's personal GP since she had moved to Charlotte. A pleasant woman in her early forties, she was friendly and practical. "Well," said MaryAnn, "sometimes other people see things in you that you can't see yourself. I take it this advice came from somebody whose opinion you trust?" "Yes, very much so," said Kelly. "Well then, the sooner the better. I was looking for an excuse to get out of an insurance seminar this afternoon anyway, so I'm free starting at two if you can make it in by then." "Great. Thanks, MaryAnn, I'll see you at two then." After she got off the phone, she raised an eyebrow at Gloria. "Satisfied now, mother?" Gloria just smiled. "Good!" and went back to sipping on her coffee. Cara and Ami came into the kitchen about that time, still stretching and yawning. It was Laura who made the introductions, and Gloria treated them both to a big smile. "Is good to see happy faces in dis house," Gloria said. "Much too lonely, much too long." Finishing her coffee, G announced that she would talk to Kelly later, said goodbye to everyone and was on her way. Kelly was so stunned she forgot to go outside to have her cigarette and lit one up out of habit. "Now I wonder what the hell that was all about?" she said to no one in particular. Laura shrugged and proceeded to put breakfast out along with the requisite vitamins. Todd poured Kelly, Laura, and himself a cup of tea. Cara and Ami declined his offer sticking instead to orange juice. After breakfast, the group got dressed and headed to the studio. ------- An hour after they arrived, and having gone through the exercise routine again, and a fresh shower, they were gathered around the studio kitchen drinking fresh juice. Kelly explained to Vanetta her mother's unusual visit of the morning. "Well, you know Mom," said Vanetta. "She tells it like it is." "Yes," sighed Kelly reluctantly, "and her intuition hasn't been wrong yet." But deep down inside, Kelly couldn't help but feel a certain anxiety. Life was going so well now for her. She had never been so happy but now an overwhelming sense of dread crept over her. What if something was seriously wrong? She blinked back her incipient tears and pushing herself away from the table said she had to check on the New York office and do the quote for Al. Laura could sense the pain Kelly was feeling, and while Todd and the gymnasts tried some of the equipment out, she went and put a comforting arm around Kelly. "I'm sure it's nothing serious," said Laura. "I would have felt that from Gloria. It's probably just a little thing. Don't worry, just see the doctor." Kelly held Laura in her arms and sobbed. "Not now, Laura. I love you and Todd so much, I can't bear the thought of being sick." Laura stroked her head for a long time trying to comfort her. Finally Kelly shook her head. "You're right, Laura, there's no use in worrying until I hear what Dr. Myers has to say. But will you go with me, Honey? I might need you afterwards." "Sure I will, Sweetheart. Now why don't you do the things you do best to keep your mind off of it until this afternoon?" Kelly wiped her eyes and gave Laura a gentle kiss. "Thanks, Laura, for being so strong for me." "I'll always be here for you, Kell, you know that!" Kelly turned to her monitor just as the truck from the sporting goods store pulled up. She let Todd take care of the delivery and oversee the custom fitting of the expensive bikes. After the bikes were assembled, Laura and Cara decided to go for a test ride while Ami and Todd went into the darkroom to develop Ami's first roll of film. Kelly immersed herself in the quote for the Brookhaven project and willed her mind to focus strictly on that. Time would tell what had caused Gloria to become so concerned about her health. She had just finished off the quote for Brookhaven and had it printed and ready for mailing when the FedEx truck arrived with a box of chalk and a parcel for TKO from Ray, the T-shirt and souvenir shop owner from Brookhaven. Vanetta accepted and signed for both parcels as Kelly sat back with another cigarette. It was nearing the one o'clock mark. Todd and Ami had come out of the darkroom, both of them laughing and poring over the prints Ami had made. Ami was a bit upset that Todd had caught her unawares under the mud pack but as Todd explained it, it would help give her a better understanding of how people felt being caught off guard and not at their best. Ami had gotten a great candid shot of Kelly with the spatula and he was also quite impressed with the nudes she had taken of Cara. They were well composed and she had obviously read his book cover to cover as she had set the depth of field to a mere two feet, blurring the entire foreground and the background. Kelly could hear him saying she was a natural with a camera and encouraged her to take many more pictures practicing her technique. Ami promised that the next time she developed her own film there would be at least five rolls to do. Kelly had managed to say all the right things, but both Todd and Ami could see that her mind was elsewhere. They returned to the darkroom so Todd could do the large print of Anna that Chuck had requested. "I feel bad letting her just sit like that," Ami said to Todd. "I know, Ami, but it's heavy on her mind and to talk about it will only make her worry. We have to act normally or she'll really work herself into a wreck." Laura and Cara returned after a leisurely cruise around the industrial complex, locked up their bikes and Laura went to freshen up so she would be ready to accompany Kelly. At two o'clock Kelly walked into the medical center, prepared to hear the worst news of her life. ------- Kelly and Laura had been gone for about an hour when the phone call came in. Vanetta answered and called Todd out of the darkroom. Todd had been working on the large print of Anna and having the large trays out had decided to do some enlargements of the best shot of the Cuddy, the one where Sara had taken the boat into a sideways skid. He had shown Ami how to work the chemicals over paper to ensure even coverage and saturation, and the two of them had gone on to make a few larger prints of the ones of Kelly and Laura in the bathtub in Brookhaven. They were on the raunchiest of the prints when Vanetta had let him know there was an important call. Todd saw he could leave Ami to finish off the print they were working on and stepped out to take the call. "Hello?" "Hello, Todd, it's Johan. It took me a bit longer than I expected, but I have completed the design. I drew this one up myself." "That's great, Johan, can you send it to me? I'm dying to see it." "Of course, Todd. Can I send it to you email?" "That would be great. You've got the office address, right?" "Yes, I have. I haven't sent it in case you weren't alone. Is it acceptable to send now?" "Send it, Johan, Kelly and Laura are both out of the office right now." "Very well, it's sent. Shall I wait until you have a look at it?" "Yeah, that way I can tell you right now," said Todd. "Vanetta," he said holding his hand over the mouthpiece, "I'm expecting an email. Would you check for it please?" Vanetta switched the screen to Outlook Express and clicked 'send and receive.' She told Todd a big file was coming in. "So, Johan, it won't look too gaudy on their fingers will it?" asked Todd. "No my friend, I think you will like it. I made a few changes before I was satisfied with the design. I can't have Kelly wearing something from my company that looks garish." "OH MY GOD!" said Vanetta, clasping her hand to her mouth. She didn't say anything else, just swiveled the screen so Todd could look at the picture on it. "Yes!" said Todd. "I like it very much! It's hard to tell that's three rings, and that heart in the middle... I guess that says I love you." "I'm glad you like it," said Johan. "But I've also been thinking that I would prefer to make them to size. If you want these, will it be possible for you to get the ladies' sizes?" "I definitely want them," said Todd. "Give me till Tuesday. I'll have the sizes for you by then." "Very well, Todd. You want to hear the price now?" Johan laughed. "Not that it makes any difference to me," said Todd, "but I'll call the bank and have them transfer the funds to you." "This is what I have in mind, Todd," said Johan. "This was your idea. If I may market the finished design, I shall discount your price by 30 percent." "Think you'll sell a lot of them?" Todd asked. "I do not think so, but you know what customers can be like. They will test-drive the expensive Cadillac, and then they will buy the family sedan. A perception of quality still counts for a great deal." Todd laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean." "And," added Johan, "if you take a picture of it on Kelly's hand, you know the way I like to display my rings..." "Yes, a face, a hand and the ring in full focus..." said Todd. "Then I will take another 20 percent off." "That's very generous, Johan, but I won't use Kelly or Laura for that. I won't commercialize my promise of never ending love for them." "I understand. You know, Todd, you are one of the last real romantics. Very well. I shall make one in cubic zirconium if you will take the picture yourself on one of your specialty hand models. One of the girls you used in the last catalog." "That I can do for you, Johan. So, what's the final price?" Todd said laughing. "I'll bet you've got the figures right in front of you!" It was Johan's turn to laugh. "Imagine! Two Dutchmen working out a price. No wonder you always get Kelly to do the figures! That will make it 48 thousand dollars." "Good deal, Johan! I'll call the bank now and get the money sent to you and I'll have the sizes by Tuesday." "Good luck, Todd, and let me know the wedding date." "I'll do that, Johan. Talk to you soon." Todd disconnected and was about to dial the bank when he saw the look on Vanetta's face. She had turned the monitor back so she could look at the ring sets again. "Earth calling Vanetta." Vanetta was just shaking her head, her mouth still open. "Vanetta, dust is gathering on your tongue," said Todd. "Oh my..." said Vanetta. "And you designed this?" Todd laughed. "Just the rough idea. Now I need your help to come up with an idea on how I can get Kelly and Laura's ring sizes." "That's easy," said Vanetta, "take them shopping at the mall. I'm sure that Cara and Ami will be up for it. Girls like to shop. Then when you pass a good jewelry store, tell them you want to buy them 'promise rings' and then get them sized perfectly. They can't do that while you wait, so you go back by yourself and pick up the rings and you have the sizes!" "That's a great idea! I'm so glad I've got you around to help me figure these things out, Vanetta. Does Robert know how lucky he is to have a girlfriend like you?" Vanetta thought Todd might have forgotten about Laura's comment yesterday, but she should have known better. Todd might see the world mostly through the camera lens, but that didn't mean he missed much, either. "I never said he was my boyfriend," said Vanetta defensively. "I saw how you reacted yesterday. You didn't have to say it, and you're doing it again now." "Oh, all right," She sighed, "You win. I hope he feels lucky, 'cause I know I feel real lucky." "I'm happy for you, Vanetta. And if he doesn't know it, I'll be glad to tell him for you!" "Don't you dare!" she said laughing. "Just watch me!" he said with a mischievous wink. Todd called Debbie at the bank to authorize the transfer from his personal account. He hated dealing with life's little details, which was why he liked Debbie, giving her just the amount and Johan's name knowing she would take care of the rest. Neither Debbie nor the bank minded, as the total of his business would finance a lot of homes for them. Todd got off the desk. "Now I better see how my little apprentice is doing. I'll bet she's printed off the rest of the roll while I was out here on the phone." ------- MaryAnn Meyers was just unlocking her office door when she saw Kelly. "My god, Kelly, you look like a wreck," said the doctor. "Are you feeling that bad or are your nerves getting to you?" "She was looking fine this morning," said Laura, "I think she's worked herself into this condition." "I'm sorry," said MaryAnn, "and you are?" "I'm Laura Williams," said Laura, stretching a hand out in greeting. "I, ah, sort of live with Kelly." "Oh. I see," said MaryAnn, though the expression on her face said she really didn't. "She's my lover," said Kelly, absently. "Oh! I mean, now I understand. Er, what happened to Mark?" "I broke it off with him nearly two months ago," said Kelly. "I changed, he didn't." "Well, yes... I see that," said MaryAnn. "How about we go into an exam room and we'll have a good look at you." "I want Laura to come with me," said Kelly. "Dr. Myers probably wants to see you alone, Kell," said Laura. "No, that's okay," said MaryAnn quickly recovering. "If Kelly feels more comfortable with you close by, then by all means please come in, Laura." ------- Cara was writing postcards to her friends back home when Todd and Ami finished up in the darkroom. Vanetta poured four glasses of orange juice as they examined an 8 x 10 glossy of Cara in all her naked glory. "This isn't fair," said Cara. "Who's going to take a picture of Ami like that for me?" "I think I can manage that," said Todd, "as long as Ami is willing." "Maybe you can take one of the two of us as well," said Ami. "Like the ones of Kelly and Laura?" Todd laughed. "Yeah, I suppose I can do that as well. We'll do that at Kelly's one night." Then his voice got serious. "I wonder how Kelly is making out." "Don't worry about her, Todd," said Vanetta. "Mom would never say anything in front of anybody if she thought there was anything really wrong. I don't know why mom said anything at all. Kelly's the healthiest person I know." "Yeah, I thought so too, but still..." and he sighed. He was seriously worried, and couldn't keep up the façade much longer. He hadn't prayed in a long time, but under his breath he was seriously asking for divine intervention on behalf of the woman he had known and loved for so long when the phone rang. Vanetta got up to answer it. "Todd..." she said, "It's Kelly." Todd picked up the phone, his hand trembling. "Kelly?" As Vanetta watched, the blood drained from his face. "TODD! What's wrong?!"He collapsed into the chair and looked at her, white-faced. ------- Chapter 17 For the first fifteen minutes, Doctor Myers performed the basic tests on Kelly. Sinuses, ears, eyes, throat, and nose were all clear, her heartbeat, and blood pressure textbook perfect. Kelly peeled off her T-shirt but kept hold of Laura's hand the entire time. MaryAnn warmed up her stethoscope and listened to Kelly's breathing and her lungs. "I see you're still smoking, Kelly." Kelly looked up with fear. "You can tell that from listening to my chest?" MaryAnn laughed. "No, I can smell it in your hair. Not too strong but I've got a sensitive nose." Kelly breathed a sigh of relief. MaryAnn tested Kelly's reflexes and checked her mobility and flexibility, finally sitting down with a perplexed look. "Okay," she said, "I don't see anything, not even in your fingernails, that would give me cause for concern. How about telling me how you feel and why you think something might be wrong?" Kelly sniffled, "I feel fine, but a friend of mine, she's got this super intuition... she said I better get in to see you." "Well, Kelly," said MaryAnn, "I'm not doubting your friend's intuition, but I don't see a thing that would even give me cause to call for further testing at the hospital. Are you still taking all those vitamins?" Laura laughed. "She takes them religiously, even got me started on them. This is the first month I've had a period without bloating!" MaryAnn smiled and turned to Kelly, "and how was your last period?" "It hasn't come yet," said Kelly. "That's strange," said MaryAnn. "Are you still taking the pill?" "No," said Kelly. "I stopped after I broke up with Mark. Didn't see a need for it any more." "Well," said MaryAnn, "seeing how you've switched teams, I guess you don't. How late are you? "Oh... about five weeks," said Kelly. "I figured it was due to the stress of the last couple of months. We've been really busy..." Suddenly, it all clicked for Laura. "Hey, Doc," she said, sliding off the examination table to stand in front of Kelly, "Kelly didn't exactly switch teams... She's become a switch hitter!" ------- Todd picked up the phone, his hand trembling. "Kelly?" As Vanetta watched, the blood drained from his face. "TODD? What's wrong?!" He collapsed into the chair and just looked at her in shock. Behind Vanetta, Cara let out a moan of fright. "I'm going to be a father!" said Todd. "WHAT!" "She's having my baby!" "Give me that phone!" Vanetta demanded, snatching it from his limp hand. "Kelly? Todd's gone into meltdown. What's going on?" She listened for a moment. "Uh huh, yeah, uh huh!" While she was talking, Cara and Ami came to stand either side of Todd as he sat staring blankly at Vanetta. "Congratulations, Daddy!" said Ami as she kissed his cheek. 'Yeah, congratulations," added Cara. "You gave us such a fright!" Todd looked up at the girls, the color coming back into his face. "Yeah, well, I was really worried, and this is totally out of left field, you know?" "Oh!" exclaimed Ami, "I forgot to ask, who's pregnant?" "You goose! Kelly, of course!" laughed Cara. "That's why Vanetta's momma told her to see the doctor!" "Oh, right," she replied, sharing a puzzled look with Todd. "I don't know either, Ami. I suppose some people can see these things better than others." "Here," said Vanetta thrusting the phone at him, "talk to her." "Honey, are you okay?" "I'm pregnant!" said Kelly, "you know... with child, expecting, knocked up!" Todd rolled his eyes, "But are you okay?" "Todd... I'm fine. I just happen to be carrying our child. I knew how worried you were, so I thought I would call you as soon as I heard. How are you?" "I'm okay now, but you could have knocked me over with a feather when you told me!" "Yeah," Kelly chuckled, "Vanetta said that! She thought you were going to faint, and the girls were starting to panic!" "How's Laura?" "She's right here with me, and she's playing with my - Oooh - She's playing with my nipples - Oooo - I think our Darling has a thing for pregnant women!" "Where are you?" Todd chuckled. "I'm still at MaryAnn's office, we're just getting ready to leave." "Vanetta wants to know if she can call and tell her mother." "Oh, definitely! But I suppose it'll just be telling her what she already knew!" "Yeah, I guess. Anyway, you know what this means, don't you?" asked Todd. "You're going to be a daddy!" Kelly sang, finishing with a giggle. Todd laughed too. "Well, yeah, I think with you as the mommy, I can handle this. But aside from that, you do know what this means don't you?" Kelly had to think hard. "No, aside from having to quit smoking for a year." "It definitely means we're getting married, sooner rather than later!" "Laura just said that! But, Todd, people don't have to get married now because they're pregnant." "Remember what I said at Brookhaven?" Todd asked. "Yeah, you said you were going to marry both of us, but you know that isn't legal." "Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Kell," he said excitedly, "It might not be legal here, but it will be where we DO get married, and I'm going to marry both of you!" "Let's talk about this when you aren't quite so depressed," laughed Kelly. "Laura and I are going to head off now. I want to stop off and see Muriel before we go home, so we'll meet you there at 5:00." "I've got a better idea," said Todd, "after you see Muriel, how about we meet at South Park. Say at the juice bar at 5:00. We can do a bit of shopping, eat out, and celebrate." Kelly spoke to Laura without covering the phone. "Honey, Todd wants to go celebrate." "Well, of course! You thought we wouldn't?" Laura exclaimed. "You heard that?" asked Kelly into the phone, laughing. "See you then Honey. I love you." "I love you too. Kelly?'" "Yes, Honey?" "I need a hug." "Honey, you go hug the girls. When we get to the mall we'll give you a real cuddle!" ------- Todd hung up the phone and looked around at the girls' beaming faces. "I'm going to be a daddy!" he whispered, then "I'm going to be a DADDY!" His grin grew but they could see the tears in his eyes and in a moment he was in the middle of a group hug. "I guess mom knew more than she let on," Vanetta grinned. "Why didn't she say that's what it was?" asked Todd. "She's sneaky like that," she replied. "She'll give you hints, but she wants you to figure it out for yourself!" "Well, you better call her and tell her we finally figured it out!" As Vanetta called Gloria, Todd took Cara and Ami to the dressing room. "If we're going out to celebrate, let's see if we can't find something attractive for you girls to add to your wardrobe," he said. An hour later and with a half dozen designer outfits each in semi dress fashion, the girls headed off to shower and change. Todd invited Vanetta to come along for the celebration, even suggesting that she bring Robert with her, but she regretfully declined saying they already had plans that couldn't be changed. Vanetta was still not quite ready for the inevitable meeting between Todd and Robert. ------- "Will you get a load of these clothes?" whispered Cara. "No kidding!" said Ami. "I'll bet this Jumper cost more than my folks paid for me to go to the summer training camp." "No shit! Look at the names inside these clothes. I always thought I didn't care about fashion, you know, us tough girls and all, but damn, I want to slip on this dress." "Shower first, Ami," said Cara with a grin. "I'm afraid to sweat in these!" "Just think cool thoughts," said Ami as she stripped and turned on the shower. "Did you notice that Kelly and Laura treat this stuff like we do chalk?" "Yeah, and it fits too, you know. For us, chalk is just part of sport. We're so used to it that we don't give it any thought. I guess if you model you become that way with clothes - it's part of the job." "But I've only seen Todd in T's and those thin baggy pants he wears. Doesn't he ever dress up?" "You saw him in a lot less last night," laughed Ami. "But seriously... he's a bit strange to start with. So relaxed and casual, like he doesn't have a care in the world, but when he talks to you, he can be so intense... it's got to be something about his personality. And by the way, those baggy pants are scrubs. It's what doctors and nurses wear." She gave a wry grin. "I should know. I've seen enough of them this last year." The girls fooled around a little in the shower, but realized that Todd would be waiting for them and they wanted time to do their hair and maybe put on a bit of makeup. ------- Todd showered and shaved and brushed his teeth till his gums hurt. "A father," he said looking into the mirror. "Who would have thought?" But his chest was bursting with pride. "Kelly the mother." He stood there for a moment, thinking that he had always expected that any children of his would come after love, and marriage. And realized that now he had the whole package, and that he wanted it more than anything in his life. Since this was a special occasion, Todd slipped on a pair of dress shorts and a high collared T-shirt (In fact, it looked like a crewman's shirt from the USS Enterprise). It was too warm to bother with socks, so he slipped on a pair of moccasins and headed downstairs. Cara and Ami weren't quite done yet, so he sat and talked with Vanetta for a bit. "What do you think, Vanetta? Think I've got what it takes to be a father?" Vanetta smiled at him. "I think you'll be a wonderful father, Todd. I've seen the way you are with people. You've got a big heart, and Kelly... she's going to be a great mom. Plus you have Laura to help out, too! That baby is going to be so precious and sweet, and of course spoiled rotten!" Todd laughed. "Yeah, I guess the baby won't be wanting for much, just love and attention." "And who better to give it to her?" Todd looked up. "Why did you say her?" Vanetta cocked her head to the side. "I don't know. It just came out that way." "Hmm, a baby girl... that's a thought. But whatever it is, I'm going to love it to pieces." "I can tell you one thing, Todd, between your looks and Kelly's, this is going to be one beautiful baby." Todd smiled and blushed. "Well maybe from Kelly's side." "You know Todd... If Kelly was inclined, I'll bet there are a lot of women's and parent magazines that would love to sign Kelly on right now for an exclusive for her entire pregnancy. Nine months minimum till the birth, probably a few more for follow up." Todd looked at Vanetta silently for a few moments, thinking, and then shook his head. "I don't think Kelly would be interested." Vanetta laughed. "Sorry, Todd, you encouraged me to take Business, and I see this as a golden opportunity to build a real nest egg for the baby. With you taking the pictures..." Todd nodded slowly. "Yeah, and the product sponsors would be clamoring to get a piece of it. I'm not sure, but I think I'll mention it to Kelly. Since it will be for the baby in the end, she might consider coming out of retirement." Vanetta gave Todd a kiss on the cheek as she got up. "I'm going to go home, Todd, but if Kelly agrees, don't let the New York office handle this. Let me come up with a proposal. I've been here studying under Kelly and getting my degree at UNC. I'll bet I could put together a package worthy of Kelly." Todd smiled at her. "I know you could, Vanetta. You've seen how Kelly operates. Let me ask her about it, and then if she's agreeable, we'll talk about it on Monday when we get back." She left after another friendly kiss and more congratulations. ------- "Argh! The perfect haircut and I can't do anything with it!" said Ami. Vanetta had been gone only minutes when Cara and Ami came out of the shower dressed in stunning outfits, and Todd whistled his approval. "Come here to the make-up table and let me have a go at it," he said. As he had done with Laura way back when, Todd took some colored mousse and liberally applied it to Ami's hair, running his fingers through it like a thousand combs, sculpting it by hand. Then with the array of makeup at his disposal he applied a little color to Ami's eyes and cheeks, just enough to accentuate her cheekbones and her naturally deep eyes. Ami looked in the mirror with total surprise. "God, I look older, mature. You're a miracle worker, Todd!" Todd laughed. "No, Kelly's the miracle worker. I just dabble with this stuff, and sometimes I get it right." "My turn!" said Cara. Todd willingly obliged, and ten minutes later the trio was set to go. "I'm sure you girls are going to draw some attention at the mall and the restaurant," he said. "I don't mind a bit of attention," said Cara, "but I'm staying faithful to Ami." "I'm glad that you girls have found something special between you," said Todd, "but how are you going to handle this relationship when you go home?" "Spoilsport," said Ami as Todd closed the studio door. "I want this to last forever." Cara looked dejected. "Todd's right, Ami. We've still got so many credits to get before we can graduate, we might be stuck living at home for another year." As they got into the Tracker, Todd asked how they had managed to compete and train and still keep up with their schoolwork. "We've had tutors with us every time we traveled" said Ami. "And most of our work was on a part time attendance basis, the rest through correspondence." "Yeah," said Cara, "to allow athletes to compete and travel, the schools have what's called a 'Gifted Athlete Program.' It's self-paced with tutor monitoring. We also bring our notes with us or get assignments by email. The school year is divided into 24 units per subject, and we take a test for each unit!" Cara stopped talking - too much trivial information. "Well, why can't you continue doing that?" asked Todd with a smile. "We need to get another few hundred hours of classroom time in order to graduate," said Cara. "We're way ahead of the regular classes cause we get to focus on the work. Plus, both Ami and I have enough practical hours to qualify to coach recreational gymnastics. All we have to do is write the exams and get certified." "Well then, why don't you get certified and then after you get the mandatory classroom hours in, you'll be free to travel. I'm sure you girls can be discreet for a little while at home." "Not the way Ami groans and moans," laughed Cara. "But you're right, Todd. We waited this long, we can keep up appearances for a while longer." "And don't forget that my new student is going to have to make several trips back here to show me her growing experience and to develop her film. You can always fly up for a weekend or a week if you like until you're ready to make a move towards higher education. If your marks remain good, I'm sure that you'll be able to get away for more weeks." "I just want to be a photographer like you, Todd," said Ami. "I know, Sweetheart, and I think you've got an eye for it, but I'd still want you to take a bankable course at the same time while you apprentice. How about when you graduate you sign up for the UNC visual arts program? You can do like Laura and Vanetta and take most classes on line and practice your photography at the same time." "Well," said Cara, "It will take six months to get certified as level one coaches, so if we start that right away, we'll be all set for the start of the new competition season in February..." "Yeah, that's right!" said Ami. "If we get started now with the theory, we should be all set and just in time." "And if I sign up for the paramedic program, and you're still serious about sports photography we should be in great shape come next spring!" said Cara. "Oh, I'm serious," said Ami. "It just depends on Todd. If he's willing to take me on as an apprentice!" "We've still got a few weeks to see what you want to do," said Todd. "Remember we have a shoot of our own to finish. But the money from that is good, so you should be able to get an off campus apartment, if that's what you want, next spring, but you'll be welcome back for lots of visits in between." "Yeah," said Cara with a sigh. "Ami will have something important to do with you but what can I do?" Todd smiled. "Didn't you want to get into sports physiotherapy? Ami will be getting paid when she comes down to help me out, and I'm sure that Kelly will be able to use a hand keeping in shape as she goes through her pregnancy." "Really? You mean that?" "Let's talk it over with Kelly tonight," said Todd. "I'm sure we can come up with something that will let you have your freedom to live your life and the money to do it with." Cara beamed with delight. ------- Kelly pulled into Lakeview Lodge after having stopped to pick up flowers for Muriel. "I hope you don't mind, Laura. I don't get to see Muriel as often as I would like, and outside of Todd, she's been the closest thing to family that I've had for a long time." "Kelly, quit worrying about me. I'll get around just fine. Remember? I used to visit these places all the time when Dad made us sing for them. I know how to mingle with the residents. You have a good visit." Kelly kissed Laura passionately. "You are the greatest, Honey." Sheila was working at her station and lit up with a smile when Kelly walked up. "I'm so glad you came," said Sheila. "We don't know what to do with her. I was almost going to call you and ask you if you could stop by." "Why? What's happened?" Kelly asked with a worried look. "It's nothing to be worried about," said Sheila, "It's just that Muriel's been knitting up a storm! She says you're about to make her a Great-Grandmother! She's even got some of the other residents knitting everything from booties to blankets!" Kelly laughed. "Last time she was worried about me marrying somebody I love. But I'll be damned if I can figure out how she knew before I knew." "Knew what?" asked Sheila. "Kelly's pregnant," said Laura. "Oh God, I'm sorry, Laura. My manners seem to have left with my senses. Sheila, this is Laura Williams, a very close friend of mine. And Laura, this is Sheila." "Williams?" asked Sheila, "One of the Williams Sisters who sing at the hospitals and nursing homes at Christmas?" Laura blushed. "Guilty as charged. Does that mean I have to wait in the car?" Sheila laughed. "No! You might not remember this place in daylight, but you and your sisters have been here a few times. The last time was about three years ago." "I'll leave you two to chat," said Kelly. "I've got to get these flowers to Muriel." "Wait a second, young lady," said Sheila. "This is true? You are having a baby?" "Just found out about an hour ago," said Kelly. "Well congratulations!" said Sheila. "Be prepared though for a large box of hand knitted goods coming your way!" Kelly smiled and walked down the hall. ------- "Grandma?" "Kelly! Come in here and sit next to me." Kelly held forth the flowers she had picked up on the way. A large bouquet of mixed flowers, bright and sweet smelling. "Now you didn't have to do that, baby girl. A woman in your condition should be getting flowers, not giving them away." "Grandma, how did you know?" "Oh sweetheart, sometimes being old isn't so bad." Muriel dropped her voice to a whisper. "I know some of the nurses think I'm batty, but I know things. My Johnny comes to me late at night and talks to me. He tells me all sorts of things. He told me that you're going to get married too, not to that man you were dating but to the one you've loved all along." Kelly's eyes filled with tears. "There, there baby... It's okay for you to be happy," said Muriel hugging Kelly close to her bosom. "I know it wasn't easy for you when you were a little girl, but this man is going to love you forever. He's going to treat you like a queen. And he better too 'cause otherwise he'll have to answer to me!" Kelly couldn't help but laugh. But she didn't doubt for a minute that Muriel's husband talked to her at night. "Now put those flowers in a vase and let me show you what I'm making for your new baby." Kelly put the flowers in the vase and placed them on the bedside table. When she sat down again, Muriel unfolded a small blanket made of the whitest wool in the finest stitch Kelly had ever seen. "I'm not as fast as I used to be," said Muriel, "but I know I've got time to finish it, and I've got some of my friends here making booties and such. This is a Christening blanket. You use it when you take the baby to that place by the lake where you discovered what love is." Kelly's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "Now dear, tell me all about the man you're going to marry." ------- An hour later Kelly walked with Muriel to the day room. Kelly really wanted to stay longer, but knew that Todd and the girls were waiting for them at South Park. Muriel had joked about trading in her walker for something with an engine and maybe a helmet, but said the nurses had threatened to put speed bumps in the hallways. Kelly laughed. She felt so good being with Muriel. Of course she had wanted Todd to be the first to hear the news, but telling Muriel was like telling her family. Muriel led her to a corner where a group of six women were busy at work with needles and hooks and all kinds of contraptions. Laura was seated with them and was holding a crochet hook, being coached by one of the seniors. Spotting Kelly, Laura smiled. Muriel introduced the women to Kelly and Kelly introduced Laura to Muriel. Muriel looked at Laura and then smiled. "You take good care of my granddaughter, Laura. She doesn't always take such good care of herself." "I promise I'll take care of her," said Laura. Muriel sat down and made everyone show what they had been working on. Laura beamed and nudged Kelly to pay particular attention to one woman. Her name was Greta, and though she was old and used a large magnifying glass that hung suspended with string from her neck, she was working with a crochet hook not much thicker than a needle. She lifted the fabric to show Kelly a three-foot length about an inch wide, knitted from single thread baby wool. "Greta's making the receiving blanket for the baby," said Muriel. "Her fingers are still nimble enough to do the tight weave." Greta just smiled and her fingers kept moving. There was a box of booties, socks, bonnets, and other items already made. One of the women was working with four needles at one time, while another was working with what looked like a hoop needle. Kelly thanked each one of the women individually and then returned to Muriel's side. "I've got to go, Grandma," Kelly said with misty eyes, "but I promise I'll be back soon." "That's all right, baby, I know you've got a lot of things to do." Kelly gave her a kiss and waved goodbye to the rest at the table. Laura laughingly gave up her attempt to crochet, thanked the woman for trying to teach her and after once again promising Muriel to take care of Kelly, the two of them headed out. They stopped at the front desk where Sheila was sitting with a smug look on her face. "Told you so! Good thing you are pregnant or I might have had a riot on my hands!" "I wish there was something I could do for them," Kelly said. "Is there anything they need that I could get for them, Sheila?" "They don't want for much, Kelly. The management here makes sure they are treated well and with respect. It's a lot better here than some of the nursing homes." "That's true, Kelly," said Laura, "I remember crying when I was younger at some of the places I went with my sisters. People strapped into wheelchairs, not enough staff for all the residents..." "But, there must be something I can do," said Kelly. Sheila smiled. "Well... If you really wanted to do something special..." "Yes?" Kelly asked. "You could arrange for a reunion of the Williams Sisters for an afternoon performance." Kelly turned and looked at Laura with pleading eyes. "Honey?" Laura rolled her eyes and said, "I'll talk to my sisters and see what they say." "Would a shopping spree help convince them?" Kelly asked. "Oh Kelly, you don't have to do that. Hell, if you even suggested this to my father he would just use his powers of persuasion to get my sisters to cooperate." "I know," said Kelly. "Your dad is a sweet man, but I'd want to do something for the girls. I don't want them doing it because your father told them to." Laura smiled at Sheila. "Leave it with us, Sheila. I'll talk to them when we get back after the weekend and then Kelly can set up a time with you." As they pulled out of the parking lot, Kelly looked at the clock on the dash. "I guess we better move it," she said. "Todd and the girls will be wondering what happened to us." ------- Todd, with Cara and Ami in tow, arrived at South Park just after 5:00. It had been slow going with the rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon and normally Todd wouldn't even have ventured out on a Friday night in Charlotte, but he wanted the ring sizes. Anyway, this was a really special occasion. Sitting with a tall frosty glass of freshly squeezed mixed berry juice, he explained to Cara and Ami his plan to get the ring sizes, and how they could help. Both girls were delighted to take part in his little conspiracy. "I'll be the one who gets impatient," said Ami, "and then Cara can say we'll go to the bookstore. Kelly won't want us walking around alone, so she and Laura will probably go with us." Todd laughed. He enjoyed the energy the girls had and their enthusiasm. "Okay, but I'll only need ten minutes so don't get too involved cause we'll want to eat right afterwards okay?" "Where are we going to eat?" asked Cara. "Well, since we do want to do some shopping, we might as well eat here," said Todd. "There's a decent steak house, and we'll want to do a bit of shopping, but more importantly, we've got to get packed and get to bed on time cause tomorrow morning we leave early to see the Wheel." "That's a long drive," said Cara. "I better bring my book along." "Isn't it going to be crowded in the Tracker?" asked Ami. "We won't be taking the Tracker," said Todd. "We'll be taking my Hummer." "For real?" asked Cara. "You've got a Hummer?" "Yep," said Todd, "and she gives the nicest ride ever." "Where will we be staying once we get there?" asked Ami. "I don't know," said Todd scratching his head. "We totally forgot all about calling JulieAnn today with all the excitement." "And speaking of the excitement," said Cara, "there's Kelly now." ------- Todd rushed up to greet Kelly, lifting her off her feet as he swung her around. "Hey, Momma!" he said as he kissed her. "You never looked so good." "You're looking pretty good right now too," Kelly said to him, noticing his clean-shaven face. Todd gently put her down, "I guess I can't do much of that any more," he said with a sigh. "Jesus, Todd," Kelly laughed. "I'm not an invalid, just pregnant!" Todd put an arm around Laura and gave her a big kiss. "It's all your fault, you know," he whispered in her ear. Laura smiled back at him. "I am willing to take full responsibility for my part in bringing you two together," she replied. Todd said, "You better. Now you've made us a family unit. All three and a half of us." Kelly smiled as Todd slipped his other arm over her shoulder, and he escorted them to the table Cara and Ami were saving for them. Kelly and Laura both decided on a pineapple coconut drink and Cara and Ami volunteered to fetch them. When they returned, Kelly and Laura told them about their trip to Lakeview. Cara and Ami were totally captivated with the story of how Muriel had known Kelly was pregnant. Todd took the information in stride. When Kelly said that Muriel had named the location for the christening, Todd smiled. "And Sheila said there was nothing you could give to the Lodge?" Todd asked. "Nope. She said that all the residents really want is some young visitors," Kelly said, smiling at Laura. After hearing the whole story, Todd grinned and said, "The Williams Sisters eh?" Laura blushed again. "And I offered to give her sisters a shopping spree to help convince them," said Kelly, "but Laura thinks they might take it the wrong way. They've always done this for free." Todd leaned back in his chair thinking. "Laura," he finally said, "you said that before your trip to Chuck's, you had never left the Carolinas. Is that the same for your sisters?" Laura chuckled. "I love my mom and dad, but four girls was just too much for them. They had planned on me and Cathy, but the third pregnancy was a pleasant surprise for them. Then it turned out to be twins, and they've had to work hard to make ends meet. There wasn't a lot left over." "Well," said Kelly, "at least all four of you girls knew you were loved. That's more important than anything else isn't it, Todd?" Todd nodded and said, "and when we were taking the cruise to Brookhaven you said you had never seen the home of the rat." Laura looked at him strangely for a moment and then remembered what Vanetta had told her. "Nope, none of us." "How about giving your folks a nice long weekend and we all go for a five day tour of the Magic Mushroom?" Laura laughed. "They would all freak!" Todd looked at Kelly, who smiled back at him. "Okay. If your folks agree, then we'll all fly to Orlando for a visit of the Disenfranchised Kingdom." Laura beamed with delight. Cara and Ami looked at Todd expectantly. "Yes girls, you too." Both said "Yay!" at the same time and hugged each other excitedly. Kelly was consulting her day planner. "We could fit that in the second weekend after the Grand Opening," she said, "I hate to be a wet blanket, Todd, but we have to get the CrossTrain pictures done as well, and Laura has to be in New York for the last two weeks in August." Todd looked at Cara and Ami. "Can we do it, ladies?" "We'll make it happen!" they said. "Speaking of the Grand Opening, Kell, with all the surprises today, we didn't call JulieAnn to see about a place to stay. I've got a feeling it's going to be a crowded place this weekend and we're arriving late to begin with." "This should only take a minute, Sweetheart," Kelly said as she pulled out her cell phone. ------- "Hi, JulieAnn? It's Kelly." "Hi Kelly," said Jules. "I hope you aren't calling to cancel out. We'd really like to have you guys here when Celeste unveils her Wheel." "We wouldn't dream of missing it," said Kelly, "but we got a bit tangled up with something important and I never got a chance to call and see what motels would be available for us to stay at." "Wow. Everything's totally booked now," said Jules. "I guess we just never thought of you guys staying at a motel. How many beds do you need?" Kelly laughed. "It's not how many beds JulieAnn, it's how many bodies!" Jules laughed with her. "Just the three of you?" Kelly was tempted to say five and a half, but said, "We're bringing Cara and Ami with us as well." "Just hang on a sec Kelly," and as Kelly waited she could hear Jules talking to somebody else before she came back on the line. "Anybody not comfortable in a boat?" Kelly asked Cara and Ami if they minded sleeping in a boat. When both heads shook no, Kelly said that would be fine. "Well it just so happens that we have a custom built boat available to us for a while, and it has staterooms. Will two bedrooms suffice?" "That would be more than enough," said Kelly. "Then we'll be pleased to have you stay on it," said Jules. "Don't worry about anything else. Just bring yourselves down as early as you can." "Thanks JulieAnn. We really appreciate this," said Kelly. "We're happy to do it for you guys," said Jules. After Kelly hung up, Laura got out her phone and called home. ------- "Hi Mom," said Laura. "How are things at home?" As Laura's mom brought her up to date on the comings and goings of the Williams clan, Cara and Ami had been in a huddle. Finally Ami asked Kelly if maybe they could do something for the seniors. "Before we left camp, Cara and I had worked out a really great dance routine all based on gymnastic moves. Maybe we could perform it for them?" Kelly beamed. "That would be wonderful. I'm sure that the residents would love to see you two dance." "We better get practicing those moves again," said Ami to Cara. "Mom, I've got a rather unusual request. Is Cathy there? I'd rather ask her myself." Laura found herself holding for a few minutes as her mother called Cathy to the phone. "Kat? Hey, how are you enjoying having the bedroom to yourself?" Laura laughed as she listened to her sister go on about the joys of independence. "Listen Kat, I doubt you'll remember the place, but you know how dad hauled us around every Christmas to sing at the hospitals and nursing homes? Well, there's one place... I didn't even recognize it, but they sure remember us. We've been asked to do an afternoon performance. Since you're the oldest living at home now, I thought I would swing this by you and if you're agreeable, I figure you could talk to Sam and Jen." Cathy thought about it for all of a second. "Yeah, sure Laura. I always thought it was kind of strange we only did it for a few weeks out of the year. Leave the twins to me. I'm sure I can convince them." They talked for a few minutes longer and then Cathy, after obtaining a promise from Laura to fill her in on all the details of modeling and university life, handed the phone back to their mother. "Mom... I didn't want to say anything to Cathy without getting asking you, but Kelly and Todd would like to take her and the twins to Florida to Disney World." There seemed to be a long pause, and then Mrs. Williams asked to speak to Kelly. Kelly took the phone from Laura. "Hello, Mrs. Williams. How are you and Mr. Williams doing?" "Meg, Kelly, call me Meg." There was a deep sigh. "We're doing fine, Kelly," she said, but her voice seemed to catch in a sob. "Meg, are you sure you're all right?" asked Kelly. "Yes Kelly, it's just... well, with four girls and a limited income... Harry and I had always hoped and planned on taking the girls, but every time we thought we could afford it, something else came up that we needed the money for. This is just such an unexpected kindness..." "Not at all, Meg," Kelly insisted. "Laura happened to mention that she had never been there, and we had cruised by within sight of the place, but we were in a bit of a hurry to take care of another project. We promised Laura we would take her, and Todd thought you and Harry might like a few days on your own." "Thank you, Kelly, and please thank Mr. Ayres for us as well." "It will be our pleasure," said Kelly. "Think of it as a bit of thanks for having raised such a wonderful daughter as Laura." "God bless you, Kelly," said Mrs. Williams as she said goodbye. Laura talked to her mother for a few more minutes and then said she had to get packed for a trip to South Carolina in the morning and she still had to pick up a few things. "I love you, Laura. Take good care of yourself and have fun." "I will, mom. I love you too." ------- Laura turned to Kelly and said, "that was easier than I thought, and I didn't have to promise a thing. Kat said she could never understand why we only did it at Christmas time." "Why do you call her Kat?" asked Kelly. "You know the trouble toddlers have with certain sounds like L's and R's," Kelly looked perplexed. "Take my word for it, Honey," said Laura. "You'll find out soon enough. I saw and heard it myself when Sam and Jen were growing up. It's got to do with learning how to curl the tongue." "And you curl your tongue so nicely," said Todd grinning. "Anyway, I was nearly three and I couldn't say "Cathy," it sort of sounded like Catty according to mom, and it must have stuck with me cause that's what I've called her all my life." "I think I better start doing some reading," said Kelly, "but right now I am famished. Where do you want to eat, Todd?" Laura grinned at Kelly. "Later, darling, right now I want food!" Todd snorted, Kelly turned red, and Cara looked at Ami. "Tell you later," Ami said to her, then a look of comprehension appeared on Cara's face. She giggled, and that started Ami giggling as well. They both looked at Todd, and it was his turn to blush. "Right," said Todd, trying to divert them, "You want to do some shopping, so we may as well eat here at the steakhouse. But first, I want to look in that jewelry store on the way. I want to get rings for my brides-to-be." Todd knew going into a jewelry store to pick out rings would be awkward since he knew that Kelly would know he would want to get them something special. After looking for 20 minutes at the various diamonds on display, he said to Kelly and Laura, "This isn't exactly what I had in mind. But until we can get to Amsterdam, let's just call this a promise ring, okay? That's what they call them, isn't it?" Laura was looking at the one-carat diamond on her hand. "A promise ring? Yeah, that's what they call the ring before the engagement ring, but I don't think that people have this size in mind when promising their love for each other." "My darling fiancées are worth it," said Todd. They finally chose a style both girls liked, a solitaire bracketed by two smaller stones. The sales girl was brimming with excitement. Todd could read commission dollar signs in her eyes. But for him, it was just a five thousand dollar decoy. By next week, their real rings would arrive. "This one fits me fine," said Kelly. "I guess I'm lucky to have a standard size finger." "Oh no," said Todd. "We've got to make sure these rings are sized perfectly for you." Turning to the sales girl he said, "You wouldn't mind measuring their fingers and having these sized to fit, would you?" The girl brought out a large hoop containing every ring size in 1/4 size increments. Kelly turned out to be a 6 1/2 while Laura measured out at 7 1/4. Seeing that both Kelly and Laura had been sized, Cara cued Ami and both of them started pleading with Kelly and Laura to help them pick up a couple of movies they wanted to buy but were not legally old enough to purchase. Todd smiled and told them to go ahead. He would finish the paperwork and pay for the rings and catch up to them in a few minutes. Once they were out of the store, Todd turned to the sales girl. The look on her face showed she knew she had just lost her big sale of the night, but Todd smiled at her. "You're right. I only wanted their sizes, but don't worry. I don't want the rings, but I will take two sets of 1/2 carat diamond earrings on 14-karat posts." The smile reappeared on the girl's face. ------- "So why didn't you want us to go celebrate with Todd and Kelly?" Robert asked Vanetta. Robert had picked her up at home shortly after 5:00 and they had gone to listen to a new band playing at their favorite pub. "Todd didn't know about you till just the other day after we met Laura at the library," Vanetta said. "Kelly knew about us, but Todd didn't." Robert took her hands and looked her in the eyes. "You think he might disapprove? Because I'm not Jamaican?" Vanetta laughed. "Todd? A racist?" she laughed again. "No, not Todd. He's worse than color blind. He doesn't even see gender. If you don't mention it, I doubt he'd even notice. He's just different." "What kind of different?" Robert asked. "Well... He doesn't have any real friends. He'd fit in better with the original flower children than with today's society. He's totally open and says what's on his mind. He's strong but doesn't show it. He walks away from things that piss him off. He really believes in the utopian future of Star Trek and wants the whole world to change to that now. If he owns a suit and tie, I've never seen it." "So far, I don't see what the problem is, Netta." "He's intense, Bobby, sometimes a bit much for people to take. He's very emotional. He puts on a good front, but he's really sensitive. Last September... he cried for a week, and he didn't leave the studio for a month after that." Robert thought for a minute. "Well, yeah Netta, I think a lot of people cried that day. Those were innocent people who were killed." "See... that's my point exactly!" she exclaimed. "Maybe this will finally help to explain. Todd didn't just cry for the people that were killed, Bobby, he was crying for the world! He couldn't deal with all the anger and the violence. Kelly thought he was going to totally lose it. Did you ever see the original 'Planet of the Apes, ' the one with Charlton Heston?" Robert nodded. "Remember the final scene where Heston realized he was on Earth and his reaction? About man having gone too far?" Robert nodded again. "That's Todd." "But we are going to the picnic, right? What difference would it make if I had met him earlier?" Robert asked. "Oh, my dear Bobby... Todd is really a great person, but I figured to introduce him to you in small doses. Kind of like an immunization shot!" "Didn't Laura meet him cold turkey? Without being prepared? She sure looks happy." "Ah, now that's a different story," Vanetta said. "She was originally supposed to be just a client, and then Todd's strictly focused on his camera, the consummate professional. I don't know what happened that day, but mom believes that it was destiny. According to mom, Todd and Kelly could never have gone farther with their relationship if not for Laura. And from what I've seen, I think she's right." "What about the new girls? Cara and Ami. They didn't get immunized." Vanetta laughed. "Oh, Robert. They're girls. Understand? Aside from being models, and a lot younger, he's not socializing with them. He's the one immune to models!" "So you're suggesting limited exposures of Todd to get acclimated to him. I must say Vanetta, he sounds fascinating." "But I didn't want you to get scared off either, Bobby. Todd and Kelly mean a lot to me. And you mean a lot to me. I love you! I want everybody to get along. I'm sure you'll like him, and I know that they will like you, but I've seen a lot of people try to get to know Todd in one go, and they never return. I just want you to be yourself around them and let them open up at their own pace." ------- Todd caught up with the girls in the video store. He had two sets of diamond earrings in his pocket and a smile on his face. He had called Johan from the store with the ring sizes, and was promised shipment of the rings by the end of the following week. Cara and Ami had Kelly tied up with music DVDs. Laura was looking through a rack of discontinued videos and had a big smile on her face and a video clutched in her hand. Seeing Todd, Cara and Ami picked two R-rated music concerts on DVD that they passed on to Laura so she could purchase them. Todd walked Kelly outside and they sat on one of the benches. Todd told Kelly about Vanetta's suggestion of Kelly coming out of retirement and the reasons for it. "She said that if you consider it, she wants to try to put together a package deal for you." "Damn," said Kelly. "I sure could use a cigarette right about now." She sighed. "MaryAnn said that if I kept it down to just a couple a day it wouldn't hurt the baby. She knows my other condition and doesn't want me to get stressed out. She said that before the big media scare tactics started in the 70's to justify increases in the cost of cigarettes, that women smoked all through pregnancy and there is no evidence that our generation suffered from it. But I'm going to try to keep it to a bare minimum." "But what about Vanetta's idea?" Todd prompted. Kelly leaned her head back and thought on it for a minute. "Well," she finally said, "I'm still at the same weight and size, so that won't be a problem. It might be kind of fun posing for you again for something as big as this, and it sure would be a great scrapbook for our baby to look back on when he or she is older." "You're saying yes?" Todd asked. "I'm saying let Vanetta put together a formal proposal along with who wants to get in on the ride and which magazine wants an exclusive. If I like what I see, yeah, I'll go for it." Todd smiled. Cara and Ami rushed out of the video store grinning from ear to ear. Laura brought up the rear. "You won't believe what Laura bought us," said Ami. "It's the 1982 movie 'Personal Best' with Mariel Hemingway! We've heard other gymnasts talk about it, but we never thought we'd get to see it, and Laura found a brand new copy in the discontinued section." Laura smiled. "I saw the movie a few years ago when I was babysitting for a couple that had a satellite dish. It's a movie about two female athletes who fall a lot." "Yeah," said Cara snickering, "for each other!" Todd laughed. "Just remember that tonight it's early to bed! We've got a long drive tomorrow." Cara and Ami walked ahead of Todd, Kelly, and Laura, drawing admiring glances from the males in the mall. Getting a table at the licensed restaurant proved to be no problem, and soon the five of them were dining on prime rib and baked potatoes topped with sour cream and chives. Todd managed, with a healthy tip, to get a bottle of wine to the table without the waiter questioning the age of Cara and Ami. Their makeup made them look a bit older, and the clothes suggested big money, but it was still pretty clear he thought that they were both underage. ------- After supper, the girls browsed around the mall for another hour, leaving Todd to wander at his own pace. To him it seemed like a futile exercise. With the exception of underwear for the girls, they had enough clothes at the studio, and enough coming in from New York on a regular basis, to keep them well supplied. Shoes he could understand as well, but anything else, well... what was the Internet for if not shopping? Finally Cara and Ami seemed to tire of it as well, much to the amusement of Kelly and Laura. "Kell, why don't you go home and get packed. I'm going to run the Tracker back to the studio and pick up the Hummer so we can just drive off tomorrow morning," Todd said. "Okay Honey," she said giving him a kiss. "See you in about an hour?" "Sooner if the traffic isn't too bad," he said. Laura gave him a kiss as well and the four girls headed for Kelly's Elantra. Traffic was good leaving the city, and Todd soon reached the studio. He backed the midnight blue Hummer out of the bay he reserved for his baby and since they would be gone for a few days, parked the Tracker inside. After making sure everything was locked down he picked up the tube carrying the enlargement of Anna that Chuck had requested and a few others Todd and Ami had printed up that morning. He was about to leave the studio when he remembered the FedEx package that had arrived from Ray's T-shirts and Collectibles. Swinging the package under his arm he locked the side door of the studio, armed the security system and climbed into the Hummer. His camera case was already inside. Todd could feel the power of the massive motor under the hood as it purred. Just like a giant jungle cat, he thought, ready to pounce if he touched the gas. He eased the big truck out of the parking lot and headed to the gas station down the block where TKO had an account. He had both tanks topped up and even though he kept the vehicle in pristine condition, had the oil checked along with the other fluids and the tires. Satisfied that he was all set for the trip, Todd dropped the truck into gear and cruised to Kelly's. ------- The girls arrived home long before Todd had even left the studio. Laura went to the bathroom to change her tampon, while the others peeled off their day clothes. Other than panties, they roamed the house nude. Laura was the only one wearing a bra, and with a sigh, she released the clasp and let her breasts spring free, then rubbing the light red elastic marks, made her way to the bedroom. She was very happy to find her period was nearly finished, and as she said to Kelly, "You were right about the vitamins. This has been my easiest period ever, and I should be finished by tomorrow at the latest." Kelly, who had been distracted by the sight of Laura rubbing her breasts, looked up with a smile. "Told you so, Sweetheart," said Kelly. "But I don't understand how come you didn't notice yourself that you were late, Kell?" said Laura. "I stress out easy," said Kelly. "As regular as I usually am, when I'm under pressure, it screws my entire schedule." "Have you felt a lot of pressure lately, Kell? You sure didn't look like it." Kelly looked at Laura and smiled. "I've enjoyed myself so much, Baby... but there was still the business to take care of, things that had to be done and be done on time. In this business you are only as good as your last job." "I think I understand," said Laura. She was about to continue when two giggling girls entered the room. "Would you tell this brazen hussy to keep her hands off me so I can pack?" laughed Ami. "Oh yeah, right," said Cara. "She wants to pack everything, all our new clothes and then some." Kelly laughed. She and Todd were very used to packing for the road. "Okay, ladies, all you need is some underwear, maybe three comfortable outfits, two sets of easy walking shoes and your toothbrushes. Anything we forget we just pick up along the way." "And my camera," said Ami. "This weekend should give me lots of practice." "Yes, most certainly your camera," said Kelly. As the girls left the room, Kelly went to the closet and pulled out a huge box of specialty cosmetics. "What are you looking for, Hon?" asked Laura. "A couple of years ago, one of our clients sent us a big supply of skin softening body lotions and creams. If I remember, one was specially formulated to prevent stretch marks in expecting women." "Better than olive oil?" Laura laughed remembering that night at Brookhaven. Kelly laughed as well. "Yes, even better than olive oil." Kelly continued to scrounge around the case until she found the box she was looking for and extracted a bottle. "We handled the campaign for this company to get distributors for it in North America. It's an old European company with a five or six generation family history behind it. Now you can find this in every specialty body shop and most massage parlors." "Then I guess we better try it out. You don't want to lose that beautiful girlish figure you have," said Laura. "Did I hear massage?" asked Cara, as she and Ami walked in, having finished their packing. "Yes," said Laura. "I was about to rub Kelly with this special lotion to prevent stretch marks." "Oh, can I help?" asked Cara. "I'm really good at massages. Gymnasts are forever pulling muscles, and I used to help out the coaches. I guess that's why I want to go into sports physiotherapy after I finish the last of my high school mandatory hours. I like it when I can make people feel better after an injury." "Well, I'm not exactly injured," said Kelly, looking at Laura. Laura shrugged as if to say 'why not.' "Okay," said Kelly, "I'll let you help and we'll see how it goes." "Great!" said Cara. "I've only worked on body parts and shoulders that were covered, but hey... we're all girls, right?" Laura went to the closet and pulled out a fresh sheet to spread over the bed, then Kelly slipped out of her panties and laid down on her stomach. Cara quickly clambered over and straddled her so she was kneeling just above Kelly's butt. Laura smiled with amusement and after shaking the bottle, filled Cara's hands with a huge amount of the aerated cream. Years of lifting and pulling and gripping had provided Cara with very strong hands, and she started off by working the cream into Kelly's shoulders. "I don't think I'll get stretch marks up there," said Kelly. "You can never be too careful," said Cara. "Best to do the entire body so that any weight applied to any part of your body doesn't transfer to an area that is tight." Kelly thought on this for a minute as Cara dug her hands into the muscles of her back. "She's right, Laura. What good is it if my stomach is pliant but not the rest of me? Maybe Vanetta is right. Maybe I should consider doing a one-year project and get companies like the manufacturers of this stuff to underwrite all the ads." Before Laura could answer, Kelly was moaning. Cara was applying just the right amount of pressure to her back muscles to make them relax. She could feel the stiffness start to ease and combined with the scented cream it put her into a state of deep relaxation. Laura was about to step back when Ami took her arm. "We can start on her legs and arms, Laura. I'll show you how to do it." Filling their hands with the soft cream, Ami and Laura started stroking downward on Kelly's legs. Ami explained how to knead the muscles gently. Kelly just moaned and spread her legs farther. Cara was working on Kelly's neck and shoulder blades as Ami and Laura continued to manipulate more cream into Kelly's legs. Cara's butt was raised invitingly above Kelly's and on an upward move; Ami gently gave Cara's crotch a grab. Laura, smiling at Ami, slipped one of her slippery hands between Kelly's cheeks, gently pressing on that little rosebud opening. Kelly responded both in sound and motion. Though she was spread-eagled on the bed, her arms draped over the sides, she managed to raise her butt a bit to give more access. Laura gave Kelly's bum a loving playful slap. "Hey you... this is supposed to be good for you, not arousing!" Cara slid down further and worked on Kelly's lower back and buttocks. "Now I'm definitely going to have to show you some exercises to keep your lower spine limber," she said as she worked not only the cream but also her fingers into the firm flesh. Ami and Laura had changed positions and each had taken an arm and were pulling and kneading the flesh in their hands. "Mmm, I love the smell of coconut," mumbled Kelly. "Well, you'll enjoy it more on your front," said Cara. "Time to roll over!" Kelly rolled over, her limbs askew on the bed. Laura went right to work on the front of Kelly's legs, noting with satisfaction the partially opened wet labia. Cara and Ami had taken an arm apiece, and were slowly moving closer to Kelly's shoulders and chest. Both had noticed Kelly's nipples standing puckered, at attention. Laura moved higher and higher until she was rubbing the top of Kelly's thighs, her hands just barely a finger's width away from sliding right into the inviting cunt. Abruptly removing her hands, she filled them with more cream and took a breast in each, slowly rubbing Kelly's small breasts, feeling the hardness of the nipples underneath. Kelly's legs bent at the knees and closed. She was approaching a climax and tried to rub her own legs together to take her over the top. Cara and Ami had joined Laura's hands on Kelly's upper torso and as Laura lowered her hands to massage Kelly's belly, their hands took Laura's place on Kelly's breasts. Both Cara and Ami were kneeling on the bed, but were using only one hand each on Kelly, their other hands occupied with groping each other as they leaned over Kelly and shared a deep soulful kiss. Laura was intent now and also kneeling, but between Kelly's legs, working her hands closer and closer to the light pubic patch. The scent of female arousal filled the air. Laura bent down closer lowering her mouth to Kelly's lower lips, as Cara and Ami were pulling each other closer over top of Kelly pressing their lips together. FLASH! ------- In the doorway stood a grinning Todd. "Sorry ladies, but I couldn't resist. Not to worry though, no one's face was showing." "Oh my God!" said Ami. She grabbed Cara's hand as they raced out of the bedroom. "Oh no. Don't stop, Laura," Kelly pleaded. With a smile, Laura went back to the job she had started and just as Todd was taking the flash unit off Ami's camera, he could hear Kelly moan and scream as her orgasm overtook her. He repacked the camera and returned the case to the bags of luggage that they would be taking in the morning. He had arrived five minutes earlier, surprised to find no one around. Seeing Kelly's bedroom door open and the sound of passion from within, he had quickly assembled the Pentax and attached the flash. Maybe it had been Ami with her candid shots that had inspired him. He had thought it was only Kelly and Laura in the bedroom and was more than a bit amazed to see four females on the bed, one prostrate, and three kneeling. He watched for a couple of minutes as the passion increased, and found himself extremely aroused. His cock made a dent in his pants and he wanted to join in on the fun. He knew that Cara and Ami would probably make a beeline for their bedroom, and seriously hoped he wouldn't embarrass them too much. It was after all one thing to see them nude, but quite another to see them in the throes of passion. He closed the door behind him as he reentered the bedroom. His clothes came off quickly as he made his way to the bed. Kelly was still lying on her back, her wet hot cunt covered in both her own juices, and Laura's saliva looked so appealing and inviting. He stopped just long enough to give Laura a big juicy kiss, tasting Kelly on her lips, and then mounted the bed and for the first time in a long time, used the standard missionary position, letting his stiff cock get guided into that hot tunnel by Laura's helping hand. Kelly, still peaked from her first orgasm came almost immediately as Todd started to pump steadily into her. With long, slow, deep strokes he measured his pace to bring Kelly over the edge another time before feeling his own cum boiling inside him, felt a hand grasp his scrotum and a tongue on his ass. He grunted as he fired burst after burst into Kelly's womb. Finally, he could take it no longer and with shaking arms managed to roll off Kelly, lying next to her, panting. Laura licked his cock clean, but it was obvious that he would need a bit of time to recover. Silently she padded out of the room returning a few minutes later with bottles of ice-cold Evian. ------- The three of them, Kelly, Laura, and Todd, sat on the bed. Kelly lit her first cigarette since seeing MaryAnn that afternoon. "Two a day," she said. "You can't expect me not to want to smoke after something that intense!" Todd and Laura laughed. "That was pretty intense from what I saw," said Todd. "What started that?" Laura explained that Kelly had started looking for the body lotion that helped prevent stretch marks, and then Cara, who was from all appearances one hell of a masseuse, had volunteered to take care of Kelly. She explained why Cara had said to really prevent any stretching that she should do all of her major skin areas and how things had led from there to what Todd had seen. "Makes sense to me," said Todd. "Oh, Honey, if this is the way I'm going to be treated for the entire pregnancy, I'll keep a journal so the magazine can use parts of it for copy." "So you've considered it? Modeling again?" Todd asked. "Why not?" asked Kelly. "I'm in good shape, I haven't lost my looks, and there are enough people in the business that remember me. Maybe we should make this a package deal. I'll be pregnant, you take the pictures, and Laura can transcribe my notes and write the sidebars!" "A real family affair," said Todd chuckling. "Ah, Todd," said Laura. "I just realized something..." "What's that, Sweetheart?" "Well... With Kell pregnant..." "Yes?" "I guess you are now officially a mother fucker!" Kelly and Todd howled with laughter. ------- "Something must be really funny," said Ami lifting her face from Cara's crotch. "We'll find out later," said Cara. "Just don't stop right now." Ami and Cara had run to their bedroom after Todd had caught them molesting each other and Kelly. Slamming their bedroom door they had ripped off their panties and within seconds were in a loving embrace, legs intertwined humping each other to their first orgasm. When the immediate need had been taken care of, Cara had gone down on Ami and quickly brought her to a second squealing climax. Still full of energy, Ami wasted no time in reciprocating. "We're going to have to get to sleep pretty soon," said Cara after she had regained her breath and the two of them lay cuddled. "Yeah, I know," said Ami, "but I'm hungry! Besides, we can probably nap on the drive down." "And I'm so sweaty now, I really need a shower," said Cara. "Okay, shower first, then we eat. I'm famished!" "And here I thought I was filling enough for you," pouted Cara. "Tasty and satisfyingly delicious," said Ami, "but I think I understand now what they mean when they say you can't live on love!" Laughing, they grabbed their towels and headed for the shower wearing nothing but their skins and satisfied grins. ------- "Why does sex always make me hungry?" Todd asked. "Probably because you burn off so many calories when you fuck!" said Laura. "When I what?" said Todd. "I thought we made love. Does your mother know you talk like that?" Laura laughed. "Baby, we often make love, but what you did tonight was pure and simple fucking!" Kelly laughed as well. After she had finished her cigarette, she had sucked Todd's semi flaccid cock into her mouth, bathing it with her tongue, until he started to swell to full size again. Laura had gotten on her hands and knees allowing Todd to drive his hard cock into her from behind while Kelly crawled underneath her sucking on her nipples and using one of her hands to strum Laura's clit. Todd was stiff, but his previous climax had been very intense and it took him a while to build up to the point where he was ready to unload again. This gave Laura plenty of time to cum three times herself, each successive one more powerful than the one previous. "I need a shower," said Laura. "I smell like sex!" "Mmm, and how delicious you smell," said Kelly. "I know dear," responded Laura, "but we have to hit the road in the morning." Kelly examined the bottle of massage cream. "It says I have to leave this on for an hour." "Okay," said Todd, "so we eat first." ------- As they passed by the bathroom, they could hear the running water of the shower. Kelly stuck her head in and said, "Leave some hot water for the rest of us!" Ami and Cara both laughed. They really enjoyed their showers together. Laura told Kelly to relax and proceeded to gather all the fixings for omelets. Kelly told her about her "Taco Pete" salsa sauce secret for a quick Spanish omelet, and Laura was just beating the eggs when Cara and Ami arrived in the kitchen wearing nothing but smiles. Todd had pulled on a pair of shorts out of respect for the younger girls. "Why don't you and Todd shower now?" said Kelly. "I can take over here and get these two nymphs fed. If you don't take too long, I'll get yours started right afterwards." "Oh Kell, you know it's more fun with the three of us," Laura said with a playful pout. "I know, Sweetheart, but I still need to leave this on a bit longer to get the full benefit. Besides, Todd's had a hard day, and I don't think he'll be up for any more fun and games tonight." "Okay, come on, soft one," said Laura taking Todd by the hand. "We'll only be a few minutes." Cara and Ami wolfed down the delicious omelets, took their second dose of vitamins for the day, and sat back with bottled water. "God, Ami," said Cara. "I can't even close my legs right now I'm so sensitive. You are so good, girl!" Ami blushed as Kelly smiled. "Unless you really get lucky and find a considerate lover of the other gender," Kelly said, "only a woman knows what a woman needs." "And are you and Laura that lucky?" asked Ami. "You mean with Todd?" Kelly asked absently, not realizing that Laura and Todd were coming into the room. "Definitely! Todd can lick pussy better than any guy I've ever known. And he screws better too." "Seconded!" shouted Laura. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," said Todd giving Kelly a hug. It was Kelly's turn to blush. "We're off to bed," said Cara. "To sleep," added Ami. Kelly gave them both a tender kiss on their cheeks, thanking them for their help. "Especially you, Cara. Ami might be the next great photographer, but girl, if physiotherapy doesn't cut it for you, you could make a fortune as a personal masseuse!" Both girls giggled as they ran off to bed. Todd, Laura, and Kelly ate quietly, just exchanging loving glances at each other. Laura washed the dishes while Kelly had a quick shower, and the three of them ended up in the living room with a glass of wine. "Damn," said Todd. "I keep forgetting about the package." "Which package is that dear?" Kelly asked. "The one from Ray that arrived via FedEx today." He got up and retrieved it from the back door. Kelly and Laura watched as Todd opened it. Inside was a shiny black satin windbreaker with the words "Starfleet Command" embroidered in gold on the left hand breast with a matching Trek logo right underneath. Covering most of the back was the official Federation logo in heavy embroidery. "Try it on, Babe," said Laura. It fit like a glove, and Todd beamed. The side pockets were partially made of a corduroy like elastic material in a rich black finish, as was the collar to which Ray had added Captain's pips. Kelly looked in the box looking for a letter and asked Todd what the pieces of cardboard were that was still inside. Todd looked puzzled until he emptied the box on the table. "It's an advertising cut out," he said. "I'll be damned. I'll bet that nobody has one of these yet. It's the new, or rather the first Enterprise." As he started to assemble it, Kelly saw the envelope that had fallen out with the pieces. She opened it, laughed, and then read it out loud for the other two to hear. "My dear friends, How can I begin to thank you for the wonderful picture you sent to me. I had it framed and it now hangs behind my cash register. Some of the regulars recognize Kelly and Laura from their impromptu modeling session in my store while others remember them from other places on the island. All of them want it! Well, almost all of them. The owner of a souvenir photo place here, 'Reliving History, ' came in and said that he wouldn't ever step foot in my store again as long as there was an Ayres portrait hanging there." Todd and Laura howled with laughter. "It seems that 'Stan the Man' is holding a grudge," said Laura. "Wait," said Kelly, "there's more." "That doesn't worry me though. Personally I think he's a P'tag! Since I hung the picture, customer traffic has increased in the store and sales are brisk and getting better. I hope the jacket fits Todd; I'm going on memory here! Al said you would be coming back to Brookhaven soon and I have ordered something special for the ladies. Please come by when you return so I may present it to them. I've also included a display cutout of the new Enterprise. I thought you might enjoy it. Thanks again for all the business both personal and what you have generated for me. Both Kelly and Laura are stunning beauties. Your friend, Ray Todd sat down. "Now that's the kind of man I like to do business with," he said. "Would you girls mind posing sometime next week for a picture for him wearing the Starfleet issue underwear? Something he can hang in the Trek section?" "Gee Todd, Laura and I get big bucks for posing," Kelly said with a smile. Laura laughed. "But for friends it's different, right?" "Always, Sweetheart, as long as it's just for his store. Who knows? Maybe the regional sales rep from Paramount might see it and give us a call." Todd had finished assembling the cutout. "What do you think, Laura, would your dad like this?" "Are you serious?" she asked. "He'd love it. But why would you give it away?" "Honey, you've seen my place. There's not much clutter. I'm mostly on the road or working. Besides, it was your dad who taught you all about Star Trek, and I owe him so much for you." Laura could hardly wait to bring Todd home to meet her parents. "Will you give it to him, Todd?" she asked. Todd looked into her eyes, and slowly nodded. "Although I can't profess my love for you in front of them, I would be proud to meet the people who made you who you are." Kelly smiled. Laura had brought a lot of changes into their lives. She never thought she'd see the day that Todd would be willing to visit with anyone's parents. "Well, guys," Kelly said. "We better hit the hay too if we want to arrive tomorrow bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!" Fifteen minutes later the only sound in the house was the breathing of five very content lovers. ------- The alarm went off at 7:00, and five rested bodies piled the bags into the back of the Hummer right after a light snack of 'mins and fruit with Todd promising them a more substantial breakfast along the way. With the house locked, Cara and Ami climbed into the truck. Laura took a look around and then climbed in as well, but Kelly and Todd just walked to the middle of the street. It was an old joke with them, one the other three were about to learn. Laura, Cara, and Ami waited a few minutes and then Ami stuck her head out the window. "Come on guys. You said we had to hit the road!" Todd looked at Kelly, smiled and both of them dropped to their hands and knees and started pounding on the road. Inside the vehicle the laughter was loud enough to wake the neighbors. Kelly and Todd finally got settled in, and as Todd maneuvered his way to the freeway, Kelly asked how long it would take before the rings were sized. Todd tried to hide his smile. "Don't worry about it, girls, they'll be done before the week is out!" ------- Chapter 18 Todd eased the Hummer onto I-77 heading south towards Columbia. Cara and Ami, having claimed the rear seat for smooching and snoozing, started to sing, "Hit The Road Jack," and Laura and Kelly playfully joined in. Todd just shook his head. The ride was smooth and traffic was light. Kelly and Laura, not being able to decide who would ride solo on the middle bench, had squeezed in together on the wide 'shotgun' seat up front. As they left North Carolina, Laura had said, "Here I go again!" Todd slipped on his aviator sunglasses as the light from the rising sun hit the driver's side window like a halogen searchlight. Even with the darkest legal tinting on the Hummer's windows, it was a very bright morning. "Celeste couldn't have asked for a nicer day to unveil the Wheel," he said. "I hope this is as big a success for her as the InterCoastal project was for the others," said Kelly. "I think anything any of the 'James Gang' does will be successful," said Todd. "Look at Regan. They came in as models and now run the place. And I'll bet JulieAnn tied up a small fortune investment wise on IC stock before the wing was unveiled." Kelly laughingly agreed. "She's a smart cookie all right." They rode for over an hour, clipping along at a good speed listening to CDs, when a sleepy voice piped up from the rear bench. "Didn't you promise us a real breakfast, Todd?" asked Cara. "Yes I did, Kiddo," said Todd. "Can you hold out a little longer? Once we get to Columbia, we'll be more than halfway there." "Yeah, we can hold on," said Ami. "Just wake us when we get there. There's nothing here to see except cows and cotton." "Don't forget rice," added Cara. "Yeah, lots of rice too," said Ami. "I'm shocked to hear such nonchalance about the 'Okra Capital of the US, '" said Kelly. "Yes, mother," snickered Cara. "We'll eat our okra and get big and strong when we grow up!" "You want me to sing again?" threatened Kelly. "Just so the ride isn't so boring?" Cara and Ami both laughed. "No, mommy. Please don't. We'll be good little girls and go back to sleep!" "Humph..." said Kelly. " You'd think I sing like a banshee in heat!" Neither Laura nor Todd said a word. They were trying to cover their smiles. "And thank you two for all the support!" Kelly said, but she couldn't hide her own smile. "That sounds rather nice, don't you think?" mused Laura. "What's that, Honey?" asked Kelly. "The way the girls call you mom. It suits you." "God... I don't think it's really sunk in yet," said Kelly. "Either that or I'm really comfortable with the idea that I've got a little person inside of me." "Think Maurice's will be open this early?" asked Todd. "It's Saturday, I can't see them not being open for business in the morning," said Kelly. "Who's Maurice?" asked Laura. "It's actually Piggy Park / Maurice Gourmet BBQ," said Kelly. "People Magazine named it the best all-in-one Barbeque Restaurant. Maybe we can get a real breakfast of ham and eggs!" The miles passed quickly and soon the road signs and billboards were starting to crowd out the scenery. At the juncture of I-77 and 20 Todd took the off ramp and drove to Devine. True to their word, both Cara and Ami were asleep in the back seat when Todd shut off the engine after parking in the little shade there was. "We better pick up some road supplies here too, before we head out again," said Todd. "We'll be heading east after this and the sun is going to come right through the windshield." Kelly woke the girls up as Laura stretched herself. "It's a great ride, Todd, but I'm not used to long distance road trips." As they sat down to order, Kelly's cell phone rang. "Now I wonder who the hell that could be," said Todd laughing. "Everybody who has that number knows Kelly isn't awake this early!" Kelly shot him a dirty look as she flipped the phone open. "Hello?" "Sure, that's not a problem, JulieAnn. No, Todd won't mind a little side trip. Just let me write down the address." Kelly scrambled for a pen and scribbled on a napkin. "Okay, I've got it, and I'm sure Cara or Ami can point it out if we can get them to stay awake long enough," she said with a laugh. "So we'll see you in a while." Kelly disconnected and put her phone back in her purse. "We'll be picking up Erin before we get to the marina," said Kelly. "Seems she had a practice yesterday and everybody's too busy getting the final details done to pick her up." "Okay," said Todd, "It's not that far out of the way." ------- Forty-five minutes later, after a very satisfying breakfast of steak and eggs with home fries, they climbed back into the Hummer. At Kelly's insistence, they had picked up a case of Maurice's Gourmet Blend BBQ Sauce for Sara. Todd loaded it into the back of the Hummer. "You realize of course that we'll have to pick up some for ourselves on the way back, right, Honey?" Kelly cooed in his ear. Todd just smiled. He would do anything for Kelly or Laura, he realized. "I hope you guys don't mind," said Kelly, "but I think I'll grab the middle bench and try to nap for a bit." "I think I'll join you, Kell," said Laura. "Todd wore me out last night." "Can you handle it by yourself, Honey?" Kelly asked Todd. "Sure, no problem. There's just an hour left to go. Grab a few winks. I'll be okay." Todd put the other items they purchased in the front seat, broke open a near frozen bottle of water, and pulled out of the parking lot with both visors lowered and the air conditioner on. Cara and Ami dropped right back to sleep again, and shortly after Todd turned on to I-26 towards Charleston, he heard Kelly and Laura's gentle breathing, fast asleep. Todd was looking forward to seeing Chuck again. While Vanetta had told Gloria about the pregnancy, neither Todd nor Kelly had any family to break the happy news to. They had decided last night to wait with telling others of the news until the company picnic, but had made an exception for the "James Gang" and Chuck and Anna. Todd's thoughts of Chuck and his admiration for the older man were interrupted as Ami crawled over the seats to join him up front. "Cara still asleep?" he asked. "Like a log!" said Ami. "You don't mind if I ride shotgun for a while, do you?" Todd chuckled. "Not at all. Glad to have the company." Ami had her camera out and twisted in the seat till she sat cross-legged focusing on Todd, her shorts riding up her thighs high enough for Todd to see her panties. She noticed him looking. "You don't miss much, do you?" she asked. "Real photographers don't," he chuckled. "I'll have to keep that in mind," Ami said with a smile, but did nothing to change her position. "Did you know that photographers are the most camera shy of all people?" Todd asked. "Really?" CLICK "I would never have guessed it," said Ami. She adjusted her position a bit, exposing yet more of her panties, placing her feet against the wide center console and her back against the door, her knees wide apart so she could see Todd through the viewfinder. Todd chuckled. "I guess you won't suffer from that problem." "Well, you'll be seeing a lot more if you do the portrait of me that Cara wants, the way she wants it, and you did promise to do a series of pictures of me and Cara like the ones you did of Kelly and Laura together." "That I did promise, Ami, but there's a difference between me behind the lens shooting a subject and you sitting there as a person." "Does it bother you? Me sitting this way?" "No," Todd said with a smile. "Even if you were trying to hit on me which I know you aren't, it wouldn't bother me. Maybe I'm just a bit curious." CLICK "I guess that after all these years of pent up frustration and hiding my feelings in the closet," she giggled at her own pun, "I just feel more like a woman now and I feel very sexually liberated." "It must feel good to finally be yourself," Todd said. "Oh, it feels better than good," Ami laughed. CLICK Todd laughed again. "What's your shutter speed set at?" "250," said Ami. "There's more than enough light to shoot at that speed and still keep the F stop at 5.6." "And you're taking your light reading from where?" "I'm splitting the difference between the shadows on your face and the light coming in through the window," she answered. "I'll tell you a trick," said Todd. "To get a sense of movement, decrease the shutter speed to 1/60 and tighten up the F stop to get a meter reading just from my face." "Won't that over-expose the picture?" asked Ami. "Not if you focus only on my face," said Todd. "I'll be perfectly lit and clearly focused, but it will blur the view out of the window and increase the light outside. A nice study in contrasts." CLICK! Todd pointed to the Jerky and bottled water. "Help yourself, kiddo." As Ami opened up a bottle of Evian, she mentioned that if they took a right turn now, they would be at her home in ten minutes. "Should I turn here for Erin?" Todd asked. "No, James and Erin live closer to the other end of town. I'll tell you where to get off for the shortest distance." "Are you homesick, Ami?" Todd asked with concern. "Nope, just making an observation is all. We're used to being gone for weeks at a time. I know we've only just been with you guys for a week, but you know... it feels like that was another life, one that I remember but it seems like so long ago now." "I think I understand," said Todd. "Been a lot of changes eh?" "To say the least. When we were in training, we didn't think for ourselves. We were told what to do and when to do it. Even when we weren't competing or training, the time we had to ourselves was still focused and to a schedule." Todd laughed again. "I know what you mean. It's like the military. You have ten minutes of free time. Have fun! That's an order!" Ami laughed with him. "That's it exactly!" "Any plans on how you're going to deal with things when you go home?" Ami turned serious. "Yeah, Cara and I were discussing that last night. We know we still have to finish the mandatory classroom hours, but you got us thinking about our future. We think we can deal with things knowing that we are welcome at Kelly's and both Cara and I are going to apply to UNC early. Our grades are good, and though it didn't earn us any money, making it to the Nationals looks good on the application forms." "I see you've given this a lot of thought," said Todd. "Well, it's because of you guys. We can't go back to our old way of life now. Too much has changed." The surrounding scenery was changing. Heavy forest growth crowded the road only separated by the occasional small town. Todd had been following the Ashley River and soon after passing Magnolia Gardens, turned north on US-17. Soon they passed the airstrip where Laura had taken the girls for their flight to Charlotte. "Okay, turn at the next intersection and I'll guide you," said Ami. "Have you and Cara decided if you're going to tell Erin about your new relationship?" "Well, we think that the fewer people who know, the easier it will be to get through the last year at school," said Ami, "but we think we're going to tell Erin." "Smart thinking. People want to think that we've evolved and we're more open-minded, but the truth is, there are still a lot of people uncomfortable with their sexuality. But just out of curiosity, why tell Erin?" "Cara and I think she'll be able to handle it cause of the situation with her brother and all his girlfriends. She knows they keep each other 'company' when he's not with them. Besides," Ami added with a laugh, "Erin has known us too long for her not to catch on that something has changed." With Ami giving specific directions, they arrived at the Mitchell house in minutes. Erin was sitting outside with a small travel bag at her feet. "I thought you guys would never get here," she said to Ami after saying hi to Todd. "Well excuse us," said Ami, "we had to stop and eat, you know!" Erin laughed as she climbed into the front seat with Ami after seeing Cara asleep in the rear and Kelly and Laura cuddled on the middle bench. "How did you guys like your first week as models?" "Well, we haven't been doing any real modeling yet," said Ami. "We've been planning and prepping for the poses, and Kelly has been working at taking years of wear and tear off our bodies. Look at my hands!" "Wow. I noticed the haircut right away, and your face has a glow to it. You'll have to tell me what you use." Ami laughed. She wasn't quite ready yet to tell her friend that the glow was not the result of anything that Kelly had found in a bottle. As Todd got back on the freeway, the girls guided him to the quickest route to the marina. "Just keep your eyes out for the Dam Road," said Todd. Ami laughed. "Which damn road do you want?" Todd couldn't help but laugh with her. "It's called the Dam Road because it leads to the dam just outside of the Marina." "I knew that," said Ami. "Remember? I grew up in this neck of the woods." Twenty minutes later they were following the Dam Road on the left. It was as narrow as Todd remembered, and heavily wooded. He was thankful he had ordered three layers of clear coat for the Hummer as branches brushed against the vehicle on this stretch. Even moving at a much slower pace than he had maintained on the highways, and with the Hummer's excellent suspension, the ride was just bumpy enough to wake the other three. "Where are we?" asked Laura. "We're on the Dam Road," said Ami. "I know that!" said Laura, "which damn road?" Todd, Ami, and Erin laughed. Todd pulled over to give the girls a chance to stretch and freshen up before he pulled into Max's Marina. Cara, Ami, and Erin moved away from the truck and did some stretching from their warm up routines. "How much further?" Laura asked. "Another five miles from here to the marina," said Todd, "and a bit more to the village." "Are we going to the village?" "No, Honey, we're going to spend the night on a boat," said Kelly. "Julie-Ann has arranged it for us." "Oh, kinky sex!" gushed Laura. Todd looked up with surprise, the water he had been drinking dribbling down his chin. "What's so kinky about sex on a boat?" he asked. "It's like on a water bed, I guess," said Laura. "All you have to do is stay hard and Kelly and I can just ride you to the rhythm of the waves!" "And ALL I have to do is stay hard? That's not so easy with you two!" "Don't worry, Sweetheart," said Kelly. "What goes down we can always blow back up!" Laura laughed as she climbed back into the Hummer. "Rock me gently... Rock me slowly," Kelly was softly singing as she climbed in after Laura. With Kelly and Laura riding shotgun again, Cara, Ami, and Erin climbed into the rear seat so they could talk quietly and catch up. "The coaches all said to say hi to you guys," Erin said as Todd eased back on to the road. "God, I can't get over the change in you two in just a week!" "Well," said Ami, "aside from the vitamins Kelly has been forcing down our throats we've been to salons and spas." "It's amazing what good clean living can do for you," added Cara. Ami snorted in amusement, causing a puzzled expression on Erin's face. Changing the subject before Erin could ask what that remark was all about, Cara asked if she was going to be competing in the Southwestern Friendship games. She herself had been twice and Ami had gone last year for her first time. Erin had still been just a bit too young to go last year. "Yeah, the last week in August," Erin said, "the coach thinks I will be ready to introduce the 'Mitchell' there cause it'll be the last meet of the season. If I don't screw up or break anything, it'll be the talk of the meet, and something a lot of people will want to learn before the next season starts." "You'll pull it off, Erin," Ami said. Cara nodded in agreement, adding, "I'm glad I won't have to compete against you!" "Amen to that," said Ami. "I really don't want any more sprained or broken bones!" "Uh, will you be bunking with us tonight?" asked Cara. "No," Erin said regretfully. "James wants me to stay at the cottage, though why he wants another girl there is beyond me. You'd think he has his hands full already!" "Yeah," said Cara with a meaningful look at Ami, "We've sort of got something to tell you about a similar situation." ------- Brenda spotted them first and waved them over to where she was standing with Nicole and JulieAnn. Todd pulled the Hummer right up to her and Kelly jumped out and gave Brenda a big hug and kiss. Laura followed Kelly, who introduced her to Nicole. Todd shook Nicole's hand, gave Jules a hug, and then hugged Brenda. "Now if somebody can tell me where to unload this stuff, I can get our ride out of the way." JulieAnn laughed and pointed to the CL1, berthed less than fifty yards away. "Wow," said Kelly, "that's not a boat, that's a yacht!" "The CL1, nothing but the best for our friends," said JulieAnn. "Of course the, ahem, 'Lady' who commissioned her might not approve of your lifestyle, but she's currently busy with a financial setback in her own company." "Not to mention being investigated by the SEC for insider trading," added Nicole. Laura looked puzzled. Kelly started to laugh. "I get it," she said. "CL one! Clone! I love it!" Todd shook his head in amusement and moved the Hummer closer to the boat. Cara, Ami and Erin went along to help him stow their stuff, then Erin grabbed her bag and asked if it would be okay to take her friends with her to find her brother. "Sure," he said. "Tell Kelly where you're going. You've got our numbers, right?" he asked Cara and Ami. "Just give one of us a call if you need something. I'm sure there'll be a cell close by wherever you go. Have a good time." Cara and Ami grabbed their bathing suits and tore off with Erin to tell Kelly and Laura while Todd parked the truck. By the time he made it back to where Kelly and Laura were still chatting with Brenda, JulieAnn, and Nicole, the younger ones were out of sight. "I've put all the stuff in the berth," he said, "I'll leave it to you ladies to unpack it!" Laura gave him a playful punch in the arm. "And where do you think you're going?" "Well, I was hoping to find Chuck. I've got the pictures he wanted, and this is a pretty crowded place." Nicole laughed. "You and Chuck are a lot alike. He's not much into crowds either. He's staying up at the Marriott Inn in the village. He has the executive suite with a beautiful view of the marina so he can keep an eye on what goes on while he stays back and out of it." "Looks like I'll take a stroll to town then," said Todd, shifting the large mounted prints to his other arm. "Let me give you a ride," said Nicole. "JulieAnn and I need to drop off some paperwork with him anyway, and I think these three want to do a bit of catching up themselves." Brenda and Kelly both blushed. Laura looked a bit lost, a look that did not go unnoticed by Brenda. Wrapping her arms through both Kelly and Laura's she said, "You go and shoot the breeze with Chuck. He really likes you, Todd. And I want to give your ladies a very detailed look at the sleeping arrangements. Just to make sure all three of you will fit in the bed." It was Todd's turn to blush but Nicole just laughed. "Just remember to leave your phone on 'ring' mode, Brenda. I don't want to have to get another new battery for it just because you turned it to vibrate and then asked all your friends to call you!" Everybody laughed as Brenda haughtily lifted her chin, deeming the comment beneath her dignity to bother to reply. Jules brought her car over and Nicole and Todd got in. ------- Todd knew there had to be a speed limit on the road from the Marina to town, but that fact seemed to escape JulieAnn's attention. Within five minutes she had the car parked in front of the Marriott and they were entering the lobby. Nicole used the house phone and buzzed Chuck's room, who promptly told them to come up. "Is Anna here with her grandfather?" Todd asked. "She came with him last night," said Nicole, "but she's been clinging to Amanda. I have no idea where they are right now." Chuck was standing in the doorway of his suite, bidding them to enter. Nicole said that she and JulieAnn couldn't stay, she just wanted to drop off the paperwork on the project they had discussed earlier and since Todd needed a ride... "Anyway, I still have a thousand things to do, all small details," Nicole said. "I'm sure you understand, Chuck." Chuck smiled at her, took the papers, and said he would read it over carefully tonight. Quick hugs and Nicole and Jules were gone. Chuck looked at Todd who was still standing. "Son, you look like you've got something on your mind." Todd nodded and absently handed over the picture of Anna. Chuck took it from him and closed the door. "You want a beer, son? You look like you could use one." Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, Todd said, "Thanks, Chuck. A beer would be good right about now." Chuck brought out two bottles of Corona and they moved to the balcony to sit and watch the goings on at the marina. Todd took a deep swallow and sat back. From their position on the hill, they could clearly see the marina, the people looking like ants scurrying around. Todd was soon transfixed in thought again. "Todd... I don't want to interfere or poke my nose where it's not wanted but do you want to talk about what's on your mind? I haven't seen a look like the one you have right now since 'Nam." Todd turned slowly, the enormity of his situation growing large in his mind once again. "Chuck... I'm going to be a father." ------- "You're WHAT?" and a hot and sweaty Brenda nearly fell off the bed. The three girls had unpacked and stowed their clothes and Kelly and Laura had started to strip down to change into their bathing suits. Laura had been a bit shy with Brenda in the room even though she had felt at ease with Cara and Ami. These were confusing thoughts for Laura. Why did she feel at ease with the gymnasts and shy in front of Brenda? Was it because Brenda was the one who had made it possible for Kelly to love? Or was it because Kelly and Brenda had shared intimate pleasures? Brenda noticed Laura was hesitant and knew what the other girl was thinking. She also knew that Laura was not jealous as she shared herself with Kelly and Todd. The outgoing vivacious girl she had met at Regan's seemed to become demure, almost passive. Deciding to take a chance Brenda got up and moved closer to Laura and with agile fingers slipped Laura's top off and had her bra undone in a second. "Don't mind me," Brenda said to Laura. "I've been dying to see what Kelly is so hot about." Kelly laughed and Laura blushed. "Damned if I know," said Laura, "but she never seems to get enough of me! And I know I can't get enough of her!" Kelly had moved in behind Brenda and undid her top, leveling the playing field. Brenda got goose bumps as Kelly's hands cupped her unfettered breasts. "Look, Laura," Kelly exclaimed. "Ever see freckles on goose bumps?" Laura had to laugh, breaking the tension. She looked closely at Brenda and then gave her a deep, soulful kiss, "Thank you again for what you did for Kelly. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be the luckiest girl in the world!" "Well, I'm not sure who's the luckiest," said Brenda as she kissed Laura back, "but you are most certainly very welcome!" True to her word, Brenda made sure that three could fit comfortably on the bed, and they were into a very serious smooch and grope fest when Kelly had said, "Mmmm, Brenda, guess what?" When she saw she had Brenda's attention, she went on, "I'm going to have a baby!" Brenda's mouth fell open, and then she squeaked as her knee slipped over the side of the bed. She caught herself and looked at Kelly "For real?" "Yes, for real!" Kelly smiled. "Oh Wow! That's wonderful! Congratulations! Ooo! I have to tell the... Please don't tell me I can't tell the rest of the gang," she finished, pleadingly. "I can't keep this a secret! I just can't!" Kelly smiled. "It's not a secret from our friends," she said, "we just wanted to wait until we got here to tell you the news. We just found out ourselves." Brenda grabbed her cell phone and punched a speed dial number. "Amanda? Listen! Kelly's going to have a baby!" ------- Chuck saw the tears forming in Todd's eyes and quickly moved to embrace the younger man, with the thought that he would be proud to call this man his son. "I know, Todd. I understand." Todd cried silently for nearly five minutes, his shoulders shaking in Chuck's arms. Chuck had his eyes closed for fear of tears himself. He really did understand what Todd was feeling. The joy of fatherhood coupled with the anxiety of bringing a new life into this world and the uncertainty about being up to the job. Chuck had listened when Todd had spoken about his own parents, and knew what was troubling Todd. "You're going to make a great father, Todd. I think I know you well enough to say that without any hesitation. You're a kind person, you have a real heart, and you care. You are not your father or mother. I've seen you with Anna and I've seen how happy Kelly and Laura are. This is going to be one lucky baby." Todd sniffled and looked at Chuck. "Thanks, Chuck. When I first heard the news all I could think about was how happy Kelly was and Laura got caught up in it, and I was overwhelmed. Then we decided we would tell you and Anna and the 'James Gang, ' but it wasn't until I saw you that I realized I have no family to give this child." "Maybe not a biological background family, Todd, but you certainly have family. I'd be right proud to fill in as a grandfather, and the baby will have more aunts to fuss over it than most babies!" Todd's eyes threatened to mist over again. Chuck smiled at him and said, "You think about that, son, and I'll get us another beer." ------- Powered by cell-phones, Kelly's news spread through the James gang from Brenda's single call to Amanda just short of the speed of light. Jules and Nicole caught the call while JulieAnn was breaking yet another land speed record, Celeste heard it while checking the ribs on the smaller wheel they were taking to the Eyrie later that afternoon. Sara heard the news from Sherri who was molesting her. Within minutes return calls of congratulations were flying to both Todd and Kelly. Todd looked at Chuck and smiled as he received more congratulations from yet another member of the "James Gang." "I guess you were right, Chuck. Friends are the family you pick out for yourself. That was Amanda, she and Anna are headed back here to share the news personally. They're going to pick up Kelly and Laura on the way." "That's probably just as well," said Chuck, "I see the media wolf pack starting to converge on the parking lot. It must be getting close to show time." Todd looked down and watched as various TV news vans gathered around the marina parking lot, satellite dishes unfurling and rotating to point at their unseen targets. He was trying to read some of the names on the news vans when Chuck handed him a set of high-powered binoculars. "Try these, Todd. I've learned from experience that if I want to stay out of the crowd, these can help me still get a bird's eye view of the action." Todd laughed. "I used to use my camera with the 800mm lens to do the same thing." "Todd..." "Yes?" "I'm not sure how to put this delicately." Chuck said. Todd put down the glasses and turned to face the older man. "So just say it, Chuck." Chuck grinned. "It's funny but I've always been accused of saying exactly what was on my mind and damn the consequences, but this is... well, it's about you and Kelly. I wasn't going to say anything, but seeing you today, how you felt about your 'family, ' well, damn it, after you left my place I made a few phone calls." Todd was looking with interest at Chuck, whose smile had disappeared. "So, you made some phone calls. As far as I know that's not a crime," said Todd. "No, it's not a crime, but I don't want you or Kelly thinking that I've been snooping into your personal affairs either." "Oh?" "You suggested that I call one of the TV 'talk show' people to get in touch with somebody to help me find my daughter. I took your advice, but damn it, I'm not without means, Todd, and what you said about beating kids really bothered me. I called on an old friend from my days in the service who has established a really good private investigation agency in Hollywood. He's already got a lead on Deanna and told me that he would probably have an agent talking to her this weekend. I only asked him to pass a message on to her." Chuck sighed and gathered his thoughts. "Kelly was the one who suggested that I try to let Deanna know I love her and miss her, so that's what I told the agent to say: I love her, and I miss her so much and if she can forgive a stubborn old man I really want her back in my life and especially in Anna's." Todd was nodding in agreement, his eyes misting. "This way I'll be sure she got the message, and if she wants to have contact with me, she'll call. If she doesn't then the agent will just confirm that she is alive and well and knows I miss her." "That's a good plan, Chuck, but what does that have to do with Kelly and me?" "Well, when I was talking to my friend, I remembered what you said about a real horror story, that if I wanted to hear one to ask Kelly. I didn't want to dredge up any bad memories for her, so I asked my buddy to do a background search on both of you." "Ah, I see," said Todd. "I really hope you won't be upset at me," Chuck said. "If you hadn't said anything about it, Chuck, we wouldn't even know. I suspect you have a reason for telling me this. But before you tell me, just let me say that I'm not upset and I'm sure Kelly won't be either. Most of our lives are public knowledge anyway." "Thanks, Todd, but I doubt if what I found out is common or public knowledge." Todd tilted his head with an enquiring look but said nothing. Chuck took a swallow from his beer and began reciting from memory the report he had received just two days ago. "Todd Ayres, born September 29th 1974, to Adrian and Betsy Vanden Ayres. Born in the town of Helmond in the province of North Brabant. Moved to the US in 1981 supposedly to find better employment opportunities for Adrian." Chuck paused for effect. "However, the real reason for the sudden move was because the Dutch version of the Child Protection Agency had followed up on a complaint made by a neighbor about abuse of their son." Todd's head snapped up. This was news to him! "Though there was evidence that abuse had taken place, the neighbor had been afraid to testify and the case was dropped with a severe warning. Three months later you landed in a suburb of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Raised in a very strict Catholic home, your parents moved from state to state when the church couldn't protect them from the constant calls to the CPA. By the time you were 14, you had a record with the Child Protection Services that was over an inch thick. People did really care about you, Todd, and your mother and father soon discovered that Americans seeing a young boy beaten were much more willing to give statements and testify. Seeing they might be deported, your parents eased up on the physical punishment, but according to the report I read, you had already discovered your love of photography. You moved out of your parents' house when you were 17, already earning a good living with your creative eye. You attended University with a partial scholarship, and paid your own way through obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. By 20 you were in therapy, had legally changed your name to Ayres and though you had earned your first million by the age of 22, you didn't seem to get focused in your work until you did a certain swimsuit edition of a popular Sports magazine in 1995. I guess I don't need to tell you what happened at that shoot in Jamaica." Todd shook his head in wonder. "That's amazing, Chuck. I didn't even know all that. So, you think that Kelly had a lot to do with the direction my life took?" Chuck laughed. "Well, after that shoot in Jamaica, your work load started to gear more towards runway and fashion shoots and you turned down more work than any living photographer today. You seemed very selective about which models you would work with and gained a reputation for bringing the best out in each of them. Most of the top models in the 90's had you listed for 'preferred photographer' and were willing to wait or pay. If you like I can look up the paperwork and tell you how much you earned during those years." Todd laughed. "No, that won't be necessary, Chuck. That's a hell of an investigation service your friend runs!" Chuck nodded. "That's why I know they will find Deanna and pass my message on to her. But let's get back to your life. It's very interesting. You quit straight fashion photography when you and Kelly opened your own agency in '98. You're still a long way from the biggest, but your clients are big corporations and you supply over 300 models with regular work. You changed from fashion photography to a very diverse field but the results, as seen in the IC shoot last month, have been fantastic. You only take jobs now that interest you and your interests are very diverse. You do as much photography for free or at cost as you do for the big bucks. And it came as no surprise to discover you were a card carrying member of Mensa." Todd blushed. "It's not something I advertise," he said. "So, when I say you are going to make a great father, Todd, I'm basing it not only on personal observations, but on documented facts. I can understand you not wanting any relationship with your parents, but you still have a rich cultural history to pass on to your child." "This was eye opening and fascinating, Chuck, what did you find out about Kelly? She rarely mentions anything about her life before she became a model." Chuck rubbed his face as if thinking. "I guess I can tell you about Kelly. After all she is carrying your baby, but unless she asks, I won't ever mention this to her. What I'm about to tell you might surprise you. Are you sure you want to hear this? It's a pretty gruesome story." Todd thought about it for a minute and then said, "Yes, please. I know her so well, yet I don't really know anything about her at all other than who she is today." "Okay. Kelly Jennsen was born October 15th 1977 in Buffalo, New York. Her birth name was Kelly Melissa Johnson. Her father never married her mother and earned money in every shady deal possible. He had a criminal record that consisted mostly of petty theft and assault. Her mother, Melissa Johnson, also had a record as a prostitute and for petty theft. Both were heavy drug users. Though there is evidence to support allegations of abuse, Kelly managed to keep clear of them from the age of six. Quite a smart child, she took care of herself for the most part. There is nothing really outstanding in her early life until shortly before her twelfth birthday. One day, she was spotted in a local mall by a model scout. He managed to get her name and address from her friends, and he approached her parents about her becoming a model. They said they weren't paying for any pictures, and he saw an opportunity. The bastard bought her. He paid her parents twenty-five thousand dollars, and became her legal guardian. Todd interrupted. "Her friends remembered this?" "No, they got it from records. I'll explain in a moment. Anyway, Kelly made her modeling debut at the age of twelve. She was making good money and it should have paid for any kind of education she wanted, but her 'agent' was taking almost all her earnings. By the time she was fourteen, she had figured out what was going on, and filed an emancipation suit against her parents for selling her into servitude, and another against her agent. Her father did three years; her mother got a good behavior bond. The agent ended up with worse. Chuck paused. "This is where the story gets nasty. Are you sure you want to hear the rest of it?" Todd sat back breathing deeply, slowly nodding his head. "Aside from selling her as a model, there were allegations that he was forcing her into sex from the age of 12 till she figured out a way to escape his clutches and avoid being returned to her parents. Kelly never did find out that her father went to jail; those charges and the ones against the agent were made after the hearing by the state. The agent made a plea bargain with the New York Assistant District Attorney. All of his assets were liquidated and placed in a trust fund for Kelly. He lost everything and aside from not admitting his guilt in the rape of a minor, pleaded no contest to all the other charges. Kelly soon found a reputable company to represent her and became one of the more popular models on the circuit. The judge at the hearing who allowed her to gain her independence had placed one condition on the release of her trust fund. As it was a very sizable amount - they recovered over half a million from the bank accounts and the agent's assets - the judge didn't want a 14 year old living on her own with that much money so he appointed a financial investment banker to keep her on a living allowance but not to release the entire amount until she turned 21 or had finished school. Aside from the obvious reason of age, Kelly had to meet with a psychiatrist for a number of sessions to see if she was mature enough to handle life as an emancipated minor. The psychiatrist's report to the court was that she was stable, but had a borderline personality disorder. She could turn into a full blown bi-polar personality but at the time and up to the present she has shown no further signs of it other than her OC traits." Todd tilted his head fixing Chuck with a quizzical look. "Yes, that's well documented too, Todd. Her smoking habit is probably the most noticeable, but she is also obsessed with justice and fair treatment, which in the case of your agency works to the advantage of your models. Unlike many Obsessive / Compulsives, she's managed to avoid drinking to excess and gambling, and the only other obsessive trait she has shown is her fixation with vitamins and health food supplements. I'd say she's made some healthy choices." Todd nodded his understanding and agreement. Chuck continued, "They were good years investment wise, and the bank earned substantial interest on the money and they were left to tend most of it because Kelly turned out to be a model in high demand. She made it a point to get her education though and when she graduated High School in 1993, the bank turned over control of her portfolio which at that time had grown to just over $800,000. Kelly had also accumulated a huge bankroll on her own during this period as she needed nothing fancy in the way of a place to live because she was constantly working and staying on location. Then in 1995 she landed the center spread in a swim suit edition wearing little more than a smile, and her career really moved ahead and her fees tripled." Todd was smiling as he recalled meeting Kelly that first time in Jamaica. "Then in 1998, Kelly, who had officially changed her name to the one the agent had given her, Jennsen, retired from the runways and opened up an agency of her own with a photographer friend she had met in 1995." "Now if you like, Todd, I could tell you how many visits you've made to various dentists and doctors, but I think that you see the picture." Todd sat for a few minutes both absorbing the information Chuck had uncovered and wondering about Kelly's past. She had never told him anything about the abuse from her parents and had only hinted that her relationship with her agent at that time was a very unpleasant experience. "Chuck, I appreciate you telling me all this, and I understand why you felt the need to know more about us. I agree it would be better if we don't tell Kelly about what you uncovered about her parents or the man who bought her. She's really happy with life now and has kept this a secret to the point where I think she's blocked out the past in her mind. I don't think bringing up her past would accomplish anything positive or healing to her life." Chuck nodded and said, "I agree, Todd, the only reason I told you was because you felt the need to give your child a family, and the truth is, neither you nor Kelly really has any family except the family the two of you have created for yourselves. A family I hope you will allow me to be a part of." Todd stood and embraced the older man. "You're stuck with us now, Chuck!" he said with a smile. "Thanks for understanding and thanks for filling in the blanks." They were still in an embrace, a tear of relief and happiness rolling down Chuck's cheek when the door opened and Amanda, Anna, Kelly, and Laura walked in. "Grandpa, why are you crying?" Anna asked. Chuck wiped away the tear and smiled at his own precious gift. "We were celebrating the good news, Sweetheart." Then he turned to Kelly and gave her a sweeping big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations, Kelly." Kelly smiled, blushed, and then kissed him back. Chuck next turned to Laura and gave her a hug and a big welcome. "Hey," said Amanda, "when do I get the royal hug treatment?" ------- Twenty minutes later, after they had devoured most of the fruit and snack foods in Chuck's suite, they were seated on the balcony. Amanda claimed Chuck's lap while Anna had managed to climb on to Todd's. Kelly and Laura took a chair each and blocked Todd and Anna in. Chuck no longer seemed uncomfortable with the displays of affection he received from Amanda, and lightly held her when the noise of an arriving helicopter stopped all conversation and drew their attention to the marina parking lot. "This is what I like," said Todd. "I get to see it all and yet don't have to be in the middle of it." "Look at all those reporters trying to fight the rotor wash," said Chuck. "Seems like too close isn't close enough for them." Amanda picked up Chuck's binoculars and watched the reporters being held back by Celeste's crew. "They're going to be pretty upset," she said. "The best view is going to be from... Hey! Erin and her friends are on the roof of Sandy's!" "What?" said Todd. "Where's Sandy's?" "Sandy is the owner of the restaurant. The one facing the marina," explained Amanda. Todd took the glasses from Amanda and swept the area then started laughing. He handed the binoculars to Kelly and said, "Looks like Ami might get the best shot of all!" As Kelly looked through the glasses, she could see Ami sitting on her heels with the camera glued to her eye and her elbow on Cara's shoulder. She laughed as she passed the glasses to Laura. "Looks like you were right about her, Todd," said Kelly. "She found the perfect spot to see it all." "Yeah, she's in the right place for the picture," said Todd, "but I don't know yet what's going to happen. I thought the 'Wheel' was finished." "It is," said Amanda. "That's the first one over on the side of Max's. It's now our office. This is a smaller one that Celeste had her cubs put together for us to go where Mueller had originally planned it to stand. Out by the cottage on the island. It's got a large bedroom, a bathroom and an indoor / outdoor Jacuzzi and a wedge for a front patio with a high-diving board!" "Celeste's cubs?" asked Laura. "Yeah, her construction crew. She was a bit of a bear with them when they first started. Didn't think a girl could be hands-on contractor, but after she growled a few times they took her seriously. Since then we've called them her cubs." "So, how come you got a military helicopter?" Todd asked. Amanda fixed him with one of those, 'how dense are you' looks. "Duh... We need to get it out there! It's not exactly something we can carry over on a boat and lug up the cliff." "Duh yourself, Blondie! That much I had figured out myself. That thing in the parking lot has a hook on top of it, and I didn't think you'd build something so floppy to stay in the parking lot. I was just curious as to why a military helicopter!" "Oh," said Amanda blushing. Chuck was roaring with laughter. "I understand that Mueller's widow had something to do with that," said Chuck. "Yeah," said Amanda. "Marjorie contacted the military and told them about the project and how Mueller's design could be used for deploying pre-assembled quarters to any area no matter what the terrain. And when they're done, they can just pick them up again and put them someplace else." "Hmm," said Todd. "So I take it that the limp form is intentional." "Right. You'll see in a minute," said Amanda. The big cargo helicopter moved closer to the wheel and hovering, lowered a large hook down to the structure below. It was easy to spot Celeste and one of her workers on the roof of the 'Wheel.' Celeste appeared to be talking into a radio while the worker pushed the heavy hook into place. The cable tightened and for a minute it looked like Celeste might fall off, but after a last minute check to see the connection was secure, she quickly scrambled off the building. Slowly the helicopter started to rise, drawing up the cable as it did. The sides of the wheel started to close upwards like an umbrella. "What about the worker still on top?" asked Laura, "isn't he going to get off?" Amanda took the glasses. "That's not one of Celeste's cubs... That's James!" As the sides of the wheel kept climbing higher and higher, everyone stood to see when James was going to get off, but with a rush of power, the helicopter started to pull away. "It's quite an ingenious design," said Chuck. "Folded like that, I can see where the military would be interested. It would be easy to store and easy to deploy. I think they'll find an easier way of hooking up to it and releasing it." "But James is stuck in there!" wailed Amanda. Chuck placed a calming arm around her. "He's not stuck, he's only going along for the ride. Somebody has to unhook it at the other end." They watched Celeste as she got into one of the boats. The driver kicked the throttle wide open and in just minutes, they had passed the helicopter and were on their way to the Eyrie. As they sat back down watching the helicopter make its way across the marina, Chuck said, "I'd sure like to see the support structure on the other end." "Why's that, Chuck?" Todd asked. "Well, since it's not going to be sitting on flat ground, Celeste must have designed it to sit on a pedestal of sorts. Probably something like a support column." "You'll get to see it unfold, Chuck," said Amanda. "You couldn't hear it because of the helicopter, but look up there." Everyone turned to look at where she was pointing. Up above, but out of the way, was an Ultra-Light. "Jules is video taping it from the ground at the Eyrie and Sara and Sherri are taping it all from the sky. Once it's up and assembled, we'll be making copies of the video available for the press. James bought a multi copy burning unit and we'll burn CDs in bulk while the press is quizzing Celeste and stuffing their faces." "Smart thinking," said Todd. "And everybody will get to see how quick and easily these units can be set up," said Chuck. Laura raided Chuck's fridge and brought out bottles of Evian as everybody sat down again. Amanda returned to Chuck's lap and Anna planted herself on Todd again. It only took the helicopter crew 15 minutes to get the 'Wheel' in place and from their vantage point, they could see the 'Wheel' slowly open up just as it had closed, like an oversized umbrella, the arms and ribs slowly started to expand until it was completely opened. "Celeste has part of her crew out there now with the smaller pieces that will lock it into place after it's all level and the cables are tightened," said Amanda. "She figures it will take them about half an hour and then Mueller's dream will have become a reality." ------- "Well, I suppose we should go and mingle a bit," said Chuck. "Yep," said Todd with a grimace. "I'm not thrilled with the crowd, but we should give Celeste and the gang our congratulations." "Just congratulate me," said Amanda who was nestled on Chuck's lap. "I'll pass it on to the rest." "Somehow I don't think it will sound the same," said Chuck as he untangled her lithe body from his. "Hey, Kell, are you up for a walk?" Todd asked. "All I've done all day is sit." "I'm up for it," Chuck said. "It's good and healthy so I'll walk with you." "Yeah," echoed Kelly. "It's just a few miles. By the time we get there, the press should be done asking questions and feeding their faces." "I'm game," said Laura. "Me too, Grandpa!" "Damn it," mumbled Amanda. "Outnumbered by health freaks. Oh, all right. If you insist on slow motion." Chuck laughed. "Now Amanda, you can drive down if you want, but sometimes it's good to take life at a more leisurely pace." And it was a pleasurable walk. Something about walking makes conversation easier, and 45 minutes later, they entered the parking lot, a ragtag group of smiling faces. Ami spotted Todd and came running towards him. "Did ya see it?" she asked all excited. Todd smiled at her. "Yeah, we saw it and we also saw you had the best seat in the house. What made you think of going on the roof?" "When I heard that it was going to be lifted to the island, all I could think about was going up, so I looked for the best spot that was higher than the crowd," Ami said. "I hope the shots come out as good as they looked through the lens!" "We'll know soon enough, Ami. We'll process all your film when we get back." Todd spotted Sara and remembered the case of BBQ sauce in the Hummer. "You guys go ahead. I've got something for Sara. I'll catch up to you a bit later." "I'll meet you there, Sweetheart," said Kelly. "Maybe we can all meet up afterwards at the restaurant," suggested Chuck. "Say in about an hour?" "That sounds good, Chuck," said Kelly. "We'll meet there in an hour, then. I enjoyed the walk and the company, but I think that's all the walking I want to do today." Chuck laughed with her and gave her a hug. "You take it easy, little momma." Anna was undecided as to who she wanted to go with. She really liked Todd and wanted to tell him about her latest visit with her mother, but she also wanted to stay with her grandfather and Amanda. With a sigh, she gave Todd a hug and whispered in his ear that she had something to tell him later, and then trotted off to catch up with her grandfather. Kelly and Laura headed to the open barbeque grill where Sara was overseeing the racks of ribs. ------- Sara was talking with Kelly and Laura when she felt the back of her dress lift. "I see that you still don't believe in panties," Todd chuckled. Sara laughed and gave him a hug. "Nope, I've decided that I'm never going to wear them again. Every time I put a pair on, somebody steals them, so I removed the temptation." Kelly and Laura laughed at Sara's logic. "But aren't you inviting more temptation going bare?" asked Kelly. "Maybe, but I like the attention it gets me as well," said Sara with a big smile. Todd picked up the case of Maurice's BBQ sauce. "Kelly thought you might like this," he said. "Thanks, guys. I love his sauce! Mom and Dad used to take us out there for Sunday dinners. You know, that feels like another life ago." "I know what you mean," said Laura. "We better get moving and congratulate Celeste," said Todd. "The news people are starting to pack up." "I'll see you guys later?" asked Sara. "You bet, sweetie. We're going to be here all night," said Kelly. "Okay, have fun!" Todd, Kelly, and Laura managed to find Celeste and congratulated her on the successful media launch of the 'Wheel.' As most of the gang was nearby, they stayed on exchanging pleasantries and congratulations with all of them until it was time for them to hook up with Chuck. With all the free food outside, the restaurant was nearly empty which suited Chuck and Todd just fine. Brenda and Amanda joined them for a while and they sat around talking about the changes their respective lives had taken this year. Chuck sat beside Kelly and repeated the offer he had made to Todd to be the grandfather of her baby. "Chuck, that is so sweet. I really love you for that, and yes, we accept." Then Kelly asked how the search for his daughter was going and the two of them headed out to the patio to talk privately. Brenda and Laura were in a deep discussion about Kelly. "Are you sure you don't mind, Laura?" Brenda asked. "I'm not trying to come between you guys." Laura leaned forward and gave Brenda a tender kiss. "How can anybody ever get too much love? The more you give, the more you gain." Brenda's face lit up with a big smile. "Oh, yes! We found that out!" Meanwhile, with Amanda helping to keep the details straight, Anna was telling Todd about the lunch invite from her mother. "She misses him as much as he does her," Anna said, "but she's still not sure. I hope that she changes her mind soon. I want us all to be a family again." Todd nodded and told Anna to keep holding on to her dream. "People do change," he said. "Look at how much your grandfather has changed this summer." Soon though, Brenda and Amanda had to leave. Chuck and Anna stayed with Kelly, Todd, and Laura and shared a light dinner with them. They were nearly finished when Cara and Ami came in. "You guys hungry?" asked Todd. "Are you kidding?" said Cara. "We've been eating all the free food outside. Erin finally had to leave with James and Amanda told us we could find you here. We were thinking of going to the boat and sunbathing for a while if that's okay with 'Mom.'" Kelly laughed and said as long as they put sunscreen on they could catch some sun but not to overdo it. "Can't have you looking like lobsters when it's time to get your pictures taken." After the gymnasts left, Chuck said, "I understand that Anna will be staying on the yacht with you tonight. Brenda and Amanda set that up. I hope she won't be an imposition on you." Todd chuckled and gave Anna a hug. "This little princess? An imposition? Not in a million years." Anna beamed from ear to ear. "Can I go now, Grandpa? I can join Cara and Ami on the boat." "Just remember your manners, young lady, and don't give our friends a hard time," Chuck said with a smile. "I love you, Grandpa. I'll see you in the morning." She gave him a kiss and skipped out the door. Kelly dug through her purse and pulled out a cigarette. "I'm really trying to cut down," she explained to Chuck, "but..." Chuck waved his hands. "No need to explain, Kelly. Sometimes it's better to cut back than to quit altogether. Stress is the last thing you need. I'll even join you for one." An hour later, they broke up the party, and Todd drove Chuck back to the Marriott while Kelly and Laura headed to the boat. As he drove, Chuck told Todd what a lucky man he was. "You've got two beautiful women who obviously love you. And I can see that you love them. Enjoy it, son, and treat them special." "You don't find it strange that I'm with two women?" Todd asked. Chuck laughed. "If you had asked me that a year ago, I would have said that it was a very peculiar situation, but I've learned a lot this year. I think I've learned a lot more about love and devotion than I ever thought I could, so no, I don't think it's strange at all." Chuck got out of the Hummer and wished Todd good night. "Aren't you going to feel lonely all by yourself tonight?" Todd asked. "You've had a pretty full house for the last few months." Chuck laughed. "I've got a good book here with me and I know that my friends are close by. Who could ask for more?" ------- Kelly and Laura stepped on the yacht and were headed down to the berths when they heard laughter coming from above. Following the sound they found Cara, Ami and Anna sunbathing topless at the bow. "Well, haven't we become the exhibitionists?" Kelly asked with a grin. "Ah, Mom, it's nice and private up here," said Ami. "And it's so warm and cozy too!" added Cara. "Why don't you join us?" asked Anna. Kelly looked at Laura who shrugged and stripped off her top and shorts, leaving only her Victoria's Secret thong. "Laura!" Kelly exclaimed. "You aren't setting a very good example for the children!" "Come on, Mom," Laura laughed. "It was you who showed us how nice this is!" With an exaggerated sigh, Kelly peeled off her top and shorts and joined the others on the gleaming hardwood deck, leaning back against the pilot's cabin. "Well, it does feel good," she admitted much to the delight of the other four. "But someone will have to put some sun block on me!" She closed her eyes, listening to the girls scrabble for the bottle of sunscreen, until a triumphant "I win!" told her Ami had beaten the others. She felt the cool cream dripping on her breasts and stomach, and then two warm hands cupped her breasts. A moment later, more hands were sensuously spreading the cream over her flat stomach, fingers playing under the elastic of her panties, then down her legs as they teased her inner thighs. "Oh, that's nice," she breathed. "I'll give you about a year to stop that..." They finished by spreading more sun block on her shoulders and arms, and then the hands left her, pleasantly aroused and relaxed. A half hour passed in the warm sun with friendly conversation and long silences when Kelly heard Laura hum in pleasure, and then sensed a shadow over her. Warm lips pressed against hers. "Mmm, hello, Honey." She opened her eyes to see Todd leaning over her, adoration on his face. "I really should have my camera with me," he said as he straightened up, "but I doubt that I could do justice to so much beauty." Five beaming smiles flashed back at him. Todd sank cross-legged to the deck facing the girls. "The restaurant closes at 9:00," he said. "I'm not really hungry yet, and there's not much to do here if you aren't into water sports..." "But, Honey," said Laura, "you love to play in the shower." Kelly and Todd laughed. "Well, I'm thinking we should grab something to eat before it gets too late. The galley is well stocked with fresh fruit and cold drinks, so we could just order something to go from the restaurant and eat it here on deck and watch the sun go down." "Oh, can we?" asked Ami. Kelly nodded. "Why not? We can have our very own private picnic right here." ------- An hour later with the aid of a brochure they found in the galley, the group had decided on steak and mushroom kebabs along with crumbed butterfly shrimp and fries for the younger girls. Todd volunteered to get it so that the ladies could relax and enjoy the gentle rocking of the boat and the setting sun. "I'll go with you, Todd," Anna said, jumping to her feet. "I can help you carry everything back." Todd smiled at the precocious youngster and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you, Anna. I would most certainly enjoy your company." Anna quickly slipped on her t-shirt and they walked to the restaurant hand in hand. It took a good thirty minutes for the food to be prepared and Todd convinced Sandy to sell him a couple bottles of good Australian wine. Todd paid for the food and he let Anna carry the wine. "My mom said she would come but I don't think she is," said Anna as they walked back to the boat. "But," said Todd, "You've seen her twice in the last two months, which is a lot more than in the last few years. Sometimes you have to give people a bit of time and a bit of space to let them come to terms with big decisions like this." "I know," said Anna. "I just want Grandpa to be happy and I want mom to be happy, too." "And what about your happiness, Princess?" "Seeing them back together would be the best thing in the world," said Anna. Todd stopped, and knelt down beside the little girl. "You really are amazing, Princess. Thinking about others instead of yourself. I hope your dreams come true and we can remove that look from your eyes forever." Anna kissed Todd on the cheek and smiled at him. They finished the short walk back to the boat, Anna quickly shucked off her t-shirt again while Laura and Cara opened the food, and Todd opened a bottle of wine. The girls had put out plates, cutlery, and glasses with cold drinks in a handy cooler and soon everything was ready. With soft music playing from the saloon and to the backdrop of the magnificent sunset, they all relaxed with their meal. The steak and mushroom kebabs were done just right, and the girls' butterfly shrimp quickly disappeared along with the large platter of fries that everyone shared. The gentle evening breeze puckered nipples all round as nobody had bothered dressing, feeling comfortable in the company of friends and good conversation. Kelly finished her glass of wine and leaned back on the rail to light a cigarette. Laura was drinking an Evian that Ami had brought her, and Todd was having a second glass of wine as they all picked at a large bowl of assorted fruit. Laura bit into a mango, the juice running down her chin and dripping onto her chest. Todd pulled her to him and ran his tongue up between her full breasts. "Ewww!" They all looked at him as he pulled a face. "Mango juice and sunscreen!" There was a roar of feminine laughter. No one heard the car as it quietly stopped on the quay, nor the footsteps on the gangplank. ------- "Who the hell are you people and what the hell are you doing on my boat?" ------- Chapter 19 Todd grinned up at the indignant brunette as she glared around at the little group. "Well, hello, Deanna! Would you like a glass of wine?" Cara and Ami scrambled for their t-shirts to cover themselves, but Kelly just smiled while Laura was more concerned by this hostile female than her bare breasts. "Do I know you?" asked Deanna, and then was almost rocked off her heels as she was tackled by a 12 year old. "Mom! You came!" "Anna?" She wrapped her arms around the thin shoulders and feeling bare skin, looked down at her daughter. "Anna Helen Regan! Whatever are you doing running around topless?" "She probably takes after you, Deanna," said Todd. "Chuck told me that you used to be quite fond of skinny dipping." "He told you that?" she asked, amazement in her voice. "He told us a lot about you," said Kelly. "It was what he spoke of the most. How much he loved you and missed you and how sorry he was for the way he treated you after the death of your mother." Deanna slowly slid down to the deck still clutching Anna. "Would you like that glass of wine now, Deanna?" Kelly asked. "Please," she said. Ami fetched another glass and Todd poured Deanna a healthy portion. Deanna nearly emptied the glass in a single gulp and motioned Todd to top her up. "And what brings you here tonight, Deanna?" asked Todd, filling her glass. "Yes, I thought you weren't coming," Anna added in a small voice. "Anna, baby, after what your grandfather did, I couldn't stay away." Seeing that there was no trouble, Ami and Cara dropped the t-shirts they had clutched in their hands. "What did Grandpa do, mom?" Anna asked. "I was working alone this morning and this man walked into my office and asked for me by my real name," she said. "My husband was off playing golf, and I figured this had to be something important or legal and I didn't want to answer this man, but he was persistent. He said he had a very important message for Deanna Regan and that I matched the description and a photograph he had. He said all it was, was a message, and that I could do with it what I wanted. He just wanted to be sure that he was giving it only to the person for whom it was intended." "And?" Anna urged her on. "I finally said that I wanted to see some credentials and he showed me a photo ID card that said he was a private investigator," Deanna continued, "so then I asked him who his client was and he said it was Chuck Regan. I thought my heart was going to stop. Dad had found me after all this time, but the man said that Dad didn't know where I was. He said it was a specific part of the contract. Dad didn't want to know, unless it was by my choice. I figured that if the man was lying or not, he had found me, and if all he had to do was find me, then he didn't have to tell me anything. He could just report to your Grandfather. So I told him I was who he was looking for and he handed me a sheet of paper. Said that he was supposed to read it to me but that I might feel more comfortable reading it myself than hearing it from a stranger." "What did it say, Deanna?" Laura asked. Deanna looked up at Laura and shook her head. "Do you realize that I don't know any of you? I come on to my boat and find my daughter half naked with five strangers. Yet you seem to know all about me." "Chuck talks a lot about you, Deanna," Kelly said. Deanna sighed. "The paper said that when I was found I was to be told that Dad was very sorry for having driven me away from my home, my life and my baby girl," she said, giving Anna a squeeze. "He said that he loved me, missed me very much and if I could forgive an old fool, he wanted to see me again, but only if I wanted. The rest was just instructions that I was not to be bothered or pestered again, but just asking if I was happy." Deanna held out her glass again to Todd. Todd shrugged and filled it once again, but cautioned her that in her emotional state, the wine might give her a headache. "Maybe not a headache," she said, "but I am getting awfully hot." "So," said Kelly, "get comfortable. It is your boat after all." "You look familiar," said Deanna as she slipped off her dress, relaxing in just her bra and panties. "She's a famous model, mom," Anna said, "and Todd is a photographer." "Are you the photographer who took the picture of Anna?" Deanna asked. "Guilty as charged," said Todd with a smile "Brenda said you took a beautiful picture of Anna. I wish I could see it." "Well, you could ask Chuck. He has a copy in his room in the village," said Kelly. "Oh, yeah, right. After three glasses of wine! Some homecoming eh?" said Deanna. Kelly laughed, said that Chuck was probably asleep now anyway. Then she introduced herself and everyone else properly. "I guess that now we're all acquainted, I guess I can lose this as well," said Deanna taking off her bra to expose a nice full pair of breasts. She massaged the strap marks on her tanned skin. Laura laughed. She too knew the discomfort of having her boobs restrained. Kelly asked Ami if she would mind bringing up more Evian. "It will help prevent a headache in the morning," she said as an explanation to Deanna. When Ami came back with the bottles of water, enough for everyone, Kelly asked Deanna what made her decide to come, and why so late. "I didn't know what to do at first," Deanna said. "I thanked the detective and said to tell my father I was fine. Anna had asked me to come here this weekend, and I wanted to, but I didn't want to get into it again with Dad. Sorry, Baby," she said to Anna. "Then I read the note over again and started to cry. I couldn't stop. Then my husband came home and I decided that I was coming. I told him that I had to meet with a client about possibly unloading this boat and that I would be gone for a few days. And now, here I am. I don't know what to do next." "Do you want to see him?" asked Laura. "Yes... yes, I do. I just don't know how to approach him. He thinks he shut me out, but I was the one who walked away." "But that's all past history now," said Kelly. "And I think I might have the perfect solution for you," said Todd. ------- Deanna listened carefully, munching on an apple, as Todd laid out his plan. Everybody agreed that it was a perfect plan and then Cara and Ami excused themselves saying they were tired and headed off to bed. "You can sleep with me tonight, mom," said Anna. "It's not the biggest bed, but I don't take up much room!" Deanna laughed and asked Anna which cabin she was in, gave her a big hug and kiss, and said she would be in shortly. Finally, it was just the four adults left sitting on the deck. "Do you make it a habit of sitting around topless?" Deanna asked. "Oh no!" said Kelly. "Usually we wear less," laughed Laura. Deanna laughed as well. "Chuck talked a lot about when you and he and your mother used to swim at the lake," said Todd. "I think seeing Kelly, Brenda, Amanda and Anna skinny dipping the last time we were there brought back a lot of memories for him." "I haven't done it since then," sighed Deanna. "I miss those days." "Damn!" said Kelly. "I forgot to ask Chuck if we could christen the baby at the lake." "Baby?" asked Deanna. "Who's having a baby?" "We are," said Laura. "Kelly's just the lucky one to be carrying it." Deanna looked at the three of them. "We?" she said. "Yep," said Kelly, "the three of us are an item." "Actually, we're going to get married," said Todd. "Just to make it permanently legal." "Oh," said Deanna to Todd. "So one girl isn't enough for you? You need two?" "It's not like that, Deanna," said Kelly calmly. "It's more like us two girls need Todd, as well as each other. Actually, Laura and I were lovers before Todd and I started a sexual relationship. I think our baby was conceived at your father's house." "I feel like I should be outraged or something," said Deanna, "but seeing the three of you... You all look so happy." "That's because we are!" said Laura. "Though Todd's dream of the three of us getting married is strictly fantasy." "Oh, ye of little faith," said Todd. "It doesn't have to be a fantasy," said Deanna slowly. "Told you there was a way," said Todd smugly. "You mean you've already figured out how to make this possible?" asked Laura. "I've had a pretty good idea," said Todd, "and seeing what Deanna just said, I think I'm on the right track." "It will only be valid in International Waters," said Deanna. "I don't think it's legal in any western country." "I don't think that we need society's approval, Deanna," said Todd. "I just want to show a few close friends that we are very serious about remaining together, and neither of the girls will want to change their names. Kelly has a history with hers, and Laura is about to create one." "Might I suggest legal contracts, then?" said Deanna. "Why?" asked Kelly. "It's like you said. It will never stand up on land or in a real court." Deanna smiled at Kelly. "It's not that, Kelly. I see now that I've been a bit blinded by society's codes of what's right and wrong, but I can feel the love you have for each other. I'm only suggesting legal contracts in the event of illness or, God forbid, something worse. It's called an Enduring Power of Attorney, and it will give all of you rights to determine courses of treatment and in some places, simply the right to visit if one of you should fall seriously ill." "You mean designate each other as spousal equivalent?" asked Laura. "That's it exactly!" said Deanna. "It's not the same as a marriage certificate, but for most things, it's just as good. It will allow only the other two to make serious decisions for you when you're incapable of making them for yourself." "I hate even thinking about that kind of thing," said Kelly, "but you have a good point, Deanna. Thanks!" Then Kelly turned her gaze onto Todd. "You sneaky bugger! You said you'd find a way to marry us both. I loved the idea and I loved you for wanting to, but I never thought you'd find a way!" She threw herself on him, kissing him passionately. Laura laughed and jumped on top, joining in the kissing and hugging. "Well, seeing how you three are occupied, perhaps I should go and join my daughter," said Deanna. Laura and Kelly disentangled themselves from Todd, who was beaming. "I'm sorry, Deanna," said Kelly. "We can pick this up later on," she giggled as she squeezed Todd's leg. Todd picked up Kelly's cell phone and scrounged in his pockets until he found the number of the Marriott Inn. He dialed the number and left a message with the front desk that Chuck be invited to join them on board the CL1 at 9 o'clock for breakfast and to discuss baby news. After he hung up, he said to Deanna, "That'll make sure he's here in the morning. The rest will be up to you and him." Deanna gulped down more of her water. Laura went and got a few more bottles. "Deanna," said Kelly, "how about you and me swap some favors tomorrow morning?" "What do you mean?" asked Deanna. "Todd told me how Chuck responded to Anna when he saw her posing for him and he thought it was you. You look beautiful, but if you give me a half hour in the morning before he gets here, I should be able to duplicate that look." "Yeah," said Laura. "I don't understand why someone as beautiful as you dresses so conservatively. You're wearing hardly any makeup and your hair looks positively matriarchal!" Deanna raised her eyebrows at Laura. "I'm sorry, Deanna," said Laura. "I've just gotten used to saying what's on my mind." Deanna was quiet for so long that Laura thought she had really upset the woman, but then she said, "Its okay, Laura. I guess I've been..." she paused, as if looking for the right word, "unhappy for quite a while..." (Deanna had married an older man, coincidentally with a similar physical build to her father. He knew her real name and had counted on using her family connection to improve his business. She refused flat-out, and things soured between them when he found he just could not get her to change her mind. (That Regan stubborn trait!) Deanna had actually used his contacts to improve her own business life. Their relationship had been mostly in name only for the last 6 - 8 years, but she had discovered about a year ago he had taken a lover. A pretty young thing of 22 - less than half his age. A pretty young MALE thing!) "What made you unhappy, Deanna?" Todd asked softly. "I found out something about my husband that he really didn't want me to know," she answered with a crooked smile. "And it made me feel, I suppose you'd say... old and unloved." "Which of course is silly and you know that, right, Deanna?" said Kelly. "You and I are about the same age, and I could tell you some stories about not being happy, but if I've learned anything, it's that my happiness depends on me." Deanna sighed. "You're about my size, Deanna," said Laura. "I've got some great outfits with me. Brand new designer stuff. Let Kelly fix your hair and makeup and we'll dress you up just right!" Deanna laughed. "All of a sudden I feel like I'm a Barbie Doll. Okay. We'll do it. But what is it you want from me, Kelly?" "I want you to tell me about giving birth!" said Kelly. Deanna laughed and said it would be her pleasure. "I think that having Anna is about the only thing I've done right." "Deanna," said Todd, "I asked Chuck about Anna's father and he said you refused to tell him. Does he know he has a beautiful daughter?" Deanna's eyes misted over. "I loved him," she said. "But he was older than me. Not by much at this point in my life, but I was only 15 back then. He worked for my dad, and he left before I found out that I was pregnant. The last I heard he was on the west coast and has a wife and child. I've kept this a secret for a long time. I'm not sure if I could intrude on his life now with this news. It wouldn't be fair to his family." Todd moved over and put his arm around Deanna's shoulder. "I understand," he said softly. "It must have been hard on you all these years." Kelly slid up on Deanna's other side and said, "and we have to tackle our own demons one at a time. I'm glad that you found the courage to see your father again. You just don't know how happy he will be." Laura moved to sit in front of Deanna, taking hold of her hands. "We'll be your support group, Deanna. From what you said about the detective finding you, your father left the door open for you to make your own choice. He could have just had you found and come to see you, but all he asked was if you were happy. I'd say that he really cares for you, if he's willing to let you go and live your own life." "Laura's right, Deanna," said Todd. "Chuck's not trying to interfere with your life, he just wants you to know how much he loves you and misses you." Deanna put her head on Kelly's shoulder and cried. ------- Ami and Cara had done their best not to rock the boat after getting into their bed. They found their lovemaking that night to be subdued and tender. It had been a long day and an emotional evening, from the elation of arriving and the excitement of the day, to the arrival of Deanna. "I wonder if our lives would have been anything like this if we hadn't been on the road from such a young age," Cara had asked. "I'm not sure, honey," said Ami. "We come from different backgrounds, but if my dad had found out I was pregnant, I'm not so sure that he would have taken it well at all." "Yeah," said Cara. "My dad would flip, especially after all the time he spent working overtime to pay for my training. I don't think any of the medals I won would have meant anything to him." "I think we should really work at this opportunity and give our families something back," said Ami. "They've sacrificed for us, let's not give them a reason to regret it." "Exactly!" said Cara. "Now get on your back again, lover. I'm not done with you yet!" ------- It was after midnight when a cried out, tired yet happy Deanna crawled into bed and cuddled next to her daughter. God, she had missed this. Her baby was growing up and needed her mother. Come hell or high water, she was determined she would make things right again between herself and her father if only for Anna's sake. Deanna loved her dad, but they were of the same temperament. She had been so pig headed and he could be so stubborn, yet... if he could change, so could she! ------- Kelly had a last cigarette on deck while Laura cleaned up the remnants of the picnic that had turned into a surprise party. Todd helped Laura. "Wow," was all that Laura had been able to say after Deanna had gone off to bed. "Yeah, for sure," said Kelly. "She's been living with a lot of guilt for a long time." "But she's going to make it right," said Todd. "That's the important part." "Better late then never, right, Todd?" Kelly asked. "Some things can never be set right," said Todd, "but their only downfall has been pride and stubbornness. You and me, Honey, we've dealt with worse." "And we have the battle scars to prove it, don't we, Babe," said Kelly. "Yeah, but they're all internal." "Hey, you two. Don't you be getting all emotional on me. I know I haven't had to put up with the crap you two did," said Laura, "but no matter how hard you try, you can't go back and change the past. We have each other now!" "Laura's right," said Kelly. "We can't change the past, but we can sure as hell try to make a better future!" "Laura, have you given any thought to this crazy idea of Todd's? About marrying both of us?" asked Kelly. "You mean, will I invite my folks to our wedding?" Laura laughed. "I think that I'll just keep that little secret to myself. Mom and dad are pretty open-minded, and could probably accept me having a relationship with either one of you, but both of you? Since we're going to be keeping our own names anyway, I'll just let them speculate about who I'm spending my time with. But there is something I want to add to this whole crazy scheme." "What's that, Sweetheart?" asked Kelly. "Well... Todd is talking about marrying the two of us, but I want to marry you too, Kelly." Kelly's eyes misted over as she reached for Laura. "And I want to marry you too, Sweetheart. I love you!" ------- They made slow gentle love that night. Not quite the rocking, swaying ride Laura had predicted, but the day had been enough of a roller coaster for Todd and Kelly anyway. Laura was the one who held it all together for the three of them, finally understanding Gloria's cryptic message from her 'Obi Man.' Todd and Kelly needed her to be the stabilizing rock and glue to help them hold it all together while the three of them built a lifelong relationship. ------- Laura woke up first. Her arms felt heavy and she realized she was lying on her back, sandwiched between Kelly and Todd. Somehow, through the night, they had both ended up cuddling Laura, their heads on her shoulders. Laura hugged her lovers tight, but her bladder was calling out to her. She tried to slide out without disturbing either of them, but they refused to budge. Remembering something she had once read about the sleeping mind, she softly whispered into Todd's ear, "Honey, turn over." Todd didn't move, but he mumbled something in his sleep. She tried again. "Todd, Honey, roll over." Todd didn't wake up, but he mumbled, "Yes, dear," and rolled over allowing Laura to extract her arm. Her arm was asleep and it flopped loosely for a few minutes before the tingling sensation stopped. She tried to use the same technique on Kelly, but Kelly must have been in a deeper sleep state and Laura received no response at all. Failing this, and wanting Kelly to be able to sleep longer, Laura used her nails to gently rake across Kelly's back. That brought a response! Kelly moaned in her sleep and stretched like a cat before rolling over, still soundly asleep. Slipping on just a T-shirt, Laura headed for the "head," as Bob had told her the toilet was called on a boat. She still thought that was a funny name for a bathroom. Sunlight was streaming in through the portholes, and Laura stopped a moment to look at the trusty old Timex on her wrist. "Oops," she thought. "Better hurry and get the others up. It was already past 8." Laura realized she was standing outside of Anna's cabin door and could hear voices coming through it. At least Anna and Deanna were awake. Not wanting to let others know she was up she listened at the other cabin door where Ami and Cara were bunked. No sounds. Gently she turned the doorknob and slipped into the room to find the two girls sound asleep, nude, and curled around each other. Laura gently shook Ami by the shoulder and held her finger to her lips indicating she should remain quiet. Ami nodded and whispered, "Good morning," a smile on her face. Laura smiled as well; happy that Cara and Ami had discovered the deeper love they had for each other. Slipping into the passage way once more, Laura finally made it to the "head" and relieved the pressure that had woken her. Passing by Anna's door again she could hear soft laughter. It was a good sign, and that along with the sunlight outside spoke of promise for the day. Back in her own cabin, Laura dressed and then woke her two lovers. "Come on, Kelly, Sweetheart. You promised to work with Deanna this morning and Chuck will be here in less than an hour." Kelly grumbled something about mornings, climbed out of the bed and ran her fingers through her hair. Not giving a second thought to her nudity, she stumbled out the door to use the "head" herself, after giving Laura a sweet good morning kiss. Todd had an early morning erection now, so Laura slowly moved to within range where she could engulf his cock and trap it between her lips. She sucked softly and gently slowly moving her mouth back and forth, feeling his erection grow even more. Todd moaned softly in his sleep and turned to give Laura better access to his hard-on. His arousal level was rising and he was still asleep! But his body reacted instinctively to what felt good. Laura started to pick up the pace, wetting her lips, and coating his cock with saliva. Her head was bobbing up and down when Kelly reentered their cabin. Kelly finished her business, and then checked on Cara and Ami before heading back. She smiled at the sight of Laura sucking Todd awake, remembering a time not so long ago when she had done the same thing. Laura was intent on her ministrations and could feel Todd's pending eruption. She redoubled her efforts and was rewarded with jets of cum splashing against her tonsils. She continued to suck until his cock deflated and when she was finally satisfied that there was no more for her to lick or suck, she released him from her oral embrace and stood up. She noticed Kelly watching approvingly and moved to her other lover to share a taste of what she had just enjoyed. The two girls were locked in a passionate embrace when Todd finally woke up. "Hey!" he said, with a big smile on his face. "Are you two starting without me?" Kelly laughed. "This, from the only man I know who can sleep through a perfect blowjob." Todd looked down at his flaccid cock and saw it was still wet with saliva. "I thought I was just dreaming," he said. "Who do I have to thank for this morning's wake up call?" Laura winked at Kelly and said, "If you can't tell, then I guess you will just have to return the favor to both of us." "That will be my pleasure," he said as he climbed out of bed. Todd looked at the clock and said, "we better get a move on. Chuck should be arriving within the next half hour." Kelly called Sandy's and asked if they could order breakfast delivered. When she found out she could she said she would call right back and see how many and what. "You get dressed, Kelly," said Laura. "I'll find out who's in the mood for eating and get the vitamins." When she left, Kelly got dressed and pulled out her "on the road" makeup case. Todd changed into a pair of shorts and the inevitable Trek T-shirt. While Kelly and Laura were wearing soft leather sandals, Todd slipped on his moccasins. Laura came back and announced that everyone was in the mood for breakfast, and the consensus was that whatever Kelly ordered would be fine with them. Kelly hit redial on her phone and ordered cheese and mushroom omelets with thick slabs of ham, and three large containers of orange juice, enough for seven people. Giving her lovers a kiss and taking the clothes, which Laura had suggested, from her wardrobe, Kelly left to do a quick makeover on Deanna. Cara and Ami, with Anna's help, set up the dining table on the open upper deck. ------- Chuck woke at his usual seven o'clock and lay for a moment looking at the play of light on the ceiling. He kicked off the sheets and stretched for a moment, then rolled out of bed and padded into the bathroom, had a piss then gave his teeth a quick brush. He examined his reflection in the mirror for a moment. 'I suppose you're not doing too bad for an old guy, ' he thought then went to slip on a pair of shorts. The phone on the desk showed a blinking message light. He frowned to himself; who would be leaving him a message here? He called the front desk to receive Todd's invitation to breakfast. Baby news? Perhaps Todd was accepting his offer to be a part of his family. He certainly hoped so - he and Anna had been alone for so long, and they and the James Gang had brought a wonderful change to their lives. He rang room service for a pot of coffee and a bagel, enough to tide him over till nine o'clock, and then called his message service. Hmm, nothing there his new CEO couldn't take care of. He was sitting on the balcony watching the boats come to life on the lake when the busboy brought up his coffee and bagel. Chuck had his feet propped up, sipping on coffee watching the time go by. He hadn't done enough of that in the last decade, always working harder and longer than the people he hired. The last two months had changed that for him and he was enjoying his granddaughter now more than ever, and was developing new friendships. "If only I had done this before," he thought to himself. With a sigh, he got out of his chair and checked CNN Headline News for a few minutes. Satisfied that the world was not going to hell in a hand-basket today, he turned off the idiot box and noted with irony that he hadn't even bothered to look at the New York Times that came with his coffee and bagel. He was rich, didn't need to gain more money, and the company was now in the Brenda's capable hands. It was time to start enjoying life. Build on his new friendships and maybe spend a bit more time in Helen's garden. He was still smiling as he stepped into the shower. ------- "For the umpteenth time, stop playing with your hair!" Kelly said to Deanna. "Just try and sit still for a minute so I can get this eyeliner on you." "But it looks so..." said Deanna. "Big? Full?" "No," giggled Deanna. "It looks like it's alive!" "And that's the look we're going for," said Kelly, "so if you can stop playing with it for a minute..." "Oh, all right," pouted Deanna. She secretly loved the way she looked as she viewed her reflection in the mirror. And Kelly had made it look so simple. Under her care, Deanna watched a dozen years fall away from her face. Her hair hung loose but shaped. Her lips were fuller thanks to a careful application of liner and gloss, and what Kelly had managed to do to her eyes made them look deeper, more striking. The clothes that Laura had picked for her were so casual, it reminded Deanna of her teenage years. Flared shorts with multiple pockets in a soft green and a cream colored collared blouse with dual front pockets completed the outfit. It was a perfect combination and they fit so comfortably. She had no casual shoes to wear with it and promised herself she would get a pair of sandals. It had been so long since she had worn anything like this. Kelly checked the time, saw it was close to nine, and called Todd in for a final inspection. Todd whistled and said how good Deanna looked, which made her blush. "So are we all set with the plan?" Todd asked. "Yes," said Deanna. "Though I'm really nervous." "Don't be," said Kelly. "He really does love you and he has missed you so much." "So, when Chuck comes on board, you'll be waiting in the other stairwell and you can hear what's being said. When he asks about the other place setting, I'll say something that you'll recognize as your cue to come on up," said Todd. "Got it," said Deanna. ------- At ten to nine, Chuck had the Marriott driver take him down to the marina, looking for the CL1. He caught sight of a delivery boy heading towards a large wooden yacht then saw the name on her stern. She was a fine looking craft. Chuck walked leisurely towards her and was just admiring the craftsmanship when the delivery boy left. "Ahoy, CL1," Chuck shouted. "Permission to come aboard!" "Oh, Grandpa," said Anna who stuck her head out from the top deck. "You don't have to be that formal!" "For a lady this grand," said Chuck, "it's only right we follow tradition!" Todd stepped out from the main cabin and welcomed Chuck aboard. "I knew you were staying on a yacht," said Chuck when he was seated, "I just never expected it to be one of such high caliber!" "She is a beauty, isn't she?" said Kelly. Chuck was checking out the fittings, admiring the quality of the workmanship. "This kind of work, you don't see much of it any more," he said. "People don't want to pay the money, and few builders want to take the time." "If you like I can introduce you to the designer," said Kelly as everyone sat down. "That would be an honor," said Chuck, then he noticed the empty seat. "Are we expecting someone else?" he asked. "Well," said Todd. "The designer and builder of this yacht arrived late last night, so we invited her for breakfast as well." "A woman designer?" asked Chuck. "Of this boat? I'd love to meet her!" Todd and Kelly both looked at the stairwell behind them. Anna was holding her breath. "Hi, Daddy!" ------- Chapter 20 "Hi Daddy!" Chuck turned toward the voice and froze, his eyes wide in shock. For a moment, he saw his Helen, but she wouldn't be calling him Daddy... Then she stepped into the full light of the morning sun. "Deanna!" He stood and walked hesitantly toward her, stopping a pace away. "I've missed you, Poppin." "I've missed you too, Daddy!" They looked at each other for a moment, and then Chuck opened his arms. Deanna took the last step between them, wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, Daddy!" she cried, and the others saw the tears on her face. "Oh, Poppin! I'm sorry!" Tears were rolling down Chuck's face as he held his daughter tight to him. "I'm so sorry!" Anna was clutching Todd's hand. "Why are they crying?" she asked. "I thought they'd be happy!" "They are happy, honey," he answered her. "Even guys can cry when they're very happy," and she saw the tears forming in his eyes. "I think you should go hug them too," he added, turning her toward her mother and grandfather. Anna went to put an arm around her mother's waist. "Mom? Are you all right?" "Oh, Honey!" Deanna drew her daughter close, and Anna put an arm around her grandfather's waist as well. "I'm so happy! Thank you, darling!" She nuzzled her daughter's hair as she hugged her close, then turned her face up and kissed her father tenderly on the lips. The kiss lasted only a moment, and then they drew apart to look wonderingly into each other's eyes. Chuck smiled tearfully at her, lifted a hand to caress her hair and drew her close to rest her head on his shoulder. Kelly was hugging Todd's hand to her breast, the tears on her cheeks matching Todd's, while Laura hugged her from the other side, her eyes glistening. Cara and Ami were holding hands, looking uncomfortable at the raw display of emotion from the adults. "I thought they were supposed to be happy!" came Ami's stage whisper to Cara. Todd saw Chuck's shoulders shake and thought he was weeping harder, but then heard his chuckle. The chuckle turned into a laugh, and Deanna's giggle joined him. He turned his tear-streaked face to Ami, a grin from ear to ear. "We are happy, honey. This has got to be the second best thing to ever happen to me!" "Second best!" Deanna exclaimed, digging him in the ribs. "So what was the first best, then?" "Two first best, honey. The day I married your Mom," he said tenderly stroking her hair. "And the day you were born. And I had forgotten!" he choked, the tears starting anew. "Oh Dad! Daddy, it's all right!" Deanna hugged him fiercely. "I won't let you forget again." "Promise?" He smiled through his tears. "You'll probably have to remind me every day!" She looked into his eyes. "I think maybe we can work something out, Daddy." "Thank you, honey." Todd moved over to Chuck and Deanna. "Mr. Regan, I'd like to introduce you to Master Designer, Master Builder and the owner of this fine vessel. Ms. Deanna Regan. Or have you two already met?" Both Deanna and Chuck laughed. "Breakfast is going to get cold," said Laura. "Oh, Deanna, I'm never going to let you go again. I've been so stupid," said Chuck. "No Daddy... I was the one who was pig-headed. I let you down." "No you didn't, Sweetheart. Look what you created," Chuck said, looking down at Anna nestled between them. Chuck walked back to his seat, carrying Anna and holding on to Deanna's hand. Todd held out the chair for Deanna, who never took her eyes off her father. How he had changed. Never before had she seen him cry. Todd sat down after Anna and slowly people began opening the insulated containers that held their breakfasts. Laura poured orange juice for everyone, and then she and Kelly and Todd and Cara and Ami took their vitamins. Ami and Cara dug into their breakfast with gusto. Kelly was still misty eyed but started on hers as well. Laura was the only one really smiling, though she understood that both Todd and Kelly were dealing with their own demons. "So, Chuck," she said. "Deanna told us last night that a detective you hired found her yesterday. It was quite a story." Chuck looked up, looking at Todd and Kelly and Laura. "You mean this wasn't a set up? You really didn't know that Deanna was going to be here?" "Not a clue, Chuck," said Todd. "It surprised the hell out of us when she showed up last night. We didn't even know that this yacht was hers!" "You came because you wanted to?" Chuck asked Deanna. "Daddy, I've missed you so much!" Deanna said throwing her arms around him again. This time there were no tears in Anna's eyes. She was smiling as she started to eat, realizing that they would finally be a family again. "But you did trick me into coming here this morning," Chuck said, although he smiled as he said it. "Actually, that might technically be true," said Kelly, "but I had forgotten to ask you if we could have our baby christened at your lake. My friend in the nursing home said that that's where it should be done." "Of course!" said Chuck. "You didn't have to ask. Just promise you'll let me throw the party." Todd laughed. "It would only be right for the baby's grandfather to do just that!" he said. "Baby's grandfather?" asked Deanna. Chuck laughed a hearty rolling laugh. "It seems I have adopted a son," he said smiling at Todd. "And inherited two daughters-in-law as well," said Deanna, "speaking of which, when is the ceremony going to take place?" "The third week of September," said Todd. "InterCoastal is supplying a boat to take us to Jamaica where Kelly and I first met. It will be our first real vacation, and I can't think of a better way or reason to celebrate." "I take it this won't be an elaborate affair," said Chuck. "Well," said Kelly. "Todd and I have no family to invite, and Laura doesn't think her parents would quite understand." Kelly looked at him earnestly. "But we'd be honored if you would join us if you can find the time to get away." "No, Kelly," said Chuck. "That would be my honor." "Who's going to design your gowns?" asked Deanna. Kelly looked at Laura. "Gowns?" "Well, you can't get married in the nude," said Deanna. Kelly and Laura looked at each other again and got big grins on their faces. "And why shouldn't we get married the way Mother Nature designed us?" asked Laura. "You can't be serious!" said Deanna. Kelly and Laura just laughed. Todd had a broad smile on his face. Finally Deanna started laughing as well. "Well, I suppose that since everything else is about this wedding is unconventional..." "Can I take the wedding pictures?" Ami asked. "I bet I could sell those to Playboy!" Everybody was laughing now. By the time they had finished eating, Cara and Ami asked if they could spend some time with Erin. Kelly said that would be fine, but reminded them to be back by six since they planned on driving home then. ------- Shortly after Cara and Ami left, a deep voice shouted from below. "Ahoy, CL1, Permission to come aboard." "That sounds like Al," said Kelly with a surprised look at Todd. Todd said, "It's your boat, Deanna." Deanna walked to the edge of the deck and shouted down, "as long as your intentions are honorable, you are welcome aboard." Al came up with Lucy in tow. Cara and Ami had cleared the table before they left to find Erin, and Kelly was sitting back enjoying her first cigarette of the day. "Hi, Al, she said smiling, "hi, Lucy." Lucy was a bit shy around all these adults and clung to her father's hand. Todd and Laura said hi to both of them, and then Todd introduced Deanna, Chuck, and Anna. Al shook everyone's hand, and then said to Todd that he knew Chuck Regan, and had been trying to get Chuck to let him sell some Regan boats at his marina at Brookhaven. Chuck laughed. "I'm afraid that it's out of my hands now Al. I'm just a figurehead. Brenda is the General Manager of Regan Boats now, but if you like I can put in a good word for you." Al laughed and said that would be appreciated but that wasn't his reason for coming on board. "This is a day for celebration for our young friends and the successful completion of Mueller's Wheel." "Hear, hear!" said Chuck raising his glass of orange juice. Laura went to the galley and brought up two fresh glasses for Lucy and Al. After filling them she sat back down beside Todd. "Actually, I came looking for the best photographer and his exotic dance partners," Al said laughing. Chuck looked confused. Al explained what the rumor mill was churning out at Brookhaven. "The restaurant has been jam packed every night," he said to Kelly. "Jim Fredy - he's the owner - said if I ever ran across the three of you again to tell you that your next meal is on the house. When I told him that I wanted Todd to do the new brochure of the island, he extended his invitation to free meals for the duration of the shoot. He's a boating man himself and he loved that shot of the Cuddy with the spray. He's even got an autographed print of the one with Sara standing Chuck's boat on its stern." "So," Chuck said with a smile, "you girls also know how to dance!" Laura blushed but Kelly said, "With the right partners you can do anything!" "Amen to that!" said Chuck. "So, Al, how did you like the picture of Laura with the dolphins?" Kelly asked. "That was a great shot!" said Al. "I got it framed and hung it in the Mayor's office. It's amazing how you got the water to look so clear, Todd." "It's just a matter of polarizing the lens properly," said Todd. "Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to have that one included in the brochure," said Al. "You're hiring us for the job?" asked Kelly. "Absolutely! I was pleasantly surprised at the price you quoted, Kelly. We've had a number of photographers over the years do our brochures and they look at the boats and the golfers and the private planes and think they'll make their fortune on one job," said Al. "The worst part is, they don't have a feeling for the place, and I've always been disappointed in the results." "I know what you mean, Al," said Chuck. "I hired TKO on the recommendation of a friend figuring I had nothing to lose, and in a shorter time than anyone else, Todd put together an entire package of pictures so good that we increased the size of our sales brochures. On top of that, the picture of Sara you mentioned is going to be the centerfold in next month's International Powercraft!" "What I don't understand," said Al, "is with all the big companies you work for, and the quality work you provide... why aren't your prices higher?" Todd laughed. "That's easy, Al. This is just part of what we do. We also have a model agency that gives Kelly and I a very nice income. If the prices for my services were too high, I would miss out on the jobs that challenge and stimulate me. By keeping our prices reasonable, we get offered jobs we wouldn't normally see, and I don't have to take on any job I don't want. It can get addictive if people keep offering you a pile of dollars for a few weeks of your time, and then you feel obliged to give them what you think they want." "I understand," said Al slowly. "That's why you soaked Peter and me in that cascade shot. Instead of focusing on what he wanted, you could be creative." "You got it, Al," said Kelly, "and look at what that Mensa brain can do when he's doing his own thing." "Oh," said Al. "You don't have to convince me! I've got copies of all the pictures that IC ran in the different papers. Seems it was a waste of time having the news people show up. They were just doing a job. Todd was making art." "Okay guys," said Todd. "You're going to give me a swelled head. I just like taking pictures and doing it my way. Chuck was kind enough to let me have a weekend doing his pictures my way without any interference and I enjoyed it. And Chuck seems happy with the results." "I think I would have been even happier if I had known enough not to ask you to get those posed shots," said Chuck. "Best thing you can do, Al, is to let my boy here have free rein. You'll be happier than if your stock in IC tripled!" he said laughing. "Now tell me about this water cascade." Al took some time recounting how Todd and Sara had figured out a way to show the wing on the Cuddy and then had called him and Peter over on the pretense of seeing ahead of time what the picture would look like. "Of course Kelly and Laura were wearing rain slickers and Todd had one on himself but he was holding it up and said it was to stop spray from hitting the camera." "Well, that part was true," said Todd. "So there's Peter and me, watching Sara doing something like 75 knots and she's heading right at us. At the last second she turns the boat, right on the wake and the last thing I see is a wall of water that appeared out of thin air. You can't believe how much water there was. It was like a swimming pool got dropped on us! We were totally soaked!" Chuck had tears running down his face as he laughed. He could picture the surprise on Al's face. He'd have to remember to tell Peter the story again when he took over as the chairman of IC. Anna and Lucy had wandered off during the conversation and returned bearing a platter of cups and a steaming pot of coffee. "I've got tea brewing right now for you, Kelly," Anna said shyly. Kelly put her arm around the young girl. "Are you happy, baby?" "Oh yes, Kelly," she said. "Mom and grandpa haven't stopped holding hands!" "Do you think that maybe you and Lucy want to find your friends from the James Gang?" Kelly asked. "You think that would be a good idea, don't you?" asked Anna. "I think you are way too smart!" said Laura. "You go ahead and I'll take care of the tea." Anna blushed, and then gave both Kelly and Laura a kiss on the cheek. The girls told their parents where they would be and that they would be back in two hours, kissed them and ran off down the gangway. ------- "But you have a strange way of setting prices, Kelly," said Al after the kids had gone. "You discounted your own price if I could arrange the same suite at the Hampton, and you specifically requested a fully optioned Argo 8 wheel ATV, minus the snow tracks but with a trailer, all of which will be yours to keep when the job is done. I don't get it." Deanna spoke up. "I think I do. They're showing you that they intend to put money back into Brookhaven. Instead of buying their own ATV, they're letting a company on the island provide it, and instead of staying off the island at night, they are using some of the money and spending it on what I assume is an expensive room at one of your hotels. Which tells me they will be taking their meals on the island as well. Have I got that right, Kelly?" Kelly smiled. "I'd love to do business with you, Deanna. You hit the nail right on the head!" Well, I'll be damned," said Al. "How come I didn't realize that?" "Probably because you think like a man, Al." said Deanna. "No insult intended." "You know... previous photographers did stay off-island," said Al. "And none made the impression you did on Ray or Jim Fredy. I told the Hampton you may be back and they offered the suite at a discount off their corporate rate, for as long as you want. Deanna, maybe I can take a quick crash course from you on selecting my business associates." Deanna laughed. "Maybe sometime in the future, Al. First I have some family matters to catch up on." Laura came up with mugs of tea for herself and Kelly. "But I don't understand the need for the Argo," said Al. "There are all kinds of golf carts available to use." "Ah," said Todd, "but they wouldn't be able to ride into the water so I could sit off shore and shoot in, especially when it comes to the wildlife preserve, and as far as I know golf carts aren't that great on beaches either." "Good point," said Al, finishing off his coffee. "So, what do I do with the contract now? Our lawyers have checked it all over and they see no problems, though they were as stymied as I was about the unusual requests. Wait until I explain this to them!" Kelly gave him Steve's number and said for Brookhaven's legal beagles to get in touch with him. As soon as Steve arranged the details, Todd would start. Kelly said they figured they would spread the shoot out over the next three months if that was acceptable. "That would be great," said Al. "That way we can get a variety of shots and be just in time for the winter mailings." Al stood up and shook everybody's hand, saying he had to get back to his other obligations. Chuck told him to give Brenda a call any time through the week and they would arrange to display Regan boats at Al's marina. Chuck poured himself another coffee and refilled Deanna's cup as well. When he saw Kelly light up, he politely asked her for one. "Dad, are you smoking again?" asked Deanna. "Only when I can bum them off Kelly," he said with a grin. After a few more minutes of pleasant conversation, Todd, Kelly, and Laura excused themselves saying they had better say their goodbyes to the James Gang before they started packing up and loading up to head home. As they left, they noticed Chuck holding both of Deanna's hands with the two of them deep in discussion. ------- "I think that went much better than expected," said Kelly, "what do you think, Honey?" "It went well, but when they come off their emotional high, they will have a lot to talk about and work out," said Todd. "But most of their issues have already been resolved, Sweetheart," said Laura. "Chuck found her and made it clear that all he wanted was to know if she was happy. Deanna decided on her own to come." "Laura's right, Honey," said Kelly. "They've taken the hardest step already. Putting aside the past, willing to start fresh." "Well, we'll see how they make out now that they're alone," said Todd. "I really hope they can make a go of it." "We better find Sherri," said Kelly. "We need to get her studio portfolio done pretty soon, so we can find work for her." "Speaking of which," said Todd. "I want to present Sara to some of the TV and movie studios as a stunt boat driver. She's got the looks and the talent, and you know what kind of shortage of females there is in that line of work!" "That's a good idea, Todd," said Kelly. "I'll get the pictures you took of her at Regan's and the ones for IC and I'm sure I can get letters of endorsement from both Chuck and Peter." "That is if they don't come knocking on our door first," said Todd. "I didn't realize Chuck would get that center spread in so fast!" ------- Sara was, as usual, at the open barbeque, cooking that night's dinner. "How come a beautiful speed demon spends so much time at the grill?" Todd asked, flipping her skirt to show her naked butt. "I don't know," said Sara. "Maybe it's because I'm a better cook than the other girls?" Kelly and Laura laughed. "More likely because you can't say no," said Laura, laughing. "Oh? Is that a proposition I hear?" Sara said with a blushing smile. "Maybe not the one you're thinking of," said Laura, "but if you're free at the end of September, I sure would like it if you sang at our wedding." "Wedding???" said Sara. "Who are you marrying?" Todd and Kelly just stood back smiling. "Well... I'm going to marry Kelly." Sara's eyes got as big as saucers. "You're kidding me, right?" "Nope," said Kelly, stepping up and putting her arms around Laura. "And then we're both marrying Todd!" "Oh shit, oh shit,..." Sara sputtered as she hit the speed dial on her cell phone. "Celeste? Look... you've got to clear the last week in September. We're going to sing at Laura and Kelly's wedding! I mean at Todd and Laura's wedding... I mean at Kelly and, oh fuck it. They're all getting married!!!" ------- Kelly sat down at one of the many picnic tables left over from the Press soirée the day before and lit up another cigarette. She felt she was doing pretty well, being down to about four a day. Todd went into Sandy's and picked up some cold drinks. He had no sooner passed out the bottles when they heard a car scream to a halt in the marina parking lot, its screeching tires making them wonder if it missed the fences. At the same time they heard the throb of powerful marine engines racing into the marina. Todd smiled. Generally he wasn't fond of so much attention, but this was the "James Gang." His friends. If it hadn't been for them, this day might never have happened. In less time than it took Kelly to finish her cigarette, the entire gang was there as well as Cara, Ami and Erin, and Lucy and Anna. It was congratulations all round on the successful completion of Mueller's Wheel and Todd and Kelly and Laura getting married. "So, you're going to make an honest woman out of Kelly after you knocked her up?" said James laughing and pumping Todd's hand. "No, they're going to make an honest man out of me," Todd grinned. The gang wanted Todd and Kelly and Laura to stay another night, but Todd explained that they had to hit the road soon, with lots of work waiting for them in Charlotte. They set a date for Sherri to come to Charlotte to get her portfolio done. Laura offered to fly down and pick her up, but Brenda promptly spoke up and said she would drive Sherri up the next weekend if that was okay with Todd. Todd didn't even need to look at Kelly as he said that would be a great idea. Laura just smiled at her lover. The gang, as many as could get free, promised they would attend the TKO company picnic on the 3rd of August. Kelly said she would send down all the details. There were hugs and kisses from everyone as Todd and Laura and Kelly led their group back to the CL1. Erin had asked if she could hitch a ride back since she had to pack for the tournament next week. She walked ahead with an arm around both Cara and Ami. Lucy said goodbye to Anna and wished her luck with her mother and grandfather before heading off to find her own father. Kelly exchanged a last kiss with Brenda and whispered, "I'll be looking forward to your 'visit.' Maybe we can just slip away quietly and enjoy a nice weekend by ourselves." "Honey, that's the plan!" Brenda whispered back, punctuating it with a lick to her earlobe. ------- Chuck and Deanna had spent the last hour just hugging and crying, both of them regretting the wasted years. "You look so beautiful, Deanna," Chuck said. "Just like your mother when she was your age." "And you, dad, I've never seen you so relaxed and at ease," said Deanna. She brushed a few loose strands of hair from the side of his face. "What happened to all those wrinkles?" she asked laughing. "You look younger." "It's because I've got my baby girl back," said Chuck. "I was so afraid that I'd never see you again, Deanna." "There's some things I need to tell you," said Deanna softly. "It's okay, Honey," said Chuck. "You don't have to tell me anything. I promise you that I will never ask about anything either. You've grown up and I want to share my life with you." "Oh, daddy," Deanna started crying again. "I've missed you and Anna so much. It's been eating away at me for years. But when I saw your note, and all you wanted to know was if I was happy... I just knew I had to come." "How did you know that I'd be here?" Chuck asked. "Sorry. Never mind. I said I wouldn't ask any questions. I'm just happy that you're here." "I can't believe that you gave over control of your company, dad," "Well, it's not as ominous as it sounds, Deanna. A wonderfully bright young girl named Brenda now runs the company. She's got the support of a great group of designers, and she keeps the company running smoothly. Made a lot of changes that I hadn't even considered possible. But I see that you've turned out to be quite a ship builder yourself. This boat is remarkable. The quality is unbeatable." Deanna blushed. "Well, I learned from the best, didn't I?" Chuck's chest swelled with pride. "I'm glad there are still things we have in common, Deanna." Deanna took Chuck for a complete tour of the CL1, briefly cursing the celebrity who had commissioned her, and then reneged on the order. "I've got hundreds of thousands tied up in this boat, dad, and all I have to show for it is her initial deposit. The bitch even wanted that back. I should have known better. It's less of a hassle creating a good boat and then mass producing it and letting dealers handle customers." "Well, Deanna, some dealers can be as bad as customers. But I understand what you're saying, though I don't think you'll have any problems selling this one." Deanna gave him a hug. She finally had what she had always needed so badly: her father's approval. As they finished the short tour and headed back to the upper deck for more coffee, Deanna asked, "How did you come down, dad?" "I drove 'Jackie' down," said Chuck. "I've decided to give her to someone who appreciates her. Her name is Amanda. She came on board about a week after Brenda did. I seem to find myself surrounded these days by remarkable women." "Well, do you think one of them could drive my car back to your house?" "It's still your house too, Deanna," Chuck said. "Thanks, daddy. But what do you think? You've got no plans on how to get home, and if somebody can take my car to our house, you, me, and Anna could sail the CL1 back together." Chuck's eyes misted up. "That would be great, Deanna. The three of us on a leisurely cruise back home. But don't you have prior commitments?" Deanna looked at her father and smiled. "Nothing is as important as sailing with my dad again. And maybe we can go skinny dipping in the lake again!" Chuck laughed. "You heard about that, did you?" Deanna laughed as well. Laughed even harder when Chuck told her about Anna's initial reluctance to come out of the water. "I like Kelly and Laura, dad. Todd seems to be a really nice guy, too, and I can see you two took to each other real quick." "They are an amazing group," said Chuck. "Kelly is a dear, but there's something about Todd... He's talented and gifted and bright. But his family abandoned him when he was a teenager, and I think it still bothers him. Just wait until you get to see them in a normal situation," said Chuck. "Laura is sweet and loving and I think she's the one that holds the other two together. Kelly's a real gentle soul and gives much more than anyone will ever know. Todd is like me. Quiet, doesn't much care for crowds." "I saw a lot of that last night," said Deanna. "He talks only when he has something to say. He's very caring and sensitive and Anna adores him." Chuck shared just a bit of the information he had gathered on Kelly and Todd, enough to get her misty eyed. "Now maybe you'll understand better why they have a special place in my heart," he said. "I was telling Todd how mean I had been to you and he asked me if I ever beat you. I couldn't imagine parents doing that to their own child. I might have neglected you when you needed me, Deanna, and we might have had words, but I never once thought of raising my hand to you. But that got me thinking and when I asked Marcus about trying to find you so I could tell you how much I missed you, I had him do a background check on Todd and Kelly." "God, being beaten by your parents is bad enough, but to be sold by them? It makes you wonder how they managed to stay sane." "That's why I think the bond that keeps them sane is Laura. I don't know a lot about her, but I understand she comes from a very happy and supportive home. I liked her the first time I met her, and I'm a pretty good judge of character. What you see in Laura is exactly what you get." Chuck said. "She sees the world as a wonderful place." "And this business about the three of them getting married, that doesn't bother you, dad?" Chuck laughed. "Nope. Who am I to judge what makes people happy? If it makes them happy, then by God, I'm happy for them and I will do anything I can to help them be happy." "You really have changed a lot, dad," said Deanna. "Is this a test?" Chuck asked laughing. "No, daddy, I'm just trying to get a feeling of the new you. Actually... it's not so new. I sort of remember this was the way you were before mom got sick." "Yes," said Chuck sadly. "I wasted a lot of years, and took out my pain on those I loved, especially you, baby. I guess I'm just now seeing how I hurt those closest to me." "But that's okay, dad," said Deanna. "You're back now, and so am I, and we have Anna and a bunch of new friends, but most importantly, we have time. Although..." Deanna said with a smile, "I always wondered what it would be like to have a brother!" "Wait until you see the portrait he did of Anna," said Chuck. "Then you'll see what I mean about talent. Now how about we call up the marina and get the tanks topped off. I'll tell Brenda and Amanda that they'll be on their own for a few days, then we can stock the galley and sail off into the sunset." ------- Todd, Kelly, Laura, and the rest of the crew arrived just in time to see Chuck casting off. "Hey, Chuck" hollered Kelly. "Are you planning on taking off with our stuff?" Deanna looked over the deck and said, "don't worry, Kelly, I'm just going to move her over to the fuel wharf and get her topped up. Dad's going to sail home with Anna and me." Anna squeezed Todd's hand tight. "This has turned out better than I could have ever hoped for," she said. Erin had to run to get her own stuff, and Cara and Ami climbed on board to pack while Deanna skillfully maneuvered the yacht next to the pumping stations. Laura volunteered to pack Kelly's stuff as well as Todd's so that they could spend a little extra time with Chuck and Deanna, though she was quickly learning how to pack light and quick, and soon she joined them at Sandy's. Besides being the marina's only restaurant, Sandy's was also the place for boaters to stock up on supplies. Chuck and Deanna wrote up a list of what they would need to fill the galley and gave it to the staff to take care of. Chuck bummed another cigarette off Kelly and as he inhaled the mentholated smoke he looked at Todd. "Do you think you could make time to do a family portrait, Todd? I'll pay your regular fee." Todd smiled. "We have a weekend free after the company picnic." "But then we'll be tied up in New York for two weeks," added Kelly. "Tell you what, Chuck, you put us up for the weekend, and my beautiful bride to be and I will work our feminine wiles on this poor besotted suc... I mean, wonderful man here to take some nice pictures for you!" By this time Chuck was roaring with laughter. "Besides, Chuck," said Todd putting an arm around Deanna. "I can't very well charge to take a picture of my sister can I?" Deanna blushed, Anna beamed from ear to ear. Kelly and Laura smiled. "Then you'll stay for the weekend?" Chuck asked hopefully. Todd looked at Kelly. "If we did, we could go to Brookhaven on Monday and spend a few days shooting and scouting." "But we'll still have Cara and Ami with us," said Kelly. "They've just discovered something special, and I don't want to send them home early." "Bring them along," said Chuck. "We've got the space, and they're more than welcome!" Cara and Ami arrived back with Erin, all three of them carrying their bags. Ami was still wearing her camera around her neck. "I think I'm going to have to pick up some film Todd," she said shyly. Ami was still cost conscious and the idea of having gone through ten rolls of film was outrageous. But there had been so many great things to take pictures of, and some special moments as well. "Looks like the first thing I'll have to do is teach you how to make soup," said Todd. Deanna looked up. "Make soup?" "That's what we call the chemicals we develop our negatives in," said Ami. Todd smiled. "So that's why I haven't seen flashes going off when I didn't expect it!" said Kelly. "You ran out of film!" Ami blushed. A marina worker arrived and told Deanna that all the provisions had been delivered and stocked and that the CL1 was fully fueled. Chuck tipped the boy and took the bill. "How about we have an early supper together?" he asked. "I hate to say goodbye." Todd nodded and asked Kelly to order for him while he fetched the Hummer and loaded their luggage. Ami announced she was going to help Todd, and Cara said she would order for her. As they walked away, Deanna asked Kelly, "another one sweet on Todd?" "Yes," said Kelly, "but not in that sense. More like a big brother to her. He accepts her as she is, and is mentoring her in her ambition to become a professional photographer. Ami doesn't lean towards men for affection." "Oh!" said Deanna looking at Cara. "I thought you two were just friends." "We are," said Cara. "Just closer than most friends." "I'll say," said Erin. "I've been friends with both of them since we started gymnast training way back in the Stone Age, and trust me... I never knew that kind of closeness." Deanna laughed. "The Stone Age huh? Just how old are you, Erin?" "I'm 14," said Erin, "But just because I'm the youngest, doesn't mean I don't understand." Chuck laughed. "If you think you've already seen the Stone Age, you're going to love it when I tell you about the days when telephones had dials instead of buttons, and when the best and most efficient calculator was a pencil with an eraser on the end!" Deanna and Kelly were laughing now as well. "Let's not forget Disco," said Kelly. Erin started laughing as well. "Sorry," she said. "Look at it this way - Cara and Ami are 16 and are already retired from professional gymnastics. I might have two, maybe three years left if I don't grow too much or have any serious accidents." "It's a very short career expectancy," said Cara. "You train from the time you're old enough to walk, and by the time you really understand what the fuss is all about, like being able to do a no hands flip on a balance beam, you are ready to be put out to pasture. When most girls are just starting to think about what they want to do with their lives, we're already trying to settle on our second career." "It must be hard on young girls," said Deanna. "Actually," said Erin, "it has its upside. Because of the major concentration required, you learn to be very focused and school becomes easy. Then you can just concentrate on what you want to do and follow that dream. Physically it's hard though. Look at my hands," she said turning them palm up. It will take years or a lot of expensive work to remove the calluses and scars. Remember Tara Lipinski? She's the young girl from Texas who won the Gold Medal in skating in the '98 Olympics. She's had more surgery done on her knees than most old people, and she retired from skating professionally only two years after the Olympics. Last I heard she was trying out for television." The mood around the table had turned solemn. "Hey," said Cara. "Don't everybody look so down! Tara's not starving, and Ami and I are doing modeling right now and we know what we want to do with our lives. We already got to do things and go places other kids only dream about. And next," she grinned at Kelly, "Disney World!" ------- "I'm looking forward to seeing your shots of the wheel when they lifted it," said Todd to Ami. "You might actually be able to sell your first set of pictures." "Really? You think?" "If they're clear and in focus, yeah, I do think," said Todd. "You've got a natural eye for finding the right place. I was proud of you, kiddo!" "Why didn't you bring your camera along?" Ami asked. "Well, sometimes, I just like to leave the camera behind. Then I feel like I'm taking a real break." Ami thought on that a bit. "Yeah, I can see where with all the pictures you have to take, you might just want to look at something with both eyes." Todd laughed. They tossed the girls' bags into the back of the Hummer, and then Todd drove to the CL1 where he picked up the rest of the bags before he drove over to park by Sandy's. "Thanks, Todd," said Ami before getting out of the truck. "For what?" asked a puzzled Todd. "You know... the modeling work, the chance to work with you, for you believing in me. It all really means a lot to me and Cara." Todd smiled and ruffled Ami's hair. You deserve it all, Ami. Both of you girls do. Just promise me you'll never do anything half way. Always give everything your best shot." "I promise," said Ami. "I'll make you proud of me, Todd." "I already am." ------- Supper was an assortment of fresh grilled fish and deep fried battered shrimp with sides of wild rice with almonds and fries for the girls, while Todd and Chuck had baked potatoes with lots of sour cream and chives. "It's funny," said Chuck to Todd, "being in boats and all, but I rarely eat fish. And none of that raw crap for me either or any marine life that has legs. I usually have chicken or beef." "Well, I agree on preferring beef, Chuck, but you've got to think of your arteries. At least you eat chicken. I like fish, but with the exception of shrimp, I prefer mine to come with scales and filleted!" They relaxed with a glass of wine after supper and then the younger and the more ambitious had ice cream sundaes for dessert. Kelly and Chuck had another cigarette together and then... It was time to go. It was difficult. If it had been possible, they would have all stayed longer, but Todd really did have work to get back to, and Chuck and Deanna still had a lot of catching up to do. Anna gave Todd a special hug and kiss and thanked him for everything. "Honey, you'll always be my special angel," he whispered, holding her tight. "You take care of your Mom and your Grandpa. They both need lots of love!" After everybody had hugged, the six climbed into the Hummer. Todd drove away slowly as the girls waved back at their new extended family. When they had disappeared from sight, Kelly leaned her head against Todd's shoulder. "Take us home, honey." ------- Chapter 21 Kelly flopped down on the bed. It had been a great weekend, but the ride home had tired her out. With all the excitement Celeste had created with Meuller's Wheel and the reunion of Chuck and Deanna adding to the general flow of adrenaline, she hadn't been able to sleep on the ride back to Charlotte. They had dropped Erin off after leaving the marina, and the five had been bubbling with news from their various encounters for the rest of the four-hour drive back. It had been late and dark when they turned on to I-77, and since nobody was hungry, Todd had just kept on driving. They would just have to order a case of Maurice's BBQ sauce on line. Kelly could hear Cara and Ami in the other room as they changed out of their road gear and unpacked their bags. Todd had left to take the Hummer back to the studio, and would pick up Chinese takeout on the way back. Laura had gone with him and Kelly smiled as she thought of Laura sipping the cream of 'Sum Jung Guy' when they changed vehicles at the studio. She didn't mind, and hoped that Todd enjoyed Laura's talented tongue, something she was intimately familiar with! Cara and Ami came bounding into the room. "Kelly, you're still dressed," said Cara. "How am I going to oil you down with all these clothes on?" Kelly rolled over on her back to look at the two naked nymphs. She was about to reply that she was too tired, but the two gymnasts bounced onto the bed and started to undress her. Kelly closed her eyes and just enjoyed the attention. She was going to miss these girls when they went home to finish school. Cara unbuttoned Kelly's blouse exposing her bare breasts, as Ami undid Kelly's shorts and slid them and her panties down her legs. Kelly allowed herself to be pulled forward so they could remove her blouse, marveling again at the strength of these former Olympic hopefuls. Now, nude on the bed, Kelly heard the hissing of the aerated body cream fill willing hands. There was no hesitation on the part of the gymnasts this time at all as they started right in on her breasts. After seconds of their loving care, Kelly's nipples were puckered and standing at attention. Reluctantly, knowing this was an actual job to keep Kelly's body supple during her pregnancy and to avoid stretch marks, they moved from her sensitive breasts to her stomach, arms, and legs. Sensual, sexual sensations were washing over Kelly as the girls stroked and rubbed her all over, firmly but gently working the special oil into her skin. As Ami worked on Kelly's arms and shoulders, Cara moved down to rub the sensuous cream into Kelly's stomach, gently massaging around her belly-button, then lower, her strong fingers working the cream firmly into the taut muscles and feeling them loosen under her touch. She worked in tiny circles, gradually working lower until her fingers were brushing Kelly's pubes, watching as the movement of her massaging pulled on the swollen nether lips. The friction of her labia against her sensitive clit combined with the sensuous pampering was too much for Kelly and her climax gently washed over her, bringing a long breathy moan to her lips. "Wow, Cara," said Ami. "What did you do to her?" "Nothing!" said Cara. "I didn't even touch her pussy!" All too soon, Kelly's front was done and the girls just rolled her over and started on her back. Kelly closed her eyes again, just savoring the attention and still basking in the warmth of her climax. She could hear the girls whispering as Cara worked her shoulders with the strength of a professional masseuse. Ami continued to work on Kelly's arms and sides as Cara made her way down to Kelly's lower cheeks. With powerful hands, she kneaded the soft flesh beneath her fingers knowing that the movement might well bring Kelly over the edge again. Kelly could feel another climax starting to well up inside her and moaned out that she was ever so close when a well-lubricated thumb slid into her anus. That was all it took to send Kelly into the throes of another climax, this one even stronger than the first. By the time the girls had finished rubbing the lotion into Kelly from head to toe, she was still quivering from the orgasm. With genuine affection, Cara and Ami lay down beside Kelly and wrapped their arms around her, just holding her in a loving embrace. For Kelly, time had stopped and she was just relaxed enough to start drifting off to sleep when she heard Todd and Laura enter the house. Cara and Ami heard as well, but neither made any move to untangle themselves from their embrace, which is how Todd and Laura found them. ------- Laura sniffed the air and smiled. "Somebody's had a good time," she said. "Oh, God, that was me," said Kelly with a sleepy smile. "I'll stay barefoot and pregnant if it means I can get this kind of treatment all the time!" Todd laughed. "Let's see how you survive the first one," he said. "Well, I am definitely going to endorse this cream," said Kelly. "And Cara, I've had some experience with masseuses, and you are a natural. If you only take the basic course in massage therapy, I know of a place right here in Charlotte that will hire you in a flash, and not for cheap labor either, but for real money!" "Maybe I could work there when I get to the University?" Cara asked. "Make enough money to pay my own way?" "Not till you're 18," said Kelly, "but don't you worry about money. You'll make enough just taking care of me." "Well, are we going to talk or eat?" asked Todd. "The food is in the kitchen." With a collective sigh, Kelly and Cara and Ami got off the bed, none of them bothering to dress, and Laura quickly stripped as well. Todd just shook his head. As the lone male, he was stuck wearing clothes. ------- The late supper turned out to be more of a late night snack, and they all had trouble staying awake through the various entrees Laura had selected. Chicken fried rice, fried wontons, and spring vegetable egg rolls. And of course their evening dose of vitamins. Finally Ami couldn't take it any more. "I'm even too tired to chew," she said looking at her third egg roll. "All I want to do is go to sleep." "You'd think with all of the excitement we'd be wide awake," said Cara, "but we used to get this when we were on bus trips as well." "Road fatigue," said Todd. "You finally stop moving and it affects your system. You'll be okay after a good night's sleep." "Go ahead and go to bed, ladies," Kelly said. "We'll put all this away and see you in the morning." They all exchanged hugs and kisses and Cara and Ami stumbled off to bed. Todd went to relieve himself and while he was gone, Laura and Kelly packed up the leftovers. "Flying really does have its advantages," said Kelly. "And it might have been easier if we could have stayed longer as well," said Laura. "That was a busier two days than the weekend at Brookhaven." "Just think, Sweetheart," Kelly said as the two girls headed to the bedroom. "In only three weeks, we'll be back there again." Kelly was so tired she didn't even have a last cigarette of the night. Todd closed the bedroom door and slipped in between his sleeping beauties. ------- The light was streaming in through the bedroom window when Todd finally woke up. Both Kelly and Laura were still sound asleep. Softly he slipped from beneath their embrace and padded to the kitchen where the most pleasant smell of French Toast made him salivate. Cara was standing at the stove flipping slices of bread while Ami topped them off with fresh cut strawberries and thick whipped cream. Both were wearing T-shirts. A smart idea, since hot butter bouncing from the skillet could seriously hurt! "Good morning, girls," he said. "Damn!" said Ami, and promptly smeared a gob of whipped cream on Todd's nose. "We wanted to surprise you guys with breakfast in bed," said Cara. Todd laughed. "It might have been you two that would have been surprised. I sleep in the nude." "Nothing we haven't seen already," said Ami, then she blushed furiously. "Ami!" said Cara. "Wait a minute," said Todd. "Oh, I see. A couple of peeping tomasinas looked out their bedroom window one night." It was his turn to blush. "And oh, what a night, what a sight," Cara said. Todd just blushed deeper. "Look, Ami. I never thought I'd see Todd blush. He comes in last night, finds us naked in bed with Kelly, then Laura shucks her clothes and he's eating with four naked women and he doesn't blush, but the thought that we saw his dick is making him squirm." "Seeing me nude is one thing," said Todd, "but I distinctly remember I was 'engaged' when you saw me." "Entangled is more like it," said Ami. "Don't tell us you have double standards, Todd," Cara said. "No, no I don't," he said. "It just caught me off guard, knowing I had been seen." "Of course we couldn't see your face," said Ami. Seems to me that Kelly was parked on it!" "Okay, enough of that," said Todd laughing now. He took a paper towel and wiped the cream from his nose. "I'll give you a hand and we can wake up Kelly and Laura. By the way... where did you get the fresh berries?" "That fruit stand at the end of the street before you turn for the studio," said Ami. "Kelly stopped there once, so I just ran down to see what he had. Told him it was for Kelly and he had a whole tray hidden beneath the counter. Said it was for his special customers." "I hope you were wearing more than just a T-shirt when you ran down," said Todd. "I can see both your butts!" "Smart Ass," said Ami. "I put my shorts on first." It took another ten minutes to finish preparing breakfast and then the girls slipped off their T's and with Todd's help carried the five plates into the bedroom along with a bottle of Maple syrup and cutlery. ------- Breakfast was wonderful and Todd told Kelly and Laura that they had been caught in the act by two peeping tomasinas. Laura smiled and said she already knew that. It was a gorgeous morning and with laughter the day promised all kinds of happiness. They cleaned up the dishes and drove to the studio, where they did their exercise routine with Ami and Cara. Kelly participated but passed on some of the more strenuous exercises. She had a baby to think about now. "It's time to take some pictures," Todd said after they had all showered. "Kelly, I think I should do you first. And you girls, you might want to stick around and watch a pro at work." "We've seen you at work, Todd," Ami said. "Not me," Todd said. "I meant Kelly." In the same section of the studio where he had taken the pictures of Laura, Todd set the lights to bring out the best in Kelly, and from years of experience, knew exactly how to bring out her best features. "Since we don't have a sponsor yet for maternity clothes, Kelly," Todd said, "I think we'll do the beginning stages of your adventure in the buff. Some nipples and some bum, and a whole selection of strategically placed arms and hands." "Got ya, Babe," she said, and headed off to the makeup table where she started to apply the various layers of makeup that would ultimately look like she was wearing none at all. Ami was torn between wanting to watch Kelly apply her makeup and watching Todd set up the lighting. Finally she decided to stick with Todd. She'd soon see enough of the makeup process when it came time for her to pose. Todd selected a multi-toned backdrop for Kelly, heavy in the greens, one of those he had ordered specifically from a custom painter in New York. There were no sharp or defining edges on it, the colors just blending into one another like a chalk drawing on a sidewalk after a heavy rain. He liked the predominantly dark green with earthy brown swatches for Kelly. It set off her eyes and her body tone. He explained all this to Ami as he fastened the sheet six feet in front of the posing position thus ensuring there would be no seam to distract from the image he intended to create. Todd placed a wide beam flood above and behind where Kelly would pose to separate her from the background and then using Ami as a stand in, adjusted the primary flood at 60 degrees and the secondary at 30. When Ami asked why, he explained that the primary would cast shadows on Kelly's body, and that the secondary would remove the harsh shadows yet enhance the 3D look. Then, he would use two highlight spots, one to add depth and color to Kelly's hair and another to accentuate her facial features without washing them out. Together they went to Todd's workstation where he calculated the wattage and showed Ami the math required to figure out the resulting light bursts from the strobes. As this was part of a professional lighting system, Todd explained that the computer console would do most of the calculations but a real photographer should still have to learn to do it by hand. "God," said Ami. "I thought I was doing well with using the flash!" "That's why a diploma in photography is a two year course," said Todd. "Then to become a pro, you need to serve an apprenticeship as well." "Is that what I'm doing with you, Todd?" Ami asked. "Yes, you are, Ami, but when you start University, I really want you to take the Fine Arts program. Photography is changing, but the way an artist sees things, that will never change." While Laura and Cara were busy with Kelly, and Todd and Ami were powering up the lighting system, Vanetta had been busy working the phones. She had seen Todd work before, but there was a smile on her lips as she watched Todd mentor his new protégée. So much had changed in the last few months. ------- Vanetta had been seriously working the phones. This was her chance to prove to Kelly and Todd their faith in her education and abilities had not been misplaced, and that she could put together a package deal for the mother to be. She knew about the moisturizing lotion Kelly was now using to minimize stretch marks, and how much she enjoyed it. It made that company an easy sell, but the problem was that the major magazines wanted to promote their own sponsors. Vanetta knew that was something that Kelly would never go for. Vanity Fair had offered half a million for the exclusive rights to the growth of a former top model enjoying her pregnancy, but wanted to place their own ads alongside the pictures. Today's Parent had offered close to the same amount, but again wanted to promote from within their own list of advertisers. Kelly would never allow her name to be associated with a product that she didn't personally endorse. That was the kind of girl Kelly was. In frustration she called Bobby. She needed somebody to bounce ideas around with and she didn't want to fall back on Kelly or Todd. She was determined to make this a package deal. She arranged to meet Bobby at the realty office where he was working and they would go out for lunch together and brainstorm. ------- "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. Ayres," Kelly laughed. Todd finished setting up the same kneeling pew that had worked so well for Laura. It was one of his favorite props and worked so much better than a stool. He whistled when he saw Kelly stand up. "Wow, Honey, you look great!" he said. And she did. It had been a long time since he had photographed Kelly as a model, years in fact, and he made a conscious effort to look at her with his professional eye, recognizing some of the things he had shown Laura that fateful first day. She had styled her hair with colored mousse, giving her light brown hair gold highlights, artfully arranging it to look wild. Her nipples were darker, and she had emphasized her bust with an under brushing of charcoal powder and a trace of eyeliner drawn between her breasts and blended in with a makeup sponge. Her itty-bitty tits were no longer those of a young girl, but now of a mature woman and looking to need a bra at least a cup bigger. She had also used the charcoal powder on her thighs and bellybutton, making her lower stomach look a little more rounded and sensuous. Though she was always beautiful to him, he had forgotten just how beautiful she could be to the camera. Laura and Cara had helped buff Kelly's nails and had applied a frosted polish in a light chocolate shade. All this would serve to add highlights to her naked form. Nudity was hard to capture properly on film, contrary to the fantasies of millions of men who thought of being a glamour photographer. Todd turned off most of the lights in the studio, and dimmed the rest. Posing Kelly on the pew, which he had covered with a mottled hunter green cloth, he resisted the urge to kiss her and moved to his lighting panel. He had shown Ami earlier in the morning how to load the A-12 magazines for the Hasselblad, and had six packs with him and another six in the darkroom. He would have put them in the cooler, but he knew he had more pictures to take today. Kelly had scrubbed her teeth with peroxide and they shone as white as snow. As usual, he slipped the Polaplus Polaroid magazine onto the camera for a shot to verify his setup, so he could do any lighting adjustments required. "Okay, Kell," he said, "I need you for a test shot." Kelly leaned forward, thrusting her boobs at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. The ready lights were all on and he plugged in his longest flash cord and then hit the master switch that would fire all the strobes and floods in sequence to his camera. The gold cable had cost him a small fortune, but with multiple strobes, a 60th of a second left little room for error. He took his test shot and waited for the Polaroid professional grade film to completely set before he took it to his workbench and examined it under the illuminated enlargement lens. The camera really adored Kelly. The highlights in her hair stood out, her darkened nipples and polished nails all adding contrast to her lightly tanned body. The charcoal accents she had placed under her breasts and on her thighs and belly button looked natural and gave them depth and distinction. He carefully examined all portions of her body checking to see if there were any distracting shadows or under lit areas. Satisfied, he gave the proof to Ami, who had remained at his side the entire time. He allowed her to look at it under the magnifying lens and then told her to take it to Kelly while he replaced the Polaplus back with the first A-12 magazine. When Ami returned to stand silently beside him, he asked Kelly if she was comfortable. Receiving a smile that threatened to melt the lens, he showed Ami how Kelly looked through the reversed image in the wide screen top viewfinder, then how to focus and set the zoom. "Might as well start training you now," he said to her. Todd locked the tripod into place and attached his remote shutter release. With a flick of the remote, music filled the studio. It wasn't country but he knew that Kelly liked Hermes House Band, and that dance beat throbbed the studio. Cara and Laura sat in folding canvas chairs at the sidelines watching the "Kelly the Pro" do her thing for the camera. After the first magazine was used up, Todd had Ami take it into the darkroom while he loaded another one. "Jesus, Kell," said Laura, "you move for that camera like you do on the dance floor. Your expression changes every second, and your posture... I'll never be as good as you." "Sure you will, Honey," Kelly said, "all it takes is practice and more practice. Mike will walk you through it every step of the way and I'll be there to help you the first time." Ami brought a large hand held mirror to Kelly to check her makeup and her teeth. There was always a chance that lip-gloss would transfer to her teeth, and that would mean a whole collection of pictures would be trash. ------- "I just don't know what to do, Bobby," said Vanetta as they sat at a corner café sipping coffee. "Vanity will pay a flat half mil, and I'm sure that I can push for more, but they want to run their own ads. That's one of the reasons Kelly got out of the business. She only wanted to work for products that she personally believed in." "I can see where that could raise some conflicts," said Robert. "Who else have you contacted, Netta?" "Just the two of them so far. I could see that I was running into a brick wall so I thought I would call you and brainstorm a bit. I really need to do this, Bobby. If I can make this happen, I might get a job at the New York office!" "You want to live in New York, Honey?" Robert asked. "For a while anyway," she said. "It would give me the practical experience and Todd is talking about opening an office in California or Europe, and if they do, I want to head up that new office!" Robert smiled at her. He loved her and would follow her anywhere. "So, if I have this right, Kelly wants to have some say in what products can be used for advertising." "Yes," said Vanetta. "So, why don't you contact the sellers of the products you know she uses and see if they would be interested in a package deal and then offer that to a smaller scale magazine?" "Where's the profit in that?" Vanetta asked. "What do women's magazines love over everything else?" At her enquiring look, he answered "Celebrity marriages, and celebrity babies. Look what you have here," he continued. "One," holding up a finger, "a model who was very well known, even if not quite world famous. Two, a world famous photographer. Three, a story which will go for the entire pregnancy," he looked the question at Vanetta. "Up to a year, with baby photos and such." "Right. And our new mother has specific products that she uses and would honestly recommend to other mothers-to-be. That has to be worth a mint to any company, which makes that product. So as you identify each one, you go to them and tell them 'Kelly uses your product, you want in on the deal?' You can then go to a magazine with a package of a model, photographer, and a collection of advertisers. They pay you direct for the story. Then you can either get a commission for the ad revenue, or if you want you can get the companies to pay direct for the endorsement. You just make it clear in the copy that Kelly doesn't endorse any product that she doesn't believe in." "You might have something there, Bobby," she said. "I was looking at the international edition of Fit Pregnancy, Mothering Magazine, but I knew they could never match the price that Vanity or Cosmo would be willing to pay. But if the advertisers kicked in..." She gave him a quick kiss. "You're a genius, Robert! Pick me up at home tonight and we'll go out and celebrate!" ------- It had taken Todd an hour to get enough shots of Kelly to make a suitable presentation and as a keepsake for the baby album. Kelly had posed, exposing herself, covering herself modestly with her hands and arms, in all manner of expressions. Ami had taken all the film into the darkroom after it was shot. Taking a break, Kelly slipped on one of the robes they kept around for just this purpose, not wanting to mess her carefully wildly arranged hair. Todd suggested that now might be a good time for Laura and Kelly to do the Trek shoot for Ray. Kelly was all made up and they could get Laura fixed up in a jiffy. Laura and Kelly agreed, and with the help of Ami and Cara, they buffed Laura's nails and painted them in the same dark shade that Kelly was wearing. Todd and Kelly worked on Laura's hair until it too was highlighted with the honey colored mousse. Todd ran upstairs while Kelly was putting the finishing touches on Laura's hair and skin, and he grabbed the extra bags they had brought back with them from Brookhaven. Both girls carefully slipped into the Star Fleet regulation underwear, adjusted their hair, and after Laura had peroxided her teeth, Kelly applied the lip-gloss and lip liner to Laura's beautifully puckered mouth, and then the eyeliner and shadow and blush. Ami helped Todd adjust the lights again, marveling again at the math and computation of exposure ratings that the strobes required. "Don't you worry about it, Ami," Todd said. "You'll get the hang of this part in no time." "Just keep in mind that you're working with triangles. That's what gives the three-dimensional look. So if your main flood is at 60 degree, then your fill flood should be at 30. Then rotate the triangle and look at the front and figure out how much power you have hitting dead on and divide that by an equal amount to give proper back lighting." "But what about the overhead spots?" Ami asked. "They don't give off enough light to really take into consideration," said Todd. "You just want to use them to highlight the hair and give separation." Todd unrolled a large plain flat black background for the next series of pictures. "Why black, Todd?" Ami asked. "Don't you have something spacey?" Todd laughed and said he would add the background later with a computer program. "This way it makes it easier to blend them into a background or crop them totally," he said. Vanetta let herself back in with her key and locked the door behind her, just in time to see Kelly and Laura all dolled up in their Star Fleet underwear. "I see nipples," she laughed as she made her way to her desk. "I should hope so!" Laura shouted back. "We worked hard at getting them to show through these tops!" And they had worked hard at it. Once the lights were set to Todd's level of acceptance, he had taken a roll of masking tape and slipped behind both girls 'custom fitting' the tops and shorts. "Ah," Laura had said. "Catalog legal. Now I understand." Todd just smiled. He had Ami and Cara standing in front advising him when material was too tight or when it buckled, and he had gotten the perfect fit. Like Kelly, Laura had darkened her nipples and with the massive overhead fill turned on, they were noticeable - just barely - through the bluish material. Todd shot off two packs of film just on this one scene. He had Kelly and Laura use a variety of poses, shooting them back-to-back with just a slight angle towards the camera, arms crossed, smiling and solemn. One of these pictures would surely find its way into Paramount's merchandising department! He still had four packs left loaded. He turned and looked at the expectant faces of Cara and Ami. "Are you two sure you still want to do this?" he asked. Kelly looked at Todd with a question in her eyes. "Cara and Ami want to have a series of pictures of the two of them together like what you and Laura did in the tub at Brookhaven," he explained. "Oh," she said. "That would be nice. And you have the lights set up for a two shot now anyway. Do you still have that meadow looking backdrop?" she asked. "Yeah, why?" "Wouldn't it be nice if they started off fully clothed and sitting on a bench?" Kelly asked. "Yeah," said Todd with a grin. "That would work!" "Well, let Laura and me get something for the girls to wear and give us some time with their makeup and hair and you can do the set." ------- Before they got started, they took time for a late lunch break. Vanetta used the opportunity to quiz Kelly on the personal products she used for her hair etc, and when Kelly asked why, she was cryptic and evasive in her responses. After lunch, Vanetta headed back to her phone and started calling various suppliers. Todd had a nice park bench in his prop room with wooden slats and wrought iron sides. He placed it where he thought the light would hit it perfectly and with the use of an 18 percent gray box he adjusted the lights himself. Laura and Kelly spent a lot of time fixing the girls' fingernails and putting a light coat of pink on them. Kelly had suggested they go for the innocent look and let nature take its course. Cara and Ami readily agreed. Then they went to the wardrobe room and Kelly devilishly picked out the perfect outfits for them. Kelly still had an ample supply of "Jockey for Her" underwear from a previous shoot and had the girls remove their bras and panties and replaced them with plain white cotton undershirts and the famous male style jockey shorts. Knee high blue socks and plain white blouses went on next, then she produced a matching pair of Catholic school style dark blue plaid uniform skirts. Todd was sitting next to Vanetta lending a sympathetic ear when the sound of laughter and giggles reached their ears. "I think that by the sound of that, they've found something really special," said Vanetta. Laura came bounding out and picked up the mousse and styling picks along with lipstick and eye makeup. "No peeking till we're done," she hollered back over her shoulder. Vanetta swore Todd to secrecy and then told him of her plan to market Kelly's pregnancy as a complete package deal to a smaller magazine if, and only if, she brought her own sponsors and advertisers on board. Todd bit his lip as he thought it through. "That's a damn good idea, Vanetta. Kelly's hooked on that body lotion that we did a shoot on two years ago. I'd call them first. Make it a 16 month contract, so they can have a series of pictures as Kelly gets her shape back and include a picture of her holding the baby as well." "I called them already," said Vanetta. "They're willing, but they asked about the rates and in which magazines. Vanity wanted to go with a bigger, better-known name product, and told me they would take care of the advertising. I knew Kelly wouldn't go for that and then Bobby said I should put it all together and present it to a specialty mag." "He's right," said Todd. "And he's smart," he added with a smile. "If I were you," Todd said, "and I was looking at a smaller magazine to sell this to, I might even talk to Jorge about doing a line of maternity clothes. But that's just a suggestion and you never heard it from me!" Vanetta laughed. Todd was growing a bit restless waiting for the girls and headed for the kitchenette for something to quench his thirst and was snacking on some celery when Cara and Ami entered the studio. They looked young and innocent dressed in the school uniforms. He let out a slow and low whistle. Kelly and Laura smiled. Kelly's idea had the desired effect. ------- After doing a final check on the lights, Todd had them start facing away from each other, back to back. With each progressive click of the shutter it appeared like the two schoolgirls were becoming friends and after a few gentle exploratory kisses, started to undress each other. As the buttons opened and the undershirts were exposed, Todd felt himself get aroused. This was, after all, most men's fantasy! The tops were soon lying on the ground and the skirts followed shortly thereafter. Todd got numerous exposures as the undershirts came off and he could tell that Kelly had darkened their nipples as well. Topless, wearing only the jockey shorts and socks, the girls knelt on the bench doing some serious kissing and soon the first pair of jockeys was sliding down uncovering a set of perfect cheeks. Todd had trouble changing the film cartridges on the 'Blad, being so absorbed in the show that was being staged. He knew this was going to be a great set of photos. The last time he had gotten aroused by a model on set had been when Laura had let loose. Soon both girls were naked and hugging each other and kissing when Ami bent to capture Cara's nipple in her teeth. As Cara returned the favor, Todd finally shot his last exposure, and turned off the soft romantic music he had playing in the background, and switched the lights to stand by to let them cool down. He wiped his brow and then looked at Kelly and Laura with a plea on his face. "Look, girls," said Kelly, "you've got Todd all excited!" "Well, I'm soaking myself," said Ami. "I think we better hit the showers and get all this stuff washed off," she said as she grabbed Cara's hand and dashed for the shower. "We should get showered off ourselves," said Kelly to Laura with a grin. "Wait until I put the film away and I'll join you," shouted Todd. He hurriedly grabbed the exposed film packs and dashed through the revolving darkroom door. Kelly and Laura followed him in. Vanetta's laughter could be heard as the door twirled shut. ------- "Wow," said Ami as she humped Cara's leg. "Did you see how hot Todd got?" "Yeah, I noticed," said Cara whose hand was busy working magic on Ami's slippery butt. "But it's you who gets me hot, Babe," said Ami before clamping her lips over Cara's as they ground their pelvises together. ------- Todd barely had time to put the film down before Laura had his pants down around his ankles and her lips wrapped around his stiff cock. Kelly latched her lips onto his while pinching his nipples. Laura removed her lips from his pulsing shaft just long enough to say, "Looks like our little schoolgirls got our man all hot and bothered, Kell." Kelly slipped her hand down to feel his tightened scrotum. "I do believe you're right, Sweetheart. Should we call them in here to fix the problem they created?" Todd was bucking against the hand that held his cock. "Please," he said, "this is no time to tease an old man." Laura laughed. "Some old man!" she said as she tightened her grip on his swollen cock. "Maybe a dirty old man," said Kelly, sliding her tongue into Todd's ear. "Argh," moaned Todd as he shot his load into Laura's greedy sucking mouth. Laura drank him down. She hadn't expected Todd to erupt so quickly, but even after she had drained him, he was still hard as a rock. "Kelly," said Laura mischievously. "He's still hard. We might have some serious competition on our hands from those little school tarts." Todd's cock pulsed in her hand. "Oh, Honey," said Kelly, sliding down to where she could inspect Todd's cock up close. "You may be right. I've heard stories about those little school yard tramps." Laura was stroking Todd's cock in earnest now. Kelly kissed her lover and then the head of Todd's shining helmet. "Really?" mocked Laura, "do tell!" "The little sluts like to dress up all innocent," continued Kelly, "and then they hang around places where men are sure to go. "They're always dropping stuff so that they can show off some titties or their little white panties." Todd was groaning, and Kelly started to squeeze his balls while she used broad flat strokes of her tongue on his cock head, alternating with Laura sucking on it. "And you say they do this on purpose?" Laura asked, feigning indignation. "Absolutely!" said Kelly. "But they only like to get men all hot and bothered. Especially dirty old men! They like to tease but never please like us real women." With that she slid her mouth over Todd's cock getting it as deep into her throat as she could without gagging. Laura moved up and stuck her tongue in Todd's ear. "Are you a dirty old man, Todd?" she asked. Todd didn't answer, couldn't answer as Laura's mouth covered his, giving him a taste of his own cum as Kelly sucked another huge load out of him, his fingers tangled in her hair. Totally drained, Todd started to slide down to the floor, kissing Kelly deeply on the way. Laura moved down to sit beside them. Todd's eyes were glazed. "I will fix you both for that!" he mumbled. Kelly and Laura laughed. "It's amazing what fantasies can do, isn't it, Kelly?" said Laura Kelly smiled. "I think you and I need to get into the shower, Sweetheart," she said. "How about you and I go and leave Todd in dreamland?" Giggling, the two of them got up, and ran out of the darkroom and raced up the stairs. ------- Chapter 22 Todd sighed, wishing he could have a cold beer and a hot smoke. Two intense orgasms and his lovers were upstairs. "Damn, it's still early in the day as well," he thought. But he was going to fix Kelly and Laura. Slowly, he got to his feet and staggered out of the darkroom. Vanetta didn't say a word as he passed by her desk, but she was smirking as he stumbled into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of Evian and Kelly's cigarettes then collapsed onto the couch. The same couch where he had first made love to Laura. The same one he and Laura had first experimented in a three way with Kelly, and where Vanetta and Bobby so often spent delicious evenings. Todd lit up, had a drink, and then sank back into the soft material. Cara and Ami, having satisfied their itch in the shower, had slipped on panties and T-shirts and came out holding hands. They flopped on the couch sandwiching Todd. "Since when did you start smoking, Todd?" Ami asked. "Generally I don't," said Todd. "Just two occasions make me want to light up. When I'm really down and..." he stopped. "And when he's totally sexed out in the middle of the day," finished Vanetta laughing. "Maybe we should have one too, then," said Ami with a self-satisfied grin. "Don't you dare start!" said Todd. "I think you two have picked up enough bad habits from us as it is!" Vanetta walked over, took Todd's cigarette, and had a drag herself, before handing it back to him. She inhaled deeply and let the smoke slowly stream out of her nostrils. Todd smiled at her as he took another drag. Vanetta parked herself on the coffee table and said, "I don't think they're going back with any bad habits, Todd. What have they learned? That nudity is natural? Giving is better than taking? Sex with love is better than sex for the sake of having it? Sharing and laughing is as good for the heart as it is for the soul?" Todd handed the cigarette back to Vanetta, and smiled. "Yeah, I guess that those aren't bad values to adopt, are they, Vanetta?" She handed the cigarette back to Todd and got up. "Nope, not bad values at all." "There he is," said Laura. "And would you believe he's already trying to seduce them?" Kelly laughed. She and Laura were wearing nearly identical outfits to what Ami and Cara were wearing, except of course, their T-shirts had Star Trek symbols on them. Vanetta said, "Women dream, men fantasize." Kelly took out a cigarette for herself as she and Laura parked together in one of the facing chairs. "Sit with us, Vanetta," she said. "Your homework can wait a little bit. We've been so busy the last few months we don't get a chance to just sit any more." Kelly and Laura shared the cigarette that Kelly had lit. Vanetta shrugged, grabbed her bottle of water from her desk, and took the other chair. "Laura!" said Ami. "You smoke, too?" "Hardly," said Laura. "If I bought a pack it would probably last me two months, but..." "We know," said Cara. "You're sexed out in the middle of the day." Laura's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "I told them that was one of the times that Todd lights up," said Vanetta. "Ah!" said Laura. "Actually, I'm just helping Kelly cut down." Everybody laughed. "I got a call from the catering company this afternoon," said Vanetta. Everything is all set for the company picnic, but the band they had booked cancelled. They're trying to find a decent replacement but with it only being two weeks away, they're not sure if they'll be able to get a good one." "Hey," said Todd. "I wonder if that band from the floating restaurant would be willing to play that afternoon. The music is only from 2 till 6 which means they could still fly back in time to play that night if they're booked." Kelly got up to get her day planner out of her purse, bringing back a cordless phone and a note pad as well. "There's something wrong with this picture," said Vanetta. "What's that, Sweetie?" asked Kelly. "Well, to start with, you're doing my job, and Todd's sitting between two other girls!" "As long as we're all comfortable with it," said Kelly, "who cares?" Vanetta laughed and put her feet on the coffee table. "Who am I to say anything? Just go with the flow!" Todd chuckled. "Besides, Vanetta, you might as well get used to it. When you graduate, you'll have a full time job running TKO's corporate headquarters." Vanetta bolted upright. "Are you kidding me?" Kelly stopped and looked at Vanetta very seriously. "No, Honey, we're not. You know how Todd hates details in everything other than his pictures. Laura's got her modeling and a new married life to think about, and I'm going to spend most of my time with my baby and my lovers. You already know everything about how to run the business, right down to how to deal with New York. Besides," she laughed, "what do you think we've been training you for?" Vanetta just sat there, slack jawed, all her hopes and dreams coming together in this casual conversation. "In the last couple of years," Kelly continued, "as our reputation has grown, I've been traveling more and more with Todd, and you've been running this place all by yourself. Eventually we want to shut down the office in New York and handle all that business out of Charlotte. Then we'll probably buy an office, but for the time being, you know that everything is run from here anyway. When we do make a move to a proper office building, there will probably be a lot of the New York staff coming down, but they'll be reporting to you. I'll focus on special projects for Todd to shoot, but I'll be handing them off to you as well once I have the initial pricing done." "Earth calling Vanetta," said Todd. He draped his arms over Ami and Cara's shoulders. "She gets like this once in a while," he explained. "Well, Madame President?" asked Kelly. "Will you accept this challenge?" "I... I mean, um... I, uh..." Laura wrapped herself closer around Kelly. "She's a whiz with words, isn't she?" she asked with a smile. "She probably has to talk it over with Robert and discuss this with her business manager and lawyers," said Todd grinning. ------- Vanetta's mind was racing. It had only been this afternoon that she told Bobby of her dream of one day running one of the offices for Kelly and Todd. She had never told anybody else, not even her mother. She had studied so hard to make them proud of her, trying to get the best grades possible to justify the money they had given her for her education. She wanted to be the best, to make a name for herself and slowly move up the business ranks until one day she would be a manager, but now, now she was being offered the presidency of the TKO business! And she knew how big that business was! Few people did, other than perhaps their lawyer. And she was black! Not a fourth generation, watered down, American stereotype like Halle Berry, Vanetta was black, 100 percent pure bred Jamaican. She would be one of the few black females in the country to be the president of a multi-million dollar business, and maybe the only one in Charlotte! Hell, maybe the only one in North Carolina! And all she could do was stutter. ------- "Yes!" Vanetta shouted. "I will, I mean I do, oh shit!" Everyone was laughing with her. "We were going to wait until you graduated before we told you," said Kelly, "but it was so nice and comfortable, just the six of us sitting around." "We'll wait until the company picnic to make the official announcement," said Todd, "maybe by then you'll have found your voice again," he added with a warm smile. "And seriously, Vanetta," said Kelly, "I think that you are the best qualified for the job. You've got the education and the practical experience, but if you decide to take it, I'll still be around to help you out." "If I decide to take it?" Vanetta said. "This is a dream come true. Mom will be so happy." "We'll get Steve to write up the legal stuff along with your new salary and bonuses and perks," said Kelly. "Might as well get all that legal paperwork done at once, right, Todd?" "Right," he said. "But we'll celebrate properly at the picnic. How about seeing if you can get us that band?" "Yes, it would be nice to have them play, wouldn't it?" Kelly said, remembering the night at the restaurant with a fond smile. Todd got up. "Now I'm afraid I have to get to work," he said grabbing Ami's hand. "And I'm taking my apprentice with me. We've got a lot of film to develop, don't we, kiddo?" "Yeah, I'll say," said Ami. "Ten rolls of mine and 12 cartridges that Todd shot today." "Oh, right," said Todd. "Can you order a gross of Kodak 200 Gold for Ami? Twenty-fours, not thirty-sixes." "I'll do that, Todd," said Vanetta. "Okay," and he started to walk away when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Kelly," he said turning around, "how about inviting Laura's family over for a barbeque Wednesday night?" "Are you sure, Todd?" Kelly asked. Todd smiled. "Yeah. You've met Laura's parents. I think it's time I did as well." Without another word he walked to the darkroom with Ami following close behind. ------- "Oh, wow," said Kelly. She turned to Vanetta. "Did Todd light up or something while we weren't here?" Vanetta knew what Kelly meant. This was so out of character for Todd - he usually avoided contact with people unless he had a camera focused on them. "The only thing he lit up was one of your cigarettes, Kelly. And he only drank water." Laura was beside herself with joy. Todd was taking a big step just for her family. "I know why he picked Wednesday," Kelly said. "Why?" asked Laura. "Enterprise will be on," said Kelly. "Duh, I must be losing my marbles. I never even thought of that," said Laura. "Never underestimate the power of the Mensa mind, Laura," Vanetta said, "Or his memory!" "Damn," said Kelly. "Sometimes, I'm enjoying myself so much that I forget there are other things to be done. We've got to get invitations off to the James Gang for the picnic as well and I want to invite your parents and sisters as well, Laura," "Don't forget Chuck and Deanna and Anna," said Laura. "Oh God! And Al and his family," said Kelly. "Vanetta, do we have any copies of the invitations we mailed?" "Yep, standard ten percent overrun as usual." "Then what say we get to work as well," said Kelly. TKO's multiple phone lines were all busy for the next while as Vanetta called and ordered film, Kelly dialed the number for Al's office and Laura called home. ------- Todd turned the fan on the minute he and Ami were inside the darkroom. "Sorry about the smell in here," he said. "It's not bad," said Ami. "A bit musky, but not that much different from what I smell in the morning," she said laughing. Todd brought out the chemicals and Ami made herself right at home getting out the measuring beakers and the developing canisters. It didn't take long with two people working at winding film on spools, and Ami had shown a knack for working in the dark and threading film. Kelly had been right, Todd thought. Ami was just what he needed. A young apprentice who was keen on learning the ropes from the ground up. She was dedicated and careful and absorbed information with ease. He wondered why he hadn't done this before. Then he realized it was Laura. She had made both him and Kelly see the world through different eyes. Todd set the timer for the developing process and Ami turned the lights back on. Todd was surprised to see she had taken her T-shirt off. "I guess you're not worried about me making a pass at you any more," he said, laughing. "Hell, no," she said. "Just a few hours ago you saw me in a lot less under a zoom lens, and last night I wasn't wearing anything either." "True," said Todd, "but we weren't alone in a darkroom together either." Ami laughed. "Sorry, Todd, but I've got your number now. You're just a big softie," she said and then laughed at the joke. "I mean you've just a softie at heart. By the way... what is it about girls in school uniforms that gets you guys going?" Todd laughed. "Yeah, mostly it's us older guys. We see the uniform and all we can think of is all the girls we missed out in high school when our hormones were at their peak." "Guys hit their peak in high school?" Are you serious?" Todd rotated the canisters. "Yeah, really. A guy hits his sexual prime around 16 and after that, it's all downhill. Slowly at first, but yeah, we need more stimulation after 30. When a guy is between 13 and 16, just about anything will turn him on." The timer went off for the developer and between the two of them, they soon had the canisters emptied, the film rinsed and filled with fixer. Todd reset the clock. "Why aren't girls turned on that easy at that age?" Ami asked. "I only started to get feelings when I turned 16, and it's only certain things that turn me on." "That's God's cruelest joke," Todd laughed. "Women hit their sexual peak around 30." "So that explains it," said Ami. "I always wondered why so many older women went out with younger guys. They're easier to turn on. And, why you see so many old guys with young girls." "Yeah, I guess that explains most of it," said Todd, "but I think another reason why women in their 30's go for younger guys is because they can get it up more often in a day than a man their own age." "But, skill and technique has to count for something doesn't it?" Ami asked. "It sure does," said Todd with a laugh. "Otherwise guys like me would never stand a chance!" "Nah, I don't think that's true, Todd. I think that personality and a good heart has a lot to do with who women chose to mate with. I don't see you as doing without, even if Kelly and Laura weren't in your life." Todd thought about that as they dumped the chemicals back into their containers. "Yeah, you're right, Ami. It wasn't like I was lonely or deprived before Kelly and Laura, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't as intense or as gentle or loving. Feelings have a lot to do with it." Todd and Ami spent the next half hour wiping the negatives and hanging them up to dry while they put the chemicals away and cleaned up the work area. They stopped for a drink before they set up the enlarger and the trays with the new chemicals. ------- "So, Al, 'Rebel Heart' is the name of the band? Can you get me a number for them?" Kelly asked. "Thanks Al, you're a sweetheart. I'll see you soon. Bye." It had taken Kelly a little while to track Al down, but finally had gotten him through Lucy. Now all she had to do was convince the band to play a double on the 3rd. Meg had been thrilled when Laura called home. As Laura later realized, her dad was usually home Wednesday nights to begin with, and her Mom said they would love to come to Kelly's for a barbeque. Meg asked if there was anything she could bring. "Just the family, Mom. Todd wants to meet all of you, and he wants to talk with Kat and the twins about them singing." Meg promised they would all be there at 6 o'clock. Vanetta had ordered the film to ship overnight, and then she and Cara had dug out the invitations for the company picnic celebrating the fifth anniversary of TKO. Cara had flawless penmanship so Vanetta gave her a list of names and addresses of the new people to invite. While Cara was scripting the names with a calligraphy pen, Vanetta continued to find addresses. Soon they had a growing pile of finished envelopes between them. Checking the time, Vanetta realized, with the extra help from Cara, that she could get them picked up by Fed-Ex for overnight delivery. She called while she continued to dig out more addresses on the computer database. ------- "Hello, Dan?" Kelly asked. "Yes, this is Dan," said the voice on the other end of the connection. "Hi. My name is Kelly Jennsen, I'm not sure if you'll remember me, but we were at the restaurant a few weeks ago, and your band played so good, that we were wondering if you were available to do a company party on short notice." "I'm glad you liked the music, Miss Jennsen," Dan said, "but we've got a pretty steady gig here. We like it." "I understand, Dan," said Kelly, switching into business mode. "You don't recognize my name and that's not surprising since we were never introduced. I had to call the mayor of Brookhaven to get your name and number. We were the ones on the dance floor when you did a set of Blue Rodeo songs which you followed up with an impromptu rendition of Tom Jones' 'You Can Leave Your Hat On.'" "Oh! Yeah, sure I remember you. Actually, I'm not sure which one of the two women you are, but I remember that night real well. The next day, that show was the talk of the island. We heard afterwards that you were some kind of VIPs." "Well, we sure enjoyed ourselves, Dan," Kelly said, "but we aren't really VIPs, just working stiffs like everybody else." "Right, that's why Al gave you my number. Are you the one in the picture in his office? The one with the dolphins?" Kelly laughed. "No, that's Laura." "Okay, I remember you now. I saw the picture of the two of you at Ray's T shop. Nice!" Kelly blushed. "Why, thank you, Dan. I'll pass that on to Laura." "Yeah, Ray was totally blown out of the water when he got that in the mail. Told us we had to come down to see it." "Ray's a good man," Kelly said, "We enjoyed his shop as much as we enjoyed your music. We're going to be back in a few weeks and we have an even better and bigger picture for him, to go with the Star Trek corner of his store." "You guys really made an impression with a lot of people here, Kelly," Dan said. "Tell me what your problem is and maybe I can help out." Kelly explained what had happened to the band that was booked to play at the annual company picnic, stressing this was a special one since it marked the fifth successful year. Told him about the number of people coming, dropping some names that he would recognize, and where it was being held. "We'll be glad to pay for you to fly in and back," said Kelly concluding her pitch. Dan laughed. "That's okay, Kelly. Really, we only do three weeks a month anyway. The owner likes to bring some fresh talent in every month to see how it shakes out. I think that we can convince him to switch the week so we'll be free, then we'll just haul our gear up the way we usually do." "Thanks, Dan. I realize it's really short notice, but I would really appreciate an answer as soon as possible." "I'll have it for you in a couple of hours, Kelly," Dan said. "You realize you haven't even asked what we charge for a single day out of state gig?" "Oh, gosh, I figured union scale," said Kelly and then started to laugh. "You know, Kelly, you nearly had me going there for a second. We get three grand a week here. I would say for a one day gig, plus travel..." "Forget it, Dan, you don't need a calculator, " Kelly said. "I'll give you five." "Five thousand?" "Yes, on condition that you allow a few singers to do an hour with you." "Hot Damn! Oops, sorry about the language. Can I call you back in ten minutes?" Dan asked. "I'll be here," said Kelly. ------- "What are you grinning about?" asked Laura, who had just whipped up a big pitcher of juice. "I'm going to make you sing for your supper on the day of the company picnic," said Kelly. "You and your sisters." Laura smiled. She didn't normally seek to be the center of attention, but she was also comfortable singing in front of an audience. She'd have to sit down with Kat and get together a list of songs. "That'll be cool, Kell," she said. "We've never sung with a professional band before. It'll be quite a shock to Kat and the twins not to have to sing a cappella for a change." "You mean that you and your sisters sang at all those nursing homes and hospitals and never had a band?" Kelly asked. "Well, a couple of times we had the Salvation Army Band there near Christmas, but most of the time," she shrugged, "the only instruments were our voices." "Are you looking for someone to provide back up for Laura's sisters?" Vanetta asked. Kelly smiled at her. "I'll bet that you know someone." "Well..." Vanetta slowly said, "You know Robert still tutors a few nights a week, right? He was telling me about all the cutbacks in the schools' music programs and he has this one group of kids that he works with and they have their own little band." "Budding rock stars?" Kelly asked. "No, quite the contrary," said Vanetta. "They took music all the way through school only to have the school cut the funding in their Junior year. There are three of them all around 16. They play just about everything but they were hoping to go on to Juilliard when they graduated." "What do they play?" asked Laura with interest. "If I remember correctly, one plays the Cello, but is also good on an electric bass, the other studied piano but now just uses a synthesizer, and the other one is one of those percussionists." "You mean drums, don't you?" said Kelly. "Yeah, he does those too, but his main interest is in those other things. The ones with the steel tubes under them," Vanetta said. "Hmm," said Laura. "That's nearly a full band on its own." She turned in her chair to look at Kelly. "Think you can get them to volunteer, Kell?" "Volunteer who for what?" asked Todd coming out of the darkroom. Kelly quickly brought him up to speed on the latest news. Vanetta smiled at Cara, and they returned their attention to the invitations. Each one was placed in a Fed-Ex envelope, and Vanetta printed out address labels for them. This way, there would be no delay in getting them to the new guests, and when they opened the Fed-Ex envelope, inside would be a hand written, personalized envelope. They finished stuffing the envelopes just as the Fed-Ex truck pulled up. "Thanks Cara, you've been a big help," said Vanetta. Ami came out of the darkroom, blinking rapidly. "I need something for my stomach!" she hollered. "I can't go this long without food!" Laura poured six ice filled glasses with the home made vegetable drink she had finished juicing. She set them on the kitchen table and opened up a box of crackers and a package of assorted cheese chunks. She was busy slicing a large pepperoni sausage, and Ami went to help her. "How'd it go in there?" Laura asked. "Great!" said Ami, "we've started printing already. Some of those pictures though..." she rolled her eyes. "That good?" "Better than you can imagine," said Ami. "It's funny, you know. I look at the pictures and I know that it's you and Kelly and me and Cara, but we look so different." "I know what you mean," said Laura. "I see that one that Todd did of me, and I catch myself thinking 'what a great looking woman'." Laura blushed. "That sounds vain, I know, but..." "No. No, it doesn't, Laura. Wait till you see the pictures of Cara and me. I was watching them develop and as I put them up to dry, I kept thinking, wow, those are really hot chicks." She laughed. "I guess that's what Todd does best. He shows us as we are inside." Vanetta closed the door and locked it up again, before heading over to the kitchen area. Cara had gone to the bathroom and joined them soon afterwards. Kelly and Todd were still huddled deep in discussion. "We might as well start," said Laura. "I don't like to interrupt them when they're talking business." ------- "We don't work for free," said Todd to Kelly, "we can't expect others to do it." "You're a fine one to talk, Mr. Ayres, you do a lot of portraits and other stuff for free." "But that's only because nobody asks me to do it," said Todd, "and I do it because I like it! And I can afford to do it. Other people aren't as fortunate, you know that." "I know," said Kelly, "but you're asking for a commitment from a lot of people. It could add up." "Tax deductible?" Todd asked. "Yes, but." "And is it going to break us?" "No, but." "And really, Kell, this was your idea. You're the numbers magician, figure out what incentives we need and how much it will cost, and then stretch it to two years." Kelly sighed and turned on her calculator. "Twice a month okay with you?" she asked. "We can't ask them for more than that." "Then twice a month it is," said Todd. As Kelly was punching in numbers, Todd lit a cigarette from her pack and held it to her lips. Kelly smiled at him, thanking God for this wonderful man, then wrapped her lips around the filter and took a drag. Leaning back, she held the smoke for a moment, and then blew it toward the ceiling in a long plume. Hmmm. 2 times 24 was 48. That was the easy part. 48 times 5 only brought the number up to 240, which seemed awfully low. Then she took the figure and multiplied it by 6. Hmm, 1440. She turned her face toward the cigarette and Todd held it to her lips as she drew in the tangy menthol, and then sighed as she breathed out the smoke. She turned the calculator so Todd could see it. "I don't know why, Honey, but all of a sudden I feel so cheap." Todd put his arm around her. "I know, Babe, remember I ate a lot of Rice-a-Roni while I worked my way through school." "I'd toss in 10 grand of my own money," said Kelly, "just to know that people like Muriel will have something other than TV as their entertainment." "I've been thinking about that a lot," said Todd. "The problem is, we don't have enough time to work it all ourselves." "We certainly can't ask Vanetta to handle this," Kelly said. "She's busy enough as is, and she's only going to get busier." Todd smiled. "You've already got somebody in mind, don't you?" Kelly accused. "Actually, not only do I have somebody in mind, but I'd like to expand the project a bit. Make it a corporation of its own. We'll put up the initial costs, and if we need to, we'll keep paying for it. But I think that by the time our baby is born, we'll have some other people interested as well." Kelly took the cigarette from Todd's hands and stubbed it out. "Let's rejoin the others and we'll discuss your other plans a bit later," she said, sealing it with a kiss. ------- The phone rang right after they were finished with their mid afternoon snack. It was Dan calling to confirm that Rebel Heart would be in Charlotte on August 1st and stay till the 4th. They would drive themselves in. Kelly told him she would arrange the contract through their lawyer along with payment arrangements. "See what I mean, Kelly," said Todd after she hung up the phone. "We rely on Vanetta for the running of the office, we get Steve to take care of our legal matters, Rachel to handle our real estate holdings, Jim takes care of our investments. Let's face it, Kelly, you and me, we're idea people. Then we delegate. We've been lucky in our choices of who we let handle our affairs, but part of that I think is from our instincts. We've been hurt a lot, and I think we built up a wall that only lets certain people in." "Well, I'm certainly glad you two let me in," said Vanetta. "That goes for me too," said Laura. "Us too," said Cara and Ami in unison. Todd and Kelly laughed. Then Todd turned to look intently at Vanetta. She looked back with just the slightest hint of a question. "Vanetta, could you bring Robert by later on this afternoon?" Todd asked. Vanetta shot an anxious glance at Kelly, who was now looking at Todd, a big grin on her face. She leaned over and whacked him soundly on the shoulder. "Ow! Stop hitting me!" he exclaimed. "What was that for?" "That's because I can't read your mind," she replied. "Yet! Anyway, I think that's ideal!" Todd smiled back at her. "Let's just see how it goes eh?" They both looked at Vanetta, who was sitting from one to the other, totally confused at this byplay. "Well?" they asked simultaneously. "I think he's free, Todd," said Vanetta. "Can I ask why?" Todd smiled. "I'd like to meet him." Vanetta looked doubtful. "Don't worry, Vanetta. I won't bite. But I think it's time I met the man in your life, especially since he seems to like the studio so much anyway," Todd said with a grin. "How... how do you know... why do you think he even knows where the studio is?" she finally sputtered out. Todd shook his head. "Vanetta, no matter how many coconut scented candles you burn, every time we come back from an overnight trip, I smell his cologne." Kelly punched him in the arm again. "And you never said anything to me?" "Oh, I knew that you already knew, Kelly. I just never had a reason to mention it before." Todd handed Vanetta the phone. "Ask him if he would like to join us for dinner. We'll be ordering in tonight and then go back to Kelly's." Vanetta stared at the phone. "It's okay, Vanetta," Todd said reassuringly as he got up. "And you can talk to him in private. I've got to get back to work. Come on, Ami. We've got enlargements to do." ------- It took Todd and Ami nearly two hours of non-stop work before they finished off the 8 x 10 prints they had chosen from the proof sheets. Just as he had predicted, Ami had gotten the best possible shots of the deployment of the wheel showing the military helicopter lifting it from its limp position, then folding up like an umbrella and finally flying out across the lake. The ones of the wheel coming down were as good as could be expected shooting that kind of distance and Todd explained to Ami about the particles in the air that clouded long distance photographs. "There's limits to how far you can shoot with a camera, Ami," he said to her. "I know it's theoretically to infinity, but when they wrote that book, they didn't take into consideration the smog and general pollution in the air. If this had been an assignment, as soon as the helicopter left, you would have been in a boat or had someone on the other side ready for when they put it down." "Hmm," said Ami. "Now I understand why you keep saying practice and more practice. This is how you learn, isn't it?" "Yes, my sweet apprentice, and you will learn only the best if you stick with me 'cause I can explain it all to you!" Ami laughed. They had hung the pictures in the drying cabinet and were getting ready to do the super large prints. Ami wanted one of her and Cara in a large size and Todd thought it would be fitting to have one hang in the darkroom as well. Ami had taken close to 200 pictures on the weekend, and aside from a dozen excellent ones of the wheel being moved, she also had captured great candid shots of Erin, Cara, boats, and even one of Deanna and Chuck on the CL1. Todd told her they would print the best of them in order to start building her portfolio, and later he'd teach her how to scan negatives so she could send jpegs to potential customers and her friends. The pictures that Todd had taken of Kelly were stunning. He picked the six best and printed them for Vanetta to submit as part of her package deal pending Kelly's approval. And the ones of Cara and Ami... Well, just looking at the pictures got Todd aroused all over again. Even Ami was squirming. They finally settled on ten that showed the girls in their uniforms and progressive steps till they were nude and kissing. There was one in particular that showed the girls hugging that showed their faces and parts of their breasts and even a slight hint of pubic hair. That was the one Ami wanted to hang in the darkroom. Todd selected one of the girls fully dressed that he wanted to hang in the studio. Of the Trek pictures, Todd had selected three that were outstanding. The smiles on the girls' faces were full of promises. Mischievous and sexy as hell! It took them another 45 minutes to finish these prints and then they cleaned up and shut down the darkroom for the day, methodically labeling and storing the chemicals and negatives. The only exception was the negatives that Todd would scan with Ami later. The dryer was still running, and between the two of them, they had decided to wait to show the pictures after they were all dry. ------- After Todd and Ami had left the kitchen, Vanetta had looked pleadingly at Kelly. "What should I do?" she asked. "Well, I'd say call Robert and ask him over for supper," said Kelly. "Oh, God," said Vanetta and promptly misdialed the number for Robert three times. She had been anticipating, waiting for the day she could introduce Robert to Todd at the company picnic, but Todd had beaten her to the punch. "Hello, Robert?" she said. "Ah, Todd has invited you over for supper at the studio." She listened to his response and said, "How can you be so happy about this? Yes, I know you've wanted to meet him, but he knows about us!" Robert laughed and said, "You mean Laura told him?" "NO! He's known all along about our nights here," she whispered into the phone. "Did Kelly tell him?" he asked, a little more nervous now. "No, he said that he could smell your cologne every time he came back from an overnight trip." Robert laughed again. "Good. That means he's not only smart, but accepts us as a couple." Vanetta was getting agitated now. "I'm sure you two will hit it right off," she said. Kelly was sitting close by and gently took the phone from Vanetta. "Hello, Robert? This is Kelly. Vanetta is a little shook up right now. Is pizza okay with you? We've been busy working here today, and I really don't want anything fancy tonight." "Hi, Kelly," said Robert. "It's nice to finally hear your voice. Please tell Netta not to worry. Things will be just fine, and yes, 6 o'clock will be great. See you then." Kelly said goodbye to Robert and hung up the phone and then turned Vanetta's chair around so that she was facing her. "Vanetta, you've got to have a little more faith. Trust me on this. Everything will be just fine." ------- After Laura and Cara had cleaned up the dishes from the afternoon snack, they sat together as Laura went through some of her homework on line. It was much easier than Laura had thought it would be. So much of what was discussed she was learning firsthand. It was only the math and analytical data assessments on large-scale groups that caused her to work at her studies. She had always been a quick learner and this was so much easier than spending time in a classroom. After an hour of online tests, she logged off and went to the shipping bay with Cara to look at the gym equipment. "Will you spot me, Laura?" Cara asked. "Am I qualified to do that?" Laura asked her. "Sure. I'm not going to do anything dangerous, just get used to the feel of the equipment." "Okay," said Laura. "Great," said Cara. "I'll go get changed." Cara was back in five minutes sporting one of CrossTrain's new uniforms, a nice snug fitting material that wouldn't get caught on any part of the equipment. And a nice design as well. After a few minutes of warm-up exercises, Cara hit the uneven bars and did a few simple flips and crossovers. "This is so cool," said Cara after doing a somersault dismount. "Brand new equipment, and good stuff too! You can feel it in the wood as it moves with you." Kelly and Vanetta, hearing the equipment as it creaked under the strain of the forces Cara put on it, came to see what was going on. They arrived just in time to see her somersault dismount. "Are you sure it's safe for you to be doing that?" Kelly asked. Cara laughed. "It's what I've been doing most of my life," she said. "Watch." With a single push up, she managed to get her legs up and over the balance beam, holding that position for about five seconds before she twisted and turned till she was balanced on just her hands, her body in a straight line above her. With a half twist and a flip she landed on the beam facing the end. She did a little dance routine on the beam and then did a hand over walk over starting at one end and ending at the other with a hands free flip. Doing a pirouette in place, she did a back flip off the bar landing squarely on her feet, arms in the air. Taking a breather while she blushed at the spontaneous applause, she chalked up her hands again and did a series of mounts and dismounts on the vault. Cara made it look so easy, but Kelly, Laura, and Vanetta knew that this was what the girl had given up most of her life for. "Show off," said Ami from behind. Todd stood with her, smiling. "Well, if that's a challenge, get changed and strut your stuff," said Cara with a loving smile. "Yes, let me get changed and show you how a pro does it," said Ami, running for cover. "All done in the darkroom, Honey?" Kelly asked. "Yep, just waiting for the prints to dry," said Todd. "Then I've got some scanning to do and I do want to get that done today. Ami did get some of the best shots of the Wheel going up. I'm going to forward them to Reuters and AP and see if anybody is interested in them." "Oh, this will be priceless," said Kelly. "Photo by Ami Phillips, TKO photography." "That has a nice ring to it," said Todd. "Hey, speaking of publicity, Vanetta, can you get someone from the university's broadcast department to film the company picnic? I want them to use real television cameras. Tell whoever is in charge that we will pay for four students for the day with two cameras and make a donation to the department." "How much?" asked Vanetta. "You haggle with them," laughed Todd. "It's going to be your fulltime job pretty soon anyway, might as well start now." Vanetta laughed. She knew that the students would love the work and she could get them for a flat fee of $50 each. Todd regularly donated a thousand at a time to any department that would let him use their equipment. She made the call and had it all settled in a matter of minutes. The only change was that TKO was going to have to take out the insurance for the TV equipment while it was off the school's property. Vanetta readily agreed, and then called the company's insurance agent to make the arrangement. Since they already had insurance for the picnic, the cost would just be added on as a rider. Vanetta made it back to the large bay just in time to see Cara boost Ami up on the uneven bars. After a few practice swings to get used to the feel of the new wood, Ami threw her body into it and stopped at the top with her feet over the top bar, held up by just her hands. Then she let her legs drop down in front of the bar, snapping her arms just in time to change position. She flipped around again, released and caught the lower bar, holding her body away from the bar in a stiff position before rolling forward and spinning and releasing to latch on to the top bar again. It was scary to watch. Beautiful, poetry in motion, but with each swing or release, her audience held its breath. A few minutes later, just for the sake of showing off, Cara and Ami did a joint routine on the balance beam. Finally Todd said that it made him nervous to watch, and he had some unfinished business to take care of before Robert showed up. Taking Laura and Kelly by the hand he led them upstairs promising to be back shortly, giving the girls a big wink. ------- Upstairs, in Todd's apartment, Kelly said she was sure she had some unfinished business of her own and really couldn't take time out for whatever Todd had in mind. She winked at Laura. "I'm sure that if I get started right now, I'd be able to finish another study unit before supper time," said Laura. Todd just growled and scooped them both up, throwing them over his shoulders and carrying them into the bedroom. Laura and Kelly pretended to squirm and fight, but both were having too much fun. Todd placed them on the bed, side by side, and threatened that if they didn't behave, he would tie them down. This was rewarded with a burst of giggles as Todd quickly stripped both girls from the waist down. He pulled them forward until their butts were at the edge of the bed then put Kelly's leg over Laura's. Placing one strong hand firmly on each smooth stomach, Todd knelt beside the low bed and with a broad swipe of his tongue licked Kelly's exposed slit. She twitched at the contact and let out a low breathy moan. "Ohhh, I think I'm going to like this..." squirming her crotch up and moving her free leg to allow him easier access. He pointed his tongue and used the tip to separate the lips, licking her juices toward her suddenly hard little nub and catching some to taste, then suddenly covered her with his mouth, licking and sucking hard at her tender inner lips. A few more minutes of this and Kelly was moaning continually, squirming under his ministrations and he felt she was near her climax. He stopped suddenly, pulling back and blowing a stream of cooling air on her hot wet folds, feeling her stomach twitch under his hand. She moaned, feeling him move as he repositioned himself in front of Laura. "Ohhh... I'm so close, finish me, make me come..." Laura reached a hand to help Kelly over the edge, but Todd caught it inches from its target. "Uh, uh, turn-about is fair play, ladies. Maybe next time you won't tease a man for his urges!" Kelly moaned in frustration, trying to reach her own hand down, but Todd caught it as well. He could feel her belly ripple as she tried to clench her pussy muscles for more stimulation, and then bent to lick Laura and found her cunt already flowered, oozing her juices onto the sheet under her. Damn! He had to be careful. Laura could explode any second; she had a hair trigger when she was hot. He took one hand and cupped her mound, spreading her labia, ensuring that she couldn't bring on her own release. Then he switched back to pleasure Kelly. He licked and sucked slowly, drawing the juices out of her and lightly nibbling on her labia and tongue-teasing her blood-engorged clit. Her hips were bouncing off the bed trying to force Todd's face in deeper but he kept the pace slow, holding her off. He stayed on her for a few more minutes before switching back to Laura who was writhing, just on the verge. "Maybe I should call those High School trollops to come in here and bring you both over the edge," he said. "You know you like them." He dipped his head to take a wide swipe across Laura's clit, stabbing it in the process. "Try and tell me those School Girls in their uniforms didn't turn you on," he said as he took another deep spear attack inside Laura's channel. "Argh!" said Laura as Todd pulled away just seconds before she achieved climax. This time Todd placed a finger inside Laura feeling her vaginal muscles rippling, so close, so close! Kelly was moaning and squirming. All this hot talk and the memory of Cara and Ami as they had performed their little school uniform charade was flooding her mind with erotic images. Knowing that Todd would not allow her hand to get close to her own dripping snatch or Laura's, Kelly turned so that she could at least fondle Laura's boobs and kiss her lover. Todd sucked on Kelly's clit, watching as they attacked each other in frenzied passion, tongues dueling in open-mouthed kisses and their fondling, teasing hands on breasts and nipples. They were too busy with each other to notice him move his hands as he slipped a forefinger into each wet hole. A powerful suck on Kelly's exposed erect clit sent her over the edge, her moan muffled by Laura's clinging mouth as he got a face full of her love juices, which he eagerly drank down. Pulling his face back, he pushed his ring finger full depth into her butt hole and tapped her clit with his thumb as she writhed in Laura's arms. Kelly's orgasm and impassioned moaning had Laura so close to the edge that when he pulled his finger out and then just pushed two fingers into her cunt and tight bum hole, his sucking mouth stretching her clit, she totally lost it, bouncing on the bed and clutching on to Kelly for dear life. Todd sat back, his fingers pushed as far as they would go into his lovers' spasming holes, a thumb on each of their clits prolonging their orgasms. A few minutes more, and both lay panting and twitching. He slowly pulled his fingers from Laura, leaning in to kiss her clit and getting a low exhausted moan, then did the same to Kelly. She shivered. "Ohh, God! That was so... so..." "Going to tease me again?" "Oh, no, Babe, I'd wouldn't survive it!" she moaned. Todd smiled. "Payback could be so much fun!" ------- As Kelly and Laura got into the shower with Todd after the two had double-teamed him for a fantastic blowjob, each taking a side and treating it like a Popsicle till finally Todd blew another load into two willing faces, he started to tell them of his plan. They were washing each other, and conversation was difficult but Todd said, "The problem with most kids today is that they have no direction or motivation. TV and video games and computer chat lines are now keeping kids indoors more than ever and the nuclear family is dissolving, let alone the extended family. A lot of the time parents and their grown children don't even live in the same state, let alone the same city! And then the kids will ship them off to a nursing home because it's more convenient, instead of keeping them near." "Well," said Kelly, "Muriel didn't have any family to stay with, but I understand what you are saying, Honey." "And yet," said Laura, "just because they're older doesn't mean they don't have knowledge and skills that shouldn't be passed on. That one woman, what was her name... Yeah, I remember now. Greta. You should have seen her, Todd! She was crocheting with a needle so thin I could barely see it. I checked into it afterwards and it's called Victorian Lace. One of the other women tried to teach me to crochet, but we didn't have the time. But think of these talents that kids today won't ever learn because there will be no one left to teach them." "And that is what I was thinking about," said Todd. "When you mentioned Muriel and these women making all those baby blankets and socks and stuff, it made me think that we're not giving the kids of today a chance to learn something important. Something that is much more valuable than winning at a computer game, and something that their own parents probably don't know or remember." "But I don't think most kids are interested in learning any more," said Kelly. "I don't want to be a pessimist, but look at the kids of today. Everything is centered around the mall, or a ride or a party. I'm sorry, Todd, but the majority of today's youth does not give me much hope for the future." "Sometimes the apathy scares me too, Honey, but I was thinking that with a little incentive, we could try to change some of those attitudes," he said as they were drying off. "Look at Ami. She's working with a camera that most kids would scoff at because it's fifteen years old, but she's gotten publishable pictures in a short time because she took to it." "So? What do you have in mind, Mr. Ayres?" Kelly asked. ------- Chapter 23 While Kelly and Laura and Todd had been upstairs fooling around, Cara and Ami were getting used to the equipment. "I understand a lot more of what Todd is going to be looking for," said Ami. "What's that, Sweetheart?" asked Cara. "Well, as unglamorous as it may sound," Ami said, "we're just bodies to show off the uniforms. I'll grant you that we are beautiful bodies but the company is not selling us, it wants to sell uniforms and even all this equipment is just props to make the uniforms look good. I think we can save Todd a lot of time and money by working on poses that show the costumes off and how they're better than what the schools and the teams are using now." "Hey, I just realized - I don't have to pull the costume down over my cheeks as often!" Cara exclaimed. "You know, I hadn't even realized that, I just thought it was a better fit. Anyways, what we need are positions that show off the costumes." Cara nodded slowly. "I think I understand. Large body poses instead of tight ones." "That's the idea, Cara." "Like an inverted stand on the bars, maybe spread eagle on the vault. Full body flips on the mats," Cara said. "Yeah, you got it! We should look at all of our stuff and pick the ones that would expose our bodies, or the outfits the most. Some short routines, maybe one minute max on any piece, and change as fast as we can and do it again." "Well," said Cara. "It's not like we have to run to the change room to switch outfits," she laughed. Todd has seen us in all our glory more than once now." "That's what I was thinking, too," said Ami. If we do six outfits in an hour, between the two of us that means neither one of us will be doing more than 3 minutes on the equipment in an hour." "Which means we could easily do four hours in a day," said Cara nodding enthusiastically. "God, I'm glad you started learning photography! This will make it so easy, nothing like camp or tryouts or competition. We'll barely raise a sweat!" "That's the beauty of it," said Ami. "We do what we need to get the right poses for Todd, have lunch and a shower and we should be able to do the entire thing in one day!" "Do you think they'll send us home early if we finish it so quick?" asked Cara. "I doubt it," said Ami, "but let's ask. I know that Kelly loves what you do for her with your magic massaging fingers, and Todd said I'm his apprentice. I doubt they'll want us to leave until we really have to." "That's something else I've been thinking about," said Ami. "Why can't we get our remaining class room hours here? I love my folks, but not being in gymnastics any more... there's nothing left for me in Laurel Canyon except my family. You and Erin were the only friends I ever had, and Erin is moving on. She might get lucky and make it to the next Olympics. With her new routine, she'll at least go to Worlds." "Yeah, and I don't really want to go back to sleeping by myself either, Ami. I love you too much. I want us to be together. It just wouldn't work out back home." "Let's get to work on figuring out what moves will suit Todd the best," said Ami. "Get showered up and changed before Vanetta's boyfriend shows up and then we can talk to Kelly and Todd about it tonight." ------- Vanetta had been real busy on the phones since the three lovers had gone upstairs. It felt so strange. In one afternoon, her entire world had been turned upside down. All great news, and then Todd had dropped his bombshell. What if he didn't approve of Bobby? What would she do then? Part of her brain wished she could figure Todd out. It was exactly like she had told Bobby. Todd is a real deep pool. It looks inviting on the surface, but you have no idea what lies below. It had never failed to amaze her how he had taken to her mother and her brother. She knew that Todd was totally colorblind when it came to race, but she had no idea how he would take to mixed races. Vanetta realized that in all the years she had known him, she actually knew very little about him. Maybe that was what made her nervous. But it didn't keep her from working the phones. The body lotion company was thrilled to be invited to be part of the package, and was willing to not only sponsor 16 months worth of ads, but would supply samples via any reputable magazine and their web site. This would help raise their exposure in the North American market tremendously. And then she had rung Jorge. "Jorge, how are you!" "Vanetta, darling, it's wonderful to hear your voice!" he laughed. "I have been talking only to Kelly, lately! You have been on vacation, no?" "No, Jorge, I haven't been on vacation! Kelly wanted to handle Laura herself" -'and how!' she thought - "and I have been busy doing oth..." "Oh Vanetta!" he interrupted in a worried voice, "you're not telling that the beautiful Laura..." "No, Jorge, no! It's all right, Jorge! No, I am calling to tell you something that nobody else knows yet, Jorge. And Jorge," she added in a confidential voice, "I'm telling you this because you are such a good friend to Kelly and Todd and the company. And Kelly doesn't know I'm telling you, so please keep it quiet until it is announced." "Oh ho!" he chortled, "A secret! I am good at secrets, Vanetta, you know that!" 'Only when it suits you, ' Vanetta thought. "Jorge, there are two parts to this secret. First, Kelly is pregnant!" "WONDERFUL!" he bellowed, "Wonderful news! Oh just wait until I tell... Ohhh, Vanetta, you tell me this is a secret, no?" "Just for a little while, Jorge, until she makes the announcement, probably week after next." Vanetta was sure that Kelly would be announcing it at the company picnic. "Very well, Vanetta, but will be hard, oh what wonderful news! And the father Vanetta, who is father of her baby?" "Todd is the proud new Daddy, Jorge!" "Ohhh, wonderful news, wonderful news! About time they had family!" "They're very happy too, Jorge, but please don't tell anyone until after the announcement." "Oh no, Vanetta, I don't tell anybody until you tell me." "Now Jorge, the other part of the secret. Kelly is doing a photo journal of her pregnancy, and it will appear in a national or international magazine every month for at least a year, perhaps longer." "Yes?" Jorge sounded a little baffled. How did this mean something to him? "And she will be endorsing and be photographed with a select range of products that she already uses, and will be using during and after her pregnancy. And Jorge, you know she already loves and wears your designs." "Aahhh!" he said, understanding. "But Jorge, you don't have a line in maternity wear!" "Ohhh!" "And, Jorge, she will be getting bigger in three months or so! Not long!" "And Todd, he will be taking the pictures?" "Jorge, Todd will personally approve every photo released for publication. Would you expect anything less?" "Oh dear, could be very expensive! Which magazine gets this story?" Vanetta laughed. "Jorge, we haven't decided yet, but it will be one where we can tell them the advertisers they'll use, and I'm setting the prices. If you want to use your normal line, we can do that. If you consider a maternity line, you could use the pictures in a special maternity catalog too, and we can work that into the price." "Ah, Vanetta, you have any other models pregnant?" Vanetta felt like she'd been sandbagged. What an idea! TKO's models usually 'retired' while they were having babies, and with over two hundred models on their books, it was guaranteed that there were at least four or five pregnant at any one time. "Jorge, I'm sure we have two or three ladies pregnant right now, and if you give me an hour I can tell you who. But I will have to check with them if they're willing to model." "That's okay, you find out and tell me. We can do catalog with four models, six is better. Especially if you get me ladies different ahh... months?" "I can do that, Jorge. So, you tell me, you are seriously considering the maternity line?" "Oh ho yes, Vanetta, I have three ideas already! You put down into words, no, and send it to me. We see if I can make new line in two months!" And that was the way that the next hour went. Vanetta would call agencies and companies that made products Kelly used. From her makeup to her panties to her nylons, companies that made the shampoo that Kelly favored to the vitamin company that made the bulk of her supplements. Each call started basically the same way. Vanetta would verify that the person she was talking to remembered Kelly when she was modeling and then announce that she was pregnant and putting together a complete package deal for a specialty motherhood magazine. No, she wasn't sure which one yet, but was just putting out feelers, especially to those companies that Kelly favored. Panties, nylons, shoes, they all agreed quickly, with the vitamin company being the most enthusiastic. It was rare that a top model admitted to taking vitamins, and this would help their sales a lot. 16 months of exposure, and with a face like Kelly's, it was sure to pay off for them. Her thoughts drifted back to Todd. What did she really know about him? He never discussed his family or where he had come from. To Vanetta, he was an enigma. She knew that he belonged to MENSA, though he never mentioned them, or attended any meetings. She knew that Todd avoided public places and people in general if he wasn't behind a camera, and that he had turned down more work for major magazines than most photographers would see in a lifetime. Then she had a thought. Vanetta knew firsthand who made the film that Todd used, and called the president of the company. Sure, he knew who Todd Ayres was. Doing a special 16-month feature on a top model? Which photography magazine? Vanetta almost fell off her chair. A photography magazine of course! Todd hadn't decided, she explained, but this would be a double. One magazine that Kelly would pick, and a specialty photography magazine that would have the story of the shoot itself. Sure! They were willing to toss in 100 grand just to have the name of their film listed below his name in the credits section. Send them a contract. Wow. Vanetta was blown away. She hadn't thought of pushing Todd's role in this but her next call was to Hasselblad's American distributor. Todd Ayres? Yep, not only did they know him, but had wanted him to be a spokesperson for them. He said he was too shy. A 16-month feature on Kelly Jennsen? How much for a "Camera by" line? Vanetta said, "throw out a price. You realize he only uses Blads, right?" That call ended with a promise of a brand new camera and another 100 grand. Vanetta was so flushed with the excitement of the past hour she had completely forgotten what was waiting for her. It hit home when the doorbell rang. She hadn't even realized the time. It was 6 o'clock. With a sigh, she hung up the phone and feeling like a condemned prisoner, walked to answer the door. ------- Bobby waited outside the door, holding two bottles of wine. He had thought of bringing flowers, but at the last minute he remembered something Netta had said about models and cut flowers. For a long time, Bobby had felt jealous of Todd. The way that Netta spoke about him, and that look she got in her eyes when talking about working for him and Kelly, but over time, that had changed. As he had become more and more intimate with Netta, he realized what he had mistaken for unbridled passion for Todd, was in fact a deep respectful affection. Bobby was good with computers, and though he never said anything to Vanetta, he had researched all he could on Todd Ayres. He seemed to have surfaced about 11 years ago as a photographer, but there was no prior history on him at all. The only way that this could be, based on his research, was that Todd had changed his name. His first thought was that Todd had been a convicted juvenile offender of some serious crime that had kept him in a state run institution, but as he learned more about Todd's swift rise in the fashion world, he discounted this possibility. He had to have started as a photographer in the publishing world a long time before. Months of speculation about Todd ended with no results. It was obvious that Todd had his reasons and as he learned more about his involvement in helping Vanetta and her mother and brother obtain citizenship, he worried less and less. Over time, Netta had let it slip that Todd and Kelly paid for her schooling. Todd and Kelly had funded Delton's business, and unbeknownst to the vast majority of the people who lived in Charlotte, Todd, and Kelly sponsored many youth programs, most often not receiving any credit for the money they so freely handed out. They were quiet philanthropists. During his research on Kelly, he had found many photographs, but they did not describe her personality. She was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt about that, but that, and what Netta had told him about her, was the extent of his knowledge. He chuckled. He knew more about Laura than he did of Todd or Kelly. He had been looking forward to this face-to-face meeting for a long time, and had been disappointed when Vanetta had turned down the invitation for dinner with them when they heard the news of Kelly's pregnancy. Vanetta had finally relented and said they would go together to the company's fifth annual picnic at Carowinds. Then out of the blue, without warning, Todd had asked Netta to invite him over for supper. Robert was a bit nervous. His only assurance during all his time of wondering had come from Gloria, who, when asked one day when Netta wasn't home yet, had been told, "Dey be good people, Mister Todd and Kelly. Don 'ye be frettin yo self 'bout dem, or 'bout Mister Todd and my baby girl. Dey's no anky panky. You wait, you see, then evry ting be ari." And then Vanetta dropped the bombshell that Todd had known for some time that he and Netta had been sleeping together in his studio, but had never mentioned it, not even to Kelly who they thought was the only one who knew. ------- Cara and Ami had heard the doorbell ring as they were drying each other off after a quick shower. "I used to be worried about my hands and all the calluses," said Ami, but after what I saw in the pictures of us, it barely shows at all. That lotion the lady from the hair salon gave us has taken the darkness out of them, and while I wouldn't mind getting another work over with that stone they used on our feet, they aren't as bad as they were a month ago." "I know," said Cara. "I've been watching the changes as well. In a few months it'll be hard to tell we were once contenders for the Olympic team." Ami laughed. "You're such a dreamer, Cara," she said. "We would have made it to Worlds this year, but fate was against us. Maybe if we had won at Worlds, then you can say Olympic hopefuls, but me, I'm glad it's over." "Must you be such a spoil sport, Ami?" Cara snapped. "I want to remember that part of my life as a nearly could have been." "I'm sorry, Cara. Don't you see though? We got out of it lucky. No serious injuries, some medals to show off, and we look prime!" Ami yanked the towel away from Cara. "Look at you! There's not an ounce of fat on you anywhere. If we do what Kelly says, you can keep that shape all your life!" Cara relaxed and pulled Ami's towel off. "You ain't just chopped liver yourself, lover!" she said. "But I wonder if it was all worth it. You're right, of course. We've got a head start on everything in life and getting out with the medals we have will open some doors that would never be open to ordinary kids. I sure didn't want some of those serious injuries we saw that other gymnasts had. Now come on. We've got to get dressed." "You're not going to dry your hair?" Ami asked. "It's dry enough. I'll just comb it back." They slipped into their T-shirts and shorts and padded out to meet Vanetta's boyfriend. ------- Laura slipped on panties and a T. Thought about it for a minute and then decided to put shorts on, but she was leaving the bra off. Kelly saw Laura putting on shorts and realized that they didn't want to scare Robert off, so she put some on as well, wondering what Cara and Ami would be wearing! Todd was still talking as he slipped into a fresh set of scrubs. "I've got it all figured out in my head," he said, "but I need somebody to put it all together for me." "And you figure that Robert's the one for the job?" Kelly asked. "Yep." "How did you come to that conclusion?" Todd smiled. "Robert Payne. Graduated last semester. Qualified to teach business courses to high school seniors, can't land a job. He's been working part time at a realty office downtown doing their bookwork. A really smart guy. Graduated in the top 5 percent of his class, and could go on to earn his PhD. He's considered too young to be taken seriously as a teacher by students. His mother is a teacher as well, and his father is an editor for the North Carolina Nation. And," he added with a smile, "he loves Vanetta!" Laura stopped and turned to look at Todd. "How in the hell did you know all that? Have you met him?" "Nope," said Todd, "Don't have a clue about him other than what I've told you." "So how come you know so much?" asked Kelly. Todd raised an eyebrow at her. "Did you forget that we have a security service? And video surveillance?" "But no alarm ever went off," Kelly said. "No, but on a routine check of the tapes I noticed a car that appeared more than once in our parking lot and I called and asked about it. They did a couple of drive-bys, ran the plates, and asked me if I wanted to know who it was. Of course I said yes, since I was curious," said Todd. "And you never told me?" Kelly asked. "I figured that if Vanetta wanted us to know, she'd tell us, and it seems she told at least one of us! And you didn't think of telling me," he said smugly. "So," said Laura, "were you just bluffing when you said you could smell his cologne?" "Not really. I think I sensed a male presence from time to time which is probably why I started looking at the tapes to start with." "How did you know that I knew?" asked Kelly. "That was easy," said Todd. "You said at Brookhaven that Vanetta would be at the studio. So I figured that since Vanetta wouldn't be having somebody over without consent from one of us, she had to have talked to you about it." "Smart ass," said Kelly as she headed out of the bedroom. "Hey," said Laura. "I like his ass!" They were all laughing as they came down the stairs. ------- "Hello, Robert," said Laura, as she jiggled by him. "Hi, Laura, nice to see you again," he said. Kelly gave Robert a hug and said, "It's nice to finally meet you, Robert." Bobby blushed and said he was pleased to meet her at last and congratulations on the happy news. Todd said, "So, you're Robert Payne. Glad you could make it," he said holding out his hand. Robert shifted a bottle of wine and returned the handshake with a firm hand. "I'm really pleased to meet you, sir," he said. "Vanetta's told me a lot about you and Miss Jennsen." "Hell, Robert, if you start by calling me sir, and referring to Kelly as Miss Jennsen, then Vanetta hasn't told you much of anything. I'm Todd, you know Laura, my other fiancée is Kelly, and these two nymphs here are Ami and Cara." "Okay," said Robert. He turned to Kelly and said, "I brought these, thinking they might go well with the pizza." Kelly favored him with a smile and took the bottles. "Thank you, Robert, but you shouldn't have." Cara offered to put them in the fridge to chill. Kelly looked at the labels and said, "We won't chill these, dear. They're for room temperature. Perhaps we can drink some after we eat." "Oh boy!" said Cara, "Beer, Pizza and Wine! Woo-Hoo!" "Sorry I can't chat right now Rob, you don't mind if I call you that do you? Anyway, I got a little behind today, and..." "I'd say you got more than a little," said Laura, smirking. Todd gave her an affectionate look. "Yeah, anyway, I have to do some scans before I can relax. Make yourself at home. You know where everything is, relax and get comfortable." Robert didn't get a chance to answer as Todd asked Ami to get the prints out of the dryer and bring the negatives they wanted to scan. "Ami," said Vanetta, "will you get the negatives of Kelly's best as well. I'll need jpg's of them for potential clients." Todd moved towards his 'work desk' and fired up his large format scanner, the Nikon Pro. "How'd he know my last name?" Robert asked Vanetta. "I have no idea," she responded. "Did you mention it when you introduced me to Laura?" he asked. "I don't think so," said Vanetta. She pulled him closer to Kelly. "Kelly, how'd Todd find out Bobby's last name?" Kelly laughed. "He's known for months, guys. Of course he never bothered to tell me. I guess he thought if you were happy, Vanetta, that it was okay by him. He surprised me upstairs with all he knows about you, Robert. Stuff I didn't even know. I have got to learn to never underestimate his powers of observation just because he's quiet." Ami had brought all the pictures from the dryer so Todd could examine them, and of course she wanted to show them off to Cara and Kelly and Laura as well. Though she had left the large nudes in the darkroom, she had forgotten about the 8 x 10's. As Todd was sliding the 35mm adapter into the scanner to do Ami's shots of the wheel being lifted, Ami called everybody over to see what she and Todd had gotten done today. Robert walked over with Kelly and Vanetta. He had seen enough of Todd's pictures to realize what an artist he was with a camera but was fascinated with the chance of seeing the pictures firsthand. "Todd thinks I might be able to sell these shots," said Ami, spreading the ones she had taken and printed. "There were a lot of other decent pictures of the people at the marina, but that was just practice. I wouldn't have bothered printing these if Todd hadn't suggested it." "Ha," said Todd, looking at the first scan to appear on his 21" monitor. "This is a seller." Everyone turned to look at the large-scale rendition on his monitor. He had cropped and sized it so that the picture was perfectly centered and aligned and the focus was on the helicopter and the wheel. He saved the finished file and proceeded to the next one. It was at that moment, as Todd was examining the 8 x 10 of Ami's second shot that Ami realized that the nudes of Kelly were right underneath. "I'm sorry, Kelly," Ami said. "Vanetta said she wanted scans of these, and I forgot it wasn't just us girls here." Kelly laughed. "That's okay, Ami. Chances are that one of them will end up on the cover or at least on the inside of one magazine or other if I know Vanetta." Vanetta just smiled. She knew that Kelly's casual attitude about nudity would be a great selling point. Maybe they'd do a body paint of her like they had done for Demi a few years ago. At the very least, with strategically placed hands, maybe holding products... "Go ahead and look at the pictures, Robert. I promise I won't be embarrassed," said Kelly. Robert picked up the stack and was going through them, when he mentioned how much he liked the Star Trek uniforms. "Wait till you see the background I'm going to add to them," said Todd. "Then I'll send them to a printer in town for 20 x 30 laser prints." "Oh, I like these uniforms as well," said Robert, still flipping through the pictures. "What uniforms are those?" asked Vanetta. "Looks like Cara and Ami are modeling school uniforms," he said. Then, as he flipped through a few more pictures, he started blushing furiously. He quickly put the rest of the stack down. "What's the matter, Robert," asked Vanetta. "They aren't modeling uniforms," he said. "Ami!" said Cara, now blushing as well. "Why'd you bring those out? Those aren't going to be scanned!" Ami shrugged a little, lowering her head. She was blushing as well. "I just grabbed all the prints in the dryer except for the big ones," she said. "I'm sorry, Cara." Kelly picked up the stack Robert had dropped and carefully examined every picture. "They sure did turn out nice though, Cara," she said. "Here, Laura, you look." Laura did and whistled in appreciation. "Wow. Maybe we should try and sell these!" Cara was fighting with mixed emotions. She enjoyed being told she looked good, but had never thought that anyone else would see them. Then Vanetta asked if she could see them. "Sure, why not," said Cara. "I'm not ashamed of my body." Vanetta slowly went through the pictures. Robert kept stealing glances over her shoulder. Finally Robert had to sit down and pulled Vanetta on his lap to hide his erection. "This is art, Todd. But, it's also very, very erotic. It's even got Bobby excited!" she said with glee. Todd chuckled. "See what photographers have to put up with, Rob? You spend most of your time taking pictures of dull and boring things and then along comes a request for a series, and with two dolls like these," he shrugged. "We're only human." "Oh, here's a great one!" said Vanetta. "This you have to scan for me, Todd!" "Which one is it?" asked Todd. "It's one of three ladies rubbing body lotion all over Kelly!" Vanetta snickered as she showed it around. "And you even got the bottle nice and clear in the shot!" Todd smiled. "I'll scan it since you can't see anybody's face, but I doubt we'll see a picture like this in any American magazine in the next few decades. But you do have a point, Vanetta. This should be real helpful in convincing advertisers that we only promote products we believe in." "My thoughts exactly," said Vanetta. Todd had been busy scanning the pictures of Kelly and saving the files on the server. Before he started to work on the backgrounds for the trek pictures, he made smaller jpeg versions of Ami's Wheel pictures. "Vanetta, would you send copies of these to Reuters, AP, and the DOD, too. Oh, and the Armed Services PR department. They might like to see them. Standard cover letter, rates, yada yada. Tell 'em we'll do color separated Tiffs at the same rate if they want." "Honey," he said to Kelly, "would you order the pizzas while I finish off the Trek shots?" "Okay, Honey. The usual?" asked Kelly. "Yeah, unless Rob is vegetarian or has an allergy." Bobby laughed. "No, I like my meat and cheese," he said. Ami and Cara took the pictures and negatives back to the darkroom. Kelly went to make the call for delivery and Laura and Vanetta sat around the kitchen table. "Have you told Bobby yet about your promotion?" Kelly asked. "I was thinking I'd wait till the company picnic," she said with a smile. "Besides, I'm more curious about what Todd wants from him." ------- "I don't understand why you can't put the Starfleet logo behind them," Bobby said to Todd. Both men were seriously engrossed in working out a background for the pictures of Kelly and Laura. "It's licensed," said Todd. "I want to send them a copy, but the uniforms are bought and paid for. If I promote it as something Trek, I'll get nailed for copyright infringement. And I do have all these free backgrounds from NASA." "They sure do make that Starfleet issue underwear look good," said Robert. "Sorry, I guess I shouldn't say that about your girlfriends." "Why not?" asked Todd befuddled. "The whole point of them being models is to make merchandise look great, and they do, don't they?" he said with a smile. "It's my job to make them and the clothes look the best they can." "But a 20 x 30 poster of one of these three," Bobby said pointing to the thumbnails on the screen. "That's the kind of picture most young guys would hang in their bedroom!" "These three?" asked Todd. "What is it about these three that turns your crank?" Robert had selected three of the five that Todd was seriously considering as the final print. The three that Robert had selected were with the girls just touching at the arms, in one actually holding hands and all at an angle away from each other from 90 to 120 degrees. Robert, figuring he had nothing to lose, spoke honestly about what he felt were the key points. "I like this one," he said, "because it shows intimacy, some kind of bond. They all do for that matter, but this one especially. While this one, notice the expression on their faces. It's a 'come join us' look, but if I can be really frank," he said. "You can be Ernest for all I care," laughed Todd. "Tell me the truth about the one that you would pick as your favorite." Robert laughed. "Okay, this one here. They're a bit more in line with the camera, which should put them farther apart, but you see they are holding hands, not actually holding hands but interlaced fingers. This one, the expression is different on as well. It's not that 'come join us' look, but more of a challenge to satisfy. And the nipples..." Robert blushed again. "Yeah, they do stick out a bit don't they," laughed Todd. "I agree, I think the vulva is more pronounced as well." "I wasn't going to mention that," said Robert, "but yes, even though you can't really see it, the positioning of the legs does attract a fair bit of attention to that region." "This is no time to be shy, Rob," said Todd. "Around here we speak our minds." Todd called everybody over. "We need an opinion here," said Todd as he swung the monitor around. The screen only held the thumbnail pictures, and once everyone was gathered he turned it into a slow moving slide show. "I need a consensus on the best picture," he said. Kelly sat back watching the images go by, looking at them with a professional eye. Laura looked at the pictures in awe, as did Cara and Ami. They looked so much more life like on the big monitor. Vanetta was studying them, realizing that soon she would have to make judgment calls like this. After the pictures had gone around once, Todd put them back on the thumbnail screen. "How about we start off with elimination," said Todd. After only a few minutes, the girls had reduced the series of 24 down to six, and Todd gave them a longer look at the six images. The girls quickly narrowed the field down to two, the same ones that Robert had selected out of his first choice of three. "I like the come hither look," said Kelly, "but the other one shows more of our bodies. It makes the underwear look like it's painted on!" "Yeah, that was Rob's favorite one as well," said Todd. "They're both good, actually they're excellent. Maybe I should get prints of both?" "I wouldn't," said Vanetta. "It's like putting out a G rated version along with a PG 13." Kelly looked at her. "Explain please, Vanetta." Todd sat back in his chair with an amused look on his face. "Okay. This is the way I see it," said Vanetta. "In the one, you're selling the clothes. And we aren't getting paid for that. If Paramount wants to sell their clothes with you two as models, I want a contract. On the other hand, the one that shows the outline of nipples and crotches, that's sexy. It makes the underwear look good, but it makes the two of you the focus of attention. In my opinion, this would be better suited for showcasing our models." Cara and Ami said nothing, not having seen this side of Vanetta before. Laura clapped. "I agree. No contract, then we are the center of attention. We do enough modeling to sell clothes. Since this is a freebie, I say we sell ourselves!" "You realize we have to work where this picture will be showing, don't you?" asked Kelly. Vanetta laughed. "Girl, you're going to be half naked for 16 months of magazine issues, plus that center spread in Sports International shows a lot more. Don't be telling me that you're getting shy! And you," she said, pointing to Laura. "You're going to be modeling lingerie and your picture will be in seventy to eighty thousand of Jorge's catalogs plus whatever magazine he decides to feature you in. You'll be showing plenty of suggestive bumps and skin." Kelly laughed, as did Laura. "Well," said Todd, "the boss lady has spoken. This one it is!" He quickly burned all the scans to a CD then started on the background while Ami took the negs and the CD to the file cabinet in the darkroom. Robert stuck with Todd, glad to be part of the decision for the background, and they finally settled on a beautiful Hubble shot of the Tadpole galaxy that was composed mostly of white stars. Using a Trek font, he wrote 'Kelly Jennsen' and 'Laura Williams' in neon plasma blue, converted them to 3D and placed the names across the knees of each figure. Then, in the bottom right hand corner, he placed his trademark signature and the TKO logo. Satisfied with the finished product, he wrote this to a CD in Tiff format, and slipped it into a jewel case to be dropped off at the printers. They had just finished writing the instructions for three 20 x 30 posters, when the doorbell rang, and the pizza had arrived: two large with pineapple, Italian sausage, Greek sausage, pepperoni and ham and double cheese with of course the standard bucket of hot wings. ------- They were sitting eating pizza and drinking the good Canadian beer when Todd casually threw in a question to Robert about the three musical students he was tutoring. "What would it take to convince these kids to play for the Williams Sisters?" he asked. "Lessons," said Robert without a second thought. "Since the budget cutbacks at the schools, there is no music program for them any more. These kids' families can't afford the lessons, and it will kill their chances at pursuing their dreams." "So how much are the lessons?" asked Todd. "Their music teacher retired in the early release program. He charges his former students $10 an hour," Robert replied. Todd grinned. "Are you always this well prepared?" Robert smiled. "I certainly try to be." "Good," said Todd. "After supper, we have a proposition for you." ------- Chapter 24 "What are your chances of landing a teaching job, Robert?" Todd asked. Bobby grimaced. "With the hiring cutbacks, and the economy the way it is, I'll probably still be doing bookkeeping at the realty office for at least another year!" "So, why not stay in school?" "Hell, Todd, I've already got my Master's. Studying for my PhD would be great and then I could teach at a post-secondary level, but it all costs money and I'm just scraping by with what I'm making now. If I went on, I'd have to do it part time, and that would be at least another four or five years. There's just not a lot of call in the business world for a guy my age without any experience - all my training has been for teaching, even my vacation jobs." Vanetta was getting nervous. She had told Bobby that Todd could be intense. Having finished the pizza and wings, the seven of them were comfortable in the chairs around the great couch where at least five of them had made love. Bobby was on his third beer, which was two more than he usually had. "So working there isn't paying enough for you to stay in school?" asked Todd from his seat between Kelly and Laura. Robert looked back at him, irritated. "Yeah, that's what I said. It's a catch-22 - I can work there the same number of hours and take longer to get the degree, or I can work more hours and take even longer to get the degree 'cause I'd have less time to study." "Okay," said Todd, "so how attached are you to that job?" "It's a waste of my time, training and talent," Robert replied shortly. When Todd continued looking at him, he went on, "Look, I'm supposed to be a teacher for Chrissake's! I should be teaching high school kids to do that sort of job! The money would be all right for a high school graduate, but I can't even afford to move out of my home! If it weren't for my folks, I'd be screwed!" "So, how would you like to come work for TKO?" Robert gave a short bitter laugh. "Thanks, Todd, but I'm not looking for charity. I want to teach, I want the chance to help kids make the world a better place and I admire what you all do, but I couldn't take money for doing something I'm not qualified for." "But you're qualified to be a teacher," Kelly said, cluing in to what Todd had in mind. "Yes, but you aren't running a school here," said Bobby. "But we do have two high school seniors who need to finish off their last year, and they both have jobs as well. Aren't you qualified to help them finish off their last year of high school?" Cara's eyes got as big as Ami's. Kelly was talking about them! "Yeah, I'm certified as a home study instructor and as a tutor, but it would still be charity if you paid more than the going rate for home study." "We don't do charity," said Todd. "At the risk of pissing you off totally, are you always on such a high horse? We only pay what we think a person is worth, or what the job is worth." Robert was steaming up, and Vanetta could see it. She had been afraid something like this would happen if Bobby didn't get a chance to get used to Todd's often-blunt manner of speaking. As far as Todd was concerned, he was just asking for information, but people tended to take his questions as criticism. Kelly could see Vanetta looking worried, and was about to speak up when the phone rang. "I'll get that," she said getting up. "Bobby, I don't think Todd is talking about giving you charity, honey," said Vanetta. "I know for a fact that they pay fair market value, and you have some unique talents. Why don't you just listen to what he has to say?" Robert looked at her for a moment, taking in the worry in her eyes. "Yeah," he replied, and then looked at Todd and Laura sitting on the couch. "Look, would you excuse me for a moment?" He got up and went to the bathroom where he relieved himself, absently watching the stream of piss foaming the water in the bowl as he thought. She was right, he thought, he hadn't listened, just got on the defensive when Todd started talking about a job. He had done the same thing a few times when offered work by friends of his folks, especially when he found that they were offering him make-work. He wanted to teach, not work in an office, or sell insurance. Sure, he had gotten the job at the realty office himself through the student employment office, but it barely paid a student wage and he knew he couldn't take much more of it. He washed his hands and splashed water on his face and considered himself in the face reflected in the mirror. He chuckled to himself. Where's your manners, idiot? It's got to be better than a time-share presentation. These people just fed you and they want to give you a job! The least you can do is listen to them! "That was Reuters," Kelly said coming back to the couch. "They wanted exclusive rights to Ami's pictures, but I told them they could only have first run rights or they could settle for worldwide outside of the North American market." Robert came back in at this point. "Hey," he said. "I want to apologize for being such a hemorrhoid. I guess that Netta's right. I get a bit defensive and then I get offensive. Instead of shutting you out, I should have heard you out." Todd laughed. "That's okay, Rob," he said. "Sit down, relax. Kelly's just about to break the news to my star apprentice that she has sold her first international shoot." Ami looked up hopefully. "So? What did you tell them, Honey?" asked Laura. "Ah, well, you know... I wanted to hold out for more, see what AP was offering, but I decided that Reuters would give it good coverage, and start a good name for Ami, so I let them have the exclusive publishing rights." Todd laughed again. "How much did you soak them for, Kell?" It was Kelly's turn to laugh. "Full credits, Ami Phillips, TKO Photography, six pictures for three fifty each." Ami looked crestfallen. "I can't make a living off that. How many pictures did you take while you were going through school, Todd? Did you ever find time to study?" "I took a lot of pictures, Ami." Todd said. "Sports, news, you name it, wherever a camera could tell the story, I was there, but I had plenty of time to study." Laura started laughing and everyone turned to look at her, which only caused her to laugh harder. Kelly's eyes crinkled in a smile as she realized why Laura was laughing. "I wouldn't complain too much about the pay, Ami," Kelly said. "After the studio percentage, you'll still have about nineteen to spend on what you want." "I guess that's about fair," said Ami. "I only spent about an hour taking the pictures and another one developing them. I just thought there was more to be made, and if I had to travel down there on my own... I don't see how you can make any money at this." Laura was laughing so hard the tears were running down her face as she clutched her sides trying to keep from hyperventilating. "I don't think it's that funny," said Cara. "Ami worked hard at getting the right shots and I don't think that it's fair that she only gets nineteen dollars for her effort!" "I think Laura is laughing because she's been where you are right now, Ami," Kelly said. "When I first offered her a job as a model I said she might make four fifty an hour, and she said she might as well keep her fast food job." "Models make more than four dollars an hour," Cara said. "We know that... oops." Ami's eyes got big again. "Did you mean three fifty as in three hundred and fifty, Kelly?" "But of course, my dear. Did you think I'd let the first Todd Ayres apprentice ever get less than what she was worth?" "Oh, shit," said Ami. "Holy shit is more like it!" said Cara. Vanetta smiled, shaking her head and remembering what it had been like when she first arrived in Charlotte. Todd and Kelly had arranged her enrollment at the university, paying for her tuition and textbooks and it had taken her three months to find out. Up till then, she had been in awe of the 'free' American education system. On top of that, they had employed her to give her practical business experience. In the beginning it had all seemed so overwhelming. Big dollars coming in and big dollars going out. She knew that Todd and Kelly owned stocks and real estate jointly above what the business they had started provided. Vanetta had been to the New York office, but more importantly, she saw the money that the modeling agency generated. Todd's photography, the stuff he liked to do, that brought in incredible amounts of money on its own. In her time as Kelly's assistant, she had seen cars in the big bay, motorcycles, and all sorts of strange products that you'd never find at a Wal-Mart. But Todd had grown restless in the studio in the last few years and has started going out on jobs that appealed to him more than staying in the studio. He rarely did portraits any more--no matter that the people who wanted them were offering well over a thousand dollars an hour for his time. He wanted to be creative. How could she ever explain this to Bobby? She had seen Todd and Kelly the consummate professionals in their fields and the quiet unhappiness of their private lives. Then Laura came into their world. Now, the pieces just seemed to slot into place. Todd and Kelly had found that with Laura, each other was their family, Kelly was coming out of retirement, and Todd had a renewed interest in his work and a new apprentice! And now, three years later, she had money in the bank, was about to graduate as MBA with honors, and had been offered the presidency of a multi-million-dollar business. She would have to ask Mama if the Obi-Man had said that Laura was an influence in her life as well! ------- After the excitement of Ami's first sale had settled down, Laura had put on a pot of tea, and Todd was explaining to Robert just what he wanted from him. "What we want to do," said Todd "is to bring kids into nursing homes. We think it will be good for both the kids and the seniors, but I know that it won't come easy. Kids need a contest or a prize to get them motivated these days. I've got a plan in mind, and I want to hear from you if it's feasible and if it will work. Then, if it's doable, I want you to run it. On top of that, if their parents allow it, I want Ami and Cara to stay in Charlotte so Ami can be my full-time apprentice, and Cara to work with Kelly. They have a year of high school to finish." "And then there is the coordination and scheduling of the Williams Sisters and the boys you know to provide musical backup for them, and getting them to nursing homes, hospitals and all charity functions," added Kelly. "And you will be responsible for paying for their lessons as well as insurance and all the trivial details that come with it." "Don't forget fund raising," said Todd. "We'll pay for the first year, but we need you to shame some corporations into parting with some of their money for the future. Remind them that one day it might be them on the receiving end of what we are trying to establish." "It wouldn't hurt to get the turtles into this as well," said Laura. Ami, Cara, Vanetta, and Robert all looked at Laura like she had just landed from another planet. "Janet's turtles," said Todd. "That's a good idea, Laura. A hands on approach would be much better for the kids than giving money to one of the so-called wildlife preservation associations." "Yeah," said Kelly. "She could come up here and talk about it, hell, why limit it to Charlotte? If Robert can set up a speaking tour for her, she could talk to a lot more kids." "You have connections to all the school boards, right, Rob?" asked Todd. Robert sat still, his eyes wide open, the alcohol long since evaporated from his brain. "I'm really sorry for suggesting that you were looking at me as a charity case," he said. "You're talking about real work here." Todd chuckled and said, "and you haven't even heard our main idea yet!" Over the course of the next hour, Todd laid out his plan for convincing the school kids of Charlotte to visit nursing homes, while Bobby used Vanetta's pad and pen to scribble notes. "Chuck me, Farley," said Bobby after hearing Todd's plan. "You certainly weren't talking about charity. This is a full time job!" Todd just smiled. ------- "So, if I got this right," said Bobby, consulting his shorthand notes, "You want to sponsor a contest starting this September for Junior High students in Charlotte." For the moment, they were all sipping mineral water, having decided the wine would wait until later. "The basic rules are that each volunteer student will represent his or her class and the school they attend." Todd nodded. "You want the students to make three visits of an hour each to the closest nursing home from where they live. Okay, I'm going to change that right off the bat," Bobby said. "Five visits minimum and brownie points for more visits." Kelly started to say that was too much but Bobby raised his finger and continued. "Three visits of an hour each, Kelly, and the contest will be over in a week. I'm going to make sure that every nursing home is well covered, and restrict it to one visit per week. That way we'll get at least a month and a half out of your prize money, and I think I'll push for an essay after each visit. Just a short one, but listing who they spent time with and what they learned. It would make me feel better as a teacher knowing the kids would be doing some writing, and I already see taking all the good essays and printing them for distribution and possibly running it in the papers. I know from my dad that newspapers love this kind of human interest stuff." "Okay, Robert," Kelly said. "I see your point, and it would make for some interesting reading if we published it as a 'free for donation' book to help keep the program alive." "That's sort of what I was thinking, Kelly, though I'm not so big on the 'free for donation' as I am for a set price. I might be a qualified teacher, but remember that my specialty is business." Vanetta ruffled his hair affectionately. "Now these prizes," Bobby continued. "That's quite a list. We might have to set a cut off date or some ambitious kids are going to go once a week right up till the end of the school year!" "What's the down side?" asked Kelly. "Short attention spans for most, and consequently a less than enthusiastic turnout," said Robert. "I'd suggest running it the first semester. The prizes are well worth it to the students, and four months isn't too long. It also limits the visits to a maximum of 15 weeks, and the grand prize will go to the most ambitious student. Hell, even the second prize is worth fighting for." Bobby read the list out loud. "First prize for an individual effort: A brand new computer system! 10 second place prizes: 20" color TVs. 50 third place prizes: Sony Portable CD players and two free CDs. 100 fourth place prizes: $50 Gift certificates." "You think that's enough incentive, Rob?" asked Todd. "It sure as hell is," said Bobby. "And the added incentives for the classes and the schools is going to ensure the teachers are behind this one hundred percent!" He consulted his notes again. "1st prize for best school effort: A one day trip to Carowinds for the grade 7 and 8s! 5 second prizes for best class efforts: A movie followed by lunch at Pizza Hut. 15 third place prizes for class effort: Pizza Hut delivers lunch." Bobby took a deep breath. "And then the bonuses for schools, every school that participates receives $1000 towards their arts program. Excuse me for being so blunt, but that is a shit pile of money you're talking about here." He did some quick calculations on his pad. "You realize you're talking about a non profit, no return project here that is going to cost you in the neighborhood of forty-five thousand dollars?" "I've always admired a man who is good with numbers," said Todd. "What do you think, Kell, run it both semesters?" Kelly thought about it for a minute. "Sure, why not. We said we'd do it two years at our cost anyway. This way we can start showing results in five months and start collecting from other companies to pitch in for the third year, and hopefully it will be self sustaining after that." "You realize you've just upped the cost to close to a quarter million, don't you?" asked a befuddled Bobby. No one else spoke. Finally Laura said, "You've never visited a nursing home have you, Robert? My sisters and I have, lots of times. It can be a very lonely place for those who gave so much. Old people shouldn't be discarded, they should be cherished. Everything we have we owe to them." "Laura's right," said Kelly. "They fought the wars, they made education possible for all these kids, they built this country. As for the cost, we buy bulk and save up to fifty percent on the prizes, but you forgot to add your own salary in the final figure, Robert." "Yes," said Todd. "This project will be running at the same time the others are. You'll coordinate the entire thing and act as liaison between the schools etc. Let the teachers monitor visit times. You'll be teaching Ami and Cara, if their parents allow them to stay in Charlotte, and coordinating the music program and arranging transportation etc., but I think that'll leave you enough time to go back to school as well." Ami was already thinking of how to convince her parents to allow her to stay. "So, Rob?" asked Todd, "sound appealing to you? Willing to take on the job?" Bobby nodded enthusiastically. "This is a challenge, it uses all of my skills and training. And it sounds like fun as well!" "And how much do you expect to be paid for having all this fun?" asked Kelly, suddenly serious. "Ah, I'm not sure," said Bobby. "Whatever the position pays, I guess." "It's a new position," said Todd. "There's not another like it. Be kind of hard for us to put a value on your time." "Just tell us how much you want," said Kelly. "Can I talk this over with Vanetta for a minute?" Robert asked. "Sure," said Todd, "but we'd like to have an answer tonight." ------- As Robert and Vanetta wandered off, Ami spoke up. "Todd, Cara and me were doing some mental gymnastics earlier." Laura and Kelly laughed. Cara scowled at them. "When you were deciding on the Star Trek pictures, we realized that in our case, what you need us for is to sell the clothing. You need the props to make it legitimate, and of course for us to validate that." Todd nodded. Ami had his full attention. "So," continued Ami, "after seeing how much film you can shoot in one day, we've got a plan that will let you do the entire CrossTrain shoot in one day." Todd was smiling. Kelly and Laura were no longer laughing. "We know you need to show off as much of the suits as possible," said Cara, "so we figured, rather than go through routines with you snapping pictures when you think something looks right, we'll stick to just those poses that are more full body rather than tucks and curls. It'll take less time, and we can hold the poses without breaking into a sweat. We figure that between changes, we can give you a new pose in a new outfit every 90 seconds between the two of us." "That'll be a lot of running back and forth to the change room," said Kelly. "That's the beauty of it, Kelly," said Ami. "We won't be! We'll change right there at the equipment. That gives both of us a three-minute break between shots, and with a bit of help from you and Laura on our hair and make-up, we should be fine." "It's not like Todd hasn't seen us without clothes before," added Cara. "Think about this, Todd," said Ami. "I can get into a handstand on the uneven bars with my back to you, with spread legs. You shoot, I turn, and you get a frontal shot of me with my legs closed. Perfectly normal poses for the bars, and after you get the two shots, instead of a fancy dismount, I just let myself swing down. I help Cara up, she does two different poses while I change." "That might actually work," said Todd, "and I like the idea that I won't have to wait around between pictures." "I'm impressed," said Laura. "I'll say," said Kelly. "You two are learning more about this business than most of our regular models!" "It would be perfect," said Todd. "Then I can call CrossTrain and have them pick up their equipment, and we can hit the road." "Hit the road, Jack," the two gymnasts started singing. ------- "I don't know how much to ask for," said Bobby to Vanetta. "Can't you give me some idea?" "And where should I get this idea from?" asked Vanetta. "I had no idea they were going to pop this on you. I mean, I knew that Todd wanted to ask you about the boys you tutor, but I had no clue as to the rest of this. But wouldn't it be perfect? That's at least two years work for you, and you can work on your doctorate at the same time!" "But what if I ask for too much? I'd feel stupid saying that I think my time is worth this amount only to find out that they have another figure in mind much lower." Netta took his head in her hands. "Bobby, I love you, but this charity thing is getting a little tired. If you ask for too little, you'll only get upset and you'll come to hate the job in the long run. Ask for too much and that's just plain greedy. Figure it out. What do you need, how much time will be involved, and what will you be doing? Then come up with a figure that will reflect what you are worth. If they think it's too much, then you just turn them down. You have the talents and the skills they want. Now sell yourself on the idea that you are worth a good salary for your time." They could hear the laughter coming from the other side of the studio as Ami and Cara started singing. "Okay," he said, and pulled out a piece of paper laying out what he figured he would need which included an extended full size van for ferrying the musicians around. He calculated what he would normally receive for home schooling a student for a year and then doubled that figure. He turned the paper so that Netta could see. "Don't forget insurance and gas and maintenance," said Vanetta. "And this is going to be your full time job... no more moonlighting for you, mister, so you better ask for a salary and a contract for two years that will reflect what you are worth." "Well," said Bobby, "a full time high school teacher gets around twenty-eight grand a year..." "Yes," said Vanetta, "but they only have to work 200 days a year, straight days. You'll be working evenings and weekends and holidays." "Right," he said. "Can I use your computer for a minute, Honey? I want to type up a formal proposal." Vanetta fired up her computer and left Bobby to type up his worth. ------- "Have we scared him off?" asked Kelly as Vanetta rejoined them. "Not totally, so I guess that's a good sign," said Vanetta. "He's just putting it to paper now." "Good," said Todd. "I'm about ready to head home." Both Kelly and Laura looked at him. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I live here, but... let's face it. I live with you two now. I'm not going to be apart from either of you any more." "Does that mean you'll be renting out your apartment upstairs?" asked Vanetta. Todd laughed. "Not to strangers, Sweetie, but if you want it..." "It sure would make life easier on me," said Vanetta. "I guess that answers your question, Todd," said Laura. "Kelly," said Ami, "do you think we could get an appointment at that hair salon we went to? Cara and I could use a touch up, and we'd really like it if we could get that girl to work on our feet again. That stuff we got has done wonders for taking the color out of the calluses, but we'd like to get another buffing with that stone." "Sure," said Kelly. "Todd and I have to go see our lawyer anyway to get some paperwork done up, so how about tomorrow I see what day is good?" "Thanks, Kelly," said Cara. "And I think you and I," said Kelly to Laura, "should pay another visit to Mistress Helga!" "Oh No!" said Laura with mock fear. "Not the dungeon again!" They were laughing as Robert came back looking solemn. ------- Bobby held the sheet of paper in his hands. It was folded in half, hiding the figures inside. He sat down and took a gulp of his bottled water, then told them he had added the van and the reasons why. Todd and Kelly both agreed on the need for the van and said they would provide one along with the insurance and a gas credit card. Then Todd told him the dealership would bill all the maintenance costs to TKO's new venture, but that Bobby would be required to take it in as needed. "New venture?" Vanetta asked. "We can't have our main company taking on a blatant money losing proposition," said Kelly. "People would think that it's only to pay less taxes on the business." "Kelly and I will fund it," said Todd, "and give it a new name as well so as to keep it separate from the photography and modeling." "And," said Kelly to Bobby, "we don't announce our involvement in this. This will be your project, your responsibility, we'd rather keep our names out of it unless it's for legal matters." "Okay," said Bobby. "I don't know why you wouldn't want the credit, but, hey, if that's what you want, I'll just refer to you as 'benefactors who prefer to remain anonymous'." He held the paper out to Todd. "But maybe you want to see what it will cost you for my time." Todd took the paper but didn't open it. "Will you be happy with this wage, Rob?" "Very," said Robert. "Are you worth it, Robert?" asked Kelly taking the paper from Todd, but still not opening it. "I think I am. Some people might not agree, but that is what I think I am worth." "Good," said Todd getting up to shake Robert's hand. "Welcome aboard. We'll tell you the name of the company you'll be working for by the end of the week." Kelly still hadn't opened the paper and Bobby was feeling a little unsettled. She folded the paper once more and slipped it into her pocket before standing to shake his hand as well. "Welcome to the family. We'll have the lawyer draw up the contract and have it all set for the end of the week as well. Guess you'll have to give your notice at that realty office." Laura smiled and gave Robert a hug. "Weird, isn't it?" she whispered in his ear. Robert laughed, looked at Laura, and said, "Very. But I think I can get used to it." "Now if you two will excuse us," said Todd, "we have to get home. Rob, you're probably stone cold sober by now, but why take a chance? I think you should camp out here tonight." Robert blushed, but nodded and said it would probably be the best thing. Vanetta hugged Todd and then Kelly and whispered, "thank you." Kelly took one of the bottles of wine that Robert had brought and said they would drink it at home tonight and suggested that Robert and Vanetta open the other and celebrate. ------- Kelly, Laura, Ami, and Cara were sitting on the couch back at Kelly's house. Todd was sitting on the floor. All of them had a glass of wine in their hands, as they tried to think of a name for the new non-profit company. "All that keeps jumping through my brain is song titles," said Laura finally. "And I don't want to focus on the age factor," said Kelly. "I can't get off the 'Precious Memories' thought," said Todd "You guys are getting yourselves all tied up in knots over this," said Ami. "That's cause they're the tie that binds," said Cara giggling at her own pun, then stopped as she realized that silence had descended on the room and that Todd and Kelly were staring at her. "By George, I think she's got it!" said Kelly. "Got what?" asked Cara cautiously. "It's the common tie that binds us," said Todd. "We will become them, they created us." "So, what are you thinking, Todd?" asked Laura. "Seniors, the next generation?" "Oh, if only I could get away with that," laughed Todd. "Why not?" asked Kelly. "The bulk of what we're doing is for seniors." "And you could do a nice paint job on the van in a Trek font," said Laura. "I guess I was thinking more along the line of 'School Ties, '" said Todd, "but that sounds like a bad teen movie." "We can think about it tomorrow," said Kelly. "I need to steal Cara for my skin care, and then I have to wait an hour before I can get to bed. It's been a busy day." ------- Todd had just released another pleasure load into Laura's inviting mouth. Her skills at taking him into the back of her throat were improving so much that her trick of swallowing while his cock was seated in her throat milked his cum out at a dizzying speed. He would have said so too, except Kelly was still riding his face, just cresting her own peak. After Kelly had given Laura a treatment of what she had gotten from Todd, and the three of them were lying in bed, Laura said, "It's just not fair that Todd is such a total and natural blonde. You can barely see his pubic hair till it gets caught in your teeth!" Kelly laughed. "Maybe we should take Todd in for a wax treatment!" Oooo! Todd cringed at the imagined pain of having his pubic hair ripped out! But Laura said there was no way she was going to change Todd. "I don't even notice most of the time," she said. "Just the odd occasion when I catch one." ------- It had been a very emotional day for all of them, and Cara and Ami only spent a little time pleasuring each other in their bedroom before they cuddled together for the night. "Have you thought about moving up here full time, Cara?" Ami asked. "Are you serious?" asked Cara. "That's just about all I could think about!" "How do you think your folks are going to take it?" asked Ami. "I think pretty well. They want me to go to university so I can get a good job, and now we'll have a private tutor to help us finish our final year of high school, plus I already have a job. I don't think my parents would stand in the way of this kind of opportunity for me. What about you, Ami?" "Pretty much what I thought," she said. "Not only will I be going to university, but I'll be apprenticed to one of the best photographers in the business." She wriggled with excitement. "God, it's amazing! I've been doing this for, like, a week? And my first real pictures are going international! That's going to amaze Mom and Dad! And they'll be happy with you here." "Just think, babe," said Cara. "We won't have to hide our love from anybody living here." Ami snuggled closer to Cara. "Yeah, that's something I can really live with. Having you in my arms every night." ------- Meanwhile, just a few blocks away, Robert had spewed his load inside of Vanetta, and both of them were hot and sweaty. They liked their sex physical and Vanetta loved being on top. To make sure he would last through a good and thorough fucking, Vanetta had first gone down on Bobby and then a glass of wine later he had returned the favor, savoring her dark skin and feasting on the pink inner delicacy. Vanetta, once she started cumming, could achieve orgasm more rapidly on her next ones and being on top let her drive her clit into his pelvic bone. What made this encounter special and different was that they had made love in Todd's bed. It was so much more comfortable than the couch. "I wonder if he'll leave it furnished for me?" she asked out loud. "You're serious about moving in here?" Bobby asked. "Oh, yeah!" said Netta. "Mom won't mind. What about you? Are you going to stay at home with Mom and Dad or are you going to take the plunge and move in with me?" ------- Chapter 25 The light outside the window and the feel of the unfamiliar bed woke Vanetta early. She lay there for a few minutes, looking at her lover sleeping beside her and luxuriating in the sensation of being able to wake beside him. She carefully extricated herself from under his arm and padded to the bathroom where she had a quick shower and brushed her teeth, then feeling naughty, slipped on one of Todd's Trek Ts before bounding down the stairs. Firing up her computer, she grabbed her list of potential advertisers and sent three of the best pictures of Kelly that Todd had scanned the day before. Deciding on a magazine was a bit harder. Having decided to go with a lesser-known magazine cut the potential for model payment, but the upside was that advertising costs would be lower and with Kelly personally endorsing each product, this could be a big plus for the magazine. She finally sent copies of the pictures to the two magazines that showed the most potential: 'Fit Pregnancy' and 'Mothering Magazine.' Dangle the bait and see who nibbled first. As a teaser, she sent the pictures to Jorge as well. She was about to head back upstairs when the phone rang. ------- Hanging up the phone, Vanetta wondered if she should call Ami with the news, then decided against it. The girls had probably adopted Kelly's habit of sleeping in, and she didn't want to wake them. Back upstairs, she noticed Bobby's early morning erection and decided to take advantage of the situation. Stripping off her t-shirt, she slid up the bed gently and engulfed his cock in one gulp, sucking with abandon and jubilation. Soon, they would be able to do this every day. The thought made Vanetta wet between her legs. Bobby started to buck back, his hips driving his raging hard-on into Vanetta's willing mouth. His eyes were wide open as he reached his critical peak and with a loud groan, released a torrent of hot cum on to her eager tongue. They sat together eating breakfast, both of them in the nude. "I don't understand, Netta," Bobby said. "Generally I only see you naked after we've worked up to the point of love making. I love seeing you like this, but it's so different." "Just roll with it, Bobby," she replied. "This is natural, the way we were born. Don't let other people's sense of morality get you all tied up in knots." Robert laughed. "I doubt that will happen," he said. "Around here, you see more skin than clothes. It'll take some getting used to, though." "The human body is a beautiful thing," said Vanetta. "Some people are so ashamed of their own bodies they try and impose their feelings of inferiority on you and try to write laws that will change your basic nature. Of course you're right about seeing more of it around here than most places, but this studio isn't a breeding ground for hypocrites. While you were sleeping, I sent dozens of pictures of Kelly off to various people in the media. Kelly really does set a good example and I've learned to relax because of it." ------- "I don't feel right taking money from you, Kelly," Cara was saying after breakfast. "I mean, I'd do it for free because you're somebody I really like. You treat me like an adult and don't pass judgment on me." Kelly smiled at her. The two had ended up outside so Kelly could enjoy a cigarette, while Laura was on the phone setting up what would be a private reunion performance of the Williams Sisters. Todd and Ami were, as usual, discussing cameras and lighting and the future of digital photography. "But you provide a valuable service," countered Kelly. "If I didn't have you, I'd have to pay someone else. Believe it or not, but one day you'll want your own place to live, and wouldn't a nice bank account help that become a reality?" Cara conceded the point but stuck to her guns on the fact Ami had earned her money doing something tangible. Kelly laughed. "Ami was very lucky to have her first news shoot pay off. Did you see all of the other photographers that were there? It was luck that put her in the right spot at the right time. Pretty soon she'll be relying on a regular paycheck from the studio for being Todd's apprentice, if she wants to bank any money." "Wow. I never realized that growing up could be so complicated," said Cara. "I think we've been sheltered for too long. Maybe sheltered isn't the right word, but you know what I mean. We've been too focused on the gymnastics, and haven't had to deal with the real world." "That's okay, Honey," said Kelly. "You've done a lot with your life already and you have a good head on your shoulders. If you had to face the world right after you finished High School, I could see where you might have a problem, but you're going to University! You are going to become one of the best physiotherapists in the world! And when you turn 18, I will put you in touch with that place that will hire you in a flash as a masseuse. You'll earn more money there, part time, than most people do after spending a lifetime in a career." "You really think so, Kelly?" "Cara, with the strength and skill you have in your hands, I know so!" "Thanks, Kelly," Cara said, giving Kelly a kiss on her cheek. ------- Kelly called Steve and set up an appointment for Wednesday. She told him of the contracts she needed written up, one for Robert, another for Vanetta. Though she disliked getting up so early in the morning, she made the appointment for before lunch so she would have plenty of time to get ready for the Williams family that night. "Well," Kelly said after she got off the phone, "the girls have an appointment with Joanne on Wednesday, and we have one with Steve at the same time," she said to Todd and Laura. "Laura, can you take the girls?" "Sure, I'd be glad to," said Laura. "Take the Tracker," said Todd. "I'll ride with Kelly." "I really should just give up my car," said Laura. "I barely drive it anymore, and I know that Kat would get good use out of it. If I need to go anyplace, I can always borrow a car or hitch a ride with one of you, right?" "Oh, by all means, Sweetheart," said Kelly. "Go ahead and make your sister happy." "I'll give her the keys and ownership tomorrow then," said Laura. "If the girls are going to be all buffed and shined tomorrow," Todd said, "maybe I should start doing a dry run with them on their idea of poses today. Get it all done by the weekend." "That sounds like a plan to me," said Kelly. "But on Thursday, Laura and I are going to treat ourselves to a day at the club. We'll probably eat there as well. Think you can handle those two by yourself for an afternoon?" Kelly asked with a smirk. "I think I can manage," said Todd. So Kelly dialed again and made an appointment at the club and arranged for Laura to have a follow up treatment with Mistress Helga. "We'll have to get Steve to draft up legal papers for our wedding in September as well," said Todd. "I want to see the expression on his face when he hears that," said Kelly. "Speaking of expressions," said Todd. "Have you bothered to look yet at Rob's salary request?" "No," said Kelly as she prepared to leave for the studio. "Think we should?" she asked with a smile. Todd laughed. "Maybe we better." Kelly took the paper out of her purse and opened it on the table. Cara and Ami were still occupied in their bedroom, so only Laura and Todd got to read it with Kelly. "Hmm... a 15% raise in the second year as well," said Todd. "Yes," said Kelly, "but he gave us an option to renew for the second year so that if things fall over, we won't have to pay him for it." "These business professionals," Todd laughed. "Always looking for a profit. I guess it's hard for him to understand we're trying to give it away." "He'll learn," said Kelly, "though I notice he's also allowed room for a third year renewal as well." "Ah, a glimmer of hope for him yet," said Todd. "He's not asking for too much for the first year," said Laura. "Forty-two five doesn't seem like an executive's salary to me." "It's not," said Kelly, "but this is what he wants, what he thinks he is worth and you heard how he feels about charity." ------- It had started off as such a peaceful morning for everyone, and then all hell broke loose. By the time Kelly, Todd, Laura, Ami and Cara arrived at the studio, Vanetta was jumping between phones. Robert was doing his best to help, but had limited knowledge of all the things the studio did. Messages were stacking up on the desk in front of Vanetta. Robert was taking messages and writing down callbacks as fast as he could. Laura and Kelly took over, letting a relieved Bobby off the hook. He walked over to Todd and said, "I'd have never thought this business could get so frantic." "It has its own mood swings," said Todd. "Things will be quiet for weeks at a time, but when the tide turns, you need to paddle real fast." "Well, I guess I better go to the office and give my notice, I suppose," said Robert. "I can give them the names of lots of good replacements, so I should be cleared out by the end of the week and I can start putting your plan to paper and start submitting it to the schools and teachers. I'll get my three musicians lined up and make arrangements to start practicing with Laura's sisters." "That's fine, Rob," said Todd, "but you don't have to keep me informed of everything you're doing. This is your show now, Robert. The success will be your responsibility, and I can get back to doing what I do best." Robert smiled a nervous smile. "Don't worry so much, Rob," said Todd with a smile. "Things will work out. And if you really get stuck feel free to ask for help." Robert snuck a kiss in with Vanetta and left. ------- Cara and Ami worked out with Todd for an hour while Laura and Kelly and Vanetta kept the phone lines open. Most of the messages were from advertisers who had heard through the grapevine that Kelly was going to do a 16-month special. Vanetta grinned to herself. Good ol' Jorge! It looked as if he had done exactly what Vanetta suspected he would, and when the first magazine got the pictures and then a potential client had gotten them as well, it became a race. Everybody wanted a piece of the action. Kelly had a good idea of what was going on, but decided that since she had allowed Vanetta to come up with a proposal, she was just going to play secretary on this one and kept taking messages, though she was secretly pleased at the names of some of the companies calling. Laura was having a ball just helping. She enjoyed the animated conversations she overheard, watching Vanetta gesticulate as she dropped her proper English at times to deliver a verbal barrage in patois to some potential client. ------- Seeing that Kelly and Laura were still busy on the phone, Todd asked Cara and Ami to help him pack up his personal stuff from the apartment. "What about all the bedding?" asked Cara, looking through a closet. "Leave it," said Todd. "It won't fit Kelly's bed and besides, Kelly has more than enough." "Same with the towels and such?" asked Ami. "Yep, we'll just take my clothes and personal hygiene stuff. A couple of personal items that I've kept all these years and we'll leave the rest." "Jesus, Todd," said Cara after an hour. "We're all done. I can't believe you just packed up all your possessions in four boxes in an hour." "I dress simple, I live simple," said Todd as if that should explain it all. "I spend most of my time downstairs in the studio anyway, or over at Kelly's. My important stuff is either locked up, or still in storage from when I moved down here. Remember that for years I lived on the road just like Kelly. It's hard to accumulate a lot of possessions when you're always moving to another location." "And you're just going to leave your TV and stereo?" asked Ami. "Do you see any reason why we should have double of everything at Kelly's?" he asked. "No, I guess not," said Ami. You don't even have a lot of movies or CDs." "I probably have more CDs in the truck and in the Hummer," he said. "You'll see that my DVD collection is mostly Star Trek. I did have it all on videotape, but DVDs are more compact. Now, let's haul this stuff downstairs and we can get to work on some of those poses you were telling me about." ------- Some of the calls had been for Kelly and Todd, and Kelly dealt with those directly. One was from Rachel. She had the paperwork for the apartment block completed and Steve had approved it, and now it was just up to Kelly and Todd to stop at the bank and pay the overdue loan off. Kelly just called that one in. She knew the bank wanted to keep her money, and she could see no reason to take another unnecessary trip. Rachel would stop off later on in the afternoon to finalize the paperwork. From there, Steve could take care of the rest. Taking a break, she asked Todd if he had any ideas about management of their new building. "I'd like someone to live in, if we're going to make it a seniors building," said Todd. "That's what I was thinking as well," said Kelly. "But we'll need to interview people pretty soon so we can start renting the units out." "Why interview?" asked Todd. "Why don't we keep it in the family?" "Are you thinking of Meg and Harry?" Kelly asked. "Yeah. I figure that Harry's got over 20 years in and can start collecting his pension from the force, and he'd be handy for some of the minor maintenance stuff. Meg's been working part time to help make ends meet, and before Laura moved in with us, they were struggling with a three bedroom house and four daughters." "If they go for it, it would be ideal," said Kelly. "They'd have the three girls to help out, and I'm sure that they would enjoy the financial freedom. Everything I've seen says they are good people. Honest and hard working, and I especially like the idea that they've always given to the community." "So, should we ask them ourselves, or send a letter?" "I think we better do this one ourselves, Todd," said Kelly. She chuckled. "Whether they know it or not, these people are going to be our in-laws!" Todd laughed and said he would bring it up on Wednesday night. Kelly headed back to the phones and Todd joined Cara and Ami in the shipping bay. ------- Ami and Cara had picked a few outfits each to show Todd how quick and easy it would be for them to change between poses, and were chalking up. Todd loaded his Blad with high-speed film. These shots weren't meant as 'keepers' but would show if there was any miscalculation in the lighting arrangement. It would be fun to develop the film afterwards with Ami, letting her see for herself how her plan had worked out. Instead of using the springboard to mount, Ami had Cara give her a boost and soon, Ami was presenting Todd with exactly the poses she had promised. Her hair tumbled down as she did a handstand on the top bar. Balancing herself she opened her legs, and Cara gave Todd a running commentary on when to shoot. "When her toes are like totally stretched out, and her feet are in line with her legs, that's what she would look like if she was in the middle of a full swing through," said Cara. "It takes a few seconds longer to do it this way, but Ami's got the strength to hold the pose." "Now, Todd!" said Cara, and Todd hit the shutter release on the Blad. "Okay, Ami," said Cara, "just a second longer. Turn and close your legs." Ami balanced herself on one hand as she pivoted on the bar, bringing her legs together and with supreme effort pushed herself up to change the muscle tone in her arms. Todd realized what Ami was doing. If she held the pose without the push, it would look like she was doing very difficult push-ups, but by pushing away from the bar, in a still photo, a person would be hard pressed to prove she was not in the process of coming out of a spin. Ami's face showed grim determination and on the second push she heard the shutter click. She quickly relieved the pressure on her arms, allowed herself to roll forward and down till her hips were level with the bar. Then she spun and dropped to the mat below. Aside from a slight flush on her face, there was no sign of fatigue. "That was great, Ami," said Todd. "I just hope the rest of the poses won't be that hard on you girls." "Hell," said Cara, "The poses are nothing compared to doing a three minute routine where you have to keep moving all the time!" Ami started to strip out of her suit. "I like these with the built in breast protectors," she said. "The panty part is just like a bathing suit. These should sell really well." Todd looked at her nude body for a second. "If they sell well," he said, "it will be because of what you and Cara do in them," then he moved around to start snapping shots of Cara on the Balance Beam. Cara had stopped in the middle of a parallel split, about 18 inches up, and Todd snapped one of her in that pose before she sank straight down. Her left foot was in front of her, toes pointed straight forward, while her right leg was behind her, foot flat to the beam. One pose while she was sitting up straight, and another as she brought her head down to her left knee. With her hair cascading around her face, she looked angelic, and Todd was already seeing the final print in his mind as he decided to add some soft effects to the picture. Todd continued to walk around the Balance Beam and Cara seemed to know just what would present the best angle for showing off the uniform. In one shot, she placed her hands between her legs and lifted herself off the bar, spreading her legs, and pointing them slightly forward. As Todd continued to move, so did Cara, finished the maneuver lifting her entire body off the beam balanced on just her hands, her body in line with the wood beneath her. "That's it, Cara," said Todd. "Good enough for government work." Cara let out a sigh and lowered herself to the beam to catch her breath, her arms and legs dangling from the sides. Todd snapped a candid one of that. Ami was all geared up and ready to tackle the vault and for the next two hours, the girls showed Todd all the possibilities for good shots. Todd had shot off three cartridges - thirty-six shots - and told the girls to call it a day. He and Ami would process the film after lunch and they would review all of them together. ------- While Ami and Cara went to shower, Todd put the camera away and dropped the exposed film in the darkroom, before finding out how Vanetta, Kelly, and Laura were coming along. "Where's Ami?" asked Kelly. "It's been so hectic that a message Vanetta took this morning was at the bottom of the stack on my desk. Seems the DOD would like a few enlargements of the lifting of Mueller's Wheel. She just grossed another grand out of her day at the marina!" "Good for her," said Todd. "You can tell her when she gets out of the shower. But, aren't all payments going to the corporate account?" "Yes they are," said Vanetta. "If you like I can set up personal accounts for both the girls at the company's bank. They have branches all over, so they can withdraw anywhere." "That would be good, Vanetta. We could drop in for them to sign the papers," said Kelly, "and then they'll have access to their money and you can start transferring over their money as it comes in," said Kelly. "What about Cara's salary for taking care of you, Kelly?" asked Laura. "I think the company should pay her for that since you are going to be a working asset again." Kelly laughed. "No, I'll just pay her from my own money," she said. "That's not right, Kelly," said Vanetta. "Laura's right. Cara is providing a very valuable service. Not just to you personally, but to the company and the contract you'll be signing." "Hey!" said Kelly. "I haven't said yet that I'll do it, I just said that I would look over any proposal you came up with." Vanetta started to laugh. "I've been watching you as these calls came in, Kelly. You like the idea of a long term commitment endorsing products that you really believe in." "Yes I do, Vanetta, but so far I haven't seen enough to make it worthwhile," said Kelly. "But you forget that I've been working at this already," said Vanetta. "I already have a lot of companies lined up, and it isn't just you they are interested in either," she said with a smirk. "What do you mean, Netta?" asked Kelly. "You'd be surprised at how many companies wanted in because Todd would be taking the pictures." It was Laura's turn to laugh. "Always the bridesmaid, but never the bride, right, Honey?" she said giving Todd a poke in the ribs. "Hey," said Todd. "This was never about me. This was for Kelly and for the baby, you know." "Can't be helped, Todd," said Vanetta. "I saw an opportunity and I took it. As of now, you are both on the open market as talent, and I intend to get the most I can out of that for the company." Kelly wrapped her arm around Todd. "I think we've created a monster!" she said with a smile of affection for Vanetta. "How long before you have a proper proposal for me to consider, Boss?" "I'll have you signing the papers by Friday," said Vanetta. "I know that you're going to want to do this." "We'll see," said Kelly. ------- After their shower, Cara and Ami joined Laura in the studio kitchen. "I think I need some real protein," said Ami. Laura held back her wicked thoughts, though she couldn't hide the smile from her lips. "What's so funny?" asked Ami. "Nothing, really," said Laura. "I was just thinking of how I get my protein right from the source." "Eww, gross," said Ami, screwing up her face. "You can't knock what you haven't tried," said Laura. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass," said Ami. "I'd rather have something chewable." Laura laughed out loud, her mind on the chewing she had done on Todd's cock the night before. There was something positive in the air, she could sense it, could almost feel it in her bones. She just couldn't put her finger on it yet so she busied herself grilling up some skinless chicken breasts while the girls made up a salad. Kelly and Todd were in deep conversation at Todd's workstation, leaving Vanetta free to start assembling her package deal for one of the magazines she was considering. "How much should we pay the girls while they're here?" asked Todd. "I'm really hoping they can get their parents to approve their staying here to finish off their last year of High School with Rob, so that they can concentrate on what they do best, and prepare for University." "Ami's turned out to be everything you hoped for?" asked Kelly with a smile. Todd smiled at her. His partner, his wife to be, and the mother of their baby growing inside her. "Yes, much more than I could have hoped for. She's a natural, and one day she'll be in more demand than me," he said. "Not for a few years," said Kelly, "but she certainly does have the knack for it, and with you as her teacher, she won't end up clawing her way to the top, she'll be there by the time she's ready to spread her wings." "But that doesn't answer my question," said Todd. "Well, how about we start them off at two-fifty a week?" asked Kelly. "I think that's fair. They have no rent or food expenses, and they don't need to shop for clothes either. I think that's a good wage for students, don't you?" Todd laughed. "I think that is a very good wage for anybody these days. We should get Vanetta to deposit their first month's wages into the accounts she opens for them. And get her to deposit Ami's pay for the sale of the Wheel photos at the same time. When we finish the shoot for CrossTrain, we'll just tell them to check their accounts. I think they will be pleasantly surprised." "Maybe Ami would be surprised right now to know that she got a second sale off the pictures," said Kelly. "Oh, God. I think I'm having a senior moment," said Todd. "I keep forgetting to tell her about that." "That makes two of us, Sweetheart," said Kelly. ------- Kelly had finished passing the information on to Vanetta about the regular pay for the girls, and the deposit information, and then they had joined the others for lunch. Thick, bite size pieces of grilled chicken adorned the fresh salad. Laura had seasoned the chicken with garlic and curry with fresh chopped chives. Ami and Cara had chopped two stalks of Romaine lettuce and added a dozen cherry tomatoes cut in halves and half a seedless cucumber. For flavor they added olive oil and lemon grass, and Cara dumped in nearly a full box of garlic flavored whole-wheat croutons. As they sat eating and drinking their bottled water, Todd mentioned to Ami about the second sale of her photographs, but she shrugged it off. Todd smiled. Ami was thinking about the next job already. The Wheel had been fun, but now it was behind her and she was looking for a fresh challenge. He looked forward to taking her to Brookhaven and really giving her a free hand to really experience all the different aspects of commercial photography. After lunch, Cara made a pot of green tea while Ami washed up the dishes. Kelly sat back and had her second cigarette of the day. "So what are we going to call the new building?" Todd asked her. "If its okay with you, Sweetheart, I'd like to call it Muriel's Place," said Kelly. "That sounds good to me. How about we get it designed in wrought iron and mounted high up on the front of the building?" "Thanks, Todd," Kelly said. He could be so sweet and supportive of her needs, she thought. They were just finishing their tea when Rachel arrived. Laura volunteered to take Ami and Cara to the bank to activate their accounts, and Todd told her she should stop off and get a set of keys made for herself for the Tracker. A loving kiss from Laura, and sweet cheek kisses from Ami and Cara and they were out the door. Rachel's visit was more a formality to get their signatures than anything else. Steve had already reviewed and initialed the paperwork and left stickers where they should sign. Todd told Rachel to register the building as "Muriel's Place" and arranged for her to get someone to do the lettering and mounting of the sign. Todd spent the next hour cleaning his camera, his feet propped up on his desk, while Kelly helped Vanetta enter all the regular data from the New York office. Laura and the girls were back by 2:30, and Todd and Ami headed for the darkroom. By 4:30 they were out again, Ami holding a stack of proof prints. Everyone was impressed with the poses and agreed that you couldn't tell it wasn't part of a regular routine. Todd was very pleased. Friday he could get the CrossTrain job out of the way and get his bay freed up again, and then he'd be free to start the job at Brookhaven. It had been a busy day at the studio, and Todd was all set to head back to Kelly's when he remembered the van Robert had requested. He discussed it with Kelly and Laura, but they decided that Todd should pick out the van with Robert. Kelly and Laura convinced him to go with the name he had wanted and to have it painted on the side in bold letters. Vanetta called Bobby and said Todd would pick him up, and then Todd called Eric, the owner of the GM dealership, and asked him to stick around a bit later than normal. Eric didn't seem to mind at all. Kelly, Laura, Ami, and Cara put their safety gear on, and wheeled their bikes out on the now deserted streets of the industrial park. Kelly had wanted to go blading, but realized that now she was pregnant and posing, she would have to be extra careful. Within minutes, they four of them were whizzing along the smooth paved streets. Ami's eyes were still not trained enough as a photographer to notice another photographer taking their pictures as they pedaled away. No one noticed the driver of the gray Buick duck down in his seat as they turned the first corner. Todd picked Robert up at the corner near the realty office and with friendly banter headed off to the dealership where Todd had bought both his Tracker and Hummer. Eric came out to greet Todd personally, keys in hand. This GM dealership specialized in trucks and work vehicles. Eric pointed to the row of new vans that had arrived in the past month. Todd stopped for a moment, movement in the corner of his eye catching his attention. He turned his head to watch a dirty gray sedan cruise slowly by, but couldn't see the driver through the heavily tinted windows. Something about that car bothered him, but it slipped from his mind as he turned his attention back to Eric. ------- "Fuck. Shoulda stayed close to the studio. With them other four bitches out of the way there'd only be that black cunt to deal with. Coulda worked something out. Fuckin' bitch spent the night there with her boyfriend. The guy Todd Ayres picked up on his way to town. That nigger lover Robert Payne. Should knock him over the head and smack some sense into him. Polite folks know not to mix colors. Maybe when this job's done I'll teach the teacher a lesson he won't forget!" ------- By the time the driver of the gray Buick made it back to the industrial park, the girls were returning from their little evening spin. All of them were laughing and enjoying life. The mysterious driver backed into the loading dock of a small metal stamping plant half a block away, but noticed one girl looking in his direction. His engine was off though, and his windows were tinted dark enough that he was sure she couldn't see him and she didn't look long. Ami turned her attention back to the others as they pushed their bikes into the studio's side door and into the storage area. He waited until they were inside then slowly turned the key in the ignition. He had been out in the open a bit too much. Time to get another set of wheels and come back tomorrow. Maybe there wouldn't be so many people coming and going. Vanetta was working at her desk, putting together what she felt was the cream of the advertising crop. The companies and their products all complemented each other. Jorge was the one who was uncertain. He wanted to have Kelly model his clothes, but he just didn't make maternity wear, not sure there was a market for it in home sales. But Mike had argued with him, as had all his sales staff. Jorge used to make unique outfits for the international runways of the fashion world, and as a favor for a friend, he could make a few that wouldn't be for catalog sales. At least that was the argument put forth by Mike. "Out of 16 months, Jorge," Vanetta said. "How many months will she need actual maternity wear? You know Kelly. She likes her baggy T-shirts and shorts." Finally Jorge had relented. He would advertise as a sponsor only. No need for Kelly to wear his designs. He loved Kelly, but had been so badly stung in the fashion world before starting his home clothing line that he would not put his designs on display in regular distribution magazines. If Kelly happened to wear something designed by Jorge, and they made it into the magazine, he would certainly not complain, as his home sales reps would love to point it out to customers, but as long as there were no designer labels attached to any of the other clothes she wore, he would go along for the ride. Vanetta was busy typing all of the details up when Kelly, Laura, and the girls got back in. ------- "If it's just six kids," said Eric, "I don't think you'll need a full size van." "Six kids, plus a driver, plus instruments," said Robert. "Possibly another passenger as well at times." "It has to seat eight adults, Eric," said Todd, "and comfortably." "Then I would suggest the Express 2500 LS with the extended wheel base," said Eric. "The Chevy Express Passenger Van offers four seating configurations, with optional seating for 8, 12, or 15 people, and still plenty of room for cargo." "What's the difference between the Express regular and the LS?" asked Robert. "Money," laughed Todd. Eric looked hurt. "The LS is the luxury model, Rob," said Todd. "It gives you cloth seats and carpeting instead of vinyl seats and floor." "Well... I don't think we need to get the more expensive cloth package," said Robert. "Yeah, tell me that after a day of riding around on plastic seats," said Todd. "Okay Eric, load it up, what have we got?" "Don't you want to take one out for a test drive?" asked Eric. "Robert. You want to take this tank out for a test drive?" asked Todd. "Well, I think we should, don't you?" "You go for it, Rob. Take it out and see if she feels good enough to ride. I'll work Eric over till he gives us a real deal." Robert waited while Eric hung dealer plates from the rear doors and then took it out, sitting proudly in the driver's seat. "New guy?" asked Eric. "Yep. Going to tackle a new project for us," said Todd. "Let's go inside and write her up, Eric. I'll take the whole package deal of options. Here's the color I want," said Todd flipping through the catalog of options. Metallic Blue, three layers of clear coat after you get this lettered on the sides above the rear wheel wells, and across the hood and the back. I want that lettering in gold flake, Eric." Eric laughed when he saw the logo that Todd had created on the computer in the morning. "Okay, Todd. I can get that done for you. If you let me have till next Monday, I'll put a good roof rack on it as well." "Sounds good to me," said Todd. "Make the invoice out to 'Seniors:TNG, ' a subsidiary of TKO Inc. Steve should have that as a legal entity by the end of the week." "What if your new guy doesn't like the ride?" asked Eric. "Trust me, Eric. He'll be back in about ten minutes and he'll try to be nonchalant about it, but just look at his eyes." Eric laughed, got Todd's signature on the bill of sale and the two of them walked out together. Robert pulled in a few minutes later trying to keep the jubilation from his face. The extended wheel base gave a much smoother ride than any car he had ever been in, and with the full size van, it gave him the advantage of seeing over top of all the other traffic. It made him feel powerful, and one just like this would be his to drive all the time. Todd had explained the name of the new non-profit venture to him and that the name would be written on all four sides of the van, but Robert thought the name was rather good, and he looked forward to all the questions he would receive about it. ------- After dropping Robert off, Todd took his girls home. He laughed to himself as he thought of them as "his" girls. Actually, it was the other way around. He was their man. Lover to two, mentor and part time big brother for the other two. As they got out of the tracker, Ami looked up and down the street. "What's up, Ami?" asked Todd. "I'm not sure," she said. "You know how you told me that as a photographer you don't miss much? I'm seeing the street the same as always, but I feel like there's something wrong with the picture. Like there's something that doesn't belong." Todd looked up and down the street as well. "Yeah, Ami, I do understand. I got that feeling this afternoon when I went out with Robert." He put his arm around her shoulder and led her towards the house. "If there is something out of place, Ami, I'm sure you and I will spot it." ------- "Fuck! Those two were lookin' right at him. It was lucky he had found an unlocked garage from where he could see the house. Wonder what the young cunt's name is? What is it with Ayres? He's shacked up with four bitches? So far all he had was the name of the one that owned the house. Kelly Jennsen. The one with no tits. He wouldn't mind a taste of the other one, the honey colored brunette that was always hanging off him. At least she had a set of ta-ta's. But what was the deal with the other two? He wished he could get a look inside at night. Must be pretty interesting with all that poon hangin' around. But he better keep his distance. Fuck up this job and there'd be no use goin back home." He dialed a number on the cell phone he'd been given. "Yeah. I found him. Yeah, it's him. I got pictures for proof. What do you want me to do next?" "Fuck! Wait? What a waste of fuckin' time. Lay back until the boss gets here." ------- Chapter 26 Laura was up early the next morning. She hadn't slept well. She felt something was wrong, but couldn't place it. All she knew was there was something bad coming. Cara and Ami were next up, bright eyed and eager to go back to Joanne's salon for a trim and more work on their calluses. Cara sensed Laura's mood and asked, "What's bothering you, Laura?" "I don't know, Cara. Something's wrong, I can just feel it." "That's what Todd and I said last night," said Ami. "It's like there's something out of place. We haven't figured it out yet either." The girls got the vitamins out and the 'go-juice.' Laura scrambled up a dozen eggs and fried up a slab of the turkey bacon that Kelly liked so much. The smell of the food wafting through the house woke up Kelly and Todd. "Toast, anyone?" asked Kelly. "Uh, uh," said Ami. "Protein for us, no carbs!" Kelly sat down as Laura served up eggs and bacon for everyone, while Cara sliced up four large beefsteak tomatoes. Ami poured the orange juice. After eating in relative silence, Kelly asked, "Is it just me or is everybody acting a little funny this morning?" Todd didn't want to worry Kelly needlessly, so he said, "I guess I'm preoccupied with the meeting with Steve later on." Ami knew better, but understood that all they had were feelings. "I think Cara and I are getting psyched for the shoot," she said. Kelly didn't believe it for a second, but they must have their reasons, she thought. She'd corner Cara later and bring it up again. ------- "Goddamnit anyway. That nigger bitch had spent the night at the studio with her boyfriend again. He had hoped to get inside and take a look around being Ayres hadn't spent a night there in the last week. Wouldn't hurt to have more for the boss when he arrived. But knowing the name of the nigger lover wouldn't score him any points. He'd just been lucky on that one. Following him home early one morning, he'd seen the house where he lived with his folks. Morons hung their name out proudly on a shingle by the driveway. Hadn't taken much asking to find out who the kid was. He still had no idea who the black cunt was. He never saw her leave except once when he lost her at the university. Never spotted her coming back out, but it was a big fuckin' place and there was only him trying to watch all the exits. That's how he had found out about Payne though. Thought it might be worth a look through the faculty directory and saw him listed as a TA. Shit. Initials. Had to ask what that meant, and that meant a phone call to the school. That was risky. The boss wouldn't like that. Asking questions at the industrial park was downright fuckin' dangerous. Mostly small businesses, and they wouldn't take to a stranger askin' questions. He'd thought about calling the studio, but that would have been his biggest mistake. One he wouldn't live to regret. His job was to find Ayres, not to make him jack rabbit. It had taken him the better part of a year tracking Ayres down. Had followed the skimpy leads he had been given and then paid off a bad debt to a bookie for a news reporter to find out that Ayres had changed his name. Followed a fool's trail half way around the country till the boss had told him about TKO. Seen Ayres' name on a picture of a boat couple a weeks ago, and then the hunt turned serious. "Fuck it. Must be nice to sit in an office and just read newspapers all day. Go home at night instead of sleeping in rental cars and cheap motels. He finally spotted Ayres coming out of the studio driving a Hummer, followed him to Jennsen's place. That was last Friday. A call to city hall told him who owned the property, and a check on the computers at the public library had shown pictures of her. Some shit assed model, but now at least he could put a name to the titless wonder. He had no clue as to who the others were. Watched them drive away Saturday morning and had been tempted to follow them but the traffic was too thin and he was parked in a bad spot. He would' a been spotted. That wouldn't go well with the boss. He'd waited for them to come back, but they had fucked off someplace overnight. Spent most of the night in the car for nothing, then had crashed at a fleabag motel. He figured that if luck held, they'd be gone for a couple of days and by lunchtime Sunday, he'd been ready to do a little inside work. Was all set too, when a fat nigger bitch showed up. She had a key and went inside. He waited for three hours before deciding he had stayed too long in the daytime. Try again on Monday, but they were back Monday morning. He'd gotten a couple of decent shots Saturday morning, had them developed at an instant print shop where some pimple faced kid was willing to rush the job through without any questions for twenty bucks. Now he was waiting again. Ah, FUCK! They were leaving in two separate vehicles. No telling which one would be back first. Ayres and the Titless Wonder were in one of those Jap compact cars, the nicely stacked one took the younger poons in the Tracker. Fuck it. His job was to find Ayres, not baby-sit him. As long as he stayed out of sight and just verified that Ayres would still be there when the boss made it down, he could relax now. Hopefully in a few days, he'd be back in Cleveland. But for now, he had to stick around and wait and watch. ------- Laura and the girls had a laughing good time at Joanne's. As one of the girls worked at Ami's feet, scrubbing away more layers of calluses, it became apparent that she was ticklish. Cara planned to put that news to good use! After having worn down two complete pumice stones, Joanne had done a follow up waxing on Cara and Ami, this time doing their underarms as well, and then had suggested that she be allowed to adjust their haircuts before they left. Both Cara and Ami readily agreed and even agreed to having their eyebrows waxed. Joanne was hoping that more TKO business would come her way. At the girls' request, Laura took them back to the deli downtown for another hot pastrami on freshly baked rye bread. Lots of mustard dripped from each sandwich and the girls ate nearly a plate full of baby dill pickles with it. They finished lunch with an iced French vanilla cappuccino. Next, Laura drove the girls to the Bank of America on US Highway 29 North where they signed the papers for their new accounts and debit cards. Laura had her own account at another branch of the same bank, and knew that with the fifty branches and all the ATMs around Charlotte, getting cash was never a problem. Then they headed back to the studio to meet up with Kelly and Todd. ------- Kelly and Todd had spent the better part of the morning in conference with Steve. There was the matter of the contracts for Vanetta and Robert to have drawn up. Then it would be up to them to sign at either Steve's office or with a lawyer of their choice. Through Steve, they transferred enough money to keep the new non-profit entertainment company afloat for the next two years. Steve was impressed with Robert's self written contract request. He advised Todd and Kelly that they could save money by transferring the entire amount for the new enterprise all in one shot, allowing interest to grow on it for the two years, and then surprised them by saying he and his partner would be the first contributors to the project to start it on the third year. Steve's father was in a long-term care facility due to an early onset of Alzheimer's disease, and so Steve knew the frustration of seeing patients in nursing homes relegated to television as entertainment. When they asked about the amount he and his partner were donating through the law firm, he shrugged it off and said that it was a small price to pay for doing something good. Yes, it was tax deductible, and he and his partner would be sure to pass the word on to their other clients as well. "I wish I had thought of something like this," Steve said. "The entertainment on its own is fantastic, but having school kids visiting the seniors. I love it! We'll strongly advise our clients to donate." They settled on a salary for Vanetta of $120,000 for the first year with a bonus of three and a half percent of the net profit. Future raises would be dependent on performance. Steve thought the figure was a bit high, but Todd and Kelly reminded him that Vanetta was basically running the operation now, she had the education, and more importantly, they trusted her. "Now the tricky part, Steve," Todd said. "We're getting married and we need civil contracts that will allow us to sign for each other in the event of something happening." "If you get married," Steve said, "you won't need any contracts. It'll be covered by law." Kelly laughed. "Todd's going to be a bigamist, Steve. He's marrying two of us, and that isn't legal. We need something of a spousal equivalent." Steve's eyebrows shot up. "You're marrying Kelly and who?" he asked. "Kelly and Laura," Todd answered. "You are one lucky man," Steve said. "But I think we could still get away with it legally if you're willing to keep it quiet. You could marry Kelly in one country and marry Laura in another. Since neither can claim they didn't know about it before hand, all they can do is ask for a divorce in the future. No real legal harm or risk." "That would probably work, Steve," said Kelly, "and I do appreciate your input, but this is going to be a true three way wedding. I'm marrying Laura as well, and we know how the law stands on gay marriage." Steve let out a low whistle. "Shocked, Steve?" Kelly asked with a smile. "Maybe just a little," he said, "where are you guys planning to get married like this? I can't see this happening anywhere on US soil." Todd laughed this time. "You're right, Steve, it won't be on land at all. We're getting married in international waters where no country rules defining marriage apply." "Are you sending out invitations?" Steve asked. "Why?" asked Kelly. "Would you and Melanie come?" "Damn right we would!" he said. Kelly laughed and said she would consider it. It was still nearly two months away. "I guess while we're here," said Todd, we might as well get a tenant contract put together for the new apartment complex. And one for the management of it." "You aren't going to use the same company you've been using?" Steve asked. "No," said Todd. "They were okay for the houses we had, but they're gone now. We don't need anyone for the industrial buildings or storage buildings since that all goes directly to you or our accountant, but we want a family to live in the complex. Somebody that can be there 24 hours a day in case one of the tenants needs something." "Okay," Steve said. "And if I know you two, you've already got somebody in mind." Kelly smiled. "We do, but I think we should leave the names off the contract so that it looks like we might offer it to somebody else if the family we hope takes it is hesitant. We don't want them to think we're offering this as charity. Lord knows, it's going to take some real work!" "Just give me the information and I'll send over a copy later this afternoon," Steve said. Kelly laid out the cost for the rental of "Muriel's Place." "It's set up as an 80 unit building," Kelly said. "The top floors are all two bedroom units. Rent on those will be $750 a month, but that includes utilities and basic cable. The ground floor is single bedroom apartments except for the manager's apartment. The builder was a smart man. He created a three-bedroom luxury apartment right across from the entrance and the common room. The common room is big enough to hold 100 people and has a separate kitchen and two washrooms. I think it was originally designed for family gatherings, and maybe the odd wedding reception, but it will be perfect for the seniors who want to spend time with friends to play cards or watch TV together. Maybe a few pot luck dinners so that they can get a break from their own cooking. We fully intend to have a tenants' committee. Rent on the single bedroom units is $700. We have ten single bedroom apartments that have been modified for wheel chair access and ten two bedroom apartments set up the same way. There are two elevators in the building, so no one has to walk up and down the stairs." "As to the management fees," Todd said, "we've basically agreed to go by the rental income. We figure the family that takes this on can do the minor repairs and they can either delegate the cleaning, just vacuuming the hallways, cleaning the glass doors, and sweeping the steps, or can subcontract it. The same for the lawn maintenance and parking lot. In exchange, they will get free living quarters, all-inclusive utilities and standard cable free plus 10% of the rental income. That's about $6,000 a month the way we figured it with full occupancy." "It's a very generous amount for the work involved," said Steve. "The apartment for the managing family would cost close to one thousand right off the bat. So you want the name left blank so that it looks like a regular management contract offer, right?" "You got it," said Todd. "I wonder if these people know how generous you two really are," said Steve. "Okay, it's pretty straight forward. I should have a contract template on file that I can use and email to you this afternoon. Now, are there any more surprises I need to know about?" he asked with a smile. "Not yet," said Kelly with a laugh, "but the day's not over either!" Kelly and Todd took Steve out to lunch after they had confirmed all the work they required, and then headed back to the studio. ------- Vanetta was still working out the final details on her proposal for Kelly and Todd. What had originally started off as a challenge for Vanetta to prove she could put together a one time modeling contract to bring Kelly out of retirement had turned into a logistical nightmare. Kelly would not allow herself to be associated with any products she didn't believe in, and that removed most of the major magazines since they wanted to sell ad space to whichever client had the largest advertising budget. But, she had done it. She had convinced Fit Pregnancy International to add eight pages to their monthly edition, rather than displace other advertising. The publisher and chief editor were originally amused at her proposal, stating they sold their pages on ad rates of $1400 per page per 10,000 copies, and that their current guaranteed circulation was 280,000 subscribers plus 200,000 newsstand sales. They tried to tell her that just a single page would cost her 70,000 dollars. Vanetta had sighed and reminded them that newsstand sales were not guaranteed; therefore it would only cost her less than 40 thousand. The publisher started to take Vanetta more seriously. This girl knew the business. "But, Ms. Clarke, you are still talking 8 pages, which is 320 thousand dollars a month. Surely you don't have that kind of money on hand," said Lisa Greenwood. "Ms. Greenwood, how much I have on hand is irrelevant. I am the president of TKO Inc. My models have appeared in your magazine dozens of times for your other advertisers. If you aren't interested in discussing this in realistic terms, we should end this call now, and I will move on to my next call." "Please accept my apologies, Ms. Clarke," Lisa Greenwood said. "We were taken off guard by your... unique request." Vanetta laughed. "What you're trying to politely say is that you thought I was out of my mind, but no apologies are necessary. I've been working at TKO for some time now and I understand marketing and advertising better than most of your regular clients because we provide the talent for them. What I am proposing is more of a co-op venture." "You certainly have my attention, Ms. Clarke," said Lisa, "but as a rule, we generally shy away from co-ops. Though I am interested in what you have to offer." Vanetta spent the next hour explaining in detail the need for eight back-to-back pages starting with the first available right hand page. Lisa's attention peaked the minute Vanetta told her the project would run for 16 months, and was impressed that Vanetta knew about the rule of eight of magazine expansion. Even more impressed when she heard that Vanetta already had a complete group of advertisers lined up ready to pay for their products to be showcased by Kelly and that Todd would be the photographer. Yes, Lisa knew who Todd and Kelly were. Who in the industry didn't? Vanetta explained that TKO would write their own copy, subject to oversight by the magazine's editorial staff, and that advertising pictures would be supplied in complete layouts, all done by Todd and the various companies including one of the largest diamond companies in the world. Johan had been very interested. "So you see, Lisa," said Vanetta, "there is very little cost to you other than page layout and editing of the progress. Since I brought the advertisers, I expect the sales commission to go to our company and modeling fees as well as photographer and writer's fees. I think you will find us to be much less expensive than your regular staff, and you will have no overhead." "I must say, Vanetta, may I call you that?" Lisa asked. "By all means, Lisa," said Vanetta. "If we are going to discuss millions of dollars, we should be on a first name basis." Lisa laughed. "I agree 100%. Obviously you've figured out that adding four pages to the magazine won't affect weight by much, and by adding pages instead of taking out a page of advertising, the cost will be considerably less. Especially on a long term commitment." "That was what I had in mind," said Vanetta. "The upside for you is a top drawer model willing to be photographed right through her pregnancy and the first eight months after. According to my calculations, we are talking five million, one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, which would be a tidy sum for your magazine on its own, but I am bringing in clients who have never advertised with you before, and if handled right, they could stay with you after the project is complete." "And," said Lisa, "as a running documentary style story, we might increase readership and subscriptions as well." "I might even go so far as to suggest that you take the entire project after completion and print it as a separate bonus for new subscribers," Vanetta said. "Now that's an interesting idea. Normally we couldn't afford a model of Kelly's standing. There aren't that many top models or celebrities who would consider being showcased in our magazine. Contrary to TV news, there aren't that many pregnant, and those willing to be photographed want top dollar." "I know what you mean, Lisa," said Vanetta. "A few magazines offered well over a million dollars for a chance at this, but Kelly refuses to have any product associated with her that she does not personally use. She is very adamant about this which reinforces the product value." "And aside from printing the extra pages and copy editing, what is it you would like for us to do?" Lisa asked. Vanetta laughed. "Why, the fun stuff of course, Lisa. We know the ad clients are more than capable and willing to pay, but the advertising contracts should be handled through your office along with the billing etcetera. I will draw up a contract for all those who want a part of this, and forward it to you with the advertisers. And you will pay TKO on a monthly basis for 16 months." "And you already know how much you want as your percentage, I assume?" "But of course," said Vanetta. "I did my homework very carefully," she added with a laugh. "Your sales reps earn 30% of all ad revenue. Your editorial staff earns an average of eighty cents a word for articles under 1,000 words. There are bonuses for bringing in new clients and more bonuses for yearlong contracts. Based on the benefits for your magazine, and the work we will provide in the way of services plus the model, I think that 40% would be a reasonable and equitable sum, don't you agree, Lisa?" It was Lisa's turn to laugh. "And how much will your advertisers pay?" "Full rate based on my word of 300,000 circulation. I convinced them you would easily sell that many more subscriptions in the first month Kelly appears," Vanetta said. "Based on the photographs you emailed me, and, with the understanding we can use Kelly for at least four covers starting with the first month," Lisa said, "I would agree with you. Will we be able to use one of these for our first edition?" "That's why I sent the ones I did," laughed Vanetta. "As a magazine for expectant mothers, you have a bit more leeway with the implied nudity issue. Nothing is showing that shouldn't be, and we believe a woman should celebrate her body during pregnancy." "I must say, Vanetta. Some of these companies... we've tried for years to get their business. I hope sales for all of them increase because of this project so we can convince them to stay afterwards. Especially the vitamin company," said Lisa. "I'm quite certain that sales will increase, Lisa. Kelly is positively glowing, and these are not high priced products. All your readers will be able to afford the same." "So," said Lisa, "I'm doing my own calculations right now. At full rate, for eight pages, it will generate three hundred and thirty-six thousand a month in ad revenue. That means every month I will be writing a check to TKO for one hundred and thirty-four thousand four hundred. Two million one hundred and fifty thousand, and four hundred dollars over the course of the next 16 months. Is that the figure you came up with Vanetta?" "That's what my calculator reads as well," said Vanetta, "so, when would you like to sign the paperwork, Lisa? I can have our company lawyer draw it up and send it to you." Lisa knew she was getting a hell of a deal on her end, and thanked God that Vanetta had contacted her first. Kelly's insistence on only being sponsored by products she herself used might have caused some flack for Cosmo or Vanity Fair, and Lisa could see where the major housekeeping magazines would chafe at the bit being told they couldn't insert their own ads, much the same way parenting magazines would quibble. But for Fit Pregnancy, an additional eight pages with fresh ads would really help their circulation. Lisa was really impressed with the way Vanetta had planned out all the details right to an unheard of ad content of less than 40%, all of it including pictures of Kelly using the products. To have snared Todd Ayres as the photographer was an added bonus and Vanetta's idea of combining the resulting 128 pages into a bonus magazine for new subscribers was fantastic. "Vanetta," said Lisa after a short silence, "why don't you bring all the paperwork yourself to our office. We can make a day of it, go out for the evening and let our legal beagles check to see that all the Is are dotted and the Ts crossed." Hmmm... A flight out to California. "I could get used to this," thought Vanetta. "I'm afraid I'm booked solid for the rest of the week," said Vanetta, "next week is pretty busy as well, but... how about I fly out on Sunday? Then you can buy me lunch and I can fly out Tuesday. I'm sure the office can get along without me for a day and a half." "Excellent," said Lisa, who was anxious to meet this powerful woman who could put together such an irresistible package deal. "Email me the time your plane arrives and I will have you picked up at the airport." "Thanks, Lisa. I'll do that," said Vanetta. "I look forward to meeting you in person." After she hung the phone, Vanetta thought, "IF I can just get Kelly to accept the proposal now!" ------- After lunch, everyone trickled back into the studio where Vanetta was muttering as she crunched some final numbers and added the figures to the document on her computer. "She's really taking this all very seriously, isn't she?" said Kelly. "I have no doubt of that," said Todd. "How about it, Vanetta? Got something for Kelly to see yet?" "Just ten more minutes, then I want both of you and your undivided attention!" "Yes, Boss," said Todd with a laugh. While Cara and Ami discussed their morning's adventure courtesy of Laura, Kelly sat back with an ice-cold bottle of mineral water, and lit her first cigarette of the day. "Sounds like the three of you had a good time," said Kelly. "It was great," said Cara. "We signed the papers for our bank accounts, then we saw the money you guys put in there to start us off. Thank you for that," she said blushing. "Well that means we can start transferring all your earnings into the account now," said Kelly. "Did you get debit cards? It's so much better than cash." "Yes, we did," said Ami. "But Cara's not telling you the really interesting news," she said with a smirk. "What's the really interesting news?" Kelly asked. "At Joanne's, Cara got her nipple pierced!" said Ami. A second of shocked silence was immediately followed by an indignant, "I did NOT!" "Did too!" "Did NOT!" "Did too!" "Did NOT!" "Prove it!" Without a second's hesitation, Cara pulled up her T-shirt and bra in one motion showing everybody she had not had her nipple pierced. Then as she realized she had been had, she lowered her bra and T-shirt, blushing as everyone laughed. "Gotcha!" said Ami. "Yeah, well next time, we'll see who gets who!" said Cara. "Todd," said Vanetta as she entered the kitchenette. "Mom said somebody was looking for you but didn't want to be seen. She called while you guys were out. I don't understand it, but you know Mom." "That explains it," said Todd to Ami. "It's not a good thing," said Laura. "I don't know what it is, but I get a really bad feeling about this." "A gray Buick," said Todd. "That's what was wrong with the picture yesterday, Ami. I saw it when I was van shopping with Rob. I think I saw it near Kelly's one night." "I saw it across the road yesterday," said Ami. "I didn't think anything of it, I mean, it's just another old car to me, but it caught my attention because it had really dark tinted windows." "That's the one," said Todd. "Laura," said Kelly. "Should we be worried?" "I'm not sure," said Laura. "I don't think it's a physical danger, but it disturbed my sleep last night and woke me up early this morning. It's something bad, and it's coming soon." "Well, let's just all keep our eyes open," said Todd. "Maybe we can figure out who or what it is. Forewarned is forearmed." "Right," said Kelly. "We'll deal with it when it arrives. Now, Vanetta, do you want our undivided attention now?" "Yes," said Vanetta. "If you two can pry yourselves away for a minute, I have some documents I need you to approve." "My, but she's getting positively bossy, isn't she, Darling?" said Kelly as she and Todd followed Vanetta back to the office area. ------- "Okay," said Vanetta as she handed them both a three-page document. "I know you said I could give this a try, and if you didn't have to endorse any products you would consider modeling again for the baby," she said. "At first, I thought it was a hopeless cause because I was thinking only of one magazine, but the really big name magazines just wanted pictures of you to put next to advertising and Kelly, I knew that you wouldn't go for that. So... I came up with a different approach and I have what I think is the best deal I could ever put together for both of you." "Both of us?" Todd asked. "Yes, Todd, both of you," Vanetta said. "I've worked it all out on a 16 month schedule, which means that you never need to leave the studio and you only need to pose for Todd once a month. In exchange for that, and your willingness to show your happy pregnant body as it is now, and to the point where you are all toned up again, along with pictures of you and the baby, this is what I put together." "Fit Pregnancy International will pay just over two million dollars. This is for the model, the photographer, and the writer of your progress. I think you said you wanted Laura to do that. The vitamin company that makes most of your capsules will pay one hundred and fifty thousand for the right to use the magazine pictures as posters in health food stores, plus they will supply you with all the vitamins you can use for the 16 months. The prune juice people will not only supply you with enough juice to drown all of Charlotte, but for a picture of you holding a glass of prune juice, based on the magazine spread and your endorsement of prune juice, will pay seventy five thousand. I have a similar offer from the company that makes the milled flax seed, but that one is just for fifty thousand." Kelly's eyes grew a bit wider. Vanetta had her full attention now. "Evian wasn't interested, but the company that makes the mineral water you do drink sure was, and they offered a two year supply for your household, and another fifty thousand. All of these companies are also paying for ads in Fit," Vanetta added. "The extra money is just for the right to promote your good health in publicity posters." "That is a whole lot more than I expected," said Kelly. "Well," said Vanetta, "I will need an answer soon because I will need Steve to write up some contracts, so I can fly to San Francisco on Sunday." "But other than taking the pictures," said Todd, "what does this have to do with me?" "Ah, did I say I was finished?" asked Vanetta with a smile. "The Journal of Modern Photography has offered two hundred thousand for a nine month photo journal of 'the pregnant nude'. No blatant nude shots since they like to keep things artistic, but a hint of cheek. No nips and no pubes. In this case, they want the photographer. Following on that line, and knowing Kelly is comfortable with nudity, I contacted Health Natural magazine in Europe, and they want a similar style photo journal but this time showing all skin. Their circulation is over half a million nudists in five languages. They're offering free lifetime memberships for the three of you, to all of their European clubs and two hundred thousand Euros. I had to tell them that it was three or none. I could have easily gotten you more exposure in the gay advocacy magazines, but considering the unusual marriage relationship you plan to have, I thought it best to stay under the political radar. There are a couple of other small perks and companies that are paying extra fees, but aside from the free merchandise I've mentioned, Hasselblad is ready to send you a brand new H series 645 camera complete with lens. It's their latest and greatest new medium format camera, Todd. Now all I need from the two of you is a yes." Kelly fanned herself with the papers. Todd was just truly amazed. Faced with the restrictions Kelly had placed on Vanetta, she had managed to put together a deal worth close to three million dollars for what basically amounted to one day of shooting a month. "I'll give you two some time to think this over," said Vanetta, "but I would like an answer this afternoon so I can book my flight." Vanetta got up and walked back to the kitchenette to join Laura, Cara, and Ami. She felt she deserved a coffee break! ------- "Fuck!" said Kelly "Now?" asked Todd. "No, not now, I meant..." she stopped when she saw him smiling. "I'm not sure what we've created," said Kelly, "but I sure am glad she works for us!" "We can't turn this down, Kelly," said Todd. "Aside from the fact that it is a heap of money, Vanetta wanted this chance to prove herself, and I would say she did a wonderful job!" "I know," said Kelly, "and I feel like she should get more than the standard 5% commission on this. She's more than earned it, but that's what we pay to the company reps who bring in new clients. God, this is confusing." "Not really, Kelly. Acting on behalf of the company, she is renting out your body for a series of photo shoots. She just took it a step further by renting us out as a team, and also a solo for me. Let's try to break this down into tangible numbers." Kelly sighed and lit another cigarette. "In any case, the company would get at least 30% of the deal. That's how we work it with all models we send out on shoots," said Todd. "You'll be working and even at a conservative fee of five thousand per hour," he paused to turn on Vanetta's calculator. Sixteen days at five hours per day comes to four hundred thousand. There's not a chance in hell that you would work for less than that for anybody, me included. Since there's no travel required doesn't mean you shouldn't count the extra hours you would spend otherwise. It's not 16 days in a row either, so don't short change yourself, Sweetheart." "Our accountant is going to love me this year," Kelly said. "Okay, I see your point, Todd, and I'll take five if you do the same." "Jesus, Kelly. I can't do that. I've never charged that much for eighty hours of work." "But you'll have darkroom time on top of the shooting time, Honey," she said. "If you don't take the same, we'll disappoint Vanetta, because I won't do it if you don't take the same. It was your art that sold the idea." Todd pulled a cigarette out of Kelly's pack, lit it, and slowly exhaled, watching a stream of smoke head for the overhead air vent. "The advantage is," he said, "we can probably put forth a really good case for Cara and Ami to stay in Charlotte. Offer them fifty grand each to stick it through to the end of the project. I think that will help convince their parents." "And we need to pay Laura so she can help keep together what she brought together in the first place," Kelly said with a laugh. "A hundred?" Todd asked. "That's what I was thinking as well," said Kelly. "This wouldn't be happening if not for her showing us we could love each other and still be friends." "And she still has her own career growing," said Todd. "I think we should give Vanetta two fifty as a bonus for putting it all together," said Kelly finally. "Say three and we can settle this right now," said Todd stubbing out his cigarette. "That's 10% and I think she deserves that much. That still leaves five for expenses and what we don't use, we'll turn back into the company." Kelly laughed. "Deal," she said. "You know I don't do math well under pressure. I was just thinking of a fair figure, and didn't think of a percentage." "Let's start off by telling Vanetta the news and about her bonus, then she can go to Steve's and sign her own contract at the same time for taking over as president of the company," said Todd. "Robert should go to see Steve as well and get his contract signed," said Kelly. "But unless you want to dip into our company funds, we can't pay bonuses or commissions in one shot now because the way I understood Vanetta, this will all be paid over the next year and four months." "Want to pay it quarterly?" asked Todd. "Probably the best thing," said Kelly. "We don't need it, so we'll just take half of ours before the end of the year so that we don't end up paying taxes on the entire amount in one shot. Pay Vanetta, and Cara, and Ami, and Laura 25% as soon as Vanetta has the big contract signed, and then another 25% every four months." "I think we should just quietly deposit Laura's share into her bank account, and we'll tell Cara and Ami about the job offers so they can call home before we head out of here. In case you forgot, it's Wednesday night and we have company coming for supper!" ------- Vanetta protested of course, but Kelly and Todd used the same argument on her. If she didn't take what she earned, then Todd and Kelly wouldn't do the project. With a big hug and kiss she relented, then learned what her salary and bonuses would be. She could hardly keep the smile from her face as she rang Robert to pick her up, and ten minutes later they were on their way to Steve's office. Ami was the first one to call home and explained to her parents that she had been offered a part time job as an apprentice to Todd Ayres, one of the world's best-known photographers. Her parents were equally concerned about her schooling as they were about her being gone from home for months at a time. When they were told TKO was supplying her and Cara with a private certified high school teacher, and that she would be accepted into the University of North Carolina when she completed her final high school credits, they were happy for her. They had seen the picture of the wheel, as it was a major issue in their hometown being so many local people had been involved in making the wheel a reality, but previously they hadn't paid attention to the photo credits. Ami told them to take a close look at the picture again, and waited until she heard her mother squeal with delight. Her father asked if this apprenticeship would be a paying position, and after telling him that she had made over two thousand on those pictures, her father was duly impressed. Receiving her parents' blessings, Ami passed the phone on to Kelly. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Phillips," Kelly said. After listening to their questions, and confirming that, yes, there had been a bona fide high school teacher hired to help Ami finish off her high school credits and prepare her for university, the question about lodgings came up. Kelly explained that since both Ami and Cara were comfortable living with her, until such time that they decided to move to a place on campus, they were more than welcome to stay living at her house. As to Ami's finances, Kelly reminded them that besides the money she received for pictures she took and sold, she was also still receiving a check for five thousand for modeling the CrossTrain uniforms, but that as Todd's apprentice, she would also be earning a monthly income of one thousand dollars, plus bonuses for special projects. Ami's parents were pleased to hear their daughter had found something to focus on now that her gymnastic dreams had ended and thanked Kelly for giving their daughter the opportunities to learn and grow. "It's my pleasure," said Kelly. "Ami is a bright girl and my partner expects that with her natural talent and his mentoring, she will be one of the top earning photographers by the time she finishes university." The call to Cara's parents went much along the same lines except that much to Cara's surprise, Kelly told her parents that she would be working at the TKO studios as an executive assistant to the new president of the company. The living situation and the base salary would be the same, as was the original agreement for them posing for the CrossTrain ads. The Andersons were easy to convince. They had been worried about how their daughter would handle the end of her gymnastics career and were happy to hear the lift in Cara's voice and her excitement. After getting off the phone, both Ami and Cara jumped Kelly. "Thank you, thank you!!!" they both exclaimed. "You won't regret this, Kelly," said Cara. "We'll behave and won't give you a reason for sending us packing." Kelly smiled a sad smile at Cara. "Honey, I wouldn't send you packing. You're a lovely girl and you have so much ahead of you. I told your parents that you would be Vanetta's exec, and you will help in the office, but your real job is to keep me in shape. I'll need you to keep me going when I want to quit or when I slack off. Part of the deal that Vanetta put together means after I have my baby, I have to be back in this shape in half a year. We don't want to airbrush any pictures, so I'll need you to keep me well oiled so I can avoid as many stretch marks as possible. Since this will be a photographic record and journal, if you can manage to keep me in physical shape and reduce those marks, you will be in such demand after the birth that you will be in high demand as a physiotherapist at that club I told you about, and the money you will make... It will see you well past university and allow you to make the contacts that will get you on any sports team you want, if that's still what you want at that point." "I'm not sure, Kelly, but I do know that I want to stay with Ami," she said. "Yeah," said Ami. "I think that's the most important part for us right now, Kelly. Don't get me wrong, I love the photography and I love the fact that we'll be able to live with you guys for I hope a long time, but I love Cara, and I couldn't give that up. We couldn't go back to the way things were before." Todd stepped up putting his arms over Ami and Cara's shoulders, giving them both an affectionate hug. "Would you believe that it wasn't too long ago that Kelly lived in her house all alone? Now she's surrounded by love." "Nobody ever questions the setup?" Ami asked. "I noticed that Gloria didn't even bat an eyelash, and Vanetta just seems to think it's all natural." Laura, who had sat quietly through the phone calls, said, "It's because those who recognize true love never question it, and those who don't, they just don't see it. You watch tonight when my sisters and parents come over. Nobody will ask where we all sleep or how. We give off an aura." "I hope not," said Cara. "I've already had two showers today!" "Not odor!" said Laura, and was about to say more when she noticed everybody starting to chuckle. "Gotcha," said Cara. ------- Vanetta and Robert came back just as a special delivery Fed-Ex truck pulled into the parking lot. Vanetta offered to sign for the package but the driver and his assistant said two signatures were required, and proof of identification. That's when Vanetta realized this was not a standard Fed-Ex truck. The driver and his assistant were both armed. Instantly she knew what the package was. Inside, after showing proof of who he was, Todd's signature was accepted and Vanetta, who already had her photo ID out as well as her studio ID, was allowed as the second signature. Kelly and the girls just looked on with curiosity. You could hear the breathing from everyone as Todd gently laid the parcel on his desk, and with an X-acto knife started to slowly cut through the outer layers of tear proof tape. The box was about a foot long and six inches square. Discreetly in the corner was the name of the sender. Only Todd and Vanetta had seen that information, but the label, "To: Todd Ayres, Confidential" had been clearly seen by everyone. "You getting film delivered by armored car these days, Todd?" asked Kelly, though the shakiness in her voice could not be disguised. "Only stuff I order for my Star Trek collection," he said with a grin. Vanetta drew Robert off to the side by her desk so they could clearly see what Vanetta knew would be coming next. Ami had seen them move and discreetly tugged on Cara's arm, moving them back closer to Vanetta. Kelly, who had been sitting was growing curious, as was Laura who was perched on the desk beside her. Todd was taking his sweet time opening the package. Once the tear proof tape was removed, the package appeared to be wrapped in shiny plastic bag that had been folded over the box. Todd sliced the bag and removed a wooden hinged box from the wrappings. With a flourish he swept the debris off his desk on to the floor and examined the teak box, playing with the latch at the front until finally Kelly said, "Well? Are you going to open it or what?" Todd smiled and opened the box. With both his hands he reached into the box and brought out two 3-inch heart shaped red satin covered jewelry boxes. Kelly's hand shot to her mouth. Laura gasped. On the top of each of the heart shaped boxes, there was an initial in gold leaf, one an L, the other a K. With the boxes in his hand, Todd stood up and walked around his own desk till he was directly in front of Kelly and Laura and then dropped to his knees. "Kelly, Laura, would you honor me, by becoming my wives?" With his thumbs he flipped open the boxes and presented them to his lovers. Kelly's eyes welled up with tears of joy as she accepted the box from Todd. Laura started crying, her hand trembling as she reached for the heart shaped diamond in the box. "And the answer is?" prompted Vanetta. "Yes," said Kelly, "I will be your wife." Todd slipped the ring on her finger and waited for Laura. "Oh, my god, YES!" she shouted, the tears still running down her face. Todd slipped the ring on her finger. Then he stood and kissed both his fiancées. Vanetta, Robert, Cara, and Ami applauded then went to offer their congratulations. Hugs were exchanged all around and Kelly and Laura couldn't stop looking at the rings. "This is so beautiful," Kelly said. "I've never seen anything like it." "That's because Todd designed it," said Vanetta. "You did, Honey?" Laura asked. "Just the basic design, Sweetheart. Johan made it work." From the box Todd took two more boxes also with gold foil initials on top. "These are the wedding bands that go with the rings," he said showing them to the girls. "One on each side and it will line up into three hearts." "Oh, god, that is so beautiful," said Laura. "And you knew about this," said Kelly to Vanetta. Vanetta just shrugged. "I saw the design when it was complete and I sort of helped out with these two," she said pointing to Ami and Cara, "in the plan that would get the perfect sizes for you." "You mean that day at the mall when you were talking about promise rings? That was just a diversion for this?" Kelly asked. "I'm afraid so," said Todd, "but," he opened his desk drawer and pulled out the package that had been lying there so nonchalantly for the better part of the month, "I did buy these for you that night," and he presented Kelly and Laura with the half carat diamond earrings. Both Kelly and Laura changed their earrings on the spot, giggling like schoolgirls who had just won the prom queen title. ------- They were running a little bit late, but Kelly and Laura needed some time to settle down after the surprise and shock of the rings and the added bonus of the earrings. Laura said she was never going to take off her ring, and Kelly echoed those sentiments. Todd reminded them they would have to take them off once, when they officially got married. While they were waiting, an email alert buzzed on Vanetta's machine and the management contract for "Muriel's Place" came through. Todd asked her to print it and drop it in an envelope so he could take it with him for the evening. Robert and Vanetta confirmed they had signed their respective contracts at Steve's and Vanetta had spent the time with Steve laying out the contract she would need to take with her to California on Sunday. Robert said he was very happy and thanked Todd and Kelly for the opportunity. "I gave my notice at work today," Robert said, "and they said I might as well leave now." "That wasn't very nice," said Kelly. "I think maybe they thought I might mess up their books before I left, though that only tells me they never paid much attention to my character," he replied. "Well," said Todd, "Then I guess you can start as soon as you want." "The van is going to be ready on Monday, so I guess I'll start the same day," said Robert. "But in the meantime, I wouldn't mind sticking around and getting used to things. If you and Kelly don't mind." Kelly smiled. "Feel free, Robert. Get the feel of the place." "Yeah," said Todd. "Might as well order yourself a desk and chair and a computer. Vanetta will tell you who our supplier is. And get yourself a company cell phone as well." Robert just gulped. At his other job, it had been a fight just to get a box of pencils! "I'll be sure to get just what I need and try to get it at sale prices," he said. "That's just plain silly," said Kelly. "Don't nickel and dime this job, Robert. Get what you want, what you'll be comfortable with, and buy quality. Junk won't last past the warranty." "Kelly's right," said Todd. "Get the best. That's what we do, and we would expect you to do the same." "Wow," said Robert. "This is such a change..." "Get used to it Rob," said Todd. "We expect your best effort, so we can't very well expect you to give it with second rate equipment." "Honey," Kelly said. "You see the time? If we don't leave, Laura's family will be waiting outside for us." "Got to go, guys," Todd said getting up. "The boss has spoken." "I'm going to drive my own car back," said Laura. "I'm going to give it to Kat tonight." "Okay, Sweetheart," Kelly said. "You want to take the girls home? I want to stop at the butcher's and pick up a stack of thick steaks." "Sure, no problem," said Laura and she and Cara and Ami went out the back door to where she had parked her Accord. Kelly and Todd got into the Tracker out front and started out. Kelly turned the air conditioner on, as it was hot outside. Todd turned left so he could hook on to the Hutchison McDonald road towards the butcher's, instead of turning right the way that they usually did. He didn't notice the gray Buick pull out a few minutes later, making a U turn to follow them. Todd and Kelly were too deep in their discussion of the management deal to be watching. "Look!" shouted Ami as they pulled out from behind the studio. "There's that car again, and it's following Todd and Kelly!" Laura turned casually to the right and opened her cell phone and hit the rapid dial for Kelly's cell. "You've got company," she said. ------- Chapter 27 "Company, my ass," said Todd, after Kelly had relayed Laura's message. "I'm going to pull over and find out what the hell's going on." Todd waited until the next turn in the road and signaled as he would if he were actually going to turn, but he slowed the Tracker down, then slammed on the brakes and was nearly out of the truck before it had stopped rolling. He stepped into the middle of the road all set for a confrontation with the driver of the gray Buick. Caught by surprise, the driver stomped on the gas and hopped a curb into the opposite lane to avoid hitting Todd. The Buick made an illegal turn and roared out of sight in the middle of the rush hour traffic coming off I-77 onto Cindy Lane. Todd was furious! He hadn't been able to read the dirt covered license plate, and he wasn't willing to take a chance with such reckless driving that he could follow the Buick. He stayed parked on the side of the road for a while letting his anger die down. Kelly talked softly to him and stroked his arm. While waiting, they shared a cigarette and Kelly called Vanetta to let her know about the incident and to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Vanetta said she would call the security company and have them do a regular drive by for the next few nights, and Todd suggested they pull the video surveillance tapes of the studio the next morning and see if they could spot the car. Satisfied that the studio and Vanetta would be safe, Kelly next called Laura and told her of what had happened. Laura promised that she and the girls would keep their eyes peeled for any vehicle following them, and then asked the obvious. "What does this guy want?" ------- "Fuck! Stupid cocksucker just stepped right into the fucking road!" For just a moment, he caressed the cold steel hardness of the snub-nosed.38 clipped in his shoulder holster. The boss wouldn't like it, but if shit went down, he knew HE was gonna be the one left standing. Damnitaltohell! Shoulda got rid of the freakin' car when he saw that kid with Ayres looking at him! But he liked the feeling of the big powerful car and it had room to stretch, so he put it off. Shit! Spending as many hours as he had watching Ayres, you wanted something comfortable. He knew the rules though, and he had broken them. Won't do that again! That was much too close for comfort, and he hoped like crap the Boss wouldn't get wind of it. Now he had to get another one. "Fuck! Hope he don't notice the alignment is all shot to hell," he thought as he drove across the border into South Carolina. Hitting the curb had caused the steering to become flaky. Shit! Now he would have to get an alignment on it or risk the wrath of his boss who had supplied him with the phony credentials and identification. Better tell the prick who supplied the stake out cars about it before he called the boss. First thing he did was stop at a full service car wash. With his carryall in his hand, there was nothing left in the car but burger wrappers and beer cans - he told the crew there was a good tip if they did a great job. Suckers really went for it and he watched as first they cleaned the interior than rinsed off the carefully applied layers of dust and mud. It had taken him six trips to a self-serve car wash on the edge of town close to a dirt road to get the right effect. He had driven the car, soaking wet, down the dirt service road, following semis, getting the outside covered in shit. Had personally mucked up the rear plate so the numbers wouldn't be legible. His only concern had been that a cop might stop him for the plates, but by avoiding most major roads, he had managed to keep out of trouble. No speeding or anything else that would draw unwanted attention to him. As soon as the car was clean inside and out, he quickly slipped behind the wheel and left with a squeal of tires and the screams of 'Muthafucka!' fading behind him. Forty-five minutes later, he was heading north in a dark green Intrepid. He said nothing about the steering, but he was sure the old bastard had spotted it and would bill the Boss. It wasn't as comfortable as the Buick, but it had dark tinted windows and he didn't have the time to argue with the old prick. He had to get back to make sure Ayres didn't skip! He only took enough time to grab a bag of burgers and fries and a large coke. He ate most of one of the burgers while a kid filled the tank with gas, then went inside the party store next door to the gas station and bought a six pack of Bud, a six of Coke and a bag full of candy bars and other snacks to get him through the evening. He was hoping the garage he had used for the last week would still be empty as he sped back to Charlotte. ------- Todd was mostly calmed down. He still had no idea of why someone would be tailing him or Kelly, but now he was sure they were being watched at both Kelly's place and at the studio. Obviously this was not a set up for a burglary, but Todd and Kelly could think of no reason why someone would be watching them. All they had to go on was G's message that somebody was looking for Todd but didn't want to be seen. "It's not like we've made any enemies," Kelly said to Todd after she had bought a slab of steaks big enough to rebuild most of a cow with. "Not unless 'Stan the Man' has connections," said Todd with a smile. "We'll know better tomorrow. We'll go through the tapes and see if we can spot the car." "Only if he's driven by the front of the studio enough times to be caught on camera," Kelly said, "Otherwise, he would have had to drive right into the parking lot. I wonder if he would be that stupid?" "We can only hope," said Todd. ------- Back at Kelly's, Laura, Cara, and Ami looked around carefully after parking the Accord. Laura took her personal belongings from the car, gave it a gentle kiss on the roof, thanking the car for having been so good to her, and promising that the new owner would treat it as well. Ami and Cara thought it was cute the way that Laura treated the car like it had a personality, but also found it touching. It said a lot about Laura's character. "That's only going to leave the three of you two vehicles to get around with," said Cara as they walked to the house. "No, not really," said Laura. "Kelly's got a Grand Cherokee in the garage, but why waste the gas on something that size when mostly we just run errands around town?" "And it's not like you guys are ever really alone either," said Ami, "besides, Todd also has the Hummer!" "So you see," said Laura, "my car is just taking up space, and my sister could really use it." "Are you close to your sisters?" Ami asked. "I'm really close with all my family," said Laura, "but, yeah, Kat and I get along much better than other sisters I know. Wait till you meet her." Cara and Ami changed into something comfortable yet conservative. No need to be shocking anybody tonight, especially Laura's family. They knew how much it meant to Laura to have them meet Todd in person, although no one had ever mentioned what Todd's role was in regard to Laura. "Won't your folks wonder?" asked Cara. "Not at all," said Laura. "Remember what I said about true love? If asked, I will say I stay here with Kelly, but they won't ask. All they will see is the happiness in my eyes. They won't question it at all." "What about that rock you got on your finger?" asked Ami. "They're bound to notice that!" "My sisters will notice, that's for sure!" said Laura, "but they won't say anything in front of my parents." "Wow," was all that Ami could say. They all heard Kelly and Todd pull in. After Kelly put the steaks into a quick wine marinade, she and Laura went to shower and change. Todd looked at the clock and decided he had just enough time to join them. Cara and Ami headed for the living room with bottles of mineral water. Todd was very deliberately soaping Laura's breasts using Kelly's hands. Laura was quivering as four hands massaged her boobs. She was dying for release, and then she felt Todd's hard cock sliding between her legs. With a moan she spread her legs, giving him the access he needed to get inside her with his slippery cock. She was glad that Kelly only used natural soap in her house. She didn't need any artificial perfumes or dyes inside her, just Todd's cock. She felt Kelly's lips on her own as she leaned her head back and sighed. God, this was heaven. Todd had moved himself into a position where he could best satisfy both his lovers but Kelly had pointed his dick towards Laura. Soaping his cock up he let it slide between Laura's legs and when she opened them to allow him access to her sacred place, he had just slid in, feeling her natural lubrication mixing with the glycerin soap on his cock. He held her around the waist with his left arm, just feeling her hot cunt convulsing on his throbbing cock. When Kelly kissed Laura, he could feel her cunt start to spasm. She was so turned on! Kelly was kissing Laura when she felt her lover's breathing become labored. Laura really got to the point of no return faster than anybody Kelly had ever known. Kelly became aroused easily, but Laura seemed almost to live in an aroused state. She slipped one hand over Laura's tit, toying with the nipple as her tongue slipped deep inside her mouth brushing against Laura's teeth from the inside! One deep moan was all Kelly heard and then she felt Laura grab her by her own bush and start driving her fingers through the sparse pubic hair. Then Kelly felt Todd's hand on her ass, a finger searching for her back entrance as Laura took the lead in the kissing game now. Kelly moaned as she felt Laura quickly find her most sensitive spot, and nearly jumped out of her skin when Laura's soapy fingers pinched and twisted her clit. Todd's finger picked that moment to slide into her ass and it was Kelly who was moaning and thrashing. She hadn't realized she was that close herself! It was something about being with the two people she loved most in the whole world that did this to her. Sex had never been so good as it was with her lovers and she could hardly wait for the end of September when she would marry both of them! Todd slipped out of Laura, still hard and now throbbing. He still hadn't climaxed, and the two girls were in a serious tongue action clinch. Pushing on both their butts so their pubes were mashed, Todd slipped his lubricated cock between them and pumped just three times before he released his load. Kelly and Laura could feel his hot seed splashing against their bodies and included him in their embrace and kiss. Kelly's hand slipped down and pumped Todd's cock till it finished spurting and then said, "Time to wash up, we're expecting company." Laura gave Todd another deep soulful kiss and then said, "more to come, Sweetheart. Tonight!" ------- Todd was the first out of the shower, as he didn't have to worry about conditioner for his short hair. He took the time to shave, and then joined the girls in the bedroom were they were picking out something to wear. Todd slipped on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, then reclined on the bed to watch his fiancées get dressed. "You know," he said. "Watching you two get dressed is almost as erotic as watching you get undressed." Kelly laughed as she dusted Laura in with a soft scented natural powder. "Admit it, Todd," she said. "You just like watching us, period!" "Yeah, I guess I do," he said. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world." Kelly and Laura pulled on matching shorts and Ts, and presented themselves for inspection. Todd just smiled. They both looked beautiful. Laura had sighed when she put on her bra, but at least, thanks to Kelly, it was a light and comfortable one. She had asked Doctor Myers about the need to wear one, the doctor having taken Laura on as a patient as well even though her practice was closed. Mary Ann had told her that bra or no bra, if she was destined to droop, she would. But she said that Laura had good muscle tone and unless she was going to do something that would cause her boobs to go bouncing, she didn't need to worry about wearing one if she felt more comfortable without it. "It's all a myth," Mary Ann had said about bras. "It helps the industry sell more, but it's all genetic. Nothing can change that except for surgery." "You mean implants, right?" Laura had asked. "Exactly. I hope you aren't the kind of girl who thinks gravity defying breasts are what matters most in this world." "Hell, no!" said Laura. "I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to cause any damage by leaving it off." "Only if you do something that causes them to bounce around a lot," said Mary Ann. "Otherwise, let nature take care of itself." And as much as Laura liked feeling unencumbered, it was her parents coming to visit. She wasn't quite ready to show how much their little girl had changed. ------- The Williams family showed up just before 7:00. After introductions were made, Harry explained that he got stuck at work booking some jerk. "Sometimes I think I'd like to pack it all in," he said, as he gratefully accepted the beer offered by Todd. "How long have you been on the force?" asked Todd. "Twenty-five years come November," Harry said. "Ever think of retiring?" asked Kelly. Meg laughed. "He talks about it all the time," she said. "Times have changed," said Harry. "It's not the same job any more. I started when I graduated High School in '76. Nowadays, I'm saying 'Sir' to kids half my age who joined after taking law courses in College. Meg told me I should take classes after work, but with the shifts the way they are, I didn't have the time, and then the kids came along and I wanted to spend as much time with them as I could. I won't get higher than my rank of Sergeant. The problem is, with only 25 years in, my pension won't be much of anything, and I don't want to end up as a rent a cop, but it's all I really know. It's gotten so bad that all I see is perps on every corner. Hell, when we pulled in here tonight, I could have sworn that there's a summons server parked across the street." Todd sat up straight, as did Kelly and Laura. "Why's that, Harry?" Harry set his beer down and looked carefully at his daughter and then at Kelly and Todd. "Now, I thought I was just in cop mode," he said. "I mean, I haven't met you before, Todd, but I have met Kelly and I know a lot about the two of you. I've never even seen a speeding ticket come through for either of you, and I would know." Then he laughed. "Of course we all know about the 'Speed Demon' on roller blades here," he said looking at Kelly, "but I also know all the process servers in town, and I didn't recognize this one, nor have we gotten any information about someone from out of town. Are you in some sort of trouble?" he asked quietly. "Dad," said Laura, exasperation in her voice. "No," said Kelly to Laura. "Your dad's only being protective of you and he has a right to ask." Todd spoke up. "No, sir. We've been followed the last couple of days by a gray Buick, and it nearly ran me over today on our way home, but we only became aware of it today. Then we realized that we've all felt like we're being watched for a few days. There's no reason for anybody to be watching us, and certainly no reason for anyone to serve a summons or otherwise." Harry let the silence drag on for a few moments, then finally said, "Okay. But it's not a grey Buick; it's a green Intrepid. And what happened today?" Todd explained that once he knew for sure that he was being followed; he had stopped the Tracker to confront the guy. Find out what he wanted, and how the car had hopped the curb trying to avoid stopping. "Probably changed cars knowing you could spot him now," said Harry. "Can I borrow your phone?" They had been sitting outside, waiting for the barbeque to warm up. Kat and the twins along with Cara and Ami had insisted on helping out with the meal and were inside scrubbing Yukon Gold potatoes and preparing corn for the barbeque. Laura got the cordless phone and handed it to her dad. Harry dialed a number from memory. "Lew? Harry. I've got some nut stalking my daughter." Harry listened for a minute then said, "Yeah, that would be great, Lew. He's parked partially inside a garage, kitty corner to the south from where the Speed Demon lives. A dark green Intrepid." Harry laughed. "Yeah, I'm having supper with her and her partner and my daughter." Harry blushed as he spoke low into the phone. "I am not shitting you. Meg's here as well as the rest of the girls, and you should see the size of the steaks!" Meg smiled and told Todd and Kelly that Lew was an old friend of Harry's. They'd been partners for a lot of years until Lew was put on desk duty after a drunk driver had rammed Lew's patrol car leaving him with slight limp. "Feel free to have him stop off after they check out this guy," said Kelly to Harry. "You hear that, Lew?" asked Harry. "The Speed Demon herself has invited you to stop in after you check this out. You got to see this illegal beer they have here!" "Already?" said Harry. "Man, that was fast. Yeah, I'll wait for you out front." Harry disconnected and told everyone that there was one squad car already located at the corner of the closest intersection, and another just a block further. Lew would be by in about five minutes in an unmarked. Not wanting to worry the younger girls needlessly, Kelly made a pretense of showing off the house to Meg and Harry and Todd and Laura followed along till they got to the living room where Harry kept an eye out for his old partner to drive by. He explained that as soon as Lew made the car, the two squad cars would close in. Within a few minutes of reaching the living room, they saw a plain brown Chevy Malibu drive by and then all hell broke loose. Appearing from the garage of a neighbor who was on vacation, a dark green Intrepid squealed its tires trying to get out and down Jane Street, but the squad car at the corner of Burris Ave blocked the street while the other squad car came roaring up from High Laurel. They had him blocked in, and Lew was in the middle. They watched as the driver tried to get out and run on foot, but the officer from the first cruiser had him in a few easy strides and down on the ground. A quick pat down, and the officer raised the pistol he found on the man and held it up for Lew to see. Lew shook his head and walked over to the Intrepid. Without touching anything, he pointed out a number of things to the other officer. It took another ten minutes before another cruiser arrived and the suspect was taken away in handcuffs. A Charlotte police tow truck arrived to tow the vehicle and Lew finally was able to make it back to Kelly's. "What's the deal, Lew?" asked Harry. "He's not talking." Lew said. "Refuses to cooperate, but we have him on possession of an unregistered handgun, open alcohol in a moving vehicle, resisting arrest, and enough paraphernalia to hold him on a stalking charge. We'll have to wait for the judge to okay developing his film, but he's not getting out for some time to come. If he had brains, he would have left the gun in the car, but fleeing the scene with a gun, that was just plain stupid." "Thanks, Lew," said Harry. "You remember the Speed Demon, don't you?" "How can anyone forget Ms. Jennsen?" he asked, taking Kelly's hand. Then he looked around and said, "Hi, Meg, Laura." "And this is her partner, Todd Ayres," Harry said, introducing Todd. "So, you really do exist," said Lew. "We've been curious about you down at the precinct for years. We see your name on all kinds of stuff, especially the stuff for the kids, and of course the pictures in the magazines and such, but we never saw you. We had even considered visiting the studio to see if you were real." Todd laughed and assured Lew that he was real but that he preferred to stay behind the camera. "So, what's this I hear about illegal beer?" Lew asked. "Definitely contraband stuff," said Harry. Laura went and fetched a bottle after Lew had stepped inside and they had moved to the back yard. "Now, Sergeant Williams, how can you tell this is contraband?" Kelly asked with a smirk. "Simple," said Harry, "no duty label!" "Darn, caught red handed!" said Kelly. Harry and Lew laughed. "Don't you worry about these lugs here," said Meg. "They've been closing their eyes to a lot of Cuban cigars that are sold downtown. It seems a lot of officers enjoy their own little bit of contraband." Harry and Lew laughed again. "It's damn good beer, though," said Harry. Lew finished his, and though he looked longingly at the steaks, he declined an invite to stay, saying he had to find out who was going to claim the stalker. See if he was willing to talk yet. After shaking hands once again, he drove off in his unmarked Chevy. "I can't believe Uncle Lew turning down a steak," said Kat after the girls had been brought up to date. "Speaking of which," said Todd "is anybody hungry?" ------- An hour later, the dishes were in the sink and everyone was sitting back enjoying a drink. Meg had tea, as did Laura and Kelly. Todd and Harry were enjoying another Molson's in the sun, which was still visible from the back yard. "There's nothing like a summer evening spent outdoors," said Harry. "I really enjoyed that meal. Thank you for inviting us over." "It was our pleasure," said Kelly. "I'm just sorry that our problems caused the delay. I'm afraid you missed Enterprise." "Actually," said Harry, "I'm taping it at home." Todd laughed and said that he would catch it later on time shift cable. "It's just summer repeats anyway, but I want the network to know I'll still watch it, even the reruns," he said. He excused himself and went inside for a minute, then returned bearing a large rectangular cardboard box. "I thought you might like to have this, Harry," he said presenting it to him. Harry's eyes widened when he opened the box and saw its contents. "The Enterprise NX-01, " he breathed. "Thanks, Todd," he finally managed. "This is a collector's piece." "Which is why I thought you might like it," said Todd. "I love your studs, Honey," said Meg to Laura. "And Kelly's are identical!" "Yes, I know," said Laura. "We're spoiled." Before her mother took the thought further, she pulled her car-keys from her pocket. "And this is my chance to spoil my little sister a bit. Kat, I'm turning the Accord over to you. I've signed the transfer slip, it's in the glove compartment, and I'm sure Dad will help you transfer the ownership and get the insurance set up in your name. Other than that, it's all yours, little sister," she smiled as she handed Kat the keys. Kat gave Laura a huge hug. "Thanks, Laura," she said. "I don't know what to say." "You don't have to say anything," Laura said quietly. "Just help mom and dad out as much as you can." "You know I will," said Kat. "I just wish I could get a job so I could help out money-wise." This was the perfect time, Kelly realized, it couldn't have been planned any better. "Are you looking for some part time work that won't interfere with school?" asked Kelly. "Yes," said Kat, "but jobs are so hard to find." "Well, I just happen to know of an apartment building that is looking for someone to do things like vacuum the hallways and clean the glass doors and stuff like that. Would you be interested in something like that?" "Oh, yeah!" said Kat. "Do they only need a student?" asked Meg interestedly. "Why's that, mom?" asked Laura. "They're going to cut back my hours at the grocery store," Meg sighed. "Fucking ingrates," mumbled Harry. "Harry Williams, you watch your mouth," Meg said sharply, and then her tone softened. "I'm sorry, Harry. You know how I feel about it. I'm as mad as you are, but they're replacing all the senior staff with kids to save money. We'll just have to be careful for a while." "Maybe not," said Kelly slowly. ------- No one had been aware of the financial problems Harry and Meg had faced in the last decade. Not even Laura, the oldest of the four girls. A solemn discussion took place in Kelly's back yard as Meg explained that after the birth of the twins, she had required special medical treatment not covered by Harry's health plan. Interest rates at the time had been extremely high, and they had been forced to take out a mortgage for more than the value of their house. Their bad luck combined with bad timing had seen all their savings and dreams disappear, and now, 14 years later, they still owed nearly as much as their house was worth. "That's why we could never take the kids anyplace like Disney World," Meg explained. "Neither of us have relatives with money and we wouldn't impose on them anyway." "We thought we might get ahead a little with Meg working," said Harry, "but now that's being cut as well. You know how the police budget has been cut here, so any real chances of overtime are gone for me, and with the clamp down on cops working off hours on anything related to the public, all we've been able to keep up is our smiles." Todd and Kelly were really feeling bad for this wonderful couple that had done such a great job of raising a family and under such financial conditions. Finally, Todd, who was starting to feel his emotional balance threatening to leave, got up and grabbed the paperwork from Steve they had brought home from the office. "Look," he said. "I've already learned once this week how people can react to what they think is charity, so I'll say this right from the beginning: this isn't charity. The background is that Kelly and I converted some holdings into an apartment block for seniors. We need a manager, and ideally we want a live-in family to take care of the place. I can't think of a better family for our purposes than you, if you think you might take it, you have to consider if it's in your interests, too. Harry," he said, looking at him. "You could take it on part-time, if you want to get your thirty years in. Wouldn't do the image any harm, either," he grinned, "having a serving police officer living there!" "Anyway, your job would mainly be supervisory and collecting the rent. The major routine maintenance will be contracted out, as well as most repairs." "When Cathy mentioned wanting a job," Kelly said, "I knew that I could organize her getting one with whoever took on the building. If you decide to do this, you can give all your daughters jobs." Then she laughed. "All except Laura, of course. She's already spoken for." Harry raised one eyebrow. "Nepotism?" he enquired mildly. "Well, of course!" Todd laughed. Then he was serious for a moment. "We take care of Family," he said. Harry looked at him hard for a moment, and then leaned forward in his chair. "Thanks Todd, we really appreciate that," he said, offering his hand. Todd took his hand, while off to the side Kelly and Laura let their fingers entwine excitedly for a moment. "It's not really hard work," continued Todd, "it's just that we want somebody there all the time. We want to provide affordable safe housing for some of the seniors in this town who aren't ready to finish off their days in a nursing home. Nobody should have to make that choice if they aren't ready for it." "Why don't you take some time to read the offer," said Kelly. "We haven't advertised for anyone yet, and the apartments are all empty right now. We intend to officially open it on the first of September." Kelly sat back and lit up one of her cigarettes. Laura had gone into the house with her sisters to discuss the music the Williams Sisters would be performing as the climax to the evening of family get together. An eerie silence had dropped on the back yard as Meg and Harry looked over the contract. Without looking up, Meg said, "should you be smoking, Kelly?" "No, she shouldn't," laughed Todd as he snatched the cigarette from Kelly's hand and took it for himself. "Hey!" said Kelly, surprised. She snatched the cigarette back from Todd. "Get your own," she said with a laugh. "I like them better coming from you," he said. Kelly exhaled, then looked at Meg. "Why did you say that, Meg?" Laura came out at that moment and said, "Did you think I came by my strange intuition by chance, Kell?" Laura smiled at her mother. "I just hope that one day my abilities are as strong as mom's." "So you knew?" Kelly asked Meg. "The minute we arrived," said Meg. "Well, I only smoke a few a day, and my doctor said that considering my other health concerns, it wouldn't harm the baby," said Kelly. "I know, dear," said Meg softly. "I have the same problem. That's largely what landed us in the situation we are in now." "What situation is that, mom," Laura asked. "We're going to be moving soon, honey. We simply can't afford to keep up the mortgage payments on the house on just your father's salary." "Why didn't you say something?" asked Laura. "I would have given you everything I have and everything I earn." "I don't think that's necessary, sweetheart," said Harry. "It seems we might have already found a way out of our problems. But it is very sweet of you to offer." Todd had taken a cigarette for himself, wishing he could light a joint. His thoughts were churning. How could a couple like Harry and Meg have lived all these years going deeper and deeper in debt and yet shown their daughters such love and attention? And yet, his parents, who had never really wanted for much of anything, why had they been so cold and distant? Kelly could see Todd wondering. She might not be able to read his mind, but she knew what he was thinking. They had been lucky. If not for Todd's talent and determination, and her luck of having been born photogenic, they would have struggled all their lives. It seemed unfair to Kelly and then she heard Muriel's voice... "Don't you fret about being successful, Kelly. You are doing things for others with your good fortune. Many will benefit from the goodness in your heart." Kelly shook her head. Where had that come from? Meg was smiling at her. Had she heard Muriel, too? Nah, couldn't be. ------- Cara and Ami spent most of the evening with the twins and Kat. After the excitement from the arrest had died down and supper being done, they had left the Williams girls to do something special for Kelly and her company. Ami remembered an old family dessert her mother used to make. If she remembered correctly it was called "Shattered Glass" and consisted of fruit, Jell-O, shredded coconut and whipped cream. She called her mother to get the recipe, becoming discouraged when she heard it was usually left overnight to set. Her mother, sensing her disappointment, suggested going to a deli and buying pre-made Jell-O. With a few alterations to the recipe, she could pull it off in an hour if she had the ingredients. Ami and Cara cornered Kat. "We need a ride to a deli," said Cara. Both she and Ami had spent so many years training in gymnastics that neither of them had ever had the time for Driver's Ed. "Sure," said Kat. "I'm covered under the family policy, and the car is still in Laura's name, so let's go!" Sam and Jen decided to go along for the ride. After explaining what she was looking for, Kat suggested to Ami that they go to one of the big supermarkets on Statesville Road. They were open later, and quite a few had deli departments. As Kat drove, looking for an open supermarket, Cara asked if the girls were really going to sing tonight. "You mean sing for our supper?" asked Jen with a smile. "Sure. We like to sing," finished Sam. Ami looked back over the top of the front seat. Cara was sandwiched between identical bookends. "I can see where you might fool other people," said Ami, "but Cara and I have been in competition too long not to notice the little differences." Cara laughed. "I'll bet you drive the boys at school nuts. But they wouldn't really be looking at your teeth would they?" Kat laughed from the driver's seat. "I used to threaten to tattoo them just to be able to tell them apart, but it's easy for the girls in our family. Dad can still be fooled though. But Jen is the quieter one. You can tell by the way she walks and talks. Sam is the more boisterous of the two. I can always tell which one's coming into the room. What did you notice?" "Jen has a small chip in her right eye tooth," said Cara. "And Sam has a dimple on her left cheek that looks like a crescent moon when she smiles," said Ami. "Wow!" said Cathy. "You guys really don't miss a thing. This comes from competition in gymnastics? How long were you in it?" "We retired just about two months ago," said Cara. "Both Ami and me were in it for 12 years. That's how we first met." "God, did your parents start you off while you guys were still in diapers?" asked Kat. Ami laughed. "No. We were five when we got our first coach. But we were doing it for a year before that in an exercise class." "Why?" asked Sam. "I mean, I can understand doing it for fun, but why in the world would you start training full time at the age of five?" "I'm not sure any more, Sam," said Ami. "I think I wanted to do it, but now, I've been doing it so long, I don't remember. We were very goal oriented." "And after all these years, you just decided to retire?" Kat was really curious. "We didn't have a lot of choice in it," said Ami with a sigh. "We have a friend, Erin, who might make it all the way to the 2004 Olympics, but she's a couple of years younger than us. Sometimes, it's as much about when you were born as it is about the practice. Four years between the Big Game leaves a lot of time for growth and injuries." Kat pulled into the parking lot of a supermarket, and all five girls spilled out and ran into the store. Ami found containers of ready-made Jell-O, most with fruit already in them. She sighed. It would not turn out as well as her mother's, but it would have to do. She bought five containers, one each of Lemon, Lime, Cherry, Orange, and Grape. The Cherry had real cherries in it, while the Orange had small slices of Mandarin orange slices in it. Thankfully the others were plain. Her mother had explained to her how to take a can of fruit cocktail and dry the fruit so it didn't cause the whipped cream to run, so she bought three large cans of expensive, exotic mixed fruits. A bag of desiccated coconut and a gallon of the thickest cream the store had, and at Cara's insistence, a gallon of frozen blueberry yogurt, with real blueberries. At the checkout, Ami used her debit card for the very first time. As Kat pushed the speed limit to get back to Kelly's, across town another exchange was taking place. ------- He hadn't told them his name. His fake I.D. hadn't stood up for more than ten minutes, and when he still refused to give his name, they had gotten rough with him. What the fuck??? Stalking a cop's daughter??? The one dick had kept repeating that, saying that was the dumbest thing in the world to do. The other one kept smacking him on the back of the head, not hard enough to leave marks, but it still fuckin' hurt! But he had kept his mouth shut, even when they nearly busted his fingers printing him. He had been physically tossed into a cell. Resisting arrest they said. Can't do that without a bit of bruising. He demanded a lawyer, but they just laughed at him. "You're nobody according to you. Well, nobody gets a lawyer without a name." And they had slammed the door to the cell. Two hours later, the big cop, the one who had made him, the one driving the unmarked, he showed up. "How're you doin', Eddie?" he had said. "Want a lawyer now? You can call one, but I'm afraid he won't be able to see you for a few days. We've got to make sure you're not a terrorist, and the judge said first we get to find out where you've been hiding out and print the film in your camera. Probably take us till next week. You sure are one dumb fuck! Should of told us your name instead of making us look it up the hard way. Just makes us look all the harder!" He was laughing as he walked away from the cell. Thirty minutes later, two big cops slapped handcuffs on him and dragged him up the stairs to a pay phone. His shins hurt where they had hit the stairs, and they threw him at the phone. Nobody around to say anything or see anything. He still didn't understand what the hell they meant by stalking a cop's daughter, but he knew it was going to be dangerous in jail. He called collect, the phone rang seven times before the boss picked it up. "It's me... Eddie. I'm in jail in Charlotte." "Fucking moron!" was all Eddie heard before the phone went dead. Maybe he'd be safer if he stayed in jail. ------- Ami drained the cans of fruit, saving the juice as Cara asked. Sam and Jen were fascinated by what Ami was doing and stuck around to help cut up the Jell-O into inch cubes. Cara dumped the thick cream into a huge bowl and dug out Kelly's blender. Adding some sugar, she beat the cream till it stiffened into a thick goo. Ami added the towel dried fruit to the cream, and Cara, the muscles on her arm showing the strain, folded it all in with a big wooden spoon. Ami then added the cubed Jell-O and sprinkled two cups of the desiccated coconut into the mix. If everybody could just hold off for another hour, it would be well set in the fridge. After cleaning up the mess in the kitchen, Cara, Ami, and the twins went outside to rejoin the rest of the family. "I hope nobody's in a hurry to leave," said Cara. "Ami's just whipped us up a fancy dessert, but it's got to set for a bit in the fridge." Harry laughed. "I've always got room for dessert," he said with a broad smile. His mood had lightened considerably. While he would wait to discuss it with Meg, he was already feeling a huge burden being lifted off his shoulders. They could sell the house and pay off the hospital bill that had haunted him for nearly 14 years. They could finally get that fresh start they had always dreamt about, and Meg wouldn't have to punish herself working for minimum wage any more. He'd be able to do more with the kids and Meg. Hell, based on what Kelly had said about occupancy, they would earn more working together as a family than he did as a twenty-five year veteran on the force. And, he'd also get his pension. Forty-three wasn't a bad age to start a new career. He knew a lot of cops who had burned out younger. Kelly had given him and Meg a set of keys that would let them take a look at the building and the manager's apartment. Turning to Todd, Harry said, "Have you got any more of that illegal beer floating around?" "Hey!" said Ami. "No peeking in the fridge." "I'll get them, daddy," Laura said. "Todd? You want another? Kelly, do you want one now? Mom?" Meg settled for a bottle of mineral water as she was driving home, but Kelly and Laura each had one as did Todd and Harry. Laura was happy. She had been right. Where there is true love, nobody questioned the reason. She knew her mom and dad had both seen the identical rings she and Kelly were wearing, but neither had said a word. The biggest surprise of the night had been when Kat and the twins had left with Ami and Cara, and Meg had told Kelly and Todd about the six months she had spent at a private sanitarium for treatment of an unusual anemic condition brought on by her last pregnancy, and severe depression. Kat and the twins were preparing to serenade everyone. They were thrilled and enthralled with Todd and Kelly. They couldn't believe their good fortune and the opportunity to finally visit Disney World. They loved to sing, and Todd had promised to take a group picture of them before they ever hit the road with Robert and their back up band. Not that they were letting all this attention go to their heads. They knew firsthand what conditions they were facing going to nursing homes, and then Todd had sprung the big surprise by telling them if they were as good as Laura, he would finance and pay for them to travel all over both North and South Carolina. ------- Like Laura, Cathy, Samantha, and Jennifer had been raised in a loving house where jealousy just wasn't tolerated. They were happy for their older sister and loved seeing her new clothes and her chance to go to university. When Laura had told Kat the computer was going to stay at home for them to keep, they had been very happy. They realized how long and hard Laura had worked to buy the P-2, and then there had come the question of would they be willing to sing, as a trio? It had taken very little convincing on Kat's part for Sam and Jen to agree. They enjoyed entertaining seniors, and then when they were told that Todd and Kelly were going to take them to Disney World, they had screamed for joy! Not just a one or two day trip either but a full five days and they were flying down, and staying at a hotel right on the property! Now, though, things seemed a bit different. During supper, when they happily chowed down on the biggest steaks they had ever seen, Kelly had mentioned a storage room full of brand new clothes, many of which would probably fit the three younger Williams girls. They were invited to come down and try them on. In the car ride with Cara and Ami, Jen had mentioned this and Ami had confirmed that the clothes were all big name designers. Cara had verified that there really was a huge storeroom, and that she and Ami had filled their own wardrobe with some of the best and newest designs. "All you need to buy for yourselves is your undies," said Cara. Todd had mentioned publicity photos and costumes for the girls. He had said something along the line of costumes that would fit their style of music. They weren't exactly sure what he had in mind, but they all really liked Todd and understood why Laura looked so happy. The sisters didn't understand why Todd and Kelly were willing to go to the expense they had to bring them to different seniors' homes and long term care facilities, but they had heard about the big new van that some teacher would be driving them in. This was just a little stranger than normal. Then after they had gotten back from the grocery store, their mom and dad seemed so much more relaxed than usual, and then their mom mentioned something about moving! The girls, who had been singing publicly for about as long as Cara and Ami had been gymnasts, suffered no stage fright or apprehension, but they realized that this was something important to everybody. Kat looked at Jen and Sam, then said, "ready?" Sam and Jen nodded and the three girls got up and stood before their attentive audience of seven. As natural as breathing, when Kat started the first word of the song they had chosen to start with, Sam and Jen joined in, blending a pure three-part harmony. They started out in a slow gospel tempo... "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine." By the time the girls had reached the first chorus, they picked up the tempo and volume, clapping their hands in time and dancing on the beat. As Kat started to pull out the Southern gospel sound, Sam and Jen went to counter harmonies, filling not only the back yard with the strong vocals but much of the surrounding neighborhood as well. Meg and Harry smiled with pride as the girls finished this first song and effortlessly slipped into the recently revived hit by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris, "To know him is to love him." Kelly and Todd sat back amazed at the vocal power of these three girls, their range and their ability to shift from one genre to another, all without any back up instrumentals. They didn't even get a chance to applaud as the girls went from one song to the next, though Todd started to chuckle when the three girls did their version of an old Beatles tune revived briefly in the 80's by the artist Tiffany. "I saw him standing there." Todd was clapping with unbridled enthusiasm, as were Kelly, Ami, and Cara, when Kat, Sam, and Jen finished that song. To make it all perfect, neighbors from unseen yards surrounding Kelly's were clapping as well and numerous cries of "Encore" were heard. "Thank you," said Kat laughing. "Our next performance will be..." "On the 3rd of August," said Todd. "At our annual company BBQ and fun day at Carowinds Park. We'll even try and get Laura to join you for a few songs." "It would be really special if you girls could open the celebration by singing the national anthem," Kelly said. "Does this mean you still want us to do this thing you were talking about?" asked Kat. "Are you serious?" asked Todd. "You girls are going to be the headline act of our new venture. Kell, we have to get these girls costumed in something quick." "And this has no bearing on the other thing we were talking about?" asked Harry. "None at all, Harry," said Kelly. "If they're willing to give of their talents for a good cause, we will not only take them to Disney World, but we'll start a college trust fund for them as well, no matter what you and Meg decide on the other matter." "This is important to you, isn't it, Kelly," Meg said. "More than you can imagine, Meg." "Because of Muriel?" Meg asked. "Muriel? How do you know about Muriel?" "Let's just say I know things," said Meg giving Kelly a big warm smile. "Who's ready for dessert?" asked Ami. While everyone raved about the "Shattered Glass," Ami kept apologizing that it wasn't as good as her mother's, and that next time she would be more prepared. It was close to midnight when the Williams family finally left. Kat had driven off with Sam and Jen right after dessert, leaving their parents to talk with Laura, Todd, and Kelly. Ami and Cara had said goodnight to everyone and headed to their bedroom. Meg had asked when would be a good time for the three younger sisters to get fitted for costumes, and Kelly had said Friday would probably be best, and they should be prepared to take home a car full of new clothes. Harry was shaking his head. "I don't understand why you two do the things you do," he said. "Laura filled us in on this contest you're starting in September, but like the summer camps and the other programs, once again, you're not taking any credit for it." Todd shrugged slightly. "Would it make a difference in the end result, Harry?" "We have no need for recognition," added Kelly. "We seem to get enough of that just through our work. We just prefer to remain in the background." "Follow your heart, dear," said Meg to Kelly as she headed out the door with Harry. "It will never steer you wrong. And listen to Muriel. She has something to tell you that you need to hear." "You did hear her," said Kelly. Meg just shrugged. "How much do you know?" Kelly asked with a hint of worry. "Probably more than a mother should know," sighed Meg. "But Laura is happy, and she's very much in love with you and with Todd." Meg looked to see Todd and Harry talking by the car with Laura. "I can't predict the future, Kelly. I only see the here and now. Laura sees things that are to come, though she hasn't fully developed her ability yet. Sometimes I pray that she never does." "I take it you don't see your ability as a gift, then." Meg put her arm through Kelly's. "Sometimes it can be a downright curse," she said. "But I can see your heart, dear. You are a kind and loving person. Allow yourself to understand and believe this is who you have always been." Kelly gave her a hug, and said, "Thank you." Meg gave Kelly a kiss on the cheek. "I don't understand everything I see," she said, "but I recognize goodness, and I know love when I see it." ------- Chapter 28 "Do you mind if we stop off to see Muriel before we go to the club, honey?" Kelly asked Laura. "Of course not, silly," said Laura. "We have the whole day to ourselves now." "Thanks, sweetheart," said Kelly. "It might sound funny to you, but I could have sworn I heard her talking to me last night when your mom and dad were over." "Maybe you did," said Laura seriously. "I get feelings. Mom says they're premonitions, but I don't know. I wouldn't buy lottery tickets on it!" she added laughing. "But, Mom... she's got something else. I don't know what it is, but she knows things. It's called a latent kinetic psychic ability. She can't see ahead or read minds or anything like that, but when she touches people or things, she can get a whole lot of information without even trying. She says that's where I get my 'feelings'. She said her Grandma was really good at it, and the 'gift, ' or 'curse' as my Mom calls it, gets passed down to the first-born female of every generation. Maybe you hear voices!" "Or I'm crazy," said Kelly laughing. "It was a good night, wasn't it, Kell?" "Really good," said Kelly. "Your sisters are very talented. I look forward to hearing the four of you sing together." "Yeah, they are good, but that's not what I was referring to. I was talking about how my dad and Todd got along." "Were you worried, honey?" Kelly asked. "Just a little bit. My dad's been a cop for a lot of years. He tends to see the worst in people before he gets to know them, and you know Todd... He's not exactly the social butterfly." Kelly laughed. "Nope, that man of ours is not generally socially inclined. But he did it for you, Laura. Your dad might not understand the relationship between the three of us, but he loves you and wants to know you won't be hurt. That's why Todd wanted your whole family to meet us. To let them see us and get to know us. Your mother on the other hand... She does know!" "Oh, God! I should have realized she would pick up on it the minute she walked through the door," Laura said. "I won't be able to look her in the eyes now. God, I hope she didn't spook you! I should have told you about her 'thing' before, but I grew up around it and with her, so I tend to forget." Kelly smiled. "No, Honey. I was a bit shocked, but she was cool about it. I like your mom and dad, Laura. It was really nice having your family over last night. I hope we do it a lot more often. Other than that creepy guy spying on us, it was a pleasant night. Your mom said she knows you're happy and in love, and she's happy for you. There's no shame in being happy." Laura sat back in her seat and said, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Mom's always been more concerned about our happiness than what society might say. She's been really open minded for as long as I can remember. Anyway, I'm glad she knows." Kelly wheeled the car into a parking space at Lakeview. "The only thing that I'm concerned about now is what 'G' said this morning. ------- After the late night, all of them were still asleep in the morning when Gloria had let herself in. Seeing no one was awake, Gloria checked the cupboards for staples and was making a list of essentials to order. Delton would go and pick it all up for her. Kelly had long ago given Gloria a credit card for just this purpose. Though Kelly still tried to keep up on her own laundry, her busy schedule, and frequent days away from home gave Gloria something to do. She had woken up that morning knowing Kelly was going to be gone for a few days, although Kelly didn't know that herself yet. Gloria also saw that Mr. Todd was going to be busy and Laura would be tied up as well working with the younger girls. "And more company coming," she smiled to herself. "Better order some more meat as well." When there was still no sign of movement from either bedroom at 9:00, Gloria ground her own blend of coffee beans and put the coffee maker on. Then she sat at the kitchen table to wait for the coffee to do its job. ------- Ami woke up first. Cara had once again fallen asleep on Ami's chest with an arm wrapped between Ami's legs. She shook her head in wonderment at how either of them managed to sleep in such strange uncomfortable looking positions, but each morning, they both woke up refreshed and revitalized. She started toying with Cara's nipple, watching in delight as the little nub popped out of the soft breast tissue and stiffened up, greeting its lover. Soon Cara was moaning as she woke up aroused. Cara untangled herself and kissed her lover, slowly and sensuously. "Kelly must be up," she said. "I can smell the coffee. But you've got me all hot and bothered now." "I can take care of that," said Ami and rolled over on top of her lover letting her leg slide between Cara's. As she kissed Cara with growing passion, their legs locked as the two girls ground their pubic bones together. It wasn't the easiest way to achieve orgasm but it worked well, and allowed them a longer period of time to build up to climax, and not a minute was wasted as they kissed and nibbled each other through the entire time. Ami's fingers toyed with Cara's ear and neck while her other hand cradled Cara's head. Cara, being on the bottom, let her nails run up and down Ami's back and butt, sending shivers through the darker haired temptress. All too soon they were moaning into each other's mouths as they reached their climax. "God, I could just roll over and go back to sleep now," Ami sighed, a satisfied look on her face. Cara stretched and purred. "So could I, sweetheart, but you've got a day in the darkroom, and I've got work ahead of me with Vanetta." Reluctantly they got up and walked nude to the bathroom, not bothering to check the kitchen first. They showered together and then, after drying each other off, went to get dressed to properly greet the day. ------- Todd woke up disoriented. To his right was Laura's beautiful face, still sound asleep, her head on his shoulder. To his left was a pair of beautiful legs. He followed the legs to the honey colored pubic thatch that was Kelly, and continued his visual path across her still flat stomach, over the very sensitive breasts to see Kelly's face supported by her arm, across his groin. "Is this where we ended up last night?" he thought to himself. He remembered a passionate night of love making with his two lovers after Meg and Harry had left, but aside from two terrific orgasms, he remembered nothing more. Todd allowed his right arm to clutch Laura closer and started to softly brush her skin with his fingertips, gently cupping her breast and massaging it, while his left hand slowly stroked the inside of Kelly's thighs. This caused Kelly to spread her legs, but didn't wake her up. Laura sighed and her eyes fluttered open. She gave Todd a soft, sensual kiss then smiled as she watched him play with Kelly's sex center. Kelly started to get aroused, which woke her up. She smiled at both her lovers, then stretched and uncurled like a cat. Todd continued to tease her clit, and Laura slid down to give Kelly a morning kiss and to massage Kelly's tits. Kelly moaned and Todd slipped a finger into her hot sex while his thumb took over strumming her clit. In just minutes, Kelly was moaning her climax into Laura's mouth. As Kelly dropped back from the unexpected climax, Laura turned her attention to Todd's cock, which had become erect during the three-way sex play. She engulfed his shaft, and tasted remnants of Kelly's sweet secretions and hummed on his glans. When he was close to coming, Laura licked her lips and then slid his cock to the back of her throat where she gobbled him while her hand gently massaged his balls. Todd moaned and shot his load into her greedy mouth. "Hey," said Kelly, "save some for me," and she bent forward to steal some of Todd's essence from Laura's lips. Then Kelly slid up the bed till her mouth was firmly latched on to Laura's hot cunt. She could still taste traces of Todd's deposit there from the night before, and with lust sucked on Laura's labia and clit. Driving her tongue like a spear into Laura's love channel rewarded her with more sweet nectar, and as Laura started to thrust her hips off the bed, Kelly latched on to her clit and sucked and nibbled till Laura's dam burst and she climaxed. Todd was all set to start to give Kelly a good tongue lashing, and was rolling her into position when Kelly said, "Gloria's here." "What?" said Laura. "That's just the girls making coffee," said Todd. "Blue Mountain?" asked Kelly. Todd sniffed the air, and grinned as he nodded in agreement. "Gloria." Kelly and Laura slipped on panties and T-shirts and headed to the bathroom. ------- "Good morning, Mrs. Clarke," said Cara and Ami when they entered the kitchen. Gloria chastised them in her friendly manner, saying calling her Mrs. Clarke made her sound like a schoolteacher. They declined her offer of coffee, and had orange juice instead, chatting with 'G' about girl stuff till Kelly and Laura walked in. Todd was taking a shower. "Morning, G" said Kelly, pouring herself a cup of the wicked brew. "Oh, I need this. What a night we had last night!" "Quit bragging, Kell," said Laura. "Hi, Gloria." "G'mornin' girls. It be a fine day to rest." "Maybe for some," said Todd as he walked into the kitchen, "but some of us have to work. Morning, Gloria." "G'Mornin', Mister Todd," said Gloria. Laura poured a half-cup of the Blue Mountain coffee for herself, took one small sip, and added whole milk to fill the cup. From Kelly's cupboard she took a small battery operated drink mixer and set it on the highest speed till there was foam at the top of the cup. Much better. Todd chuckled and said Gloria's coffee could put hair on her chest. Laura stuck her tongue out at him. "Thanks for the tip about the man looking for me," said Todd to Gloria. "We found him last night, and he's in jail now." "No, Mister Todd, you be too late. The one in jail, he was to find you. The man looking for you knows where you be now. He coming soon, an' he bring whole heap a ole grief wit him." "Can't you tell us who it is, G?" asked Kelly. Gloria shook her head. "De Obi no tell me. He say Mister Todd have to fix it now. Fix de vex he carry. Den be ari." "Can you tell us when?" asked Kelly. "Soon, baby, soon." And Gloria would say no more about the subject. Breakfast turned into a quiet affair. Todd left for the studio with Cara and Ami shortly after, wondering what from his past could be coming to haunt him. As they neared the studio, Ami said to him, "When we screwed up on a routine, Todd, we didn't spend any time worrying about it. You just can't go back and fix it. From what I understand, this is something you can fix, so like the song says, 'Don't worry, be happy'." Todd laughed. He ruffled Ami's hair. "You're right. I know it's coming, just not when, other than soon, and Gloria said I have to fix it and then everything will be all right. Obviously I'm not in any danger, or Gloria would have told me to be careful." ------- Laura stopped at the main desk and chatted with Sheila while Kelly brought the bouquet of flowers she had bought for Muriel down to her room. Sheila was thrilled hearing from Laura that the Williams Sisters were reforming as a trio and would start performing regularly all year round at long term care facilities and nursing homes. "You should have heard them last night, Sheila," Laura said. "They really want to do this, and Kelly's got a back up band for them and organized costumes!" "It sounds like it will be some time then before they start performing," Sheila said. "Not at all," said Laura. "At Kelly's request, they're starting here first. Their first performance is going to be at the company picnic on the 3rd, but Robert Payne, he's the one coordinating all the talent, he's got Lakeview on the list for the week after. I sneaked a peek at his file and he's going to be doing two nursing centers a week. He's got Lakeview marked, so I figure he'll be calling soon about setting a date, and then he's planning on Marriott's Brighton Gardens, New River, and Remington Place. He had more names on the list, but I didn't want to appear too nosy." Sheila laughed. "Wow. I guess when TKO decides to do something they don't do it small or wait too long to do it!" "Maybe I should tell you that it won't be TKO calling," said Laura. "I don't want to give away the surprise. Just so you know that when you asked for a reunion show, Kelly and Todd took it to heart." "It's going to make the residents so happy," said Sheila. "Not many people come and entertain them these days. Too many other things to occupy their minds and time, I guess." "Yeah," sighed Laura. "I know all about that." "I've got to see to some meds, Laura," said Sheila. "Want to come with me? We can grab a coffee or something afterwards." "Sure," said Laura with a quick smile. "But let's make that a tea. I had a coffee this morning that is going to haunt me for a week!" ------- "Grandma? Are you awake?" asked Kelly. "Of course I am, Kelly. I've been waiting for you," said Muriel. Kelly smiled. Muriel always said she had been waiting for her as if she could anticipate Kelly's visits. "How did your party go last night?" asked Muriel. Kelly gasped. "Grandma, how did you know?" "Johnny came last night and told me that you were feeling sad and that I should talk to you," she said. Kelly's eyes started to fill with tears. "Why are you crying, honey?" "Grandma, why is life so unfair?" Muriel patted the bed and beckoned Kelly to sit. "Honey, the nurses here make a big deal about how old I am. They say I've lived through an entire century. Of course I don't remember the first few years, so I think its just foolishness making a big deal out of it. But as far back as I can remember, life has always found a way to work itself out. I know you feel bad because you were alone for so many years, but for me, that was yesterday. Now you have that wonderful man you are going to marry and you are going to have a beautiful baby. Some people say that when I was your age we did it the other way around, we got married first and then had the babies, but just the same, sweetheart, there were a lot of girls who did it the same way as you." Kelly laughed with Muriel. "It's just like that special friend you have, the one who sings," Muriel continued. "I know that there are a lot of people who think it's all shameful and the preachers talk about how wrong it is and how you young folk are ruining families, but it was the same when I was your age. We just didn't talk about it as much and of course we didn't have television to tell us how we should live. People are just people. Nothing has really changed." Kelly was surprised at how clear minded Muriel was this morning. For the first time in a long time, Muriel understood how much time had passed since she had been born in 1898. "Kelly," said Muriel, "I've seen a lot of changes in my life. I remember how excited my father was when the first airplane flew. I didn't understand why he was excited since I was only five at the time, but I still remember him talking about how this would change the world. It didn't, you know, at least not for many years. I was married to Johnny when the first automobile drove in Charlotte. Now, men fly to outer space, and you can't turn around on a street without seeing a motor vehicle. But people, they haven't changed. There's still too many people that think happiness can be found in liquor, and just as many that think because they go to church every Sunday that they are better than their neighbors. That if they have one cow more than the next man that they are somehow better. Some people live to make money and never share it with those who have none. Others have very little and they give away most of what they have. I've seen the best and the worst in people and for all these years that I can remember, one thing hasn't changed. Smart people still do stupid things. Greedy people still think they can take their money with them. And people still think they have the right to judge others for being different, when they are just as different in other ways." Kelly was silently crying. Never had the truth been so clear to her before. "Good people will always be around, sweetheart, and I know you are a good person. That's all that matters. Not how famous you are or how rich you are, but how good you are. And I know you and your friends are good people. I've seen it when the dust from middle of this country blew right over Charlotte. I seen it in the hearts of people that took in those poor people who lost everything during the depression and I also saw the ones that closed their door to those in need. When I turned 100, and you threw that special party for me, do you remember that, Kelly?" Kelly nodded, the tears streaming down her face. "That meant something special to me, Kelly. You took the time to make a real birthday party for me. Early that morning the nurses got me out of bed saying I had to watch the news. There was this fat man who talks about the weather on one of the television shows and he said my name and wished me a happy birthday. He didn't know me, and I didn't know him. They told me that he was telling millions of people I turned 100, but not one of those millions of people bothered to write me a card or a letter or even use the telephone. I bet not one of those people remembered my name ten minutes later. But you remembered. I even got a card from the President of the United States. You know what, sweetheart?" Kelly shook her head. "All I could think about was, if this man knew me at all, he would know that turning 100 was just turning one day older for me. If he had the time to send a card, he could at least have written one himself. Did he think his signature was so important to me? I didn't even vote for him. At least, I don't think I did." Muriel laughed. "Sometimes I get a little forgetful." Kelly laughed through her tears. "But I remember the party, and all the flowers you brought and have brought before and after. I know you have a busy life, Kelly, but you always make time to come and see me. That's goodness. You have goodness in your heart." It took Kelly some time for the tears to stop flowing. She was sniffling when she arranged the flowers she brought in the vase next to Muriel's bed. "Johnny said you made a new home for a lot of people and you named it for me. That is so sweet, baby. After I'm gone, people will still say my name and know who I am." "Grandma, you're not going for a long time," Kelly said. "I need you," and the tears started again. "Hush now, honey. I'll be around for a little while yet, but you have your own family now, and it's a good family. Besides. I'll always be with you. Just open your mind, and you'll hear me. Maybe in a dream, maybe in the voice of a stranger, but I'll be watching over you." And Kelly wept. ------- Todd and Ami were in the darkroom developing the pictures of the trial run on the equipment. As had become habit for Ami, she had slipped off her T-shirt and was working topless, just wearing panties. Todd certainly didn't mind. Though she claimed her desire to only be for women, Todd knew that Ami liked to be looked at. Somewhere inside her, there was an exhibitionist dying to get out. Todd chuckled to himself as he switched chemical containers. He often worked in just his scrub pants. The room had a great ventilation system, and was airconditioned to an even 72°F, but the closeness of the room made one feel over dressed. Ami knew that Todd liked to look. It aroused her to know that he considered her beautiful and desirable. Not that anything would come of it, her love was for Cara as his was for Kelly and Laura, but he was human as was she. Her nipples constantly puckered at the thought. She often wondered what he would look like naked. Not as she had seen him that night in the garden, but naturally nude. Maybe sports photography would not be her specialty after all. She could easily see herself shooting erotic photos for magazines. Cara, Ami thought, she enjoyed being nude, but didn't get the thrill out of it like she did. Cara was more a voyeur. Ami knew that Cara got hot looking at Kelly when she was oiling her skin. She couldn't blame her. Kelly was another body that was designed to arouse passions. And Laura... Laura generated a different kind of heat. Sensual. Ami hoped one day to get Laura in front of her lens. She could see Laura smoldering with passion. She wanted to dress Laura up and just shoot reams of film of her in various erotic costumes. The timer's going off interrupted her thoughts. Almost reluctantly she helped Todd do the final rinse of the negatives. They would take a break now and start printing in an hour. Both Todd and Ami were clothed again when they emerged from the darkroom, and a bit surprised to see Harry, in full uniform, sitting chatting with Vanetta and Cara. "Hello, Harry," said Todd extending his hand. "I didn't expect to see you so soon. Is this an official visit or are you off duty?" Harry shookTodd's hand firmly. "It's a bit of both actually," he said. "Do you have time for a coffee or a soda?" Todd asked. "That I do," said Harry. "Rank does have some privileges." Todd laughed, and they moved to the kitchenette where Cara offered Harry a choice of beverages. Harry settled on a cup of coffee, and then after declining a bite to eat, turned serious. "The guy we nailed last night," he said, "he's still in the cooler. He refused to give his name, so Lew printed him and got his identity through the computer. He's no process server, and not a registered private eye, but he got his phone call last night and he called out of state." Todd looked confused. "Sorry, Todd. It wouldn't mean anything to you, but it tells me that he's either after you or Kelly. Until you took Laura to Florida she'd never been out of the Carolinas. Now, I can tell you this. We can't use it, but after he made his call, Lew had the boys check to see where he called. Turned out to be a number in Cleveland. I followed up on it this morning and it belongs to a small time, ambulance chasing, legal firm. You know the kind. The ones that advertise all the time about no cost unless they win the case?" Todd nodded. He knew that kind of lawyer and had always considered them the scum of the legal world. "So we know he's not after or interested in Laura or Cara or Ami," he said. "That was what I thought as well," said Harry who got himself another cup of coffee. "Did you or Kelly piss off somebody in Ohio?" Todd thought about it for a minute then shook his head. "No. If it was a model who worked for us that thought they might get more money, for whatever reason, they would have gone after the New York office since that's where the agency is headquartered. I've driven through Ohio lots of times, but never did any work up there, and as far as I know, neither has Kelly." "That's why I came here first," said Harry. "He's not a licensed investigator, so we're thinking somebody shady. He had a cell phone, some unprocessed film and a key to a cheap motel just off I-77 in South Carolina." "Out of your jurisdiction," Todd said, guessing which way this was headed. "That's right," said Harry smiling. "Lew and I... Did Laura tell you that Lew is her Godfather?" Todd shook his head. "Well, we figured that he's been looking for you or Kelly. We can process the film, but then we might know specifically and then it becomes official, and we'd have to change the charges. Right now he's being held on a whole bunch of charges, but we have Laura listed as his target. An unregistered concealed weapon makes for a good case, but not enough for us to hurry it along to a judge. He's not talking and so far no lawyer has come for him or called about him. We figure that sometime later today we'd turn the key to his motel over to the South Carolina state troopers." "Why are you doing this, Harry?" Todd asked. "Well... The guys at the station know about the stuff you and Kelly do for other people, especially the summer camps for underprivileged kids. My captain figures that if you have something you'd rather not have become public knowledge, well, we have nothing to stop you from moving on." Todd laughed. "Sorry, Harry, I appreciate the concern from you and the captain, but Kelly and I have nothing to run from or for. Contrary to what people might think, we're pretty boring normal people. Aside from some undeclared imported beer." It was Harry's turn to laugh. "Hell, if we arrested every citizen for having untaxed alcohol, we'd never get any police work done. We'd only be interested if you had a truckload of it. So, as far as this Ed Labadie goes, we'll just let him cool his heels in a holding cell till someone comes to claim him. We didn't think you had anything to run from, but you got to understand, you and Kelly, you're respected for what you do for the community. Ever since Kelly started giving those yearly lectures at the schools about bike and skate safety, we've actually seen a decrease in accidents. She doesn't talk down to the kids and the girls want to be like her and the boys... Well, let's just say they hope to have a girlfriend like her one day." Todd chuckled. "What ever works," he said. "So you said this was a personal nature to this visit," Todd said. Vanetta, Cara, and Ami took their cue and after making sure that Harry had a fresh cup of coffee in front of him, left the two men alone. Harry sat back and smoothed his hair from his forehead. "Yeah. Meg and I got looking at that contract again last night after we got home. I've got to tell you, Todd, I'm running on pure adrenaline now. The coffee helps. We were up till nearly four this morning discussing it." Todd nodded but said nothing. "We looked over all the duties and responsibilities, and you were right when you said it's a job. Mostly light maintenance and book keeping, but on the way home Meg and I took a drive by the building. It would be too much for Meg to manage by herself, so we understood why Kelly could offer a job to Kat. We read the parts about sub contracting services like the lawn care and the gardens. Hell, we could probably sub-contract out most of the work other than collecting the rent, but that's why you figured a family would be better, isn't it?" Todd nodded again and said, "for a family, this is a money making proposition. If all you do is collect rent, it's not much more than a free apartment. Right now, the carpeting in the hallways is all brand new. Same as the glass entrances with the automatic doors. But, they need to be cleaned on a regular basis. A family, a tight one, could divide the work up and it would be a healthy income." "Yeah," said Harry. "We did the math on that as well. That is more than a healthy income. We're going to take the girls over tomorrow morning, and discuss this with them. I'm pretty sure I know what the answer is going to be, but we want them there to be part of the decision making process." "You're a good father, Harry," said Todd. Harry tilted his head for a second, then looked at Todd and said, "I've tried, Todd. We've tried. Meg blames herself for getting sick after the twins were born, and I've blamed myself for not having better health insurance. When Meg's energy dropped off, we figured it was the result of her having the twins, but then it didn't come back and she got depressed. The blood tests eventually showed she had Hemochromatosis and it looked like it was going to do her in. Then one specialist said he could fix her up but it would mean time in an institution. It was a rough haul, and I had to take a leave of absence to take care of the girls. The doctor was right though and he got Meg better, but by the time she was, we were nearly bankrupt. Would have gone that route too except we nearly had the house paid off. That was our starter home when we got married, and I never thought I'd be raising four daughters in that little place. So, we ended up refinancing but the interest rates were still high in 1986, and we've been fighting to repay the new value of our house off ever since. Raising four girls can be expensive, and when the twins were going to school, Meg took whatever job she could. We always said they wouldn't become latch key kids, so it was just part time here and there, and we haven't made any big dent in the principal." "I would have never guessed that you and Meg were struggling financially," said Todd. "Laura said something about you not being able to pay her university tuition, but we had no idea." "Neither did the girls," said Harry. "That's why I was pissed when I heard that Meg's hours were going to be cut. I'd love to get off the force and deal with nice people instead of wondering if the next call has a bullet waiting for me. We really appreciate this chance, and we'll give you an answer by tonight." "That would be fine," said Todd. "The sooner you're ready to start, the sooner we can get people moved in." Harry nodded and got up. "So," he said. "I'll call later on tonight. Now I better get back to work." Todd shook Harry's hand, thanked him for helping out with the stalker, and said they'd have to have another barbeque again soon. ------- "Remember the first time you brought me here, Kelly?" asked Laura. Kelly was still puffy around the eyes. She had stayed so long with Muriel that Sheila and Laura got worried and went looking for her. They found her with her head cradled in Muriel's arm, sobbing. Laura knew at once what had happened. When Kelly had asked her if they could visit Muriel, Laura had understood Kelly's need, and had anticipated the outcome, but it was what Kelly needed. Laura had lost two of her grandparents at an early age. She had had an exceptionally close bond with her mother's mother. Cancer had taken her away when Laura was eight. Now, nearly eleven years later, she still remembered staying with her 'Grams' during the day before she started school. Then all the visits after school up until cancer took her away. Gramps never recovered from his loss and died just a year later from a broken heart. While Laura still had Nana and Granddad, the relationship wasn't as close. Laura had learned her affectionate ways from 'Grams' and her mother. Sheila and Laura brought a pot of tea to Muriel's room and the four of them had a little tea party. Sheila raided the kitchen for some cookies and they talked about how soon Laura's sisters would be coming to sing for the seniors. As the next hour went by, Muriel started to tire, and soon, she gave Kelly a kiss and a hug and told her she would look forward to Kelly's next visit. Kelly gladly accepted the Tylenol that Sheila offered and then Laura drove the Elantra slowly to the club. They had showered and changed, and decided to have a late lunch before going to the steam room to open Laura's pores for her second body wax treatment. Just like before, Amy, one of the white uniformed girls, had provided them with strawberry daiquiris and fresh strawberries in a bowl lined with chopped ice, and offered them imported cigarettes. "Sure I remember," said Kelly, suddenly smiling. "It was here that I first touched you." Her memory replayed that day in erotic living color. "And you had the nerve to ask me if I would still respect you in the morning!" Laura laughed. She inhaled on the cigarette she had chosen from the humidor Amy had brought to the patio. Kelly had chain-smoked two cigarettes in the car on the drive over. Her nerves had finally calmed down as they had approached the private, guarded entrance to the club, and though it was noticeable to anyone who looked closely, no one commented on Kelly's recent crying spell. "If I remember correctly, we did a lot more that day than just your delicious touch on my body," said Laura. "I confessed my love for you that day." "And do you still love me?" asked Kelly. "You know I do!" said Laura. "More and more with every passing day." For lunch they had grilled trout and a tossed salad. They were going to eat light, saving their appetites for the supper and dessert they planned on having later. "Kelly," said Laura. "When Brenda comes with Sherri, are you going to take her here?" Kelly twisted her mouth in the most adorable way. "I thought about it, honey, but this place means so much to us, you and me, I can't do it." "I don't mind," said Laura. "I know you wouldn't," said Kelly, "but... this place is really special to the two of us. While I had made love with another woman just before I met you, I really fell in love with you here. This will remain our place forever." "That's sweet, Kell. I knew I loved you, but I wasn't sure that I could physically love another woman until that day. It's been one of the major turning points in my life, right here," then Laura laughed. "In the showers!" "Yes," sighed Kelly. "The showers. That's where we really made love the first time ever. I will never forget that as long as I live." ------- A totally different Laura walked into the steam room this time. Instead of being shy about her nudity, she hung her robe up at the door and didn't even bother to wrap up with her towel. Kelly smiled at her, and followed suit. They placed their towels on the tiled tiers, and Laura laid on hers with her head close to Kelly's butt. Kelly was sitting with her arms spread on the tier above her, letting the soothing steam soak her body. "So?" Laura asked. "Where are you going to take Brenda for your night out?" Kelly sighed. "I'm not even sure that I should, honey. I think it would feel too much like I was cheating on you and Todd." "Oh, fiddle fart," said Laura. "Brenda introduced you to woman love. Todd and I both know that." "Yes, sweetheart, but as much as I love Brenda, I'm not in love with her. I'm in love with you and Todd." Laura rolled onto her stomach and looked up at Kelly. She tweaked Kelly's nipple to get her attention. "That's just plain silly," said Laura, looking Kelly in the eyes. It's not like you're a fancy dessert that someone can eat all up leaving none for us. Well, okay you are a fancy dessert and you can be eaten," she stopped and laughed at her own joke. "But you know what I mean. Love has no limits, Kelly. Share some of yours with Brenda. Have a good time. I understand what you mean about this place, but that doesn't mean you can't go someplace else." Kelly bent over and kissed Laura. "Thanks, honey. We'll see." ------- Film for Ami arrived with the courier that afternoon. Cara and Ami were sitting with Todd looking at the 8 x 10s Todd and Ami had printed from their test run. "These are excellent," Todd said. "You girls were right. We should be able to wrap this up tomorrow and after we verify that the negatives are right, we can call CrossTrain to take this stuff all down. With it out of the way, I think I'll set up a backdrop and lights just for the pictures of Kelly during her pregnancy." "Why?" asked Ami. "Why not just use the main portrait setting?" "Because," said Todd, "we never know who or what we'll have in for a shoot, and by marking the lights exactly, and Kelly's position on the floor, we'll save a lot of time." "I see," said Ami. "Assembly line photography," "Hey, you!" said Todd with a smile, "I'm after consistency." Ami smiled. "I figured that. It'll be easier to see her progress if the setting is the same." "Now you've got it," said Todd. "It will let me work more on her posing than on checking the lights." "Speaking of lights," said Cara. "Do you see how on the Vault, there's a shadow running parallel to my legs?" Todd swung the big magnifying lens over to the spot that Cara was talking about. "Good eyes," he said, smiling at Cara. The three of them went and adjusted the lighting. It only took one adjustment of a lower flood to remove the shadow, and Cara held the same pose so Ami and Todd could inspect for any other trace shadows. Satisfied finally that they had accounted for all possible scenes that could be anticipated, Cara and Ami brought all of the CrossTrain uniforms and suits out so that they would be within easy changing reach on Friday. That afternoon, the printer delivered three super quality prints of Kelly and Laura's Star Trek picture, already dry mounted on corrugated plastic backs and ready for framing, so Todd and Ami did a run downtown to the Frame-It shop where he usually got his large frames. Cara stayed behind, saying she would rather help Vanetta, but really, she was fascinated with the way Vanetta had set up the package deal for Kelly and had come up with an idea of her own. She wanted to swing it by Vanetta. ------- "This is what I had in mind," said Cara after Todd and Ami had left. She explained her vision of Kelly, nude of course, holding two glasses of prune juice. One right in front of her, covering her left nipple, the other hand extended as if offering a glass to the viewer. "If the picture is taken at the right angle," said Cara, "the extended hand should hide the right nipple. It would be sexy as hell, yet not showing anything that might offend anybody." Vanetta agreed. "I love your sales line," she said to Cara. "It's got a double meaning, and it could easily become a catch phrase." Cara laughed. She had thought of it shortly after she had started on Kelly's regime of vitamins, and had survived the first few days after her body detoxified itself. "Prune Juice... It keeps you going!" "Maybe you should take marketing as a second major," Vanetta suggested. She loved the idea, and knew she would get it worked into the ad campaign. Then let the prune juice people make copies of that one and hang it all over the outlets where they sold their product. For the rest of the afternoon, while Todd and Ami were gone, they reviewed the ads that Vanetta had already been working on. Cara caught on fast and by the time Todd and Ami returned, she was handling the phone calls for Vanetta. ------- Muttering quietly to himself about taking his life into his hands, Todd agreed to let Ami drive. He insisted that if she wanted to get her license, he would want her to take a proper Driver's Ed course, something she and Cara could do together in a single week. Todd allowed her to get the feel of the wheel and the truck taking a less traveled route into Charlotte's business core before he insisted that as good as Ami was, they were now going to be driving among living, walking people, and it would be better to have a licensed driver behind the wheel. Todd selected three matching metal frames in a brushed dark gray finish. Simple, yet it helped bring out the colors in the pictures. He and Ami waited for the pictures to be mounted, then took off for a place where Todd could get a decent coffee. Ami decided to have one as well. "Might as well be as wired as you," she said to him. Todd laughed. "I don't need coffee to get wired," he said. "The job itself will do that. I guess it's like my smoking. I don't do it often, but sometimes I just feel like indulging myself." "Is that what you're doing when you look at me when we're in the darkroom, Todd. When all I'm wearing is panties? You're just indulging your primal urge?" Todd looked at Ami for a minute before answering. She was sucking on an iced French Vanilla Cappuccino, while he sipped his espresso. "I'm being human," he finally said. "I've been around nude bodies since I started photography. I've been on the beaches in Europe and in the Caribbean, and it doesn't generally affect me, I mean, I appreciate the beauty of the female body, but the reason I look at you, Ami, is because you are a natural exhibitionist. You like to show off your body. You like getting my attention." Ami blushed. "I never thought of myself that way," she said. "But if we're going to be honest, yeah, I guess I do like being nude and it gives me an ego boost knowing that you like what you see. I feel safe around you, Todd. And with your years of exposure to the nude body, when you look, I feel very beautiful." "Nudism is a natural way of life for some people," Todd said. "You see it more in other countries, where there aren't the social hangups. When Cara gets nude, it's more of a comfortable way of being for her, but you, my little apprentice, you need to accept the fact that you are beautiful. You don't need my validation for that." "But what if I like your validation?" Ami asked. "Does that mean I have a self- esteem problem?" Todd reached out and touched Ami's hand. "No, Sweetheart. Some people do enjoy being admired. It's one of the reasons Playboy can run their specials on women in various fields of work, like airline personnel or executives or lawyers. People who you would think would shy away from baring it all. It's just one facet of who we are. In time, you'll probably just be comfortable being nude, but right now, you're looking to be noticed when nude. There's nothing wrong with you. You're just going through a stage of self-discovery." Ami was visibly relieved. "I thought there might be something wrong with me," she said. "I remember girls at school being called cock-teasers, and I never wanted you to think that about me." Todd smiled at her. "I never thought that for a minute, Ami. I know your preferences, but even if I didn't, I wouldn't assume that you were easy because you like to be looked at. That's a woman's prerogative, to be seen as desirable." Ami looked at Todd and saw that he was serious. "Thanks, Todd." ------- While Kelly and Laura were having the dried mud scraped off their bodies, Robert helped Todd hang the Star Trek poster of Kelly and Laura in the main entrance of the studio. "Well," Todd said to Vanetta, "there's not much more I can do around here today. Ami and I have finished loading the film magazines for tomorrow, so we might as well go home and make something to eat." Vanetta laughed. "You mean you're going to order Chinese again," she said. Todd laughed. "Yeah, I guess." Robert was setting up his new computer. While Todd and Ami had been out, Office Max had delivered the desk, reclining executive chair and the P-4 with the 20-inch monitor. Since "Seniors: TNG" would be separate entity from TKO, there was no reason to tie it into the TKO server and it was a stand-alone system. "Rob," said Todd as they all sat in the kitchenette sipping on a fresh batch of vegetable juice, "I've made a small adjustment on the pay scale for the boys who will be backing the Williams Sisters." Rob looked at Todd. "Kelly and I were thinking that if we were going to be paying for school kids to visit long term care facilities, it didn't seem right that all the boys would be getting out of this would be music lessons. If they mesh with the Williams Sisters, and they commit to a year, we'll toss in a two thousand dollar scholarship for each of them for post secondary education. It will be locked into a registered plan with the bank, and gather interest until they start their post-secondary education. If they continue for a second year, we'll double it again. We're doing the same thing for the Williams Sisters. Speaking of which, since you're free now from your other job, do you think you can take them all out tomorrow for a 'get to know you' lunch and then to a Tack Shop and get them all outfitted in something Western? Let the girls choose the outfits they want to wear. Satin would look nice in a Western shirt, but they might prefer something in lightweight cotton. Use your judgment. Let them pick three outfits each, and then dress the boys in something that complements the girls. If they want hats, go for it. If they want boots, that's okay as well. I'm pretty sure the girls will want riding skirts. It looks more feminine. No jeans though, unless they are the studded ones for the boys. Plain black pants will do better, and then coordinate with Vanetta to set up a day next week for them all to come in and I'll do the publicity photos." Robert had been taking notes and said, "Sure, Todd. I can arrange that. If you don't mind, I'll also start bringing them here after hours for practice sessions so they can get their programs together and get used to performing as a group." Todd smiled. "Good thinking, Rob. I take it that Steve set you up with an account and debit card for 'Seniors: TNG'?" "Yep, he did. I still need to go to the bank and pick up the card and sign some documents, but that'll only take a few minutes. I'm installing an accounting program on the computer so that at any time we'll be able to tell where the money is going." "Great," said Todd. "Call Eric and tell him that you want a loaner for tomorrow so that you have the room to take six teens around in comfort." Robert nodded. Todd got up and said, "You two have a great night. Ami and Cara and I are going to batch it tonight." Vanetta smiled and wished them a good night as well, and as they were leaving, Robert was already on the phone setting up appointments and arranging for a vehicle. ------- Todd stopped at his favorite Chinese take out, and he and the girls went through the menu till they decided to stick with old favorites. Won Ton soup, spring vegetable egg rolls, chicken fried rice and of course chicken balls. Fried Won Tons and fortune cookies rounded out the order. As soon as they pulled into Kelly's, the girls left him to go and change. Or rather, to get out of the clothes they had been wearing most of the day. "Ami!" said Cara. "Aren't you going to put anything else on?" Ami looked down at her high cut French panties. She was wearing nothing else. "Nope. I feel overdressed as is." Cara sighed and pulled off the T-shirt she had slipped on. "Why not," she said. "Todd has seen us in less, and tomorrow he will see even more." Todd had slipped a movie into the DVD player and the three of them sat cross-legged on the living room floor, around a coffee table, attempting to use chopsticks with grace. Todd, having years of experience, easily manipulated the chopsticks, much to Cara's consternation. Ami took the easy way out, spearing chicken balls with a single chopstick. Finally, with a loud "Hmph," she went to the kitchen and came back with forks. It was some time before Todd stopped laughing. They watched the end of "Coyote Ugly" after having finished off the last of the fried Won Tons, being very careful not to spill any of the cherry sauce on the carpet. It was a relaxing evening. Ami went through Kelly's DVD collection, many of which Todd had bought at one time or another and brought over and just left, and then she spied "Wild Things," with Denise Richards and Neve Campbell. "First we have dessert," said Cara. "I'm not sure I have room," said Todd. "Trust me, you always have room for yogurt," said Cara. "Yogurt?" said Todd, screwing up his face at Ami. "Frozen," said Ami. "It's better than ice cream." Cara had mixed the fruit juices that Ami had drained from the fruit the night before, and had placed it in a container that she had slipped into the freezer. It wasn't frozen, but it was nice and slushy. She took three bowls and scooped the frozen blueberry yogurt into them and then liberally applied the fruit juice slush. She topped them with maraschino cherries and carried them and spoons out to the living room. Todd was a bit skeptical, but after his first taste, he smiled and devoured the bowl. Ami and Cara cleared up the dishes and trash, then the girls poured a glass of wine for themselves and Todd and the three of them sat on the sofa together to watch the steamy, erotic, "Wild Things." ------- Chapter 29 Todd was at it early Friday morning. He had left with Ami and Cara shortly after the sun had come up, and they were at the studio before 8:00. Todd had quietly slipped out of bed leaving his two lovers to embrace each other in sleep as he dressed, ate with Ami and Cara, and driven to the studio. Vanetta had come down when she heard the door open and helped Todd as he worked on the gymnasts' make-up. Then the girls had gone into action. Robert came down at 9:00 and had breakfast with Vanetta before he headed out the door to get a loaner van from Eric. Kelly and Laura had slept late after their special day out at the spa and when they arrived at the studio, they found Ami and Cara switching poses nearly as fast as the CrossTrain outfits, and Todd had already gone through four A-12 magazines. Vanetta had been helping Todd out with the girls' makeup and hair. Todd had said it was important that they look natural, so very little was needed in that department other than liner and charcoal to help define their faces. When Kelly and Laura arrived at 10:00, Kelly took over adjusting makeup and hair. Todd knew he should have waited for her, but he was eager to get this job done. There were so many things happening in their lives right now that he felt a bit pressured to complete this extensive assignment. By 11:00, Todd had shot six of the magazines and called for a break. "You girls are starting to look tired," he said to Cara and Ami. "We're fine, we can keep right on going," said Cara as she stripped out of another outfit. Todd stopped her and replaced the A-12 on the back of his 'Blad' with the Polaplus and shot a picture of her in the buff, leaning against the vault. Both Ami and Cara had changed in front of Todd so many times already this morning that it felt stranger to be dressed than nude, and Cara casually waited to see the results of the instant photo. "Shit, Cara. You look wasted!" said Ami. "Your face looks all drawn and your eyes are lifeless!" Cara looked at the photo, and sadly nodded. "I think a break would do me good," she finally said. "And some carbs!" Kelly laughed at them and told them to take a leisurely shower, and when they were done, she would have something full of energy to boost them back up again. As the two gymnasts left the bay, not bothering to dress, just slipping on Ts, Kelly turned to Todd. "They don't look that bad, Todd," she said looking at the picture. "How did you manage this?" Todd smiled and showed Kelly the exposure meter. "I deliberately overexposed her by two F-stops," he said. "I don't want them getting worn out, and they'd keep on working till the job was done. I want them to take a break!" "You're a good man, Todd Ayres," she said as she kissed him on the cheek. ------- Kelly and Laura had arrived home late the night before and found Todd asleep on the sofa, static on the TV screen, a half naked girl cuddled up on each side of him, their arms wrapped around him. "I told you those schoolgirls in those little uniforms would steal his heart," said Kelly to Laura. Both of them giggled. "Should we let them sleep?" Laura asked. "I don't know," said Kelly. "I wouldn't want Ami and Cara to be stiff tomorrow. Todd's going to be doing their CrossTrain shoot." Laura giggled and using just her hands made some suggestions to Kelly, who in turn started to giggle. They moved behind the sofa and Laura started to stroke Cara's waist and breasts, while Kelly stroked Ami's cheek, neck, slowly moving her way down to Ami's nipples, which were now puckered. Both Cara and Ami moaned softly in their sleep and cuddled closer to Todd, their own hands dreamily stroking the body between them. Kelly had to bite her hand to stop from laughing as a very visible tent was starting to appear in Todd's shorts! Laura just smiled and continued to stroke Cara until her moans became more pronounced, and she started to squirm on the sofa. Kelly bent over and gently nibbled on Ami's ear, which caused Ami to turn and start to reach for her lover. Both Ami and Cara were still asleep and responding to unconscious stimuli, and as they turned towards each other, hands started to grope. They found each other's hand right in the middle, on top of Todd's erection! Ami's eyes popped open with shock. Her hand was on something she had never felt before, and then she realized what it was! Cara, for her part, was content to stroke the unusual growth till Ami whispered, "Cara! Look at what you're doing!" Kelly and Laura had dropped to the floor behind the sofa, out of sight, and were struggling not to laugh. Todd managed to stay asleep throughout the entire exchange. "Oh my God!" whispered Cara, her eyes as big as Ami's. "Well, take your hand off of it before it explodes or something!" whispered Ami, carefully removing her hand from Cara's. "It's big isn't it?" asked Cara. "You're asking the wrong girl about that," said Ami. "You're the one who's seen one before." "This is definitely bigger," Cara said. Todd moaned in his sleep now that his hard on was no longer being fondled. "Quick," said Ami, "let's get to bed before he wakes up!" "That's not really fair to Todd," Cara said. "We did this to him." "He'll live," said Ami. "Besides, Kelly and Laura should be home soon and they can take care of him." With that the two gymnasts sprinted to their bedroom. And Kelly and Laura had taken care of him. Though both very sated from their day at the spa, they couldn't let a good erection go to waste. They moved around to kneel in front of their fiancé, and as Kelly undid his shorts, Laura pulled his erection free and engulfed it with her mouth. Todd moaned louder now, still deep in sleep. Kelly shook her head in wonder, and then bent forward to help Laura out, or more precisely, get her share of Todd's very potent baby making juice. Between the two of them, it didn't take long before Todd climaxed, a load that was equally shared by his lovers. This time, when he climaxed, his eyes opened and he smiled at the two beauties kneeling in front of him. He pulled them both up to sit beside him on the sofa, kissing them both deeply and with passion before asking how their day had gone. ------- Laura was busy scrambling eggs in the studio kitchen, while Kelly made a big pitcher of juice full of raw vegetables including lots of red beets. Vanetta finished the call she was making and came to see if she could help. Robert returned shortly after 11:00, just in time to join the group for a drink of the concoction from the juicer. He told them that he had picked up a courtesy van, another luxury model. He could get used to this kind of life! Toasted scrambled egg sandwiches with fresh sliced tomatoes on top were served to, and devoured in quick order by, Cara and Ami. Robert hadn't even given them a second glance when they entered after a long refreshing shower; wet hair combed back, and wearing clinging Ts to their still damp bodies, nipples prominently visible. Robert was scheduled to pick up his 'band' at 12:00, and had been told by Meg that the "Williams Sisters" would try to be at the studio by noon. He had spent a better part of the night calling friends who had horses trying to find the best tack shop in town. The problem was that most of them shopped out of town, and he knew that Todd and Kelly supported local business first. His dad had suggested a number of stores that combined would provide him with what he needed. Of course they were all advertisers in his paper! But Robert had a list in hand, an afternoon with which to see how the boys of the band mixed with the sisters and a lunch to look forward to. Next week he would sit down with the two gymnasts and review their progress through their final year of high school, as he was quite serious about his teaching duties. ------- Harry had traded shifts so he could have the morning off, and had loaded Meg and the girls into the car for a visit to "Muriel's Place." The girls were excited, though not for quite the same reasons as their parents. They knew that this place they were going to look at was important to their folks, and they also knew they would be expected to help out, but what really had them excited was they were getting new clothes today! Like Laura, neither Sam, Jen or even Kat would ever think to complain, but they had grown up wearing discount clothes from the seasonal sales racks. Today, Laura and Kelly had promised them designer name clothes, and the teacher they were supposed to meet today was taking them out for lunch and then to buy costumes to wear when they sang! Their mother had warned them not to ask for anything, but they had seen what their older sister was wearing, and how excited Todd had been when they sang. He had applauded the loudest and with the most enthusiasm, not giving a damn what any of the neighbors might think. He was a hot looking guy, and Kat especially felt a bit jealous of her older sister. But, she was happy for her as well. The last year had taken a lot out of Laura, and now she positively glowed with life and love. Harry pulled into the big empty parking lot at the apartment building, and for a while, he and Meg just stared at it. The brick had been sandblasted and then coated, giving the building a rich look. They took a tour around the outside first, checking the lawns and gardens, while Harry mentally calculated how long it would take him each week to keep the grass trimmed. Todd had said they could contract it out, but Harry was looking forward to riding a rear-bagger and keeping the lawns as sharp looking as any golf course he had ever seen. Meg was looking at the windows and the doorways, doing her own calculating. Then Harry, spinning the keys around on his finger, marched to the front door. With a flourish he opened it and ushered his family inside. Meg gasped when she saw the hallways and the common room on the first floor. Instead of laying down tile, the builder had taken a lot of effort to pattern a motif on the floor out of polished and grouted stone. She understood that most of the first floor apartments were designated and built as handicapped units and she could see that this would make life much easier for anyone in a wheel chair. Cleaning it would be no problem, she thought, wondering what the other floors looked like. In the main lobby, just across from the entrance there was a sign welcoming visitors to "Muriel's Place" and a picture of an elderly woman. There was grace in her features and the lines of age said more about laughter and happiness than it did about becoming old. She didn't need to see the photo credit at the bottom of the picture to know it was one of Todd's portraits. Before risking the chance of falling in love with their brand new apartment, Meg, with clipboard in hand, insisted on a complete checklist of all the chores listed in the contract. She and Harry had decided on what they would subcontract, and a family discussion on sharing of work amongst the three sisters still living at home had followed. Necessity had made Harry a handyman. He was good with plumbing and wiring, and often Lew would help him on jobs he couldn't do on his own. Talking with Lew after the family meeting, Harry and Meg were surprised to hear that Lew and his wife wanted to apply for an apartment. Harry had mentioned retiring after his 25 years were in, and Lew - who was close to 30 years of service - had expressed a bit of envy. Since his accident, Lew had been looking for something, anything he could do besides ride a desk. There wasn't much of a future for Lew except learning to love to watch television. Financially, Lew and his wife were going to be reasonably comfortable, owned their home, and their two kids had long ago finished school and were living on their own. Lew had always been Harry's friend. When Harry had joined the force Lew had been his training officer, and a few years later, the two had been teamed up as partners. Their friendship had been strong since they first met. Now, nearly 25 years later, they were closer than most couples. It had nearly devastated Harry when the drunk had rammed Lew and forced him to a desk job. Hell, when Laura was born, Lew was the only choice to be her godfather. Lew had suggested on the phone that if he and Sally could qualify to rent at the new place, Lew would be more than happy to help Harry out, and he'd gladly do it for free, just to have something to do. Harry had promised to talk about it with Todd and Kelly. Technically, Lew wasn't severely handicapped, and Sally was a few years younger and still working at Mercy Hospital as a nurse practitioner. Harry and Meg read over the terms of the contract again after the phone call, and it appeared that they would have complete autonomy on running the building except for a few basic regulations. They could technically do it, but Harry felt that if they took it on, he would still feel better asking Todd first. ------- As Meg counted off windows and checked access, Kat, Sam, and Jen were riding the elevators up and down, checking out the plush pile carpeting in the halls on the upper floors. "I could vacuum this hall in 30 minutes," Kat said to her sisters. "If we went along with you," said Jen, "we could probably dust, and clean the windows at the same time." "Don't forget there's three floors of carpeting and one of marble," said Sam. "Two hours then to do all four floors, and the main floor isn't marble," said Kat. "It's some kind of polished stone." "Okay, whatever," sighed Sam. "My point is, between the three of us we could do the entire building, vacuuming, dusting and washing the windows in about two hours. Mom said the contract called for doing this once a week, but if we do it twice a week, it will never get so dirty that we have to work hard at it. What do you think, Kat?" "I think you might be on to something, Sam," said Kat, "but how about this? We do only one floor a day. That means we'd only be at it for half an hour per day between the three of us, and three out of the four floors would be done twice a week while the remaining floor will alternate to the first day of the following week. That way, we can do all the normal stuff we want to do, get our homework done and still have time to perform!" Both Jen and Sam nodded their agreement to Kat's suggestion. They walked down the stairs on the end of the building closest to where their own new apartment was going to be. "Damn," said Kat. "We have to remember there are two stairwells. We'll need to maintain them as well." "Kid's play," said Sam. "Jen and I can do those with dust mops when we finish the hall. We'll take a stairwell each, and meet you back at the main floor." That settled, the girls decided to tell Mom and Dad they had made up their minds! ------- The Williams gathered at the "Manager's" apartment, obviously designed by the builder for his own family. There was a separate office and a giant utility room with access to the apartment and the hall, already set up with utilities and shelving. The master bedroom was large, easily 16 feet wide with a large window that looked out on the gardens. A walk in closet made Meg sigh. There were two bathrooms in the apartment, one attached to the Master bedroom and another located between the other two bedrooms. All brand new fixtures as well, not a single mark on anything. The other bedrooms also had windows facing the gardens at the rear, and both were larger than the ones at their house. The living room was large, but the windows to the outside world opened up to the main front lawn and part of the parking lot, though it did have sliding patio doors and a raised 8 x 12 foot patio deck, the only one of its kind in the entire building. Flooding would not be a problem as the building's main floor was three feet above ground level. The open plan kitchen, filled with all new appliances, made the entire apartment seem larger. Meg looked at Harry and the girls looked to both of them. Harry was looking around slowly nodding as he took in all the possibilities. Sam and Jen ran for the bedroom they had already tagged as theirs, hollering, "Dibs!" Meg knelt down on the brand new carpet in the living room feeling the quality texture, then sat on the floor looking at the walls, mentally planning where she would put her pictures. Harry smiled. "Do we need to take a vote on this," he asked Kat. Kat looked lovingly at her father. He had been so good to them, and finally understood what Laura had said to her. "Daddy," she said. "The twins and I have decided, and if you and Mom want this, we'll do the bulk of the cleaning. We've already figured out how to do it so that it won't disrupt our school work or interfere with anything else." Harry listened to his second eldest daughter explain the way they had figured to vacuum and dust and clean windows. He was impressed. Harry had always tried to teach his girls to think for themselves and to be creative and this would take a big burden off of Meg. They would figure out how to manage the common room for the tenants, but Harry figured they would want to take care of much of that themselves. He had seen places like this before, and lonely seniors would rather watch TV together than by themselves in their own apartments and he could already see card games and board games being played through the daytime. Harry called his troop together, and helped Meg off the floor. "Well, mother?" he asked her. "The final word is yours." Three young heads were bobbing up and down enthusiastically, and Meg smiled and gave Harry a kiss. "Let's go home and start packing," she said. "Maybe we should stop at the studio first," he said, "and give them our answer. Besides, we're supposed to be dropping the girls off there so they can meet with the teacher and the boys in the band, and I believe there is a small matter of some second hand clothes for the girls..." "Daddy! Those are designer clothes!" said Sam. "I can hardly wait to see if there's anything in my size," said Jen. "If Laura said there is," said Kat, "you know there is. Laura has never lied to us. Besides... we're also going to be getting stage costumes today!" "Well, just don't you be letting all these fancy clothes be getting to your heads now girls," Harry gently said. "You're still the same girls. Clothes don't make the person, their actions do." Meg smiled at him, putting her arm through his as he started locking the doors. "So," she said quietly, "how is Annie these days?" ------- Vanetta called Kelly away from her work putting fresh makeup on the girls to take a phone call. "Kelly, you better talk to him. He doesn't want a model, and I haven't a clue what he's talking about!" "Kelly Jennsen speaking." "Miss Jennsen?" said a deep male voice. "I'm David Klassen, executive producer of Miami Blue. Have you seen our show?" "I'm afraid not, Mr. Klassen, but then I don't watch much television. Should I be watching it?" she asked with a laugh. He laughed as well. "It would make my job a bit easier," he said, "but the basic premise is a cop/private eye/action adventure show set in sunny Miami. Our demographics are straightforward. The show is geared to a male audience age 18 - 35." "That's very interesting, Mr. Klassen, but what does this have to do with our company?" "Well, we've been renewed for a fourth season, which is pretty critical to a series if it hopes to get into syndication. Five years, and we are set for residual checks for a long time to come. But the network thinks there are too many muscle men in the show and want to add a female." "Uh, Mr. Klassen, we don't represent actors, just models, and a show geared to your market, you have no females in it?" Dave Klassen sighed. "I told you it would be easier if you were familiar with the show." Then he laughed. "Yes, Miss Jennsen, we have lots of females on the show. After all, it's part of the appeal for our market. Lots of pretty ladies in bathing suits to give the show color, but the main characters are all male. Miami Blue is set on the waterways of Miami. Lots of boat chases, fancy stunts, you know the style." "Ah, yes." said Kelly. "Bad guys get chased by good guys except instead of on a highway, you use the water. But I still don't understand what that would have to do with our agency." "One of our tech consultants was at Brookhaven a while back, it's a little island off the..." Kelly interrupted. "Yes, I know Brookhaven, Mr. Klassen, and I think I know what you're after. Your consultant was there for the testing of the new wing on the IC boat, and he happened to spot one of our models driving it. Have I got that right?" Dave laughed. "Yes, exactly! I've seen the pictures of course, but my tech guy said they don't compare to what that young lady can do with a boat. Now, nothing against IC boats, Miss Jennsen, but we don't use family cruisers on our show except to run into or over them. We use powerful speedboats and cigarette boats when we're chasing drug smugglers or bank robbers. The network wants us to add a female detective to the squad, but trying to find an actress who can properly drive a boat is impossible. We thought since you represented her, perhaps we could get her as a stunt double. Our cameras are just too good now to use a man behind the wheel, and surprisingly, for all the female race car drivers we have available, we can't seem to find one stunt woman who can make a boat stand on its nose, which according to my tech consultant your Sara Douglas can do." "Hmm... what kind of money are we talking Mr. Klassen?" Kelly asked. "Ah, right to business. Good. We'd be willing to offer her 10 grand per week during shooting." "For how many weeks?" "We shoot 20 weeks out of the year," Dave replied. "I'm sorry Mr. Klassen, I can get double that for her just to be a demo driver for IC or for Regan Boats. Perhaps you'd be better off teaching an actress how to drive a boat." Vanetta snickered, which earned her a smile from Kelly. "Well, can she act?" he asked. "Does she present well on camera?" "For $25,000 you can do a week of tests with her," Kelly said. "That's a lot of money, Miss Jennsen," he said. "She's worth that and a whole lot more. Call Regan's and ask about how she tunes her own boats. Wouldn't it be worthwhile to have someone who could get her hands dirty and know what part she was holding and make it look like she was totally at ease with it? Or is the network not interested in trying to capture reality? I should also add that Ms. Douglas is a licensed light aircraft pilot as well and flies as well as she drives a boat." Dave thought it over for a minute. Hell, his male stars couldn't drive their own boats and they got 200 grand per episode. "Deal," he said. "How soon can we set this up?" "Let me give you back to Miss Clarke, who will finalize the paperwork with you and I will contact Ms. Douglas and arrange for a week, say the first week of September?" Dave chuckled. "And if we like her, I'm sure you'll be ready with a contract. Right, Miss Jennsen?" "Mr. Klassen. I'm shocked. I thought you would like to deal with professionals. If you like the test and you run her footage through your screening group and her TVQ is high, we'd be willing to let you have her for one season at $50,000 per episode. She won't receive residuals from the first three seasons, so if season four boosts your ratings, we would want $100,000 per episode for season five and $150,000 per episode for season six if it goes that far." "Thank you, Miss Jennsen. We'll see how the test goes and if all works out well, we'll let our lawyers do the rest." "One more thing, Mr. Klassen," Kelly said. "I know how much the actors on "Friends" and "ER" make per episode, so, please don't think you've managed to slide one by us. This is an opportunity for Sara to gain some national exposure at what she does best, so it works in both our interests to make sure she comes off as knowledgeable and capable, and not a dumb blonde or window dressing. If we are clear on that, we will work with you to give you and the network what you need." After a moment of silence, a subdued Dave Klassen said, "Thank you for your candor, Miss Jennsen. I will give you my word that if Miss Douglas works out, that she won't be a dumb blonde or just window dressing." Kelly nodded to Vanetta who took over the line again and arranged for a time and contacts plus flight and accommodations for Sara's time in Miami. ------- Kelly called Sara on another line and told her the good news. "Miami Blue?" screamed Sara. "I love that show! Man! I'd really get a chance to drive one of their babies? Triple Mercury 150 outboards? How much do I have to pay them to let me fly one of those?" Kelly was laughing as she explained to Sara that the producers had seen her work and wanted to do a screen test on her, and she might land the role of the new mechanic savvy detective. Kelly held the phone away from her ear as Sara squealed. "I'm glad you aren't too excited by this, Sara," said Kelly. "Vanetta's arranging for you to fly down and a place for you to stay. If you want to take somebody with you, that's up to you, it's all covered. If nothing else, you'll get chance to play with the boats and have a nice vacation in Miami and get to roam the sets." Seeing Vanetta hang up from her dealings with Mr. Klassen, Kelly said, "I'll pass you over to Vanetta now, Sara. She's got the details and can answer any questions you have. By the way, you are still coming to the company party next weekend, right?" "You bet, Kelly!" said Sara. "Most of us have arranged to get away from what we're doing. Hell, with everybody all over the place now, it will be more like a reunion for us! Love you! See you next weekend!" Kelly smiled as she hung up the phone and Vanetta took over. It was time for a smoke! ------- Though Cara and Ami weren't tired, they didn't mind the break either. Todd had shot off two more A-12 mags, and they were running out of poses. Todd had suggested they redo some of the more ambitious ones in other outfits, just to cover all the bases. They were sipping on mineral water listening to Kelly retell the tale of Sara's good fortune when the Williams family walked in. Todd looked up and saw the smile on Harry's face, and grinned back as he got up to shake his hand. Laura was up giving her mother a hug as Kelly introduced the younger sisters to Robert. "I take it you like the building?" Todd asked. "The whole family loves it," said Meg. "I'm curious about the picture in the lobby. Is that Muriel?" Kelly smiled and said it was. Todd had taken it on Muriel's 100th birthday. Robert had tried to explain to the girls that he had a great lunch planned for them, but Laura saw the look in their eyes. She asked him if he could wait a few minutes longer and let the girls have some fun first. Robert looked at Vanetta who winked at him. "Sure, why not? We have all the time we need, right?" he asked as he looked at Harry. "As long as you have them home by supper time," Meg said. Cara and Ami grabbed the hands of Kat, Sam, and Jen and practically raced them to the storage rooms! Laura laughed and said to Kelly, "I remember when I used to get so excited by clothes. I guess you were right, Kelly. After a while, you realize it's just something to wear." "Maybe you could take your mother back after the girls are done and see if there's anything she would like?" suggested Kelly. Meg tried to protest, but Laura was having none of it. "Let the girls check out the hot new styles, Mom. Then we can look at the swanky stuff in peace." Meg blushed, but nodded. Robert introduced himself to Meg and Harry, and told them what his plans were for the girls, along with assurances that this project would not interfere with their schoolwork when summer was over. "After all," he said, "there's nothing more important than a good education." Todd offered Harry a beer, but Harry said he had to work the afternoon shift. "I'll be glad when I can say goodbye to that job," he added. "So?" asked Kelly, "are you going to take it?" Harry smiled at her. "We're going over to your lawyer's office right after we leave here. I only have one question that I really need an answer to." "And that is?" asked Todd. "We have an older couple that are interested in moving in, but they aren't seniors, at least not for a little while. You met Lew the other night. It's him and his wife. She works at Mercy Hospital, but Lew, he's my oldest friend. He's coming up on his 30 year mark, and though he can't run too great any more, he can still walk, so he's not exactly handicapped either." "You don't have to explain, Harry," said Todd. "Look at the contract. You and Meg will have full control over who rents there or not. Kelly and I are not going to interfere at all!" Harry let out a sigh of relief. He would have hated to turn down his old friend. Robert went back to his desk and called the boys telling them he would be running a half hour late, but the lunch was worth waiting for. Harry and Meg sat down to join Kelly, Todd, and Laura for tea. Vanetta finished the New York report and she and Robert joined them. Kelly offered to make lunch for them, but Meg and Harry said they would be moving on soon. They were going to stop at Steve's, and then Harry had to get ready for work. Vanetta brought out a new tin of Belgian chocolate cookies. "We keep these on hand," she said as she unwrapped the gold foil from the box, "but you'll rarely see any of our models eat them!" Kelly laughed and said, "Well, we do have to watch our figures!" They sat quietly discussing Muriel's Place but could hear sounds of laughter coming from the back of the studio. It sounded like the younger Williams girls were enjoying themselves. Harry looked at the gymnastics equipment and asked Todd about it. "I'm doing a new clothing catalog for CrossTrain Sports," Todd said. "Cara and Ami are the models for it," said Laura. "They were world class, medal winning competitors, but with the Olympics still two years away, they were unlikely to make it to the finals. Both of them have sustained minor injuries over the years, and continued competition would have caused more problems. Now, Ami is Todd's apprentice, and Cara works in the office part time for Vanetta and as a personal assistant for Kelly." Harry looked at Todd for a minute; something was clearly on his mind. Finally he said, "I'm almost willing to bet that when they signed on to model, they thought that was all they had, right?" Todd laughed. "Well, I'd been thinking about taking on an apprentice for a while. Sometimes the work is too much for me to do all by myself, and when Ami asked about a future in photography..." Harry nodded. "I thought as much," he said with a smile. "Is there anyone who comes close to you two who doesn't end up better off than before?" "I can think of a certain man in your jail right now who might beg to differ," said Todd. Harry laughed a big booming laugh. "No, I guess Mr. Labadie wouldn't think so!" "But all those with good hearts would," said Meg with a loving look at her husband. Twenty minutes later, they were subjected to a parade of young fashions displayed by the Williams sisters. Grown up designer clothes for teens. It was clear to see by the beaming smiles on the three girls that they thought they had hit the mother lode. There was nothing like this in the stores in Charlotte! At least not in any stores they had ever seen, and none of their friends had clothes like this! The adults were expected to applaud each time another of the sisters came out in a new outfit, till finally, Laura followed the girls into the storage area and reminded them that they had an appointment with Robert and the boys in the band. The clothes would still be there next week and more arrived all the time, and not to be too greedy. "Sorry, Laura," said Kat. "But you know what it's like. If I never have to see another pair of Wal-Mart discount jeans again, it will be too soon." Laura softened her tone a bit. "I know, Kat, and I promise you, those days are gone. I'm making good money now, and if nothing else, I'll take care of you guys, but you do have an appointment to buy some clothes." Laura laughed. "Doesn't that sound silly? All these clothes and yet Todd and Kelly are going to buy you stage outfits?" "Are you sure we can have these?" asked Samantha, clutching a pile to her chest. "Yes, Sweetheart, but put them back on their hangers and I'll get you proper garment bags to put them in. Then when you guys are gone, I'm going to see if I can't find something for Mom." Cara and Ami helped the girls put the clothes back on the hangers and into the garment bags and after they had replaced all the clothes they had decided against, they were set to go. "And it's time for us," said Ami, "to get back to work!" ------- The girls left with Robert, after giving Todd a hug and thanks and they gave Kelly a kiss as well as big hugs and thanks. Kelly smiled, her eyes moist, and reminded them that every week there was more coming, and she would make sure that items in their size would be put aside. Laura added that she would take them shopping for new shoes next week. "Now, Mom, how about we see what there is for you!" Meg was hesitant, till Kelly laid her hand on Meg's arm. "Do it, Meg. It will make me happy." Meg blushed and then kissed Kelly on the cheek and left with Laura. Kelly and Todd worked on Cara and Ami's makeup again, repairing any damage, and taking their time. Todd had said he was sure that he had more than enough good shots, and now would rather have the girls pick out uniforms that they themselves liked. They would wait until Harry and Meg left before they started the quick change routine again. They weren't exhibitionists. Harry was looking at the poster of Laura and Kelly in their Star Trek underwear, when he felt Vanetta standing beside him. "What do you think of your daughter as a model, Harry?" she asked. Harry chuckled. "It's hard to imagine that the girl in that picture is my baby," he said. "This is a very... provocative picture." "Yes it is," said Vanetta calmly. "Do you like it? I think it's one of the best of the recent shots Todd has done." "It's kind of hard for me to say that I like it," Harry answered truthfully. "I guess I never expected to see my baby look so..." "Sexy?" asked Vanetta. Harry laughed, and blushed a bit. "Yeah. She does look sexy and it's hard for me to separate my feelings as her father, from those of a Star Trek fan." "She's not nude," said Vanetta. "Nor does she look cheap. I think you should be proud of the beautiful daughter you have." Harry turned his head to the side still looking at the picture. "You know what I'm proud of, Vanetta?" "What's that, Harry?" "Not that I have a beautiful daughter because to me, she's always been beautiful, but she survived, and she looks so happy." Vanetta slipped her arm through Harry's. "She is happy, and she hasn't forgotten the lessons you and Meg taught her. None of this is going to her head, her ego is stronger than when I first met her, and she's more self confident, but she's still a good person with a level head on her shoulders." Harry put his arm around Vanetta's shoulder. "Thanks, Vanetta. I think that's because she's around good people." He gave her a quick squeeze then went back to the kitchen just in time to see Meg walk out with a bag full of clothes and wearing a Versace pant suit. He whistled as he saw his darling wife. Kelly and Laura insisted on putting a touch of makeup on Meg before she and Harry had to leave. As Laura walked them to the door, Harry pointed out the photo poster to Meg and said, "That's our baby girl. Doesn't she look beautiful?" Meg smiled and said, "and she looks so happy." Harry hugged Laura, told her he loved her and then they were gone. Laura locked the door behind them and Cara and Ami stripped and changed into new outfits. Kelly, Vanetta, and Laura cleaned up the kitchen and then Vanetta went back to work while Kelly sat back and had a cigarette watching the gymnasts do their stuff before she returned to her desk. Laura booted up her computer and decided to do a few more lessons on line. ------- "Annie" A special by: Dream Painter Laura shut down the computer before her with a resounding and loud oath. "Damn!" she swore. All the heads in the immediate vicinity lifted from their individual work. "What's up, Sweetheart?" Kelly said looking up from her work. "Ah, nothing. I just have to run down to the school and pick up some paper-work" Laura groaned. "Everything is supposed to be online now, but I still have to pick up worksheets from just this one professor." "Yep," said Vanetta, "there's still some who accept work online, mostly through their TA's, but still expect you to show up to pick up the specific assignments." "Hey, Honey," she said to Todd who was hovering over Kelly at that particular moment, "can I take the Tracker?" "You have a set of keys, Sweetheart. There's no need to ask." Todd said reassuringly as he looked up from the screen of Kelly's computer. He and Kelly were reviewing some earlier shots deciding on how to do the first month's layout for the magazine. But Laura hadn't quite gotten used to not having the Honda and felt she should ask first. Within minutes she had her purse on her shoulder, and her keys in her hand. "Don't forget to turn on your cell," Vanetta called to her as Laura made her way to the door of the studio. "I won't, I promise. Miss me!" and with that Laura made her way to the parking lot and over to Todd's Tracker. She had liked the Tracker ever since that day in the park when she had given Todd the mind wrenching blowjob in broad daylight. Laura giggled to herself as she adjusted the seat and clicked the seatbelt into place. Turning the key she remembered his gasping reaction, again she giggled. She looked at her watch. Damn, it was almost 4:00. "If I take a short cut, down by the old train depot, and the cotton gin, I'll get there sooner," she thought to herself, so rather than the usual right turn out of the business center, she made a left. A native of Charlotte, Laura knew just about all of the shortcuts in town, despite the fact that many were in some of the seedier neighborhoods. Slipping the Indigo Girls into the CD player she never gave it a second thought. Cranking up the volume and singing to each tune, she rounded the curve to the old rail district. To her left were the rusted remains of cotton baling equipment, machinery of unimaginable uses with a dull red patina; to her right, the boarded up World War II train depot and processing station, tall weeds rising up past the windows. She noticed the parched dead grass between the rails and ties as she braced herself to glide over the tracks. It was then that the Indigo Girls stopped in mid verse. After a cough and a sputter the drone of the motor in the Tracker suddenly and abruptly halted. There wasn't so much as a light lit on the dashboard. Laura tried turning the key. Nothing, not even a click. "Damn," she said to herself softly then looked over at her purse. Laura dug out her cell phone. Turning it on she quickly scrolled through the phonebook. Daddy, House, Kelly, Todd, Studio... "No, I don't want to disturb them, they were all so busy when I left." She scrolled through the various names again, "Daddy! I'll call Daddy! He'll know what to do!" and she immediately pressed the 'send' button. After a couple of rings Laura heard the familiar voice of her father, "Williams." "Hey, Daddy," Laura said. "Hey, Pumpkin!" Officer Williams answered with genuine surprise. "Want to rescue a damsel in distress?" she asked tentatively. "Sure, Sweetie. What's up?" Harry asked. "Well," Laura said hesitantly, "I'm sort of out on Slocum Road, just past the gin across from the old train depot and the Tracker is deader than a doornail." "Laura Williams, that is no place for you to... haven't I told you a million times that... oh never mind. I'll be there as soon as I can," Harry snorted; none too happy, but glad his 'little girl' had thought to call him. "Stay in the Tracker and don't open the doors for anyone but me, you understand," he said firmly. "Yes Daddy, I promise, I won't talk to any strangers," Laura giggled only to hear him groan on the other end of the line. "See you in a bit," she said as cheerfully as possible and hit the 'end' button on her phone. Laura tossed the phone onto the passenger's seat to settle in for a wait. She mentally calculated how long until her rescuer arrived. Within minutes Laura was bored. After the last six months, she was used to doing things and being on the go. Not sitting, waiting, stuck on a railroad crossing. She sighed heavily, played a few games of blackjack on her cell, losing four out of six games until at last she tossed the device back into her purse. That's when she heard the rattletrap Ford Bronco grumble over the tracks beside her, (the same railroad tracks she hadn't managed to cross), in a cloud of red dust. It rattled forward a hundred feet before the driver threw the vehicle into reverse. Laura fidgeted nervously remembering her father's words. The driver's side door of the Bronco flew open and out strode a small but muscular woman. Her long gray and auburn hair was flying about her head in the afternoon breeze. "You okay in there?" the woman yelled through the closed window. "Yeah, I'm okay, my Dad's coming to rescue me," Laura replied through the closed window. The woman from the Bronco nodded in understanding then strode back to her vehicle. She was nearly there when she turned back returning to the Tracker. "You know, if you don't mind my saying so, you picked just about the worst possible place in Charlotte to break down!" She yelled to the closed window, "You got any water in there?" Laura shook her head 'no'. "You want some?" asked the stranger. Laura, feeling a bit on the helpless side, nodded yes. The woman opened the back of her Bronco, revealing about eight Styrofoam coolers. Opening up one of the coolers nearest the back door she extracted two sport bottles of water and returned to the Tracker. "You know, you're going to have to open the door or lower the window to take this water, don't you?" the stranger yelled through the glass to Laura. Laura reluctantly opened the door and stepped out onto the dusty gravel paved road. The strange woman offered her a sports bottle of water, saying softly, "easy girl, it's cool... relax... I'm not going to bite you, I promise. You called someone? Somebody's on the way?" Laura nodded, "Yeah, my Dad's coming," she said softly suddenly feeling shy. "I think it would be a good idea if we waited here with you until he arrives?" the strange woman said. "Just to make sure everything is okay." Laura nodded yes then said softly, "We?" Not seeing anyone else in the colorless rusted Bronco. "Yeah, me and Bubba... Yo, Bubba!" the woman called back towards her vehicle. Suddenly an enormous black and tan German shepherd dove out through the driver's side window. "Meet Bubba, I'm Annie... and you are... ?" "... Ah... I'm... ah... Laura" Laura stammered trying to smile while at the same time trying to shove the shepherd's nose away from her crotch. "Hey, Laura," Annie said calmly, softly, "This really isn't a very good side of town, Bubba and I will just hang here for a while 'til your Dad shows up, okay? Around here there really is safety in numbers... Bubba! Cut that shit out!!!" Annie sighed, "Just like a man," she grimaced. "Hey, are you hungry? I've some great stuff in the truck." "Hungry?" said Laura, somewhat bewildered by her new found protectors, "ah... no... ah... maybe, whatcha got?" "Lets see," Annie said while stepping again to the back of the Bronco, "I got potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, ribs... oh, I know! Here, try some of this, sun dried tomato dip; my signature dish!" Annie posed as though for an adoring crowd and grinned at Laura while her long auburn hair flew madly about her face and shoulders. She pulled a white plastic tub from one of the coolers along with yet another bottle of water and a bag of pita chips from a paper bag nearby. "Here, munch on this! Bubba, heel!" Annie ordered the dog, slapping her left thigh. The shepherd stepped up close and hung tightly to her thigh. She offered Laura the bag of chips and tub of dip along with another bottle of water. Laura dunked her hand into the bag grabbing a chip, and then scraped the chip across the tub of pink dip. Hesitantly biting into the mixture and with a full mouth she said, "Damn, this is good!" Annie couldn't help but laugh at Laura trying to speak with her mouth full of chip and pink cream cheese. "It's different, but it's good!" Annie conceded. "I'm making a delivery... have a catering business... I don't think they'll miss one pound out of twelve at the spa. I won't charge 'em for it, no biggie." "Oh, hell!" Annie said grimacing as she looked up and saw the squad car pull up behind the Tracker. "Hey 'ossifer' Wil-liams, don't you have better things to do than write tickets to innocent young girls with car trouble??" She glared at Harry as he stepped out of the squad. Laura whirled around, her mouth still full of dip and chips to greet her father. "Hey, Daddy!" Laura said happily. "Hey, Pumpkin, hey, Annie, Bubba," Harry said raising his hand to the brim of his hat. "Your Dad?" Annie asked under her breath. "Yep," Laura replied. Annie emitted an audible groan. "Don't it just stand to reason," she muttered. "Try and be a Good Samaritan, and it turns out to be Harry's kid." Raising her head and her voice, Annie said, "Yeah, well we were just leaving Harry, good to see you again," Annie said as she turned towards the truck, "Oh, Harry, did you guys know there's suppose to be a big wing-ding at the Carson's place the end of the week... Louis Carson's?" "Ah, no Annie, we hadn't heard anything about it. Are you going to do the party?" Harry said with a familiarity that somewhat startled Laura. "Me, hell no! I stopped doing parties for him since he stiffed me 2K a couple of months back. No, Gerald's are doing it, but I happen to know they plan to clear out around midnight and Gerald told me they ordered a hell of a lot of booze. You know Carson, he's always got another party going on in the back... might be worth your while if nothing else to set up a check point... just a thought Harry," Annie said smugly. "Thanks for the tip, Annie, I'll mention it to the Chief." Officer Williams then turned his attention to his daughter. "Bubba! Yo, Bubba! Get your ass over here, you're gonna get ticks!" Something had drawn the shepherd's attention to the other side of a ditch near the dead Tracker, "Bubba, come!" Annie ordered. "Its not just a figure of speech. Damn it, dog, I'm gonna turn you into a rug if you don't get your fuzzy butt over here!" Annie gracefully jumped the ditch to stand beside the dog. "Oh, hell," she said calmly. But in the quiet of the area both Harry and Laura turned their head as they heard her swear. "Ossifer Wil-liams?" Annie called as she tugged at the shepherd's heavy leather collar, "Lookie what Bubba found. I think you might wanna see this." Reluctantly Harry parted from his oldest baby and made his way through the weeds, "Now that's not what I'd call your regular Saturday Night Special, eh Harry? I say it's a hmmm... lets see, a Glock 9mm?" "Damn it, Annie, who's the cop here, you or me?" Harry said good-naturedly. "Hey, I'm just a caterer who is outta here!" Annie tugged the shepherd back towards the Bronco. "Annie, you know I'm going to have to ask you some questions about all this," said Harry as he stood in the weeds preparing to call in a report on the radio hanging on his belt. Annie opened the driver's side door and Bubba bounded into the Bronco. "Don't ask me, ask Bubba, he's the one that found it!" she yelled to Officer, (Ossifer), Williams. "Nice meeting you, Laura! Harry, you know where I work." Within seconds the old Bronco disappeared down the road. Laura looked at the cloud of dust in a complete state of confusion, and then to her Father who was busy calling in a report, finally to the tub of dip she held in her hand. The label on the side of the white plastic tub read: Sun Dried Tomato Dip "A Woman's Place Catering" 121 South Harvard Street Charlotte, NC Call (704) 555-8470 for your Catering Needs Annie & Bubba Prince Proprietors ------- Laura sat on the passenger's side of the squad car next to her Father as they drove back to the studio from the college. Soon after Annie had left, the forensics team had arrived to pick up and examine the pistol that Bubba had found. When the tow truck arrived, Laura instructed the driver to return the dead beast to the dealership. The driver of the truck owed Harry a couple of favors and loaded the Tracker up at no charge. TKO could easily afford to pay the towing bill, but it was more a matter of pride that Harry was able to help out his 'little' girl. Laura called the studio to let her lovers know she had been delayed. Explaining to them that the Tracker had broken down and she was going to take advantage of this opportunity to spend some quality 'dad and daughter time' with her Father. Todd had been concerned, particularly when she told him the area of town she had broken down in but he seemed to understand Laura wanting to be with her Dad for a bit. She didn't see him as often anymore, something that Todd vowed to himself to set right. It was quite clear that Harry loved his kids and they in turn adored him. Besides, Todd had enjoyed the barbeque with the Williams family. Family was important. Chuck had reminded him of that! ------- "Hey Daddy, where'd you meet... ah?" Laura began. "Annie? Oh, Annie used to have a restaurant over on the east side... you know... where they were rehabbing all those old storefronts. I'm the one that closed her down." Harry replied nonchalantly. "What?" Laura looked at him aghast. "Well, actually it was the judge that shut her down, but yeah, we had to close her down all the same. Shame too... a nice little place from what I heard. Served beer, wine... frou-frou 'girlie' food. As a matter of fact, that was the name too... A Woman's Space... your Mom loves her coleslaw. I pick up a tub of it every time I'm out that way," Harry said. "Mom's not making that great coleslaw anymore?" Laura was surprised. "Your Mom hasn't made coleslaw for years, Pumpkin. That 'great' coleslaw is Annie's!" Harry chuckled. "Hell, I guess I'm the one that convinced Annie to go into the catering business in the first place... guess it was, I don't know, a year... a year and a half ago." Suddenly he got quiet. "The same day your uncle Lew got hurt." "Okay, Pumpkin, we're here," Harry pulled police cruiser pull into the parking lot at the studio. He leaned over to give his baby a kiss on the cheek. "And the next time you decide to take a short cut... stay the hell off Slocum Road." Wagging his finger he gave Laura a stern look that took her back to her childhood, and reminded her that her Father was making a point that should be remembered. She leaned in to return the kiss on his cheek and said softly, "'K Daddy, I will. No more Slocum Road for me!" She giggled as she unlatched the seat belt and slid from the passenger's side seat. Laura waved to her Father as he pulled out of the drive and into the industrial complex. As she entered the studio Todd was already on the phone with the dealership and chatting away with a mechanic. "No problem Ed, we'll just pick it up tomorrow, no hurry." Laura gave him a wave and a quick peck on the cheek as he chatted. She then bounded up the steps to the kitchen where Vanetta and Kelly were sitting at the breakfast bar each sipping a bottle of mineral water. Laura leaned over to Kelly and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "Well, it sounds like you've had a pretty exciting day. Are you all right, Sweetheart?" Kelly asked with genuine concern. "Yeah, thanks. I am now," Laura said. Laura dug in her purse for a few seconds completely preoccupied. "I have just met the most amazing woman!" She said to both Kelly and Vanetta as she pulled the white tub of dip from her purse. She looked at them both them and continued. "And you both have to try some of this!" ------- Kelly was reading the label as she dunked her 20th chip into the dip. "This really is good! You said she caters? What luck! Our company barbeque has just been expanded by all the off duty police officers from your Dad's precinct. The caterer I have can't do the extra food." "Huh?" said a perplexed Laura. "Just buy some more meat and potatoes," she said. "Can't, Laura," said Vanetta. This caterer is strictly kosher. A lot of our New York people can't eat anything but, and a kosher caterer can't mix foods or serve pork or shellfish." "Wow," said Laura. "I don't know if she caters anything that big and what if she's not available? This would be awful short notice." "Well," said Kelly reading the label again, "let's give Annie Prince a call and see if she's interested. It's the least we can do after she saved your beautiful butt!" Kelly dialed the number but as she did, a frown crossed her face. She looked at the container again as the phone rang on the other end. "I..." and she stopped mid sentence when the receiver was picked up and a male voice answered. "Hello?" inquired a distinctive southern voice. Kelly seemed confused. "Ah, is this 'A Woman's Place'?" she asked. "Yez'm, but Mizz Annie ain't in right now." "Ah, is this Bubba?" Kelly asked, and then had to wait for the laughter to stop. "No Ma'm. I's Jacob. I helps Mizz Annie." Kelly was still shaking her head. Something was out of place. "Er, could you have Miss Annie call me please?" Kelly asked. "Lemme get a pencil first," said Jacob, then he said, "Iffin you can hold on a minute, I think Mizz Annie is jus' commin' in now." Kelly waited as she heard Jacob telling somebody that the person on the phone thought he was Bubba. He started laughing again. "Hello?" said a female voice. "This is Annie. What can I do for you?" "This is Kelly Jennsen, I just tried some of your sun dried tomato dip. You gave a package to a friend of mine about two hours ago." "I did?" asked Annie. "Oh, that must be Laura! She made it back in one piece then." It was a statement, not a question. "Yes, she did. Thank you very much for staying with her." "No problem," said Annie. "Is that what you called about?" "No, I'm sorry," said Kelly. "I seem to be addlebrained right now. ' A Woman's Place.' Wasn't there a restaurant by that name? Closed down about a year ago?" "Yeah, sorta," said Annie. " It use to be 'A Woman's Space, ' but I changed it to 'A Woman's Place, ' after Laura's daddy shut me down and I went into the catering business. " "My God, what on earth for?" asked Kelly. "I only had the chance to eat there once and the floors were clean enough to eat off of. I went back about a month later and it was gone." "Well, it wasn't for health reasons," Annie said. Laura, growing restless with Kelly's confusion, picked up another phone and punched into the same line. "Hi, Annie? This is Laura. You'll have to excuse the girlfriend. She's had a hectic day. Daddy brought me back and I had to share your fantastic dip with her. Turns out that a party she's planning is going to have more people arrive than the caterer can handle, and she needs someone to fill in." "Well, why in the hell didn't she just say so?" asked Annie. "I think it's because just when she dialed the name of your business brought back some memories," said Laura. "Anyway, I told her that you were probably too busy and that this was awful short notice, but your signature dip, it's a hit here!" Annie took pride in her food, and her tone mellowed instantly. "Okay. I can understand people having a rough day. What day, how many people and why the hell can't the other caterer just increase their staff." Kelly spoke again. "I'm sorry, Miss Prince. You're right. It just caught me off guard and it has been a very busy day. The caterer doing the company BBQ is strictly kosher. Beef and salmon only. We had to order the beef a month in advance, and we just can't get enough this close to next weekend to feed everybody that's now coming." "I don't do kosher," said Annie. "Too much hassle for too little business in Charlotte." "I understand perfectly," said Kelly. "I don't need more kosher. That was mostly for our friends from New York. It was easier to go all kosher than mix and match, but the guest list has grown from 200 to over 300. I need some good food for all these people." "What day next weekend?" Annie asked. "Saturday, at Carowinds Park," said Kelly. Annie whistled. "Pretty fancy," she said. "Okay. I don't come cheap, but I won't hold out for a ransom either. Good food for a fair price. That's what I do. How many people do you want me to prepare for?" "I'd say 150," said Kelly, "but to be on the safe side, make it for 200. We can always donate the leftovers to one of the shelters in town afterwards." Annie liked the sound of that. This woman might be stressed, but her heart was good. "How about this," she said. "I can get a pig slaughtered this week. Get it all dressed and marinated. I've got a giant pig roaster, and we can cut off what people want right on the spot. Start early enough in the day and he should be ready by suppertime. If you like, I can also do up slabs of ribs, maybe a giant kettle of sweet corn as well? How are you set for taters?" "Annie, you're a life saver," said Kelly. "Baked potatoes I've got covered, nearly 500 Yukon Gold, but I like the idea of sweet corn, fresh from the pot. We'd like to start eating around 4:00 if that's possible since the party will go on into the park afterwards. Figure out a price and give me a call back and I'll get a certified check to you the same day." "Well, Miss Jennsen," said Annie, "it looks like you've just hired yourself a caterer. I'll have the price by Monday, along with a complete menu." "Thanks, Annie, and please, call me Kelly." "Okay, Kelly, I'll talk to you soon." Laura said goodbye as well and hung up the phone. "I nearly peed myself when you asked if you were talking to Bubba Prince," she said. "I've met Bubba. He probably weighs as much as you, and has a permanent fur coat!" Kelly rolled her eyes. "Can you help me get my foot out of my mouth now?" she asked. ------- Cara was smiling from behind her computer monitor. She adored Kelly. Loved her actually, though it would always be her secret. Laura was great, like the kind of big sister every girl dreams of, and Vanetta had shown a real interest in teaching Cara how the world of advertising worked. She loved them all, in different ways. She couldn't remember being as happy as she had been since she arrived in Charlotte. Ami was her soul mate. Cara was positive of that! The love they shared, in all forms, was perfect. She didn't even get jealous of Ami's infatuation with Todd. On some level, she understood. Ami was a lot like Todd, and they seemed to share a special bond, but neither Laura nor Kelly had given the slightest hint that they were upset or jealous, so Cara wasn't either. Besides, she had her own infatuation with Kelly whose deep brown eyes seemed to reach into Cara's very soul. Every night, when Cara applied lotion to Kelly's body, it was with love and reverence. Kelly's body was so beautiful, so flawless, and Kelly was so casual about allowing Cara to caress her anywhere. Kelly probably knew, Cara decided, but Kelly also treated Cara as if there was no one else in the world that she would entrust this special job to, and always treated her with love and spoke lovingly to her. It would crush Cara if she ever had to give up the life she had now. Ami and Todd were in the darkroom. It had been a long day by the time the last photographs were taken, and Cara and Ami had showered, but it was like the two of them couldn't wait to see the results. It was six o'clock when the green eyed monster showed up. ------- Chapter 30 "Annie 2" A special by: Dream Painter 1998: Phoenix, AZ She felt his hot breath on her face, in her hair, the familiar weight of him blanketing her. She tipped her hips upward to meet and greet his as the velvety softness of his knob brushed her inner thigh. Within an instant the head of his cock was poised at her entrance, his hands in her hair. She moaned as he glided deeply inside her, her inner muscles twitching and squeezing him tightly. She could feel each ripple passing into her. Together they rocked to each other. God, they fit together so perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle. She would cling to him tightly both inside and out. He groaned, his fingers curled deep in her hair. She felt the twitch inside her, the warmth of him spilling in her as she ground her hips to him hard. Driving him into her deeper. Together they gasped for air. He finally rolled off her, still panting. "You're really going to do this?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm really going to do this," she replied breathlessly but with determination. "Damn it, Annie, we can make it work... you aren't the first woman this ever happened to... ah, fuck it!" He rolled over on his side, turning his back to her in an effort to go to sleep. She remained there consumed in her own thoughts until the steely light of the Arizona dawn crept through the cracks in the bedroom drapes. She rose quietly, showered, and brushed her teeth. Dressing, she tossed her bra in the bathroom trashcan. That's about the last thing she remembered until she got the Bronco turned east at Flagstaff. She quietly swore to herself, "... and if I never see another fucking saguaro again, it will be too damn soon!" ------- 2002: Charlotte, NC The scene had replayed in her mind hundreds of times. "Damn it," she swore to herself softly. Bubba lifted his head off the hardwood floor to look at her quizzically. Annie looked down to the right-hand corner of her monitor. 2:38 in the morning! She groaned, gazing around at the surroundings as if trying to find her bearings... the apartment, her home above the restaurant turned catering shop. Annie rubbed her face and tried to re-focus on the spreadsheet she was working on, the invoice for Gerald's. "How about a drink, Bubba?" she asked the German shepherd that lay sprawled beside her desk. She rose from the old rolltop and padded to the tiny kitchenette. Reaching into a cabinet she withdrew a rocks glass and a bottle of Jack Daniels. She poured two fingers of the golden bourbon, topped the glass with water, took a sip, and then wandered barefoot though the tidy apartment. Since the day she bought the building in 1999, the upper floor had always been her inner sanctum. No one from the days of the restaurant had ever been allowed in, and since 'A Woman's Space' had folded, only Jacob, her handyman/helper/jack-of-all-trades, had seen the apartment. Jacob was timeless, about a million years old, mahogany skinned, a southern gentleman in the truest sense of the words. She had met him at the mission shortly after the restaurant opened. Annie had always made it a point to give the leftover prepared dishes to the mission after closing time. Jacob at the mission... She had met him in the kitchen, but he was also a resident. She never inquired about his past, but asked him if he could work an old Hobart dishwasher, (referred to by her as 'the wish-dosher'). She told him he had to be reliable, and for that, he would receive a fair wage for hard work. The following morning he was waiting at the front door when she opened. After 'A Woman's Space' closed, Jacob continued to work for Annie. He helped in the kitchen, the herb garden they planted in the small lot behind the building, and with the endless repairs on the old building. Jacob was her right-hand man. Part philosopher, part preacher, part historian, that was Jacob, and for all his parts, they respected each other's privacy, and had become close personal friends. "Well there, lookie what da cat dragged in," said Jacob around 6:30 that morning. "I don't need your crap this morning," replied Annie as she and Bubba trudged down the stairs, Annie nursing her sore head, her hair splashing over her shoulders. She wore an old black tank top and a tattered pair of loosely fitting purple sweat pants rolled down to her hips, "coffee ready?" she asked. "Ya'sum Mizz Annie, coffee's ready," Jacob replied, pouring her a cup. Rubbing her face, she took a sip from the cup and pulled up a tall stool behind her, sitting at the brushed aluminum 'prep' table in the commercial kitchen on the first floor. "God, you make the best damn coffee, Jacob," she said with a moan. "That would be the egg shells. My mama said ifin you puts egg shells in the grounds it cuts the bitter," He grinned to her. He had told her this a hundred times at least in the two years they had been together, and it had become a ritual with them. "You make the best," she replied still rubbing her eyes. "Okay, we gotta make a list for what we need for that company picnic. How do you feel about another pig roast?" "Sounds like another all-nighter to me," Jacob groaned. "Yeah, but it pays damn good," Annie sighed. Reaching for the pad and pen she began the list. She thought back to the conversation the day before with Kelly Jennsen. "Strange girl," Annie thought, but hell, people said the same thing about her. A chance encounter with Harry's daughter on Slocum road, and two hours later a phone call asking her if she could cater a picnic. Some picnic! She was going to be the second caterer on site at Carowinds, and she'd be required to feed up to 200 people. She had told Kelly she would get back to her with a price on Monday, and then she called Harry Williams at the precinct. Annie didn't have much use for the law, but Harry was an okay guy. He'd been the one who had gone to bat for her when that bitch wanted Bubba put down. He had treated Annie fairly and had fought the court order to end Bubba's life early. Harry was the one who had convinced the captain of Bubba's potential as a training dog, and between Harry and his partner, they had gotten a stay of execution from another judge who wasn't dirty. When Harry had said that Kelly and her partner were good people, and confirmed that they did run a big business, it had eased Annie's mind. She was damn tired of getting screwed. But Kelly had promised a certified check the same day that Annie had her price together, and had said the left over food would go to the homeless and shelters... hell, maybe there were some good people left in the world. She went back to her list. Five hundred cobs of corn... She'd roast half of them, and boil the other half in the big cauldron. Two hundred pounds of baby back ribs along with homemade crusty rolls and tubs of real butter. With that and the whole pig, it was a big job. Probably the biggest she had since she started catering. Hell, and that was just the meat part. She'd have to drop some samples of her coleslaw, and cucumber-tomato salad, and potato salad with Kelly. Maybe she'd make enough on this job that she could hire some of her old staff back. ------- "Mizz Annie?" Jacob asked as he puttered around the enormous kitchen. "You and me been friends for few years now, right?" Annie raised her head from her list; Bubba's tail was thumping on the floor at the back door. She rose and padded barefooted to the door to let the GSD out into the enclosed yard behind the shop. "Yeah, wazz up Jacob?" She asked in concern. "Mizz Annie, is you one of those womens dat don't like mens? Is you one of them lez... lez... ?" Jacob asked sheepishly. "Lesbians?" Annie interrupted. "Yeah, one of dem." He finished, looking up from the floor he was sweeping. She stared in to his weather beaten face in utter amazement. After pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts she replied, "Jacob, you're a man and I like you." "Dat's not what I mean Mizz Annie. I means you ain't never had a man here since I know'd you." Jacob looked up at her earnestly. "Ah, no, Jacob, I'm not a lesbian. Hell, I was married for 15 years. We even had a baby and everything. You see this silver ring on my foot, right next to my big toe?" Annie stuck out her bare foot for him to see the wide band on her toe. "Well, first of all it isn't silver it's platinum, and second of all it was my wedding band!" "Where he at?" Jacob inquired. "In Phoenix, I guess... least that's where I left him." Annie jotted something down on her note pad. "... and the child... he wiff his daddy?" Jacob continued. "A little girl," Annie shook her head. "She died." Annie grabbed her pad and coffee and started for the steps back to her apartment. "Let Bubba in if he starts barking." ------- 1998: Winchester, TN "Come on, darlin', get in this house so Granny can see you." Road weary and aching, Annie stumbled from the Bronco after her four-day drive and into her Grandmother's home in Winchester, Tennessee. "Brought you a present Gran, all the way from New Mexico," Annie said tiredly, trying to shake off some the exhaustion. "Wha'd you get your ole Gran?" the old woman asked in surprise. "Some cheesy turquoise jewelry." Annie giggled. "Hmmm, a piece of petrified wood from the Petrified Forest... Some really hot salsa, it's in the back, I'll go get it." Granny was not amused. She hated stupid guessing games. Annie returned to her grandmother's side, lugging what appeared to be a very large, and heavy banana box. From the scratching noises and whimpering inside, her Grandmother Anne knew that whatever was in there was alive, and knowing Annie it could be any number of creatures. "Oh, Annie, what is it?" Granny asked almost afraid to look. "What's it look like Gran, it's a puppy!" Annie lowered the box so her grandmother could look inside. The old woman lifted out a fuzzy squirming, puffball of a beast that immediately began licking her chin. "Remember, you said you wanted a dog around here, so... well, now you have one." Gran sat in her easy chair cuddling the fuzz-bucket to her ample chest. "What kind of a puppy is he... what's his name?" she asked. "He's a German shepherd," Annie replied, "... and his name is going to be 'Dirty Mud' if he doesn't stop puking and crapping in my car!" "Oh, Annie, he's just a baby, that's what babies do, they puke and crap all over everything." The instant she said it, Granny covered her mouth with her hand, regretting her comments. "Oh baby, I'm sorry," she said softly. "Its okay, Gran. Did I get any calls?" Annie asked offhandedly, changing the subject. "If you mean from Allen, no. But I read in the Herald that someone was burning up the phone lines between Mobile and Phoenix and I can only assume it was your mama calling him." Annie had to laugh at her Gran's wicked sense of humor. "Anyway, I don't believe this here's a German shepherd. I think he's a wolf. You're a wolf, aren't you boy... you nothing but a baby wolf in German shepherd's clothing." "He's not a wolf, Gran, I promise," Annie said calmly as she stretched her legs. "Yes, you is a wolf, aren't you... come on Bubba, Granny's gonna let you outside so you don't puddle and crap all over Granny's nice clean carpet, then Granny would have to kill you, and we don't want that now, do we, Bubba." said Granny in her sweetest Granny voice. "You're sick, you know that don't ya, Gran?" Annie asked as the puppy tumbled from the old woman's lap and onto the floor and headed toward the back door. "Oh I know baby, but it's good to have you home anyway," replied her grandmother. ------- Annie remained with her grandmother for two weeks before she began to feel like a fish in a fish bowl rather than a houseguest. She was edgy and knew she couldn't stay. She had managed to avoid her Mother; still an endless parade of distant relatives, (most of whom she didn't know), seemed to troop to Granny's house offering Annie their condolences for her loss the previous year. Referring to her road atlas Annie formed her plan. "I'm going to head east, Gran. I can't stay in East Jesus Nowhere, Tennessee and hide for the rest of my days," she announced to her grandmother. "You ain't hiding baby, you and Bubba are on vacation... you visiting your ole Gran," said Granny, "Anyway, you can't go too much further east, you'll run out of dry land. You got that ole 'wander-lust' just like your Grandfather had." "Maybe so, but that's what I'm going to do." said Annie. "Well you're taking this wolf with..." Gran was cut short. "He's not a wolf Gran, he's a..." Annie said calmly. "Whatever the hell he is, Bubba's going with you." she stated firmly, then added quietly, "Lord, I couldn't sleep nights knowing I had a wolf in the house with me." ------- The envelope from the attorney's office in Mesa, Arizona, arrived at her grandmother's house a few days before Annie was set to leave. "That Allen, he doesn't waste any time," she thought grimly to herself. Not wanting to open it around Gran, she held back until she got to the first 'rest stop' just outside of Chattanooga after crossing over Lookout Mountain. All she had to do was sign the paperwork, have it notarized, and return it to the attorney; they even gave her a stamped envelope. Those attorneys think of everything. The paperwork revealed no surprises. It even included the clause that Annie would be changing her name from Anderson, back to Prince, her maiden name. The settlement was generous by most standards, but Annie cared nothing about the money. She cared more about the crashing end of a big chapter in her life than the numbers and dollar signs. The hours on the road gave her a great deal of time to think, to plan, to try to make some sense of the last 18 months, or at least put them into some kind of perspective. Leaving Allen Anderson, her husband of 15 years, was difficult enough. In college they had called themselves the 'Triple A Team.' The fact that he had only made a half-hearted effort to try to convince her to stay was even worse. Perhaps he knew what she had been trying to tell him for over a year. After the death of their daughter, the only thing they had in common was the same last name and the same address. That had been the most difficult of all, the loss of their daughter, their one shared link to each other. Before leaving Phoenix, Annie had run a tiny Marketing Services Agency out of the spare bedroom. Two Macintoshes, one PC and one very persnickety laser printer made up 'Custom Graphic Design' or 'CGD'. With eight small businesses for clients, it proved to be a minor thorn in the side of some of the larger advertising agencies in the area. CGD was a local small business for local small businesses, using only other local small businesses as vendors. Her clients included an appliance repair company, a power washing company for aircraft, an executive suite complex and a small family-owned bookstore, to name a few. In glitzy Phoenix, CGD was a welcome and refreshing change for the 'mom and pop' type shops who were struggling to make ends meet and get their faces or word out to the public. By the time she closed her books a few months before leaving Allen, she had managed to sell her client base to one of those same larger agencies for a tidy sum. The new agency devoted an entire team to winning over the small business owners, and after training the team, she was confident that her clients were in good hands. In the months before, Annie had little time for her work, she was mourning, healing, and licking her own wounds. But Annie had always loved hard work and being her own boss she had driven herself hard, perhaps too hard. ------- 2002: Charlotte, NC "Jacob, the roast 'beast' and the turkey breast for the box lunches to go to the bank are in the fridge," Annie called to her helper as she bounced down the steps, her hair braided tight in a single long rope trailing down her back. "We need 48 sandwiches, half turkey, the other half roast 'beast'. The sandwiches rolls are proofing in the oven. If there's any dough left make some round loaves for bread bowls." "Mizz Annie, when'd you do all this?" Jacob asked as he began to tie the long white apron around his waist. "Why don't you start buying all this stuff rather than do it all yo-self?" "Cause, it keeps our costs down, Jacob, and we can say it's all homemade. Besides I don't have anything better to do at night," Annie replied. "I'm gonna run this invoice over to Gerald's." "What, you ain't got no stamp? I suppose you made the brownies too?" Jacob could see Annie was back to her old self again. He had felt badly about prying or asking too many questions. "Smart Ass!" Annie snorted, "You know baking the brownies is your job and they'll be warm and chewy when we deliver them. Don't forget the soft drinks! Come on, Bubba, let's go for a ride in the car-car!" The shepherd's ears perked at the words "car-car" and he bounded happily to his Mistress's side to sit at a perfect heel. Annie attached the leash to his choke chain collar and offered him the slack remains of the leash to hold in his mouth. The GSD danced around Annie happily as together they headed to the rusty Bronco, Annie's huge knapsack size purse slung over her shoulder. "You gonna hurt yo-self wiff dat purse of yours Mizz Annie," Jacob called to her from the doorway as she headed towards the truck. Annie waved to him and together she and Bubba were off. Taking the old Bronco down the main street and making a left, Annie recalled the night "A Woman's Space" had closed. Jacob had been there, working the "wish-dosher." Thank goodness the place hadn't really been packed with customers that night. Word of these things occurring at local businesses spread fast enough through Charlotte. ------- 2000: Charlotte, NC Annie could sense the tension in the air when the Harley Sportster roared up to the front door of "A Woman's Space" and parked in the handicapped-parking zone. She didn't really mind 'biker chicks, ' as she called them. Hell, their money spent as good as anyone else's did. It was the noise and the rough talk that bothered her, and her other customers most. "A Woman's Space" had a reputation as a nice, quiet, and friendly Ladies' Club. A place where women could have a good meal and a glass of wine or a beer and conduct business or pleasure without the blaring noise of a sports event on television, video machines or pool tables. There were equally good, if not fancier, places to eat in Charlotte, but none that catered directly to women not only on a gastronomic but a sensory level. It really was "A Woman's Space" with fresh crisp linen table clothes and napkins, a smattering of antique sideboards and buffets about the dining room and fresh cut flowers on every table. The dinner menu may have been limited to three or four main items but each was lovingly and individually prepared. Annie had worked hard to turn the old storefront building into the perfect atmosphere of fine dining for women. Even Annie peeked out of the kitchen when the biker chick and her apparently new girlfriend entered the dinning room and loudly demanded two 'Buds'. The biker chick was built like a linebacker; stocky and heavy with upper arms the size of old growth timber. Her girlfriend was a small willowy woman with a swollen lip and darkened eye. Together they had taken table nine near the door. For her own part, Annie was probably in the best shape of her life. Two and a half years in Charlotte and a strong sense of independence had seen to that. Loading and unloading the Bronco with food, produce and supplies for the restaurant as well as training Bubba and bounding up and down the 18 steps to her apartment had made her lithe and muscular. "Not bad for 38," she would often think to herself as she glimpsed her reflection in a mirror. It was a few minutes after the loud couple's drinks had been served that all hell broke loose. The front door of the old building flew open and an obvious male voice boomed out, "You fuckin' dyke, that's my girlfriend and I'm gonna kick your ass!" He screamed while the wispy shrieked. "She ain't going with you fuck-face, she's mine now!" bellowed the biker chick. "Great!" thought Annie sarcastically, "This is just what I need," as she dropped her towel and left the kitchen. Annie was across the dinning room in a flash, and standing between them while they continued their exchange. "Look, I don't know what your problems are, and frankly I don't care, but this is my restaurant and you can take yourselves and your problems and head on down the road," Annie said calmly but forcefully, but inside, she was shaking like a leaf. By this time Jacob was standing nearby at table 7. "Leanne, honey, you sit right there while I take this asshole outside and beat the shit outta him," the biker chick said to the willowy girl as she pushed Annie out of her way and headed towards the door. "You cunt, I'm gonna clean your clock right out there on that sidewalk," shouted the scraggly looking man as he turned to follow the woman. Annie turned to Jacob and to mouth the words, "Call the cops," but Jacob was already on his way behind the counter and picking up the phone, staring out the window. The entire restaurant could hear the oaths and swearing outside. Annie saw Jacob's eyes grow wide as he cried, "Mizz Annie, she done cold-cocked dat boy wiff a pool cue!" Within seconds the front door swung open and a battered 'biker chick' came in huffing, puffing and brandishing what looked to be the back half of a pool stick through the dining room. "You wanna piece of this, bitch," the biker chick roared at Annie. Annie jumped backwards, catching a flash of something lunging at the woman from the corner of her eye. Annie blinked as the woman hit the floor hard, on her back, and watched as the pool cue slid across the hardwood floor of the dining room. She looked back at the woman lying on the floor and saw one very pissed off German shepherd standing over her. Ears flat to his head, lips curled, teeth bared and hackles raised, Bubba was a menacing sight. The willowy girl took one look at her new girlfriend on the floor, screamed, and flew out the front door. "Easy, Bubba," Annie said as calmly as possible, "No bites." By this time many of the restaurant's dinner patrons were also starting to rush out the door, most not bothering to pay their bills. Annie pulled up a chair and sat near Bubba and the biker chick. "You wanna piece of this, bitch?" Annie calmly asked the woman, her heart still fluttering from the excitement. "Ge... ge... get him off!" she cried. "... Ah, no, I don't think so. Not until we've had a few word with the cops first." Annie replied. "Jacob, go check on scraggly outside. See if he's still alive." Jacob scurried out the front door. "Get him off me!" The biker chick howled. "I wouldn't yell if I were you, it tends to make him nervous," Annie said calmly. She was actually beginning to enjoy this. "Good boy, easy now... easy... no bites. Damn. Now I'll have to give you a flea bath as well. No bites, Bubba. I don't think she's had all her shots." "Mizz Annie, da po-leese is here," Jacob called through the front door, now standing open. Annie could hear Jacob talking to someone outside. As she looked to the door a uniformed officer walked in. The officer took one look at the girl on the floor and the beast standing over her and prepared to draw his weapon. "No! Don't," Annie yelled to the policeman, jumping up out of her chair to stand between the cop and Bubba. "Bubba, heel!" The dog stepped away from the biker chick and trotted over to Annie's left side. "Down! Stay!" Annie ordered and the shepherd dropped to the hardwoods on his belly. The cop allowed a small smile to touch the corner of his mouth as he saw how well trained the German shepherd was. He respected the K-9 unit of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department as valuable assets in many situations, but not even their best trained dog heeded as well as this fine looking animal. He released his grip on his pistol and took out a notepad from his vest pocket. "You want to tell me what's going on here?" The officer asked. "That bitch sic'd her fucking dog on me and I was just..." the 'biker chick' began to prattle. "Tonya, I wasn't talking to you. You're in enough trouble as is... and don't try to leave 'cause Lew's outside waiting if you do!" interrupted the cop. The policeman turned back to look at Annie, "are you the manager here?" "I'm the proprietor," replied Annie calmly though she could feel the heat rising to her face. "Would you tell me what happened here, please?" the officer asked in a professional tone. "Well," Annie began, "It seems 'scruffy' out there, didn't like 'biker woman' here, messing with 'wimpy girl, ' where-ever the hell she is now. So 'biker woman' and 'scruffy', at my urging, went outside to discuss their issues. Then this one," Annie said pointing to Tonya the biker chick, "decided to take a swing at me with that thing laying over there and then Bubba," pointing to the GSD, his tail thudding against the hard wood floor after hearing his name, "gave her a little 'Come to Jesus' meeting. That's about it! Now I have a business to run, officer..." Annie looked at the name tag, "Officer Williams, so would you take her, and that," pointing to the piece of pool cue on the floor, "and get the hell out of my restaurant?" Annie had lost her sense of humor. Officer Williams gently took Annie by the arm and led her towards the kitchen, "Listen, you may not realize this, but that's Tonya Richardson, Judge Richardson's step daughter." "I don't give a good god damn who she is" Annie replied hotly. "Keep your voice down. Do you want to press charges?" asked Officer Williams. "No, just get her the hell outta here, but if you give her a breath test you're gonna find out she's drunk... just a tip ossifer Williams," Annie said. "I got girls here," nodding towards her wait staff, "on the clock, doing nothing so just take her and 'scruffy' away!" "I'm afraid you're going to have to shut down for the night," said Sergeant Williams. "We have an incident report to write up involving an accusation by Tonya." Harry Williams handcuffed Tonya and handed her over to his partner. He looked remorseful. "There's no way I can cover up what happened here. Even if you don't press charges, Tonya is going to make life hell for you for having a dangerous dog loose on the premises of a public establishment." "Bubba's not dangerous," said Annie. "He was just protecting me!" "I understand that, Miss Prince," said Sergeant Williams, "but I don't write the laws. Ever since the whole pit-bull thing started, the rules have been that unleashed dogs in public, much less a restaurant, are serious violations. Tonya's step father is going to twist this around that once again his daughter is just a victim of inept policing, and he'll probably sign a court order to make sure you aren't around to contradict him." "What in the sweet chocolate hell does that mean?" asked Annie. "I'm sorry, Miss Prince," Harry said. "This looks like a real nice place, but you had the misfortune to have Tonya Richardson pay you a visit." Harry looked around before speaking again. "She'd be serving life by now with her history, if it wasn't for her daddy bailing her out every time she gets into trouble. I've been on the force twenty-two years, and I can't even count the number of times that I've arrested her just to see the charges dismissed by the court. You embarrassed her today, you saw her scared, and she's not going to let this rest. If I were you, I'd get this dog the hell out of here. Send him to relatives or something. I'll do my best to buy you some time." With that he closed the notepad, and with a sad look walked out the door. "Jacob! Girls, let's call it a day. Go ahead and clock out!" Annie called to the three waitresses and her dishwasher. She could see Sergeant Williams outside with Tonya, having her blow into the clear plastic tube. "Mizz Annie, I'll stay and help you clean dis mess up," Jacob said softly. Slowly the girls streamed out of the restaurant while Annie and Jacob together bussed tables, washed dishes, and put away food. Annie released Bubba from his 'down/stay' and went behind the counter to add up meal tickets, trying to wind down from the evenings events, sipping on a glass of wine. Amazingly, most of the girls didn't even know of Bubba's existence, even Jacob had only seen him rarely but he remained at his mistress's side while she worked this evening, even closer than usual. "Make sure you get yourself something to eat, Jacob, God knows there's enough back there... just help yourself," Annie called to her helper. "I'll feed Bubba too," replied Jacob. Annie could hear Jacob talking to the shepherd as she tried to work through her figures. ------- Annie didn't have any place to send Bubba, and she wouldn't have anyways. He was her protector, and the most loyal friend she had ever had. Hell... she'd fight this in court if it came right down to it. There's times when a person has to do what's right. ------- It was a pity that Judge Richardson didn't see things that way. He bailed Tonya out of the CMPD lockup a little after midnight, and listened to her sob story of how she and a friend had gone to a restaurant to eat and a man there attacked her and then there was that woman who had turned that vicious attack dog loose on her! After taking Tonya to the hospital, he went back to his office and wrote out a court order for the seizure and destruction of the dog that attacked his daughter. Another for the arrest of the dog's owner, and finally one to close down "A Woman's Space." As far as Judge Richardson was concerned, he had already been shown enough proof that the licensed establishment served way too much alcohol and drew in the wrong kind of people. He hand delivered the warrants himself, after midnight, to the watch commander of the CMPD station across from the courthouse. ------- Annie came downstairs at 7:00 the next morning intending to calculate how much revenue she had lost the night before. Damn those customers who felt they didn't have to pay for their meals because of that stupid biker bitch. Even though Jacob hadn't gone home till well after midnight, he was in the kitchen and had a pot of coffee on. He knew that Annie liked her coffee hot and strong early in the morning. He remembered the first time he had met her. Being black and poor in the south wasn't what Jacob had planned to be. No sir. His granddaddy had been the first in the family born a free man, but had sharecropped like his daddy had done after the war between the north and south. Jacob's daddy had some schoolin' but not enough to get out of the hard life of sharecroppin'. Jacob had worked on the farm himself when he was younger and had planned to get himself more of an education than his daddy. He had plans. And then history happened around him. He had lived through the rough years when Rosa Parks had taken a seat at the front of the bus, and had been charged and found guilty in 1955. Jacob had been 15 at the time. Her actions in Alabama hadn't helped the attitudes towards Negroes and life got downright dangerous when the boycott started. Jacob had to drop out of school, but he had vowed he was not going to spend the rest of his life working on the farm. He drifted for a few years before joining the army. Things hadn't been much better there, and after a few too many times standing up for his own rights had been dishonorably discharged for striking an officer. Jacob had felt he was in the right when that lily-white boy fresh from West Point with shiny new bars on his shoulders had come back late from liberty the night Jacob was on walking guard duty around the base. The lieutenant was drunk and when challenged by Jacob, had called him a no account nigger, but Jacob had stood his ground. It was 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis had just ended and after the "Bay of Pigs" disaster the year before, tension was high in the south, but the lieutenant, refusing to show papers to Jacob, had taken a swing at him. Jacob was sober and easily sidestepped the punch, but the lieutenant continued to fall forward until he hit the ground breaking his arm. The court martial had been over quickly. No one believed that Jacob had not struck the lieutenant. And Jacob left the army after a humiliating six months in the stockade. When he was released, it was 1963. George Wallace was governor of Alabama, so Jacob headed north. He was in Washington, August 28th and heard Martin Luther King deliver his "I have a dream" speech. Jacob followed Dr. King, believing in, hoping in, the dream, and then President Kennedy was shot dead in Dallas in November, and Jacob's dreams died the same day. He drifted west working at one odd job or another never staying too long as the mid west was not overly kind to 'colored folk.' Jacob took up the drink as one after another of his hopes was shattered. The assassination of Robert Kennedy, the assassination of Dr. King, the Watts Riots, crazy Charlie and increasing racial tension in cities like Chicago and Detroit. By the time "A Summer of Love" arrived, Jacob had a history of one-night stands in jails across the country, and wasn't feeling too much love. He headed back to his roots to find his daddy had died and his mother had remarried and moved away. Jacob woke up sometime in 1988. He was living on the streets, panhandling and working when he needed to, to keep him fueled up. A stroke of luck had landed him at the mission one night when he was hungry, and a kindly volunteer had fed him and found clean clothes for him. A shower and a bed for the night, a luxury Jacob couldn't even remember. The volunteer had sat with him all night and was with him in the morning. Mogen David had washed away 18 years of his life, and Jacob woke up to breakfast and people who cared. They told him that times had changed, but while he wanted to believe, he was just happy to be warm, clothed and fed. He stayed on at the mission from that day forward, never once looking back, and never once wanting to touch another drink. Miss Annie showed up one night with a truckload of cooked food. He had seen her before. Though she was short and skinny, her long auburn hair was hard to miss. She smiled enough, but Jacob was leery of white folks who smiled at him. Especially white women who came to the mission. He had been helping in the kitchen since he had given up the bottle. In exchange he got a room and meals. Jacob was too old to face the world again. The mission was his home now. Over the years, he had learned to listen and not say much himself. He had done nearly every kind of job that most people didn't want to do themselves and had picked up a few other skills along the way. The mission wasn't too bad religion wise. He could recite gospel with the best of them. He just wasn't much of a believer in the good book or the goodness of people. As far as he was concerned, he had been converted. Then one night Miss Annie came right into the kitchen and asked him if he could operate a "wish-dosher" she called it. She said that she would pay him a fair wage for hard work. Jacob hadn't had any money in years. Didn't really need it, but the people who ran the mission said that she was a good person and maybe he should give it a try. He could still live at the mission. So, the next morning he was at her restaurant. That was over a year ago, and he hadn't missed a day since. Annie was sorting through the unpaid bills from the night before when the knock came at the door. "I wonder who the hell that is," said Annie, getting up. Jacob continued cleaning when he heard Annie cussing at the door. He got to a window just in time to see Bubba being muzzled and put into an animal control van and Annie in handcuffs, being shoved into a patrol car. Jacob was scared to go outside, but the policeman who had taken Miss Annie was driving away while another was hammering a sign on the door and putting a padlock on a chain over the door handles. Jacob waited for the other police officer to drive away and then he cautiously walked out and read the sign. "Closed by order of the City of Charlotte for violation of article..." Jacob didn't understand the rest except for a line that said Judge Richardson. ------- Jacob felt useless. What could he do? Why was Miss Annie in handcuffs? She was a good person. He was pounding his fist on the kitchen counter in frustration when he looked at the telephone. Jacob had never said much to Annie about his past, but he had recognized both police officers last night. They treated him okay, just checking in now and again at the mission to see if he was still keeping out of mischief. They remembered more about him before he woke up than he did himself. Going back to the dining room and behind the counter Jacob found the Charlotte phone directory. He punched in the numbers for the only H. Williams in the directory. "Harry Williams," said a familiar voice. "Mister Harry?" asked Jacob. "Yes, this is Harry Williams," the voice replied. "Mister Harry, dis is Jacob... Jacob Hanson... you 'member me?" Jacob asked. "Yes, Jacob, sure I remember you. Why are you calling me at home?" "Mister Harry, dat Judge Richardson he done arrested Mizz Annie and Bubba and hauled them away," Jacob began. "What? Hauled who away?" asked Harry. "De po-leese. Dey put Miz Annie in han'cuffs and hauled Bubba away... You know Bubba, Mizz Annie's dog. Mister Harry, he's a good dog, he didn't hurt no one. An dey put chains on de door and a sign dat sez Mizz Annie's place is closed by de law! I's sorry Mister Harry, but I don't know what to do!" Harry could hear the anguish in the old man's voice. Fuck. He had told Annie to be careful. The Judge wasn't a person you wanted to mess with. He had told her to get the dog out of the city and told her to do it before the night was over. Damn! Fuck but that Tonya bitch caused more grief every year. Harry was tired. He hadn't had enough sleep. He was going to go back to bed after he had driven Meg to work, but Jacob, he hadn't ever given them a problem, and since he had started working, the people that ran the mission said he was giving his pay to them to help keep it open. He was one of the few success stories that he and Lew could brag about. Now this! "Jacob?" said Harry. "You stay in that restaurant and don't let anybody in. I'll go and get your boss out and see what the hell is going on." "Thank ye Mister Harry. I din know who to call." "It's okay, Jacob," said Harry. "You did the right thing. Now I'm going to hang up and go downtown. I'll see you soon." Harry hung up the phone and put his uniform on again. Just before he stepped out the door, he gave Lew a call and told him what had happened and that he was going to find out what the hell Richardson had done. ------- "What the hell is going on?" demanded Harry as he walked into his captain's office. Harry had stopped at the duty sergeant's desk and sure enough, there was paperwork for the arrest of Annie, an order to have the German shepherd put down and the restaurant closed. He was fuming. "What are you on about, Williams?" asked the captain. "I handled a drunken brawl last night. Tonya Richardson and some guy she bashed over the head with a pool cue. We tested her, found her over the limit, got witness statements saying she tried to kill the guy, and I get a phone call this morning telling me that the owner of the restaurant is the one in jail, Tonya's out, and that the restaurant has been shut down, all on the orders of Judge Richardson. When did he become chief of police?" "Calm down, Harry," said the captain. "Let's see what's going on first." He pressed a button on his intercom and asked for the arrest reports for Annie and the reports from the previous night. Harry paced back and forth in the captain's office till Lew showed up a few minutes later. Lew repeated everything that Harry had said and was cussing a blue streak about Tonya and how the hell did she get released after the charges they filed against her should have kept her in lock-up till for at least three days till she faced a judge. The paperwork arrived and the captain read through the reports. His scowl grew with every page he turned. Finally he slammed on the intercom again and demanded that someone contact Mercy South and find out what condition the victim was in. Then he called booking and told them to release Annie and escort her to his office. While they waited, the captain said, "I can release her right now, but the charges against the dog... they look serious." "Ah, hell, captain. If anybody had bothered to look at Tonya they would have seen there wasn't a mark on her from any dog," said Harry. "I should know. I was the first officer at the scene and I saw the situation." "You're looking at making some powerful enemies," said the captain. "Judge Richardson demanded the dog destroyed today." "Ah, shit," said Harry. "Wait a minute, Harry," said Lew. "Animal control can't do that without first putting the dog in quarantine to see if he's rabid." The captain reacted faster than Harry could and he dialed the Animal Control Center. After talking into the phone for a few minutes, the captain was visibly relieved. "Cancel the order to have the dog destroyed," he barked into the phone. "I don't care who gave the order," he said after listening for a few minutes. "You have no authority to destroy an animal on a citizen's charge, you should know the rules better than that, God damn it! I don't care who the citizen is! An order for that comes after an official police charge and then it goes to a judge. If that dog is harmed in any way, you'll spend the rest of your career doing scoop patrol, have you got that?" And with that he slammed down the receiver. "The dog is safe," he said after he took a few breaths to calm down. "They're not going to release him till they hear from the chief himself, but you can bet he'll be treated like royalty till then." A knock on the door interrupted his tirade, and he bellowed, "Enter." A defiant Annie was ushered into his office wearing orange prison coveralls. She was still handcuffed. "God Damn it," he shouted. "I said to release her and escort her here, not to shackle her and embarrass her," he said to the policewoman. "Take those cuffs off Miss Prince and you double time it back to get her clothes and her possessions!" The policewoman quickly removed the cuffs, apologizing as she made a hasty retreat. "Miss Prince," said the captain, "I apologize for what has been done to you today. As soon as we get your clothes up here, we'll take you home. The charges against you have been dismissed by me on the basis of what these officers told me." The pure hatred coming from Annie's eyes caused the captain to look away. "False arrest and imprisonment should sound good on a lawsuit," said Annie. "Annie," said Harry, "you can try for it, and I'll be happy to be your witness, but you'll find out from any lawyer that a judge can issue a bench warrant for nearly anything as long as he has reasonable grounds. We just convinced the captain that the judge didn't, so he can undo what was done to you, but the law is on the judge's side for the initial arrest. I'm afraid that we can't do much about your dog either, but we did manage to stop the order to have him put down." "You were going to kill Bubba?" she asked incredulously. "Not us personally," said the captain, "that falls under animal control jurisdiction, but we work pretty close together, and we're going to fight this, if what Harry says is true." "What was that?" asked Annie. "I told the captain that Bubba never bit Tonya, and a medical exam would prove that." Before Harry could say anything else, a timid knock came at the door, and the policewoman entered carrying Annie's clothes, shoes and personal possessions. "If you'd like to go with officer Dale, she'll show you where you can get changed," said the captain. "Hell, why fuck with tradition now," said Annie in a voice dripping sarcasm. As she peeled off the orange coveralls, baring her breasts to the men in the room, she said, "I was publicly stripped when I was hauled in here this morning, so why should you boys be embarrassed?" Annie kicked off the coveralls standing defiantly in just her panties, and took her time putting on her clothes. "So, Bubba's got to pay the price because some dirty politician's shit for brains daughter lost a fight she started." "I'm afraid it isn't just Bubba, Annie," said Harry. "Judge Richardson ordered your restaurant closed as well. He wrote up some bullshit charge about serving people who were clearly inebriated in a place of ill repute. That one's not ours to call, and you'll be shut down till there's a liquor license hearing. Of course Richardson will make sure that it's not for another six months at least and then he'll be attending the hearings with sworn affidavits. Jesus, Annie. I told you last night to get Bubba out of town. Just because we don't like the way Richardson does things mean we can just change his orders. He's an elected judge." Annie was looking at Harry with a defiance that hid her real emotions. "Elected eh? I'm going to make it my number one mission in life to make sure he doesn't get re-elected," she said with more bravado than she felt. ------- Harry drove her home in his own car. "Shit. I'm sorry that this all fell on you at once, Annie," he said. "Were you on duty when all this shit went down?" she asked Harry. "No," said Harry. "I was at home trying to get back to sleep when Jacob called." "So, why'd you come riding to the rescue?" she asked him. Harry sighed. "I don't know," he said. "Partly because of what you've done for Jacob, partly because of my disgust at Tonya," then he chuckled. "And I like your dog." "Well, fuck you and the white horse you rode in on," said Annie. "Good for Jacob and Bubba, but that's my life savings tied up in that restaurant that's now closed because of a trumped up liquor violation." "I'll do everything I can, Annie," Harry said. "Yeah," sneered Annie. "And I trust you about as far as I can spit a rat comfortably!" "I don't need this grief!" said Harry. "I'm not the one who did this to you. I'm trying to help, and you keep spitting it back at me." Harry pulled up to the curb at Annie's place and Annie just got out without saying another word. With a squeal of tires, Harry left. ------- "Sweep up around here and put things away," said Annie to Jacob. "You're now on vacation and that's all she wrote! Lock the door behind you when you leave." Annie crossed the dining room to the kitchen and Jacob could hear her bounding up the steps to her apartment above. Jacob walked into the kitchen; through the open door he could hear Annie's heart wrenching sobs. 1998: Charlotte, NC Annie had driven from her grandmother's place fully intending to hit the Atlantic and then decide whether she wanted to head north or south. The old Bronco decided for her by breaking down in Charlotte, North Carolina. Parts for the Bronco were back ordered and after waiting around a couple of weeks, Annie decided it was a sign that this is where she was supposed to end up. She was living in a motel room you could rent by the week, and called her grandmother to let her know the news. The puppy was lying on the bed beside her. Some stranger answered the phone at her Gran's place and without any sympathy told Annie that he was under retainer to the estate lawyer. After she told him who she was, he told her that her Grandmother had died of heart failure two days after Annie had left, but they weren't able to get hold of Annie. Annie cried for a long time that night. She cried more that night than she had when her daughter, her baby girl, had died less than a year ago. Complications late in Annie's pregnancy had given the child multiple afflictions from which she never seemed to fully recover. Then one day, before the baby was six months old, her tiny body gave up the fight. Annie had mourned silently then, throwing herself into her work trying to bury the pain, but her Gran, she had loved Gran forever! Gran was the only adult relative that Annie could relate to and who didn't judge her. Annie was the sole beneficiary of all Gran's earthly possessions. She allowed the estate agent to sell the house and contents. She was weeks too late for the funeral, so Annie didn't bother to go back to Tennessee. She took the money she had left from the sale of her business in Arizona, combined it with her divorce settlement and the funds from Gran's estate, and bought the old store on South Harvard. She opened "A Woman's Space" in February of 1999. ------- 2000: Charlotte, NC Every morning for the next four days, Jacob came in and tidied the kitchen and dining room. Annie, if she heard him, never let on or came down. Jacob was feeling bad for her. On the fifth day, he risked his life and took a pot of the coffee that Annie loved up to her apartment. Annie was curled up in an overstuffed chair staring blankly out the front window. She didn't say anything as Jacob poured a cup of coffee for her, but she took it and drank it. "Mizz Annie," said Jacob, "we needs to do something about the meat in the freezers." Annie turned and looked at him. Her red rimmed eyes having trouble focusing. "Give it to the mission," said Annie. Jacob didn't dare press it farther, but left the pot with her and went back downstairs. The next morning when he came in, the pot was back downstairs and washed. Taking this as a good sign, he made another pot and risked another trip upstairs to Annie's sanctuary. Annie had spent everything she owned buying the building, which was why she was still driving the old Bronco, but "A Woman's Space" had been making a tidy profit. Not enormous or enough to retire on, but more than enough to make some much needed repairs to the building. When Jacob brought her coffee up this morning she decided that the two of them would start to make some improvements in the event she had to sell the place. ------- Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Harry had finally gotten another judge to force the release of Tonya's hospital admission papers to determine if in fact she had received the dog bites Judge Richardson claimed she had, in his order to have Bubba put down. There were none. Just as Annie had said, and just like Jacob had sworn Bubba hadn't done. The hospital report showed the typical signs of a street brawl, but not one puncture wound or even teeth marks. He and Lew drove right from the hospital to the Animal Control Center. Tony, one of the handlers at the center had Bubba out of his cage and was playing with him when they got there. "That's some dangerous dog," Tony said, laughing. Harry smiled. Bubba was a fine looking specimen of canine breeding. He liked the dog the first night he had seen him. "I can see you're deathly afraid of him," said Harry. Tony laughed again. "Dogs this smart, you don't see them often. This big guy has been well trained. Better than some CMPD dogs whose names I won't mention." Harry laughed and asked what Bubba could do. Tony went through a whole list of standard commands, all of which Bubba did without hesitation. "But he's smarter than this standard crap," said Tony. "I swear that dog understands everything you say to him. Just look into those eyes." Harry had been, and Bubba was looking back at him like he remembered Harry from the night of the fight. Harry reached into his pocket to pull out a copy of the hospital record. As he tugged it out, one of the quarters that his oldest daughter, Laura, had slipped in there for coffee, fell out and started to roll across the floor. Bubba, who had been sitting close by, just reached out with a big paw and slapped the rolling coin to the floor. Never even moved, just shot out a paw and the quarter stopped, hidden by his massive paw. "Hey," said Harry. "That's my quarter. Give it back!" He was smiling as he said it, amazed at Bubba's fast reflexes, but what happened next caused Harry's jaw to drop. Bubba took his huge paw off the quarter, bent over and put his mouth to the ground and when he raised his head the quarter was gone. Harry felt Bubba nuzzling his hand and when he cupped it under the dog's chin, Bubba dropped the quarter into it, before sitting back down. "I'll be damned," said Lew. "You told him to give it back to you and he just did!" Tony was laughing. "Told you he understands!" Harry asked if the dog was free to go now, and Tony said the tag on the old beat up leather collar on Bubba was valid. He'd had his rabies vaccination, and there was no reason to keep him though Tony said he'd miss his new playmate. Bubba nuzzled Tony's hand as if to say goodbye and went and stood beside Harry. An hour later, Bubba had been treated to a full service 'wash, rinse and wax' at one of the best pet care centers in the city. His nails were trimmed and his coat was guaranteed free of fleas or anything else he might have picked up from Tonya, as Harry explained the cost to his captain later that day. Bubba's coat shone with a glow, and his teeth had been cleaned as well. Harry stopped at the pet store that supplied the department and got Bubba a brand new leather collar, one of the heavy black ones the CMPD K-9 unit used, and a short heavy braided leather leash to match. They were headed to Annie's when the call came through about unknown trouble at one of the new strip clubs that had popped up just on the limits of the city border. Since they were close, Lew and Harry took the call. Bubba started wagging his tail the minute the siren was turned on, thumping it in time with the whoop of the siren. "Looks like your friend here likes action," said Lew. Harry laughed as the big German shepherd pushed his head against the Lexan dividing the front from the back, blowing hot air against Harry's neck through the small holes. The squad car came to a screeching halt outside of "Deja Blue" and Harry and Lew stepped out of the vehicle. Bubba started to bark from the back seat, and Lew could see the look in his partner's eyes. "Harry, we aren't K-9. Hell, he's not even our dog!" Harry shrugged and said, "We can't leave him alone out here. Somebody might steal him." Lew rolled his eyes as Harry put the leash on Bubba. Bubba led the way through the dark oak doors. ------- "Mister Harry, he be a good man," said Jacob as he and Annie hung the freshly painted shutters on the front windows. They were the big old heavy kind, made for hurricane winds and rain, and over the years they had faded. Annie had always planned to take them down, but Jacob had convinced her that it would be smarter to leave them, cause you just never knew when the next storm might come rolling in. So, to take away from the drab front, Annie and Jacob had repaired them and painted them and the main door in a high gloss white. They had coated the finished paint with a tinted weatherproof urethane, and the door and shutters now seemed to have a light purple pearl finish. Annie had taken the chain and padlock off the front door herself. Taken down the notice that the law closed the restaurant as she had been given formal notice of a liquor review hearing. So, a small "Closed till further notice" sign now sat in the window, underneath which read, "renovations in progress." "If Mister Harry is such a good man," mimicked Annie, "why am I shut down and why is my dog in jail?" "Now, Mizz Annie, you know dat wasn't Mister Harry who done dat," Jacob gently said. "Yeah, I know it," said Annie, "but he's part of the system that did this to me. Some drunken bitch screws up and it's just you and me, Jacob. We pay the price for it, and look where Bubba is. Locked up in some jail for protecting me." ------- Actually, at that moment, Bubba was crouched, coiled, and ready to spring at the man behind the cash register as he held a big knife against the throat of a frightened waitress. Harry and Lew had their service revolvers out, but as Bubba growled, Harry holstered his weapon. "Aw, shit, Harry," said Lew who lowered his revolver, "you aren't going to let the dog do it again are you?" "Why not?" said Harry bending over to unclip the leash from Bubba's collar. "He's so good at it." "Hell, Harry, we just got the dog back, and the captain said that if he ripped another guy's nuts off, he'd be taken away from us permanently." The guy behind the register was shifting his eyes back and forth between the two sergeants. There were a few customers in the club and about a half dozen topless women milling around. "Put that leash back on the dog," he shouted, "or I swear to god, I'll slice this bitch!" Harry looked at Lew, as if pondering the demand and then turned back and said. "Nope. If you've got to cut the young lady, well, I'd have to shoot you. That means a lot of paper work, a couple of months on desk duty while they investigate the shooting... Hell, if I let the dog take you down, I don't lose any street time." "I'm not messing around," said the robber. "Put the leash back on the dog!" Lew kept his gun in his hand but lowered it even further. "Yeah, partner, you got a good point there. Let "Killer" do what he does best." "What ya say, Bubba?" asked Harry. "Want a weenie treat for lunch?" Bubba responded by inching forward, his hackles raised, his fangs bared and a low growl emanating from the pit of his stomach. The crook was starting to sweat. "Call him off!" "Put down the knife," said Harry. "No way!" "Okay," said Harry pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Do whatever you got to do. But best do it quick. The dog is faster than lightning, and he's not going to wait." "How many pounds per square inch can he clamp again?" asked Lew. "Over 250 I think the doc said. That last guy, he was wearing leather biker pants and Bubba went through that like butter. Stronger than a bear trap, the doc said, and with those teeth, they couldn't sew the guy's dick back on. Pisses out of a little tube now." "That's got to ruin a man's sex life," said Lew. Harry laughed. "More like ruin his whole life!" Turning back to the would be robber, Harry turned icy sober and said, "I figure you got maybe a minute left before the dog does you in the same way. Your choice." The man dropped the knife and let go of the waitress. Bubba moved forward a few inches. "Stop the dog!" he shouted. "He'll stop when you step away from the knife and get on your knees," said Harry. Slowly, the man came out from behind the bar, his crotch wet when he had pissed himself. Slowly, and keeping an eye on Bubba, he got to his knees with his hands up in the air. Lew moved in behind him and slapped the cuffs on him, while Harry called it in stating the problem had been resolved and requesting a unit for transport. Bubba got up and wagging his tail went to check on the waitress who had been held hostage. By the time Harry got to her, Bubba was kissing her all over and she was hugging him and calling him her hero. Seeing the coast was clear, most of the customers left before more cops showed up. Harry started to take statements from the strippers who didn't bother to get dressed. As the transport wagon got there and took the bad guy away, the waitress asked if Lew or Harry wanted a drink. "A coffee would be great," said Harry. "We can't drink anything else while we're on duty." By the time Lew and Harry had all the statements, Bubba had been stroked and petted by most of the strippers. Bubba was a good looking dog, and seemed to enjoy the attention." A final look around, and with a sigh, Harry, and Lew left, Bubba proudly leading the way, his big tail wagging. They had to drive back to the station to give their report and write up the paperwork, and then the captain called them in. "You took that dog from Animal Control and let him threaten a suspect? Are you two crazy???" "Bubba could teach our own K-9 troops a few lessons," said Lew. "We couldn't draw down on the guy without a risk of hurting his hostage. This way worked best for us in this situation." "What part of this isn't getting through to you two?" the captain shouted. "This dog doesn't belong to you!" Bubba stood at attention beside Harry and growled. Harry laughed, which caused Bubba to look at him. "Captain, you might want to lower your blood pressure a tad. Bubba tends to sense hostility and he's very protective!" Finally the captain smiled as well, and got on one knee and extended his hand to Bubba who licked it. "You're right of course. He's very well trained and he helped much better today than if either of you two had to shoot the suspect. But I think you should take him back to Miss Prince. She's had it rough enough and she might appreciate her dog back." The captain stood up and reached into his desk drawer. "If either of you ever say a word about how he got this, I will put you both on meter patrol," and then from his desk he took an official Charlotte-Mecklenburg Auxiliary Police badge and attached it to Bubba's collar. "Maybe Miss Prince will let us use him sometime if we have a missing child or something like that." "Thanks captain," said Harry. "Shift's over in twenty minutes. I'll take him back now." "I'm going to let you fly this one solo," said Lew. "I'm pulling a second shift tonight. Bar patrol." "Well, you take it easy," said Harry. "I'll see you on Friday." With that, Harry left the station; not realizing today's adventure was the last time he and Lew would ride together as partners. ------- Harry pulled up in front of "A Woman's Space" and got out with Bubba. He noticed the freshly painted shutters and door and sighed with regret when he read the "Closed for renovations" notice. The door was unlocked however and Harry opened it and walked in. Bubba was straining at his leash. "Annie?" "Miss Prince?" shouted Harry once inside. "In the kitchen," came a muted response. "Take me to the kitchen, Bubba," Harry whispered and the dog dragged Harry behind him till they entered the large industrial kitchen. As soon as Harry saw Annie, he let go of his hold on the leash and Bubba leaped forward, knocking Annie over as he licked her from one end to another. Annie was laughing and rubbing Bubba all over, as the two of them wrestled on the floor. Harry blushed and then took the offered cup of coffee from Jacob. The two men watched as Annie continued to maul the dog and he, her. Finally she got up and checked out Bubba's new gear. Then she saw the badge pinned to the collar. "What the hell's this all about?" she asked. She tried to remain angry, but having Bubba back made her day. Harry started explaining about the personal time at the beauty parlor for Bubba just in case he had picked up any fleas from Tonya, which made Annie laugh. She grabbed his coat and felt how smooth and clean it was. Then she bent down to smell it. "So," said Harry, "we were on our way here when we got a call about an unknown situation at the new 'Deja Blue' club on 77." "You took Bubba into a peeler club?" asked Annie. "You tryin' to corrupt this poor dog?" Harry sighed. "Bubba single-handedly convinced a robber to put down his weapon and surrender. There's a very grateful waitress at that club who is very happy that Bubba was available to rescue her. You ought to be proud of him!" Annie ruffled Bubba's head. "I am," she said. He's a good boy," to which Bubba wagged his tail like a fire hose without control, threatening to knock everything not nailed down over like dried leaves. "So," said Harry, "we can't ask for Bubba's help on every call, even though he's much better trained than most of the PD dogs, but the captain asked if Bubba would be allowed to assist the next time there's a child missing." Annie didn't even have to think about that. Kids were precious. She said yes without reservation. "So, how long before you open again?" asked Harry. "Open what?" asked Annie. "Can't sell alcohol? Means this ain't nothing more than a lunch bar. I can't afford to run a lunch bar with all this equipment," she said pointing to the industrial ovens and other equipment. "There must be something else you can do with all of this stuff that doesn't need a liquor license," said Harry. "Cater maybe," said Annie. "I don't know. Seems like a lot of work." "As much as cooking for a restaurant filled with customers?" asked Harry. "Maybe Mister Harry is right," ventured Jacob. "You be keepin' busy makin' yo own kind of food dat de peoples like so much, and den you just wait and see what happens next." "I'll think about it," said Annie. "Take some time to get the word out, do some advertising." "What happened to that woman who stripped in the captain's office?" asked Harry. "Lose your nerve? There's an old Latin saying we use at the department when we face jerks like Judge Richardson. Illegitimi Non Carborundum. Don't let the bastards grind you down. Do something with what you have! At least then you won't sit around feeling sorry for yourself!" "Well, fuck you very much 'Ossifer Williams," said Annie. "I'll take your suggestion up with my consultant," she said looking at Jacob. "What ever I can do, Annie," said Harry. "Just let me know. My number is in the book." He tousled with Bubba for a minute more before he left. "What da ya think Jacob?" she asked the old black man. "Think we should give it a shot?" "Mizz Annie, you already know you want to," said Jacob. ------- The phone call came at nine o'clock that night, as Harry was watching TV with his younger daughters and his wife. Sally, Lew's wife, was crying on the phone. A drunk driver had t-boned Lew's cruiser and Lew's back was hurt. Sally didn't know if the damage to Lew's spine would put him in a wheel chair or not. ------- Over the next six months, Lew underwent all kinds of tests and physiotherapy. Finally convinced that his spine had not been seriously damaged, the doctors released Lew, but his career as a street cop, spending eight hours a day riding in a squad car, were over. The pothole situation in Charlotte was the worst it had been in years, and every bump caused him a twinge of pain. He was assigned a desk job and promoted to duty sergeant. Harry refused another partner and ended up as a supervisor on patrol. As time permitted, Lew would still hit the streets with Harry for short rides, chewing a few Tylenol to help him cope with the pain. Most times they would cruise by Annie's to see how she and Jacob were holding up. ------- 2002: Charlotte, NC The sign out front had been changed from "A Woman's Space" to a smaller plaque that said "A Woman's Place." It looked more like an office now than a storefront, and Annie remained in business, slowly growing and expanding. Bubba was always glad to see Harry and Lew, and every once in a while Annie would let the two men take Bubba for a ride in the cruiser. She liked the men, but had no love for the justice system that had screwed her over. Annie continued to cuss a blue streak and took her coffee by the pot. She always made sure though that Harry, who had been buying her coleslaw and salads from her since the day she officially opened her catering business, got more than he paid for. Annie never let them forget that she held them personally responsible for corrupting Bubba, who seemed to like women even more since his adventure at the strip club. While Bubba had not been called in by the police department to help find missing kids, thank God, they used him once when an elderly woman had wandered away from a long term care facility and it had been Bubba who had found her. He had a certificate of appreciation from the Mayor's office for his work and a commendation from the Police Commissioner. Annie had settled into life in Charlotte and things were looking up. She had been on the wrong side of the tracks herself on Friday, but she had Bubba with her and not too many people paid attention to the old Bronco. Those who knew it also knew better than to mess with the woman who drove it. Then she had seen the Chevy Tracker stuck on the old rail crossing. At first she was going to continue on, but her sense of decency had tugged at her conscience and she had stopped to offer assistance to the young brunette behind the wheel. A chance encounter with Laura Williams, who turned out to be Harry's daughter, and now she was adding up the price for the biggest catering job to have come her way. ------- Chapter 30 Brenda and Sherri flew in on a chartered flight to Charlotte early Friday afternoon. It was going to be a surprise to Todd and Kelly as the only person who knew they were coming was Vanetta, who had assured them the weekend was probably the last free one for Kelly till October. Sherri was excited about having her portfolio done. It was time to move on with her career. The news of Sara landing a spot on Miami Blue reminded her that she was the only one without plans for the future. Brenda and Amanda were working at Regan's full time now, Celeste had her hands full with building contracts and Jules was rapidly becoming a financial wizard, investing and divesting at dizzying speeds. Nicole was still working on her bar exam and James was tied up at the new medical center when he wasn't with Nicole. All of the "James Gang" seemed to have moved on to careers of their own. Of course, Sherri could have easily gone to work with any of them, but she and Sara had been the last of the girls who had not found their niche. Then when Kelly called, fulfilling Todd's prophecy that Sara's skills and looks as a boat driver would get her into television, Sherri decided it was time to jump in the deep end. Brenda of course had her own reasons for wanting to be the one to go with Sherri. It had been a while since she had seen Kelly. Not that she missed companionship of either sex, but the two of them had developed a special rapport that first time they had kissed. Kelly was complex, though the last time she had seen her, at the grand opening of Mueller's Wheel, she had seemed much happier than when they had first met. Vanetta had suggested the Hilton Charlotte University Place as a good spot to stay. It was only 15 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from the studio. She had also provided Brenda with a detailed map of how to get to the studio. It had sounded good to Brenda. The executive suites included high-speed Internet access, the continental breakfasts and evening appetizers in the executive lounge. It had a fitness center though Vanetta had recommended they pass on that if they were inclined to exercise and use the jogging path around the man-made lake. The suite came with its own coffee maker and hair dryer, entertainment area and though they wouldn't bother with it, it did come with a wet bar. Vanetta said the view from the suites was fantastic as it overlooked the lake surrounded by a shopping area full of top end boutiques and bistros. During NASCAR season the hotel was virtually booked solid. With the latest renovations done just five years ago, Brenda was sure they would not be disappointed by Vanetta's recommendation. Brenda had booked a 2002 Mercedes SLK32 AMG from one of the upscale rental companies prior to leaving for the airport. The two-seat roadster, hard top convertible of course, was fueled and waiting for them, and with its hot-rodded, supercharged V6 engine and AMG SpeedShift automatic transmission programming, and Z-rated high-performance tires, Brenda made the trip from the airport to JM Keynes Drive in under 10 minutes. It would have taken her less time than that, but Sherri had insisted on checking the Sat-Nav against the map the rental company had given them! After letting the bellhop drool over the little luggage they had brought along, the two girls took a shower, dressed in their "Sunday go to Meetin'" clothes and applied a bit of makeup. Two hours after arriving in Charlotte, they took off for the studio. Vanetta's directions were quite easy to follow. From the Hilton, they turned right onto Harris Boulevard and merged with I-85 S. 5 miles later they took exit 39 and turned right onto Statesville Road and after less than a mile; they turned left into the industrial park on Hutchison McDonald Road. They were surprised to find the studio door locked, but after having seen the latest pictures of Kelly and Laura in their Star Trek outfits, Brenda figured the door was locked on purpose. There were cars in the parking lot, so someone had to be there, but it wouldn't do to have people just walking in, even if the studio was located well away from the city, so they tried knocking on the heavy steel door. ------- Todd and Ami were working at a frantic pace. They had made fresh soup for the CrossTrain negatives and had just finished the final rinse. Todd was in his usual scrub pants while Ami was just wearing panties. It would take 15 minutes for the negatives to dry, and Todd turned the venting system on high to remove the last of the fumes. It was time for a short break! Todd didn't bother to put a top on so neither did Ami. Laura laughed and winked at Kelly. "It's getting impossible to keep that girl dressed around our man," she said. "It's a good thing I'm not a jealous woman," said Kelly, "or I'd be wondering just what is developing in the darkroom!" Ami cocked her head and lowered her eyelids suggestively. "You'd be surprised at what I've learned to enlarge," she said coyly. Kelly and Laura both laughed, as did Vanetta and Cara. "I hope you aren't planning on walking around here like that when Robert is here," said Vanetta. Ami instantly turned serious. "Shit! I'm sorry, Vanetta. I wouldn't try and tease Robert! Honest I wouldn't." "Honey," said Vanetta. "That's not what worries me. It won't upset me, and I'm sure that Robert wouldn't mind either, but I might end up having to take more and longer coffee breaks!" Everybody laughed at that! Todd came back from the studio kitchen with mineral water for himself and Ami. "Just another 10 minutes and we start to print proofs," said Todd. "How do the negs look, Sweetheart?" asked Kelly. "They look perfect," said Todd, "the poses and the way the girls did them really show action! All I'm concerned with now is the color. If everything is set right, we'll be able to free up the bay next week and I'll set up a permanent light studio for you!" "Sounds good, Honey," said Kelly, "but where are the girls going to exercise once the equipment is gone?" Todd pulled a chair out and straddled it. "Hmm... I wonder if I can convince CrossTrain to leave the tumbling mat. That's all we've been using for exercise anyway, and I'd kind of like to keep doing it with the girls." "If you don't mind," said Vanetta, "Robert and I would like to join you as well. I know that I'd like to be a bit more flexible." Kelly and Laura both laughed. "Sure, you two can laugh," said Vanetta, "but I'm telling you that Robert is pretty energetic. You'd be surprised at the passion that man of mine has hidden behind that quiet scholarly looking face!" "Still waters do run deep, don't they, Kelly?" said Laura. "That's what I've heard," said Kelly. Cara shook her head. "The way you guys are always talking about it, you'd think you never got any." Ami put her arm around Cara's shoulders, her nipple just grazing Cara's cheek. "This is called oral sex, Honey. All they do is talk about it!" She was laughing all the way back to the darkroom. Cara smiled and went back to her study of magazine page layouts. Todd pushed his chair back and said it was back to the coalmines for him as well. Kelly and Laura went back to writing the copy for the first issue of Fit Pregnancy. While Vanetta returned to her calculations of cost of operations in New York. ------- Robert had the pleasure of hearing Kat and the twins sing as he drove south on Statesville road to pick up the boys at their homes close to John T. Williams Middle School on Carmine Street. "Look at that," said Sam as they passed the school. "We're not even famous yet and they've already named a school after us!" Robert laughed. "Maybe you're related to John T. but you would have to ask your parents that, or better yet, look it up as an assignment." "Ah, you're not going to play teacher with us are you?" asked Jen. "I don't have to play teacher," said Robert. "I really am one. But, I'm not your teacher, so if you're interested, look it up. I encourage looking into anything that interests you. But I also won't tell you to do it. That's not my job. Actually, it's your job." Bill and Jim were waiting at Ted's house. Robert had tutored all three for the past year, preparing and qualifying them to start grade nine at the new Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology in September. They would be part of the first graduating class of the new high school. Robert introduced the suddenly shy twins and Kat to the boys, who were amazed at the van. Kat as the oldest had already claimed the front passenger seat. "So," said Robert, "anywhere you want to eat, that's where we'll eat! It's all courtesy of our sponsors. Anyone interested in squid or snails?" he said smiling to himself. "Ugh, Gross," said Ted. Kat had seen Robert smile and decided to play along. "Well, I could certainly go for some French cuisine," she said. "Kat!" said Sam and Jen together. "What's the matter with Pizza Hut?" "Yeah!" said Bill. "Let's take a vote, and Robert isn't allowed to vote!" "Why don't I get to vote?" asked Robert. "Cause you aren't going to be part of the band," said Jim laughing. Robert laughed as well. "You kids are right. This meal, the clothes, the scholarship funds... it's all for you guys so you'll be motivated to stick to your end of the bargain." Silence hung in the van for a few minutes as Robert guided the van back into downtown Charlotte. "We don't need to be motivated," said Sam quietly. "We'd do this without all the extras that Todd and Kelly are offering," said Jen. "Yeah," said a quieter Ted. "I just want to play and have somebody appreciate the music." Robert knew these kids had good hearts and decided to lighten the mood. "Okay then. Who wants Pizza Hut?" Six enthusiastic voices clamored in approval. During lunch, while pitchers of sweet tea were washing down three different pizzas and side orders of spaghetti, Robert explained the need for this to be an adventure and for everyone to enjoy him or herself and have fun. "This is an important project," said Robert. "If it works out, there are going to be a lot of happy seniors. You six will be the start of a much bigger thing that years from now people will be talking about. I think it's exciting, and it will look really good on your university applications as well!" ------- After lunch was finished, Robert followed the list of clothing suppliers his father had given him. Robert was also told by his father to keep track of which stores they bought from and what kind of service they provided as he intended to follow this adventure right along with his son by reporting on it on a regular basis. It turned out that the kids had much different ideas from what Todd had envisioned for them. "He's kidding, right?" asked Sam looking at the frilly Western blouses on display. "I mean... rhinestones?" Robert sighed. Samantha was right. Todd could really capture a look on film, but these kids were going to perform in front of live people. Dressing them up like young versions of Hank Williams or Loretta Lynn just wasn't going to cut it. Even Dolly Parton didn't dress like that anymore. "Well," said Robert. "We can't have you going on stage in low rider jeans and tank tops, and the boys are not going to be wearing baggy saggy pants either," he said as they climbed back into the van. He eased out into traffic, not sure now where to head, but feeling somewhat in control as he drove. "Okay," he said finally as he turned northward on York road. "What do you think you should wear?" "Excuse us Robert," said Kat. "We younger adults need to have a private discussion." Robert smiled and allowed them the van for their conference after he turned on to South Tyrone and pulled into a Krispy Kreme franchise. He went in and indulged himself, after telling the kids to join him after they had decided. This was a good sign, he thought. Only a couple of hours together and they were already discussing things like a team. Robert was on his second coffee when the six teens came strolling in looking quite smug. "We've decided to compromise," said Kat, obviously having been elected to be spokesperson. "First thing we need are gospel gowns for us girls. Ones that come down to just below the knee and are open at the front. Not plain white because we don't want people to think we only do gospel music, though its clear we're all comfortable with some upbeat up tempo versions of old classics. Then, suits, for all of us." Jen cleared her throat. "Excuse me," said Kat. "Pants and blazers for all of us. We'll compromise and go with black bell-bottoms as long as they aren't too wide. Black blazers for all of us as well with the split cuffs. We've seen them in that last Western store you took us to. The boys don't want to be in black all night, so they will take their blazers off during the performance at some point. They will need plain colored shirts, best to stick to primary colors and white. It will show up better. No bow ties, no bolo ties, no string ties. Just straight ties, preferably clip on or slip on so that they can easily remove them. No flowers or horses on the shirts and absolutely no tassels!" Kat stopped to take a breath. "Are you going to write this down?" Robert laughed and said he had it memorized already. "Okay. We girls will not wear a tie all night, but we would like one to wear so at some point we can look just like the guys. Then, plain blouses, no tassels or fancy embroidery, though we wouldn't complain about a few pleated ones. No cowboy hats for any of us. We'll be doing some country and western music but it isn't our overall theme. We were thinking of matching fedoras for all of us, as that will be the main theme of our music. Songs from lounge acts going back to when Frank and Dean were still doing Vegas." "Don't forget the sunglasses," said Ted to Kat. "Right! The boys want to do a couple of pieces by the Blues Brothers. So we should all get dark sunglasses. We can use them for Ray Charles pieces as well." "Have a donut," said a smiling Robert, handing Kat some bills. Then he sat back and pictured the six teens in his mind. Black suits, white shirts, black ties, fedoras, and sunglasses. Not quite what Todd had suggested, but he had said it was Robert's show. He liked the look in his mind. It would make a great publicity photo, as would the gospel gowns. He knew exactly where to go and buy them. Complete with colored cuffs and cowls. While the kids were munching through chocolate glazed donuts, Robert made a couple quick calls to his dad. Might as well keep the business in the family so to speak. With his dad paving the way for the new enterprise, he would be sure to get discounts. His father pointed him to the first store and said he would call back after he had spoken to a few others to see who was willing to help this very worthy cause. "Just a few items you left off the list, Kat," said Robert. "Shoes, socks, pantyhose and I'd like you and your sisters to consider a plain black dress. Have you ever seen videos by Robert Palmer?" The teens cracked up. Finally Kat said, "Yeah, those girls in those funny dresses. Sure. We could do that, right, ladies?" she asked pointedly of her sisters. "Why not?" said Jen. "It would make a nice change." ------- It took another four hours to complete all the shopping. Robert had lucked out with black ties pre-tied in half Windsors and stitched in place. The part of the tie that went around the neck under the collar was in fact part of the real tie, but slightly longer and held together with Velcro fasteners. The boys settled on black half boots with a slight heel and a rounded toe, while the girls got matching low-heeled pumps. As Robert drove the boys back home, they teens agreed on a first practice time, after supper the next day at the studio. One of the stops they had made had been at 'Music Go Round' on Independence Boulevard. Realizing that space might be a premium at some of their locations, Ted had opted for electronic drums. It gave him a wider range of striking surfaces, which he was well accustomed to as a percussionist, without all the bulk. Bill selected a Fender Active Jazz V series five string bass, while the girls had finally convinced Jim that the Yamaha S80 synthesizer was ideal for him even though it was larger than most models. The S80 was a full size piano keyboard with weighted keys, and an outstanding sound selection that would allow him to duplicate most instruments. He had played on it for ten minutes while the teens and Robert had stood back in awe. Jim played a few classical selections starting with Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. As he switched through various instruments, effortlessly, the classic song took on a new meaning. The girls had laughed as he had sampled the piece in a bank of clarinets and then in brass. It was clear that Jim was a virtuoso. For the girls, Robert selected Shure PG58 microphones, along with solid stands and quick release clips. Robert's father had forewarned the owner of the store that this group needed quality, and not to try and clear out old stock no one else wanted. For their sound system, the owner had recommended the Peavey Escort 2000. "This is the world's finest packaged portable PA system," the owner explained. "It's self-contained in a molded case with wheels and handle that you can transport like a piece of carry-on luggage. When you reach your destination, open up the case, and you've got two speakers, complete with connecting cables & speaker stands. The five channel powered mixer provides 75 Watts per channel and Peavey's exclusive DDT™ to prevent clipping. There are four XLR microphone inputs with 15 Volt phantom power and two stereo line level inputs (each with its own bass, treble and reverb controls). Main input and output controls use 60 mm linear faders. There's also a 5-band graphic equalizer, digital reverb and a FLS® Feedback Locating System. And you can store the microphone stands and microphones right in the case." Robert was impressed with the ease of set up and packing and the two impressive 2-way speakers with 10 inch woofers and piezoelectric horn tweeters. For the boys he selected three different Peavey amps. A 'BAM' series bass amp for Bill, a 'Classic' 5150 for Ted's drums, and an 'Ecoustic' 112 EFX for Jim's synthesizer. By the time the day was done, Robert had spent quite a few thousand dollars of the enterprise's money. Tomorrow he would hear if it sounded as good as promised. The teens would be picked up by Robert, and they would practice till they felt they were either too tired or had worked to the point of perfect harmony. Robert was in for a musical weekend! ------- "Isn't there a buzzer?" Sherri asked Brenda, when their knocking had failed to produce any response. "I'm looking," said a frustrated Brenda. "I told you we should have called first." "No way," said Sherri. "I want to surprise them!" Brenda wanted to surprise them as well, but she was more pragmatic. Obviously, Todd didn't encourage or look for unsolicited business. But, perseverance paid off as she found a non-descript button in the molding of the doorframe. She rolled her eyes as she read the small sign beside the door: "Deliveries In Rear." That was something she didn't care to relive. James had tried to make a delivery in her rear one time and that had been enough! She had a hemorrhoid for a week afterwards and walked funny for two days. Uh, uh. It might be a fun place for a finger or a tongue, but nothing bigger than a finger was going inside that orifice again! Vanetta heard the doorbell and looked at the clock. Robert had his own key and wasn't expected back till at least 6:00, after he dropped Laura's sisters off. It was barely 5:00. Vanetta smiled. It had to be Brenda and Sherri. Vanetta hadn't met any of the girls of the James Gang personally yet, but knew all of their names from the photographs Todd had taken and had spoken to a number of them. She knew Sherri was coming for her portfolio, but that it was Brenda who had broadened Kelly's mind and horizons. She wasn't sure if she could do something like that herself. She loved Kelly, but more like a sister, and though she had grown to adore Laura, the thought of sexual contact with another female just didn't arouse or excite her. She was happy for Kelly and Laura, and for Cara and Ami, and never thought to judge, but Vanetta wasn't sure if it was her Jamaican upbringing or something else that allowed her to view nude females with an eye for beauty and photogenic qualities without emotion. She had discussed it one night with Robert, wondering if perhaps she was missing something by not trying it. Robert, who had gotten hard at the thought, and freely admitted there was something about woman-to-woman love that aroused most males, said that perhaps it just wasn't in her genetic disposition. He asked her if she felt satisfied with their sex life or did she have an urge to explore. Robert could be so supportive of her. She showed him just how satisfied she was with their sex life by mounting his hard shaft and riding herself to three wet orgasms before he splashed his seed into her womb for the second time that night. Todd and Ami were still in the darkroom; Kelly was in the kitchen making tea with Laura when Vanetta got up to open the door. When Vanetta unlocked the door and swung it open, she instantly recognized Sherri and Brenda. Sherri's eyes got big as Vanetta said "Hello," and asked them to come in. "I'm sorry," said Sherri, still staring, "You're black!" "I am?" said Vanetta. "How come nobody ever told me that? Oh, Lordy. What am I to do now?" before she burst out laughing. Sherri blushed a beet red. Brenda explained, "We never thought about it one way or another. Your use of the English language... I guess we thought you were British." Vanetta was still smiling. "Well, there's some of us in England as well, but I understand. I've seen pictures of you girls, but there aren't a lot of me floating around." "Oh my God! I can't believe I said that!" said Sherri. She was stuttering, trying to find a way to apologize for her insensitive remark, but Vanetta was just chuckling telling her that it was okay... It was a common mistake. Kelly and Laura came to see what the laughter was all about. After exchanging hugs, Kelly and Laura escorted Sherri and Brenda into the main office, Kelly asking what the laughter had been about. When Sherri explained, Kelly turned to Vanetta and deadpanned, "Vanetta, you know you're supposed to give us 30 days' notice if you intend to change your gender or race. How could you do this to me?" This set them all off on a laughing spree. All except for Cara who remained at her desk, her blue eyes slowly turning green. ------- Brenda was beautiful. Flaming red hair and milk white skin. Emerald eyes and freckles to boot! She looked so healthy and wholesome, how could Kelly not love her? She knew Brenda had introduced Kelly to Sapphic love, and while Cara knew she could never have Kelly herself, the familiar way Brenda put her arms around Kelly's waist made her steam. That was "her" waist! The one she so lovingly oiled in every single night. "Her" body that this stranger was touching, and Cara realized her hands were trembling. She loved Ami with all her heart, but there was a part of her soul that adored Kelly. It was okay for Laura to be with Kelly, cause Laura was her friend. Laura told and shared secrets with her, and Todd, well; he was a man and didn't count. Why wasn't Laura upset??? Brenda was touching Kelly in an all too sexual way! My God, she's even kissing Kelly! LAURA!... Do something! MAKE THEM STOP!!! ------- Chapter 31 Laura could see the pain in Cara's eyes from across the room, could almost feel it. She left Kelly and Vanetta to talk and catch up with Brenda and Sherri, and went to where Cara was sitting holding her stomach. "Honey," said Laura, "you've got to let go of that anger or the pain will just get worse." Tears were forming in Cara's eyes. "But... but..." "Come with me," said Laura taking Cara's hand. "We'll go someplace quiet and talk." Kelly looked over as Laura helped Cara up. "Anything wrong?" she asked with concern. "Just a little intestinal bug, I think," said Laura. "It's okay. I know exactly the cure for it. We'll be back in a little while." Kelly seemed uncertain, then saw Laura shake her head slightly. She knew now that Cara wasn't suffering from any bug, but Laura's eyes had told her that whatever it was, they needed to be alone for a bit. Ami and Todd were still busy in the darkroom, but when Laura asked if she should bring Ami along, Cara shook her head. She didn't want her lover to see her like this. They climbed into the Tracker and Laura headed for the nearest ice cream parlor. Cara said hardly two words during the trip, and Laura allowed the younger girl to think. Thinking was important. It would help Cara clearly say what was bothering her, though Laura already had a good idea. Ten minutes later they were sharing a "diet be damned" fountain special - nearly a full quart of ice cream, topped with fresh strawberries and drenched with hot chocolate fudge. This monster was then covered with freshly whipped cream and topped with shaved Belgian chocolate and almond slivers and big, juicy black cherries. They ate in silence for the better part of the bowl, Laura occasionally clinking spoons with Cara as she beat her to a piece of fresh fruit. That began the dueling contest with the extra long fountain spoons, till finally Cara said, "That's not fair!" "What's not fair, Honey? That I'm getting all your cherries or that Brenda was kissing Kelly?" "Brenda," said Cara, deftly scooping a cherry out of the bowl before Laura could beat her to it. "You know Kelly loves you," said Laura, swiping the last visible cherry from the bowl. "Does she?" Cara asked hopefully. Laura held the spoon with the cherry towards Cara, slowly and tantalizingly bringing it closer to the younger girl's lips. "You know she does," said Laura rubbing the edge of her spoon over Cara's bottom lip. Cara looked at Laura, her eyes threatening to break into tears any moment. She was about to reply but the minute she opened her mouth, Laura slipped the cherry into it. An older couple two tables away harrumphed with disgust and got up and walked out. Laura smiled as they left. Cara giggled. "Now they think that you and me are lovers," she said. "I don't care what they think," said Laura. "But I do love you, and I love Ami too. Honey, do you think we could all live together if we didn't love each other?" "So you're saying you love me, but it's a different kind of love," said Cara. "No," said Laura, "it's never as easy as that. You can't quantify love or put labels on it. We just express it in different ways." Cara twirled her spoon in the melting ice cream. "But," she said after a few minutes, "Brenda is the one who showed Kelly about woman love. The kind of love that you share with her." "That's right, Sweetheart," said Laura. "And for that, I love Brenda. If it hadn't been for her, you and I might not be sitting here right now. I'd still be shaving roast beef at Arby's, and you'd be back in Laurel Canyon waiting to finish high school and wondering what to do with your life." "I know," pouted Cara. "I should be grateful to Brenda as well, but the two of them are going out like on a date! Doesn't that bother you?" "Not really," said Laura. "I'll have Todd and you and Ami to spend the night with." "But you won't be sleeping with me and Ami," said Cara loudly, then blushing at her own outburst. "If sleeping is all they do, you have nothing to worry about," said Laura with a laugh. "Kelly and I didn't get upset when we found you and Ami sleeping with Todd a few nights ago." Cara blushed. "You saw us?" "Actually, we were the ones that woke you guys up. But you were so busy trying to get your hand off Todd's cock that you didn't see us hiding behind the couch." Cara turned a deeper shade of red. "And you guys weren't upset?" "Cara, Sweetie. It was obvious the three of you had fallen asleep in front of the TV. People do funny things when they're asleep without thinking about it. We knew you and Ami weren't trying to steal Todd from us." "But... But... Brenda and Kelly will probably have sex!" wailed Cara, not able to hold back the tears. "I don't understand why that upsets you so much, Sweetie," said Laura. "You can't compare a few hours of physical intimacy with a life long commitment. Remember that in another month, Kelly and Todd and I will be married." Laura's eyes sparkled with the thought. "But you should be upset!" said Cara. "You can say it's a different kind of love, but it's still sex." "That's right, Honey. Except, it's just sex. And aren't you assuming a lot? What if all they do is go out for a meal and a movie or something?" "Yeah, I know. If I assume, I make an ass out of me. But they were still kissing and Brenda had her arm around Kelly!" "Sweetie. How many times have you seen Todd put his arm around Ami? And how many times has he put his arm around you?" "But that's different," said Cara. "No it isn't, Sweetheart. It's how we show affection. And if it goes a bit further than just hugging and kissing, just keep in mind that our Kelly chose us to live with her." ------- Todd and Ami were oblivious to everything going on in the studio or in the Ice Cream Parlor. They were running print after print through the trays of developer: 8 x 10 proofs that Todd would sort and send off to CrossTrain. When they talked at all, it came out in rapid-fire bursts, and then long periods of silence. Ami could see that Todd was thrilled with the results of what she and Cara had managed to pull off. She was getting a real understanding of what Todd looked for in an image, beginning to realize that no amount of classroom time could match the education she was getting as his apprentice. The drying cabinet was getting pretty full and some of the prints could be removed. Todd finally stretched and switched off the enlarger. "That's it, Half Pint," he said as he affectionately rubbed her head. "We're done. Now it's up to CrossTrain to pick and choose." Ami looked up at the clock. "Jesus, Todd, it's past seven o'clock! No wonder I'm thirsty. Do you want a drink?" "Yeah, that would be great. Mineral water, please. I think I need to replenish my electrolytes." "Why mineral water?" asked Ami. "I always thought that Gatorade was better for you?" "It is if you are sweating up a storm like athletes," said Todd, "but I just get dry and thirsty working in here. The mineral water is good for replenishing my salts and electrolytes without adding calories." "Cool. But you don't seem to watch calories when you are eating!" Todd grinned. "I like to eat. The vitamins take care of the rest. Now are you going to get us a drink or do you want to talk till the pictures are dry?" "Back in a flash," Ami said laughing, as she stepped into the revolving door. At the swoosh of the heavy door, Brenda, Sherri, Vanetta and Kelly all looked around, only to see Ami standing in just her panties! Sherri's eyebrows shot up, Brenda smiled, and Vanetta and Kelly laughed. "Oops! I did it again!" exclaimed Ami, quickly turning the door back to the darkroom. "That's our Ami," said Kelly. "She's a hard one to keep clothes on!" "God, she doesn't look anything like the girl I met out at Brookhaven," said Sherri. "She's beautiful!" "As you will be," said Kelly. "You already are, but a bit of makeup and some work with your hair, and we can get a basic portfolio started for you." Ami came back out this time wearing a T-shirt showing only her bare legs. "Nearly done," she hollered as she dashed for the kitchen fridge and pulled out two bottles of mineral water. "Just got to empty the chemicals!" was all anyone heard as she reentered the darkroom. ------- It was too late to plan or prepare a group meal, and it would definitely not be fair to Brenda and Kelly who wanted to spend a night out on their own. Kelly had been waiting for a chance to be alone with Brenda and tell her of all the wonderful things going on in her life and how much Brenda was responsible for. Laura and Cara arrived back just after Robert, to hear him explain that the new band would start rehearsals on Saturday, so Todd arranged with Sherri to get the bulk of her portfolio done in the morning. Vanetta sent an email to the CrossTrain executive in charge of the new ad campaign, requesting the equipment be picked up as soon as reasonably possible. She added a not so subtle hint that it would be a pity to see the tumbling mat go as the girls used it every day to keep in shape, implying that if a follow-up was needed CrossTrain would want Cara and Ami to be in the best shape possible. And of course all the outfits modeled by the girls would remain with TKO! She shut down her machine and turned to find Todd and Ami had joined them, sucking on the remains of their mineral water. "Are we all done for the day?" asked Kelly. "Everything we can do today," said Todd, scrutinizing Sherri. "Suddenly I'm feeling like a piece of steak," said Sherri watching Todd. "It's okay, Sherri," said Ami getting up and walking over to the tall, slender, dark haired girl. Ami lifted Sherri's hair from her neck and held it up with one hand as she stroked Sherri's now exposed neck with the other. "Nice neckline," said Ami, looking at Todd. "I agree," said Todd. "We'll have to do something to emphasize that." Vanetta sat on her desk and Robert took her seat, lifting her feet into his lap and started to massage them. She smiled as she watched Robert respond to what the others were doing. Kelly walked to the make-up table and retrieved a few large banana clips and pinned Sherri's hair up high. "Definitely a good neck," said Kelly. Ami continued to circle Sherri, twisting her shoulders and torso, looking for other major focus points. Sherri gasped as Ami slid her hands over her breasts and down to her hips. "Nice long waist!" Ami said. "Ah, but the position of her belly button will determine if we can use it to her advantage," said Todd. "Well?" said Ami to Sherri. "Well, what?" asked a perplexed Sherri. "Are you going to take your t-shirt off or do I have to do that as well?" Kelly laughed. "Todd, your apprentice is taking to this very quickly!" Todd smiled. He could see that Ami was already planning tomorrow's shoot, and getting the information he would need. Kelly was right. Ami was a natural. Sherri let out a sigh and lifted up her t-shirt hem. She thought about turning away when she realized that would be so unprofessional. She knew that real models changed in open dressing rooms all the time. Vanetta pressed down lightly with her foot, feeling Robert's cock swelling. He looked up at her, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her smiling at him. Betrayed by his own dick. Well, Vanetta had told him to expect this working in the studio. Ami was smiling as well. What most of the others didn't know, but she had felt when she had run her hands over Sherri's body was that Sherri was not wearing a bra! Sherri lifted her T up and pulled it over the combs in her hair, then dropped the shirt on the floor. Robert's cock swelled some more at the sight! "Damn!" said Ami. "High waist shorts. Here... let me help," she said as she unbuttoned Sherri's shorts. The shorts parted on their own accord and threatened to drop to the floor. "I hope you're wearing panties," said Vanetta, pressing with more intensity on Robert's stiff mast. This would work out very nicely for her tonight! "It's Sara that keeps losing her panties," said Todd. "The one going to Miami?" asked Laura. "Yep, that's her," said Kelly. Cara wasn't saying a word, but stood watching in amazement as her lover undressed another woman right in front of her. She had to admit it was rather sexy. Sherri's shorts slowly slid to the floor, leaving her in only a skimpy pair of low rider, high cut, frilly and dainty panties. Light blue panties, with embroidered flowers and trimmed with a cotton lace border. "And?" she asked Ami. "Does my belly button work for you?" Ami smiled. "You have a beautiful belly button and just in the perfect place, don't you think so, Todd?" "I totally agree," said Todd. "Bare midriff shots tomorrow for sure!" "So? Does that mean we can get something to eat now?" asked Sherri. "I'm starved." Ami gave Sherri a light slap on the bum. "Nope, definitely not starved," she said laughing. "Hey!" said Sherri. "I resemble that remark!" and then laughed with the rest of them. "I'm going to order in some pizza and wings," said Todd, and he moved to his desk to use the phone. "Fast food for a fast lifestyle?" asked Brenda. "It's not always this fast," said Kelly. "It's just been one of those days," finished Laura. Ami turned to Sherri. "Do you want to get dressed now?" Sherri thought about it for a moment, then shook her head no. "I'm comfortable right now." What she didn't add was that she saw the reaction she was getting from Robert, and from Cara and Ami. She liked it. If this was what it felt like to be a model, she could get used to this! "I know what you mean," said Ami. "I spend more time undressed than I do dressed these days. I guess I'm a natural born nudist," and with that she pulled her T-shirt off. "Nice breasts," said Sherri, reaching over to cup them. "Thanks!" said Ami. "Though I wish mine were more symmetrical like yours are," as she lightly stroked Sherri's boobs. Laura looked at Cara, wondering how she would react to this flirtation. But Cara was smiling and slipped out of her own T-shirt, and moved closer to the other girls. Cara planted a big kiss on Ami's mouth and then her neck and said, "but I love yours just the way they are, Honey!" Ami laughed and kissed Cara back. "Thank you, Darling. It's you I want to make happy, forever." Cara finally understood, and placed her arms over Sherri and Ami's shoulders drawing them in for a bare breasted hug. Vanetta was watching all this with a smile on her lips. Robert's cock had swelled to dangerous proportions and she could feel the heat emanating from his groin. "Do you three want to get a room?" she called out playfully. Ami looked at Cara, then at Sherri before answering. "Naw, we've just got a mutual admiration society going here. But feel free to take care of Robert." Kelly burst out laughing. Vanetta laughed as well and asked Todd how long before the food arrived. "Half an hour," said Todd. Vanetta grinned. "More than enough time for a quickie," she said, looking at Robert. He blushed, but got up when Vanetta did. Vanetta turned on the studio sound system and selected Norah Jones' latest CD, then unbuttoned her blouse, letting it drop to the floor. "Undo me, honey," she said, presenting her back to Robert. He undid her bra and slid the straps from her shoulders, running his hands down her arms. With a mischievous grin she turned to the group looking at her, her chocolate breasts swinging free with their dark nipples hardening and extending, and said, "Why is everybody looking so surprised? You think I like wearing clothes all day?" Then she laughed and grabbed Robert's belt, pulling him after her as she headed to their love nest upstairs. ------- Vanetta wasted no time, efficiently removing Bobby's clothes and pushing him back against the bed, then lowered herself to latch her mouth on his blood-engorged organ. Robert was so aroused that it took less than a minute before he shot his seed deep into Vanetta's throat. Vanetta licked her lips. "Now that we have the urgency removed, we can take our time and enjoy ourselves," she said. Robert helped her up from her position on the floor and kissed her passionately, tasting his own essence on her tongue, which caused his erection to start growing again immediately. Gently he removed the last of her clothes and laid her on the bed where he then lowered his head to the aroused center of her desire. Since moving into Todd's apartment, Robert and Vanetta had made love in every room in every position they could think of. While they had decided to stick with Todd's generous furniture donation, they had started to add their own personal little touches to the place. Coconut scented candles were abundant in the bedroom, and cream-colored satin sheets covered the bed. Robert loved the contrast of Vanetta's chocolate body on the pale sheets. Vanetta quickly pulled her knees up and apart, giving Robert the best access possible. He had really learned quite a few tricks in their time together and it took him only moments of nibbling on her labia to get her juices flowing. And they did flow. Vanetta had never thought sex could be this great. Robert loved to tease her and lick her bringing her slowly to a peak and then backing away leaving her panting with lust. He would do this repeatedly until she would finally grab his head and shove his face into her cunt, and only then would he latch on to her clit and suck till she crossed over her critical point. His very talented hand would be under her butt, gathering her dripping juices and with lubricated fingers would slide one into her puckered anus and another would be worrying her vagina, tickling her "G" spot. Netta discovered with Robert that she was multi-orgasmic, and she would cum at least three times while he sucked and licked her delicious box. After she had screamed out a chorus of oaths and praises and prayers in her Jamaican patois, Bobby's cock was as hard as a cold steel chisel. He moved forward aiming his cock for her well lubricated tunnel and drove into her like a piston, pushing her over the edge once more. Bobby eased up on his thrusting, knowing what his lover liked to do next. "I love you, Bobby," she whimpered, and then using her tight muscles rolled them over giving her the dominant position. Bobby was still lodged deep inside her and felt her muscles contracting trying to pull his seed out of him. She knelt on his cock slowly clenching her internal muscles, bent forward to place loving kisses all over his face still covered with her juices. Slowly she began to rock on his prick and the tight tunnel started to move along the hard shaft like a subway tunnel on a train bound for pleasure. Bobby used his hands to cup and caress her beautiful tits, and tilted his head bending his neck, trying to suckle them as she rode the train. Vanetta could feel the vein in his cock start to pulse and she knew that he was getting close to his eruption. Reaching behind her she lightly cupped his sac and then began to drive her pelvis into his till she felt his hot seed splashing in on her womb. It was enough to give her one more climax as well, and then she collapsed on him, both of the drenched in sweat and reeking of sex! ------- Downstairs, the others heard the shower starting up. Brenda finally couldn't hold it in any longer and started to giggle. "What language was that?" she asked Kelly. Kelly smiled and told her whenever Vanetta got excited she resorted to her Jamaican patois. "And you thought she sounded British," said Brenda to Sherri with a smug smile. Sherri was still wearing only panties, as was Ami. Cara had felt overdressed wearing shorts, so she had shucked them and was now showing her satin boxer style shorts. "For comfort," she grinned in the way of an explanation. "Now if I can get you girls to answer the door when the pizza and wings arrive, dressed the way you are..." suggested Todd. "Dream on, Todd," said Cara. "I don't show these to just anybody," she said hefting her breasts. "I'd do it," said Laura, "but with my luck, it would be my dad or uncle Lew with more information on that stalker." "Stalker?" said Brenda and Sherri at the same time. So for the next fifteen minutes, Kelly told the story about what had been happening in the last week. ------- Robert and Vanetta came downstairs just as Kelly was finishing the story. Vanetta had slipped on a thin, light silk, cream-colored nightshirt. It did nothing to hide her erect nipples or her dark bush which peeked out as she walked, the bottom of her bum cheeks swaying and showing appropriately at the right times. As if on cue, the doorbell rang, saving Robert from inquiring minds. Despite Laura's fears that it might be her father or uncle Lew, it was the pizza deliveryman. As usual, Todd had over-ordered and for the six females and two males, there were four large pizzas and two buckets of wings. Dipping sauce in every variety and flavor along with Todd's favorite: "Hell-Fire." Ami reached with a chicken wing for the "Hell-Fire" dipping sauce when Cara brushed her hand aside. "Don't even think about it," said Cara. "You eat that and I'll take a lighter to bed with me tonight and you'll be joining the 'blue-flame' club!" Robert choked on his pizza and Todd started to howl with laughter. "What's the 'blue-flame' club," asked Sherri. Ami was glaring daggers at Cara. "Cara is suggesting I pass wind in bed," said Ami. "Supposedly, though I believe it's just an urban legend, you can light the methane gas passed." "Oh!" said Sherri, a look of understanding on her face. "So, Ami farts in bed. Does she stick your head under the covers like James does with us girls?" "No," said Cara. "Ami loves me too much to do something that gross. And usually her toots smell like celery 'cause of the vitamins we take. But that 'Hell-Fire' sauce will gag me!" Netta was pounding on Bobby's back. He had inhaled so sharply on the pizza he was chewing he was having trouble clearing his windpipe. Todd was of no help as he was red in the face with laughter. Cara stood up and pressed her bare breasts against Robert's back and did the Heimlich maneuver. While it cleared the obstruction from his throat, Bobby instantly had another problem growing up front. "Wow," said Netta, looking at Bobby's groin. "Maybe I should have tried blowing on that straw to clear his obstruction!" Cara blushed, but after making sure that Robert was all right, took her seat again and proceeded to point at the others with a chicken wing. "I hope this teaches you all a lesson about laughing while you are eating!" Todd put down his food and took a deep swig from the cold beer he had in front of him. "You are absolutely right, Cara, but who started it in the first place?" "And now it's my fault that Ami passes gas in her sleep?" asked Cara with a straight face. "No," said Kelly, "but when you talk about making Ami a member of the 'blue-flame' club, you can't blame us for laughing." "But can you really light farts?" asked Sherri, "cause if that's true, I'm going to give James a surprise he'll never forget!" Brenda was laughing as well. "It's been so long since he's shared my bed that I had forgotten about that little game of his. It would serve him right though." "Who shares your bed now, Brenda?" asked Cara. Laura looked up with curiosity. This would be the test. How Cara reacted to Brenda's response would tell if her conversation with Cara had done the trick. "It depends on what I'm in the mood for," said Brenda. "Mostly I sleep alone now, but if I want company, Amanda is always willing, and if I want a man, there's a cute guy in sales who is more than willing to satisfy my needs." "You're not in a relationship?" Cara asked. "Hell, no," said Brenda. "I'm too busy keeping up with all the changes at the company to really give a relationship the time it needs to make it grow. But I'm not complaining. Chuck is great company. We read together at night while Deanna and Anna catch up. Amanda likes to tinker in the prototype garage well past midnight, though I think she's got an engineer tucked away there she stays out late with. Whatever the reason, they're sure coming up with some unique ideas for hull designs." "What happened with Deanna and Chuck after the opening of the Wheel?" asked Kelly. ------- Brenda, having spent the most time with Chuck Regan and his granddaughter, told of how the reunion had gone. After the initial reunion at The Eyrie, things seemed to go well between Chuck and Deanna. They had cast off the same morning that Todd and Kelly had left, and for five days, no one heard from them. Rumors of course were rampant. Chuck and Deanna and Anna on the high seas in the CL1. They had stocked enough provisions to last at least a week, but those who knew of the situation between father and daughter were apprehensive. Ten years had passed without a civil word between the two of them, and nearly six years of total silence. "As you discovered," said Brenda to Kelly, "Deanna had left her husband, though he didn't realize it at the time, being he was so involved with his 'boy-toy.' I think Deanna could have forgiven him his desire to explore another side to his sexuality based on what little she has mentioned of it, but that he did it in such a sneaky underhanded way... that's what really bothered her. What kind of relationship can you hope to have if you can't be honest with your partner?" "Indeed," said Laura, looking at Cara. "Absolutely," said Vanetta looking at Robert. "I agree," said Kelly looking at Ami. "So what did she do?" asked Todd looking at the last chicken wing. "Deanna drove the CL1 back to her dad's marina. When they arrived, there were a lot of us holding our breaths, but all three of them came off the boat laughing and holding hands. Once Chuck got inside, he phoned that friend of his, the one who found Deanna, and from what Chuck has said, his friend hired a photographer and they came up with some pretty interesting pictures. Chuck then sent word that either the marriage becomes null and void, with no settlement or trial or the pictures would find their way into the hands of other people. The last thing I heard was that Deanna got a letter turning all of her assets over to her free and clear and divorce papers signed." "Wow," said Laura. "I sure wouldn't want Chuck pissed at me!" Brenda laughed. "He's a sweetheart. But we are talking about his daughter." "The one he feels he forced out of his life," Kelly added. "Exactly," said Brenda. "Though Deanna keeps asking when her big brother is coming down for a visit!" Todd smiled. He'd never had any siblings, and then in the course of the summer had found a father figure he could respect and look up to and he had been afraid when father and daughter were reunited that there might not be room for him. "We'll be going down after the company picnic," said Kelly. "I'm looking forward to seeing them all again and Todd promised to take a family portrait of them." "It's a whole different family than before," said Brenda. "I'm running Regan Boats, and Chuck spends his days with Deanna building handcrafted yachts like the CL1. Anna spends most of her time with Amanda through the day and then we all go swimming after supper." "Swimming?" asked Kelly. Brenda smiled. "Okay, so nobody bothers to wear a bathing suit. What can I say?" Todd laughed. "This will be some reunion. I'm really happy for Deanna and Chuck." "So am I," said Kelly. "Family is so important." ------- It was past 9:00 when they finally finished eating and talking. Todd arranged with Sherri to start shooting her portfolio at 10:00. Robert assured him that the band would not be getting together till after lunch. "And what should I do after I get shot by Todd?" smirked Sherri. "I doubt you two will be back any time soon!" Kelly laughed and said that yes, she did have plans for an evening out with Brenda that would start at lunchtime at a bistro she had discovered in town. Then they were going to spend the afternoon shopping till it was time to eat and then, they might seek out a club or two or just get pampered at a salon. "But, don't wait up for us, Sherri," she said with a smile. Old pregnant women like me need to take things slow!" Laura laughed and put her arm around Sherri. "Not to worry, Sherri, I'm sure the rest of us girls can find something to do." "I've got to start packing so I can have Bobby take me to the airport on Sunday," said Vanetta. "I've got the kids to work with all weekend," said Robert. "That is, if you still want them opening the company picnic festivities." "Absolutely!" said Todd. "If the boys are half as good as Laura's sisters, they'll be the opening act for 'Rebel Heart.'" "Who's Rebel Heart?" asked Sherri. "They're a band we heard at Brookhaven," said Laura. "They're good!" "If you don't mind, Rob, I might stick around and see how the first rehearsal goes," said Todd. "No problem with me," said Robert, "and it will do good for the kids to get used to an audience." "Todd," said Ami, "you think we can take pictures of the band on Sunday?" Todd thought about it for about as long as it took him to swipe Kelly's lit cigarette. "If Rob doesn't mind, sure. Why not? Get it done now so we can start putting the brochure together." "You should let Cara work on that," said Netta. She's got a natural talent for layout." Todd looked at Cara as he inhaled. Then he smiled. "Feel up to a challenge, Cara?" "I'd like to, if nobody minds," said Cara. "Cara, Sweetheart," said Laura. "You know nobody will mind if you try something. That's how we learn and we grow. We work as a team and we play as a team." Cara blushed. "Thanks, Laura." ------- Sherri and Brenda headed back to their hotel after the dishes and leftovers were cleaned away. Kelly wanted to pick Brenda up at the hotel, but Brenda reminded her that Sherri wasn't old enough to drive yet - At least not legally! - So they arranged to all meet back at the studio at 10 Saturday morning. Robert locked the door after Todd and the girls left, and gently caressed Vanetta's scantily clad body. "You don't know how much you've been turning me on all night knowing you're naked under that thin piece of silk," he said. As he unbuttoned the nightshirt, Vanetta said, "Are you sure it's me that got you all turned on or was it the three young near naked bodies that sat with us?" Robert laughed. "I will admit, my darling Netta, that the sight of three young nubile nymphs sitting around topless did not hurt my libido, but it is you, Darling, that I want to take to bed!" Vanetta slipped out of the nightshirt and posed provocatively in front of Robert. "Perhaps a visual inspection of your equipment is called for before we take the stairway to our own little heaven." Robert groaned as Vanetta sank to the couch unzipping his fly in the process and allowing his engorged member to spring free. When her hot lips encased his cock, he started to buck nearly right away. He was loaded and his lover's lips captured and played with the most sensitive part of his glans. Her hands caressed his ass and one finger wormed its way into his ass, causing him to groan out in ecstasy as he filled her willing mouth with his hot milky cream. As Robert slowly unfolded and landed beside his lover she laid back spreading her legs for him to see how wet she was. ------- Cara took an exceptionally long time oiling Kelly in that night. It was like she was committing Kelly's body to memory, though she could already identify every nook and cranny with her eyes closed. Kelly, for her part was enjoying every minute of it. She knew there had been something going on earlier in the day, but whatever it was, Laura had in her own efficient way, handled it. Kelly sat on the bed nude, having a cigarette, waiting for the body oil to do its magic. She wasn't concerned about the baby ruining her appearance, the thrill of motherhood erased that completely from her mind. Really, Kelly didn't have to work at all any more. She owned her house, her vehicles, and half of a very profitable business. Even in a worst-case scenario, she was also highly skilled and educated and could always find work in the business world. But... the feel of Cara's skilled hands sliding and gliding over her body was so erotic and sensuous. It had become almost natural that Kelly would have a small climax before Cara was finished with her, and she knew that Cara worked her towards that goal. The way Cara pulled and tugged on her inner thighs and worked the skin at the joining of her legs, she had to know the motion was causing Kelly's lower lips to pull on her clit! Most often she climaxed while face down, her head in the pillow, biting to stop from screaming out loud. There was no use in denying it. Kelly had taken enough psych courses to understand Cara was expressing a deep emotional need. Transferring her desire to please on to Kelly. She knew that Cara loved her, but in different way than she loved Ami. Ami was her lover and her partner. Kelly was a surrogate sister for Cara, and all Cara wanted was to be loved for being a person. Not a lover, not a daughter, but the unconditional love that Kelly provided; acceptance without labels. Cara came back into the room carrying two bottles of mineral water, and sat facing Kelly with her legs crossed beneath her. "I never had a family before," said Kelly softly. "Up until I met Todd, I didn't trust anyone. Now, I seem to have a nearly complete family. I have two lovers, a grandmother, and if I could have picked anyone to be my sister, Sweetheart, I would have picked you." Cara blushed and lowered her head behind her bottle. Kelly gently pushed the bottle down and lifted Cara's face so she would have to look at Kelly. "I mean it, Honey," said Kelly. "Ami is great. I love her to pieces, but there's just something about you that makes me think we could have been related. You're a great listener, and God knows I like to ramble on." Kelly sighed. "Maybe in our next lifetime eh? Let's make a pact to come back as sisters." Cara swiftly moved into Kelly's open arms and hugged her, the hint of a tear forming in her eye. "I promise, Kelly. Next time we'll be sisters." ------- Twenty miles away, at the Hilton, Brenda picked up the room phone. Sherri had turned on the TV with the hope of catching a decent late night movie. About 250 miles away, a sleepy voice answered the ring of Brenda's call. "Hi, Chuck. It's Brenda. I hope I didn't wake you but there's something going on in Charlotte you should know about." Brenda quickly recounted what she could remember of the conversation about the stalker and how Laura's dad and his friend had found out who was looking for either Kelly or Todd, though they still didn't know why. "Thanks, Brenda," said Chuck after listening to her full account. "It's still early on the west coast. I'm going to call my friend and have him look into this right away. We can't let anything happen to our friends, can we." It wasn't a question, and Brenda shivered at the thought of what Chuck might do if either Todd or Kelly were threatened! Her whole body shook for a second. In her mind, Chuck was the nicest, gentlest man she had ever known, but she also knew that he had once been a member of an elite navy group in Viet Nam. His friend had been in the same group. Chuck had gone into building boats, but his friend had opened a security agency that now employed a few hundred people - all of them either former cops or retired military personnel. She shivered once more. Chuck had become very close to Todd, considered him his son even. And with Chuck there was no limit on loyalty. Brenda sat with Sherri for a bit trying to get interested in the movie when she remembered that she had brought along a special present for Sherri. They hadn't had any time together since Brenda had taken over the day to day operations of Regan's, and this would be a good way to make up for lost time, and to take her mind off what Chuck might do. Opening her travel bag, Brenda brought out a package of water-soluble markers. Sherri was quite the little artist when it came to playing connect the freckles, a game they had both enjoyed many times when James had been busy in New York with Nicole. Once, Sherri had used a regular ballpoint pen. A lesson well learned as Brenda walked around for a week looking like the tattooed lady. "Sherri, Honey... Look what I've got for you to play with!" Sherri squealed with delight and instantly turned the TV off. Neither of them had much use for wasting time with the idiot box. There were so many better things one could do to occupy a bit of free time! ------- Friday night was busy at the Charlotte jail. Eddie was fuming because he hadn't seen or heard from a lawyer, and that big fuck that had tackled him and hit him with the phone book was constantly harassing him. When he got out of this dump, he'd get that prick. The problem was, they could hold him for 72 hours while they checked him out and by the time the 72 hours were up, the fuckers told him that it was too late to get him in front of a judge to plead guilty. "I'm not guilty!" Eddie whined, but they only laughed and reminded him they had caught him red-handed with an unlicensed pistol. "Five years bonus time," the big fuck had said. "No parole on that one either, Eddie. We take stalking real serious in these parts. Maybe you and your friends get a good laugh telling stupid redneck jokes about us workin' folk down here, Eddie, but this time the joke's on you!" and walked away, chuckling while Eddie's knuckles whitened as he gripped the bars in frustration. The jail cells had started to fill up close to midnight, as the police hauled in the drunks and hookers and troublemakers. Soon, space was at a premium, and some time after two in the morning, they tossed a drunk into Eddie's cell. Funny thing about this drunk though was that as soon as the guard walked away, he was stone cold sober. Straightening up, he showed Eddie an evil grin, a steel cap glinting amongst the yellowed teeth. "Well, well, it mus' be my lucky day, right boy?" he said conversationally as he cracked the knuckles of each hand in turn. Eddie never found out who he was, but he was big. Really big! About six four, at least 300 pounds, all of it muscle and all of it between Eddie and the cell door. The blurred tattoos on his arms writhed as he crowded Eddie into the corner, his breath sour on Eddie's face. "There's a price on your head, boy," he said, "An' I gonna be the one to collect, heh, heh!" "Word is you tried ta rape the daughter of one of the good cops in this fuckin' town. An' there's a 'get out of jail free' card for whoever helps ya have a little accident, heh, heh! I had to beat the shit out of three guys just to get in here with you. Guess I got lucky, hey boy?" Eddie squirmed and talked faster than he had ever talked in his life. He had always acted tough, but this guy was the real thing and Eddie was shaking as he tried to explain that he hadn't touched the cop's daughter and he never was going to and all he was doing was watching, but the big guy just kept crowding him into the corner. "It was the guy she's living with that I had ta find. All I hadda do was keep an eye on him till my boss got down here. I swear it!" "Why?" asked the big man, flexing his muscles and putting a forearm against Eddie's chest. "You queer, boy? Like watching guys?" "No! It's just some stupid lawsuit. I been tailing him for close to eight months. I dunno what it's about. I just hadda find him and keep an eye on him till my boss got here, I swear!" The big man wiped a greasy lock of hair from his forehead. "Makes no never mind ta me what ya was doing, ya little queer. I just know, I fuck you up good, I get to walk outa any jail inna state! Those cops really hate ya, boy!" And he drew back a fist the size of a ham. Eddie squealed and shat himself in fear. By the grace of God, a guard happened to walk by at that very moment and called for backup. Three guards wrestled the big man to the floor and cuffed and shackled him as Eddie sat trembling in his soiled pants, tears running down his face. "Shit, it stinks in here," said one of the guards. "Yeah, that's what I think it is too. Haul this big fucker over to our special guest room and I'll take our stalker to the showers and get him a set of coveralls." Eddie was too scared to move. He begged to be left alone and promised money if nobody else was given a chance to beat him, but the guard just lifted him by the scruff of the neck and marched him to the showers. Thirty minutes later, Eddie was in orange coveralls, sitting in the corner of the cell with his eyes fixed on the door and too terrified to go to sleep. ------- The guards who had hauled the brute out of Eddie's cell escorted him all the way to the Duty Sergeant's office. Once inside, they removed the cuffs and shackles asking if they had been too tight. "Little Joe" Johnson laughed, said they had played it just right. Reaching under the back of his hair, he pulled the pins that secured the hairpiece in place and revealed a military style crew cut. Lew laughed. "Damn if that hair don't look natural. I could have sworn that was your real hair." "That's the whole idea," said Joe. "Ever lose it in a fight?" asked Lew? "Little Joe" looked at Lew and smirked. "What do you think?" Lew laughed again as Sergeant Major Joe Johnson (ret) removed his false teeth. They were an ugly set and designed to go over Joe's natural teeth. He slipped them into a zip lock bag and put them into a pocket. "Damn things come with their own stench cream," he said. "It has no taste, but it stinks like really sour milk." "What about the art work?" asked Lew. "Any of it real?" Joe smiled. "The real ones are hidden beneath this washable crap. Rub some alcohol on it and it's history. Better call in now, I think." Lew turned the phone towards the big man. "Courtesy of the CMPD. Did you learn anything worthwhile?" Joe started dialing the phone, stopped, and said, "Feel free to listen in." The phone in Los Angeles only rang twice before it was answered. "Johnson reporting" he said. "The perp is after the male party. Doesn't know why, but says it's to do with a lawsuit." He listened for a minute then turned to Lew. "The boss wants to know if you traced any calls to a law firm." "Yeah," said Lew. "Langstaff and Associates. It's a mid size ambulance chasing firm currently on the tobacco trail of easy money. Here's the address," he said handing over a clipboard. Joe nodded his thanks and read off the information to his boss. He listened for a few minutes more than said, "Okay. I'm at the Southside Holiday Inn. I'll pick up Ayres' trail and sniff around a bit. Call me if somebody from Langstaff leaves for Charlotte. Yeah, the locals are good guys," he said smiling at Lew. "They seem to like this Ayres guy. I'll get them to clue him in and give him some safety tips about likely scenarios. I'll just blend into the background and make sure nobody from Cleveland goes off half cocked." After he hung up the phone, Joe stayed and detailed some of the things that might happen next, and most likely possibilities. Lew said that he and Harry would go over later in the day and bring Todd up to speed. Just before he left, Lew opened his drawer and lifted out Joe's Smith and Wesson in a quick release shoulder harness. "I sure hope you don't have a reason to use this," said Lew. Joe smiled. "Ten years with the firm and the only time I've ever had to fire it was for the annual license test." Lew stood up and shook the big man's hand. "Thanks for the help, Joe. Pity you can't meet the man you're going to be looking after, but I realize its best he doesn't know you're around. He's a decent man and a real asset to the community." "I would have guessed that based on what you're doing for him. I'll see you when it's over, Lew." ------- Meanwhile, forty minutes from the police station, Laura, Kelly and Todd were sleeping the sleep of the innocent. Daybreak was just minutes away. In another part of town, Annie was already up and dressed and working on her day's orders, waiting for Jacob to show up and make a pot of his mighty fine coffee. ------- Chapter 32A Cara and Ami were up at the crack of dawn Saturday morning. Cara because of her desire to please Kelly before she and Brenda had their night on the town and Ami because today was going to be a day of photography! Sherri's portfolio requirements meant there would be a lot of lighting changes and multiple outfits to try on. Ami secretly hoped for a chance to shoot some film of her own. After her talk with Kelly the night before, Cara felt silly over her jealousy towards Brenda. She wanted to make Kelly a fancy breakfast and serve it to her in bed. Todd and Laura would reap the same treatment since the three were always in bed together, but Cara didn't mind. Laura treated her like an equal and a sister, and Todd... well, Todd was Todd, and you couldn't help but love him as much as Kelly and Laura did. After mentioning her plans, Ami was more than agreeable to help Cara out. Slipping into her shorts and a T-shirt, Ami put her running shoes on and headed down Jane Ave to the fruit vendor located on the corner of Statesville Road. The vendor knew Ami by sight now, and knew she was staying with Kelly. Since her arrival in Charlotte, Ami, Cara, and Kelly had stopped there numerous times, and as always, he had the best put aside for his very special customers. Cara started to mix the waffle batter by hand, not trusting the appliances to run silently enough to let Todd, Laura, and Kelly sleep. On every occasion when Ami and Cara had tried to surprise the trio, one of them always woke up before breakfast was ready. Cara had mixed the ingredients from scratch, grateful that Gloria kept the cupboards stocked with fresh supplies. God knew that Kelly was too busy to attempt to do any real shopping these days. Whole wheat flour was the basis for the mixture, and Cara added the other ingredients carefully, having learned the hard way that it was easy to add more, but it was a bitch taking them out! Ami returned with her arms loaded just as the waffle iron was reaching the right temperature and surprised Cara with a large bag of the biggest, ripest blueberries either girl had ever seen. She also had a quart basket of big, juicy strawberries, and she proceeded to clean the blueberries while Cara checked her mix to see if it would come out as fluffy as her mother's. Satisfied that she had the mix as close to perfect as she could, she, towel patted the rinsed blueberries to remove extra water, added them to the mix, then poured her first batch. She turned the oven on to keep the finished waffles warm while Ami cleaned and sliced the strawberries. Cara wished she had the time to whip up fresh cream but didn't think she would, even though so far luck was running with them, and not a sound had come from the master bedroom yet. There was a store-bought bowl of ready-made whipped cream which Ami started scooping onto the five plates of completed waffles. Cara added a dash of cinnamon while Ami spread strawberries on top of the whipped cream. Inch high waffles, three to a plate, with strawberries artfully arranged, creating visually pleasing plates, the red strawberries contrasting nicely against the white cream. Ami carried a tray with five large glasses of orange juice and cutlery and napkins, which she placed on an end table outside of the bedroom and then helped Cara carry the trays with the five plates on it. The girls snickered; maybe this one time, they could actually surprise the three lovers with breakfast in bed. It was a quarter to eight. Todd was in the midst of a sweet dream, cuddled between his two lovers, when he heard the giggling of two young females. Since he slept in the nude, his half conscious mind reached down to check if he was covered. He was instantly awake when his hand encountered no sheet, just his morning hard on. The girls just laughed. He had seen them nude on many occasions, but was careful not to expose his own genitals around the girls. Not that he had reason to be shy since Cara and Ami were clearly only in love with each other. He sat up so fast that Laura turned and rolled right off the bed while Kelly slept on undisturbed. Laura awoke with a start, trying to figure out when and how she had ended up on the floor. She was rubbing her butt when she realized they were not alone in the room, and then she saw Todd sitting up with both his hands in his groin trying to cover his hard cock. Her sense of smell picked up instantly that there was food close by, and she looked at the young lovers and laughed. Reaching across the floor, she retrieved Todd's shorts and tossed them to him, which garnered her a look of appreciation. Moving quickly, Todd slipped the shorts over his feet and slid them up in record time, though he had a difficult time getting them over his erection, but then he too chuckled. At least now he was covered. Cara and Ami placed the trays on the dresser and snuck up on the still sleeping Kelly, lightly stroking her and kissing her cheeks and arms till she slowly opened her eyes. Kelly smiled at the youngsters, and with no thought to her own nudity, sat up in bed. "Surprise!" said Cara with obvious pleasure. Laura climbed back on the bed and joined her lovers as Ami started passing around plates of steaming waffles. Kelly sniffed the waffles and made a sound that reflected her pleasure, then said, "You finally managed to catch us asleep did you?" She smiled as she said it, then added, "I'll bet Todd was the most surprised," which caused a good-natured laugh amongst all of them. They ate in relative silence except for the sounds of pleasure coming from the three in bed. Ami and Cara sat on the swivel chairs by the makeup counter, the only chairs in the room. Twenty minutes later, fully sated, Todd got up to relieve the pressure on his bladder while Cara and Ami cleared away the dishes. Laura got up to put on a pot of tea and get the vitamins out, but Kelly had laid back down and curled nude in a fetal position in the middle of the bed and promptly went back to sleep. Eight in the morning was not her strong suit. At 9 o'clock, Todd and Ami headed out to the studio. They had work to do before Sherri showed up for her 10 o'clock appointment. Laura and Cara sat drinking tea, trying to decide what they wanted to do that evening. They'd already decided to spend the day at the studio watching Todd and Ami work and would possibly do a shopping trip for underwear later. Kelly finally emerged from the bedroom just before 10, ruffling her hair with one hand, reaching for the tea pot with the other. She still hadn't bothered getting dressed. She knew that Brenda would want to make sure that Sherri was comfortable before she and Kelly left for their overnight special girlfriend's night out. Brenda had been the one who had first introduced her to Sapphic pleasures, and except for a brief afternoon encounter at the opening of the Wheel, where she had shared Brenda with Laura, the two women had not had a chance to spend quality time together. Kelly's schedule for the next two months was so solidly booked that she knew this would be their last opportunity before she returned from Jamaica as a married woman. Now, totally awake, she gave Cara a special kiss and thanked her again for the wonderful surprise and breakfast treat. Cara blushed at the compliment but was secretly pleased that Kelly had enjoyed the surprise. Seeing that her lover was up and awake, Laura logged off the computer. She was fitting as much of her study time on line as possible, when ever possible. It was actually faster and more in-depth doing her courses online than if she attended classes. She could pause in the midst of a lesson and research the facts presented. Without the distracting party time, not to mention obligatory socializing time with other students, travel time to and from school, between the buildings, etcetera, and sports activities usually associated with university life, she could devote more time to learning, and it left her more flexible time to pursue her career as a model. After swallowing her vitamins and drinking her "go-juice," Kelly showered and got dressed in comfortable walking shorts and a light blouse. With Laura and Cara helping, she got a small overnight bag packed with slacks, shoes and another top. By 10:45, the three girls climbed into Kelly's Elantra and drove to the studio. Vanetta had been awake early that morning, knowing that the studio would be a busy place today. Downstairs, just wearing a T-shirt, Vanetta stocked the fridge with mineral water, beer, and soft drinks. By 8:30, she had showered and rolled Bobby out of bed, sending him on a snack-shopping mission. Pastries, smoked fish, and other delicacies as he saw fit. Bobby didn't mind. He was happy to be driving the luxury van on loan from the dealer until the official "Seniors: TNG" van arrived later in the week. Later in the morning he would be picking up the Williams sisters and the three musicians who would back them. They had a rehearsal scheduled for the afternoon, and it had been suggested that group photographs of the new entertainment sextet might be taken as well. Bobby returned an hour later carrying a large box. While he helped Vanetta put things away, she told him Todd and Ami had already arrived and were in the darkroom loading film cartridges. Since he had time to spare, he helped Vanetta peel a dozen oranges and a half dozen pink grapefruit, then separate them into individual slices and place them on ice in the fridge. Among the numerous items Bobby had brought back, one in particular required attention - a large block of mild Gouda cheese. Vanetta showed him how to slice and dice the cheese using a thin metal wire with wooden handles. It was much faster and more efficient than trying to force a knife through it. Satisfied that everything was in place and all the preparations that could be done, had been, Vanetta and Robert headed back upstairs to their new apartment where they had breakfast. "I still feel strange using a company debit card to pay for all these purchases," Robert said after they finished eating. "I understand the logic, but I'm afraid that I'll stop looking for bargains." Netta smiled at him and said, "It's good to be cost conscious, Bobby, but when it comes to a choice between quality and a good price, stick with quality." He nodded his understanding, remembering his purchase of the new computer and office recliner for the new enterprise. He could have saved half the price on a refurbished computer with fewer features, but at Kelly and Todd's insistence, he'd bought the best for his needs, along with an extended warranty. The reclining manager's chair might have been a bit extravagant, especially compared to the folding metal chair he had been forced to sit on at his last job, but he realized that he would be spending a lot of time in the chair on the phone and with emails. He was brought back to the present by Vanetta asking him if he was going to miss her when she headed to California and the City of Angels the next day. "Of course I'll miss you, Sweetheart," he said. "But, it's only for one night this time." "What do you mean, 'this time'?" Vanetta asked. "Honey... you're now the president of one of the largest privately owned modeling agencies in the world. The company also represents one of the most famous photographers of our time, and the advertising department is growing daily. I've already accepted the fact there will be times when you'll have to leave to handle a situation you can't delegate." "And will you miss me then?" she asked. Robert smiled at her, the love for her clearly showing in his eyes. "I miss you whenever I leave your side, Netta, but this, this opportunity... it's a dream come true. I'll just love you twice as much when you return." Vanetta leaned over the table to kiss him. She would have shown him just how much she could really love him; however, they heard laughter from downstairs. "Keep that thought, Sweetheart. I'll show you later how much I love you, but it sounds like Brenda and Sherri are here." Brenda and Sherri had arrived and were having tea with Todd and Ami. Sherri was a bit nervous but tried her best to hide it, though Ami and Todd both picked up on it. "Stop worrying, Sherri," Ami said. "If Todd and Kelly think you've got what it takes to be a top model, you can take that to the bank!" Todd smiled at his young apprentice. She was learning early that, to get the best out of a model, they had to be at ease, and Ami was saying all the right things. "Kelly will probably want to spend a bit of time with Sherri before she leaves with you, Brenda," he said. "She'll want to pick out the outfits and do the initial hair and makeup. Vanetta and Laura will help afterwards on the touchups, but trust Kelly to find what will work best clothing-wise." "Cara and I aren't in your league, Sherri," said Ami, "but we learned real quick that we're just the racks to hang merchandise on. You just have a nicer rack!" That comment had everyone laughing and was what Bobby and Vanetta had heard upstairs. Vanetta and Bobby came downstairs at the same time that Kelly, Laura, and Cara walked in the door. Todd looked at the clock, anxious to get shooting. Kelly sighed theatrically, claiming she was a slave to her job, before giving everyone a good morning kiss. She took Sherri's hand and said, "Time for your shower, Dear." "Shower?" said Sherri with a questioning look. "I had one this morning." "And it shows," said Kelly. "Your skin is all shiny and bright. Not what Todd will want for your portfolio." Cara poured Kelly a cup of tea, just the way Kelly liked it. Laura offered help to whoever needed it, and seeing that her time was free for a few hours, grabbed a cup of tea and chatted with Brenda for a bit before logging back online to get a few more lessons completed. She knew that in three weeks, she would be going through this frenetic model prep anxiety in New York. Three weeks after that, she would be on a cruise to Jamaica to get married. She smiled as she looked down at the huge diamond on her hand. With a sigh, she turned her attention back to the computer. Education was still the most important thing in her life, and she had to set an example for her sisters. Her sisters were currently helping their mom pack up all the knick knacks from their old house. It would still be a month before they moved into "Muriel's Place" but there were over 20 years of memories to pack up. Aunt Sally, Lew's wife, was helping as well. Harry was putting in extra shifts to accumulate vacation time so he would be available for moving day. He had less than a year to make his 25 and retire early. The offer to manage "Muriel's Place" was a dream come true. He and Meg would earn more in four months than Harry did working a full year as a patrol sergeant and Meg working at the grocery store. Harry and Meg had placed their house on the market, and with the desire to get out from under that debt load, had listed it for slightly more than what was left on the mortgage. Steve, TKO's lawyer, had - at the request of Kelly - agreed to handle the details, taking the burden from Harry and Meg's shoulders. It was a favor Steve was happy to do after hearing how Harry and Meg had been caught in a financial bind, owing the bank nearly as much as what the house would sell for. He had met Laura when Kelly had first called him about the unlawful dismissal from the restaurant she had worked for. Then he had been surprised, though not overly shocked, when Todd had told him that he was marrying both Laura and Kelly. Steve and his partner owed a lot to Todd and Kelly, but they never mentioned it, and they treated him and his wife, Melanie, like family. Steve smiled to himself, remembering struggling as a young lawyer when Todd and Kelly had first arrived in Charlotte. Within a year, there was so much business that he had to take on a partner, and between the two of them, they handled all of TKO's business assets and legal work. When Kelly had called with the tip on InterCoastal boats, Steve and his partner had bought nearly a quarter million dollars in shares in the company, only to see it double in the first week after they purchased. Of course, they were immediately investigated by the government for insider trading, but against the two lawyers - who could prove they had no connection and that they had never spoken to any representative of IC - the investigation was quickly dropped. They had always been conservative with their investments, but on the advice of their stockbroker had taken chances before. There was no law against gambling on stocks or for doing your homework before deciding to invest. Steve and his partner had smiled at each other after the investigators left; IC stock had been climbing slowly for months before the big jump, and it was a logical decision. The extreme climb on an established company gave even more credence to their story. Kelly pointed Sherri to the shower and told her to use the soft cream soap she handed her. "Aww!" said Sherri. "I've got to take a shower by myself?" Kelly laughed and said she was saving herself for Brenda, and that Ami was busy with Todd, but she might be able to convince Cara or Laura to shower with her. Sherri sighed and asked if Kelly would at least stick around till she was finished. "Of course I will, Sweetheart. I've got to get you covered with the proper body lotion and then powdered." Sherri quickly showered and washed her hair with the shampoo supplied by Kelly. She stepped out of the shower nude and dripping, expecting a towel waiting for her, but instead, Kelly handed her a bottle of body lotion, telling her to cover every square inch of her skin, but not to put any on her hair. As Sherri applied the lotion, Kelly opened a bottle of hair conditioner and started to massage it into Sherri's hair. "You'll want another shower after the shoot," Kelly said, "or your hair and body will feel like you are wearing a latex body suit." In response to Sherri's questions, Kelly explained how the studio lights would pick up and reflect off smooth, tight skin. The lotion they were applying would absorb light and give Sherri substance under the unforgiving lights. It was a near smudge-proof liquid makeup foundation containing very tiny seed particles that would add texture to her skin. After the lotion had dried, Kelly liberally applied a moisture absorbing powder of honey dust, using a large feather applicator that got Sherri quite erotically charged. When she finished powdering Sherri, Kelly handed her a robe and led her to the clothing/stock/changing room. Kelly advised against either panties or bra, stressing the lines would be obvious in the photographs Todd would be taking. Not that Sherri minded, as the clothes felt so good against her sensitive skin! Kelly quickly pulled out over a half dozen outfits by lesser known designers who were each just starting to make their own mark in the fashion world. Kelly was hoping that for the younger girl, one of the designers would want her exclusively for a year until she was old enough to turn pro and earn top dollar for the big shows - Milan, Paris, New York... all of the major fashion centers where Versace and other top designers premiered their new seasons. A few times on the major runways and Sherri would become cover girl material. Kelly had no doubt that Sherri would be a top earner and household name in the business by 2004. Still wearing nothing but her robe, Sherri followed Kelly to the large makeup counter where she sat patiently while Kelly did a complete transformation of her hair. Using a combination of curlers and volume enhancing dryers, and of course an assortment of hair gels and mousse, Kelly obtained the results she wanted. Then with the help of Vanetta, they worked on the makeup. Eyeliner, eye shadow, under liner and lash enhancers took care of the eyes, then Kelly went to work on the lip liner and color and added charcoal powder to accentuate the cheekbones and nose and chin line. Kelly took the time to explain the peroxide secret for dazzling white teeth and warned against overuse of the trick as it would cause damage to the tooth enamel if used too frequently. Todd came over to do a final inspection and turned to Kelly. "We've got ourselves a million dollar baby here." Kelly smiled. She knew from the first day that she had seen the girl that Sherri had the right bone and facial structure to be a top-grade model. Satisfied with her efforts, she turned the reins over to Vanetta and Cara who carefully slipped the first top over Sherri. Robert was still present, but seeing the process took any erotic pleasure out of seeing Sherri nude again. Sherri, for her part, had no problem with nudity - either with her lovers or in front of a mixed audience. A healthy attitude about her own body helped tremendously. Kelly watched with Brenda and Laura and Vanetta as Todd and Ami put Sherri through the paces for her first portfolio. She supervised Laura and Cara as they helped Sherri change into another outfit. Satisfied that Sherri was in good hands, Kelly turned to Brenda, "You ready to go, Honey?" "Anytime you are, Kelly," Brenda said. "Sherri can't drive the rental, so why don't we take it." Kelly laughed. "That's what I was thinking as well. I'll bet Laura and the girls will keep her company, and if she wants to go back to your hotel, either Todd or Laura can drive her." Kelly and Brenda left after kissing everyone goodbye. Kelly ribbed Brenda about needing lube to get into the two-seat Mercedes SLK32 AMG, but liked the idea of riding shotgun in the red convertible. Kelly directed Brenda to the highway, and with no preset plans, they started their own adventure. Where they would end up was not a destination, just an excuse for an adventure, so time was theirs for the taking. They had the day ahead of them, two young women who needed nothing; they were financially stable, had more clothes, and more than enough toys, so shopping was not on their agenda. Museums, art galleries, and good food, but more importantly, good company, was what they were looking for today. Anything else would develop as mood took them. Sherri was finally getting into the swing of letting herself move, pausing when she felt the time was right. Having the Bangles blaring through the studio sound system helped her pick a beat that, unlike her classical music tastes, had a heavy beat, and Todd seemed able to anticipate when she would pause, and the flashes would fire. Ami stood beside Todd, and he would be talking to her as he walked her through the process again. Ami could see the difference between Kelly as a pro and Sherri as a novice, but Sherri had the looks that promised a great future. They had gone through nearly a dozen wardrobe changes, and between songs, Vanetta would go over and check to see if there were any smudge marks on Sherri's teeth or if her eyes were getting dry. The studio had special drops for moisturizing dry eyes that wouldn't run or smear the liner. Towards the end of the session, Todd turned the camera and the controls over to Ami to shoot off two cartridges. Now was as good a time to start Ami on model photography as any, and though she took a bit longer getting accustomed to the viewfinder, Todd saw that she too could anticipate when Sherri would stop to a beat. After two hours, Todd felt they had enough to start a decent portfolio on Sherri, and there were no pictures in the group that she would not be able to show her parents if the question ever came up. Todd remembered Sherri's father's response when he realized Kelly was the topless model from the Sports International bathing suit magazine he kept in his desk. Assured that their daughter would not be posing in anything revealing, they had agreed to sign the contract giving Todd and Kelly control over their daughter's modeling career. It all seemed so long ago to Todd, so much had happened since then, but he was also guided by his own morals. The shots of Ami and Cara were perfectly acceptable to him and the girls since they were of legal age to consent to pose, and they had requested the photo series where they had ended up mostly nude. It brought a smile to Todd's lips as he remembered how the girls had gotten so carried away, they had forgotten about the camera. The result had been a series of fantastic fantasy pictures - fantasies older men had whether they admitted to them or not! Robert had left to pick up the Williams sisters and the three boys who would form the new band. Ami and Todd took the film into the darkroom and stored it, planning on opening the cartridges after lunch. Laura was still busy doing her online studies, and Cara had offered to help Sherri wash the body lotion off and get the gunk out of her hair. "The hair isn't so bad," said Cara. "It's water soluble, so it just takes a good lathering to get it out. This body lotion is something I've never tried as we had no close-ups." It turned out the body lotion was just as easy to remove, and Cara and Sherri enjoyed a few laughs as Sherri's body seemed to shed a second skin much like a snake molting, right down to the eyeliner and other makeup. Cara waited around till Sherri had dried off and dressed again in the casual attire she had worn to the studio. "So," asked Sherri, "I'm without wheels and no particular place to go. Any suggestions?" "Depends on what you want to do," said Cara. "Ami and Todd will probably work on developing your film after lunch, but Laura should be free, and if she isn't, Vanetta will probably be happy to take us anywhere we want to go - if you want company that is. Laura and I had planned to go shopping for undies, but we can do that any day." "I'd love the company," said Sherri casting an appreciative eye at Cara, "but with all the malls becoming the same, and me not needing anything, that kind of leaves out the regular girl stuff. I don't really want to do too much, this being my first weekend free all summer. Maybe we could catch a movie?" "That's doable," said Cara. "Let's see what's playing; maybe we can catch a matinee and then be back for supper." Sherri nodded her approval, and the two girls headed back to the main studio, walking in on a scene that startled them. Two police officers were sitting talking with Todd. Harry and Lew had shown up while Sherri had been showering. Lew had started by thanking Todd for letting him and Sally move into Muriel's Place, and then the older sergeant had turned serious. "Todd, maybe it's a good thing Kelly isn't here right now," Lew said. "I want to tell you that by accident, caused by overcrowding at the CMPD jail, Mr. Labadie had an unscheduled roommate for a while last night." Lew smiled at the thought, something that didn't slip by Todd. "Anyway, to make a long story short, Mr. Labadie for some unknown reason explained his trip to our fair city. It's you, Todd. Someone is coming after you for what I can only guess is your money. Some kind of lawsuit. Seems Mr. Labadie has been looking for you for nearly a year, informed his boss that he'd found you, and that's who will be coming next." Todd thought about it briefly. He was sure that the overcrowding was not the reason Ed Labadie had company last night and wondered who was running interference for him. Looking at Lew, Todd said, "You learned this last night? What are you doing here? I hope you aren't pulling a second shift." Harry laughed and explained that both he and Lew were working overtime while it was still available. Todd smiled his appreciation and offered the two officers a beer, which they regretfully declined but did take his invite for coffee; Vanetta intercepted the request and started the pot brewing. Both she and Laura had kept their distance while the official police business was underway, and Laura looked to Vanetta for assurance. "Mom said the real people after Todd were coming," she whispered to Laura, "looks like the Obi Man was right again." "So you were in charge of the bookings last night, Lew?" Todd asked. "And you didn't catch the fact that someone was placed in the cell with the suspected stalker waiting for a speak-to with a judge?" Lew smiled, despite his attempt at looking innocent. "Mix-ups happen on drunk nights," he said, "besides, I don't try to second guess you at how to take pictures." Todd laughed with genuine pleasure. His suspicions confirmed, he went on to explain his talk with Steve. "I talked with our lawyer," he said, "and there has never been a civil suit brought against me in my absence. He checked a national registry for this kind of action, so we have no idea who thinks they can get money out of me and can afford to pay someone enough money to come looking for me." "But you haven't always been Todd Ayres either," said Harry, showing that he had done his own research, but his easy smile indicated that, under either of his names, Todd had never had trouble with the law. "That's right, Harry; my last name was shortened lawfully and court sanctioned, though under my birth name, I was little more than a student trying to pay my way through college." "Once we knew," said Harry, "we called in some favors and we saw the kind of work you did. You were a hell of a sports photographer." He waved his arm around the room and added, "I don't understand why you gave that up for this kind of work!" Both Lew and Todd started laughing out loud, which was the cue for Laura and the girls to join the trio. Ami sat on the arm of Todd's chair while Laura handed her father and godfather their coffees. She knew exactly how they liked them. "Now, Uncle Lew, if you had Todd's talent, would you rather be running around a group of sweaty athletes scratching their groins or taking portraits of beautiful women in skimpy bathing suits?" Lew laughed as did Harry. "What confuses me and my lawyer," said Todd, then he looked at Harry, "I think you met Steve?" When Harry nodded, Todd continued. "A lawsuit can be filed from anywhere. Once Mr. Labadie knew where I was, why wasn't I just notified that someone wanted to sue me?" "That's what's got us wondering as well, Todd," said Harry. "Something about this just doesn't smell right. You won't mind if we come around a little more often will you?" It wasn't a question. Harry had really taken a liking to Todd, always wondering about the man behind the name, and who was benefactor to so many kids programs in Charlotte. After meeting him and finding Todd such a quiet, soft-spoken man who had taken such pure delight in his daughters singing, he felt very protective of him. "I'm curious why Mr. Labadie was so cooperative speaking to a fellow prisoner," Todd said. "And why this other prisoner, especially a drunk, as you say, Lew, would give any information to you." "Must have been bothering Eddie's conscience," said Lew with a smile. "Or an undercover officer," said Todd, "prodding Mr. Labadie along, which makes me leery of the information he provided." Lew burst out laughing. "Trust me, Todd," he said. "We don't have anyone on the force qualified to go undercover for a psycho like Eddie. On this you'll have to take my word that the information is very accurate." "Was he hurt?" Todd asked. "I wouldn't want anyone breaking any bones just to get a heads up as to what might be coming." "Only his pride," said Lew, "only his pride." Todd nodded, knowing he was not going to get any more information from the sergeant. Todd had just gotten up to refill the coffee cups when a storm blew in the front door. "I'm telling you we aren't going to be a gospel group," said Kat, and her feelings were echoed by her sisters. "We want to entertain these people, not make them think they've arrived for their own funerals!" Todd hid his smile as he saw an exasperated Robert, arms loaded with equipment and garment bags. "But I thought..." "That's the problem with teachers," said Kat. "They tend to think too much. Look. You just let us do the music they'll know and enjoy. "We've had experience with this." The extra emphasis on the "we" clearly showed Todd that Robert would have his hands full if he tried dictating just what type of music the band could play, but it was Robert's show, he was in control - sort of - and Todd was not going to interfere. "Hi, Daddy, Uncle Lew," Kat said when she spotted her father and Lew. Sam and Jen ran over and gave both of them a kiss before turning to Todd to air their beefs, but Todd just held up his hands and said, "This is something you're going to have to work out with Robert." Bill, Ted, and Jim were hauling in their instruments and amplifiers on little four-wheeled carts and looked quizzically at Todd. "For the time being why not set up in the second studio," said Todd. "When the gym equipment is gone, you can have the large bay to set up in. The acoustics might not be the greatest, but it will give you a lot more space." The boys nodded and proceeded to set up their gear. Todd noticed that nobody was in a hurry to leave now, and watched as Cara got a bottle of mineral water for herself and Laura. "How's the packing going, gentlemen?" Todd asked with a smile. He knew that both Harry and Lew were staying out of harm's way while Sally helped Meg and the girls organize everything for the big move. Harry smiled with a mischievous look in his eyes. One of the terms of the fast sale of his house had been that the new owners could take possession in 30 days. He was aware of the memories that the house held for him and Meg but didn't really want to be reminded of every piece as it was wrapped or taken down. As far as he was concerned, they were taking their memories with them and leaving an albatross behind. "The packing is going fine, Todd." Harry said. "The girls are anxious to move, and Meg has Sally helping her individually wrap every glass," he added with a sigh. Todd smiled, thinking back to when he moved out of the upstairs apartment and into Kelly's house. He remembered laughing at Ami and Cara as they had helped him pack up the four boxes and single suitcase. He had been packed in less than an hour and was totally moved out from a place he had called home for over half a decade. He imagined, though, that having built a family with four daughters, Meg must have a lot of memories to pack, which made him smile even more because in the not-so-distant future, he too would become a real father. "Thinking of your own family, Todd?" Harry asked out of the blue. Todd shook his head to clear the images from his mind and with a surprised look, asked Harry how he had guessed. Harry smiled and said that the contented look on Todd's face was a sure sign that Todd was having real happy thoughts. Harry was about to add more when a loud squeal erupted from the studio. Everyone rushed to see what the source of the audio feedback was. A flustered Robert and Jim were trying to change the settings for the Peavey Ecoustic amp. Changing the volume didn't end the feedback unless it was completely turned down. It was all the extra buttons that they were trying to figure out. The keyboard had its own built in speakers and Jim suggested that Robert call the store to find out what the problem was, or read the manual, which caused everyone to laugh. ------- Chapter 32B Ted had his Roland V-Drums assembled and plugged into the external amp. Volume could be controlled with a pedal next to his bass pedal. Bill already had some experience with electric bass guitars. His Peavey BAM amp was all set up, and he was tuning the new bass. The microphones had been checked and tested with the Peavey Escort, and three stands stood in front of the band equipment. Having had some practical experience playing school concerts, the boys had made sure the PA speakers were up high above the heads of the singers. Bill had helped Robert with the initial settings, and with tape had labeled each mike input jack so that the settings for each girl would be constant. All that was needed now was minor tweaking, and then only the master volume would need changing, depending on where they were playing. Vanetta had supplied Bill with some heavy duty masking tape, which he had expertly cut with a craft knife, laying down strips beside each control, allowing a simple pen mark to mark the settings. Bill was just running some riffs on the bass while waiting for Robert to get off the phone when Laura walked over. "Come on, girls. You don't need to wait for more volume on the keyboards to start singing! Hell, this is probably the first time you three have ever used a microphone!" "Yeah," said Kat, "like you've had a lot of experience with this yourself?" "Actually," said Laura, "while not a lot, I have used a microphone in public to sing." "And she was great!" said Sherri. "I know. I was there on stage with her." Laura laughed and said that it was more like she had been on stage with her and Celeste, then Laura turned serious and whispered into Sherri's ear. Sherri nodded enthusiastically and sat next to Jim at the Yamaha S80. She whispered in his ear before turning to Bill and asking if he could follow a simple four-chord progression in the key of C. Bill gave her a look that was equivalent to the question, "Is the Pope Catholic?" So Laura went and whispered in his ear. Bill blushed furiously but nodded enthusiastically. Sherri and Jim nodded to each other and both started a duet of chord progression in Doo-Wop style. Bill smiled when he heard the riff and quickly dropped into the groove starting at the next C progressing to Am, to F to G. Three repeats later, he started to add extra notes to the rhythm, which sounded familiar to everyone, yet no notes had been played by either Sherri or Jim to give away the name of the song. Ted had quickly picked up on the theme and had pulled out a pair of sticks. He set the control panel on the V-drum's brain and soon had a nice swooshing sound for background. Sherri got up, leaving Jim to play on his own while she grabbed Laura's arm, and they converged on the center microphone. Smiling at each other, they started to sing on the next natural C chord. "When the night, has come, and the land is dark, And the moon is the only light we'll see. But I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid, Just as long as you stand, stand by me." It didn't take Kat, Sam, and Jen long to dual up on the two remaining microphones and jump in on the chorus. This was supposed to be a rehearsal after all and their teenaged hesitation of singing with musicians behind them when they were only used to singing with each other disappeared with the feel of the music. "So darling, darling, stand by me, oh stand by me Oh stand, stand by me, stand by me." All six girls sang the next verse in three part harmony. "If the sky that we look upon, should tumble and fall, And the mountains should crumble to the sea, I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear, Just as long as you stand, stand by me." Robert got off the phone and walked over to the keyboard amp, changed a setting for pickup / input type and tentatively turned the amp back on. Seeing there was no feedback, he slowly increased the volume till Jim nodded to him that it was perfect and depressed his foot pedal a bit to show he now had remote control over the volume. "And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me." At the natural break, with a press of a button, Jim increased the volume to take over the next verse, and the girls were surprised to hear what sounded like an entire string section from a symphonic group. Ted and Bill continued playing their parts, while Laura and Sherri did a short dance step at their microphone. Just before the next chorus, Laura and Sherri quickly stepped aside, allowing the three younger Williams sisters to take up their own microphones and finish off the song. "Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me, Oh stand now, oh stand now, oh stand by me." "Darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me Oh stand now, stand by me, stand by me, When ever you're in trouble, just stand, just stand by me." At the end of the song, everyone stood and applauded, Todd loudest of all. For a first time, first song, these teens had shown they could work together, and they were undoubtedly exceptionally talented, each in their own right. They had justified Todd's faith, which was of paramount importance to him. Robert was quick to gather the group together and ask what other songs they wanted to use so he could compile a list. A short discussion ensued, and after a four count by Ted, the girls started the first line of "All the Gold in California" by the Gatlin Brothers. It was a testament to their talent that both Jim and Bill found the key the girls were singing in and quickly joined in. Robert made notes during the song and adjusted the PA mixer slightly. He realized he would have to discuss with the teens which keys would be best for each song. Based on the singing ability of the girls, it would require the boys to discover the keys and then for Robert to keep notes on it all. With regret, Harry and Lew had to leave. They hugged the girls goodbye and shook the hands of the boys. Todd walked them to the door and wished them a safe day. Across town, Brenda and Kelly were walking through yet another landmark of historical significance, holding hands and giggling like school girls. Where they went and where they had been was of little importance to either of them - being close and sharing the time together was much more important. Neither girl knew how the day would end, but for the moment, their shared bonding was more important. Harry and Lew were about ready to call it a day. They had both put in an extra six hours. Six hours of being in a squad car was about all that Lew could handle, even though his best friend was driving as carefully as possible so as not to hit any of the potholes that the city had become famous for. Thankfully they'd had the chance to stop at Todd's and were just pulling into a coffee shop for a final break when the call came in. A four year old had left his mother's side while she was shopping in a discount store. Thankfully, the store had security cameras, and officers on the scene had verified the toddler had wandered off by himself, managing to get through one of the automatic doors for an adventure of his own. The problem was that the door the toddler had managed to make his escape through faced the wooded area across the parking lot, and this particular mall was located on the edge of one of the natural water drainages on the outskirts of town. The fear was that the child had wandered into the woods and might fall into the water. There were officers at the scene, but with it being Saturday, most active on-duty officers were already busy on other calls. It would also take some time for volunteers to be coordinated to do a section by section search of areas that possibly the child hadn't even ventured into. Harry looked at Lew, who looked back at Harry, and both said at the same time, "Bubba." It took Harry less than ten minutes to get to Annie's after a quick phone call, and thankfully she agreed right away to let the sergeants take Bubba out to help. Generally, Annie had little use for the police, based on her experiences with them, and she was sure that Lew and Harry had corrupted Bubba after they had taken the dog into a strip club to convince a hostage taker to surrender, but as much as she carried on against the police department as a whole, she knew that Harry and Lew were her friends, and besides, this was a lost child - something that she would never have said no to. Annie was waiting by the front door and had put Bubba into the leather harness the CMPD had given Bubba after his near-brush with death. The short braided-leather leash was attached, and it was clear that Bubba could feel the excitement in the air as he leaped into the back seat of the cruiser. "No peeler bars this time," Annie warned the two officers. "I still think he's looking at women in a different way now." Then she turned to Bubba and quietly said, "Find the baby, Bubba. Find him quick before the sun goes down." Harry thanked Annie as he put the cruiser in gear and peeled rubber as he left for the scene where the toddler had last been seen. News stations had already been alerted to the situation and as always were quick to cash in on someone's misery. By the time that Harry and Lew, with Bubba panting in the rear, arrived on the scene, it already looked like a circus. Thankfully, Lew turned out to be the most senior officer on the scene, and he quickly ordered back all those who had taken it upon themselves to try to find the missing child. He hoped that his last few months on the force would not be spent facing misconduct charges based on his faith in Bubba. Harry and Lew made their way through the media circus and found the mother of the missing child. One of the stations was interviewing her, but the officers knew that time and daylight was being wasted, so they just barged in, Harry holding Bubba by his leash. Bubba seemed to know exactly what to do and started to sniff the woman's clothing. A camera turned to capture this moment on film, but Lew's hand shot out and covered the camera lens. People have scent glands located all over their bodies, but there are certain areas where pheromones are released in greater quantities. The strongest of these scent glands are under the arms, under women's breasts, and between their legs. Since most women used some form of deodorant under their arms, Bubba had started right off sniffing the woman's breasts and goosed her before he turned and sniffed the air. The mixture of diesel and exhaust fumes was a thick haze to penetrate, as were all the other 'people' smells in the crowd, but Harry took Bubba quickly to the exit where the child had been seen on the video surveillance camera as leaving while Lew stayed behind to apologize and remind the news station that if they wanted to film the rescue, not to embarrass the mother or the dog with footage of Bubba doing what was natural. At the exit of the store, Bubba sniffed the air again and stopped, looked towards the trees, and pulled Harry along behind him as he raced to the wooded area. All plans by Sherri and Cara to catch a movie had left their minds as they watched the Williams sisters rehearse one song after another. It was mesmerizing as they went from song to song, and they were amazed that the three teenaged boys backing them on the instruments managed to not only keep up to all the variations but were able to add to the overall sound. It was clear to anyone listening that this group would be in great demand. Todd had fetched beers for himself and Vanetta and Laura. Vanetta and Laura had mixed together a batch of fresh fruit juice for the others, and after nearly two hours of ripping through one song after another, Todd had suggested to Robert that it might be time to take a meal break. This idea was met with great enthusiasm, and while the six members of the band sat and discussed songs they wanted to try, Robert, the only adult not drinking alcohol, had gone off to pick up four extra-large pizzas. It wasn't exactly supper, but the energy the group had used up required a refueling. Todd was amazed at the versatility of the band, and had stated as much, especially when it came to remembering all those lyrics. Kat simply said that in their house there was always music on, and they had learned at an early age to memorize the words, even before they could read. Not being musically inclined himself, playing no instrument other than his CD player, Todd was in awe of the talents of the teens, and though he was not a musician, he had a great ear for superb music. When Robert came back with the pizza, Laura and Vanetta had already made a large pitcher of sweet iced tea, and the six teens, plus Sherri and Ami, Cara, Laura, and Vanetta found room around the reception hall for everyone to pull up a chair or a grab a piece of the couch, and silence descended as they devoured every single slice. The teens ate more than the adults, which Todd attributed to the massive amounts of energy they burned during their rehearsal. Kat said that they would have to wait a little bit before they could continue practicing as her stomach was too full. Ami coughed discreetly to get Todd's attention, and he clued in instantly. "Hey, Robert," Todd said, "when are we going to see the rhinestone outfits and other performance clothes?" "Ah, we didn't exactly get rhinestones," said Kat, and Todd realized that she was the spokesman for the band. "Well," said Todd, "Whatever you picked up, I'm sure it's flattering. Why don't you kids get freshened up and show me what you got, so Ami and I can plan the publicity shots. We've still got the main studio set up for portraits and Ami here is going to shoot the group." Quick glances were exchanged and Robert knew that it was time he took charge in the role he had been hired for. "Come on guys," he said, "we've got to get this part over with as well. We'll let the girls use the apartment upstairs to change, and the guys will take over the studio change rooms to clean up and show Todd how great the clothes look." Vanetta and Laura stood and Vanetta said, "Ladies?" and led the three younger Williams sisters upstairs. Laura blushed a bit as she realized her younger sisters were headed to the place where she had spent her first night with Todd. "Damn, I hope you know where you're headed, Bubba," said Harry as he raced to keep up with the GSD (German Shepherd Dog). "It's going to be my badge before I get my 25 years in if we screw this up." Harry knew that his captain would understand why he and Lew had taken Bubba instead of one of the German Shepherds from the K9 unit, but if harm came to the child, Harry also knew that the police commissioner would not be as understanding and would probably hang both him and Lew out for public humiliation. Bubba was a civilian dog, and even though much more intelligent than the CMPD dogs, the fact remained that they had taken time out to get a non CMPD K9 for a time-sensitive rescue. A dog trained only by its owner. As they approached the edge of the woods, Bubba stopped and looked at Harry as if to say, "You're slowing me down." Harry nodded, already out of breath, and removed the leash from the dog's harness. With a low growl, Bubba launched himself into the undergrowth, pausing just once to make sure Harry could see which direction he was headed. Out of earshot from the reporters, Harry said to Bubba, "bark when you find him, boy, or come back and get me. I'll try to keep up." Bubba seemed to nod, and Harry shook his head. That damn dog was more human than most of the people Harry knew. He was positive that Bubba understood everything he said to him. Bubba was out of sight, and Harry, seeing no clear path, carefully picked his way through the brambles and bushes. Harry knew that Lew would keep the reporters away from where he and Bubba were looking. He cursed the overgrown, dense brush, plodding farther and farther into the darkness, wondering how a four year old managed to get through this without just turning back. For the second time, he wondered if the toddler had gone this way or if Bubba was chasing after something else all together. He shook his head at that thought. If anything, Bubba was too smart to go through this crap on a rabbit chase. Kelly and Brenda heard about the lost toddler on the radio as they drove to a late lunch. Both felt bad about the situation, and Kelly wondered if she would ever have fears of such magnitude for her own child. "I hope they find him fast," said Brenda. "The mother must be sick with worry." "It's worse in that area than others," said Kelly. "People have been dumping garbage in that area for years, and the city keeps promising to clean it up, but it always gets dropped from the budget at the last minute." Brenda sighed and turned into the restaurant parking lot. "Governments and the idiots that run them," she said. While Robert, Laura, and Vanetta were busy helping the band get into their show costumes, Cara and Sherri decided they would be of no help to Todd at this time and had called a taxi to take them to the Multiplex on the corner of Statesville Road and Distribution Center Drive. They promised they would be back in a few hours. Todd told them to have a good time and call when the movie was finished, and either he or Laura would run down and pick them up. They heard the news in the cab. Back at the studio, while waiting for the band to come down for their group portraits, Ami switched on the TV. The local station, WSOC, was breaking a news story. Todd and Ami instantly recognized Lew as the person being interviewed by the weekend talking head. In a split screen, a loop of events was played repeatedly, and a section of it showed Harry running off towards some woods with a large German Shepherd on a short braided-leather leash. Ami quietly got up and went upstairs to tell the four Williams sisters that something big was happening in Charlotte, and that their father and uncle Lew were very much in the middle of it. The girls were going to rush downstairs, but Vanetta turned on the upstairs TV to the station Ami had named, and the girls watched and listened to the story about the toddler who had walked out of the store and Lew speculating on him continuing into the wooded area behind the discount strip mall. "Dad doesn't work K9," said Jen. "What's he doing with a dog?" asked Sam. Laura chuckled. "That's no dog," she said. "That's Bubba, though what Dad is doing with him is beyond me!" "You know the dog?" asked a surprised Kat. "We've met," Laura said explaining her introduction to Annie Prince and Bubba. "Wow," said Kat. "I hope that Dad finds that little boy." "Todd has the news on downstairs," said Laura. "You guys need to get your portraits done, but I'll keep an eye on the TV and let you know if anything develops." Reluctantly the girls finished dressing and headed back downstairs. Harry had totally lost sight of Bubba and stopped trying to make headway into the brush. He decided instead to let Bubba find him and wondered if he should just retrace his path to the edge of the woods and wait for a bark. The place was a total mess. People had been dumping garbage here for years, and despite all the promises by the city, nothing had been done about it. Besides the flies and mosquitoes, the air was also filled with odors, and not pleasant ones. Harry was just contemplating on whether he should call for Bubba and head back out before the GSD hurt himself when he heard a series of sharp, familiar barks. Harry raced in the direction of the sound and found himself on a collision course with Bubba who was covered in blood and mud. Harry wanted to check Bubba over and see where the dog was cut, but Bubba pulled on Harry's sleeve in the direction he'd come from. Harry patted Bubba on the head and said, "Show me, boy. Show me what you found." Bubba leapt over a fallen tree branch and stopped to make sure Harry was following. Harry was moving as fast as his two feet could carry him and at the same time talking into the radio microphone attached to his shoulder. "Lew, I'm not sure what, but Bubba found something. He's also covered in blood and mud. You know Bubba. I think you better call for an ambulance." Lew radioed back a confirmation, which of course led to a host of questions from the gathered reporters. "What kind of name is 'Bubba' for a police dog," was the first shouted question from a radio station airhead. Lew, already looking forward to his retirement, and more than pissed off with media sharks in general, looked up and said, "It's Latin for 'the Best."' In her kitchen on South Harvard Street, Annie choked on her coffee. It spewed out of her nose and mouth as she tried to laugh. Jacob looked terrified that Annie was going to choke and rushed to her side, towel in hand. Annie gratefully accepted the towel, sorry only that she had wasted some of Jacob's mighty fine coffee. They had been sitting in the kitchen, listening to the unfolding drama on the radio, and when she heard Harry calling for an ambulance, she knew that Bubba had done good. But damn that Lew. His translation of Bubba's name would probably be refuted in the days to come, if for a change the talking heads bothered checking their facts, and the news people would of course discover that Bubba was not a CMPD K9. Annie wondered how much damage this would do to Lew's career. Well, she figured, Lew must know what he's doing, and her attention shifted back to the radio, hoping that the boy was not hurt too badly. She knew the blood had to be from the boy; she wasn't worried about Bubba; he wasn't going to get himself all cut up unless he absolutely had to. Harry followed Bubba through the brush, getting his uniform ripped in places and what was left covered with mud. Bubba, built a little closer to the ground, was protected by his thick fur coat, but it was covered with mud, and there were still traces of blood on him. In a few minutes, Harry saw a path that was much easier to navigate and realized that the boy had probably followed this one instead of blindly walking into the dense part. He mentally chastised himself for not looking for a natural entrance, realizing he should have held onto Bubba until he had found one, but Bubba had picked up the scent and plunged head first into the undergrowth on the trail of the missing child. It took Harry another five minutes, some of the time spent in disgust as he saw used needles and condoms littering the ground on the path, when he heard the infant crying. Thank God, the child was alive! The toddler had apparently slipped off a small embankment and cut himself on the brush and garbage sliding down the slope till he was caught between the exposed roots of an old tree. Harry could see the paw prints where Bubba had circled the toddler trying to find a way to pull him up to safety, but the child was too firmly wedged. His hands were bloody, as were his arms and legs, and the blood flowing freely from his hands confirmed for Harry that the blood on Bubba was the child's. The boy must have tried to hold on to Bubba, hoping for rescue. Harry radioed Lew, saying he'd found the boy, but the kid was wedged in the roots of an old tree on a steep slope. He would try to lift the boy out himself and would call if he needed help. When Lew announced to the crowd that the toddler was found, alive but injured, a cheer went up before the news sharks started demanding details. "Look," said Lew to the news hounds. "I didn't get any more details than what I've given you. My partner and his dog need to help the boy to safety before we can ask what happened. You'll be the second to know after the medical team apprises me and the mother of the situation." Harry struggled for five minutes before he found a way to lift the boy out of the twisted branches without force and without causing further injury. He had done a quick check on the toddler and found no broken bones, but as he had looked back at the embankment, he realized a search team would have never thought to look down into the dumping area the boy had landed in. Harry lifted the boy up under his arms but discovered he was still snagged. Figuring he could protect the child from injury, he called for Bubba to pull at the boy's shirt, giving Harry the extra 'man power' to lift the boy free. Between the two of them, they managed to extricate the toddler from his predicament, and the crying stopped. Harry looked at the path the child had taken and said to the GSD, "Slowly take me out of here, Bubba. The same way the boy walked in." It took another ten minutes with Harry carrying the boy in his arms before they emerged into daylight of the parking lot at the rear of the shopping plaza. They were about 100 yards away from where he and Bubba had entered the woods. It was going to be a race to see who reached their destination first - Harry at the ambulance or the reporters to Harry. "Teach them some manners, Bubba," Harry said quietly. Laura had been watching the news, and when squawking head news anchor announced that toddler had been found alive and was being brought out, she had called everyone in to watch the rescue. They saw Harry emerge from the woods, his uniform tattered and covered with mud and blood. His hair was wild and his utility belt was drooping as was his radio microphone, which was hanging down by his elbow, but the cheer from the crowd was overwhelming - everybody loves a happy ending. They watched as the news crews converged on Harry heading for the ambulance and watched in amazement as the huge dog snapped and growled at anyone who tried to step between Harry and his destination. Only when a doctor and two paramedics ran up did Bubba step back and allow the medical personnel to do their job. One of the paramedics tried to lift the toddler from Harry's arms, but the boy started crying again and refused to let go of his death grip on Harry's neck. The crowd gasped as Bubba came forward and stood on his hind legs and seemed to whisper in the boy's ear - in fact just licking his face - but the toddler soon let go of Harry, and everyone could hear the child say, "My doggie." Kelly and Brenda heard the rescue news while they were feasting on their desert - rich New York style cheesecake. Annie had to wipe her face as she discovered a wetness running down her cheek. The child was safe. Bubba had done real good! Jacob, who was not used to an emotional Annie, just turned to give her some privacy and said a silent prayer of thanks for the life of a child. Sherri and Cara, having decided what passed for movie fare these days was a waste of good money, were in the lobby about to call Todd for a ride back to the studio when they heard the news. They hugged each other, both thankful that the child was safe. Harry was checked over by one of the paramedics and peroxide, antiseptics, and gauze were applied to his cuts. The child was in the ambulance, an IV drip attached to replenish some of the lost fluids, but according to the doctor on the scene, the child would recover overnight in the hospital, and the ambulance sped away with the mother and child. Harry hated to ask anyone for favors, but Bubba was a mess. Though not physically hurt, he wanted a vet to check out the GSD and then take him back to the grooming center for a complete wash and check for ticks. Reluctantly he opened his cell phone and called his oldest baby girl. Laura was watching all this on the screen, her father standing behind uncle Lew and opening his cell phone. She nearly jumped out of her skin when her own phone rang. "Hi, Daddy," she said after answering her phone. Harry was caught off guard for a second before he asked if she had caller ID on her phone, and laughed when she said she had watched him dial his phone on TV. "Pumpkin," he said, "Lew is going to write a citation against the mall owners for not fencing the parking lot off from the area the boy wandered into. I'm going to add my own report against the city for what I found in there, and that means that we'll be tied up for a while. I don't want the news people to be getting too close a look at Bubba the way he is, and I need to get him to a vet and the groomers for a bath. It's hard to tell on this dog, but if you've seen me, you can imagine what Bubba feels like under all that blood and mud. I was wondering if you could come and pick him up and take him, so he'll be all clean before we take him back to Annie?" Laura would never deny her father anything, and in this case, it was even more important knowing some of the history between Annie and her father. "I'll be there in 15 minutes, Daddy, or less." "Just don't go speeding, Pumpkin," he said as he said goodbye. Laura turned to Todd and explained her need. He told her to take the Tracker and when she said she'd scrounge up some sheets to protect the truck from getting dirty, he just laughed and said, "There's nothing that we can't wash out, Sweetheart. We'll have Erik's do a complete detailing job inside and out afterwards. It's about time we had it cleaned and shampooed anyway." With a look of gratitude, Laura grabbed the keys for the Tracker from the hook by the door and was gone. With the mother and child reunited and off to the hospital, there wasn't much reason for the newsies to stick around, except for that one unanswered question - who was Bubba? Lew promised them that after Bubba had been cleaned and checked by a vet, the dog would give a press interview at the police station, which caused the remaining crowd to laugh. Then Lew got serious and had a talk with his partner of nearly 25 years. "Hell, Harry, I can't fine the store for the condition of the property because technically their property only runs to the edge of the parking lot, but I am going to cite them for not having a fence in place to prevent people from entering the woods." "You should see it inside, Lew," Harry said. "I'd bet one night of a stake out would nab more drug dealers and prostitutes than any other place in town. It's littered in there with syringes and condoms, not counting the garbage people have tossed in there over the years." Lew laughed. "Well, I've got my 30 years in, come October, so I might as well end my career with a bang. I think I'll write up the city as well for the condition of public property!" Then he turned serious. "Now, what about you?" he asked Harry. "Do you want to go to the hospital or do you want Sally to check you over?" Lew's wife, Sally, was a nurse at Mercy Hospital. "I don't want to go back to the station looking or smelling like this, and Meg has the house nearly packed. I don't want to waste time at the hospital either, since they're usually packed, and I might be taking a doctor away from somebody who's really hurt. I don't want to take advantage of a friendship, but if we go to the studio, I can get showered, checked over by Sally, and get Laura or Kat to bring me some fresh clothes." "You sure that Todd won't mind?" asked Lew. "Let's find out," said Harry, and for the second time he pulled out his cell phone. After hearing Harry's request, Todd had convinced Harry just to have Meg and Sally come over. "You don't understand, Harry. Though not as often or as much, we also do men's clothing with male models, and I'm sure we've got some good suits like Armani floating around here as well as some of the best shoes you've ever seen - even boxes of boxers and socks. We just keep them until we find someone who can fit into them. We used to donate all the clothes to charity until we found that the people who work there were taking the name brand stuff and selling it to others for profit. One of the conditions of our keeping what we have our models wear is that it can never be sold; that's why we have so many clothes here, and you haven't even seen our warehouse!" The way Todd explained it, Harry didn't feel like he'd be a charity case and said he would probably be there after they finished writing up the tickets - maybe about 30 minutes - but that Meg and Sally would probably arrive before them. Todd walked back into the studio and watched Ami as she continued shooting pose after pose. The one he had liked best so far was the one where the boys were dressed as the Blues Brothers, complete with fedoras and sunglasses, and the girls were wearing the choir gowns with the colored cowls and cuffs, although one with the girls dressed like the females in the Robert Palmer videos was quite appealing as well. Ami was getting more comfortable with the Hasselblad and was repositioning the band in an authoritative yet gently persuasive voice. Costume changes were being done on the fly now with the group using the screen set to the side for that purpose. Robert said to Todd, "I know it's not what you had in mind, but the kids were quite adamant about what they wanted to wear." "It's no problem, Bobby. They look good, and that's what's important. Now they look like a group as well as sound like one. How many rehearsals before you think they'll be ready to start touring?" Robert thought about it and said, "I figure they'll be ready to start performing the week after the company picnic. This band you have coming in, I wonder if they'll be shocked having such talent for their opening act!" Todd laughed and reminded Rob to have the band practice the national anthem since that's what he wanted to hear as the first song. Ami turned to Todd and said, "I think I've captured all the different combinations of their outfits and posed them right. I don't really see a need to have more shots done today, but if the pics don't turn out or if you don't like them, we'll just have to set aside another afternoon to do them over again. Todd ruffled Ami's hair, told her to take the film to the darkroom and the camera to the repair counter, and told the band they could change back to their normal clothes. While listening to the band start rehearsals again, this time focusing on the national anthem, Todd showed Ami how to clean the Hasselblad, which he did every time he shot more than a dozen magazines. As he explained to Ami, the camera was the tool of her trade and an extension of her eye, and as such, it should be treated with the same care and attention she would any other part of her body. Together they cleaned the camera and the lens before they packed the equipment away for the next time it would be needed. "I hope one day I'll have a camera like this," Ami sighed, not knowing that Todd and Kelly had already decided to give this kit to Ami when Hasselblad came through on their promise of the newest model as part of the advertising package Vanetta had put together for them. Laura arrived earlier than expected, and Bubba rushed up to greet her like an old friend. He seemed to know that Laura was Harry's daughter, and when she opened the door to the Tracker, he only looked to Harry for a nod and then jumped in the front seat! ------- Chapter 32C Laura drove to the vet that Harry had taken Bubba to before, and he seemed to pout as he looked at the building. "Come on, Bubba," Laura said. "I promise it won't hurt, and I'll hold your hand the whole time." That earned her a big sloppy kiss from Bubba who jumped out of the truck. Harry and Lew pulled up at the studio, opting to park in the back lest people think there was a real reason for a CMPD cruiser to make this many frequent visits to TKO. Joe Johnson, parked half a block away at a garage changing a tire that wasn't flat, smiled at the efforts the officers were going to. This Todd Ayres must be something really special, and there had to be something going on at TKO with all the traffic he had seen come and go on a Saturday. 'Little Joe' had convinced the owner of the garage to "hire" him on starting Monday. It was the perfect distance from TKO to allow him an unobstructed view of the front of the building, and twice a night he would take a drive up and down Jane Avenue where Todd was living with Kelly and the other girl now. It was an interesting situation from what Joe had learned since arriving in Charlotte. His charge was to protect Ayres from any nasty business coming down from Cleveland. A job made a bit more difficult for the former Marine Sergeant Major since Todd wasn't supposed to know he had a bodyguard watching him. It had taken a bit of calling and research to discover that Ayres lived with four females in the house owned by his partner. Laura Williams, daughter of a local cop, Kelly Jennsen, co-owner of TKO and long time friend of Ayres, and then there were the younger girls. At first, Joe had thoughts that Ayres was building a small harem till he learned the younger girls, Cara Anderson and Ami Phillips - former Olympic hopefuls who had only recently moved to Charlotte as models for a sports equipment company - were from rumor and speculation much closer than just friends. They had opted to stay in Charlotte and attend UNCC in the fall. Aside from the five regulars who now occupied the house, there was one other person with a key to the place, and that was Gloria Clarke. An enigma, that one. Not exactly a housekeeper or maid, but more like a personal friend and assistant to Jennsen. Her daughter worked for TKO and lived in the upstairs apartment with her boyfriend, Robert Payne. The apartment had been the home of Ayres until last month when he moved in with his partner full time. Gloria Clarke had another child living in Charlotte, Delton Clarke, who owned one of the finest nurseries and greenhouses in Charlotte. Quite a thriving business from the tax records Joe had examined, and then he'd discovered that Ayres and Jennsen had set him up in business. Unusual to say the least, and upon further examination had discovered that Ayres and Jennsen had also been paying tuition fees for the daughter who was set to graduate with an MBA shortly. Joe had been confused at this largesse on the part of Ayres and Jennsen, though he could find no ulterior motives - as a matter of fact, Ayres and Jennsen had paid for the grown children of Gloria to come to the US, and both were now citizens. Having been given all the available files from the CMPD, Joe was even more amazed at how much money TKO gave out anonymously every year for summer camps and special events for underprivileged kids. What was it about these two that made them seem like philanthropists yet never wanted their names publicly mentioned? There was little in the local newspapers about them other than their business opening and Jennsen's yearly school visits preaching about safety equipment. At first he had wondered if they were hiding from something in their pasts, but a trace on their personal records showed Jennsen had been a professional model since she was 13, and Ayres, well he had only recently shown up on the radar under a new name, but it was only a truncation of his birth name, and under either name, he had never had any legal problems or questionable activities. Joe knew that his boss would never assign him to protect anyone doing anything illegal or even un-American, so he had vowed to stick around till the dust had settled and find out for himself if there really were such altruistic people in the world as these two seemed to be. The vet confirmed that Bubba had suffered no injuries and was not tick infested. Any incidence of fleas would be taken care of at the groomers, though the vet had convinced Bubba to take two extra-strength vitamins from his hand and sat patiently while his teeth and gums were scrubbed and cleaned. "I'm giving Bubba a low-dose antibiotic," the vet said to Laura. "I don't think he needs it, but I just want to make sure in case he inhaled or swallowed something that might give him a case of the scoots later on." Laura thanked the vet and paid him, and after Bubba held the door open for her, had let the GSD lead her back to the Tracker. The next stop was at the groomer's, a place that Bubba remembered fondly, and he was clamoring to get out of the Tracker even before Laura had a chance to park! She realized that as soon as she got back to the studio, she would have to take a shower herself as she had visions of fleas crawling on her skin. Bubba loved his bath and subsequent shower, and the girls made a real fuss over the hero of the day, going so far as to polish up his collar, harness, and leash and even pinning a big blue 1st place ribbon on his collar. They provided Laura with a huge treated and scented sheet to place over the front seat so that any pests that had transferred to the truck would be killed, and nothing could get back on either of them. An hour after Laura had picked up Bubba, she and the proud, shiny dog were on their way to the studio after hearing that her Dad and uncle Lew were already there. They could take Bubba back to Annie, though she would gladly do it herself. Annie was a character, and Laura always thought that if she had lived through the sixties herself, she would have turned out just like Annie or at least become the type of woman who spoke her mind and acted instead of just watching. Kelly would have made a good child of the 60's, Laura thought. She didn't whine, bitch or moan about everything in life being unfair. She did things to make the world a better place to live in, and that was one of the reasons why Laura loved her so much. Harry had been a bit reluctant, but Vanetta had finally convinced him that the shower in the studio was there for models, and that he definitely looked like model material. Lew laughed out loud! Harry gratefully accepted clean towels, a brand new toothbrush and comb, a robe, and a bag into which he could drop what was left of his uniform, plus another bag for his gear. He was surprised at the size of the shower for the studio and wondered about the one in the apartment above. Clearly marked wall-mounted dispensers contained soft soap, shampoo, and conditioner. While Harry was just a plain bar-soap kind of guy, he had to admit that the lightly scented body-wash was pleasant and felt good on his skin. The shampoo had a delicate scent to it as well and lathered nicely. He felt stress being washed away along with the mud and grime from his time in the brush with Bubba. Finally clean and smelling good, Harry had to chuckle at the thought of his new smell. Would Bubba even recognize him? He emerged from the shower to find that someone had been in and brought some fancy four-bladed razor along with a brand of shaving cream he had never heard of. He assumed this sort of merchandise was the part about shooting new products for public consumption that Kelly and Todd had mentioned to him. Knowing their reputation, how they only took on products they believed in, he smiled as he lathered up his face. Damn! He was feeling good! "Can I powder my hero in?" he heard from behind. It nearly scared him out of his skin, that being all he was wearing at the moment. Then he realized it was Meg waiting for him. He turned to her and drew her into a kiss. "I thought I was always your hero," he said to her. "You are, Honey, but what you did today was a miracle." Harry blushed and tried to give the credit to Bubba, but Meg was having none of it. "Annie's dog might have found the boy," she said, "but you're the one who carried him out. I heard on the news that if he had been left much longer, he might have bled to death." Harry turned sober. "Meg, I will be so happy when I have my time in and I can retire from this job. Today was a good day, but so many of them aren't. Lew gets his 30 year option in October, and with a bit of luck, I'll have my 25 in September. If we can get this situation resolved with Todd before then, I'm going to request a transfer to be a trainer at the police academy to finish out my last few months, and I'm going to suggest the same to Lew." Meg hugged Harry fiercely with tears in her eyes. "I'd like that, Harry. That way I know you'll be safe, and then we can start our new lives at Muriel's Place. You've given this city a quarter of a century of honest service, you deserve a chance to relax." Harry laughed and said he wasn't sure how much relaxing he would get as the co-manager of Muriel's since he would have an even tougher boss to work for! Meg lightly slapped him, told him to finish shaving. As he did, he felt Meg's hands rubbing his body with a fine powder. This really was the life. Meg had brought in 'Joe Boxer' briefs and some name-brand socks. "I know your size, Harry, and Todd said, since these were packages, you would just have to take the rest of each package home with you." Harry rinsed his face off and said to Meg, "I don't know where to find this shaving cream, but I would really like to splurge and buy some for home. Feel this, Baby," he said as he kissed her again, rubbing his face against hers. "Mmm... Nice," she mumbled as she groped for his erection. "Are you up for a quick release before Sally checks out all these scratches?" "I'd love to, Honey." he said as he groped her breasts, but I have to brush my teeth first. As he opened up the cellophane from the new toothbrush, he felt Meg slide down his body and then the warmth of her mouth going over his erection. He smiled as he fumbled with the top of the liquid toothpaste container and started to brush his teeth. It would be a race to see if he could hold out long enough to finish brushing his teeth before Meg brought him over the edge. Harry lost the race, and with a mouth full of toothpaste, he deposited his seed into Meg's eager mouth. Moaning was hard, and he turned and spit out what was left of the tooth polish before lifting Meg up under the arms and kissing her again and again, tasting a faint residue of his own offering on her lips. "Now, come on, Superman," she said. "We've got to get you dressed properly because you are wanted downtown." With a sigh, knowing he would probably catch hell for using Bubba, Harry slipped into a pair of briefs and socks and then slipped the robe on. Meg had a bag into which she placed the toothbrush she had cleaned and the toothpaste and razor and shaving cream. "You can't just take that stuff, Meg," Harry said. "Actually, I can," she replied. Todd said very few of the models here shave and the can would just go to waste, and the toothpaste - that funny stuff in the gel form - is a new product that won't be available for the market for another six months. Todd just did an ad shoot for it and says they sent him a case of it." Harry shook his head in wonder and amazement. "This stuff sure beats all the discount soaps and shampoos we're used to Meg." "It's funny you should mention that, hero husband of mine. Todd told me that while women's products are the largest percentage of what he shoots, he said it was nice having another man around to share some of the products with. And by the way, the girls and I now have enough feminine products to last us an entire year, including deodorants and other things you'd rather not know about." Harry, wearing just briefs, socks, and the robe that Vanetta had provided, followed Meg down the hall to the in-studio wardrobe change room. He could hear his daughters singing as he looked at the suits that Vanetta and Meg had put out for him, but before he could try even one on, Sally had to check him over. Feeling a bit embarrassed sitting in just briefs and socks, Sally checked out every scrape and scratch. The shower had cleaned off most of the blood and cleansed the wounds, and except for a few places where Sally rubbed some iodine, she pronounced him fit to return to duty as long as his tetanus shot was up to date. Harry assured her that he had had one the year before, so Sally gave him a quick peck on the cheek, congratulating him for his rescue of the toddler and left to sit with Lew. Todd had not been fooling when he said he had Armani suits. There were other brand names as well, including Brooks Brothers and others whose names he couldn't even pronounce. Meg had picked the sizes but had left selection of what would look best on Harry to Todd and Vanetta. Todd had an eye for what made people look good judging from the portraits they had seen in the studio. Vanetta knew what was in style, and she and Meg had selected a few good suits and dress shirts and even some Gerry Garcia ties! Harry walked out of the change room a changed man. His hair had a shine to it, and the suit fit him like a glove. Vanetta had insisted that he take the other suits home with him as well, assuring him that they still had plenty in their main warehouse and more coming every month. Harry had been shaking his head as he slipped on the Florsheim loafers. These suits represented a half year's salary for him, but he was quickly learning that you didn't turn down a gift from Todd and Kelly. Vanetta had made that very clear when she had dropped her proper English accent and lectured him in her native patois! The singing stopped abruptly when he entered the studio, and he caught an envious, admiring glimpse from Lew. His daughters ran over to him carrying on about how handsome he looked. Harry simply held up his hands, palms up, telling them that that's why their mother had married him. Todd smiled and said the outfit looked good on him and asked if the shoes were comfortable. Vanetta stood behind Todd nodding her approval. "Hey, partner," said Lew. "We've got to roll. While you were getting all cleaned up, the captain called and we're to report to the station ASAP in plain clothes. That means I've got to get home and get changed." Todd looked puzzled, but Vanetta was quick on the uptake. "Don't be silly, Lew," she said. "Shower here and get some suits for yourself. God knows I could use the space. Todd never wears one, and Robert can only use so many. I'd personally appreciate it if you helped clear out some room for me." Lew hemmed and hawed until Meg reached over and punched him in the shoulder. "Don't be stubborn and pigheaded, Lew," then she smiled at Vanetta. "Thank you dear. He's worse than an old woman like me." Todd laughed and said that Meg was anything but an old woman. In fact she should qualify for mother of the year! Meg blushed and Vanetta took Lew by the arm and led him to the shower. Before he was out of sight, Harry hollered, "Hey, Lew... Why've we got to go to the station in plain clothes?" "I don't know why the plain clothes, Harry, but the captain said we had promised a press conference for Bubba, and since we brought him, we're now his official escorts." "The snooze people actually think Bubba is going to give a press conference?" Harry asked. "Damn. Repeaters are dumber than the dog!" "Don't be insulting Bubba now, Harry!" Lew said as he entered the shower room. Once Lew was in the shower, Todd suggested that Vanetta and Meg help pick out some outfits for Sally. Sally started to protest, but Vanetta cut in. "Ire, don' vex me now mother, me had two proud jeckels 'pon my face today. Me no wan' no more. Go!" Reluctantly Sally let Meg and Vanetta lead her back to the store room. The band started up again, picking out new songs and arranging them, letting Robert know the key. Todd sat beside Robert, sipping on a fresh beer. "You know Bobby, I hear these kids play and all I want to do is record them. Think you can find a decent studio locally where we can get a CD recorded?" "I can find out," said Robert. "If not local, we can always take a trip for a good quality studio." "Yeah," said Todd. "They're doing a lot of classics and those old songs have never sounded so good. We'll make it part of the project and sell copies of the band playing the best. I'll cover the recording and press run costs, and all the sales - 100% of the proceeds - will go to programs for abused and troubled kids." Robert nodded somberly, then laughed and said, "I'll bet you already have a name for the album." Todd smiled, he was really getting to like Robert. "Yep, I was thinking, 'Cover to Cover.'" Rob laughed and said he liked the title. "Maybe in a month or so. Let's see if they're still getting along then." "The way that Ted keeps looking at Kat, I think this band is going to do very well together," Todd said. Lew and Harry were drinking mineral water. Lew was looking very dapper in his new suit, and Sally had a few bags for him as well as for herself that Todd and Vanetta insisted she take home. They were speculating about why the plain-clothes order when Laura bounded in the door with Bubba pulling her along. That put an effective end to the band practice as all the kids took turns petting and praising Bubba. Bubba for his part seemed to look at Lew and Harry as if they were aliens, sniffing a few times just to make sure these were really his friends. Of course Laura carried on about how smashing both Lew and her dad looked, and then Lew reminded Harry that they had a 6 o'clock meeting at the police station. Sherri and Cara made their entrance just as the two sergeants were getting ready to leave, so Bubba had to stop for some more attention, something the GSD didn't seem to mind. As they left by the side door, Joe Johnson was amazed at the transformation in the two cops. He would have sworn the suit that the driver, who he assumed was Lew's partner, Harry Williams, was wearing was an Armani. "This is going to be one hell of an interesting assignment," Joe thought to himself. Cara and Sherri explained that after hearing the news about the rescue, they had decided to take a cab back rather than call for a ride and interrupt what might be going on at the studio. The band wrapped it up after choosing regular practice times, and the boys put away the equipment. They hoped that the large studio would be available soon so they could leave the equipment set up for practices all the time they weren't performing. Ami looked at Todd and then longingly at the darkroom. Todd just shook his head. "Sorry kiddo, I've been drinking, so we'll have to wait till tomorrow or Monday to develop the film. Ami nodded her understanding, and then the entire group had soft drinks or mineral water before Robert and Vanetta drove them home. As she left, she whispered in Todd's ear, causing him to blush. But he nodded anyway. After they left, only Sherri, Cara, and Ami and Laura remained with Todd. Todd and Laura turned up the volume on the TV then sat and waited to see what happened to Harry and Lew. Harry parked the cruiser inconspicuously at the rear of the police station, and seeing the lobby was full of reporters, they quietly took the back elevator up to the captain's office, ready to get the reprimand of their careers. Instead, the captain was smiling and rubbed Bubba behind his ears. "I'm glad to see all three of you prettied up nice," the captain started off saying. "It will look better for the cameras, though some people will think detectives are overpaid if they can afford suits like what you two are wearing." "Detectives?" Harry asked. "You boys did good today," the captain continued, not answering the question. "I remember when both of you joined the force, and you've been good for a lot of years. I know it hasn't been easy on you, Harry; and Lew, these last few years of riding a desk doing paperwork hasn't been what you wanted to do." "But..." Lew said. "Now don't go interrupting my speech," said the captain with a smile. "I don't like to make them, and I don't like to listen to them, but since I still outrank both of you, you're going to listen to mine." "Regular officers on patrol aren't allowed to make use of civilian help, but what you boys did, getting Bubba in to rescue the boy, has given us a good public relations boost. I've already talked to Annie, and she's agreed to let Bubba go on a speaking tour of the schools with the two of you, during which time we're going to fingerprint and photograph most of the younger kids in each school, should - God forbid - one of them go missing. A special ID unit will be taking care of that while you two discuss the importance of safety. Of course, Bubba will be the center of attention, but anything that gets the kids to listen is going to be a plus for us, and we can ride this good will and publicity for a while." "The problem is," continued the captain, "you didn't have a right to use Bubba as regular officers, but this is too good a situation to let some silly rule stand in the way. The commissioner and I had a long talk after the boy's rescue, and we found a solution to the problem. Now we know that in the next few months both of you are retiring, and damn it, I don't blame either of you. This is one of the most thankless jobs around, and it pays squat for what you deal with. Starting Monday, both of you will be working days-only unless there's a special needs situation that comes up, but according to the books, you were both promoted to Detective Sergeant First Grade as of last week, in charge of missing and exploited children, which will explain how you two could take over the scene at the mall this afternoon and why you could use civilian resources." The captain smiled at Lew. "This should be better than riding a desk full of paperwork shouldn't it? Oh, and in case any of those nosey news hounds complain at the press conference about the uniforms they saw today, the commissioner and I decided that, officially, the new positions would take effect Monday when your new office is ready, but I wouldn't be surprised if the next paychecks you see didn't show that you were on-duty detectives at least today, maybe even the whole week, that's how big a boost we think we got from your initiative this afternoon." Lew and Harry both stood there with open mouths, while Bubba nuzzled the captain's hand. "According to the books, there was a private ceremony last week at which time you both received these," and he produced two gold badges. "There's a pay raise involved of course, but as I explained to the commissioner, neither of you will be around much longer and working just days will help keep our budget under control as there will be no more double shifts." The captain then handed Lew a gold badge and shook his hand. "Congratulations Detective Weaver." He then repeated the same to Harry and suggested they get downstairs to meet the press. The news cameras were trained on the podium set up at the bottom of the main broad staircase, and the talking heads were recapping for the umpteenth time that the boy was safe and healthy due to the quick action of the CMPD. He'd have just a few scars from stitches that the doctors had said would fade away as he grew older, and the doctors had reiterated that the child would likely have bled to death if not for the quick and valiant efforts of the CMPD and their K9 companion. Annie had been surprised to get the phone call from Captain Walker late in the afternoon after the rescue. She had been hesitant to commit Bubba to a month of police service, but when Dave - he insisted she call him that - had explained what Bubba would be doing was a great public service for the new Missing and Exploited Children Division of the CMPD, she had caved. She had never been one to turn down anything for kids. It was even easier to accept when she learned it would be days-only, Monday to Friday, and that the only two officers who would be with Bubba would be Lew and Harry. She agreed. Bubba knew these two as did she, and she knew that even though she gave them a hard time, she respected both of them. "Look, Ms. Prince," Dave started, "I know there's not a lot of love lost between you and the department, and God knows I understand why. I've tried to explain to you that unlike what some people might think, the police don't make the rules." Annie sighed, told Dave to call her "Annie," and said that she did understand. She mentioned that she damn well didn't like it, but she understood that she had been in the way of a runaway train that just happened to ruin her life. "Is your life ruined, Annie?" Dave asked. "I talk to Harry a lot and ask him how you're doing, and we've been recommending your catering services to a lot of our friends. I've had more than a few meals you've prepared, and I have to say, if I was married to you, I'd gain too much weight 'cause I'd never stop eating your cooking. I'd probably never eat at a restaurant again, except of course when you wanted a night off." Annie laughed, and said, "But I'm not sure your wife would appreciate it if you married another woman just for what she could do in the kitchen." "Sadly, I've been a widower for 30 years now," said Dave. "I'm sorry to hear that, Dave, but how the hell old are you anyways? You didn't look all that old when I met you in person." It was Dave's turn to laugh. "I turn 49 this year, Annie. I was married early and lost my wife and son to a drunk driver when I was 19. We'd been married for nearly a year, and yes, it was sort of expected that when Linda turned up pregnant after the Senior Prom, that we get married." When Jacob heard the name, "Dave," he began to sweep closer to where Annie stood. Not exactly eavesdropping - not Jacob. Merely making sure he didn't miss at least her side of the conversation. "Did you love her?" Annie asked softly. "Very much," said Dave. "We had been high school sweethearts and expected to get married anyway. Ben just made it easier for us to get married sooner. A week after I buried them, I signed on with the police department. It's been my life since then." "Bet you were a real crusader back then, right Dave?" "You bet, Annie. I worked nights most of the time just so I could catch those who drink and drive. I made sergeant in less than five years, and promotions kept me from the streets at night." "I guess we've both been unlucky at times," Annie sighed. "I lost a daughter some years back." "What about your husband?" Dave ventured on a gambit. "I guess we fell out of love after I got pregnant," Annie said, "though looking back on the situation, I'm not sure we were ever in love with each other as much as we were in love with the idea of being in love. Anyways, he's ancient history. He left emotionally, and I left physically, and he filed for divorce soon afterwards. It's been just me and Bubba since Bubba was a three pound pup." "I wish I could say that I was sorry about that, Annie, but I think that means you're single and available?" Annie laughed. "Are you flirting with me, Dave?" "Not flirting at all, Annie. I'd like to give you a break from your own cooking, if you'd let me." "Why Captain Walker, are you asking me out on a date?" "Go on, go on, Miz Annie!" said Jacob giving her a gentle nudge in her side, his grin growing broader. "Uhm, yes, if you'll say yes and tell me when it's a good time for you." "Just remember, Dave, that just because you saw me naked once doesn't mean dinner is an invitation to bed!" Jacob made a sour face at her comment. Dave thought back to that day when Annie had defiantly stripped in his office after the fiasco that had caused Annie to spend part of a day in jail. He remembered her small perky breasts, slim body, and muscular arms and legs, as well as her long auburn hair, before he caught himself. "No! My God, Annie. I'm a gentleman, and would treat you like the lady you are!" "Let's not get carried away with the 'Lady' part," Annie said laughing, "but if you like, I'm free tomorrow night any time after 6 o'clock. Sundays are pretty well the only nights I have off and next weekend I have to work." Jacob again began to grin. "Then we have a date," said Dave. I'll pick you up tomorrow evening at seven if that's good for you." "I suppose," replied Annie being coy and trying to stand further away from Jacob as he began to nudge her again, "but if you show up in a cruiser, I ain't going nowhere with you!" Dave laughed, assured her that there would be no cruiser, and said goodbye. Annie looked at Jacob who had a smile on his face bigger than she had ever seen on her helper's black face. "If you don't turn down the wattage on that smile, I'll be turning lights off to make it easier on my eyes," she said. "It's just dinner, nothing more." "Should I be makin' a double pot of coffee, Monday morning?" Jacob asked jokingly. Annie threw a wet dishcloth at him and told him he better be minding his own business, though she couldn't help smiling. It had been so long since a man had held her... "Now I've got to see if I have anything decent to wear," she said. "Miz Annie, I think that gentleman wants to see you, not what you be wearing. You wear that nice white sundress with the roses on it, an' I think he be proud to take you anywheres." "Shit. I need to get some paint," Annie said to herself. "I wonder if I can get out and get some before Harry and Lew bring Bubba back." She tried to call Harry at home but only got the answering machine. She didn't have Lew's number, but when she called the station she was told that both Lew and Harry were out of the station. Jacob look at her questioningly, "Paint, Miz Annie whachu paintin'?" "My face, Silly, you know, makeup! I need paint!" replied Annie. "Damnation!" she exclaimed. "Typical men. Can't get a hold of one when you really need one." "You could call Miz Laura," Jacob suggested. "Bet she be knowing where her daddy be at." Jacob was very pleased with himself. "Thanks, Jacob," she said, "you've been the only reliable man I've ever known." Jacob grinned and blushed, but deep inside he felt that, pretty soon, Miz Annie wouldn't be spending so much time alone anymore. Laura answered on the third ring. "TKO," she said pleasantly. "Hi Laura, its Annie. Your dad is supposed to be bringing Bubba back to my place when he's finished with him, but I got to run out and get some face paint and I can't get a hold of him." "I can," said Laura, "he just left with Uncle Lew. Did you mean makeup? Don't go shopping for any. Come here instead. We've got tons of the stuff, all extra and going to waste. And it's the good stuff. Got a hot date?" "What? Not enough news today that people got to start speculating on my sorry life?" Annie asked. Jacob, who was still standing near by, snickered loudly. Laura just laughed and told Annie about how she remembered her and her thoughts that Annie would have been a typical hippie. "Yeah, well there was that," Annie conceded. "Come on over, Annie. You know the address. Good, you come when you can and I'll get hold of Daddy and tell him to give me a call when he's finished with the hero of the day." "Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen," said Lew into the microphones mounted on the podium. Bubba was sitting proudly beside Harry who had a hold on his leash. "My name is Detective Lew Weaver, and my partner is Detective Harry Williams. We are in charge of the new Missing and Exploited Children Division of the CMPD, another proactive department recently created by the Police Commissioner to protect our children... "he paused, "our future." The applause was loud from the regular officers and the spectators who had come to the station to see the heroic GSD at his press conference. The news people of course were more concerned as to why they hadn't heard of this new department yet, and many of them scribbled notes to assistants to get the Commissioner on the phone and get the details. "But of course, the 'officer' you came here to see this afternoon is Bubba, a civilian asset provided to our department through the kind generosity of Ms. Annie Prince who has trained Bubba from a pup." "Why a civilian asset?" hollered out one TV reporter before anyone else could say anything. "Because a child's life was in danger," said Harry, "and while our own K9 division is well trained in a variety of tasks, Bubba was the best qualified for this rescue." "What makes him so special?" asked another talking head. "He was trained in English," said Harry, "which means that both Detective Weaver and I can talk to him, and I should add that his vocabulary is much broader than most other K9 dogs." Bubba had been looking from one reporter to another as the questions had started flying. "You're trying to tell us that Bubba actually understands what you tell him to do?" asked another. Harry looked at Lew and saw Lew smile. "Well," said Harry, "actually he does what we ask him to do." Then Harry turned to Bubba and without looking at the snooze people he said, "Come here, Bubba," getting the dog's full attention. "Can you bring the man who asked that question to me?" Then Harry released the leash and Bubba leapt into the crowd and ran right to the reporter, grabbing him by the belt and started to pull the reporter to Harry. The reporter was trying to tell Bubba to stop, but Bubba was single mindedly doing as Harry asked, and when the reporter dug his heels in, Bubba growled. "Gently, Bubba, no bites, we don't want to hurt him," Lew said, which caused the crowd to laugh as well as a number of reporters. "Okay, Bubba," Harry said, "you can let him go now. I think you made your point, and the rest of you can just consider it a part of our fishing catch-and-release program," which earned even more laughs. Bubba released the reporter and proudly walked back to the podium where he assumed his previous position. Harry didn't even bother with the leash. It was a short press conference, during which Lew outlined the Department's plans to take Bubba to the schools in Charlotte and start the Child ID program. It would have been a nice, pleasant end to the day's rescue if not for one reporter asking if Bubba had anything to say. Harry turned to Bubba and asked if he wanted to say anything, and Bubba trotted up behind Harry, stood and placed his forepaws on the podium, and looked over the crowd as if surveying them. He slowly nodded his head until he looked at the microphones, and then he gave out three sharp barks! The crowd went wild as Harry muttered, "Ham." Bubba merely turned his head and gave Harry a 'look.' Lew thanked the people for their time and said that it was time they took Bubba home. ------- Chapter 32D Across town, as the conference was winding up, a very upset Judge Richardson, turned off the radio. "Damn that dog and his bitch owner." Harry had felt his cell phone vibrating in his pocket a number of times, and as he and Lew led Bubba out the back to where their personal vehicles were parked, Harry checked his text messages. Laura had been trying to get hold of him and left a note to call before bringing Bubba back to Annie since she was stopping at the studio. He smiled to himself and told Lew that he would take Bubba back after he was sure where she was. "Okay, partner," Lew said. "Hell of a day wasn't it?" "Damn straight!" said Harry. "No more weekends, no more nights, a promotion, and a raise. Meg is going to be so happy." "So is Sally," said Lew. "How about you and Meg and the kids come over tomorrow and we'll celebrate?" "Sounds like a plan to me," said Harry. "I'll call you after I confirm with Meg." Lew drove off while Harry called Laura. Annie wasn't so sure about all this stuff that Laura was showing her, even after showing her how to apply some of it. Todd smiled and helped Laura out. He'd liked Annie from the moment he met her. This was a straight forward woman who spoke her mind and didn't mince words. Annie was an interesting person from a photographer's viewpoint. Simple, no makeup, and a combination of laugh lines and small wrinkles - braless too - Todd noticed. She belonged in a different era by her appearances, but her mind was sharp, even sharper than her tongue. They finally convinced Annie to take a bag of 'paint, ' some of the simple stuff that she could apply herself, though Laura kept teasing Annie about her hot date. The way that Annie grimaced let Todd know that she was in fact changing her appearance for a man. A look from Laura, a nod from Todd, and Laura had Annie's arm saying she wanted her opinion on something, and she led her to the wardrobe room. Todd laughed as he heard Annie cussing out and growling at Laura for tricking her, but it tapered off slowly, and Todd figured that Laura had convinced Annie to at least try a few outfits on. They had the radio on in the studio preparing for the live press conference. The TV stations would not air their footage till later in the evening. When the news conference started, Ami went back to get Laura and Annie. "My dad and Uncle Lew are detectives now?" Laura asked incredulously at the end of the 10-minute news piece. The news 'repeater' was giving a running documentary about the events that had taken place, and in an unprecedented move, he recommended that people watch the TV news later that evening to see how Bubba had looked at the crowd before stating what was on his mind. "Sounds to me like you're famous now, Annie," Todd said. Annie smirked and said that, if it brought her more business, then it was fine with her. Todd noticed that Annie had come out of the dressing room in a semi-transparent, knee-length silk dress that had a circular band of material doubled in a curly fashion covering Annie's breasts and curling around her pelvis and butt. He whistled appreciatively. Few women could get away wearing an outfit like this, especially in black. Annie only glared, then smiled. It was nice to be noticed, but still, it was 'only dinner.' This was territory practically un-charted, or at least something she was unaccustomed to. She wasn't at all used to be looked at or even being 'noticed.' After the newscast, Annie and Laura returned to the change room, and Todd was happy to see Annie taking a large bag of designer clothes. He wasn't sure what Laura had said to her to convince her to take the whole bag, but he was glad she had. Annie had the bag of 'paint' as well and was sitting with Todd and Laura drinking some sweet tea that she had created using what was available in the kitchen. They were waiting for Harry to return Laura's call, which Laura assured Annie he would as soon as he could retrieve his text message. Sherri, Cara, and Ami were watching TV, waiting for Vanetta and Robert to come back from dropping the band off. Annie took another look at Todd and wondered about him again. She saw a man - a good man by what she could read from him - but a troubled one. His mind was wandering even though he never dropped a word in the conversation. Tilting her head to one side, she tried to surmise his thoughts. She had quickly grasped the situation between Laura and Todd and wondered for a minute how Kelly fit into this when Laura had clearly stated that Kelly was her partner. She saw a handsome, caring man, not one of those who called women by names or had ever raised a hand in anger. He had an inner calm, but from what she noticed under the T-shirt he was wearing, he was very physically fit. As they waited, Laura showed her the recent addition to the studio wall, the portrait of her and Kelly in their Trek outfits. "Whoa!" was all Annie could muster. Had there been any doubt in Annie's mind about their relationship, it was long gone when she saw the picture. Annie's curiosity was just about at the bursting point when Laura's phone rang. "Hi Daddy," she said. "I see you remembered to check your text messages." "Just like you taught me, Pumpkin." "Congratulations on your promotion, Daddy. I'm so proud of you!" "Thanks, Pumpkin. I'll tell you more about it later. I saw your message about Annie not being home, is she home now?" "No Daddy, she's here at the studio with us. Want her to wait here for you?" "If she doesn't mind. I should be there in 15 minutes." Laura turned to Annie and asked if she could wait a few minutes longer, and after Annie nodded, Laura told her dad to come on over. After disconnecting from his call to Laura, Harry hit the speed dial button that connected him to Lew. "Hey Lew, want to go back to TKO? Annie's there and we might get one of those Canadian beers he smuggles in." Lew laughed and said he would be catch up with Harry on I-77. "Your dad's coming here?" Annie asked. "I better get out of this dress before he gets the wrong idea like you did." Laura's intuition told her that Annie really did have a date and wondered how it would turn out - and who the lucky guy was. Joe Johnson had changed vehicles and was now parked in the shade at the corner of the Hutchison-McDonald road in such a way that he could clearly see the studio with his binoculars. A "For Sale" sign covered the driver's window and most of the windshield, effectively hiding him from view. When he saw Lew and Harry pull back in, he muttered, "For a quiet studio on a Saturday, this place is busier than a downtown 7-11." Annie had changed back into her regular attire. Moccasins, jeans, and a T-shirt, and she was all set for Harry and Bubba's arrival. She was surprised when both Harry and Lew entered. Bubba launched himself at her, kissing her all over and she returned the favor by scratching his favorite places. Then she looked up at Harry and said, "Well I guess I can't call you 'ossifer' anymore can I, Harry? Congratulations to both of you, and I mean that." Harry looked dubiously at Annie, and Lew decided the better part of valor was to keep his mouth shut. Harry was the one who realized that something was different about Annie, and he looked closer. He spotted the bag of clothes beside her and then realized she was wearing makeup. "Got a hot date, Annie?" he asked. I've never seen you with makeup, and you look good!" Annie growled and stared daggers at him, then said, "I can sure tell why they made you a detective," she said sarcastically. "You see the obvious and jump to conclusions, just like your daughter!" Laura laughed and said, "It wouldn't take too much detecting to figure out something special is going on, Annie. You've got that special glow on your face. Makeup or not, we'd know." Annie snarled in mock anger. "Well, it ain't newsworthy now is it, what I do with my private life?" Harry chuckled and wondered privately what kind of man had the nerve to ask Annie out on a date. "Well, I got Bubba back, and he looks good," said Annie. "I do appreciate the care you take with him. I hear that you intend to take him to the schools so you can fingerprint the little ones in case one goes missing. I hope you never have to use those prints to identify one who couldn't be found in time." There was a catch in Annie's voice, then she said, "Well, Bubba, we best be getting home so Jacob can take the leftovers to the shelter. One of us ain't gonna be cookin' tomorrow!" She chuckled as she picked up her bags, thanked Laura and Todd, and headed for the door, knowing she had unleashed a beehive of speculation. She wondered what Lew and Harry would think if they knew it was their boss she was going out with! "Uhm, Todd," Harry said. "We aren't on duty now. Not to put too subtle a hint forward." Todd laughed and went to the fridge and pulled out four Molson Extra Dry beers. Laura got glasses for herself, her Dad, and Uncle Lew and Todd. "It's only in mixed company that I use a glass," said Todd, grinning. "Stops me from wringing the bottle to get the last drop out!" Todd raised his glass and said, "Here's to the best new proactive police work ever, and the two new detectives in charge of it!" "Hear, hear," said Laura clinking her glass against the others. Harry was telling them about how the promotion had really come into effect, but Todd said that they deserved it no matter how it happened. "You've both risked your lives for too many years not to finally get acknowledged," said Todd. "And I know that Mom and Aunt Sally are going to love having you guys home at night and not having to worry anymore about what might happen on those long weekend night shifts," said Laura. Todd offered the detectives another drink, but both said it had been a long 20 hours and both were driving. "Another time?" asked Harry. "At a time when we can get all the family together?" Todd nodded. While normally a recluse, he didn't mind the Williams' or the Weaver's, so he finally said, "How about after the band does their first public performance? We'll get together here or at Kelly's and do a barbeque." Harry thought back to the night he had the steaks at Kelly's, "That sounds good to me!" Laura walked her father and Uncle Lew to the door and watched them drive away. Vanetta and Robert had dropped the band members off and had taken a scenic tour back to the studio. The scenic route just happened to pass by the very spot where the young lovers had made first contact, and Vanetta insisted that Bobby pull over. Tucked out of sight from the road, it was there they discovered that the new van had reclining bench seats, much to Netta's pleasant surprise. They had moved to the back after locking all the doors and Netta had slipped off her panties and shorts and placed her feet on the seat back in front of her, sliding down in the reclined bench she was on. Bobby had scooted up between her legs on the floor and proceeded to lick her to multiple orgasms. When she could take no more of his oral ministrations, she pulled him up to his knees and undid his jeans so that his rock-hard cock could slide into her hot cunt! Bobby was close. He always got so turned on when Vanetta climaxed multiple times at his efforts. He felt good knowing that he could make her feel so loved. He lasted just long enough for Vanetta to have one more massive cum, and then he spewed his seed into her womb. Vanetta, high and delirious from the sensory overload, pulled on Bobby till he was on the seat beside her and fixed her mouth on his cock, sucking it back to life. He gave her what she craved - a mouthful of hot spunk - which she greedily swallowed. They both sprawled on the bench, Robert's arms around Vanetta, and so spent from their physical love that they both dozed off. A sharp rap on the window caused them both to wake up in a panic. Robert did up his jeans while Vanetta looked for her panties and shorts. By the time that Robert managed to crawl over the benches to the driver's seat, he was shocked to see a police cruiser parked beside him with its lights flashing and one officer standing at the door while another circled the van. Robert quickly rolled down the window, realizing that the van reeked of sex. He blushed as he asked the officer if there was a problem. The officer recognized the scent coming from the van and smiled slightly but just said, "No sir, we were just wondering why a rental vehicle was parked off the road with all its windows done up tight, and when we saw nobody in the driver's seat, we thought we'd better check it out." By this time, Vanetta had made it to the passenger seat and still trying to straighten out her clothes. The officer smiled at Robert and said. "It's a hot day in July to have all the windows closed, and if not for the fact that we could see your head through the front window, we thought it might have been stolen and abandoned." "Ah, my fiancé and I were just a bit tired," said Robert, trying to force away the redness he felt in his cheeks. "We thought it was better if we took a short nap rather than drive recklessly, and with the air conditioner on when we stopped, I guess we just forgot about the windows. I apologize if we caused you any undue concern." At that moment, the other officer came around to the driver's door and said, "Dispatch says this vehicle is on loan to TKO and for us to just verify who the driver is." "TKO?" asked the first officer. "Yeah! You know them. The kid's camps, the 'Speed Demon?'" The first officer laughed, "Okay, now I know who you're talking about." Turning back to Bobby he asked if he could see his driver's license, and upon checking it, he turned to his partner. "This the legal driver?" "That's him," the other officer replied. "Sorry for disturbing your nap," said the first officer. "You can understand our concern, right?" "No problem officer," said Vanetta. "We appreciate your vigilance." The officer touched the brim of his hat. "Thank you, Ma'am. We try. Y'all have a good day now!" and the two officers headed back to their cruiser and drove off. "My God, does this van smell like a brothel or what?" asked Vanetta, blushing. "I've never been in a brothel, so I don't know," said Robert laughing, but we need to get some moist cleaning towels for that rear bench and some air freshener before I take this loaner back to Erik's." From the driver's door console, Robert lowered all the windows to allow some fresh air in the vehicle, even if it was hot air. He turned the engine on and set the fan on high as well, and they drove to a Qwik Stop Gas Bar for some cleaning products and towels. Parked in the shade of an old oak tree, he and Vanetta cleaned up the rear bench and then hung air fresheners all around the inside of the van. Robert made a personal note to himself to remove them before he returned the vehicle. After they were done cleaning, during which time Vanetta remarked again at how wet Bobby made her, they disposed of the used towels and placed the remainder of the cleaning solutions back in the bag, then stowed it under her seat. "Shouldn't we take those out as soon as we get back?" Robert asked. "Not yet," said Vanetta, "you still have to drive me to the airport tomorrow!" They both laughed and Robert drove to Todd's favorite Chinese take-out where they ordered enough food to feed a dozen people. Chicken wings, because Netta knew how much Todd loved them, and spring vegetable egg rolls, because she knew the girls would enjoy them as much as she did. She added fried won-tons and chicken fried rice as well as other entrees, and they headed back to the studio. It was after seven when they made it back. Vanetta turned the news on while Robert drove, and they heard a repeat of the press conference with Bubba. Robert locked up the van, and the two of them walked in the side door, with Vanetta announcing, "Food!" which brought everyone to the kitchen. "Take a long time to drop off the kids?" Todd asked with a grin. Vanetta realized that the smell of their lovemaking clung to them, so she told everyone to help themselves while she and Robert changed. By the time that the girls at the studio had finished eating and Todd had promised to take Cara, Ami, and Sherri to the best ice cream parlor in town, it was well after 8 o'clock. Robert locked up the studio, checked the security cameras, and headed upstairs with Vanetta to make sure she was packed. The two of them spent a quiet evening watching TV and waiting to see the news, at which time they hoped to see the visual coverage of Bubba's heroics. Todd just had a taste of the two gigantic sundaes the girls had ordered, but it turned out that even for them, their eyes were bigger than their stomachs. Todd offered to drive Sherri back to her hotel, but Sherri had said that if it was no problem, she would just as soon spend the night at Kelly's. Laura was driving as she had only had the one beer earlier in the day, and they had driven Kelly's Elantra. Todd thought at the time that it was a good thing that they were all small since five people in a mid-size car was pushing it a bit, no matter what the advertisers had to say. They got in just in time to catch the news and sat in the living room, all of them with a glass of wine, and laughed as they watched Bubba show his colors. Sherri yawned and said that it had been a pleasant weekend, but she was bushed. Cara and Ami shared a shower with her, and Laura looked at Todd, rolling her eyes at the laughs coming from the bathroom. Todd just laughed. He got up and rolled himself a smoke and said he was going to enjoy some cooler nighttime air. Laura nodded her understanding. It had been a very busy day for Todd and he needed to unwind. He was not used to so many people coming and going from the studio in one day and wondered how he managed to teach photography at UNCC once a year. Todd laid back in the hammock and lit some of Delton's finest ganja, a bottle of mineral water tucked between his legs. It had been a hell of a day, one of the busiest people-days the studio had ever seen, though he was surprised at how relaxed he felt. Usually just a few visitors at the studio would stress him out, and as he felt the buzz kick in, he wondered if it was the people visiting this time who made it less stressful or the fact he was very much in love with two beautiful women. Half an hour later, Laura joined Todd in the hammock and they gently rocked, holding each other in a loving embrace. "The kids all tucked in, Honey?" he asked with a laugh. Laura snickered and said, "Yes, Sweetheart. The three of them are sleeping together tonight so we have the bed to ourselves." "The stars are beautiful tonight," Todd said. "I think they look that way 'cause you're stoned," said Laura, "which is why I rolled a pinner. I want to see how things look to you right now." With that said she lit up the very thin joint and inhaled deeply. "Careful, Honey. That's potent weed you've got. This is from Delton's latest harvest." "Its okay, Sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere after this except to bed." They laid in the hammock, watching the stars on the warm summer night; Todd shared his mineral water with Laura, and they speculated on whether Kelly was having a good time with Brenda. Fifteen minutes later, they were both sound asleep. Across town, in the Omni Charlotte Hotel, Kelly and Brenda had finished their city tour and had eaten in the Lobby Court Lounge, one of the seven restaurants in the hotel. There were other things to do at the Omni, but a decent band was advertised as playing a bit later that evening. Kelly figured on doing some dancing and drinking so had booked a room for the night. "Doesn't it seem silly to spend the night at another hotel when I've got a suite at the Hilton," Brenda asked. "Not really," said Kelly as she unpacked her bag in the suite she had rented for the night. "Sherri might be there, and I want wherever we spend the night to be a special memory. I'll never spend another night here with anyone else." Brenda's eyes moistened at how this beautiful woman attached so much feeling to everything she considered special. The two girls changed and headed back to the Lounge for some light drinking and heavy dancing. More than a few males tried to ask one or the other for a dance, but they just held hands and replied they were together, snickering after each ego-deflated man left their table. The music was good, and they danced for nearly half of their two hour stay, then Kelly suggested they should retire to their room after ordering some fruit and cream specials for delivery to the room. Five minutes after room service had delivered a super-size platter of fresh fruit on chopped ice and bowls of freshly made whipped cream, they stepped into the shower. Lovingly, and with tender caresses, they washed each other's body, removing the sweat generated by their enthusiasm on the dance floor. After playing with and eating the fruit and cream, they retired to the big luxurious bed. It was after two in the morning when Brenda pulled on Kelly's hair, screaming for her fourth time that night. "Kell, enough, I can't take any more. God, you drive me crazy girl. You are so good at making me feel good." Kelly lifted her head from between Brenda's thighs and smiled as she said, "I had a great teacher, Bren. Now it'll be you who can't walk for a day without setting off a mini orgasm!" Brenda laughingly pulled her friend up to her and licked Kelly's face clean of her own juices. "I remember so well that first night with you, Kelly. You were so beautiful, still are as that goes, but you were so smart and funny, yet you knew nothing about love. We all looked up to you. Ambitious, famous, and successful, yet when I kissed you the first time and asked you if you trusted me, I realized how lonely you had been. Now you have two great permanent lovers and a baby on the way. Now I think all of us girls are a bit jealous of you!" "It does seem like a dream come true, doesn't it Brenda? And if not for you, I would never have had discovered the joy of living and loving. I will always love you for that and for being you." Brenda could feel the tears welling in her eyes and then felt Kelly's lips leaving yet another hickey on her neck. With a mischievous grin, she rolled over on top of Kelly and started kissing a trail back down Kelly's body again. "We'll see who can walk tomorrow," she said, just before her tongue made contact with Kelly's go switch. Just after six in the morning, Todd woke up feeling chilly. He realized that he and Laura had fallen asleep in the hammock, and that both of them were covered in morning dew. He gently slipped out of the hammock and carried her into the house and placed her in the bed they shared with Kelly. He lovingly covered her up and then crawled in beside her. A very sexually satisfied Vanetta woke up at seven, and groaning, crawled out of bed. She did her best not to wake up Bobby and slipped into the shower. Emerging 10 minutes later, she was surprised to see Bobby making her a scrumptious breakfast of homemade blueberry pancakes. "Nervous, Honey?" he asked as he filled her plate. "Just a little," she said. "The flying?" "No," she laughed. "I've flown before. It's more the idea of meeting with a publisher and signing a multi-million dollar deal all by myself that has me a bit nervous. I sure wish Kelly was going with me, but if I'm going to prove myself as the new president of the company, I have to make this bird fly all by myself." "And you can do it, Baby. If anybody can make it happen, you can!" Vanetta launched herself across the table, knocking whatever was in her way off in her drive to get to Robert. She hugged him and kissed him and cried on his shoulder. Her pent-up emotions had peaked, and now she was ready for Lisa Greenwood and "Fit Pregnancy Magazine." They made love in the kitchen with Vanetta perched precariously on the counter. Bobby brought her off four times before he shot his seed into her, and they both slid to the floor exhausted. Vanetta finally found the strength to speak and apologized for making such a mess, then mentioned that they had better both take a shower. "We'll take a shower now, Sweetheart, and don't worry about the mess. I'll clean it up later." Flying with the sun would have Vanetta arriving on the Pacific Coast about the same time she left the East Coast. With the added security brought on by the September 11th World Trade Center disaster, check-in time and boarding times were now a nightmare, so she had to get ready much earlier for her flight time. Ami, Cara, and Sherri were up at eight, and seeing that neither Ami nor Cara bothered to put on clothes, Sherri just followed suit. It's funny, but when you're the only one wearing clothes, you feel more conspicuous than if you just join in. Cara fried up eggs and bacon for the trio, leaving the makings out for when Todd and Laura woke up. Ami fried up some bread the way her mother used to, and the three ate a filling breakfast. "Much better than toast," said Sherri, with egg yolk running down her chin. Sherri helped clean up the dishes, and since Cara had set out vitamins for her as well, she took them, along with the "go-juice" combo. "Its 9 o'clock," said Ami. "Maybe we better wake Laura and Todd up so that we can get to the studio before Vanetta leaves and we can all wish her luck." "Yeah," sighed Sherri. "Brenda and I have to pack up and fly out today as well. I hope she and Kelly had a good time yesterday. By the way, guys, thanks for letting me snuggle up with you last night." "It was our pleasure," said Ami with a smile on her face. Cara took it on herself to wake Todd and Laura, surprised to see them both in bed dressed in last night's clothes. Cara gently nudged Laura who opened her eyes in surprise. "Good morning, Laura," Cara said cheerfully. "I don't know what you two got up to last night but you're sleeping in your clothes." Laura looked down and realized she was. Her eyes flickered trying to recall the events of last night, then her eyes opened wide. Todd mumbled something in his sleep and turned in bed. His eyes opened to see Cara smiling at him. "What ever you two did last night it must have been a riot!" Cara said, laughing. Grab a shower and some fresh clothes. I'll have breakfast ready for you two in 20 minutes, then we're off to see Vanetta before she leaves. The shower wouldn't have taken 20 minutes, but Todd and Laura made slow, passionate love under the running water. "What happened last night, Todd?" Laura asked after they had both achieved their climax. "We fell asleep in the hammock," said Todd. "I woke up around five, and we were both covered in dew, so I just carried you in and covered you up, then crawled in beside you." "Guess that takes the romance out of sleeping beneath the stars, doesn't it?" Laura asked. "Nothing is as romantic as what they write in stories," Todd said drying Laura's back. "Some writers never learn to check their facts before putting pen to paper," he added. "If you want to sleep beneath the stars, you need a good waterproof sleeping bag, and you'll still end up with a wet face and maybe covered in spiders." Laura laughed. "What a romantic man I'm marrying," she said. Todd laughed as well and explained that the idea of sleeping under the stars was fine in climates were the temperature didn't drop much at night or where the air was very dry to begin with, but in Charlotte, North Carolina, the drop in temperature at night, combined with the humidity of the day, did not make for a romantic all-night sleep-out. "Gee, I had no idea I was marrying a science expert," Laura said as she toweled Todd down. Todd laughed again. "An expert I'm not. What I've learned I learned the hard way!" "And what's the most important thing you've learned the hard way?" Laura asked. "Not to sunbathe nude without a lot of sunscreen on my willie," said Todd, which caused Laura to laugh so hard that she got the hiccups. As they entered the kitchen, Todd was grumbling that it wasn't funny, which of course had the three younger girls trying to find out what Laura found so hysterical. Between hiccups, Laura managed to tell them, causing all of them to laugh. Todd blushed, vowing he would never tell anyone any more of the many things he had learned, but he smiled as he said it, wolfing down the three eggs that Cara had cooked up for him, along with the bacon and four slices of fried bread. After Todd and Laura had taken their vitamins, the three girls got dressed, and they parked Kelly's Elantra in the garage and brought out her Jeep Grand Cherokee. "Wow," said Ami. "I didn't even know that Kelly had another vehicle, much less one of these babies." "Pretty soon," said Todd, "you'll be able to buy any vehicle you want and pay cash for it. Kelly keeps this for comfort when she's going to travel far, but for city driving, and to cut down on the need for fossil fuel, she drives the Elantra for the same reason I drive the Tracker in town instead of the Hummer." "Speaking of the Tracker," said Laura. "We'll have to get it cleaned like you said. What was that you called it?" "Detailing," said Todd. That's like a carwash inside and out along with Q-tip and toothbrush cleaning of all the insides and a shampoo of the inside upholstery." At the first stop light, Todd flipped open his phone and pressed Erik's stored number. The garage was technically closed on Sundays, but Todd knew that several mechanics often worked on their own vehicles at the shop or put in some overtime. As luck would have it, the mechanic who answered the phone was the one overseeing the painting detail on the new "Seniors:TNG" van. Todd explained the situation and the possibility of fleas and/or ticks. The mechanic laughed when Todd said that, and then Todd explained about Laura transporting Bubba in it yesterday after he rescued that little boy. The mechanic got real serious and said he would personally pick up the Tracker and would have it cleaned and returned before the day was out. Spotless, he said, and no charge. "That could have been one of my kids," he said to Todd. Todd thanked him and told him to stop at the studio for the keys. Todd always kept spare keys with Erik for all his vehicles, but that was for emergencies. Kelly woke up with her head on Brenda's chest. She stretched and let out a loud yawn. It had been a very late night for the two lovers. Looking at the time, she realized they would only have an hour before Vanetta had to leave, and a few hours later, Brenda and Sherri would be flying out as well. She kissed Brenda till she woke up, then softly told her, "I'm going to miss you when you leave you know." "Silly," said Brenda. "I'll be back in time for the company picnic on the weekend." "I know," said Kelly, "but yesterday was a special day. One I'm never going to forget." Brenda hugged Kelly tightly as the tears welled up in her eyes. "I know, Honey. Things are going to change, but our friendship will last forever." Reluctantly Kelly got out of bed and called for room service. While they waited for their breakfast, they had a last shower together. It was a warm loving shower. When the knock on the door announced that their food had arrived, both girls were dressed and packed. They sat by the window overlooking the city. "I love this city," Kelly said. "I can't see me moving again. I'm going to retire here." "But of course you'll still travel, right?" Kelly laughed. "Yes. I love to travel and see different things, but there's no place like home, especially when you're tired and road weary." They finished off their poached eggs with salmon creamed cheese on bagels and headed out to Brenda's rental car. The way Brenda drove, they were back at the studio in record time, the Mercedes weaving in and out of traffic like the rest of the world was standing still. "I still can't believe you showed up out of the blue," said Kelly. "I guess I should say I was surprised, but you've been on my mind a lot lately." "And you on mine," said Brenda. "I do hope you get a chance to come back to Chuck's before you sail off and get married." "We're going to try, Honey. Todd's mostly caught up on his work right now, so maybe the weekend after the company picnic if nothing else comes up." Vanetta was glad to see Kelly pulling in. Now the entire group was here, and she could say goodbye and get good luck wishes properly. Her mom had already told her that the trip would be a success, so Vanetta was just prepared to go and sign the paperwork. It was going to be her very first solo adventure, but she knew it wouldn't be her last. Giving hugs and kisses took nearly half an hour, then Robert cleared his throat and picked up Vanetta's bags. Waving, Vanetta left the studio, and minutes later they could hear the van pull away. "One gone," thought Joe as he watched from his "for sale" car. He also knew that the two visitors would be leaving shortly as well so he settled back for comfort and waited. Brenda and Sherri were reluctant to leave, and Brenda wanted some alone time with Laura before she left. She had her chance when Todd and Kelly were looking at a fax that had come in. "You know she loves you," said Brenda to Laura. Laura smiled a genuine smile at Brenda. "I do know, Brenda, and I know she loves you too. You taught her how to love, and she's so much happier now." Brenda nodded her head. "It was inside her all the time, but I guess something in her past put up a wall that had to be taken apart gently. I think you did that, Laura." Laura blushed and said, "How it happened, when it happened... It doesn't really matter does it? The fact is that Kelly is happy now, and that's what's important." Impulsively, Brenda reached over and gave Laura a heart-felt kiss. "I'm glad that you're not going to be a jealous wife," she said with a smile, "and I hope that you are as happy as Kelly is." "Oh, Brenda, you should have met me before I met Todd and Kelly. I was a mess. Now I'm so happy that, every day, I thank God for giving me this gift." After a quick snack, Brenda regretfully said goodbye to Kelly and reminded her of her promise to come to Chuck's. "I know he'll love having everybody there," she said. More kisses and promises that Sherri's photos would be processed during the week and samples forwarded to her via email, Brenda and Sherri left for the Hilton to pack up their belongings and pay the tab and then headed for the airport that would take them back to Florida. Robert returned two hours later complaining about the new security, saying that once inside the terminal, only passengers with tickets could remain inside, and he had reluctantly sat outside waiting till Vanetta's jet took off. He gladly accepted a beer from Todd, and then the two men, Laura, Kelly, and Cara and Ami sat around the table in the studio kitchenette. "Seems real quiet in here doesn't it?" said Todd. But quiet times in real life usually echo the weather watcher's phrase... "This is the calm before the storm!" ------- Chapter 33A Vanetta settled back in her seat, a nice wide one, first class all the way! "Ah, the perks that come with the job," she thought to herself. This was something she could get used to. Bringing an account to Fit Pregnancy magazine worth over five million dollars and the potential for continued business had assured her first-class treatment all the way. Lisa Greenwood, publisher of Fit, had insisted on footing the bill for the trip to sign the contract, and the two women had plans for some socializing as well. Bobby had driven her to the Charlotte Douglas airport where she regretfully kissed him goodbye at the entrance. The new security measures in effect since September 11th 2001had brought about a lot of changes, and being the second busiest airport in the Southeast (Atlanta the busiest), just getting to the departure lounge took much longer than expected. There were "rent-a-cops" everywhere. Vanetta resented the fact she could not spend her last moments with Bobby but understood the need. Because they would be apart for a few days, Bobby had driven the long way to the airport, going down I-77, past downtown Charlotte, then onto Wilkinson Drive, to Billy Graham Parkway (named for the evangelist), then on Birmingham Parkway directly into the airport. Vanetta was telling Bobby how happy she was that TKO was located on the outskirts of Charlotte as the city had become so cosmopolitan. Bobby had his own opinions on the city, especially Wilkinson Drive, which he considered the extreme opposite with its seedy mix of light industrial, low-class strip malls, auto sales lots, more than a few bars, and a couple of strip clubs. He had dropped her off at mid-terminal, close to the US Air check-in location, had summoned a porter after a passionate goodbye kiss, and her bags were taken directly to first-class check-in on US Air. She had blown him kisses and waved till he left the barricaded passenger drop off zone, and then she headed to US Air to check in. Vanetta strolled up to the short first-class check-in line, checked her luggage, and received her boarding pass and a one-day pass to the US Airways Club provided by Lisa. She had to go through security, again in the shorter first-class/frequent-flyer line ahead of the masses. Security was embarrassing for Vanetta, and she still blushed at the thought of it. Her driver's license photo was compared to the name on the ticket as she removed her shoes, (thanks to the guy who had a shoe bomb on one of the European flights), and then she got in line for the metal detector. She had dutifully placed her watch, rings, and necklace into the tray provided and her carry on bag on the belt, which was then X-rayed, and she stepped into the metal detector, which immediately went off. Security guards were on her in a flash, and she was taken aside while a female attendant ran a hand-held scanner over her body. It was then she remembered the ionic anklet Bobby had bought for her at Christmas. It had been difficult getting it on, but once on, it felt comfortable and she never gave it another thought - till now. She blushed and apologized profusely as the guards visibly relaxed. She removed the anklet and stowed it in her carry-on bag. Clearing security, she headed straight to the Club room. Her flight was going to depart from gate B5, a short walk after a right turn after the security check-in. She found the US Airways Club between gates B3 and B5 on the B concourse. She showed her guest pass to the concierge and asked for a Pina Colada, extra large! While she had no fear of flying, the incident with the security screening had shaken her up a bit. Vanetta looked at the clock and saw she still had 45 minutes to wait before boarding and took a seat in a comfortable leather armchair overlooking flight operations. The waitress who brought over her drink asked if Vanetta had had a rough time with security. When Vanetta nodded, taking a gulp of the crushed ice concoction, the waitress nodded sympathetically, and related a story about a well-dressed couple who had been in the week before. From outward appearances, they had both appeared to be very conservative, middle aged executives, but when the woman had entered the metal detector, it had gone nuts. It turned out that looks could be deceiving, and the lady had nearly a dozen body piercings. She had been taken to a security room where she had been strip searched. Vanetta laughed, the tension leaving her, and told the waitress all she had was an ionic anklet, and it was just braided metals. "The machines are set to such a sensitive level now that any metal will set them off," the waitress had said. Then as Vanetta paid her and tipped generously, the girl had offered her snacks and magazines, both of which Vanetta had graciously turned down. She was going to nurse the rest of her drink till it was time to board the US Air Airbus. She was surprised to see she was the only female in the Club at the moment other than the waitress. Most of the other people were overweight, male, and dressed in suits. Vanetta had chosen a nice beige flight suit for comfort. It was lightweight, well suited to the humid and hot day. She also noticed that she was drawing a lot of attention. The air conditioned room had made little missiles out of her nipples, and they were a predominant feature crying out for attention, wanted or not. When her flight was called, she grabbed her carry-on and headed for her gate. First class passengers were boarded first, and she quickly found her seat - 3F. It had been a toss up for her as to the convenience of the aisle or the interest provided by a window, and Vanetta had opted for the window seat. Considering the narrow-body 321 jet, she was surprised at how much room there was for the 26 first-class seats. She stowed her carry-on after removing a paperback she had bought last month but had not yet had a chance to read. She was prepared for the delay before take-off. After thirty minutes of reading, she heard the turbines come to life. She watched out the window as the plane backed away from the terminal and then listened to the mandatory safety briefing about seatbelts and oxygen masks, then sat back in her seat and watched Charlotte unfold as they prepared for take-off. Looking out the window, she thought of the change of perspective one had when seeing Charlotte through a moving window. It was like watching a documentary on TV. Sitting up higher than a car, she had a broader view of Charlotte, and she watched in fascination with her ability to pick out familiar landmarks. "First time flying, little lady?" the man seated next to her asked. Without turning to look at the man, she replied that it was definitely not her first time flying. Seeing a beautiful young woman sitting beside him, the salesman from Coast Music thanked his lucky stars that today he had decided to cash in some of his frequent flyer miles for an upgrade to first class - if she would just stop looking out the window and sit back. As the plane taxied down the runway, the ground fell away, and within minutes, the plane was into the low-hanging clouds. Soon the view of Charlotte was gone. She sat back, listened to the captain greeting the passengers, stifled a yawn, and re-opened her book. Vanetta could see the salesman beside her sneaking peeks at her bust, barely hidden beneath her light flight-suit. As they burst through the clouds and the sky cleared, Vanetta took a last look, hoping for sight of land below her. She loved being miles above the ground, and with a sigh settled back in. Her seatmate introduced himself and for what ever reason, his company. Wholesale musical instruments and accessories were what he sold for a living, and he was proud of the fact that the company he worked for considered him a top salesman. Vanetta looked the man up and down and then said to him, "If you're such a great salesman, why are you wearing a Chinese knock off of a Brooks Brothers suit?" This shook the man up. He had paid good money for the suit, knowing it was a copy, but he'd also been assured that no one would ever be able to tell. Curiosity overcame him though, and he hesitantly asked Vanetta how she could tell it was a copy. Trying to remain polite, Vanetta explained she was in the fashion industry and that was how she knew. "Oh," he said, "a model! I should have guessed looking at you." Vanetta laughed in spite of herself and explained she represented models but was not one herself. Watching her breasts jiggle as she laughed made the salesman very happy. He wondered if she was going to be in the city long and asked her. Vanetta said she was only going to be there two nights and then back to her office. As the salesman was thinking up the next clever line he could use on her, Vanetta took the headphones out of the pocket of the seat in front of her and plugged them in, turning to an easy listening channel so as to prevent further conversation. Frustrated, the man sat back and sighed. "Well," he thought, "at least this will be a great story when I get back to the office." His mind was already creating the fantasy he would spin for his co-workers. Vanetta turned down the volume so it wouldn't distract her from her reading and mentally calculated how many time zones she would cross versus actual flight time. She loved flying, but with clouds below and a blue sky overhead, there wasn't much to do or see. She did however make a mental note to herself to set her watch back three hours when she unpacked her luggage. The stewardess came around for drink orders and remembering that she'd had the Pina Colada in the Club, Vanetta opted for soda water with a twist of lime. She would have enjoyed the complimentary champagne, but knew that the potency of alcohol in a pressurized cabin doubled the buzz, and she didn't want to land in San Francisco and still be flying! ------- About an hour into the flight, the clouds started to break up and Vanetta could see land. Miles and miles and miles of flat land. She could see various colored squares indicating different crops, some extending for miles on a side. This was the Midwest, not a place she particularly wanted to live. No oceans nearby, and not a hill to be seen. She checked to see what the in-flight movie was and was disappointed to see it was Gangs of New York. While hailed as technically and historically accurate, Vanetta had no desire to watch a male coming-of-age movie filled with violence. With a sigh, she returned to her book. The author, Kathy Reichs was much more interesting. When the movie ended, the stewardess brought out a tray with wines and menus. Vanetta took the stewardess' suggestion and selected the beef tenderloin with a burgundy wine sauce. The stewardess asked everyone to lower their food trays and place their seats in an upright position and then passed out cut crystal wine goblets. From the wine options, Vanetta chose an excellent 1990 California Chardonnay, which the stewardess poured, and as she sipped quietly, the stewardess laid placemats on all the trays and served the appetizer - a mixed green salad with vinaigrette dressing and fresh shrimp cocktail with the cocktail sauce served in a hollowed out cucumber. Vanetta mentally gave the airline an A+ score for presentation. As she took her first bite, she was sure of the score. She only hoped the main course would be as good! Her beef tenderloin was served on bone china and came with parsley mashed potatoes and steamed - not boiled - green beans. Vanetta was stuffed and was about to turn down dessert when she saw the stewardess shake her head and presented her with chocolate swirled cheesecake. It was heavenly! Vanetta thanked the stewardess and noted the impeccable service she had received. The flight itself had been very smooth so far, and soon the land started to develop some features after what seemed like hours of flatlands. Vanetta asked what the current time was and how long before they would land and was told there was another hour of flying time but that soon the scenery would improve as they approached the Sierra Nevada Range. Vanetta thanked the stewardess and went back to her book. Reichs was an excellent author, but Vanetta had a full belly, a comfortable seat, and the promise of a great time in San Francisco. She had reviewed Steve's contract enough times to have it memorized and knew that a copy had been previously forwarded to Lisa's staff. "Let the lawyers do their legal work," she thought as she reclined her chair, and with thoughts of Robert on her brain she quickly dropped off to sleep. ------- Vanetta felt a gentle shake on her shoulder and opened her eyes to see the stewardess looking at her. "I'm sorry to wake you, Ms. Clarke, but I thought you would enjoy the sights as we prepare for landing." Vanetta smiled at the young girl and thanked her for her thoughtfulness. She straightened her seat back up and looked out the window at the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada Range. She could tell the plane was descending as she felt her ears pop, and the sights on the ground were now much easier to see. She heard the captain say that the monolith of the half dome in Yosemite Park could be seen to the left. Pity she was on the right, but possibly she would see it on her way home. From her view of the sun and the sky, she could tell they were traveling up to San Francisco instead of directly west. She watched as they crossed the mountain range and noticed how they flattened out into the central valley of California, with all the farms and canal-irrigated fields. The irrigated fields soon gave way to the dry bay hills as the plane descended further going over San Jose. To the right, her side, the captain pointed out Candlestick Park where the San Francisco 49ers play football, and the skyline of San Francisco came into clear view. She was surprised to see the Bay Bridge but shocked at the haze that covered a large part of the Bay Area. She had heard of this and the constant smog but had never seen it in person. The plane continued to descend over the Dumbarton and San Mateo bridges, making the final approach over the water to land on runway 28L at SFO. "It looks like we're going to land in the water, doesn't it?" asked the stewardess as she handed Vanetta two damp rolled cloths. One was hot and the other cold. It took Vanetta but a minute to wipe her face with both, thank the stewardess, and then agree that it certainly appeared that the plane was going to land in the Bay. The stewardess smiled and explained that the runway extends into the Bay on the arrival end. Then she asked Vanetta to buckle up for the landing. The plane landed smoothly and taxied off the runway, rolling around almost all of the airport terminals to arrive at gate B30, 12 minutes early at 2:31 Pacific Time. As the engines wound down and the doorway was opened, Vanetta stood up and took down her carry-on bag. Vanetta smiled and thanked the stewardess for her help and a pleasant flight, then got off the plane and walked down the ramp into the terminal and exited from the security area. She was halfway down the stairs when she spotted a tall, handsome man in sharp suit holding a sign with her name on it. She approached him and said she just had to get her luggage and they could leave, but the man, who introduced himself as Ted, said he would take care of the luggage, taking her baggage claim tickets and hailing a porter. The porter asked for a brief description of the bags and left in a hurry. Ted smiled at her and asked how her flight had been. As she was describing how her first flight to San Francisco felt, Vanetta realized she had a slight buzz on and stopped talking instantly. Ted smiled at her and explained he was used to passengers arriving feeling no pain, then stopped smiling and said it was the greedy drunks he had to deal with from time to time that upset him. Then his smile returned and he said, "Not to worry Ms. Clarke, I've got just what you need in the limo." Just then, the porter returned with Vanetta's bags, verified the ones he had were hers, and headed towards the exit. He seemed to know exactly where he was headed. Ted held his arm out for Vanetta to take, and they walked out behind the porter. There was a polished black Mercedes limo parked in the pick-up zone with a security guard standing beside it. Ted slipped him a twenty and thanked him for allowing him to remain in wait mode for a few extra minutes, then he tipped the porter and placed Vanetta's bags into the trunk of the Mercedes. He held open the door for Vanetta, closed it gently, and got in behind the wheel and drove off. Ted headed north on US 101 and told Vanetta there was a small fridge in the back with Gatorade, mineral water and Evian. "Sorry there's no alcohol in there," said Ted, "but I find it saves me a lot of headaches if I don't include any. And speaking of headaches, if you have one, let me know. I have Tylenol, Advil, and aspirin up here." Vanetta laughed and said her head was fine, and not to worry about the lack of alcohol as she was only a social drinker to begin with. As they drove along, Ted gave Vanetta the dime tour, pointing out the places they passed, the most notable of which was the Bay, Candlestick Park out on Hunter's Point and the Cow Palace convention center. As they drove by Potrero Hill, Ted said, "On Potrero Hill, you can relax in brilliant sunshine while watching fog engulf the rest of the city. Separated from the rest of the City by 16th, Third and Cesar Chavez streets, and Potrero Avenue, the neighborhood is relatively isolated by freeways and large tracts of industrial landscape, giving Potrero Hill its own pace and a feeling of distance from San Francisco." "That's kind of like where our offices are," said Vanetta. "We're in Charlotte but not really part of it. It's like a unique suburb." As she spoke she looked forward and watched San Francisco start to unfold in front of her. The limo slipped onto I-80 and continued towards the Bay Bridge. Ted turned off on 4th, just a little south of downtown and headed north across Market. Vanetta was surprised to see streetcar rails on the road and commented on it. "Yes," said Ted, "part of our history we're trying to preserve. We still run some vintage streetcars on special weekends; even have one that was imported from England. People often confuse the streetcars with the cable cars, which you'll see shortly." Ted turned left on Geary to Union Square. "Welcome to the heart of the San Francisco shopping district," he said as he pulled up in the limousine drive-through in the middle of the Fairmont Hotel. A bellman came to the limo instantly and Ted pressed the trunk release before getting out and opening Vanetta's door. "Thank you for the tour, Ted," she said reaching into her purse, but Ted gently pushed her hand back saying, "It was my pleasure, Miss Clarke, and everything else has been taken care of. I hope you enjoy your stay in our city." Vanetta settled for a handshake and followed the bellman into the grand entrance of the Fairmont. She looked about her in amazement and thought of the line in the movie, Pretty Woman. "I feel like Cinder-fucking-rella!" ------- Vanetta felt a bit chilly as she entered the lobby of the Fairmont and then remembered a comment Ted had made about Mark Twain's famous quote. "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." She hoped that she had been smart enough to pack something a bit warmer to wear, but when she had left Charlotte, the temperatures ranged from high hot to humid hot. Approaching the hotel, Vanetta had seen a grand old building which Ted had told her had survived the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fire. It had looked majestic. She had guessed it to be about 10 stories high - 11 actually - and an entire city block wide. She thought it was a pity that on the back of the hotel someone had erected a tall tower. "Some people will have to do without a view," she thought to herself. Once inside the grand plaza entrance, she was overwhelmed by the high ceilings and support columns. The lobby itself was larger than some ball rooms, and rich marble adorned the place. The reception desk was busy, and Vanetta started to head towards one of the lines when the bellman coughed discreetly and led her to the rear of the lobby, explaining on the way that she had been pre-registered when her arrival as SFO had been confirmed. Vanetta raised her eyebrows but followed the bellman. To her right, she noticed the lobby bar, but she felt she was here on business, not to drink herself into a stupor! Her heels clicked on the white marble floor, and as they passed close to the registration desk, starbursts adorned the old marble flooring. The bellman paused for a moment to retrieve a keycard for Vanetta and apologizing, asked her to sign the registration form - a formality required of all guests. Vanetta smiled and signed with her unique swirled signature, and the bellman guided her to an elevator at the rear of the lobby. Vanetta was surprised to find an elevator back there, since they had passed several others on their trip across the broad expanse of the main lobby, but trusted that she was in capable hands. So far, everything had been taken care of for her, and it had all been first class. Inside the elevator, Vanetta noted that the fancy teak wood in the elevator was covered by sheets of heavy glass. This was perplexing only for a moment as the elevator suddenly started to rise and the woodwork disappeared, replaced by a view of the city. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized she was in a glass elevator on the outside of the tower building she had thought obstructed the view of some of the Fairmont's rooms. Turning slowly, she let out a light gasp as the San Francisco Bay came into view, along with many other landmarks she had previously only seen on television and in movies. The bellman chuckled softly and said, "It does tend to take one's breath away, doesn't it Ms. Clarke? The Fairmont is located on Union Square, and the suite reserved for you has one of the best views in the entire city." The elevator stopped before Vanetta had a chance to respond, and the bellman pulled his cart with her luggage towards one of the doors to the left. Spacing between the doors seemed extravagant, and Vanetta noticed the wide hall had very few doors along its length. Stopping in front of one of the first doors, the bellman opened it with the magnetic key card and swung the door in with a flourish. A small gasp come from Vanetta's throat. There were flowers everywhere, and a large basket of fresh fruit was in the center of a table by the huge window. The bellman smiled as he quietly explained and showed the layout of the suite, a suite that was nearly as big as her mother's house! The bathtub and shower was large enough for two people, and there was a large vanity set apart from the sink with a lighted mirror. Vanetta was impressed. It wasn't the quality of the studio's make-up mirror, nor the one that Kelly had at her house, but this one was much better than those in most hair salons. Coughing discreetly, the bellman caught her attention and showed her how to operate the various controls and then showed her to the bedroom. Like the main room, this one had a huge window overlooking the Bay. Vanetta paused to look at the Bay Bridge, asked if the pier was Fisherman's Wharf, and with the delight of a child in a candy store listened as the bellman pointed out Alcatraz and the other well known sites of San Francisco. Reluctantly she stopped looking, knowing the bellman had a job to do, and she was keeping him from it. She was in for another surprise when she saw the Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom, and chuckled softly as she realized the Fairmont Suite she was staying in was not only nearly as large as her mother's house but had twice as many bathrooms - and this one had a television in it as well! She sat on the king-sized bed and for a moment wished that Bobby could have come with her on this trip, but filed the information away for future planning. The bellman showed her how to operate the plasma screen TV in the main room and the stereo system. Tuning the stereo to some soft contemporary jazz she tried to tip the bellman as he handed over her keycard. "I'm sorry, Ms. Clarke," said the bellman, "but all that was taken care of before your arrival. I do appreciate the thought, and I hope you enjoy your stay with us." With a small bow, he departed, and Vanetta looked at the clock. It was just 3:30, though her body was still on Charlotte time. She had eaten on the plane, but her biological clock was telling her it was supper time. She looked at the desk and noticed the high-speed internet jack. She decided right then that she was going to pick up a laptop computer as soon as she got back to Charlotte. Her life was going to be changing, and she would be spending more time on the road. It would sure be handy to have her data with her on a laptop instead of carrying around sheets of paper, even though some of those sheets were contracts to be signed and returned with her. She stopped to admire the beautiful flowers, checking the cards. The first was from Lisa welcoming her to "The City," with a phone number to call when she was settled in. The other was from Bobby, and she smiled, her heart feeling like it would burst right out of her chest. He must have ordered them right after he got back to the office. The big basket of fruit was, of course, from Kelly. The card read, "We're all proud of you Netta! Love, Kelly, Laura, Todd, Ami, and Cara." Vanetta spun around in a circle in the giant reception area of her suite. She had made it. That the contract would be signed and that Fit magazine would become life-long clients of TKO, Vanetta had no doubts. She remembered what the company lawyer had said about the quirky contract deal. Steve had echoed the sentiments of Lisa, the publisher of Fit Pregnancy. This was a "sweetheart" deal, and its instigator would in all probability be mentioned in the financial magazines as the architect of the advertising coup of the year. Vanetta felt lucky. Yes, she had put the entire package together after some brainstorming with Bobby, but it was the talent behind her and the opportunity they provided that had made this scenario come to fruition. Kelly, a top model before she retired five years earlier, agreeing to pose throughout her pregnancy, while the father, Todd, one of the best known fashion and advertising photographers in the business manned the camera. Vanetta's close ties to both of them had given her the education and the chance, and fortune and destiny had smiled on her and blessed her. Where she stood now, overlooking San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean from the 23rd floor of the Fairmont Hotel was such a long way away from her start in life in the small house in the hills outside of Mo'bay, Jamaica, where she had run through the countryside, barefoot, looking with awe at that other ocean. ------- "Hi, Sweetheart!" Kelly said. "Are you all settled in? Did you enjoy the flight?" Vanetta couldn't help but laugh. Kelly was contagious when she was happy, and she had been so happy this year. Kelly hadn't always been so happy, but she was a survivor, and now she and Todd had taken the final step in their nine-year friendship and become lovers. Kelly had also discovered what real love was with her other lover, one she and Todd shared, and it was nearly impossible to be around her without catching the fever. As the Obi-man had predicted, it took the love of Laura, the other woman in Kelly and Todd's life, to bring the two of them together and make them so complete and happy. "How'd you know it was me calling?" Vanetta asked with a laugh. "Long distance ring," said Kelly. "So? What's your room like?" Vanetta told Kelly all about the trip and the limo ride, the outside elevator and the Jacuzzi complete with a television set in the private bath. She thanked Kelly for the fruit and told her to thank the others as well and then hesitantly asked if Bobby was around. There had been no answer when she had called the studio or the private number in the upstairs apartment. "Yes," said Kelly. "He looked so lost, we took pity on him and brought him home for barbecued steak." "Oh, don't remind me about food!" complained Vanetta. "My stomach is still in Charlotte, and I'm so hungry right now!" Kelly laughed and told her to get some room service, then wished her a good time before turning the phone over to Robert who had come running in from the backyard when the phone rang. He was still wearing his apron and the chef's hat that Todd had insisted he wear. As the two lovebirds gushed about missing each other already, Kelly smiled, got a bottle of mineral water, and headed outside. Like the other girls, she only had bikini bottoms on and opted not to get too close to the barbecue as the meat sizzled. She pecked Todd on the cheek and asked how Bobby was doing with the meat - pleasantly surprised to find that his earlier boasting of being a grill master was not vanity. "Kelly!" shouted an annoyed Cara. "Get your pregnant butt back over here so I can finish putting sunscreen on you! Do you want burnt nipples?" Kelly rolled her eyes in mock dismay and returned to her lounger, happy for the physical attention of Cara's practiced hands. Every night that she was home, Cara rubbed her body with special lotion to help prevent stretch marks. In fact, she had only missed one night, the night before, when Kelly had spent a girl's night out with her first female lover, Brenda. Laura smiled over at Kelly, laying face down on her own lounger while Ami, Cara's lover, smeared more sun block on her fair skin. Tilting her head down, Laura sucked at the straw in the glass on the grass in front of her - the frozen Pina Colada mixture giving her a slight brain freeze over one eye. Kelly laughed and Laura said, "You go ahead and laugh, but I get to smell like coconut inside and out!" "But will you taste like a coconut later tonight?" asked Kelly with a smirk which resulted in her getting a smack in the butt! "Hey! What was that for?" she pouted. Cara laughed and said, "That was for nothing. Do something and see what you get!" Everybody was laughing when Bobby returned to check on his slow-grill method of cooking the steaks. Kelly was happy that Cara had gotten over the possessive jealousy she had exhibited two nights before. The two weren't involved with each other, but Cara seemed to have very special feelings for Kelly and had taken the arrival of Brenda like that of a scorned lover. Laura had been the one to take Cara under her wing and explained that one could never have too many friends, and that even if they made love, that Kelly would still be coming back to her and Todd. It was possible to have different kinds of relationships, as Laura had explained to her. Like the relationship between Todd and Ami, which seemed to be very deep, yet both Kelly and Laura knew that Todd had promised himself to them for the rest of his life, something that would be sort of official in September when the three of them would get married in international waters on their special vacation. "No more rum for you, young lady," Ami's voice whispered in Laura's ear. "You're starting to daydream," Laura sighed and nodded. "It's that feeling I get when you massage me like this that makes me want to fall asleep," explained Laura, "and I didn't get much last night, and then today with my dad saving that little boy... I guess I'm just emotionally tired as well." "Yeah, your dad did something special today, Laura," said Ami, "but I think you should try to stay awake at least till supper is over." "So, where did you learn to barbecue like this?" Todd was asking Bobby. Robert laughed. "Necessity, Todd. There's only so much you can do on an open grill, and my folks have a great stone barbeque in their yard, much like this one, but dad's a writer, not a cook. His idea of barbecuing was to open a package of wieners!" Todd laughed. He was no slouch when it came to the barbecue, but he and Bobby had been talking about the right way to grill a steak after the studio emptied of the visitors and Robert had returned from taking the band home. Todd tended to grill quick style, like the restaurants, but Bobby had said that slow and easy was the only way to get the entire flavor out of the meat. The challenge had been made and accepted, and since Bobby was going to be alone for the night, he had followed the four girls and Todd back to Kelly's house. "So, one day, Mom and I were getting groceries and I spot what I think are super-sized hot dogs," said Bobby. "I said something like I wished Dad would barbecue those, and Mom just laughed. She's not comfortable with the grill and made our meals indoors on the stove or in the oven," he continued. "She said that she wouldn't let Dad do sausages because he'd have to learn how to check the temperature of the meat to make sure we didn't get sick. Sausages, the real ones, aren't precooked like wieners. Well, one thing led to another, and I think I was about 11 at the time, and I said that if she bought them, I would barbecue them. Mom just laughed, but I insisted, and so she bought them along with a book on how to do Southern barbecue." "Let me guess," said Todd. "You read the book and grilled them to perfection." Bobby laughed really hard and said, "Actually I grilled them to the point where they were so dry that they powdered when I poked them with the fork, but Mom was impressed that I tried, so she had one of my uncles teach me. I was at his place for most of the summer anyway, where I spent most of my time fetching him beer, but he did teach me how to slow grill the meat up to temperature and then finish them off just right. The first lesson was how to sear the meat before anything else to keep the juices in, and then to back it off and let the fire ease down so that the juices steam up the insides. It's a slower process, but it's kinda like boiling ribs before throwing them on the grill. It gets the meat so much more tender. Anyway, by the time summer was over, Mom had completely banned Dad from the barbecue, and being young and full of myself, I did read and had Mom buying all sorts of fancy stuff so I could experiment. Eventually I found that what I liked best was the basics. You know... Steak, chicken, chops and ribs. For a while I considered becoming a chef, but then I'd have to do all that fancy stuff and for other people. I like to cook because I like to eat something good, the way I want it - nothing fancy, just good food." Todd nodded and handed Robert a cold beer. Robert blushed and realized he had been running his mouth reminiscing, but Todd caught the look, placed his hand on Bobby's shoulder, and said, "It's okay, Rob. Good memories are worth holding onto, and sometimes you've got to share them to keep them alive." ------- Across town, Annie swore again as she tried to do up the zipper on the dress that Laura had talked her into wearing for the evening. She had taken a luxurious bubble bath, something she wouldn't normally do, preferring the ease and convenience of a shower, but she was going out on a date! She couldn't remember the last time she had been on a date. After she and Allen had gotten married, the dating had ended, and that was a long time ago. That part of her life, including Allen, was all ancient history, something she preferred to forget. Annie had fussed up her hair the way Todd had shown her, and after thoroughly cussing him out in front of her mirror - he had made it seem so easy - she achieved what she thought was something reasonable and then attempted to repeat what Laura had shown her with all the paint. Foundation, blush, liner... damn if she could remember all of it or in what order, but she was secretly pleased with the result. Long ago, from that time that she no longer thought about, she hadn't needed all this goop. She had mostly shied away from cosmetics when she had been younger as had most of her friends and peers. But it had been a different time. She had been beautiful then, or so she had been told, and after Allen... Well, there really had been no reason to use it after him. Now a smile crossed her lips. Todd had been right, though blunt. The stuff she had put in her hair after her bath hid most of the increasing number of gray hairs that had started to appear, and the stuff that they had supplied her with softened a lot of the character lines in her face. Annie felt a funny tingle inside her stomach and realized that she was nervous. It had been so long. "Hell, its only supper," she said out loud to her reflection, but the woman in the mirror was smiling. "Miz Annie," Jacob hollered up the stairs. "They be a po-lese car stopped out front again." "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," shouted Annie. "If he done come with a cruiser, I'll run his sorry hide over with it!" she started when she heard Jacob start to laugh. She was about to lace into him when she remembered the zipper. She heard the bell that hung over the front door of the old store front ring. Her sixth sense told her that Jacob was standing right there. "Damn!" A deep calming breath, let it out, and then a squirm and extended reach with her arm, and she got the zipper up. She slipped on the heeled shoes and took a minute to catch her balance. She couldn't remember ever having worn heels, even though these were low compared to some of the fancy dress shoes she had seen, but the pumps were still going to be dangerous to Annie until she got used to them. She did admit to herself, however, that they tightened her legs and butt. Thankfully she hadn't nicked herself earlier when she had shaved her legs. It wouldn't do to have cuts on her legs, not when she was wearing all new clothes. She had felt funny putting the new panties on. These were nothing like her regular sensible cotton panties, though she had absolutely refused Laura's suggestion of anything resembling a thong, these were still high cut on the sides and showed more of her lower cheeks than anything else she had ever worn, except of course for those years when she hadn't. A warm rush overwhelmed her, a long distant memory of life before Allen and... Annie shook her head. She didn't want to go back there. Back to the time when life was wonderful, and she hadn't learned yet how much it could hurt to live. She believed in the here and now, and right now she had a date with Captain Dave Walker. She stopped once more to adjust the light pantyhose covering her legs - something else she had never bothered with, and looking at her reflection, she was amazed at how damn feminine she looked, and she looked good! Walking carefully, she descended the stairs, her right hand gently holding the banister for support. She expected some smart remark from Jacob, but he stood there with his mouth open, his eyes wider than she had ever seen them. Dave Walker just smiled, and it was a genuine smile showing straight white teeth. The smile extended right to his eyes, which were sparkling, and as Annie reached the last of the steps, he came forward and presented his left hand to replace the banister while his right hand presented a bouquet of roses. Annie smiled back and blushed as she accepted both his hand and the flowers, pausing to smell the sweet aroma. "Good evening, Ms. Prince," Dave said. "I hope I'm not too early." "Not at all, Captain Walker," Annie replied. "Your punctuality is a quality I admire. Thank you for the lovely roses." Dave heard but barely paid attention as he took in the beauty before him. He had become enamored with her the first time he had met her, and the circumstances at the time were less than ideal. She had been feisty and outspoken and defiant, and when she had stripped off the prison uniform in his office, he had admired her lithe and toned body. It was trim but not anorexic, muscled from honest work. He had thought of her often during the past two years, never daring to make the call to ask her out. Yesterday's circumstances had given him an opportunity to talk to her, and he'd learned more about her, his feelings intensifying to the point where he'd risked her scorn and wrath and asked her out for dinner. His heart had been beating so loud at the time he was sure she had heard it, and now, here she was, standing in front of him, a vision of beauty in a nearly sheer black dress that had to have been designed for and custom fit to her body. A circle of dark fabric curled around her figure making her look taller, yet hiding all those parts not deemed appropriate for public display. Her black pantyhose showed what lovely legs she had as well, but what amazed Dave the most was her face. It wasn't the makeup, which he could see she had spent some time applying, though it did enhance her eyes and cheekbones, but it was the glow - something that had not come from a bottle or jar. Her hair was up and pinned, accentuating her slim neck, something that at this moment, Dave dearly wanted to nibble on. While he had admired her flower-child image with her auburn hair and its loose tresses, this was something special as well. He felt compelled to kiss the hand he was holding, which was what finally caused Jacob to laugh. To Annie's relief, Jacob picked the right moment to laugh, and she wouldn't think of chastising him for it. Dave cleaned up nice... real nice. He was wearing a suit and tie and looked so much more comfortable and relaxed than when she had seen him in uniform, though she did admit he looked good in uniform as well. But when he had kissed her hand - her palm actually - she had nearly swooned. There was definitely an attraction between them, and it was getting so thick you could have cut it with a knife. She descended the last two steps and opened a cupboard from which she extracted a vase. "Now, you don't be doin' that, Miz Annie," Jacob said. "I fix the purty flowers for you in de glass. You be goin' out to eat now. Dey be here on de table when you git back." Annie hugged Jacob. She hadn't been kidding when she had told him that he was the only reliable man who had ever been in her life. Between the two of them, they had helped each other out of each others catastrophes, and there was an understanding between the old Southern black share-cropper's son and the defiant, feminist flower child who had grown into a woman in the Northwest. Bubba whimpered softly from his daytime blanket. Somehow the German shepherd sensed that life was going to be different. Even without the uniform, Bubba had recognized Dave, but his mistress, she was different. She smelled different somehow and looked different. He was hesitant to come out and pounce on her like he usually did. Annie looked at Bubba and smiled. "Never figured there'd be competition did you, boy?" she whispered to him as she lowered herself gently down to his level. "Don't you worry, Bubba, you'll always be my number one guy!" Bubba licked the palm that Dave had kissed and then let out a small bark, his tail wagging. "Are we taking Bubba with us?" Dave asked, neither hope nor disappointment in his voice. He didn't see Jacob shake his head no behind him, but Annie did, and ruffled Bubba's head. "I think we're old enough that we don't need a chaperone on our first date, do you?" Dave laughed and pointed out that Annie had admitted that this was a date, and the smile that Annie gave was enough to melt the hearts of everyone. Jacob said he would take care of Bubba and would be in to work as usual tomorrow morning and for Annie not to worry. "Be a good boy for Jacob, Bubba. I'll be back later." Bubba barked once more for good measure and beat out a tempo on the floor with his tail. Dave held out his arm, which Annie took, and they headed out the door after saying goodnight to Jacob. Annie had a small clutch bag on her right arm, her left slipped effortlessly into Dave's secure arm. By the time they made it to Dave's car, a Lincoln Town Car, they were holding hands, their fingers intertwined. Dave held the door open for her and waited till she was seated before closing the door and walking around to the driver's side. Annie studied the car and its leather upholstery and said, "I sure hope you aren't one of those cops who takes money for looking the other way." Dave laughed. "You mean you think the car is above my salary ability?" Then he turned serious. "No, Annie. I don't take any money from anybody other than the city for doing my job. I don't even accept free coffee. The reason I can afford this is because the driver who took Linda and Ben from me had deep pockets. It was her folks who went after him; I didn't have it in me. All I wanted to do was prevent more of the same. They got a huge settlement at the time, which they invested for me, but I was working so much overtime I never needed any money, and I had no life other than being a cop. I paid my house off in less than three years and put the rest into savings. It was only after Linda's parents died that I found out how much I was worth, so now I can afford a nice car, but until tonight, I've remained a single cop. Hell, I didn't even have cable until last year. Just never saw the need for it." Annie was quiet for a minute, thinking about the pain this man had gone through. She could relate to some of it and told him that her life was similar in some respects. "When I arrived in Charlotte I was too broke to travel farther, and then I learned that my Gran had died and left me all her savings. That and the money from the sale of my business in Phoenix, which arrived shortly after, was enough for me to open my restaurant, and I worked at it night and day. You didn't have cable; hell, I didn't even have a television set!" They both laughed at that. "The medical bills ate up everything else when my daughter was sick, and my ex, I think he was glad I moved across country and never asked him for anything else after the divorce settlement," Annie continued. "I was just starting to earn some profit when that damn judge pulled the plug on me. If it hadn't been for Harry and his idea of catering, and my feeling of responsibility towards Jacob, I might have just moved on again. Now I'm holding my own, but I'm still driving that old truck that brought me here." Dave took a quick glance at Annie and said, "Well, I for one am very happy you stayed, Miss Annie Prince." It was a good thing for Annie it was dark in the car, so he couldn't see her blush. "So am I," she thought to herself, "so am I." ------- Chapter 33B Vanetta sat in the Jacuzzi, letting the jets massage her body. Though there wasn't much of interest on TV on a Sunday afternoon, she had it turned on anyway just for the novelty of it. KGO was running some old movie, which had the effect of making Vanetta feel at home. There's nothing like something familiar to calm the nerves, and the movie was doing just that. In fact, Vanetta was starting to feel so comfortable that she started to doze off, and when the timer on the Jacuzzi ended its cycle, the buoyancy created by the bubbling waters stopped, and Vanetta felt herself slipping underwater. "Not the most illustrious way to end a promising career," she scolded herself, and stepped from the tub right into the large glass-enclosed shower where she blasted away any remaining drowsiness with a thorough rinse under icy-cold water. Teeth chattering and nipples puckered to the point where they were almost painful, Vanetta endured it as long as she could until she was positive she was now fully awake! Instead of drying off, Vanetta slipped into one of the big fluffy robes provided by the hotel and wrapped a towel around her hair. Munching on a pear, she picked up the phone and called Lisa. Considering the treatment she was getting from the publisher, it was only fair that she let her host know she had arrived safe and sound. The phone was answered on the first ring, and the bubbly voice of Lisa Greenwood sparkled over the phone. Vanetta smiled as she exchanged pleasantries with her host. When Lisa asked what Vanetta was planning on doing and then hearing that Vanetta was thinking of ordering room service, Lisa gasped. "Vanetta," she exclaimed, "you're in the same building that houses two of the finest restaurants in the city! The Tonga and the Laurel Court, so please do not ruin your appetite for this evening. All of my senior staff are looking forward to dining with you this evening. I know we should have asked first, but by the time they brought it up, it was really too late to call, and then since you said you were coming in solo, I wanted to take you out and show you our city. I have an idea," Lisa continued. "Why not go to the Roof Garden and order a drink? I can be there in twenty minutes, and we'll have a nice light snack together?" Vanetta laughed, amused by Lisa's bubbly personality, and said she still had to unpack but that wouldn't take her very long. If she could find this Roof Garden, she would be there, as long as it wasn't on top of the tower! Lisa assured her that the Roof Garden was a place for executives to unwind and that it was on top of the older Fairmont section and that it had a great view of the city. Promising to meet in about 30 minutes, Vanetta unpacked her bags and hung her clothes in the closet and put her toiletries in the master bath. Looking at her collection of clothes, she picked out a rather conservative Dior, and what Kelly would call "sensible shoes." A quick touch of makeup and brushing of her hair, and she was soon back in the glass elevator headed to the main lobby where she got directions to the Roof Garden. Lisa had been right - the view was spectacular, though the breeze was a bit chilly. Vanetta chose a table that gave her a view of the Bay, and not wanting any more alcohol at this time, she ordered a Perrier with a twist of lime. She wondered why Todd had never bothered to come here given there was so much Star Trek history in the area, but then as she noticed the smog, she knew why. Todd, the dreamer of a universe where people were fair and equal, could never bring himself to see the reality of modern day pollution. Vanetta's reflection on Todd was suddenly interrupted by a now-familiar effervescent voice. "Vanetta? I'm Lisa," said the tall, thin blonde who held out her hand in greeting. She had a good solid handshake, and Vanetta was relieved this was not one of those Hollywood air kissing greetings. You could tell a lot from a handshake, and this woman, bubbly voice aside, was a serious player. A firm grip, dry and not exerting too much pressure. Vanetta felt better already as she looked at Lisa with an appraising eye. Perhaps five foot ten in stocking feet, 130 pounds soaking wet, Lisa Greenwood had naturally curly hair which clung to her shoulders. And Vanetta knew natural curl and color. Lisa didn't color her hair, and the few strands of silver in with the blonde helped determine her age, as did the laugh lines around her eyes. Lisa Greenwood was in fact 39. Old enough and experienced enough to handle the magazine she published to the satisfaction of the owners, ambitious and open-minded enough to make the magazine pay well, and with the desire to see it grow. As they exchanged more pleasantries, Vanetta paused to wonder how Lisa had known her, then realized that her limo driver had probably filled Lisa in on all the details of their ride. Gambling on her intuition, Vanetta asked if Ted had described her accurately, which caused Lisa to laugh. "Actually, he said I should just look for brightest and prettiest smile. He was quite smitten with you and said he wished all his passengers were as pleasant and interesting." A waiter interrupted them, and Lisa asked Vanetta if she liked salmon as the Roof Garden had a delicious salmon soufflé that melted in your mouth. When Vanetta agreed, Lisa ordered for them, obviously from memory, and asked if Vanetta would like another drink. Vanetta declined graciously, saying she would reserve the drinking for later in the evening and just asked for another Perrier. Lisa asked for a glass of house white, and turned her attention back to Vanetta. "I can't stress enough in telling you how happy I am that you didn't just hang up the phone when you first called," said Lisa. "Your proposal sounded so outlandish to our sales department, but they know better than to turn down anything of potential interest without clearing it with me first. And my having heard of both the photographer and the model, the proposal piqued my interest." "Quite honestly, Lisa, I was tempted to hang up. I'd had a rough morning of it already with some less open-minded magazines, and Kelly simply refuses to put her name or face next to a product she doesn't use or believe in." "That was another interesting thing that I discovered after we talked," said Lisa. "Some of these companies taking out ads aren't even distributing their products on the West Coast yet. Some of them don't even distribute to the North American market! Can you imagine the surprise in the sales conference later that day?" Vanetta knew all too well and remembered talking to the various suppliers of products that Kelly used. Based solely on the strength of the photos and knowing Todd, quite a few had decided to start the process of setting up distribution chains in the US and Canada. It was a chance to expand their markets and the perfect vehicle via which to launch their products. All this, Vanetta explained to Lisa as they dined on a light lunch that was every bit as good as Lisa had promised. Lisa nodded, took a sip of her wine, and mentioned the jeweler. "I had no idea of how big they were until I researched them. People think of diamonds and they think of DeBeers," she said. "They simply don't realize that these companies only supply rings to jewelry stores." "Speaking of jewelry," said Vanetta, "I don't see a wedding band on your hand. Is it possible to be the publisher of a pregnancy fitness magazine without a family?" Lisa paused for just a moment before answering. "I don't have a husband, never have," she said, "but I have been pregnant, and I have a son who is in college now. Or at least he will be in September." "I'm sorry," said Vanetta, "I didn't mean to pry into your personal life." Lisa shook her head and rummaged through her bag until she brought out a small framed photo of a good looking young man. "This is Matthew, my son. His father was a professor of marketing and very much married at the time. Still is on both counts last time I heard from him. He tries to see Matthew a few times a year, and I encourage it. A son should know his father." Vanetta remain silent, neither judging nor looking for reasons, leaving it up to Lisa to continue or drop the subject. "I had to make a decision," Lisa finally continued. "I could have my baby or not. Obviously, I decided to keep the life inside of me. Then I had to decide whether to finish my education or go to work. I ended up doing both. I wrote ad copy at home at night while nursing Matthew and continued with my schooling. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I am very good at what I do, and promotions came to me quickly. I earned great commissions and paid off all my tuition fees and bought a small house. I took home as much work as I did in the office, so I could spend more time with my son, and then about 10 years ago, I landed the job at Fit. I started out in sales and got promoted to the head of the department in two years. Three years later, I was asked if I would be interested in the publisher's job. The magazine has continued to grow with me as publisher and in a market where most magazines are losing readers, we are growing." Then Lisa smiled a huge smile. "And then one day, one of my sales people tells me they have a crazy woman on the line who wants us to add eight pages a month for a year and a half. I probably would have waved it off if the request had been for four or five pages, but only those in the business really know about the rule of eight, and here we are!" Vanetta laughed with Lisa. "Personally I don't believe in fate," said Vanetta. "I like to think our destinies are more or less pre-ordained. Maybe some time I'll tell you about how I met Kelly and Todd." The women had a light dessert, then Lisa took Vanetta by the arm and gave her the quick tour of the Fairmont, showing her where they would all meet for dinner later in the evening. It was coming up on six o'clock when Vanetta and Lisa parted company, promising to meet at nine, and Vanetta had convinced Lisa to bring her son along. As she sorted through her clothes, picking out something nice for the evening meal, Vanetta realized that life in Charlotte was winding down for the night. She wondered where Bobby was spending the night. ------- In fact, Bobby was wondering the same thing. He had laughed and eaten with Todd and Kelly and Laura and the girls, accepting the praise for his barbecuing skills, and he'd even shared some good weed with Todd while the girls cleaned up the dishes even though he had protested that he was more than willing to help with the mess. Ami and Cara had insisted, and there had been some mention of Kelly getting her nightly lotion massage, then Todd mysteriously pulled a joint out of nowhere. They had lit it and shared it as the two of them scrubbed the grill down. When the grill was spotless and they had relaxed in two chairs, Ami had brought out two fresh beers. "Am I getting paranoid because of what we smoked," Bobby asked Todd, "or is everything just a bit too coincidental around here?" Todd raised his eyes and smiled. "You mean about beer appearing just after we finish some smoke? Nope. It's not paranoia. I'd love to play you on this and say all the women around here are psychic, but the truth, Bobby, is that we don't have any secrets. Ami knew what we were doing, as the other girls did. It's her nature to want to nurture, and that's why she brought us out something to drink. I'd bet she knows exactly how much I've had to drink today and over how many hours. If any of them thought I was exceeding my limits, we would be drinking mineral water right now, which is probably what will come later after Kelly has been taken care of." Bobby of course was not feeling any of his normal shyness and asked what Todd meant by "Kelly being taken care of." Todd spent a bit of time explaining how Cara, who would probably turn into a professional physical therapist or masseuse, was oiling Kelly with the special lotion to prevent stretch marks, and how Laura would be right by her side either helping or just chatting. Normally, Ami would either be in helping as well, or asking questions about photography and such, but on a night like this, Ami would be working on a special dessert, another one of her passions. "Okay," said Bobby, which after a minute caused both men to start laughing. "I will have to call a cab to take me back to the studio afterwards though," mused Bobby. "I'm in no condition to be driving." "Hell, why not just sleep on the sofa tonight," said Todd. "We're all going to the same place in the morning anyway." Bobby seemed to think about it for a few minutes and then said, "Okay," which started both of them on a laughing fit again. Kelly looked at Laura and smiled. "I'm glad there's none of that alpha male crap going on." Laura laughed and said, "From the sounds of it, neither is interested in those games. I think it's good for Todd to have another male around to talk to occasionally. Helps to balance out the female presence in his life." "I think you're right, Sweetheart," Kelly said, "though I haven't heard him complain yet!" ------- Across town, over a second bottle of red wine at a quaint little Italian restaurant, Annie put down her fork and pushed the last of her dessert away, swearing if she ate one more bite, her dress would split at the seams. Dave smiled at the thought, and the memory of Annie's naked body. Annie noticed the smile and tried to hide her own. It didn't work, and Dave slid her dessert back to her. "Go on, Annie. I can see you like it, and I'm sure your dress will hold up." Annie laughed, causing a few stares from the other patrons. "Yes, Captain Walker, I can see where you're hoping that it doesn't. We don't need to ruin a dress for what you have on your mind." Dave was uncertain how to respond. He had promised to behave like a gentleman, but it had been so long since he had been with a woman, and never one like Annie Prince. She was smart, much smarter than she let on, and was a great conversation partner. Passionately opinionated on some matters, open minded on others, and she didn't babble on, but rather answered or made a statement with a minimum of words - just enough to make her point clearly without expounding or expanding to explain the obvious. Having to speak publicly on a regular basis, Dave hated people who talked too much and said too little. Annie had a way of getting her point across in precise, thought-out words which had made the evening even more interesting. But, he didn't want this to be a single date, and he hesitated on how to answer her statement. It was true that he wanted to ravage her and make wild passionate love to this incredibly exciting woman. Though they were on their second bottle of wine, it had barely been touched, and they had split the first bottle over the course of several hours. Yet, he had to respond. "Annie, I promised you I would treat you like a lady and that I would behave like a gentleman, and I will hold up to my end of the agreement unless you decide differently. I don't want this to be a one night stand; I've never met anyone as beautiful and exciting and as much fun to be around as you when you let yourself be free. With your permission I will be calling on you as often as I can with the hopes of many more evenings of your company." Annie's façade dropped for a moment. She had felt a yearning for this man from the time he had proven he was honest and then by taking her to a family run restaurant where they obviously knew him as a regular. A few pointed remarks by the waiters and waitresses and then even the owner and his wife convinced Annie that this was a first for Dave, bringing a woman in. She had watched in amusement as he squirmed through the good-natured ribbing, and then he had finally introduced her as one of the best cooks in Charlotte, adding that they had better serve their best for his date. And the best it was! Annie allowed the owner to select for them both at Dave's suggestion, and after an appetizer of a light chilled pasta with fresh shrimp, the main course of home made spaghetti appeared at their table on heaping plates. Annie let the delicate mix of seasonings dwell on her tongue and then tried the meatballs, marveling at the taste and wondering what secret ingredients made them so good. Dave had watched her and smiled. The wine was a special blend bottled specifically for the restaurant by a cousin who had a vineyard in California. Not sweet or too dry. The meal took longer than normal as the couple bantered back and forth on subjects that interested them both. Books and the decline of decent television with its rash of 'reality shows.' Neither of them talked business, preferring to discover the personality of each other through shared interests. Much to Annie's surprise, Dave was a dog lover, though he didn't have one of his own. He was rarely home and felt it wouldn't be fair to leave a dog alone for long periods of time. "When I get a hankering to be around dogs," Dave said, I'll either spend an afternoon at the animal shelter, or if I have time, I'll take a trip up to Raleigh to see my friend, Bob Haines. He's a member of the Triangle Beagle Rescue, which was started a few years ago to find permanent homes for abandoned beagles. Bob's a great guy, and I admire his work. I've walked a few walk-a-thons with him while a beagle pulled me along," Dave laughed at the memories. "Anyway, Bob's been trying to get me set up with a beagle for the longest time, but a beagle is a family dog. Leaving it alone, cooped up in a house all day and a lot of evenings just wouldn't be fair. Bob has this saying he uses for his email tag line. Let me see if I've got it memorized right." Dave thought for a minute then recited: "Your dog is your friend, your partner, your defender. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." Dave shook his head clearing his own emotions, and with a voice that cracked just a bit, he suggested that Annie could check to see if he got it right by going to the website. www.tribeagles.org Annie got a bit misty eyed herself. The sentiment expressed exactly how she felt about Bubba. She took a sip of wine to distract her emotions. She had shown him a few too many tonight already. Dave had been curious about her accent, and Annie swore that she had been born and raised in Tennessee, but as a teen with dreams, had headed off to California to find herself. She had wandered around, following some of the new upcoming bands and lived in a commune for a while, which is where she learned her love of cooking. She had worked in both logging and mining camps for a few years as a cook before the call of social life had returned her to 'normal' people. It had been there that she had met Allen and settled into the life of a business woman. Cooking took a back seat to her business and she rarely got a chance to indulge her passion. But that's where the mixed accent came from, and she was happy to be living her dream. It was three hours after they arrived that Annie had pushed her dessert away, and now she was openly flirting with Dave, glad that she had listened to Laura about the dress. Dave signaled for the bill and left a generous tip for the wait staff. Annie understood this. Good service deserved to be rewarded, and the custom of tipping generously had been dwindling in the last decade. She had seen it too often when she catered a meal that required her to hire a few of her old waitresses back for service. The owner and his wife made a final appearance at their table as they got ready to leave, and the owner was quite anxious to hear Annie's opinion of the meal. Feeling playful, she mentioned the painted golf balls that had been dropped in the Campbell's tomato soup by accident could have been a little more tender, but then added that the store-bought spaghetti noodles were better than she thought they'd be. The owner's wife laughed as her husband's expression went from astonishment to a lower lip tremble. She said to Annie, "I'm so sorry that the dessert was not to your liking. We try to save a few dollars and we buy day-old pastry from 'A Woman's Place, ' perhaps you have heard of it." Annie laughed so hard and loud that everyone turned to look at her. Dave was out of his league and knew better than to say anything. "Mama Rossini," Annie said, "men simply don't understand, but we women do. The meal was delicious, and if I ever figure out what the special ingredient is that you used in the meatballs, I'm going to copy it and use it myself! The pasta was extraordinary and made fresh today. I could tell by the texture and the taste. The meal was exquisite." The women hugged, and then Annie shook the owner's hand. Momma Rossini stage whispered to Dave, "This lady, she's one of a kind. Just what you need. You let her slip out of your fingers, David, and I will take a wooden spoon to your behind!" Dave chuckled but realized that Mamma Rossini was right. Annie was one of a kind, and he'd be crazy to let her go. ------- Vanetta had spent a little time shopping in the hotel tourist shop, picking out a nice black satin windbreaker with the back silk screened "Property of Alcatraz" and a knitted sweater jacket from one of the boutique stores. She wouldn't be cold tonight as she was staying indoors, but tomorrow was bound to be a different story. Knowing she still had over an hour to wait before she met the staff from Fit, she had returned to her room for a nap and left a wake up call with the front desk. ------- Kelly wandered out into her back yard wearing a thin robe. She had to let the lotion soak for a while and decided she might as well join the rest of the group. Todd and Robert were sitting with their feet up talking about future plans. Laura was laying on the hammock reliving her outdoor sleep night with Todd in fond memories, even if she had feel cold and damp the next day. Cara had followed Kelly out, but was now wearing an oversized T-shirt like Laura. Ami was still busy in the kitchen whipping up some extravagant dessert. Kelly could see that Rob was feeling no pain, when her nose caught the scent of something delicious. As if on cue, Cara got up and headed inside to help Ami. Ami pulled the hot apple dumplings - ones she had made by hand, from the oven, and covered them with hot caramel sauce when Cara came in. "Hi, Honey," Ami said. "Would you be a Sweetheart and give me a hand? Scoop some French Vanilla frozen yogurt on each of these and then we'll take them out?" Cara took a sniff of one and moaned her pleasure, the steam still rising from the caramel topping. She lined up all the tarts on a tray, each on its own plate and placed a fork with them, then with a deft hand, she added a huge scoop of the frozen yogurt to each while Ami cleaned up the mess she had made. Together they carried the desserts out on two trays and distributed plates to the group outside, something that was met with appreciation. The sun was down in Charlotte and the dishes were done. Kelly brought out a blanket and pillow for Robert, and then after finishing her evening toilet duties and checking to see that the girls were tucked in for the night, she joined her lovers in bed. Laura was curled up into Todd's left, and she slipped into bed to cuddle them both from the right. It didn't take Robert long to fall asleep. The couch was big enough and comfortable, and with thoughts of Vanetta, he was soon out for the night. ------- Vanetta had picked a satin, cream colored pant suit to wear to dinner, knowing she would have to be very careful eating or there would be a very visible stain. Packing for trips she had learned from Kelly. Combo sets of pant suits with mix and match shorts and blouses and one or two semiformal dresses. They packed easy, took little room, and most importantly, they were comfortable. Opting at the last minute to not bother with a bra, she slipped on her shoes and headed down to the Laurel Court restaurant, where she was promptly escorted to a table already seating well over a dozen people. She was ushered to a plush chair at the head of the table and noticed a tall, thin male version of Lisa, blushing as she caught him staring at her nipples, which had become quite pronounced in the cool, air conditioned room. She smiled to herself and then blushed as the table rose and applauded her arrival. As with most magazines and newspapers, the bulk of the staff of Fit were advertising people. It was, after all, ad revenue that made a publication profitable or not. Contrary to popular belief, subscriptions and newsstand sales only paid for the delivery and the profit for the sellers. Magazines stayed in business by their ad sales, and Vanetta had hand delivered enough business to ensure that Fit not only survived another year, but that it would grow! Vanetta dined on lobster and steak, a regular 'surf and turf," complete with roasted mini spuds and steamed broccoli. During the meal, the conversation was light and cheery, Matthew was the shy and quiet one, stealing glances at Vanetta at every opportunity. Some of the senior sales people were talking about awards, but to Vanetta the reward had already materialized. She had taken a major proposal from start to finish. Now it was up to Todd to create his magic, something she had no doubt about happening. Sipping on champagne and finishing the meal off with a decadent chocolate mousse, Vanetta stifled a yawn. Muttering her apologies to her host, she claimed jet lag and the time difference between Charlotte and San Francisco. "I'm sorry, Lisa," Vanetta said, "but I have to get some sleep." Lisa nodded sympathetically and said she would hook up with Vanetta at nine the next morning in the same restaurant. Vanetta said goodnight to everyone and thanked them for making her arrival such a pleasure and then headed off to the elevators. A quick shower and rub down and she crawled into bed nude. She said a little prayer for Bobby and smiled at the thought of him waiting for her, and within minutes, she was gone to the world. ------- Robert woke up to a familiar smell Monday morning. Jamaican coffee. It took him a few minutes to get oriented, pull on his pants and shirt, and headed towards the bathroom. "Good morning, Mrs. C." Robert said when he made his way to the kitchen. He was the only one allowed to call her that and get away with it. "Mornin', Robert," said Gloria as she poured him a cup of the wicked brew. He was also one of the few people who could drink her Blue Mountain coffee without the need for sugar or cream, and she respected him for that. "I see you found a place to sleep while me daughter is away." Robert laughed as he recalled the night before. "I was in no condition to drive back to the apartment," he said, "and Todd told me that it would be silly of me to risk it just to go back to an empty apartment." "Mister Todd, he be a smart man," said Gloria. "You pay attention to him and you learn something about how to treat other people right." Robert thought about this for a few minutes as he sipped his coffee. He was a good man, he knew this, but Gloria was right. Todd had a special quality about him. He was noncompetitive and enjoyed life, and more importantly, he took the time to care about people. Todd didn't judge and rarely ever voiced negative thoughts. Robert was about to reply when Cara and Ami bounded into the kitchen wearing their over-sized T-shirts. "You should have been here last night, Gloria," said Ami. "Robert barbecued some great steaks. They melted right in your mouth." "Ah, yes, the boy can cook," said Gloria, "but he still can't make a good goat meat soup. I try to teach him, but him gets the chills when he sees the head go in." "Oh, gross," said Cara. "Just what I want to eat. Something that looks back at me!" Robert laughed out loud and tried to explain that the head was left in the pot, and that it had no eyes, but his amusement was lost on the girls. He did manage to tell them that Gloria made the best spiced lamb chops he had ever eaten! Laura and Kelly made their appearance, and Kelly verified that Gloria was an excellent cook. "I wonder how Vanetta made out last night?" asked Laura. "I'm dying to hear about her trip to San Francisco. I'd call her but I think she's still asleep." Robert looked at his watch and seeing it was only eight o'clock in Charlotte agreed that Vanetta was probably still sleeping due to the time difference. "Well, I hope she's having a good time," said Laura. "She is, Baby," said Gloria. I can feel her. Todd stumbled into the kitchen, looked around and saw there was no food waiting for him. Grumbled something about starving and then said he was heading off to the shower. Kelly and Laura both giggled and followed him, while Cara and Ami started to crack eggs for omelets. Feeling quite at home, Robert scrounged out a package of bacon and started to fry it up while the younger girls chopped vegetables and mushrooms and grated cheese. Gloria just sat at the table drinking her coffee, watching with a smile on her face. ------- On the other side of town, Captain Dave Walker rolled out of bed as quietly as he could before realizing that he was alone in the room. Last night was a memory, and what a memory it was. After dinner, he and Annie had driven around a bit until they found a secluded spot where the two of them could talk. One thing had led to another till finally Annie reminded him that they were no longer teenagers and that they could return to her place and continue their conversation. And converse they did, in the most universal language of all. Feeling a bit sticky still from a long night of conversation, he found Annie's bathroom and took a quick shower. When he stepped out and started to get dressed, he noticed Bubba laying on the bed looking at him. "Don't worry, Bubba, I won't steal her from you," he said. "I just want to share her if I can have your permission." Bubba looked all the world like he was thinking over the proposition and then started to beat his tail on the bed to a beat that only he could understand. Dave took it as an encouraging sign. After getting dressed, or mostly, as he didn't see the need for a tie or jacket this morning, he made his way downstairs where he smelled coffee brewing. Jacob was working at the ovens making fresh rolls but took the time to pour Dave a cup of his 'mighty fine coffee' as Annie called it, and told him that Miz Annie had to run a few errands but would be back in a few minutes. Jacob made no comment about the fact that Dave had obviously spent the night, but the old black man was happily humming as he rolled more dough into rolls, a smile on his face. "You still here?" asked Annie as she came in through the back door. She had returned herself to jeans and a T-shirt and stopped to rub Bubba's ears while she secretly smiled at the fond memories of last night. Dave got off his stool and walked over to Annie, physically picking her up and hugging her as he brushed her lips with his. "You aren't getting rid of me that easy, Miss Prince. I'm hooked and spoiled for life. If I didn't have to go into work today I would take you somewhere special instead." Annie blushed and fought to escape his embrace with no real attempt to get away from him. Looking over his shoulder she said, "Never mind the floor show, Jacob. You burn those buns and I'll toast yours!" Jacob smiled and went back to the oven. "Can I see you after work tonight?" Dave asked. "It might be late," Annie replied, but if you don't mind sitting around..." Dave smiled at her and told her that she was worth waiting for, and as he kissed her seriously, he said that he had waited a long time for her. Annie was still blushing after he had left. ------- After a scrumptious breakfast, Robert and Laura washed the dishes as Cara and Ami had their shower and got dressed for the day. Todd had called CrossTrain Sports to verify they would be there on Tuesday to pick up their equipment. Robert said goodbye to the group, saying he was going to Eric's to pick up the new van, and Laura hitched a ride with him so that she could pick up the freshly cleaned and detailed Tracker. Todd and Ami were going to be spending most of the day developing negatives and prints of Sherri and the ones of the band. Kelly, Laura, and Cara were going to meet with Mistress Helga a bit later on in the day. Kelly had arranged a private meeting with the club owner so Cara could demonstrate her techniques and get a proper evaluation, plus hopefully a letter of recommendation to get her into UNCC on an early admission ticket. ------- It was after 10 when Laura and then Robert, who had first gone home to shower and change, arrived back from Eric's with the clean Tracker and the new Band Van. The paint job was excellent, and even Todd was pleased with the way the decals and lettering had turned out. At about the same time, Vanetta was getting out of bed and standing under a cold spray of water in the shower getting ready to meet Lisa for breakfast at the Laurel Court. Breakfast turned out to be a sumptuous meal of bacon and eggs and hash browns, but Vanetta nearly choked on her eggs when she spotted the sign that said her breakfast was costing $19.00! Well, she rationalized, compared to the cost of her suite, this wouldn't even be considered a tip. It had been a pleasant breakfast and morning for everyone. Well, nearly everyone. Vanetta and Lisa had left for the offices of Fit Magazine to sign the final papers, and then Lisa had promised Vanetta a tour of the Napa Valley wineries. Just a pleasant day for the two young women to spend a day socializing before Vanetta packed and took her flight home early the next morning. In all, it was a pleasant start to a week for everyone, but even the best days can turn into nightmares. ------- Cleveland, OH Gerry Langstaff sat fuming behind his desk. Eddie was sitting in jail. Fucking moron. He had never wanted to hire his sister's kid, but she was constantly pestering him. Eddie was 31 years old and had not found a single serious job. So Gerry finally relented and handed him a job that nobody else in the office wanted. Track down the son of a couple who had a weird grudge they wanted to settle. Money. It always came down to money. The parents were sure their son had it, and a cockeyed claim as to why it was theirs. Not that Gerry cared. He had their sworn affidavits, and a judge had signed a warrant. That had been the easy part. Finding Theodor Vanden Ayres had been a nightmare. It seemed like he had dropped off the face of the earth. It didn't help that he had changed his name, but there were usually ways around that. It was 2002 after all, and computers helped sort out phone books faster than a three-legged dog pissing on a moving train. The real problem was that the kid had left his parents when they were living in North Dakota, gotten his name changed in New York, and right afterwards had moved again. That made for a lot of phone books, and in the two years since he had taken this case on, it seemed that Theo had never had a listed phone number. Or at least wasn't using any variation of his birth name. Adrian and Betsy Vanden Ayres. What a pair of vultures. Gerry was famous for suing people who were not at fault, and winning anyway. He had gotten fairly wealthy off his third of all the settlements, but even he thought this case was built on smoke. Normally, he handled slip and falls and dog bites, but he and his firm had been named in the "Stella" awards for being shysters. It hadn't hurt business at all! He smiled at the memory. Things had picked up after that, and he and his partners had started on malpractice suits and hauling in even more money. That's how the Vanden Ayres had found him. At first he just wanted to turn these people away, but they had offered a cash retainer just to find their son. It was evident they didn't want a family reunion, so Gerry took the money and when it ran out, and the computer geek the firm had on staff hadn't found him, he had told Adrian and Betsy the only course of action left was to put a detective on his trail. And it was a cold trail. Theo had left home at the age of 17, changed his name three years later, and seven years after that was when Adrian and Betsy decided they wanted to find him. They had agreed to the hiring of a detective, and Gerry's sister was still bugging him about giving Ed a job, so for $100 a week plus expenses, he had sent Eddie on what Gerry considered a fool's errand. But Gerry didn't mind taking the Vanden Ayres money, and it got his sister off his back. Eddie was no detective, had no license or training, but that didn't stop Gerry from charging five hundred a week for Eddie's services. Eddie had been useless at the beginning, but he had followed Theodor's photography career to a newspaper in New York where a reporter verified that Theo had changed his name. The reporter didn't know to what though but thought he was still in the news photography business. Eddie had gone from one major paper to another looking but with no luck, then one day, had lucked into a reporter who said he knew of a Todd Ayres, but he was a fashion photographer. Had worked at one of the big magazines, but had quit that in 1998. From there the trail had gone cold again. Eddie was losing interest, so when the Vanden Ayres pulled the plug on the money they were paying, Gerry could tell his sister he had given Eddie a fair chance but the kid couldn't produce. Gerry had been sitting at his desk a month ago dreaming about the boat he was going to buy after he spotted an ad for a great looking boat made in Florida. He had pulled the two-page center spread out to keep on his wall for his next win. Then he was going to buy one of those Regan built boats. It was a repeat of the kind of fluke luck that had won him the "Stella" award and brought so much business to the firm. He had wondered who the blonde was driving the boat when he happened to spot the photographer's name. Todd Ayres. TKO Inc. TKO was listed, and he had hustled Eddie down to get a visual confirmation. He had the computer geek do a check on TKO and found that it was a very profitable business. IF, this was the son Betsy and Adrian were looking for, the warrant would be valid and Gerry could reap enough profit to buy any boat he wanted. He had been entertaining happy thoughts right up to the minute that Eddie had called to tell him he was in jail. ------- Charlotte, NC Eddie woke up Monday morning to find a visitor waiting for him. He knew his mom wouldn't allow Uncle Gerry let him just rot in jail. It was about time a lawyer showed up. The guards weren't too friendly towards him, still harping about him stalking a cop's daughter. He was hauled upstairs to the visiting room and found an unfriendly face scrutinizing him. "You Eddie?" asked the man. "Yeah. Who're you?" Eddie asked. "A friend of your uncle's. That's all you need to know," said the nameless stranger. "Your uncle wants you to tell me everything you know about Ayres, and you better hope he hasn't skipped town." "Wait a minute," said Eddie. "How about springing me out of here first? Then I can show you everything." "I don't need you to show me anything, Sonny," said the man with a sneer. "You fucked up big time. What the hell were you doing with a gun? Just who the fuck do you think you are?" Eddie was getting pissed. He was tired of being treated like an idiot. "Fuck you," he said. "I ain't saying nothing till I get out of here." "Suit yourself, little man," said the stranger. "I know he's in this town, and with or without you, I'll find him. But..." he leaned closer to the glass. "If you don't tell me everything you know right now, don't be expecting any help from your uncle." Eddie was on the verge of tears. If Uncle Gerry didn't help him out of this mess, well, the cops kept dropping hints of five years hard time for an unregistered pistol while stalking. They didn't know who he was stalking, but it wouldn't make any difference. "Okay," said Eddie. "I'll tell you everything I got. Just promise me you'll tell Uncle Gerry to hurry up and get me out of here." "Sure, kid. I promise I'll call him as soon as I find out if you told me everything." And for the next hour Eddie talked. ------- Lew sat behind a desk listening with headphones while a tape recorder took down word for word what Eddie was saying. "Bunch of morons," he said to a junior officer assigned especially to this task. "The guy never once said he was a lawyer, so none of this is privileged. He's helping us build the case against Eddie." The young policewoman at his side said, "Well, he's already admitted he was stalking Mr. Ayres, we don't need anything more, do we?" "Not really," said Lew, "but who knows what else might turn up. Maybe we'll find out why." ------- Shortly after 11, the man who had registered at the front desk as John Labadie, distant cousin to the accused, walked out of the police station, got into his car and made the call. "Gerry? It's Jack. The kid hasn't said a word to the cops, but unless you plan on springing for a lawyer, he'll start talking soon and the cat will be out of the bag." "How long do you think he'll hold out?" asked Gerry. "At least another two days, but if he doesn't see a lawyer by then, he's gonna start singing like a canary. He's scared shitless, and for some reason, he's been charged for stalking a cop's daughter, so they're not treating him with kid gloves. Far as I can tell, nobody has a clue that he was following Ayres. That's one good thing in our favor." "Think you can find a friendly judge to swear out an arrest warrant for grand theft based on our warrant up here?" "I heard of a good one," said Jack. "Richardson is his name. I should be able to get it by tomorrow if you fax me a copy of the one you have outstanding in Ohio. This guy knows he's not going to get re-elected and is saving for his retirement." Gerry laughed. "Gotta love them elected pricks!" "What'cha gonna do about junior?" "Fuck him. He should of known better than to be carrying. I'm not going to waste my money on him. Let him get a state-paid lawyer." "So you coming down?" asked Jack. "Just as soon as you call me telling me Mr. Todd Ayres is in jail." ------- Chapter 34 Vanetta and Lisa finished breakfast and met Ted outside, where he had the limo waiting. It was a ten-minute ride to the legal offices that serviced Fit magazine. Lisa explained that since the magazine catered to a specific market and rarely ran anything controversial, the magazine had dropped in-house council and opted for a firm it kept on retainer. Vanetta told her TKO did the same thing for much the same reason. "I had planned to take you on the wine tour today," Lisa said, "but the train leaves every morning at nine and I 'didn't want to rush you or have you feel we were rushing through the boring, legal stuff." "A wine tour involving a train?" Vanetta asked with raised eyebrows. Ted chuckled from the front seat. "It's a tour of the wine producing valleys, Ms. Clarke," he said and gave Vanetta some background on the tour. "The first wine train run was in September of 1989. Using tracks ceded from Southern Pacific, Mr. Vincent DeDomenico put together a set of rolling stock, upgraded trackage, and over the disagreement of a significant part of the Napa Valley Winery population, started the service. Mr. DeDomenico is a second-generation chief executive of the family-owned Golden Grain Company, though you might know them better as the makers of Rice-A-Roni." "Oh," said Vanette, "the San Francisco Treat!" Ted and Lisa laughed and Ted told her, yes, it was their most famous product, but that the company actually made a lot of other grain products. "Disagreement over the wine train stems from an attitude that the wine train makes the valley look like a Disney theme park, especially since the train 'doesn't actually go to any wineries, it just goes by some of them. But they serve various tastes of a variety of fruits." "The cars of the wine train and the engine are painted dark burgundy, champagne gold, and grape leaf green. The interior of the cars is Honduran mahogany paneling and brass accents, with etched glass partitions and wool carpeting. The parlor cars were built in 1915 for the Northern Pacific Railroad and sold in 1960 to the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, who used them for their famous ski train. They were used for a one-day ski excursion every weekend from Denver to the Rockie Mountain ski resorts. A Pullman coach car, built for the Southern Railway Company in 1915, is the kitchen for the wine train. The engines are ALCO - that stands for American Locomotive Company - FA4s, built in 1950. The Vista-Dome car was restored to its original 1950 décor." Vanetta took in the information and was secretly happy they had missed the train. "The depot is located in downtown Napa," Lisa added to 'Ted's commentary, and admitted to Vanetta's relief, "actually 'I'm glad we missed it. I wasn't sure it was the best way to show off San Francisco," she said, "but I 'wasn't sure 'you'd want to spend the day looking at our famous shopping district, either." "Actually, I love window shopping," said Vanetta. "Charlotte has some great stores, but I'm curious about the left side of the country." "Do you buy many?" Ted asked with a smile on his face. "Many what?" Vanetta asked, confused by the seeming non sequitur. "Windows," said Ted. "You said you liked window shopping. You must live in some fancy house to replace windows as a hobby." Vanetta joined with Lisa in laughter at the thought. "Men simply don't understand, do they?" said Lisa. Before Vanetta had a chance to respond, Ted pulled up in front of a fancy office building and placed the limo in park, then got out to help the ladies out. After escorting them into the lobby, Lisa told him that they would probably be an hour, and she would call him on his cell when they were ready to leave. Ted nodded, and after seeing the ladies to the elevator, he headed back to the limo and pulled away. Vanetta watched the sparkling-clean limo drive off and asked Lisa, "Also on retainer?" "Yes," said Lisa. He's self employed, and I think we provide him enough work to make it profitable for him. He works nights and weekends on other accounts he has established. He's very good and a safe driver, and his interaction with our clients makes him a gem." For the next hour and a half, the lawyer for Fit went over the contract word by word, spending some time on conference call with Steve in Charlotte to clarify a few points. Finally, came the signing of the paperwork, and afterwards, Vanetta let out a sigh. It was all legal and binding now. Lisa let out a sigh as well. She had managed to pull off a coup that would ensure her job for a long time to come and probably a very hefty bonus as well. Lisa called Ted, and by the time the girls were back in the lobby, Ted was waiting for them. Both women clutched their copies of the contracts tightly, and Lisa told Ted to take them back to the FIT office so that she could give Vanetta the nickel tour. Vanetta was surprised at how compact the offices of the publishing company were. Lisa explained that the bulk of the staff on the premises were sales people and that most of the writing was supplied by freelancers or syndicated writers. "I'm really the only one who actually writes here in the office," Lisa explained. "I do the intro each month and suggest which columns are must-reads. Our freelancers are regulars, and they know the magazine's writing guidelines and what our audience likes. We have six layout people who do the magazine, and when I'm satisfied with the results, it gets transmitted over the internet to our printer. After the printer has it all assembled via software, they courier a draft to me and I look over every page and every word. Our sales people check their ads and placement, and when approved, the printer gets a call from me, and that's the last we see of it till we get our sample copies and giveaways." "You contract the mailing and newsstand delivery as well?" Vanetta asked. "It's more efficient that way," said Lisa. "A bit more expensive as well, but the contractor is the most dependable distributor on the West Coast. It saves us a lot of headaches knowing that delivery is ensured." "Plus you save the cost of a traffic manager," added Vanetta. "That's true," said Lisa as they walked into the sales room. Vanetta recognized most of the faces from the night before and was greeted with smiles and friendly remarks as she followed Lisa to her office. Unlike TKO, where it was hard to tell who was an employee, and who was the boss, Lisa's office at Fit clearly stated she was where the buck screeched to an abrupt halt. Large and spacious, it had a private washroom off to one side and a mini bar and conference table large enough for 12 on the other side. Vanetta spotted an espresso machine as well as the regular coffee maker tucked in one corner, along with a small fridge and ice maker. "Since we're generally the ones making the calls, and rarely get walk-in clients, we've had to keep up with the times in other areas as well," Lisa continued. "You probably noticed that the only receptionists were on the main floor. We don't have our own. The entire building is a co-op filled with various businesses. We share the cost of the receptionists and cut down our required floor space at the same time." "I understand what you're saying, Lisa," said Vanetta. "Our office is located in an industrial park. No receptionist and not even any sign. People either know who we are or they don't. We don't need to advertise since we turn away more work than we actually accept. Todd is very particular about what work he'll take on. Whoever is available will answer the phone. We do have a reception room for people to wait in comfort because most of the studio - including the desks - is part of the open-air set up. Our office in New York is getting outdated. There, we still have offices and cubicles and receptionists, but in this age of internet communications, now that we can, we plan on leaving the high-rent district and moving all our operations down to Charlotte. Most of our models are chosen from a catalog or from previous work, and they live all around the country. There just isn't a need for a large central office except for accountants any longer, and we can find those in Charlotte as easily as in New York, though we plan on offering all our staff in New York the opportunity to move south." "It's nice that TKO is so diversified that you don't have to rely just on models," said Lisa. "Last I heard, Todd's asking price for a day shoot is the highest in the industry." Vanetta laughed and explained that Todd's prices varied primarily by how interested he was in doing the particular job offered. How his interests had moved away from runway models and onto real people and places. Lisa placed her copy of the signed contract on her desk and asked if Vanetta wanted to spend the day shopping or touring. "How about a bit of both, Lisa?" Vanetta asked. "That we can do as well," said Lisa. She called down to Ted, and as they left, Vanetta said goodbye to the sales staff, ensuring them all that she would be in touch soon, and that it was nice to be able to put faces to names and the voices she'd been hearing from the other end of the phone for the last month. Ted was waiting downstairs and drove them to a UPS office first, where Vanetta sent her signed contract back to Charlotte via overnight courier. It would be at the office by the time she returned. From there, Ted drove them back to the Fairmont where Lisa assured him that she could find her own way home after some sight seeing. As Ted helped Vanetta out of the limo, he smiled at her and said he would see her tomorrow morning and then with a bow, eased his limo out into traffic. Vanetta saw a cable car approaching and grinned at Lisa, who shrugged her shoulders and said, "Why not?" They boarded the cable car, destination unknown, and Lisa outlined some of the options. ------- MaryAnn Meyers was exasperated with Kelly. "Look, Kelly, I know better than anyone else how much you dislike doctors, but I'm a GP. You need an OB-GYN to start taking over the health issues of your coming childbirth. Now, an old friend of mine, Dr. Angela Mark, has agreed to take you on. She's one of the best, and you're lucky that I was able to get an appointment for you this afternoon. Here's her address; you're scheduled for an ultrasound, blood tests, and counseling at two o'clock." Laura knew Kelly was adamant about giving birth at home, so she took the paper MaryAnn had written the address on and promised the doctor that she'd get Kelly there, and on time. Kelly had argued, and only after being told by MaryAnn that the birthing rooms at the Presbyterian hospital were open for family deliveries, and that her birth would a family affair but with the security of hospital staff and services, did Kelly finally capitulate. "I'm going to feel like a pin cushion before the day is over," said Kelly to Laura as Laura parked a block away from the Eastover-University OB/GYN clinic on W. T. Harris Boulevard. "Don't worry, Honey," said Laura, holding Kelly's hand and swinging their arms as they walked to the clinic. "I'll kiss all your booboos and make them all better." Kelly laughed, Laura easing some of her stress, and she slipped her arm around her lover's waist. "I'm so lucky to have you, Laura. I'm not sure if I could do this by myself." Laura slipped her now-free hand around Kelly's waist as well and hugged her girlfriend closer to her. Words weren't needed now — just resolve. Todd had wanted to come, but Kelly had told him it was silly to take time away from the studio when he had so much work to do. Now though, with the change in plans and the meeting with the new doctor, Kelly wished Todd could be there with them so he could see the ultrasound himself. With a sigh, she started up the steps looking for Dr. Mark's office. But Todd and Ami were busy. They had Sherri's portfolio to print, and they wanted to make proofs of the band so they could chose some good PR pictures. They had started shortly after arriving at the studio and were already deep in their work when Robert returned from Eric's with the new van. Todd checked out the van's outside decals while Cara and Ami explored the inside. Pleased with the results, Todd and Ami went back to the darkroom. ------- Kelly remembered she had an appointment to take Cara to meet Mistress Helga at five. When MaryAnn had pulled her surprise and sent her to see Dr. Mark, Kelly had called Todd and told him of the change in plans and said she and Laura would eat lunch in town and pick up Cara afterwards. Todd, by that time deep into making prints, grunted his acknowledgement and wished her luck, grumbling that he couldn't attend the new appointment with his lovers. Robert and Cara found themselves alone in the studio. With little else to do, they started talking. Comfortable with the idea that Robert wasn't going to try and put any moves on her, Cara started discussing her dreams and nightmares with him as they sipped mineral water. "I know that my future is taken care of," said Cara, "but what I'm afraid of is that at some point Kelly won't want Ami and me staying with her." Robert could see Cara was serious and asked what the problem was with that. "Well, I know Ami and I could handle living in our own place," said Cara, "but I don't think either of us wants to yet. We like the lifestyle at Kelly's house — you know — the openness and unpretentious way they all live and act." Robert, who had just gotten a crash course in the way that Todd, Kelly, and Laura lived and interacted with others, just nodded his head. At first he had been shocked and surprised at the open attitude towards nudity and the easy lifestyle of the trio and even more so at the three-way relationship which seemed to work so well for them. It was also the first working environment that he had seen where everyone shared in the everyday mundane and routine duties equally without quibble or personal motives. Places like TKO couldn't exist in real life, and yet he was now here working for one, and unless he was dreaming, such a situation really did exist! "Then there's the vitamins and stuff," Cara continued not realizing Robert had slipped away for a minute in his own thoughts. "We don't know enough..." "Bullshit," said Robert suddenly. "I know exactly what the problem is, and the damn thing is that now I understand it completely. They're so easy to be around, and you can be who you are without the phony front others expect of you. It's that unconditional love people say they want - but never get - because in spite of it, they all still have rules and conditions. Whereas with Todd, Kelly, and Laura, there are no expectations except to enjoy life, period. You do what you have to do, but you don't have to do it under pretense or pressure. Like right now. Todd and Ami are going to need some lunch soon, but I'll bet they haven't even thought about it yet. And you and I both know that because we're not busy, we'll be making that lunch for them without being asked because they are busy. They can eat quick and get back to work." Cara laughed and said that she had wondered about lunch and what she could make. "No," said Robert, "it's what we will make together, because we both care for them, and I was thinking of chicken Caesar salad with lots of fresh juice." Cara readily agreed and grabbed fresh vegetables and apples out of the studio refrigerator to run through the juicer. Robert heated a skillet and added olive oil to it before laying in strips of frozen, skinless, and boneless chicken breasts. As the chicken cooked, he started to prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad. ------- Todd and Ami were working like a team that had been together for a long time. As he mixed chemicals, she poured them on the exposed film. As fast as he got a print out of the enlarger, she took it from his hands and placed it in the developer. Their dialog when they spoke was light, friendly banter except for those times he was teaching her something new like how to dodge or burn in an area on a print. Even with the large darkroom, they had to work closely side by side, yet even a trained observer would have said it was like watching an exquisitely choreographed dance in progress. Todd had on one of his Trek T-shirts and a pair of comfortable and light scrub pants. Ami as per her habit was only wearing a pair of panties. After every batch of film they ran through, they would turn on the regular lights and examine the prints before they hung them in the dryer. Todd was quite pleased with the shots of Sherri and knew he now had a working portfolio that would allow him to soon present her to TKO's preferred clients. He was also secretly pleased with Ami's shots of the Williams sisters and their boy band. She had a natural eye for the right shot and of the magazines of film she had exposed, close to 50% were better than acceptable, a much higher percentage than Todd had expected. Ami had a talent for getting people to ignore the camera and talk to her personally while she unobtrusively tripped the remote for the shutter release. Based on his textbook rule of three shots for every person in a sitting, Ami had shot a whole cartridge worth on each pose, and her knack of knowing her subject had given her a much higher acceptable pose ratio based on people blinking or yawning or moving. The problem would be finding the best of the close to 60 shots she had taken. Todd figured between the pose changes and costume changes, they only needed three good ones. They both heard the swishing of the darkroom door and watched Cara enter. "Ami, you're naked again!" "No," said Ami, "just half naked. I've still got my panties on." "Still?" "Well I don't usually take them off in here," said Ami with a snicker. "Can you tell me why you find it necessary to work in the darkroom in nothing more than your panties?" Cara asked in exasperation. "Well," Ami said with a sigh. "Todd seems to think that my sheltered life left me with an emotional scar, thus necessitating my need for external validation, so that as I bloom into full womanhood I feel I am attractive to the male species, and being that Todd is an expert on such matters and a safe, yet subjective member of said species, I trust his judgment." "I said all that?" Todd asked with a smile. "I elaborated on your words a bit so that my lover would understand that while I trust her appreciation for my physical beauty, she knows I also have to consider that her appreciation is probably skewed by her love for my mind." "Oh, good Lord," said Cara. "What if it had been Robert who had come in to tell you that lunch was ready whenever you guys are?" "Then he would have gotten a pleasant surprise, I'm sure," said Ami. "Besides, it's not like he hasn't seen me in all my glory before." Then looking down at herself, she added, "Well, most of my glory, anyway." Cara slipped her arms around Ami. "As long as they just admire your beauty, Sweetheart," then she gave each of Ami's nipples a tug. "And leave the physical adoration of your beauty to me." Ami gave Cara a soulful kiss and then pulled away. "Thanks, Honey. We should be ready to take a break in about ten minutes." Cara gave Ami a playful slap on her butt, and for good measure, gave one to Todd as well. "We'll see you whenever you're done. Don't rush on account of us." ------- "Hello, Kelly," said Dr. Angela Mark, shaking Kelly's hand. "I've heard a lot about you from MaryAnn. I'd be happy to be your doctor through your pregnancy and help you bring your baby into this world." Turning to Laura, she said, with hand extended, "And you must be Laura. I'm happy to meet you as well." "It's our pleasure," said Laura. "Kelly wanted to do a home birth, but Dr. Myers assured us that the birthing room at the Presbyterian hospital is as close to home as possible while maintaining a safe environment in case complications come up." Angela laughed and asked if Laura had memorized MaryAnn's spiel. "You have it down to the letter," she added. Laura blushed as Kelly slipped her arm around her waist. "I think my girlfriend is the nervous one," Kelly said. "This is her first baby." Laura laughed good-naturedly with Kelly and Angela and followed Kelly into the examination room. Kelly quickly slipped out of her T-shirt and shorts, not bothering with the offered paper gown. She squeaked when Dr. Mark squirted her belly with cold gel, her nipples coming right to attention. Dr. Mark noticed and apologized for the abrupt wake up call, but told her it was needed to facilitate the ultrasound. "But, Doc, you don't have to keep the stuff in the refrigerator, do you?" "Sorry, Kelly, but the gel isn't chilled," Angela said laughing. "It's just naturally cold." Thirty minutes later, back in her office, Dr. Mark listened intently and made notes as Kelly described her vitamin regimen and exercise habits. She had been tipped by Dr. Myers about Kelly's three-cigarettes-a-day — most days — habit and avoided that subject. Kelly was a healthy woman in her prime, and many of Angela's patients could do well following Kelly's healthy diet and vitamin supplement regimen. She scheduled follow-up appointments for the next few months and expressed a desire, if possible, to meet the father. Kelly had been quite candid about her three-way relationship, and Angela was both intrigued and curious. Kelly promised to bring Todd in so that Dr. Mark could get some blood work from him, but otherwise, the doctor advised Kelly to just keep on doing what she was doing. ------- Lew and Harry had been getting their new office in shape when the call had come from the holding cells. Ed Labadie, in behind bars because he seemed to have been stalking Harry's daughter, Laura, and found to have a gun on him while doing it, had a visitor, and Lew had to rush down to lockup to listen in on the conversation. After returning, Lew expressed his concern over what Ed Labadie had spouted off to his alleged cousin, John Labadie, mentioning that Todd, not Laura, was actually the target of whatever deviltry the legal firm in Cleveland had planned. "Not much we can do, Lew," said Harry. "I told Todd that if he had anything he preferred to keep off the radar that we wouldn't stop him from leaving, but he says he doesn't even know anybody from Ohio." "This is way too weird," said Lew as he pinned a district school map on the wall. "There're no outstanding warrants or charges against him on the national scene at all. So why's an ambulance-chasing pond sucker looking for him." "If we get a chance, we'll have to ask him," said Harry. "I wonder if we're looking under the wrong name for outstandings?" "Harry, you're as good at judging people as I am. Does anything feel right about this to you?" "You mean do I think Todd is hiding from something?" asked Harry. "Nah... We couldn't both see the same guy and not know if he was cagey. We've been cops too long for that. I mean why the hell would anybody go to so much effort to find him, and be so secretive about it? I think there's a tempest a-blowing." Harry nodded. He had thought the same thing himself. Somebody had spent some serious money to find Todd, and it wasn't just to serve him with papers. Somebody wanted more. A lot more! "We're supposed to be hotshot detectives now, Lew. What're we missing here?" Lew stopped what he was doing, smiled, and looked at Harry. "Yeah, we are detectives now aren't we? Let's do some detecting. How did you figure out what his real name was?" Harry leaned back in his well-worn wood-back bucket desk chair. "I get what you're saying. I found it because I know who he is now, and all I had to do was go backwards. Knowing the end made tracing back easy. But if you didn't know what the end was..." "Exactly," said Lew with a grin. "If you started from the beginning, not knowing where he went, it would look like Todd had dropped off the face of the earth." "Living the way he does, and knowing he spent most of his time on location shoots, he never had to register a new address. He traveled out of his suitcase," said Harry, getting more excited. "That's my guess," said Lew. "If he dropped out of newspaper shooting when he changed his name and started doing the fashion circuit, he could probably have traveled for years without having to set up an apartment or buy a permanent place." "That would definitely explain how he managed to save up a tidy nest egg," added Harry. "Just think of the potential. Go from one location to another, staying in hotels and living on expense accounts, and he could have saved every penny he ever earned. From what Kelly has told me, he was well paid too. Supposed to be one of the highest paid and best at what he did till he grew tired of it, then he and Kelly settled here in Charlotte." "It's not like he has a common last name," said Lew, "at least not his birth name." Harry was already ahead of him and fired up the new computer in their office. Harry entered the name Vanden Ayres into the National Police Database. Lew stood patiently as Harry did his hunt and peck. Not that Lew could type any faster even with his more extensive time behind a desk. Cops who had to type did so with four fingers only — it was a tradition. Computers had not changed this tradition. Harry waited for the net to spit back the results and was surprised to see seven listings for Vanden Ayres, till Lew pointed out that Harry had searched the entire country. Using the mouse, Harry clicked on Ohio and was relieved to see only one name left. Adrian Vanden Ayres had a listed phone number and address. Lew picked up the phone and called the closest local police station. Introducing himself and explaining to the desk sergeant that this was only a background check, Lew was transferred to a senior duty officer. "Vanden Ayres?" asked the sergeant. "Yeah, we know him. Didn't know he had left the state. What'd he do down your way?" "Nothing," said Lew, "at least not yet, this is about a problem that might develop. Can you tell me if your guy has any kids?" The duty sergeant started laughing. "Don't tell me there really is a prodigal son!" Harry was listening in on another line and shook his head at Lew. Lew nodded back at him understanding his partner's concern. "Why'd you say that, Sarge?" Lew asked, keeping the other officer talking. "Vanden Ayres is a hot head. Short fuse and a miserly SOB. Shortly after he landed in our neck of the woods, he filed a criminal complaint against a son he claims to have. Tried to pressure us to find the alleged son, but there's no record of the kid, or at least one ever having been in Ohio. Vanden Ayres wanted his alleged son arrested for theft, but couldn't prove his claim of a kid, much less anything stolen. It was an alleged crime by an alleged son, and while we have it on record, it's filed in our GIGO drawer." Lew laughed. "Yep, we got us a few things stashed in our own 'Garbage In Garbage Out' drawer, too. Waste of taxpayers' money is what they are. Thanks for the info, Sarge. If we can ever return the favor..." "Yeah, yeah... If I'm ever curious about somebody in Charlotte, I'll be calling you up on that marker personally, Detective Weaver." Lew thanked him again for his time and was about to hang up when the duty sergeant in Ohio told him to hold on a minute. "While we were talking, I brought up the file on Vanden Ayres. Don't know if this will be helpful to you or not, but if you happen to know a Theodor Vanden Ayres, you might want to tell him that even though the statue of limitations has run out on the complaint, he might want to make an application to remove the complaint from our files." "Thanks Sarge. If I ever meet a Theodor Vanden Ayres, I'll tell him that." "Yeah, right. Have a good day, detective," and with a chuckle, the Sergeant disconnected. Harry looked at Lew. "Should we tell Todd?" "Tell him what? That's there's some bullshit charge in Ohio that he might want to take care of? Hell, we're not even sure if Todd is this Theodor." "It doesn't feel right, Lew. It just don't feel right to me. I think I'll drop a bug in Laura's ear. Maybe she can bring it up sometime. I don't want Todd to think we're checking up on him." "Hell, Harry. We're just trying to protect him. That's what friends are for." "Yeah, I suppose," said Harry with a sigh. "Feels too much to me like we're snooping, so I guess we'll tell him when we see him again. It's nothing that we need to worry about now. Let's see about getting some real work done." ------- Across town, John Labadie, or Jack as he was known to his friends, had left 'cousin' Ed to rot there in jail as per instructions from Gerry, his boss. Jack was now sitting at a table at a Denny's waiting for Judge Richardson to join him for a friendly lunch. Jack had the lettuce in his jacket pocket. One thousand leaves of it divided into ten easy-to-carry heads - all bearing the likeness of Benjamin Franklin. Jack hoped the judge would be satisfied with the salad that would come with his lunch. ------- Vanetta had laughed as she swayed in and out of the cable car, hanging onto the riser pole with a loose, easy grip, much to the dismay of Lisa Greenwood. "Vanetta!" Lisa shouted after a close miss by a delivery van had caused Vanetta to pull herself into the safety of the frame of the cable car. "Yes?" said Vanetta with a mischievous grin that showed all her bright white teeth. Lisa leaned forward and said, "Frankly, my dear, you are scaring the shit out of me! We tend to lose tourists who do what you're doing, and I'm looking forward to a long working relationship with you. Death would not become you! And it would piss me off a great deal as well!" "Sorry, Lisa," Vanetta said sitting down. "I know that I should be a bit more responsible, but, who knows when I'll get a chance like this again. This is so much more realistic than a ride at Disney World. The element of risk... I like that, which is probably why the rides at the amusement parks don't do anything for me. Kelly has had to cut back on a lot of her activities. She won't be holding onto her record as the fastest female on roller blades in Charlotte for very long now." "She blades?" "Did, being the operative word," said Vanetta. "She always wore protective gear, but she doesn't want to risk landing on her butt now. She speaks at the local schools about the importance of wearing proper protection." "It seems she didn't pay attention to her own advice about proper protection," laughed Lisa. "I wondered about that myself, Lisa. I think that deep down, she knew that she was ready and that Todd was the right man for her. It took her a long time to realize that, and for him as well. Mama always knew though," she added wistfully. "Mama always said that Kelly and Todd were destined to be together, but that it would take the right person to bring them together." The cable car arrived at Fisherman's Wharf before Lisa had a chance to question that statement. They had waited over an hour for a cable car to take them to the pier. The first one had been full of other tourists, and they'd had to wait for the next one. They had already decided they would call Ted to pick them up for the return trip. Neither of them wanted to wait when they saw the line of about 250 people at the Powell-Market turntable where their cable car was turned towards Fisherman's wharf. As unique as the cable car experience was, and even though it wasn't the peak weekend traffic, they had to wait for a car to take them to Hyde Street. Both the Hyde Street car and the Mason Street car picked up passengers in front of the Fairmont, and both went close to Fisherman's Wharf, but the Hyde Street car ended up closer to the action Lisa was interested in presenting to Vanetta. They had paid the conductor their $5 fare for the ride and ridden close to 'the grip, ' the man who actually controlled the speed and stops of the cable car by squeezing the 'gripper' that allowed the car to be propelled along the cables. Both had laughed as the grip and the conductor actively cursed at and muttered about the combinations of pedestrians and motorists who impeded their progress on the joint-use streets. It was more than obvious they felt their cable car should have the ultimate right of way. The cable car swayed and started and stopped as passengers got on and off. A person standing really had to hang on - it's the best way to ride - but OSHA would never allow the things today if they hadn't already been a moving national historical landmark, particularly when going up and down the steep hills. The end turntable, the place where Vanetta and Lisa got off, was in Aquatic Park — part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. To the left was Ghiradelli Square, named for the chocolate company according to Lisa, and to the right was the start of the Fisherman's Wharf district. All around the cable car site were street vendors, something Vanetta was thankful for as the air currents from beyond the Golden Gate Bridge lowered the temperature by 10 degrees compared to the Union Square area. Vanetta bought a sweatshirt with 'Fisherman's Wharf' across the front from one of the street vendors instead of from any of the myriad of tourist shops along Jefferson — the street along the waterfront in the Fisherman's Wharf area. Going into a store was not what Vanetta had come down to the Wharf for. Vanetta was amazed at the large Asian population in the Wharf area, and many times, she and Lisa had to step into the road to get around people bickering and haggling with the vendors. For Vanetta, one of the best parts of the trip was the ability to look from the pier out over the bay. Due north was Alcatraz, and she could clearly see the concrete main cellblock, about a mile and a quarter off the pier. She considered the despair of prisoners sentenced to there, within site of the bounty which was San Francisco, but unable to do anything but look. Neither Vanetta nor Lisa had a desire to book a tour of Alcatraz itself, though. Beyond Alcatraz, slightly to the right, was Angel Island. To the left was a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Vanetta and Lisa roamed around, slowly heading east of Jefferson where there were actual working maritime shops. Fisherman's Wharf was after all still a working fisherman's pier, as well as a tourist destination. On the right, the tourist shops sold all kinds of tourist junk and trinkets. Knowing Kelly and Todd, Vanetta didn't bother with souvenirs. They would be much happier just hearing her tell of her first experience in the City. Just before Pier 43, the pier that was the original Fisherman's Wharf, and which the whole area was now named for, there was a plethora of seafood stands, selling everything from clam chowder to fresh-caught Dungeness crab. Also available was a variety of shrimp and calamari. Lisa suggested that Vanetta try the chowder but told her not to fill up on snack food as she had plans for the two of them for supper. They had to jostle within the lines to get something to snack on and both decided that the busiest stand had the best food. After getting their food and a can of cold pop, they ate standing in the street with the rest of the crowd. Vanetta spotted a Hooter's in the middle of Jefferson and dared Lisa into joining her for a visit, but Lisa declined the dare. There were three Hooter's Girls, in costume, tossing a rubber football in front of the place to stir up business, and both girls laughed at the Japanese tourists ogling the girls. Lisa had booked a table for two at the Washington Square Bar and Grill for their last meal before Vanetta's early morning departure for Charlotte. Since it was only a mile from the hotel, they had Ted drop them off at the Fairmont so that they could freshen up before they went to eat. It had been an interesting day for both girls, and a long one. Because of the early meetings that morning and the wait for the cable car, it was well after six o'clock before they were ready to head out for the walk to the restaurant. Washington Square, even at seven at night, though a bit quieter than a weekend day, still had couples sitting and talking on the grass, and families with kids running, playing Frisbee. The North Beach part of San Francisco is quintessential San Francisco's Little Italy, with many, many restaurants, bistros, etc., most with outdoor seating, weather permitting. Hoards of people were out - singles, couples, and families - all either strolling the streets, or sitting in street-front cafes, having coffee, appetizers, or full meals. Powell Street is a classic North-to-South street in San Francisco. Columbus is a diagonal, starting at the Transamerica Pyramid. This makes Washington Square a four-sided park, with the north side being on a diagonal due to Columbus. Across Columbus from Washington Square is a small, triangular, walled park, complete with verdant greenery and a small pond. Across the street from the walled park is the Washington Square Bar and Grill. In business for over 30 years, Vanetta read on the sign, and Lisa said it was noted as a hangout for the SF Chronicle's now-departed Herb Caen - its power days were back in the eighties when all the movers and shakers of SF could be found there. "In the '90s, it was sold," said Lisa, "and in the late '90s sold again, and now it's in the process of regaining its former stature." It wasn't on the list of trendy restaurants, but rather on the list of tried-and-true power restaurants that seem to exist in any major city forever. The front façade was maroon, with a maroon-and-white canopy running the length of the restaurant. The interior was classic dark wood. On the left was a bar seating maybe 16. It had old, dark wood, scarred from years of use, with a brass rail at bar height, and a brass foot rail. The bar stools were also wood, the old design without a swivel seat. Separating the bar from the restaurant was a half-height wall. The walls were decorated with posters, old photographs of movers/shakers, and a series of blowups of old Life Magazine covers depicting personalities who have a connection with San Francisco, and thus the Washington Square Bar and Grill. On the restaurant side were a number of double tables, each with cloth tablecloth and linen napkin, cheerfully set with a wine goblet. Each table had a votive candle in a glass holder. The 'power' table was in the front, basically between the two dining rooms, looking over the triangular park. This was the place to see and be seen. Vanetta and Lisa checked in with the maitre d' and decided to have one drink at the bar since two stools were available. They sat, and the bartender asked what they wanted to drink. Lisa suggested a Duckhorn Chardonnay and ordered a single serving appetizer of their special warm, handmade potato chips, which came with salt and parsley. The main topic of discussion while waiting for their table was how long it would be before the second batch of Todd's photos would be coming Lisa's way and the great idea about compiling the final project into a bonus item for new subscribers as a separate magazine. Since the restaurant didn't get many tourists, there were a lot of questions directed at Vanetta about where she was from and what she thought of San Francisco. Vanetta remained polite and smiling, winning many admiring looks from some of the regulars. Much to Lisa's amusement, Vanetta made many of them feel like it was her own loss that she had to return to Charlotte in the morning. After a half hour, their table was ready, and they picked up their drinks and moved. Washington Square Bar and Grill had a limited, but varied menu. After some debate, they decided to split an appetizer of calamari, which came with both a cocktail and an aioli sauce. The second course was a chopped salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Lisa had tournedos of pork, while Vanetta chose the sole as her main course. Since the Duckhorn wine from the bar was so good, they ordered a full bottle to go with the meal. Dessert was crème brulee. The girls finished eating and returned to the Fairmont shortly after nine for a nightcap. Lisa apologized that she would not be seeing Vanetta in the morning before Vanetta's plane left for Charlotte. "That's okay, Lisa. I know that business comes first... for both of us. I've had a lovely time, and I hope we can get together again as the project continues. Perhaps you can find some time to come to Charlotte and meet Todd and Kelly, and I'll show you the sights of our area." They shook hands on the plan, and Lisa went home, leaving Vanetta time for a long, leisurely soak in the Jacuzzi. ------- Ami and Cara tumbled into their bed after their evening shower. "So," said Ami, "tell me about this Mistress Hilda. What was she like?" "First of all, her name is Mistress Helga, and she's a really nice lady. I was sort of afraid that she was going to come out in one of those dominatrix leather outfits carrying a riding crop, but she was dressed very professionally, and though she talks with an accent, she was easy enough to understand. You wouldn't believe the layout of her place. I would never have imagined such opulence inside. From the outside, it looks like a private residence, and you can't even see the mansion until you get up the drive past the security guard." "So, tell me what she made you do," Ami prompted. "Well, after a tour of the club, she took me and Kelly and Laura to a private room that had a professional massage table. She asked Laura to strip down and let me work on her so that she could watch. You know I'm used to working on Kelly, and Mistress Helga knew that as well. Laura was a real sweetheart and let me work on her, and Mistress Helga paid more attention to Laura's face then she did to my hands, though she did watch where my hands were depending on Laura's response. They had different lotions there than I'm used to, so I tested them before I used them to see how slippery they were and how quickly they absorbed into the skin. I must have smeared a dozen lotions on my arm before I picked one that I thought was good for what I needed. It must have been a good choice because Mistress Helga smiled when she saw my choice. "I worked on Laura for nearly half an hour. I started on her shoulders and worked my way down her arms and then down her back and on her legs. I thought I was going to have to have her roll over, and she was already half asleep, but Mistress Helga told me to stop, and she reached over and pinched Laura's muscles to see how relaxed she was." "Bet that woke Laura up in a hurry," Ami said, stroking her lover's belly. "Actually, Laura just moaned. I think she really got into it, and if you keep that up, I won't be able to finish my story." Ami nipped Cara on her exposed belly and said, "Let's race then to see who finishes first," and started to nibble her way down lower. "Only if we make this a fair race," said Cara as she flipped around and dropped her head between Ami's legs. ------- Laura was moaning as she thrashed on the bed she shared with Todd and Kelly. Her cries of ecstasy were muffled by the thighs clenched around her own head. By the time Todd caught his breath; Kelly was sprawled out, sweating and panting. Between the efforts of her two lovers, she had climaxed numerous times and was spent. Grabbing her bottle of Evian, she took a deep drink. "So, Honey, you looked very refreshed after Cara finished with you. It must have made you horny as well - you were a tigress tonight." Laura laughed and took a drink from her own bottle. "It was great Kell, but you know that; you get a massage from her every single night!" "Yes, I do, but Cara doesn't usually work so hard on loosening my muscles. What she does is keep me supple and well lubricated." Todd laughed. "I thought that was Laura and me that did that to you!" Kelly laughed as well when she caught the joke, and took a half-hearted swipe at him. "You know very well what I mean. She keeps my skin from drying out and leaving me with stretch marks. Vanetta wouldn't be very happy if after I gave birth, my body looked like a weathered road map." "What about you Kell?" Laura asked. "Would you mind losing your looks?" "I don't care about my looks, Honey, just as long as our baby is healthy." ------- "Mistress Helga is writing a letter to the admission office at UNCC," said Cara when she and Ami had separated. "She's offering to sponsor me for the hands-on part of the physical therapy program. She said that as soon as I turn 18, I can have a full time job working at her spa. The money is real good too. I guess I have to decide whether to follow up on my dream of following the sports teams or living here full time. I guess it depends on what you plan to do." "I want you to have your dream, Sweetheart. If that means going on the road with gymnasts, I will follow you and take my pictures where I find them." "Ami, Honey, I only want to be with you. That's my only hope and prayer. I want to spend my life with you." Ami pulled Cara close and showered her face with kisses. "I love you Cara Anderson. I plan to be with you for the rest of time." And after soft, tender kisses, the two girls fell asleep ------- Captain Walker read the warrant once again, not believing his eyes. He had arrived early Tuesday morning, hoping to catch up on some of the work that he had let slide while he pursued his own romantic interests. He was glad he had. His duty sergeant had flagged him before tending and sending out the day squad. Thankfully, the sergeant knew this would be of special interest to him. "Yeah... special interest," he mumbled out loud. "FUCK!" Dave Walker pressed the intercom button that summoned his personal assistant. "Get detectives Weaver and Williams up here as soon as they arrive for their shift!" ------- Vanetta woke up in the luxurious bed in her suite at the Fairmont. She packed quickly after a short morning shower and dressed in light, comfortable clothes for her flight back. She thought it was a pity she couldn't pack up the leftover fruit and flowers, but she had learned to pack light and quick. She was sure the flowers and fruit wouldn't be wasted and asked the bellhop to make sure that they were shared by the staff or turned over to someone who would use and appreciate them. Just another lesson she had learned from Kelly. She just had time for a good breakfast in the Fairmont before Ted arrived to pick her up for the ride to the San Francisco airport. The return route was even more scenic than the one coming and seemed to be over before it started. Ted had asked her when he showed up at the hotel if she wanted to ride direct or take his version of a scenic tour. He seemed quite pleased when she agreed to his offer to sightsee. Instead of taking the direct route down US-101, Ted took a right on I-280, which ran the ridge on the coast hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay. They were about eight miles down the peninsula heading for I-380 when Ted paused to allow her a view of the airport, and she could see all the ground traffic between the takeoffs. In the sky, there was a line of five planes on an approach to the airport, and Vanetta wondered at the men and women who orchestrated the aerial dance to keep the flights arriving and departing smoothly. Vanetta gave Ted a hug after he took her bags out of the trunk. "Thanks for being patient with me, Ted. I enjoyed my time here, and you helped to make it a special trip for me." Ted actually blushed and then hugged her back, promising that he would be honored to be her driver on her next trip to his city. Ted had managed to time things perfectly, so that she arrived in good time for her check in at terminal B, US Airways. A porter rushed out to take her bags and escorted her to the first class check-in line. Her flight, US Air flight 36, was scheduled to depart at 12:15, arriving in Charlotte at 8:06 p.m. This time she would be flying forward in time, losing three hours as she crossed back towards the Atlantic. Unlike Charlotte, there was no US Airways Club in San Francisco, nor was there an express lane for first class passengers. Vanetta was just slightly disappointed as she wanted some time to sit quietly and reflect on her visit to San Francisco. Taking her book, she found the Legends of San Francisco sports bar near gate B31, ordered a Virgin Mary, and sat back to wait for her flight to be called. She was prepared for security this time and was quickly cleared through. The counter clerk had recommended seat 3D so that she would be on the shady side of the plane during the afternoon flight to Charlotte, and Vanetta thanked her for the tip. The last thing she wanted was to have the sun beating into her eyes for the five-hour flight. Her departure flight took off to the north and went over the Sierras just south of Lake Tahoe. The flight home offered a much better movie than the one she had skipped on the flight over. Vanetta watched A Beautiful Mind — featuring Russell Crowe as a gifted but socially challenged mathematician. Her in-flight meal consisted of an appetizer of shrimp with cocktail sauce, followed by a mixed green salad with vinaigrette. Her choice for the main course was prawns with rice rather than the heavier choice of steak. Dessert was a decadent swirl cheesecake. Again, everything was served on china. She had a glass of Chardonnay before eating and settled for coffee afterwards. She was looking forward to getting home, sharing her news of her trip with Kelly, but she was especially looking forward to reuniting with Robert. Her flight touched down just a bit after eight o'clock. She breezed through security and headed downstairs to collect her bags. As she headed towards the exit, a smile was on her face when she spotted Robert as she already had her plans set for ravaging him tonight, but her smile faded when she saw the look of panic on his face. He didn't even take time to give her a kiss but grabbed her bags and guided her to the doors. "Bobby, what's the matter?" she asked, concern in her voice and her adrenalin kicking in. "It's Todd," he said. "He's been arrested!" ------- Chapter 35A "Todd... arrested?" Vanetta asked, shocked and confused. She didn't wait for an answer but picked up her pace as she followed Bobby to the dark metallic blue van double parked out front, the engine running and a crying Ami sitting in the back seat. ------- It had started out as a beautiful summer day, the second last day in July. A cooling breeze was blowing in off the coast and the sun rising in a cloudless sky was what Dave Walker had woken up to. He was in good spirits, having spent another night with the lovely Annie Prince. They had showered together, lovingly and with gentleness, after waking up entangled and even more enthralled with each other. They had sat and enjoyed some of Jacob's mighty fine coffee, and then Dave had headed back to his own home to change for work. Dave didn't want Annie to think he was taking things for granted by bringing a change of clothes with him when they spent nights together. He had arrived at CMPD Central just before seven, checked the duty roster, and was talking about the previous night's activity with Staff Sergeant Hale, when the sergeant had casually mentioned the arrest warrant for Todd Ayres and handed him the papers. It was a felony arrest warrant signed by Judge Richardson for the apprehension of the accused and included a no-bail clause based on a Grand Theft charge in Ohio from which Todd had run to supposedly avoid prosecution. In bold letters at the bottom was the notation Richardson had added to make it all legal. Where as the statute of limitations for criminal cases in Ohio is 6 years for a felony (Ohio Revised Code § 2901.13.(A)(1)(a)) The period of limitation shall not run during any time when the accused purposely avoids prosecution. Proof that the accused departed this state or concealed the accused's identity or whereabouts is prima-facie evidence of the accused's purpose to avoid prosecution (Ohio Revised Code § 2901.13(G)). Dave Walker had immediately pressed the intercom button and summoned his personal assistant. "Get detectives Weaver and Williams up here as soon as they arrive for their shift!" Harry and Lew got the word when they reported at eight o'clock and double timed it up to the Captain's office. "I thought you had Mr. Ayres all checked out and that there were no outstanding warrants for him anywhere," Dave scowled at them. "We did, Captain," said Lew. "We checked every single police database and nothing showed up under either his new name or his birth name. I'm telling you there's nothing on him. He's as clean as a new whistle." "Then why in the hell am I holding an arrest warrant for him?" "That's pure bullshit," said Harry. "We talked to a duty sergeant in Akron, yesterday, and he said that the charge was so thin that nobody ever bothered filing it properly. It's been in their GIGO file for years. Hell, they even said that if Todd went in they could destroy it." "It's a shame he didn't do it before this," said Dave, a little calmer. "But as much as I want to, we can't ignore this. Mr. Ayers is going to have to come down and be booked until such time that his lawyers can clear this up." "We can call him and ask him to show up on his own," suggested Harry. "Oh, all right. Let's just do that and let Richardson nail us all on contempt charges. Nope, we've got to do this by the book. A marked unit and handcuffs." Lew just groaned. "That just don't seem right." Harry nodded and added, "Ever notice how when it's a bad deal, it's always Richardson's name on the paperwork?" Dave leaned back on his desk. "Annie's gonna be so pissed when she hears about this." Both Lew and Harry perked up their ears. "Annie Prince?" Harry finally asked. That shook Dave out of his thoughts. "Never mind about that. It's my private life," he growled. "Do you two want to pick up Todd, or do you want me to send somebody else?" "We'll do it," said Harry. "He shouldn't be picked up by strangers." "Good," said Dave. "Make sure you try to apprehend this supposed nefarious fugitive by noon today." Harry and Lew looked at each other before nodding and leaving. ------- Judge Richardson had enough class at least to not openly count the money in the envelope that Jack Labadie had slid across the table at Denny's, but of course his fingers itched terribly while holding it. Actually he'd rather they'd met at one of the fancy restaurants in town, but he couldn't think of one that would be happy to see or serve him. Still a thorn in his side was his one miscalculated error in judgment, rightfully provoked over his concern for his stepdaughter, even though it turned out to be instigated by indiscretions on the part of her friend. He had forced "A Woman's Space" to be shut down, and the bitch who ran it was still after his hide. She had been successfully badmouthing him since that unfortunate incident to every good restaurant around. These days, if he wanted a decent meal, he had to travel well out of the city. He would have insisted on it for this meeting as well, but it wouldn't have allowed them time to go to the courthouse afterwards and do this job right. Richardson had taken the money, a lot less than he thought he deserved for a job of this type, but he figured he ought to be able to milk it for a lot more. He'd get what he could, while he could, as that bitch was still making life miserable for him, and he knew his chances for re-election were slightly less than hell freezing over. He'd like to take care of her as well, but she kept her nose clean, and that damn dog of hers had just put her in very good graces with the CMPD. He figured he'd run for the position again and skim what he could from the election coffers, but retirement was looming. It was either that or return to being a lawyer, and the latter, which involved real work, was not a thought that sat well with him. He had explained to Labadie that the charge was thinner than the envelope the money was in as Ayers had been known as a good guy to practically all of the police department since shortly after setting down roots in Charlotte. Labadie insisted that Langstaff and Associates could deal with the odds. The important thing was to get the charge on the books and Ayers arrested. A whole team of lawyers was ready to act the minute Ayres was in jail. "It's a standard 'shock and awe' approach we use." Jack Labadie explained. "We have lawyers attach and attack each of his assets and holdings. It might take a year of legal roughhousing, but we're almost always able to wear them down to where they're willing to settle just to end the cost of the defense fees. With their assets frozen, they can't pay for the legal work." "Do you gamble much?" Richardson had asked. "Rarely," said Jack. "When the odds are so high in your favor, it's not much of a gamble." Richardson had just smiled. These boys from up North sounded like they knew what they were doing, and he'd be quite happy to accept more of these envelopes his new retirement sponsor wanted to hand him in exchange for helping them file any other paperwork needed. It was quick and easy for him, no skin off his nose in his present situation. He felt no remorse for this guy, Ayres. With all the judges taking vacations, the man could sit in jail for a month. And, if it didn't work out like the boys from Ohio thought it would? Well, he'd just take what money he could get out of the job and then forget about them, too. ------- Harry and Lew had left the Captain's office and gone right outside. Harry opened his cell phone and pushed Lew's hand away when he tried to reach for it. "I'll be the one, Lew. You can claim you knew nothing about this." "Hell, Harry," Lew said. "You heard the Captain. He as much as told us to go ahead and warn Todd. Pick him up by noon, my ass!" "Laura's still my daughter, Lew." Lew understood and waited while Harry made the call. ------- Laura answered her phone on the third ring. She had been swallowing her morning vitamins and laughing with Kelly about the visit with Dr. Angela Mark, Kelly's new obstetrician. Laura was surprised to be getting a call on her cell this early in the morning, but smiled when she saw it was her father. "Hey, Daddy, what're doing calling me this early? A girl needs her beauty sleep, you know." But her smile faded quickly. "Laura, listen to me close. I won't have a chance to repeat this. I have a warrant for Todd's arrest." Laura felt her throat tighten as tears threatened to well up to her eyes. "But... but, Daddy," she stammered and then sniffed. "Get a grip, Laura. I need you to listen close," Harry said. "I have to come to the studio at 11:30 this morning to pick up Todd on a felony arrest warrant for Grand Theft. Lew and I will be busy for a while, but at 11:30, we will be arriving at the studio to arrest Todd if he is there. If you understand me, Laura, just say yes." "Ya... yes, Daddy," she stammered again feeling her jaw tighten. "If Todd isn't at the studio when we get there, we will have to look for him, but we can only look in Charlotte. Do you understand?" "Yes, Daddy. Thank you, Daddy." "I love you, Pumpkin," he said. "I love you too, Daddy," and Laura closed her phone. "What's the matter, Honey?" Kelly asked a tearful Laura. "Todd has to leave town, right now," Laura hissed. "Daddy and Uncle Lew have a warrant to arrest him, and Daddy said they were going to serve it at the studio at 11:30 if he was there or anywhere in Charlotte." "What's being served," said Todd, smiling as he strolled into the kitchen. "Breakfast I hope." Ami and Cara sat there with their mouths agape, too petrified to speak, but tears were starting to pool in Ami's eyes. "Todd, you've got to pack and leave town right now," Laura said and quickly filled him in on her father's advice, which is what she was sure it was. "Felony, Grand Theft, eh?" Todd repeated as he puffed on one of Kelly's cigarettes. "That means I stole something worth over $5,000. That explains what's been going on around here with the private snoop. Somebody's been planning this for a while, but I'm not going to run from this. I've never run, and I haven't stolen a damn thing. Somebody is playing me, and I want to know who it is." Flipping open his own phone, he scanned the directory and did a double take when Melanie answered his call. "Hi, Melanie" he said. "I need to talk to Steve right away. Thanks." "Yeah, Steve. Remember that nutjob that was casing Kelly's place? Yeah, he's the one. Looks like whoever he was working for found what they wanted, and I'm going to be arrested at 11:30." "Todd," Steve said, "I'll find you a good criminal lawyer. I'm not up on criminal law, and neither is Pete, but I can sure call in a few favors." "That's all fine, Steve, but that's not why I'm calling. I'll be okay, but I'm worried about the business. I want to be ready or have Kelly ready for when the bailiffs come to try and seize the studio. Nobody went to this kind of trouble without a financial reward in it for them." "Jesus, Todd." Steve said. "Who did you piss off so much that they want TKO?" "I don't know yet, Steve, but I want to make sure that nobody shuts the doors on Kelly or our operation in New York. Too many people count on TKO and on Kelly. I can handle a court battle if it comes to it, but if I also have my mind on Kelly and the business, it will be a lot harder for me." "Todd, they can try, but remember, I set up the corporation for you and Kelly. It's a full-fledged corporation and limited, and there is no way anyone can touch it. What you need to do to protect other assets you own yourself is get to the bank right now and take out a loan on all your personal property." "What?" asked an exasperated Todd. "Why the hell would I want to take out a loan? I own everything that I have." "Todd, listen to me. You said you have till 11:30 right? Get to the bank and take out a loan for as much, no, make that twice as much as you think you personally own, and bring that money to me as a retainer. Turn your bank accounts and vehicle ownerships over to the bank instantly as collateral with specific instructions that you are not to receive them back until the loan is totally paid. This is going to have to be done now, Todd, and I mean right now. This is the quickest liquidation of assets that I can think of and keep it all legal." "Are you sure this is legal, Steve? I don't want you in hot water either." "It's perfectly legal," Steve said. "What we're doing is making sure that whoever wants what they think you're worth to find out quickly that you aren't worth a damn thing!" "Okay, thanks, Steve." "I'll be waiting at the police department for you. I don't want you to make any statements or volunteer any information until I get there. While you're covering your personal assets, I'll see about finding you a good defense attorney - now go!" Todd hung up and looked at the ladies in the kitchen. Ami and Cara were openly crying, and Laura was struggling not to let the tears win the battle. Kelly was the only one who was calm and collected. "I understand what you need done at the bank, Todd. I'll be your co-signer and take possession of your accounts for collateral if you want." "Thanks, Kelly. We need to get moving." "But why do you have to go to jail?" wailed Laura, finally letting the tears win. "Who could be so mean and spiteful?" Todd set his chin and his eyes darkened. "There's only two people that I know would rather see me in jail than happy," he said. "But I thought they were totally out of my life." Todd reached for Laura and hugged her and kissed her. "I need you to be strong, Baby - strong for Ami and Cara and especially Kelly." He looked at Kelly. "She's strong in the crunch, aren't you, Honey?" he said smiling at his long-time partner. "But we don't know how long this is going to take, and you've all got to be strong for the company picnic this weekend. Can't let a little thing like jail stop the party can we?" "Who's coming along for the ride?" asked Kelly, suddenly standing up, then she jumped back in surprise as the back door opened. ------- Gloria walked in, her keys still in her hand. "Don't mind me none. You go for yer ride. I just make me coffee and see to the groceries." "Gloria!" Laura said in a bit louder than normal tone, "Todd's going to jail!" 'G' calmly reached into her purse and pulled out a toothbrush, obviously brand new, still sealed in cellophane. "Not so far den. Be back soon, Mister Todd." Todd started to laugh, took the offered toothbrush, and kissed 'G' on the cheek. "Keep it real for the girls, Gloria," he said. Somehow the simple gesture of an offered toothbrush reassured Todd that his decision to stay and fight was the right one. The bank kept trying to insist that Todd's credit was good enough that he didn't need to put his personal accounts on hold as collateral. It took longer than expected to convince the bank that this was needed as Todd did not want to disclose the fact that he was waiting to be taken to jail. Todd knew that any attempts at his assets would be a civil matter, not a criminal matter, and protecting himself was just common sense. He had no problems parting with his money for any good cause, but no one - absolutely no one - was going to take it from him. ------- They made it to the studio with enough time for Todd to share some physical affection with Kelly and Laura after they had filled Robert in on what was happening. Todd encouraged Ami to continue taking pictures and to feel free to use the Hasselblad. He asked Cara to make sure that Kelly wasn't tense at night and told her that he was depending on her for the baby's sake. Ironically, CrossTrain chose that morning to pick up their equipment, and things were a bit busy as the uneven bars and the balance beam got taken apart and loaded into the truck. As expected, the drivers had instructions to leave the tumbling mat, and they were just finishing up when the CMPD cruiser pulled up. Harry was totally shocked to find that Todd was there and wearing a wry grin. "I'm sorry, Todd," Harry said as he presented the legal papers. "Theodor Vanden Ayres, under order of Judge Ernest Richardson, I am placing you under arrest for Grand Theft and Evasion of Prosecution, to be held in custody, without bail, until such time that a court decides on your extradition to the custody of the Akron Ohio Police Department." "Don't let the practices stop," Todd told Robert. "Move the equipment over to the big bay and have them work at it. I'd love to hear them sing at the company picnic." "Let's hope that you're there to hear them," Robert said quietly. "No worries, Bobby. The visual arts department from UNCC is going to tape the entire party. One way or another, I'll see it." Then, after giving Ami and Cara a hug and Kelly and Laura a kiss and hug, Todd lifted his hands in front of him so that Harry could put the cuffs on him. Todd was still holding onto 'G's' toothbrush in his right hand and had to tell Harry to tighten the cuffs a bit because he thought they might fall right off. From his 'car for sale' hideout on the corner of the Hutchison-McDonald road, Little Joe Johnson watched in amazement as Todd, in handcuffs, was gently eased into the back seat of the cruiser by two police officers who were supposed to be his friends. Joe couldn't prevent the arrest, but he sure as hell could notify someone who was willing to pay his boss a stiff price for an eye to be kept on Ayers. He flipped open his cell phone and dialed the office. "Johnson, Joe, let me talk to the boss." ------- Kelly and Laura headed right over to the central station to meet Steve and to pass over the check the bank had issued Todd for his loan. Steve said he would just deposit it in the law firm account. He was still looking for an experienced criminal lawyer, but with the courts basically closed for the summer months, many lawyers were on vacation as well. "At least we should be able to make his bail," Steve said. "He's being held without bail, Steve," Kelly said. "Something about being held for extradition to Ohio." "What?" asked Steve. "This can't be right. Todd's not a flight risk." "That was the second part of the charge," Laura added. "He's here evading prosecution in Ohio or some bullshit thing like that. Shouldn't you be in there doing something?" "They'll fingerprint him and take his pictures first," said Steve. "You girls might as well go home. He won't be allowed visitors for a while anyway. I'll let you know the minute you can see him. Someone should go back to the studio and wait for the vultures to show up. I'm positive this is just a money grab, and that's something I can handle. I need you to call me the minute a bailiff shows up with a seizure warrant." Reluctantly, Kelly and Laura left, and Steve walked into the station. He might not be a criminal lawyer, but he was sure going to argue for protective custody of his client and friend. Steve needn't have worried though. ------- Todd had remained cool and calm during the ride to the station. He knew that until a hearing took place, he wasn't going to be transferred anywhere but would be spending time in the temporary lockup here at the station. Harry and Lew had made sure the rear parking lot was empty of any reporters who might be loitering in the hopes of something interesting showing up at the station. From the cruiser, Todd was gently but quickly led inside where for some reason a minimum staff was working. The fingerprint ink was a pain to remove, but Lew handed him some special lotion and allowed him to wash up. Regulations required that he change into the formless, standard-issue orange jumpsuit, but the one he was handed seemed brand new and, oddly, exactly his size. He had smiled at Harry and Lew, the latter mentioning it seemed a fair trade for providing them with their own new suits. When Lew started to apologize, Todd just shook his head and told them he totally understood that they were doing their jobs - and probably against their will - but he was thankful that it had been they who'd brought him in. "Why didn't you bail, Todd?" asked Harry. "There're a lot of reasons, Harry. First, you're Laura's father. I can't have you thinking that she's spending her time with a criminal. My running would, if not admit outright, at least point to guilt I don't have. Second, you're giving up your house and your job based on promises Kelly and I made to your family about a better future. Wouldn't be much better if it turned out the property was owned by a convicted felon now would it? That I could get convicted is somewhat more likely if I had run, or at the very least, it would lengthen - possibly tremendously - the process of proving me innocent." "And, Lew," Todd said turning to the other officer, "You're Laura's godfather, and you and Sally are moving into 'Muriel's Place' as well. Kelly knows me and knows this is just some money-grab scam. Laura wants to believe that I am who she sees and feels, but I need to prove to her that her faith is founded in love, trust, and honesty." "The law and I might not always agree," continued Todd, "but I've never broken it. I might bend a few that I don't feel are just, like my taste in beer, but I've never lost a minute of sleep worrying about anything I've ever done might have hurt anyone or given anyone a reason to want to see me locked away - because it simply has not happened. I'd have to say that I am exactly what you see. Part of my business reputation is built on that." "And you've never done anything illegal in Ohio?" Lew asked. Todd laughed. "I've been in a lot of places Lew, but for the life of me, I can't remember even ever having driven through Ohio. I did all of my sports photography in the New England states, and when I left that to do fashion photography, it was either in New York, LA, or out of the country. Ohio isn't exactly known as a fashion capital." "We've obviously talked about it, Todd," said Harry. "We don't believe you're a criminal on the run. Hell, if you were on the run, the last thing you'd want to do is settle down in Charlotte for as long as you have, and though we didn't know a lot about you, we did know a lot about the charitable contributions you were making. Damn... a lot of them you made through the department. Not exactly a way of keeping under the radar now is it?" "I wasn't looking for recognition, Harry," Todd said. "But I wasn't hiding either. You don't go teaching at the UNCC if you want to hide out." "But you could have left," said Lew. "Once you knew where the problem was coming from, you could have used your resources to fight it on your own terms. Now you've got to defend yourself here and from behind bars." "This is my home now, Lew. If not here, where? If not now, when? My family, my friends, my life, are all here, in Charlotte." Lew shook his head. If Todd Ayres wasn't just being naive, he was either the most innocent person ever put behind bars or the most convincing con artist on the planet. Lew was willing to bet his 30 years as a cop that Todd, or Theodor - or whatever his name might be - was the man least likely to ever make anyone's list as even a wanna-be con artist. ------- Steve was upset to find Todd drinking coffee with the arresting officers and talking about the plans for the daughters of one of the cops to be singing at the opening of the TKO company picnic. "I specifically asked you not to say anything to the police until I was here to answer for you," Steve said with frustration. "Relax, Steve," said Todd. "They haven't asked me a single question about the charges, in fact, I don't think they know any more about it than I do right now." Harry coughed discreetly. "Uhm, actually, we spoke to a duty sergeant in Akron just yesterday, Todd. He was surprised that you even existed and said that nearly ten years ago, there was a complaint of theft filed against a Theodor Vanden Ayres by Theodor's birth father. According to the officer we spoke to, the statute of limitations had run out on it, but they had never bothered to follow up on the charge in the first place since they had no record of a Theodor, much less of him ever having lived with his parents. Given that you are this Theodor, you were never registered with an Ohio school district or university, and you had never filed any tax papers in Ohio. They were actually surprised that you even existed." Steve fell back into a chair. Though he didn't practice criminal law, he knew that officers would not likely be giving away this kind of information without some serious motivation. He made a mental note to contact the Akron PD and confirm this story. Todd sighed. "Well, remind me to look surprised next Tuesday," he said without mirth. "No matter how far or how long it took, my past caught up to me." Steve instantly sat upright. "Todd, I advise you to admit to nothing and to say nothing that might incriminate you." Todd attempted to smile at Steve. "Incriminate myself, Steve? By admitting I have parents?" "Are you sure this is your parents' doing?" asked Steve. Harry looked at Todd with sympathy. "His parents might have found a loophole in the law which explains why the ambulance chasing firm of Langstaff and Associates are involved in all this," he said. "Which loophole?" Steve asked, wondering if the officers would give him more ammunition with which to fight for Todd's rights. "The Evasion of Prosecution," said Harry, knowing full well that Steve would be memorizing everything he said. "If the Akron PD never tried to actively find Todd, then the charge - even if it was a legitimate one - would have expired under the Statute of Limitations. "Todd could not be avoiding prosecution if he was never aware of the charge in the first place." "Just in case anybody missed that," said Lew, "the Akron PD never bothered to try and find Todd. Therefore, Todd could not be avoiding prosecution. We have no idea what was allegedly stolen, and this might be prove to be a problem for Todd, but whoever it was in Ohio that signed for this additional charge to go ahead is assuming that Todd has been hiding from the Akron PD. Since he didn't have any idea that they were looking for him, he couldn't have been hiding." "Then why the warning?" asked Todd, obviously confused. "We're officers of the law," said Harry. "No matter how much we like you, we're sworn to uphold the law even if we think it's wrong. It's kind of like what you said earlier. We won't break the law, but we can bend a little. Hell, we don't want to throw you in jail. We'd rather you took the fight to them when you were ready, but we didn't know they were this close to moving on you. Then you went and said what you did about Laura and about this being your town and your friends living here. Even if we have to put you in jail, there's no law saying we can't be on your side and help you as much as possible." "You've been an asset to Charlotte, Todd," said Lew. "We know that there's always an elected official who can be persuaded," Lew made the thumb-rubbing-fingers gesture indicating money, "to turn a blind eye and make some gray area look like a black and white issue. I don't think either Harry or me realized just what kind of person you were until we found you ready and waiting for us to pick you up. Nobody with a guilty conscience would do that. The problem is, you might be here for a long time doing what you think is the right thing." Steve was about to ask why they were still socializing, instead of putting Todd in a cell, when his cell phone rang. Flipping the unit open, he listened and then laughed. "I'll be there as soon as I can, Kelly," he said then hung up. "Sorry gentlemen," he said. "I trust you'll take good care of my client?" It was a needless question. Steve could see that the two officers were not happy having to lock Todd up. "What's up, Steve?" Todd asked. "The vultures have landed," he replied with a smirk. "They just tried to shut down the studio and lock the assets." Turning to Lew and Harry, he said, "Somebody in booking is collecting tip-off money. They wouldn't have started trying to seize Todd's assets until they were sure he had been arrested." "Fuck," was all that Lew could say. "Not much we can do about it now," said Harry, "though I'll put a call into Internal Affairs and let them know. I hate dirty cops." Todd could understand Harry's anger. Someone else on the take while Harry had struggled for years on an honest salary would not sit well with him. Almost certainly that dirty extra income could have been put to good use. Harry had stayed clean and owed no favors to anyone as a result of taking bribes to look the other way. "Is it going to be okay, Steve?" Todd asked. Steve smiled. "The business is going to be fine. It's a stand-alone from which you and Kelly can disperse funds mutually or to pay your employees, but any sale or disposal of equipment requires both of you to sign. If they try to pierce the corporate veil, I can keep them tied up in court for years. I think they were looking for a quick cash grab. Right now, you aren't working, so you'll have no income from the business. With your retainer fee, and never having bought any personal real estate, you are on the verge of being insolvent." Steve allowed himself a laugh. "If they thought this was going to make somebody rich, I'm afraid they missed the boat. Incorporating the business is just words, thinner than a bride's veil, that corporate veil analogy I just referred to, but piercing it - getting into and past the corporation to your assets - would set hairy legal precedents nationally and simply isn't going to happen." Todd settled back in his chair with a sigh of relief. "Keep them honest, Steve," he said as they shook hands. ------- Chapter 35B If not for the fact that Todd was in jail, Kelly would have laughed at the hired legal guns parked on the street. They had arrived with a bailiff and a seizure order for all the property and assets in the name of Todd Ayres. Being a business major herself, Kelly laughed when the documents were presented and told the bailiff that the property they were standing on did not belong to Todd but to TKO. The two suits from the North had sputtered that Todd owned TKO, to which Kelly had just laughed. The bailiff, already paid for his work, just shrugged and asked if Kelly could prove this. Stating that she most certainly could, if required, he had apologized and left. The suits had remained, threatening that perjury to an officer of the court could result in jail time and demanding to be let inside so they could take inventory. Kelly had refused and called Steve after pointedly closing the door. The suits had insisted on leaning on the door bell, until five minutes later, Robert had come out and explained in no polite terms that they were trespassing and interfering with the normal operation of business. He had ordered them off the property and said he would be contacting the police department if the suits stepped foot on the property again. They ended up parked across the street fuming, one of them on the phone to Gerry Langstaff trying to explain the new twist. It hadn't taken much effort on Gerry's part to find out where Todd did his banking business. A couple of secretaries working from Cleveland had handled this task. Calling every bank and financial institute in Charlotte had ended with the almost certain knowledge that Todd only used the one bank. It had cost Gerry two more donations to Judge Richardson to get the papers signed to seize Vanden Ayres' property and bank assets. He hoped the roadblock to seizing the business would be temporary and that he would be able to search the books to find all of Vanden Ayres' holdings. In another twist of fate, Gerry Langstaff had arrived in Charlotte and booked himself and his team into the same Holiday Inn that Joe Johnson was staying at, neither of them realizing the proximity of each other. ------- Dave Walker entered the room and stuck out his hand to Todd. "I'm really sorry we had to meet under these conditions, Todd. Is it okay if I call you Todd?" Todd smiled and shook the captain's hand. "I'd prefer it if you did," he said. "I'm sorry about the delay in getting you to a cell," said Dave, "But we're making a few changes to one of our larger cells." Todd's brows went up, but he said nothing. "Technically, we arrested you on behalf of the Akron PD, who it appears from my phone call to them this morning, don't want you in the first place. It seems that a judge in Cleveland is forcing this issue, and another judge down here was willing to provide you to them. You haven't done anything in Charlotte to warrant you being treated like a criminal, but we are supposed to hold you until either the Akron PD comes for you or until a judge orders your release." "In other words," Todd added, "somebody wanted me out of the way while they tried to seize everything I own." "On the surface that's exactly how it appears," said Dave. "I've already had a call from Bank of America regarding an attempt to freeze your accounts by two out-of-state lawyers. We might be a bit 'Southern' in our ways but we tend to look out for each other," continued Dave. "Damn," said Todd, glad he had followed Steve's advice and borrowed heavily against his own money. "I guess I beat the bullet on that one," he added with a chuckle. "Perhaps," said Dave. "Right now, I have two sleaze-bag lawyers pacing the halls, demanding to see you so they can serve you with papers. The funny thing is, I don't have to let anyone in to see you, and I can decide who gets to visit you." Todd couldn't help but laugh. By having him arrested, though the circumstances were fortuitous, his parents' lawyers had also cut off any chance to get at his assets. "So, if Akron doesn't want me," Todd asked, getting serious, "just how long will it take to see a judge about this?" "Depending on how available one is and how agreeable he is to hear the case, it could be as soon as tomorrow or you could be waiting for a month," said Dave. "But just to satisfy my own curiosity, and nothing you say in this office leaves this office," he said glancing at Lew and Harry, "did you really steal a family camera worth over five thousand dollars?" Todd nearly fell out of his chair, first in shock and then in laughter. "Is that my supposed crime?" and he burst out laughing again. "I know where this is coming from," he finally said as he regained some of his composure. "My 'father' used to say everything I had - even my ass - wasn't my own, that it all belonged to him, and that I was never to forget it. He never had any kind of real camera for as long as I lived with them. He used to buy disposable cameras when he went somewhere on vacation. Before I moved out of their house to attend college, I had bought my first real camera. It's the one Ami now uses for practice and on-location shoots. Complete with the flash and two extra lens, I'm pretty sure I spent just over two thousand on it. Hell, I even bought the case that I carry it in, and there should be a receipt for the entire kit right in the top of it. There's a small pocket where I used to store my lens cleaning papers, and I'm nearly positive that the receipt is still in there along with my customs papers for taking it back and forth out of the country. I bought all of it in Harrisburg just before I started my senior year in high school and took the camera with me to Harrisburg Community College before I transferred to New York State University. I'm surprised my 'father' even remembers me having a camera. He never paid much attention to what I did, only to the money I paid him for board each week. He kept pushing for me to quit high school and get a job," Todd sighed. "The only way that I could get him to let me finish was to pay board every week. I earned most of my money with a camera I borrowed from the photography club in school, but the summer of my last year, I had saved enough to buy myself the K-1000." A knock on the door interrupted them, and an officer said that Todd's cell was ready. Dave asked Todd to go with the officer and told him that he would be down to see him shortly. And, oh yes, unless Todd wanted otherwise, Dave would tell the two lawyers from Cleveland that visiting hours for Todd were on an approved basis only and that they were not yet approved. "Let them cool their heels upstairs waiting for my approval," said Dave with a mean glint in his eyes. After Todd left, Dave turned once again to Harry and Lew. "I know that I said nothing he said leaves this room, but Todd seems to have more friends than he realizes. I also received a call from a licensed investigator a while ago who claims that you can vouch for him, Lew. A Joe Johnson?" Lew nodded and was about to explain when Dave just held up his hand. "A real friend of Todd's would know how to clear this up in a hurry. I don't want Todd to have to spend more time than necessary in one of our holding cells. No matter how pretty we make it, it's still a cell." ------- "Fuck!" Gerry Langstaff was not having a good day. First he had run into a brick wall trying to seize TKO's assets, and it now looked like it would probably take months of courtroom time to get that problem unlocked, and then he had gotten the news about the personal bank accounts being frozen. And contrary to plan, it wasn't his people who'd done the freezing. Someone else had beaten him to it. What really pissed Gerry off was when his lawyers had presented the paperwork for disclosure on Ayres' accounts, they found he'd recently taken out a loan for just over three million dollars! Gerry knew then that Eddie's fumbling had cost him big time. Nobody, but nobody, got a cash loan for three million unless they were worth a lot more. Gerry was a greedy man, but not a stupid one. If the charges against Vanden Ayres were stronger, he would take the time for the fight, but he had known going in that the charges were weak to non-existent. It had been a good run. He had gotten his sister off his back by giving that worthless son of hers a job that had lasted the better part of a year, and Gerry had managed to make some money off the elder Vanden Ayres in the process. It should have been an easy swoop and grab, and Gerry could have collected his 30 percent without breaking a sweat. The problem was that Theodor Vanden Ayres had been smarter and quicker. Somebody else had probably also helped him protect his ass. Gerry was set to cut his losses and run. Vanden Ayres would stay in jail until some judge dismissed the charges, and Eddie would have to make the best of a public defender. Betsy and Adrian would have to pay the cost for the bribes to the judges and if they didn't, well they'd feel the full wrath and power of Langstaff and Associates. It was time to cut his losses, and though he regretted losing the potential windfall, Gerry didn't like to take on - much less continue - cases that would involve real work. He preferred to scare people into paying. Present a strong front, freeze their assets, and hound them with court delays and actions until they caved in. With a sigh, he called his assistants and told them to pack. They were closing the books on this one. He felt no remorse for Vanden Ayres, not even any for his own nephew, Eddie. Money was the only thing that interested Gerry, and there was none to be made in Charlotte. ------- Todd smiled even as the iron bars clanged shut behind him. The cell had obviously just been completely scrubbed and smelled clean, that hint of bleach still in the air. The stainless steel sink and toilet gleamed, and instead of a paper-thin mattress on a metal cot bolted to the wall, an obviously brand new single bed sat in a corner of the cell. Nothing fancy, but it would be infinitely more comfortable. The bedding felt new and the pillow was still wrapped in plastic. A portable privacy screen was folded beside the toilet, and Todd's street clothes, the ones he had on that morning, lay folded at the end of the bed. A radio stood on a small stand beside the bed along with a number of J.D. Robb novels. All the comforts of home, thought Todd. He removed the toothbrush he had received from Gloria and placed it on the stand, noting that someone else was also concerned about his dental hygiene as there was another brand new toothbrush sitting beside a new tube of toothpaste on the small stand above the sink. By the time Dave Walker made it downstairs to see how Todd had settled in, Todd had already changed into his own clothes. He didn't particularly care for the orange jumpsuit. "So, what's the deal with the first class accommodations?" Todd asked. Dave sighed. "It's far from first class, Todd, but it was the best I could arrange on short notice." "I didn't realize the police budget was so flexible," Todd said. "It's not," said Dave. "But I'll be damned if the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is going to treat one of the city's biggest contributors to Charlotte's underprivileged kids like a common criminal when you haven't broken any laws in our city!" Dave was clearly pissed off by the whole deal, so Todd didn't press the point. "Thanks for letting me wear my own clothes," he said instead. "Hell, Todd. We got the damn warrant, and we had to follow through on it. That meant sending somebody out to pick you up, and then you had to be there too." Todd understood that the delay in the execution of the warrant had to have come from higher than Harry or Lew would have dared to pull on their own. Now he knew where the order had come from. "We had to follow all the procedures for booking, which of course meant the jump suit, but hell, even weekend drunks don't have to wear them while they sleep off their binge. I'd like to have put a TV in your cell, but that would have required running cable. I do promise you that if you have to stay here more than a few days, I will personally run a cable from the roof down here!" Todd laughed. "Thanks, Dave. I can live without TV. I appreciate the books, though, and the radio." "Wait till you see the meals," Dave said with a smile. "Annie is making them up special for you. Since Bubba is on voluntary duty to the new unit, she can come and go without supervision. Of course, starting tomorrow, you can have whoever you want come to visit you. We do have to restrict visits to a room, but we won't stop anyone you want to see from bringing you anything. And we'll make sure that anyone from any law firm other than the ones you approve simply won't have access to you." "I appreciate all you're doing for me, Dave. Hopefully I won't be here long enough to start scratching dates in the wall." Dave Walker laughed, shook Todd's hand, and headed back to his office. ------- From their new office, Lew had found Joe's contact number at the Southside Holiday Inn. Lew also had Joe's cell number but had decided to try the hotel first. Joe had been busy entering his information into his laptop and was preparing to send it to his boss when Lew had called. When he heard about the possibility there was a bill of sale inside the camera bag and that the charges all stemmed from the possible theft of the camera, Joe got very excited. Enough so that he asked if he could stop by and get a copy of the charges. Lew said he had already run the papers through the photocopier in anticipation. "Joe," Lew said hesitantly. "I don't know who's paying your boss or what connections he has, but if that person had any clout in Ohio, and with the proof in hand that Todd has never been in Ohio, and the fact that the Akron PD isn't planning on coming down here to pick up Todd..." "I understand," said Joe. "If an official in Ohio overturned the charges, you'd have no reason to hold our friend." "Exactly," said Lew. ------- Four hours later, Joe Johnson was sitting in the offices of TKO sipping on mineral water as he examined the contents of the camera bag. He had already contacted the colleges in Harrisburg and New York and had fax copies of Todd's full time enrollment for the time he was supposedly living in Ohio. Todd had lived on campus at both schools and records showed him paying continuous rent on the dormitory rooms. All Joe had to do was prove the camera had been bought when and where Todd had claimed. Getting into the door at TKO had proven easier than expected considering the turmoil that had gone on. Until that afternoon, Joe had had no idea who the client was that had been paying for his services. When he had found out, he had let out a low whistle. He knew Regan boats. Had one himself that he used for fishing when he wasn't out of town working. Carefully, he lifted the cover, hoping that Todd's memory was correct. He slowly undid the zipper of the small pocket under the top and gently tugged out the papers. Ten years shouldn't make them fragile, but Joe wasn't taking any chances. He smiled with satisfaction when he read the receipt for the camera purchase. The name of the store and its location were all clearly legible along with the handwritten details and serial numbers for the flash, each of the lenses and the camera body. Hell, the warranty cards were still inside the case, at least the half the purchaser kept. Joe was already sure he had enough information to have the charges dropped, but the warranties would be further proof if required. You just don't travel to Pennsylvania to buy a camera if you were living in Ohio. Joe was glad when Robert had left to pick up Vanetta at the airport and taken Ami with him. She had not stopped crying since he had arrived, and while he understood her emotional state, he was much more in tune with Kelly's detached state. Joe knew that after the crisis passed, she would drop like a rock and sleep, but she had a personality trait he admired — courage under fire. Laura was strong, like her father, but not used to the legal wrangling involved. Joe hoped to meet Todd in person. From what he had been told after his arrival at TKO, and what he had heard from Sergeant Lew Weaver, Todd had been given the chance to make a run out of the city, knowing who was after him and what for. Instead, he had chosen to take a stand, making him a man, Joe thought, obviously stronger and more decent than the gene pool that had spawned him. Using the phone at the TKO offices, Joe called his boss on the West Coast and verified that the camera had been bought in Harrisburg and that college records showed that Todd had been in Pennsylvania and New York from the time he had finished high school through his graduation with honors from the Fine Arts department at NYU. Joe was a little ticked that information from Cleveland had been so slow getting to him about Langstaff heading to North Carolina. If he had known on Monday that Langstaff had left Ohio, Joe could have warned Todd. It ended up the local police had given Todd just as much warning as he could have. At the request of his boss, Joe was asked to stay at the TKO offices until he received further instructions. He had agreed and then proceeded to call around to the different hotels looking for Langstaff. Kelly and Laura and the one named Cara all pitched in. Laura was using her cell phone as was Kelly. Joe had told them to just ask for their Uncle Gerry who was supposed to be in town on business, and they started calling. Less than a half hour later, Cara, on a call to the Southside Holiday Inn, was informed that she had missed her 'uncle' by a few hours. He and his associates had already checked out. "He's decided to cut his losses," said Joe to the girls. "There's thin and then there's really thin. This charge was thinner than really thin, but I think they hoped to freeze all of Todd's finances and force him to pay out just to end the battle. I guess they didn't realize that Todd has good friends... and good partners," he added with a smile. Kelly had informed him of her and Todd's early morning run to the bank to liquidate his accounts. Laura was the one who said Joe looked familiar, but he assured her that they had never met. "But you've been watching us haven't you?" she asked. Joe nodded but was wary of divulging too much. "I could feel your presence," she said finally. "But it wasn't a bad feeling, so I didn't pay too much attention to it. Not like the other time when that man was caught by my uncle Lew." Joe was spared the need to explain his own spying on the group when Vanetta burst through the door. She was indignant and upset and sent Joe a look that made him feel glad he was on the side of the team out to save Todd. Kelly calmed Vanetta down and explained that the immediate threat was gone, and probably for good, but now they were working on getting Todd out of jail. ------- Todd, meanwhile had kept himself amused with one of the J.D. Robb novels while reclining on the bed provided. He was oblivious to all the activity going on to secure his release, but honestly felt inside that he had done the right thing. If his birth parents were willing to have him thrown in jail just to get at his money, then simply having his name changed would never be enough. He would make sure his will was iron tight and that neither his 'mother' nor his 'father' would have any room to maneuver on his estate should he die before them. He considered Chuck his father now, and got a bit misty eyed thinking of the strong role and presence that Chuck had brought into his life. Hopefully, he would get out soon enough to take a weekend off to spend with Chuck and Anna and his new sister, Deanna. He would do a family portrait of them that would rival anything he had ever done for an elected official or even the benefactors to the various charities he himself supported. Despite his childhood, Todd had survived and made something of his life. The money wasn't important to him, but he wasn't going to turn it over to greedy people who had no scruples or morals. Todd needed very little in the way of material things in his life. His cameras were just tools that he used to achieve an end, and that end was simply the happiness of doing the best he could at what he liked to do. Yes, he got money for it - good money - but, he spent nearly as much on worthy causes as he kept for himself, and the only real toy he had ever bought for himself was the Hummer. Sure, he had spent a small fortune on the rings for the girls he loved, but again, that wasn't out of a personal need but rather to show Kelly and Laura how much he loved both of them. He sighed once more and had just turned back to his novel when a sudden sharp bark made him jump. ------- Annie hadn't been pleased when Dave had called her and told her that he had no choice but to bring Todd in to wait for extradition to Ohio. She was about to fly into him about arresting law abiding citizens when he told her who had signed the arrest warrant. "Damn his miserable hide," Annie had hissed. "I'll bet there was some kickback for Richardson in this to make him take the time." "I didn't want there to be any secrets between us, Annie," Dave explained. He went on to tell her that he had given Todd a chance to leave the city, but that Todd had decided to fight the battle brought to him. Annie decided right then and there that her initial feelings about Todd had been correct, and made no bones about saying so. "He's got spunk if not brains," she said. "Harry warned me to get Bubba out of town when Richardson turned his sights on me. I didn't listen and it nearly cost Bubba his life. I might not have shown my appreciation for the extra effort you and the boys put in to save Bubba," she patted Bubba, his head resting in her lap, "but I know you went to bat for me. I'm hopin' you're doin' the same for Todd." Dave explained how he had converted the largest holding cell into a temporary oasis, and Annie laughed. Then he hit her with the real reason he was calling. "What ever it costs, Annie, I'll pay it," Dave said. I don't want him eating jail food while he's waiting for what happens next," Annie shook her head for a moment trying to fathom what Dave had just said, then her heart softening said, "No worries about the cost, Dave. "I cater so many jobs now that it won't be anything to keep a few meals aside, I almost always have leftovers anyway. As long as I don't have to be strip searched every time I get to the jail." Dave laughed and promised her if that was necessary, he would do the search himself, and she laughed again. "I'll bring a meal over for him in a while and arrange to get to the jail early in the mornin' and drop off breakfast for him and leave him a boxed lunch. Maybe I can get Jacob to bake a file in his brownies," she said, laughing, then turned serious. "Am I going to see you tonight?" She asked. "The only thing that could keep me away would be you telling me that you're tired of seeing me, my darling Annie." "Ain't gonna happen," she said. Sighing with happiness, Annie hung up the phone. ------- "So I hear you're some kind of big-time criminal these days," Annie said to Todd, though the smile in her eyes took the sting out of her words. Todd smiled back at her and said, "I see you're using the make-up. You must still be on that big date." "Yeah, whatever," though Annie had the courtesy to blush before she berated him for speculating about her love life. Annie had brought prime rib and broiled potatoes along with steamed broccoli, and thermos of sweet tea. "What?" asked Todd, feigning surprise. "No wine?" Annie huffed with a loud "pffffft" noise then laughed, "Don't push your luck buster," she grinned and then asked him if he was trying to turn his cell back into the drunk tank. Todd laughed back, both of them knowing that Dave had already bent so many rules that, if word got out, there might be a formal investigation. Todd hoped he wouldn't be behind bars long enough to get Dave into trouble. The officer who had accompanied Annie and Bubba and opened the door to let her deliver his food had left once she was back out of the cell and made sure the door between Todd and Annie and Bubba was again locked. A reminder to Todd that while he had good food and very good accommodations considering the circumstances, he was still behind bars and his freedom was very limited. Todd thanked Annie for all the trouble she had gone to and rubbed Bubba's head through the bars, and then he was alone with his thoughts again. Todd wondered how Kelly and Laura were doing and remembered that Vanetta was on her way back from San Francisco. He knew that Kelly would hold up through the company picnic. Rebel Heart was a hell of a band, and Todd had fond memories of his night with Kelly and Laura on the boat restaurant at Brookhaven, listening and dancing to their music. Shortly after nine, a guard came to Todd's cell. "Mr. Ayres? There's a phone call for you from a Mr. Regan. Do you want to accept the call?" After saying he would most certainly take the call, Todd wondered how Chuck had known where he was and how he had managed to call in. Either way, Todd was happy to take the call from his adopted father. Todd sat down and was handed the phone. "Hello? Chuck?" "Hello, son. How are you holding up?" Chuck asked gently. "They're making it easy on me, Chuck," Todd told him, "but I don't know how long I'll be here before somebody from Ohio comes to get me." "Todd, did you think I would sit idly by and let somebody snatch you from your home and your lovely ladies, one of whom is going to present me with a new grandchild?" "I don't see much anybody can do about it," sighed Todd. "They've tried to move on my assets, and I think I'm pretty secure there, but a lot of it depends now on how long I have to wait to see a judge. August isn't the best month for a court appearance according to what I've been told." "Do you trust me, Todd?" asked Chuck. "Totally, Chuck," said Todd, "though I can't see what anybody can do about this situation. Will you keep an eye on Kelly and Laura for me this weekend? You are still coming up aren't you?" Chuck wanted to cry. He could hear the desperation in Todd's voice. Not surprisingly, the young man he had taken to his heart as his son was more concerned about others than himself. "Todd," he managed to say finally, "you just have faith. I've got a few more calls to make tonight, but I'll be damned if you go to Ohio unless you want to go. Nobody is going to force you to go. As for Kelly and Laura, don't you worry. I'll be calling them next, and yes, I will be there at the picnic, as will Deanna and Anna. Brenda and Amanda are coming up with us. We'll see you there. I'd say don't go anywhere, but that would be a real lousy pun, so I'll just say hold on tight and have faith." "Thanks, Chuck. I'll do my best." Chuck whispered goodbye and hung up. ------- Vanetta was fuming. Who was this stranger who had moved into the studio and had Kelly and Laura calmed down? Didn't he realize that Todd was in jail? Ami was still visibly upset. People couldn't just come and take someone like Todd away. That's not how you rewarded someone as decent and loving as Todd. Joe said to Vanetta, "I'm on your side. The man who hired me is going to be calling me here with more information and instructions as to what to do with the data I've collected on his behalf." "I'd like to talk to talk to this man," said Vanetta, but Joe hadn't been told he was allowed to divulge who had paid for the surveillance. Joe was saved from this crisis by the phone ringing. Vanetta, who was still standing, snatched the phone from the cradle. "TKO, Vanetta speaking," she said. After listening a minute her scowl disappeared and a small smile appeared on her lips. "Sure, Chuck," she said. "Hold on a minute and I'll patch her through." "Kelly," she said, "Chuck Regan would like to talk to you!" Kelly rushed to the phone and started to tell Chuck that Todd was in jail when he interrupted her and said he had just finished talking to Todd. "You did?" Kelly asked incredulously. "Yes, I did, Kelly. He asked me to pass on his love to you and Laura and for you not to worry." "But, Chuck, how can I not worry. We've got this private investigator sitting here in the studio with all kinds of paperwork but no answers." "I know, Dear," said Chuck. "I'd love to talk with you longer, but it really is necessary for me to talk to Mr. Johnson now. I'll see you on Friday and we'll get a chance to catch up then." "He works for you?" asked Kelly, not believing her ears. "The company he works for has been watching out for all of you for a while, at my request," said Chuck. "If I can talk to him for a minute, we'll see if we can't get Todd home in time for the picnic." As Joe had expected, Kelly finally broke down and started to cry as she waved him over to take the phone. "Yes, Sir," said Joe as he took the phone. "Thank you for your efforts, Mr. Johnson. All I need for you to do now is to take all the documents to Mr. Ayres' business lawyer and have legal notarized copies made of everything and delivered via whatever method you think is most secure to Sandusky, Ohio, by tomorrow morning. Can I count on you for this?" "Yes, Sir. I'll handle this myself if you'll just give me a contact name and address." "Thank you, Mr. Johnson. I need the papers delivered to Mr. Russell Garrett at Garrett Boating in Sandusky. He will be expecting you. You can get detailed directions when you arrive in Sandusky by calling 555-625-8899." "I'm on my way, Sir." ------- Wednesday morning, Ohio governor, Bob Taft, woke up to a phone that wouldn't stop ringing. He was upset as he was supposed to be on vacation with his family, and very few people had the number to the private cottage he was using on the lake. It had better be something damn important. Ohio was, like a number of other states, situated on the Great Lakes and a popular tourist destination, especially with boaters. Chuck was counting on that. He didn't know the governor personally but knew many of his supporters. In business, which way you bent politically didn't mean a thing. Not when one of the largest suppliers of pleasure boats started calling in favors. The owner of the largest boat dealership in Sandusky, who sold a great number of Regan boats, was a personal friend of the governor's and a big supporter. He relayed to Governor Bob Taft all the information that Chuck had made available to him. The governor listened and thought carefully before he answered. This seemed like such a trivial matter and should be left to the courts, but if, just if, this information was correct, then an innocent man was sitting in a jail cell in Charlotte, and the young man had some powerful friends. "If you can prove this camera was purchased in Pennsylvania," the governor said, "and you can prove this young man lived there at the time of the alleged theft, I'll sign the damn papers myself." "That's all I needed to hear, Bob," said Russell Garrett. "Chuck Regan already provided the proof." "Fine, then, Russell. Get it to my office and I'll sign them on Monday when I get back to the office." "No need to wait that long, Bob," said Russell in a more persuasive voice. "I can bring all the paperwork to you this afternoon. How about I stop by the cottage myself and you can sign it right there and then you can call the Akron PD and tell them yourself." Bob realized this wasn't just a request from his friend and supporter and knowing that it would take more time to argue than to sign the damn papers and make the call, he put the charm back in his voice. "Sure Russell. I'll have the beer chilling in the refrigerator, if you're not in a rush, and I'll have the state troopers rush the paperwork over to Akron. How does that sound?" "That sounds like a man of action who deserves to be in public office," said Russell. I'll see you around two. Then you can lie to me about all the big fish you've been pulling out of the lake from in front of my cottage." At four o'clock, the man charged as Theodor Vanden Ayres walked out of the CMPD a free man, with a clear record, ready to start his life again as the person he had made himself into. Todd Ayers — photographer, lover and partner to two beautiful women, and a father to be. As far as he was concerned, he was an orphan who had been lucky enough to find a father substitute in Chuck Regan. Betsy and Adrian never did see their son again, nor either of his wives or their grandchildren. Eddie Labadie was charged and found guilty of stalking and possession of a concealed weapon. His mother was the only one at his trial. He was sentenced to 7 years. ------- Chapter 36 Saturday morning came early. For some, Saturday morning had started Friday night. As it did for Annie, Jacob and a pig named Allen. A Special Feature by: Dream Painter CAROWINDS PARK (The afternoon before the picnic) The afternoon before the picnic, Annie and Jacob were reviewing their lists. "I just don't see anyway around it, Jacob; you have to stay here tonight." "Mizz Annie, I don' wanna stay up at your place, and I ain't driven no car in so long I don't remember," replied Jacob. "You wanna stay at the park and baby-sit Allen all night?" Annie said referring to the dressed and scraped pig laying atop the prep table and giving it a sound slap on its rear end. She had named it after her ex-husband. "Damn, it's gonna be fun slicing this sucker up!" She giggled. "Okay now, let's see... all the charcoal on the trailer?" "Yes 'm," replied Jacob. "The folding tables?" Annie asked "Yes 'm," replied Jacob nodding. "I called the park and Ranger Bob agreed to have 37 tables at the site near the pavilion. I think that's where they plan to have the entertainment. Alrighty then, let's wrap Allen in a sheet and get this show on the road. It's gonna be a bitch getting this pig on the rotisserie. "Yazz 'm it sho is," Jacob agreed. Together they wrestled the pig into the back of the Bronco, Bubba supervising. Then Annie backed the vehicle up to the trailer where the enormous grill was already locked into place. Annie had planned to leave the grill on the trailer while Allen the pig turned on the spit. They had already packed the Bronco with many of the necessary supplies, a roll of butcher paper, a yard-type lounge chair, blanket, a five-gallon bucket of Carolina bar-b-que sauce and basting mop, as well as oven mitts, aprons, and the all-important cooler of water. With all the gear loaded and Annie, Jacob, and Allen the pig on board, there was barely any room for Bubba. After arriving at Carowinds, Jacob pulled the three long folding tables from the trailer and set them up while Annie put cinder blocks under the tongue of the trailer. Together, they filled the lower portion of the five-foot-long grill with charcoal, then doused the briquettes with lighter fluid. Two hours later, Allen the pig was slowly turning on the chain-driven, motorized spit. Jacob and Annie were sitting at one of the picnic tables trying to catch their breath while Bubba chased a butterfly. "Okay, on the next trip, I'll pick up the tablecloths, the luminaries, and the plates and flat wear." Annie puffed. She hated using plastic and paper, but it was a picnic after all. At least she had managed to match the pantone colors of the TKO logo. "Tomorrow, when you come, bring the rest of the food that's in the fridges. You have to bake the rolls and brownies first thing in the morning, okay? Then, after you get here, I'll run home and shower. See? It'll be a piece of cake!" Jacob gave his boss a doubtful gaze. Annie grabbed the keys and headed towards the Bronco, "Come on, Bubba!" She called to the shepherd, "Jacob, go ahead and start bleaching these picnic tables. I wonder where the other caterer is?" Bubba bounced into the Bronco, his head hanging out the passenger side window as Annie waved goodbye to Jacob. ------- Annie had insisted Jacob stay at the apartment for two reasons. One, Jacob had to finish putting together the baked beans and brownies, and two, because she was leaving a little surprise for him. Entering her apartment, she grabbed some linens from the linen closet and made up the sofa for Jacob. Then she replaced the soap in the shower with something less flowery and laid out a fresh bath towel. Finally Annie laid out a brand new, brightly colored Hawaiian shirt for Jacob to wear to the picnic. She hoped he would take the none-too-subtle hint. Annie had put a lot of thought into the picnic. Drawing from her less-used marketing skills, and since the other caterer was no where to be seen, she felt free to set up her area as she saw fit. It was to be a simple buffet, so everyone could serve themselves slices of Allen the pig and the roasted corn from the far end. Jacob and Annie could lop of pieces of pork or a slab of ribs and urge an ear of roasted or boiled corn on the guests as they passed through the line. She sat at her computer and printed out 40 copies of the menu for the tables she had staked out: WELCOME To the TKO Company Picnic Menu Cold Slaw Potato Salad Roasted Pig Baby Back Ribs Baked Beans Corn on the Cob (Roasted or Boiled) Rolls And... Jacob's Famous Sinful Brownies Each table would have a centerpiece with a lighted citronella candle to keep the mosquitoes down, nested in a colorful paper bag. "Attractive yet functional, dat's the ticket!" Annie thought to herself as she gathered the tablecloths and flatware. After filling the Bronco, she was off again and back to Carowinds. ------- "Mizz Annie, you can't stay here all night by yo-self," said Jacob as he pulled silks off the last ear of corn. The sun was just setting over Carowinds. "Well that's what I'm gonna do. Besides, I wouldn't ask you to do something I wouldn't do myself," replied Annie. "Who'll look after Allen the pig?" (she was really enjoying that reference). "What if the chain on that rotisserie breaks or the motor coughs up a hairball? The whole picnic will be ruined... anyhow, Bubba will be here with me. He'll protect me, won'tcha Bubba?" Annie patted the dog on the head. "It ain't right," Jacob shook his head, "it jest ain't right." But Jacob knew better than to try to talk Annie out of something she had set her mind on doing. "Now you're going to drive the truck back to the shop, turn the ribs we left in the sauce, mix up the beans, and set out the dough for the rolls. Then tomorrow, all you have to do is go downstairs and bake the rolls and brownies. I've already made up the couch for you," Annie tried to gently explain. "... but what if I gets a ticket, Mizz Annie?" Jacob asked in genuine concern. "As long as you're careful you won't get a ticket! Hell, half the Charlotte police force will be eating dinner right here tomorrow night. We'll just find someone fix it! It will be all right, Jacob, I promise," Annie assured the old man. "Mizz Annie, has I ever told you that you is stubborn?" Jacob asked. "Not today," replied Annie trying hard not to giggle as she handed Jacob the keys to the rusty old Bronco, "Just remember to keep the shiny side up." "What shiny side?" Jacob asked with a mischievous grin looking at the old rusty-colored Bronco. Annie shook her head as the vehicle grumbled down the road. Bubba looked up at her, his eyes raised in confusion. "It's okay, Bubba," Annie reassured the shepherd. She leaned down to scratch him behind the ears. Annie unfolded the lounge chair and settled in for the evening, occasionally rising to baste Allen the pig. ------- At the sound of the stick breaking, Annie's eyes snapped opened. The only light in the area was the glow of the coals as they burned under Allen. She could sense Bubba's muscles tensing as he remained laying next to her, followed by his low guttural growl. "I wouldn't come much closer if I were you," Annie said calmly. "Oh, I won't," replied the voice coming from behind her in the dark, "That's a handsome animal you have there." "The dog or the pig?" asked Annie sarcastically not bothering to turn to see the person speaking behind her. "If you're looking for food, the pig won't be ready until tomorrow." Bubba emitted another long, low growl. "I was looking for the TKO site," said the voice. "You've found it." Annie said. "So I have," said the disembodied voice. Bubba's ears seemed to droop as they both heard the footsteps growing fainter, and he laid his head back on his paw. Strangely enough, the whole event had not put Annie on edge. While she didn't recognize the distinctly male voice behind her, she sensed no malice in his words or manner of speech. Watching the pig turn over and over again on the spit lulled her back into a deep sleep. ------- (Six months after arriving in Charlotte) Annie was admiring the three shiny chrome commercial ovens that had just been installed in the kitchen. She was dancing around her kitchen, opening and closing the doors on the ovens excitedly after the four gorillas that handled the installation had left. Annie was still jazzed when the phone rang. "Hello?" Annie said happily as she and the Bubba-pup danced around the kitchen "Hey, Annie, it's me... Allen," said the voice on the other end. The dancing came to an abrupt halt as Annie froze in her tracks. "Al... Allen?" Annie stammered. "Yeah, hey, how are you?" Annie's former husband asked. "I'm okay. What's up?" Annie spoke as her heart fluttered nervously. "Listen Annie, you know the divorce was final last week, right?" He asked. Annie could feel her cheeks turning flaming up fiery red. A flood of memories came rushing back to her, and she sensed from the familiar tone in his voice that Allen wanted something. How dare he spoil her day? "I've been busy, Allen, I guess it slipped my mind." "Annie, I need for you to sign some papers and get them back to me." Allen, too, had sensed a weakness in her veneer. He knew by the tone in her voice she was shocked to hear from him. Annie wasn't going to let him get the upper hand, not by a long shot. "Allen, I thought I signed all the papers before the divorce was final." Her hands were shaking as she spoke to him. "They aren't those kind of papers Annie," there was a pause, "Annie, I'm getting married in two weeks." Annie emitted a sarcastic chuckle, "My, Allen, I always said you were speedy." She felt as thought her heart was going to leap through her throat. "What's the big rush Allen, is she pregnant?" The tone of Allen's voice dropped a couple of degrees, and there was a decided edge to his voice. Slowly he said, "Yes, she is." Annie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Suddenly she felt as though someone had punched her hard in her stomach. "Well when is the blessed event?" She dropped all pretense of happiness. "Two months. She wants to get married in the church, Annie. She wants the baby christened in the church. We can't do that if you don't sign annulment papers. It's important to her." Annie had already done the math. Allen's new baby was conceived before she had even left Phoenix. "Important to her? Well la-dee-fucking-dah." She felt her anger spilling over, "Forget it Allen. Don't even waste the stamp. I won't sign your fucking papers. I won't say that the last 15 years of my life was a sham. I won't say that the birth of our daughter was a mistake. No, Allen, no fucking way!" "Hey, it's only a formality. What difference does it make to you anyway?" Allen's words were cut short as Annie slammed the receiver into its cradle. Leaning hard against the wall she felt her knees growing weak. Annie slid down against the wall down to the floor. Bubba pup licked the tears from her cheeks. ------- (... meanwhile, back at Carowinds Park) That's how Annie was awakened; only Bubba was no longer a gangly 6-month-old puppy but a fully-grown German shepherd dog. "Jeeeze, Bubba," Annie moaned opening her eyes, "Enough!" as the GSD lapped at her face. Annie got the message loud and clear, it was time to wake the hell up! She slowly opened her eyes then closed them tightly as the bright light of early morning flooded her vision. Annie slowly rose from the lounge chair to stretch. She felt as though all the muscles in her body were aching as she stood - then looked down at her watch, "7:40! Damn, Bubba, we slept in!" "God, I hope Jacob brings some coffee," she moaned as she glanced over at Allen the pig. Through the night, the pig's skin had turned a soft golden ochre colored, and clear juices were hissing as they dripped onto the glowing coals. Annie gave the pig another swipe with the basting mop as she smiled to herself. Just by looking at the color, smelling the aroma of the roasting pork, and the way the meat was hanging on the bone, she could tell this pig roast was going to be an undeniable success. Minutes later, Annie and Bubba could both hear the all-too-familiar pinging of the engine of Annie's Bronco. Annie sighed happily as she looked up to see Jacob smiling behind the wheel. Annie could tell by the low-riding rear end of the truck that Jacob had loaded it full. "I brung you some coffee, Mizz Annie," Jacob beamed as he stepped from the vehicle grinning, wearing the bright Hawaiian shirt and holding a large travel mug in his hand. "Thank God!" Annie groaned as she quickly snapped the travel mug from Jacob's hand. "You make the best damn coffee in the world, Jacob. By the way, nice shirt." Annie smiled as she took a sip from the mug. "Yeah, I found that on my pilla last night 'fore I went to bed. You s'pose Bubba done lost one a his shirts?" Jacob grinned. "Naw, Bubba just likes running around nekkid," Annie could not suppress a soft giggle. She turned to the Bronco and opened the back door. Together, she and Jacob began unloading the aluminum trays and coolers of food. After the beans and ribs were placed on the grill, Annie and Bubba left for her apartment to clean up and bring the iced-down, small, single-serving bottles of wine, beer, and soft drinks. In her apartment, there was not so much as even a sign that Jacob had stayed there. The linens were neatly folded at the foot of the sofa, the bath towel she had laid out was dry and where she had hung it out for Jacob. She made a mental note to ask Jacob about it later. As she stepped into her shower she thought about the stranger who had visited her last night. Had that really happened? Could she have been dreaming? Maybe it was just karma for naming the pig after her ex-husband. The gods were trying to shake her up a little bit... trying to jerk her chain. "Who knows," she muttered to herself. Annie dressed in her favorite comfy jeans, a white camisole, and another bright Hawaiian shirt left unbuttoned. She braided her long, wet hair into a tight rope that hung below the middle of her back while Bubba watched from the open door of her bathroom. "Now Bubba, you gotta be a good doggie today and stick close to me. I don't want you out there mooching any people food from strangers or tackling any children, you understand?" The shepherd looked up at her with his large brown eyes as if to say of course he knew the game plan. His tail thudded against the floor. Bubba was ready to go to work. Chapter 36 continued by (the) Night Hawk Todd had spent most of Thursday sequestered in the darkroom, cleaning and changing chemicals, and thoroughly scrubbing the entire room and everything in it. Ami had been by his side the entire time but hadn't tried to make any serious conversation. For a change, she remained dressed, though it was more from the fear of the harsh chemicals they used to clean than it was in deference to Todd's quiet mood. Kelly had told her that Todd would be okay and that he just needed a bit of time to sort things out in his own mind. Friday was when things got back to normal - or as close to normal as the chaotic life at TKO would ever be. Vanetta was working the phones as usual, this time confirming flight plans of the models who were arriving to attend the company picnic - those who lived out of the area anyway. Models who lived within a reasonable driving distance from Charlotte were expected to provide their own transportation. Those who worked in the New York area or in LA, were flying in, and Kelly wanted to be sure there were enough mini-busses to pick them all up and drop them off at Carowinds. She was really glad that Vanetta could handle this. The logistics of providing transportation for 200 families seemed overwhelming after the week they had lived through. Not all the models who would have had to fly in were coming, which Kelly regretted, but she understood the added delay in flights due to the increased security severely restricted a lot of travel, especially for an event lasting just a single day. A lot of the models, their spouses, and children coming from the New York area were flying on the same chartered plane as the staff and agents from the New York office. Just from the office alone, there were going to be 120 people attending as most were married and were bringing their spouses and children. Even with all the work, Kelly was looking forward to Saturday. Though she made it a point to stay in contact with every office member and model as much as possible, it wasn't the same as face-to-face contact. Vanetta had met most of them on the last trip to New York with Kelly, but since it was a dinner at one of the top hotels in the city, she hadn't really made any lasting impression on them - nor they on her. She did look forward to meeting the people she was in regular contact with via the internet, and suggested to Kelly that they install video conferencing as well on their computers. Kelly and Todd had continued their discussions about moving the entire operation to Charlotte, and had arranged for Rachel to look for an office for them to handle the model assignment and accounting department. It didn't need to be that big since most assignments were handled via internet or telephone, but it had to fit a staff of 50 comfortably. And, they had decided they didn't want the office to be located in the business district of downtown Charlotte. There simply wasn't any need for an expensive, highly visible location when most of the work they received was from established clients, again by phone, fax, or over the internet. Runway models still made the news, but the bulk of the work was still going to good-looking normal people. While many of the models currently under contact to TKO had been offered jobs personally by Kelly, many more now working for the company had just sent in their portfolios. As Kelly partially explained move strategy, the address to which prospective new-hires mailed their portfolios - sometimes consisting of little more than a series of snapshots - wouldn't matter, as long as they understood what TKO was looking for in a model. In fact, many of their current models were referrals from people who already did modeling for TKO clients and understood the advantages of being good-looking and average. TKO's growing list of clients didn't design or advertise their clothes for the rich and famous, but they did target the growing middle class who had education and understood quality at good prices. On Friday afternoon, everything was falling into place. Robert had the group over for a final practice before their debut on Saturday. Bill, Ted, and Jim were busy making notations of the songs that Sam, Jen, and Kat would be singing. While not exactly nervous about their first live performance, the group had been surprised when Robert had taken them to meet Rebel Heart on the way to the studio. Dan Knight, the lead guitarist and vocalist for the band, had made a suggestion to the group about the national anthem, and had asked the girls to give his band a demonstration. After the demo, Dan had suggested they get to the pavilion early to set up equipment and had offered to pipe all the vocals and the instruments through their PA equipment. Robert had agreed, and after trying a few different arrangements of parts of the anthem, the group had left for practice. ------- Since Laura had promised to sing with her sisters at the picnic, she had spent a few hours with them and the boys in the big bay working on the national anthem and her song for her lovers. Kat and the twins were very familiar with the theme song from "Enterprise." You couldn't live under the same roof as Harry Williams and not know the song! Harry was as big a Trekkie as Todd was. Laura was also adamant that Todd and Kelly go home while she practiced with the band. Todd had wanted to stay and listen in, but Kelly had understood, and a nibble on his ear was enough reason to leave the studio for a few hours. Robert, happy that things had worked out so well for Todd, was equally pleased to hear the beautiful harmonies Laura and her sisters created. At the first break, he asked the group what they planned on wearing for the opening song. A lot of people were going to be in for a surprise when Rebel Heart joined in on the anthem. Sitting in the studio, sipping on mineral water, the band tossed ideas around. Robert had learned it was best to let the kids talk it out themselves. After a short discussion, it was decided that it would be the simplest and most logical for the girls to wear plain navy skirts with white blouses and red bow ties. The boys would wear navy slacks, white shirts, and red ties. Robert got the van and took them all to the store where the band had bought most of their outfits. Laura insisted on paying for her own outfit as she was just a guest for this performance. Robert tried to argue with her, but Laura would not be swayed. They conspired to keep the outfits hidden from everybody and would change at the park just before they went onstage. ------- Chuck, Deanna, and Anna flew in Friday afternoon, bringing Brenda and Amanda with them. James and the rest of the girls would be arriving Saturday. There was an emotional reunion between Todd and Chuck, Todd thanking Chuck repeatedly for being there when he really needed him. Chuck brushed aside his own emotions and told Todd that he was just looking out for his son. A delivery to the studio shortly after Chuck had arrived was from Hasselblad, who had come through on their promise with a brand new camera. Todd opened the package and smiled with satisfaction. "We have to break this in," announced Todd. "Ami, let's set up studio two for a family portrait." Studio one had been blocked off for the length of time that Kelly would be posing for the contracts Vanetta had put together for them. Ami was still floating on a cloud herself as Todd had told her that the 'Blad he had been using for the last few years would now be hers. She scrambled quickly though to set up lights roughly where Todd would want them before she stopped and asked who was posing. Todd smiled and said that the first pictures taken on the new camera were going to be of his 'father, ' his 'sister, ' and 'niece.' "Does that mean I have to start calling you Uncle Todd, now?" asked Anna. Todd picked her up under the arms and spun her around the room. "Never, sweetheart, unless you want to. You and me are still best friends, right?" Anna snuggled into Todd's arms and gave him a sweet kiss. "You betcha!" Kelly and Laura took Deanna and Anna to the dressing room and helped both of them pick out brand new outfits. Mother and daughter picked out complimentary pale pastel shades of green in blouses. Anna's had a bit of lace on her collar, perfect for a young girl. Deanna opted for a 'skort' in hunter green while Anna picked shorts in a chocolate brown. When they had finished changing, Kelly took them out to the makeup counter and started to work on their hair and makeup. Todd convinced Chuck to change into an Armani suit, and with a white silk shirt, Chuck looked good, but Kelly convinced him to let her work on him a bit also. Todd started to place a straight-back chair into the center of the light pattern, planning on shooting just the three of them. When Chuck saw that, he said if Todd wasn't in the picture, it wouldn't be a family portrait. Reluctantly and grumbling, Todd changed into a suit himself and complained loudly as Kelly and Vanetta worked on his hair and added some color to his face. Todd seated Chuck on the chair and placed Anna on his lap while he and Deanna wrapped their arms around each other behind Chuck forming a 'V' that put Chuck in the very center of the picture. Ami was thrilled to be the one taking the family portrait, and after a half dozen exposures, Deanna insisted that her future sisters-in-law also be in the picture. Todd chuckled as Kelly and Laura scrambled to find suitable matching outfits. ------- Joe Johnson had gotten back to Charlotte from Ohio on Thursday. He was expected back in LA on Monday and had decided to stick around for a few days, to possibly say goodbye to Lew, and hopefully get a chance to meet Todd. He managed to slip into the park shortly after three in the morning, and as he walked around for a while in the balmy night air, enjoying the serenity, he had come upon Annie and Bubba. He had moved downwind after that, not wanting to keep the German shepherd restless for the rest of the night. He hunkered down near the pavilion and relaxed in the cool breeze blowing between the trees. ------- Todd woke up Saturday morning sandwiched between his two lovers. They had enjoyed a fantastic night of creative sex. After parting company for the night from Chuck, Todd had rounded up his girls and headed home. Robert and Vanetta had left earlier after supper, taking Cara and Ami back to Kelly's before they headed to the studio. Todd slipped out of bed, skinned on his shorts and left to relieve his bladder. Not surprisingly, and definitely not unusual, he found Cara and Ami watching TV in the living room wearing only their panties and T-shirts. It was their favorite way of spending early mornings when Todd, Kelly, and Laura were still asleep. Todd ruffled Ami's hair as he walked by on his way back. "You girls going to join us for breakfast at the Holiday Inn?" "Nope," said Cara. "We're going with Laura and Vanetta and Robert to the park." "I'm going to take my new camera," said Ami with a smug smile. "You might want to take the Pentax as well," said Todd. "You'll find it's easier for action shots on the move." "I didn't know if I could or should still use that camera, Todd," Ami said quietly. "It got you out of jail. I thought you might want to keep it under lock and key. That's why I thought you gave me your old 'Blad" instead. Todd laughed, then laughed some more till he had to sit down holding his side. Cara and Ami looked at him like he was finally losing his grip, and that caused Todd to laugh even harder. He managed to barely catch his breath when Kelly and Laura came out of the bedroom to see what the ruckus was all about. The look of concern on their faces just caused Todd to burst out again. "It's still just a tool, Ami," Todd managed to spurt out between his laughter. Cara got up and went to the kitchen to get Todd a bottle of Evian which he took with sincere appreciation and gulped half of it down. "You can bet I've got the receipt locked up and copies of it with Steve," he said, "but it's still only a camera. It didn't get me out of jail, Chuck did." "The truth would have gotten you out, Honey," Kelly said, "but Chuck made sure the truth was heard fast and by the right people." Glad to see that Todd was laughing about the incident now, Kelly ran her fingers through her hair and headed to the bathroom. Laura, seeing where Kelly was headed raced to beat her there. ------- Laura eased the Tracker out of the driveway and headed to the studio. They could have walked the distance in five minutes, but they were going to be heading to Carowinds after hooking up with Robert and Vanetta. The band van was going to be full, and Cara and Ami had volunteered to help Vanetta get the greeting booth and tent prepared. The tent and canopy were already set up by the park staff with tables and chairs provided, but there was still the TKO paraphernalia and Todd's private stock of drinks. Laura was going to help Robert and the band get set up with Rebel Heart. Todd and Kelly left the house in her Elantra and drove over to meet Chuck and Deanna for breakfast. Brenda and Amanda had taken Anna out to meet up with James and the rest of the girls. "It seems like a hell of a big job for just the Charlotte office to put this picnic together," Chuck said over coffee. "Not really, Chuck," Kelly said. "It's like you running your operation. You just have to learn how to hire the best people and then not be afraid to delegate." "But I'm not running my business anymore," Chuck reminded them with a smile. "That's Brenda's headache now." Deanna laughed. "Right, Dad. Like you're not up with her everyday consulting on some new design or other?" "See, Chuck," Kelly jumped in. "The responsibility stays with you even though you've got Brenda managing the company now. Sure, Todd and I decided when and where to have this picnic and agreed on how to organize it, but then we just turned to the Carowinds convention people and started paying for it. They put together a package, and to their credit, they anticipated a larger crowd. That's how we could accommodate the extra people we invited. There's going to be nearly 70 police officers there today, plus their spouses and kids. We hired a caterer from New York who specializes in kosher food. Turns out that wasn't going to be enough after we decided to invite more people, so Laura found a great local caterer, and we hired her to cover the overflow. The park is providing food for the kids — standard fare — hot dogs, hamburgers, etcetera. They dish it out, along with all the soft drinks and ice cream these kids can inhale. At the end of the day, they deduct it from our deposit. The same goes for the amusement park part. Carowinds will have staff at our site to hand out wrist passes for those who want to go on the rides. All we really need to do at this point is show up and be available to our guests." "It sounds like good management to me," said Chuck, "but of course, you first had to work and save and establish yourself, build a reputation, and risk everything you had to grow to the point where you could plan and then delegate." "That's true," said Todd. "We've put five years of our lives into building the company, and this is our biggest company event ever, which reminds me... though I would prefer to stay here, we should be heading to the park ourselves. The plane from New York should have landed, and the busses will be bringing people there now. It wouldn't be very polite if we weren't there to meet them." ------- Harry, Meg, Lew, and Sally walked up to Annie's canopied area. Bubba was the first one to spot them and came trotting out looking for attention. Harry scratched Bubba behind the ears, and then Bubba moved to the women, sitting in front of them with his paw held up for the ladies. Laughing, Sally and Meg both took turns shaking hands with Bubba, after which he circled the foursome and herded them to a table where Dave was sitting. They barely had a chance to shout hello to Annie and Jacob when a squeal of feedback split the air. ------- Vanetta had looked at her watch and at two o'clock had climbed the few steps up to the pavilion main floor. She had tied her long, dark curls behind her head and was dressed in a light cream blouse and matching shorts and sandals. The effect highlighted her dark ebony skin. She walked to the microphone at the center of the stage. The instant she flipped the switch on, the huge PA speakers behind her had squealed. Dan Knight moved quickly to adjust the volume, but Vanetta was smiling. "Good afternoon and welcome to the five-year anniversary celebration of TKO!" The feedback had been more effective getting everybody's attention than any words could have, so she just continued with her short speech. "Before we begin with the festivities, I would ask you all to stop for a moment as Todd and Kelly have requested we begin with the National Anthem. To perform the anthem, we have the Williams sisters and the 'Senior's Next Generation' band backed up today by 'Rebel Heart.'" Todd looked over at Kelly from their canopied greeting area located 50 feet from the bandstand. "Rebel Heart playing with the girls?" he asked. Kelly just shrugged her shoulders and rose to stand as Laura, Kat, Jen, and Sam dashed up the steps to take their positions. Bill, Ted, and Jim followed them up and the remaining members of Rebel Heart took their positions at their instruments. Laura took the center stage microphone, Kat to her right and Sam and Jen on her left. As Todd stood himself, he smiled at Kelly. "They look good up there. Nice outfits." "They should be," said Robert from behind them as he moved up. "You guys paid for them." Dan had readjusted the PA for Laura and slipped his guitar over his neck and waited as did Laura and her sisters. The drummer for Rebel Heart started a military cadence on the snare. A slow steady tap, tap, rat-a-tap. Then the girls started in four part harmony... Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming? At this point, Ted started rolling his electronic drums, which were set to concert kettle drums, and as rehearsed, he added the deep resonating drum beat in time with the continuous cadence set by the snare behind him. And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there. Dan now joined in with his guitar set to heavy distortion, doing a better-than-average imitation of Jimi Hendrix's famous version of the Star Spangled Banner from Woodstock, chorusing the next lines of the song as the girls belted out the most powerful, emotional version of the song ever heard by those in attendance, O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? Dan's idea had been a good one, and the combination of the acapella beginning of the anthem to the sound of a military cadence kept the pace of the song deliberately slow. He was pleased to see many in the audience standing with their hands over their hearts. He eased off the guitar as the girls and the drummers took the crowd into the second verse. On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream: 'T is the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! Todd had tears in his eyes as did Kelly. Less than a dozen yards away, Harry and Meg stood proudly as they watched their girls, their hearts too big for their chests. At the end of the Anthem, there were many cheers and lots of applause. The younger Williams girls sat down demurely as Laura now had center stage. "Thank you. I now call on our fearless leaders, the founders of TKO, Todd Ayres and Kelly Jennsen, to come up and say a few words." The drummer for Rebel Heart did a drum roll as Todd and Kelly approached and climbed the steps. Laura hugged them both before slipping off stage. "We'd like to thank all of you who could find the time to join us today as we celebrate our fifth anniversary as a company and as we embrace a new adventure and a new avenue for your creative talents," Kelly said. "It means a lot to us to have so many friends and family here with us today, and especially the brave men and women of the Charlotte Police Department who could attend today." Kelly waited for the applause to die down before she continued. "For those who are not yet aware, though that would be a surprise to me," Kelly continued, "I confess the rumor is true. I am indeed in a family way." The older members of the audience laughed at her dated reference. Todd, generally not given to public speaking added, "For those who didn't catch the obscure reference, Kelly is indeed with child." This resulted in even more laughter "You mean, she's knocked up!" shouted Laura from the sidelines, causing the entire place to break out in applause and catcalls! "As my condition and the resulting return to active work will keep me occupied for the next few years," Kelly continued, stopping only to look at Todd. "We are pleased to announce that effective immediately, Vanetta Clarke will assume the position of President and General Manager of TKO. Most of you have dealt with her in the past and I hope you will give her the same courtesy and respect that she will give you. We are hoping for continued growth and prosperity. Vanetta will ensure our standards for how our models are treated will never be compromised. And of course, Todd and I will remain active in the business. Vanetta? Would you come and join us?" Vanetta, who had been waiting at the side of the pavilion, quickly joined Todd and Kelly center stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, "Ms. Vanetta Clarke, our new President and General Manager!" The applause was deafening. "We now turn the ceremony over to your new president, and Kelly and I will be available at the greeting tent to the left, our left, of the stage." "I know you didn't travel all this way just to hear me talk," said Vanetta. "We have the Williams Sisters and the Senior's Next Generation band here to perform for the next hour, after which Rebel Heart will entertain you till the light starts to fade. I understand from Kelly that they are a superb dance band." "And food! Boy have we got food for you. To your left, we have Charlotte's own Ms. Annie Prince of 'A Woman's Place' serving up potato salad, roasted pork on the spit, baby back ribs, baked beans and corn on the cob - both roasted and boiled - and according to detectives Williams and Weaver, something called Jacob's famous sinful brownies. The good detectives tell me that missing out on these would be near criminal!" Vanetta had to wait for the applause to die down. Annie, sitting a hundred feet away reached out to slap Harry on the shoulder. Jacob just grinned. "And on your right, direct from New York, we have Goldmeir's Kosher Catering serving kosher beef, salmon steaks, baked Yukon gold potatoes and a variety of other side dishes." Again Vanetta had to wait for the applause to die down. "There are soft drinks, beer, and wine available at both caterers' stands, and you might have noticed that there is a Snapple stand beside the greeting tent. For those of you who want to enter the park at any time to ride the rides or take in the amusements or partake of the food available in the park, there is a Carowinds kiosk right next to the pavilion where you will be issued specially coded wristbands that will make all rides, attractions and food free for you for the day." The roar that erupted from the kids in the crowd was deafening, and hundreds of kids came running forward to get the bracelets. Vanetta laughed, watching as some designated parents were pulled along by anxious kids. "I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible this afternoon," Vanetta nearly had to shout. "I will be available along with Todd and Kelly at the TKO greeting tent, and for those remaining here," she paused to look at the harried staff members of Carowinds attaching bracelets at breakneck speed, "the food will be available shortly. Please help us celebrate our anniversary by enjoying yourselves today. I now turn the stage over to the Williams Sisters and the Senior's Next Generation band!" As Kat, Sam and Jen took their microphone positions, Bill started the very familiar bass beat that signaled the beginning of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me." ------- Todd shook a lot of hands for the next hour, but his attention was mostly focused on the stage as the TKO dream of a band to entertain seniors won over the hearts of the audience that remained. The songs were a mix of old classics and new standards and some good-time gospel. Both Kelly and Todd were close to tears when Laura rejoined her sisters on stage to sing "Faith of the Heart," dedicated to them. Laura stuck around after the thunderous applause and sang three more songs with her sisters before the Seniors:TNG band left the stage. Todd turned to Chuck and proudly said, "Those are my girls." "Oh, I don't know about that," said Harry from the side, having walked up just in time to hear the comment. "Her mother and I might have something to say about that," he added with a laugh. "Harry!" Todd exclaimed as he jumped up. "How are you guys doing?" he asked nodding to Lew. "Pretty good considering the lack of proper refreshments found here so far," said Lew with a wink. "We're in charge of searching for contraband," added Harry. "Well," laughed Todd, "I'd confess to having some, but two arrests in a lifetime would be one too many for me!" "Nah," said Lew trying to keep a straight face. "We're here to help you destroy the evidence." "In that case," Todd said, reaching into a 50-gallon drum filled with ice, pulling out two Molson Extra Dry, "I'd say sit and take a load off. There's a lot of evidence to be destroyed before the night is over. Chuck and I can't drink it all ourselves," he added, then introduced the three men. "Daddy, are you and uncle Lew going to drink all night?" Laura asked? "What about Mom and aunt Sally?" "This is tough work, Pumpkin," said Harry. "And we volunteered," added Lew. "Your Mom and aunt are camped out with Annie and the captain," said Harry taking a healthy swig from the bottle. "The ladies are fascinated with Dave's intentions towards Annie," he added after some thought. "Maybe I better go and see them and rescue Annie," said Laura. She gave Todd and Kelly both a kiss and left. Harry didn't even raise an eyebrow. But Lew did. "You treating my Goddaughter right, Todd?" "He treats her with the same respect and affection that he gives to me," said Kelly, with a look that brooked no room for intolerance or unneeded moral judgment. "That's good then," said Lew, nodding and taking his cue from Harry. "Hell of a band you brought in for this party," he added. Kelly's smile returned instantly. "They are great aren't they? Laura and I spent the better part of a night dancing to their music when we were in Brookhaven. We even got Todd up on the dance floor with us!" "I don't dance much anymore," lamented Lew, "however if they play something slow a bit later, after I've bolstered my courage with some liquid protein, I might do a turn or two with Sally." Chuck laughed, then told the men that they should take every opportunity to spend time with their wives. His eyes saddened and he said, "I'd give anything to have the chance to dance just once more with my Helene." ------- "Mizz Annie, do you think dat girl hair is really dat color, wonder iffn she pays someone to get it all spikey like dat?" "Probably pays someone a freakin' fortune... hell we're in the wrong damn business, Jacob!" Annie and Jacob were having a grand time. The feedbag had gone on just after Harry's kids had finished singing and the band on the stage had Annie swaying to the music. Something that Dave noticed and made note of. Annie and Jacob were happily serving people ribs, pieces of Allen, and corn directly from the grill, chatting idly. Annie was bone tired but thoroughly enjoyed slicing off large portions of Allen to feed to others. Dave had parked himself in Annie's lounge chair, happy with a plate of ribs and a beer, and sneaking bites of pork to Bubba who stayed close to his newest best friend. Meg and Sally were seated beside him trying to find out how long he had been dating Annie, but he kept his mouth shut on that subject, much to the women's dismay. He was soon rescued from an interrogation his own officers would be proud of by the arrival of Laura and her sisters. The younger girls had changed in the TKO tent and were now wearing shorts and T-shirts. "Mom," said Kat. "We want to go into the park and ride the roller coasters. Laura said we had to ask you first." "The three of you by yourselves?" Meg asked with a raised eyebrow. Kat twirled her foot in the ground. "No, we want to go with Bill and Ted and Jim." "The boys in the band?" "They're good kids, Mom," Laura said. Meg thought about it for a minute then nodded her head. "Have a good time, but I want to see you back by nine at the latest." The three younger girls gave their mother a kiss and ran off laughing as teens that age should. ------- "I think dat boy dere is a little light in de loafers, iff'n you know what I means... we gets 'em sometimes like dat down at de mission." "Your concern about other people's sex life is beginning to worry me Jacob," Annie said laughing. "We don't judge people remember?" "No ma'm," said Jacob. "Just noticin' is all." "Lord, Mizz Annie, iffn dat girl didn't have any teef, you wouldn't be able to see at all, her she's so skinny!" "Well, go over there and take her another slab of ribs, Jacob. Fatten her up a bit, sheesh!" said an exasperated Annie. Dave, seeing Annie a bit stressed, got up to stand beside her. Meg and Sally offered to take over the spit and the doling out of the food now that things had quieted down a bit, and Dave led Annie off to the roped off dance platform. "I guess that answers that question," said Meg as Jacob stood with a mile wide toothy grin. "What question is that, Mom" Laura asked. "Just how deep they're involved," answered Sally. "It's got to be serious if they're dancing together in public." ------- At five, the Carowinds kiosk was manned by only one person. Most people were eating or dancing or just socializing. One of the Carowinds reps had told Kelly that at last count, there were just over 260 kids and about 40 'supervising' adults now in the park courtesy of TKO. Chuck smiled and said to Kelly. "Figuring an average of 1.2 kids per family." "Or four per, in my case," laughed Harry. "Yours make up my lack of," sighed Lew. "A conscious choice?" asked Chuck. "Navy SNAFU," said Lew. "Unshielded missiles caused me to lose my hair and made me sterile. The hair grew back. Probably why I dote on Harry's kids so much," he said looking at Todd. "Harry shares, and Sally and I never felt the need to adopt. Not sure that a cop's life is a perfect environment for raising kids, although Harry and Meg seem to have done all right." "I'd agree with that," said Todd. "They've raised four of the best kids I know." "I only had the one myself till I adopted Todd," said Chuck with a big smile. "You're never too old to expand your family, even if they're already grown up." "So," said Deanna, "getting back to Dad's original thought of 1.2 kids per couple, you've got about 350 parents here, not counting the single people." "I'm sure glad we got Annie in to cover the overage," said Todd. "The park could have fed everybody else, but you can't compare the food." "Speaking of Annie," said Lew, "look at who she's dancing with!" "I'm surprised Bubba isn't up there with them," said Harry, "but I think that a dance with my wife would be in good order right about now." "Means I better go as well," said Lew. "Thanks for the beers, Todd. It was nice meeting you, Chuck, and you, Deanna." "Take care and enjoy the music," said Chuck. "Kelly, may I have the honor of the next dance?" "Ah, Chuck, you're such a gentleman!" exclaimed Kelly. By eight, Todd had danced with his new sister a few times, been around for a few more with little Anna, and when he and Laura and Kelly had gotten up to dance to the same Blue Rodeo songs they had danced to at Brookhaven, Dan Knight had finished the set with Tom Jones' "You Can Leave Your Hat On." Breathless and laughing, Kelly and Laura pulled Todd off the floor before his blush threatened to eclipse the sun sinking in the west. "I sure hope nobody here knows exactly what that song means to us," Laura said, giggling. "I remember that night so well. And you, Kelly. You flashed the whole island that night on the walk back!" "Ah but that song brings back rumors to me," Al said as he walked up with Lucy. "Quite a party you guys throw." "Al!" Kelly shouted. "We didn't think you'd made it." "Nearly didn't" explained Al. "We were going to come with Celeste, but an emergency came up at Brookhaven that the mayor had to straighten out. We flew in late this afternoon. I didn't want to miss our new brochure photographer in his own element." "This isn't exactly his element," said Ami. "Todd would rather be behind the camera in the studio or out on a shoot than to be in a social setting!" "Am I that transparent?" Todd asked with a smile. All the girls answered in unison, a resounding "YES!" ------- When the sun hit the horizon, Annie and Jacob started to pack things up. Dave was there of course to help. "You don't have to do this, Dave," Annie said. "I know," was his simple answer as he scraped away at the grill. "Damn men, can't live without 'em and can't legally shoot 'em," Annie muttered, but secretly she was smiling. Dave and Jacob hooked the spit onto the back of the Bronco, then went to work packing away the folding tables and boxing up the cutlery while Annie packed up the left-over food. "Kelly said we could drop off the leftovers at the mission and the shelter," she said, "so we got to get a move on." "There's no need to rush," said Dave. He turned on his cell phone and called the station. A few minutes later he said, "A squad car will be here in about five minutes and they can drop it off. I've also got an officer coming to drive your Bronco back. That way you can spend a bit more time here enjoying yourself. That is if you want to." "Damn him. Why's he got to be so considerate," Annie thought. Then she looked at the bottle of champagne he presented her. "Where'd you get that?" she asked. "I bought it and brought it with me today. I was hoping we could celebrate tonight after you were done." Annie just about melted on the spot. "Jacob, you mind riding home with a cop? I'd like to stay a while." Jacob just grinned and bobbed his head. "Yes'm, Miz Annie. You have yoself a fine time. I's don't mind goin' home. You want I should take Bubba back wit me?" Annie gave Jacob a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Jacob. You're still the best man I know. Just lock things up when they drop the Bronco off, and we'll scrub it all down tomorrow." Annie released her river of hair from the tight, long braid she had worn it in since the early morning, and it rippled down over her shoulders right to her hips. "Bubba, with me." She said, and took Dave's offered hand and walked to the TKO greeting tent and hopefully back to the dance floor. It had been a long time since she had danced the night away. ------- Chapter 37 From Kelly's personal journal, September 2nd, 2002 Wow. I can't believe how long it's been since I've updated my journal! The last time I had a chance, the time to even look at it was before Todd was in jail! Thank God, Chuck was able to pull some strings and get him out before the picnic. I don't know if I could have handled it without him. He's not big on social events, but sometimes just having him there is enough for me. No, that's not right either. Todd's always been there for me. I know its different now, but this was our thing. Our way of saying thanks to those people who helped us get to where we are. It would have been nice if everybody could have been there for the party, but for some it was just too far and for others, well I guess we all sometimes have other commitments. Thank God for Annie Prince. The event coordinator from Carowinds said we had close to 700 people at the picnic. While most of the kids took advantage of the amusement park and the food inside the park, Goldmeir's had only planned on 300 steaks and then they had their salmon. I don't know why the salmon didn't go over bigger than it did. As it stands now, we're set with enough smoked salmon to hold us till 2010. Of course Todd will want to give a lot of it away to our friends. God love his soul. Guess we were lucky that Annie knew someone who could smoke that much fresh fish in one shot. 200 pounds of salmon is a lot of smoking! But Annie, she had that whole damn pig and another 100 pounds of ribs on the go. Guess none of the grownups went hungry that day! Harry and Lew made a big deal out of seeing Annie dancing, but I thought she looked happy with her guy. Todd told me that he's the captain of the central station. He looked totally in love with her. And Todd!!! Who would have thought that he would have spent so much time dancing??? I don't know what got into him, but he took Deanna out on the floor a few times as well as Anna, and then he turned around and danced with Vanetta. She said he doesn't dance too bad for a white boy! Of course, Laura and I think he dances just fine. Sally and Meg didn't seem to complain too much either. I wonder if it's what Chuck said to Harry and Lew that got Todd up dancing more? It was cute to see Ami blushing when Todd hauled her up to dance. She's so much like Todd. More comfortable behind the scenes, behind a camera, and I thought I would die laughing when Cara cut in on them sending Todd back to the sidelines! Cara and Ami seemed quite at ease dancing together in public. I hope that they never feel the need to hide their feelings for each other from other people. I know how narrow minded some people can be. Of course I never had any problems nor did I give it any thought when Brenda and I got up to dance to a couple of slow songs. I know that Harry and Lew think that Todd has his own little harem going with me and Laura, but since we're all happy, they don't say too much. Meg knows, and I think Sally does as well, but they don't talk about it. I wish they could all talk to Muriel. She understands... Sheila was at the party, and even though I asked her to come, Muriel said she was too tired to go to any more parties. I worry about her. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that she's 104. It's probably why I'm so happy that Todd found a father figure in Chuck. It's funny to see them together. They act just like father and son! Anyway, I do wish people would stop trying to guess at our relationship. Okay, so it might not be a typical one, but the three of us are happy, and isn't that the whole idea? Todd is all the man I'll ever need. And he gets me. He understands that part of me that I've finally come to understand myself. Laura loves me. That was probably the hardest for me to deal with. I never really thought anybody could, and now I have both Todd and Laura. In just a few weeks, we'll be married. The three of us to each other. Laura and me, Todd and me, and Todd and Laura. We won't be able to take out a public announcement, but the people who matter to us will know, and they'll be happy for us. God! How did I get so far off track? Guess I've got wedding and family on the brain. Speaking of which, G didn't come to the picnic either. I swear, as long as I've known her, I still don't really know her. Like when Todd was going to be arrested. She just handed him a fucking toothbrush!!! Just like she knew he wasn't going to be gone long. I don't know how she does it, but if Todd had been worried, she took the biggest impact out of it. She reminded us that Todd wasn't going to be far away and in her own way let us know we didn't have anything to worry about. Delton didn't come to the party either, but I don't think anybody expected him to. He's happiest in his greenhouse. I swear he talks more to his plants than he does to anybody. Vanetta had a good time though. She was right in her element. After her introduction as the new president of TKO, she spent quite a bit of time at the greeting tent, and she seemed quite at ease talking to anybody and everybody. She's changed a bit since her trip to San Francisco. I feel good seeing her so in charge of things, but thank goodness she knows how to relax. She and Robert spent a lot of time on the dance floor even though they both stopped often to talk to others. She seems to have that perfect balance between courtesy and command. Laura's sisters, and Laura when she sang with them, they really touched my heart. Laura always does of course, but to hear the sisters sing together brought more than a few tears to a lot of eyes. And I'm so glad that I was able to get Rebel Heart for the night. What they added to the anthem was beyond outstanding! I swear that the combination of the Williams sisters and the two bands could outshine any opening for any sporting event! Hmmm... It just dawned on me that I haven't listened much to Larry Gatlin lately. Maybe I'm just too happy these days to relate to broken heart songs? The party started to slow down when the younger kids came back from the park and parents rounded up their little ones and headed home. Soon we'll have our own little one, but with all the aunts this baby will have, I don't see it changing our social life much. Not that we do a lot of socializing, but this baby is never going to want for love and affection! When the families started to leave, Todd and I were pretty busy doing the handshake and hug routine. It had been a really good day. It was a pity that Chuck, Deanna and Brenda had to leave Saturday night. It would have been fun to spend Sunday with them, but that too is life. Sara couldn't make it at all because she was down in Florida testing for "Miami Blue." I hope that works out for her because I know how much fun she'll have flying those speedboats. As I'm typing along here, the light keeps reflecting off my ring. Leave it to Todd to design our engagement rings. That man will never cease to amaze me! Laura and I have been real happy with Todd. He has no problem with the fact that Laura and I love each other as much as we love him. Lots of guys talk about having two women, but it's usually a fantasy with them in the middle. Real life isn't like that though, and Laura and I have a relationship separate from the one we have with Todd. Most of the time we all get together, but when we can't, there's absolutely no jealousy from any of us. Laura has her quality time with Todd as do I, and then Laura and I have our own time. Mostly we do the girl thing like the spa where we go at least once a week now. We usually have supper there leaving Todd to the mercy of Cara and Ami. Cara's been a godsend to me. That girl's hands... Every night, except of course when I'm away with Laura at the spa, she makes sure that I am rubbed in with that special body lotion. My skin has never been so soft, even Mistress Helga commented on it. Cara made a big impression on her as well. I'm of a mixed mind on what Cara is going to do when she finishes college. If she decides to follow the sports physiotherapy route, then she and Ami will probably be on the road full time. I'm not sure how things would be without the two of them around. Ami will make out okay as by that time she will be one of the best photographers around. With Todd teaching her, and what she learns in school, hell, she'll be set for life and commanding top rates for her time. I suppose I'm being silly worrying about it now. There's still another three years to go before either of them are finished with school, but now that Todd has found a photographer to train in Ami, I'm not sure what he'll do when she's ready to leave the nest. Cara could work full time at the spa and get rich doing it of course, so I guess we'll just have to see how things go in the next three years. It's hard to imagine life without them right now, and yet, not so long ago, I lived in this house all by myself... I'm back. Got a bit melancholy and had to step out for a cigarette break. It must be hormones raging through my body. This little person growing inside of me is a constant reminder that my life has changed and will continue to change. I know that Todd and Laura love me, and I'll never be alone again, but this little person... I'm going to be a mother! A baby is going to need me! Need me in a way that nobody has ever needed me before. I swear as God is my witness that I will never hurt this child! This baby is going to have so much love, is going to be loved like no other. Shit. Here come the tears again. I'll try to catch up tomorrow. From Kelly's personal journal, September 3rd, 2002 So, where was I? Right. After the company picnic, life didn't settle down too much. Todd and Ami took more pictures of me, and I became a bit of a celebrity in town when the nude pictures of me started to pop up at the health food stores. Who would have thought that those pictures would have caused such a fuss? I mean, nothing is showing that shouldn't be. It was a cute marketing idea that Cara had. Me holding up two glasses of prune juice - "Prune Juice: It keeps you going!" The slogan is above my head and the offering hand has that delicious drink right in front. My nipple is covered from the angle that Todd shot the picture, and of course the glass I'm drinking from is covering my other nipple. The way my legs are crossed and bent totally hides my pubes, so unless people are really getting off on a small peak of cheek, or what little cleavage I have, this shot is really tame. It's not like this picture is running in the daily papers for God's sake! So far it's only appeared in health food stores, though I have to admit I do look good! I hear that it will be appearing in health magazines, but so far it's only up in large posters in stores where prune juice is sold. Vanetta did a great job selling this one picture as part of the package deal, but it was Cara's idea, and that one idea shows me that she's got great potential in marketing. Quite a creative mind indeed! I remember one of my first successful magazine cover shoots. The director said, surround yourself with talented people and you shine. I think this family I have now makes me shine. We didn't have a lot of time to relax after the company party. Harry and Meg moved into "Muriel's Place" the week after. Lew and Sally will be the first legal tenants, though I know that they're getting a preferred rate because Lew will be helping Harry out with the physical work. While we knew it was happening, we weren't much involved at this point. Todd and I have total faith in Harry and Meg. I think, based on apartment availability in Charlotte that we'll have full occupancy by the end of October. I like the idea that Sally will be living in the building as she is a registered nurse. I didn't want "Muriel's Place" to become an assisted living facility. We have enough of those. I just wanted to give some seniors a place to live with dignity. Too many of them are still mobile but want a clean, comfortable place to live where they can interact with others. We were going to head to Chuck's on Friday, but the TNG band was booked to perform at Lakeview on Friday, and I wanted to be there and be sitting next to Muriel when she saw what she was part of creating. She did so enjoy herself. I know Sheila thought she had created a monster when she had asked for the William's sisters to do an encore performance of their Christmas show. To say it went over big time would be the ultimate understatement. Robert had done a great job preparing the band for this first public performance and with footage he obtained from UNCC of the group performing at the company party, he had gone to the press. He had run brochures off using pictures that Ami took of the group, and then he went and invited the press to come out and listen for themselves. Robert has really taken to this and has been running his butt off between school board meetings and press meetings. He even went so far as to invite families of the residents of Lakeview to be part of the audience for the band's first appearance at an assisted living facility. He dipped into his budget to provide refreshments for the evening and from the sound of the applause the group got I think it went over really well. I wouldn't have thought of inviting the press, but Robert already has one corporate sponsor willing to donate to Todd's dream, and the school board is gung ho on having students visit with seniors. I'm not sure if it's because of the experience the students will have or because of the prizes for the schools but it seems to be working, and when you stop and think about it, isn't that what really counts? I mean, no matter what the reason, Robert got results. Muriel was really happy, and to me that made the whole thing worthwhile. Then Todd said he was taking the boys along as well to Disney. Thank God they were a well behaved bunch. I didn't mind taking six kids with us to Florida, but I sure am glad that it wasn't me going on those wild rides! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Saturday morning, way too early for me, the girls woke us up just in time to catch our planes. Cara and Ami were heading back to Laurel Canyon to spend the weekend with their families. It was hard on them having to pretend they were only friends and sleeping away from each other, but since they would only be returning home once a month or so, they figured it just wasn't worth the trouble to try and explain their new relationship. I mean... they've been in touch with their families on a regular basis since they got here. There's always the phone and both are whizzes with their email skills, but I can understand why they didn't want to bring their new found love for each other back home. They were different people when they were still gymnasts, and that was the only way their families really saw them. Now, they're finishing their high school mandatory hours with Robert and getting ready to enter college. Both have more money in the bank than they really can spend and they're under contract to TKO for the next year at least. Ami will probably stick with Todd even after she graduates. I don't know why, but I think the rapport the two of them have is going to just continue to build. We kissed goodbye at the airport, and Ami and Cara were off. Chris flew us to Chuck's in the Cessna floatplane, but only after I made him promise he wasn't going to try a landing like he did with Laura the first time she flew. I really truly don't love flying, and it didn't take a lot of effort on my part to convince Chris that scaring the crap out of me would probably not be good for the baby! Laura really is a sneaky devil you know. She told Todd that they should be talking to the baby on a regular basis so it would recognize the sound of their voices when it's born. So every night, before we get into the fun and games, they both kiss and caress my belly talking to the baby. I'd laugh but damn they can get me horny doing that!!! So much attention to that area and I start to get wet. I keep telling Todd that soon he's going to have to settle for blowjobs from me as I don't want him poking the baby in its head with his cock, but Laura said she'd be happy to take care of him if he really needed to sink his cock into something other than a willing mouth. Sometimes I feel just like the center of an Oreo cookie. Somebody's always licking the stuffing out of me! Chris landed us in one piece at Regan's and Brenda, Chuck, Deanna, and Anna were waiting on the dock for us. It seemed like a big old family reunion, but we all laughed when we realized it had only been a week, but at least it was just us this time. We could be ourselves. I think we were at the company party, ourselves I mean, but we didn't really let our hair down like we did at Chuck's with the people we love. And there was so much love. I've cut out most of my drinking except for an occasional beer or glass of wine. Angela, Dr. Marks, told me that it would be good for me to keep up my regular lifestyle till I got close to the seven-month mark. I've cut my smoking down to two a day now, but pretty soon I will cut those two out as well. I don't want to chance anything with this baby. Chuck barbequed for us Saturday night, and Todd stood beside him helping. I think they were both two beers in when the steaks were ready and we all sat down to eat. Why people want to eat outdoors when the temperature is in the 90s is beyond me, especially when there's good air conditioning indoors, but nobody was complaining. We sat and talked for an hour after eating before Laura and Brenda got up and stretched and asked who was coming for a swim. Todd smiled and said he was. Todd's not shy, usually, but I was surprised when he took Deanna's hand and said that she should join them. Amanda raced them all down to the dock and was out of her clothes, not that she was wearing much to begin with, before Anna even had her shirt off. If I haven't said it before, Amanda is an exhibitionist that would put Ami to shame! That girl just needs a sneeze as an excuse to drop her britches. Now, I've never been shy, and because I rarely wear a bra, I can get undressed as fast as anybody, but Brenda and Laura had me beat, though I was faster than Todd and Deanna. I turned on my back in the water so I could feast my eyes on Todd as he stood naked in the sun. He's been working out regularly and there's not an ounce of fat on him. His body looks sculpted and his muscles ripple. There's a quiet strength about him that most people don't see. His muscles aren't oversized like those body builders on TV, but looking at him rolling his shoulders before he dove into the water showed the definition he has was well earned. I know he has no problem picking me up! I was surprised at how well and fit Chuck was. He might be a softie inside, but you can tell this man has worked for a living. If not for his graying hair, you'd be hard pressed to guess that this man was turning 60. All we did that weekend was eat, drink, and swim. And talk. We talked about so many things. We discussed things that we wouldn't dream of talking about with people outside of our family. Deanna showed us the frame for the new sailboat she and Chuck were building. It really is a labor of love. All the work that goes into each piece of wood just to form the hull staggered me. She's going to be over 40 feet when she's completed, and there won't be another one like her in the world. I can't imagine them selling her, and if they do, I can't even begin to guess at what the price would be! This isn't a mass production project, this is real craftsmanship. I was sorry to leave on Monday, but we had other commitments as well waiting for us back home. I spent a quiet hour with Brenda and then we had to leave. Todd figured that we could and should plan on going to Brookhaven before we leave on our wedding cruise. It meant changing the date we had planned on taking the girls to Disneyworld but they were still on summer holidays, and we had exactly 10 days before Laura was scheduled to go to New York for her first shooting with Jorge. No rest for the wicked or weary! So, Wednesday morning, with only one day of rest between our weekend at Chuck's place, and we were at the airport again. Because we had the three boys and Laura's sisters as well as Ami and Cara along we flew down in Chris's corporate jet. That was a smooth ride, and I booked it right then for Laura's trip to New York. Vanetta had contacted someone somewhere with ties to Disney and we had no problems getting four adjoining rooms right in the park. It was something themed, though for the life of me, I can't remember which theme this resort was. All I remember is that rides and meals were all inclusive, and it was paid for. We were picked up at the airport by a shuttle bus and we headed right to our rooms. The three sisters had one room right beside Ami and Cara. I'm pretty sure that Kat, Laura's oldest younger sister, knows the deal between them, but even she raised her eyebrows when she saw Laura was booked into a room with Todd and me. I've got to give the 16-year-old credit though. She didn't say a word. Of course she might still have been reeling from the flight in a private chartered jet. None of the William's sisters had ever been out of the Carolinas until Laura had flown down to Regan's. Kids amaze me. I mean, Laura's sisters had spent most of the day of the company party going on every frigging ride at Carowinds, and less than two weeks later, were just itching to get going on the rides at Disney. So it was basically tossing their clothes into the rooms while going by at a dead run on the way to getting their ID badges, their main priority. Todd laughed and Laura just smiled knowingly. She might be older than her sisters, but she still had the spirit and desire to go on some of those rides. Cara and Ami were just happy and bubbly like always, so we got our passes and headed into the park itself. I'd love to say that we walked to the first ride, but I think that I'm the only one who actually walked. I'm not sure who it was that decided what crazy ride they were going on first, but somehow, the decision had been made. Robert told us he thinks Kat is the unofficial spokesperson for the band. He might be right. She definitely has leadership qualities. A lot more like her father I'd say, where as Laura is a lot more like her mother. Todd has his camera to hide behind, though Laura and Ami did manage to guilt trip him into going on a few of the rides. It was fun watching Laura interact with her sisters. I suppose we could have gotten Robert and Vanetta to take them, but it had been my promise to the girls that if they performed for Muriel that Todd and I would take them. Robert was busy enough as it is with the school year starting in just a few weeks, and Vanetta now has the company to run. In all, I didn't mind the trip. I've got my own special vacation coming up, and this was actually a nice diversion. The kids were well behaved. We discussed where we wanted to eat as a group, and the meals were well prepared and satisfying even if we did have fairy tale characters walking around the restaurants. I still think that Disney is for kids. I got to sit and relax most of those three days. I know we had originally planned on making this a five day trip, but with the change in the timetable, and taking the boys along, we had to make a few more modifications. Robert wanted them all back for a show Saturday evening at another assisted facility home, and I think the boys' parents didn't want them gone very long. If the sisters were unhappy that the trip was a couple of days shorter, they didn't let on. I guess they know this is just a start of a new life for them as well. We watched the fireworks Friday night, and Saturday morning we were flying home. I don't remember the next two days too well, mostly because I spent them asleep. I'm not sure if it was jet lag or just the idea that I had been on the go for so many days in a row. I sure don't know where the kids got their energy. I didn't go to the Saturday performance of the TNG band, but Todd, Laura and Ami did. Cara stayed home to baby-sit me! She says that I went to sleep in front of the TV Saturday night and she had to prod me into bed. Todd said that when he and Laura came home, that's where they found us. Cara and me asleep in bed! Sunday morning, I slept in and woke up to a scrumptious breakfast of blueberry waffles and bacon that Laura made for me. This breakfast-in-bed thing is something that I could get used to real easy! But I had chores to do as well. Like laundry. Even though I could never wear all the clothes I have and run out between changes, I had worn a lot in the last two weeks that were piling up in the clothes hamper. Add Todd's and Laura's to that and we had a lot of washing to do. Laura and I spent the better part of Sunday afternoon doing the laundry. Cara and Ami got involved in the act, and before I knew it, we were doing bedding as well. Later on, me, Todd and Laura drove by Muriel's Place to see how Harry and Meg were settling in. Harry must be well liked on the force as there were a bunch of CMPD officers there helping rearrange the furniture — again! Meg makes me laugh. Harry kept shaking his head asking if she liked it this time! The girls were serving cold beer to the cops taking a break on the patio deck, and Lew was grilling up hamburgers for them. Lew said this wasn't the official housewarming party yet, which made me feel really good, because I knew that Muriel's Place was going to have a lot of security in the way of police protection and presence. Laura kissed her mom and dad goodbye and told them she was leaving the next day to officially start earning her own way. Jorge was waiting for her, as was New York! The plan had originally been for Todd and I to go with Laura for her first shoot with Mike, but neither Todd nor I had been back to New York since September 11. Laura understood, and we didn't push for him to come along. We kissed goodbye on Monday morning and Laura and I got on the jet and headed north. I know that we could have flown commercial, or we could have taken a smaller plane, but considering that I don't really like flying and the airports are a disaster in the making with the new security, I decided it was worth the extra expense to fly on Chris's private charter. Although Vanetta was only going to be there for a few days, we took her along so she could spend some time at the New York office checking out the day-to-day operations. Having a New York address just didn't mean so much anymore, and we've grown big enough to manage without it. It will still take over a year before we can move the entire agency service to Charlotte, but that's what both Todd and I want. Vanetta talked to the various client agents to see who wanted to move to Charlotte. Those who were stuck on living in the fast-paced world would have plenty of time to find employment with another agency and we would certainly not hold it against anybody who didn't want to move. We aren't looking to bring more disruption into anyone's lives. A private limo picked us up at the small airport where Chris landed, and we headed to a hotel outside of the city. Jorge's business isn't in New York as his ad copy reads. He has a clearing house that handles his catalog business in New York, but his factory and offices are in south Brooklyn. Our hotel was located right off of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, and from our penthouse suite, we could make out the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island right from our window. I reminded Laura that we had to leave so she could go to work. Both she and Vanetta spent a lot of time staring out the window. I couldn't do it. No matter how proud Lady Liberty stands, like Todd, I knew that the world would never be the same. We aren't safe anymore in this sweet land of liberty. Wow. Guess I'll blame this bout of tears on the pregnancy and hormones as well. I don't want Todd worrying about these tears. He's still pretty shook up about the stupidity of a world that breeds such hatred, jealousy and resentment. He's more a live and let live kind of guy. Anyway. Vanetta went with us on the first day to see what Jorge had designed for Laura to model for her first catalog shoot. Jorge is pretty conservative with his ideas and once he's found a good design, he rarely deviates from it from year to year. These are quality clothes designed for real women in real life. His home catalog business does good sales based on the quality and affordability of his designs, so even I was a bit surprised at how risqué his new negligee line was. He had laughed when I told him and he said that it was because even regular women wanted to feel sexy in the bedroom and, yeah, I'd have to agree with him there. Seeing Laura in the first outfit designed for a honeymoon night turned me on! And, I've seen Laura in everything and nothing and most everything between, but this was new and good! It was a lacy, sexy nightgown in a real soft white, and even though it hid the treasures awaiting the lucky recipient, it didn't leave a lot to the imagination either! I was getting turned on just looking at her in the floor length negligee! When she peeled off the outer gown and slung it over her shoulder like you would do with a blazer, the effect was spectacular! Mike noticed me and grinned. He said that Jorge really did know his designs and this over the shoulder look had been his idea. Vanetta said this one alone would compensate Jorge for the money he was paying to have Laura model exclusively for him, and I agreed. Laura made it come alive and she's not a skinny runway model, but a real woman! Jorge's entire new line was based on the workingwoman with bedroom eyes and ideas, and Laura being who she is, could make it work. Her simmering beauty and sensuous eyes just begged for sex and a night of pleasure. Jorge also had the idea of posing Laura in one of his office outfits posed the same way, with a blazer thrown and held over the shoulder, and I could see where he was headed. A confident woman in the boardroom and a tigress when she headed to bed. Most of Monday was taken up with Mike just doing some test shoots of Laura so that he could check how she responded to his direction and how much his camera would love her. Two hours of tests and we were back on our way to the hotel. Vanetta had to head back to Charlotte on Thursday, and I was glad that Laura felt confident enough to go by herself after the first two days since I wanted to spend some time with Vanetta at the New York office. I think Laura was surprised at how tired she could get just modeling, but that's what I keep telling people. Modeling is a job - real work - which is why after four hours of it you're starting to show fatigue. Every night in New York we made it a point to eat someplace different. We had Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese and Vietnamese in the first week alone. In the second week, Laura and I tried all of the authentic European restaurants we could fit in. Jorge was happy the way the proofs were coming back to him every day, and Mike said that Laura was a real easy model to work with. Well, I could have told him that!!! I'll have to remember to send him a picture of Laura and I together in our Trek underwear! Marge said Laura was a doll and easy to work on with the makeup and hair. She said Laura, unlike some of the models, never complained and she didn't fidget while getting her hair spruced between outfits. I guess having both Todd and me work on her before prepared her well. After ten days of shooting, Jorge was happy with the six new designs he is going to introduce in the fall catalog. Ten days of shooting for six outfits! But I had to agree that they looked great on her. From the floor length honeymoon negligee to the very short and sassy Teddy, they all looked great on her. The Teddy barely covered her butt, and the pose was very sexy. Mike shot her from both front and rear, and I expect they'll be doing a few split pages showing both sides. I still love the idea of the one with the wrap draped over her shoulder. "From Boardroom to Bedroom" is how Jorge is launching this campaign, and he wants Laura to appear at three of his conventions for his home sales people. Laura is going to travel with Jorge and his team to LA, Vancouver, and then to Toronto the first week of November. He's a sly one. Laura, through our office, had agreed to do two shows, but I think the runway exposure will be good for her career, and since he agreed to take Cara and Ami along... Well, I think we got the better part of the bargain on that deal. I'm hoping that once he sees Cara and Ami that he'll want them for a few of his designs, but if nothing else, they'll both get exposure to the world of clothing conventions. I know they'll both be neck deep in their studies by then, but this is experience you can't buy, and Ami will get some real life practice out of being backstage and taking pictures. I hope she sells some to the industry trade papers. It will help build up her confidence that she can do it by herself. I know that her sales for the 'Wheel' really helped her self esteem. It's not everybody who on their first opportunity shoot sells their photos to the military! We didn't do very much in the way of sightseeing, but I don't think Laura minded. She was pretty tired by the time each day was done. We spent most nights making glorious love, just the two of us, the way a woman can only do with another woman. We both missed Todd after the first few nights, but, this is the price we pay for being in this business. Not that we were tired of each other's loving embraces, but... it's funny to think of Todd and the girls as family, but that's what we missed. Jorge is going to release the new catalog in time for the Canadian Thanksgiving which means Laura's introduction to magazine fame will come in October. I've already emailed Ami telling her I want her to find out where the first billboard will appear and that I want a picture of Laura standing next to a super sized image of herself. Todd's pictures aside, this will be the official starting date of her career as a model. The day that she will remember even longer than the one when she first stood before Mike. Laura was finished with Jorge on Friday, and Saturday we were back on the plane headed for home. It would have been nice to take the train home, which would have saved me from having to fly again so soon, but until the threat of terror is done, I don't think I'm going to be traveling commercially. And that, dear journal, brings me up to date. I'll try to be a bit more vigilant in keeping you up to date on a regular basis. It looks like I have two weeks to do some puttering around, and then it's off to Jamaica to get married!!! ------- Chapter 38 Todd rolled out of bed and stumbled his way to the bathroom, pulling at his shorts on the way. It was early, way too early for Kelly or even Laura - even Cara and Ami were still asleep. After relieving the pressure from his bladder, he stepped into the shower and woke himself up with a cold shower. A look at his watch on the vanity verified that he was still early. It was just ten after five. He could have done without the cold shower, but Kelly had been exceptionally creative in bed the night before and Laura was always game for something a bit out of the ordinary. Wrapping a towel around himself he tossed his shorts into the hamper and quietly opened the door to the younger girl's bedroom. Not surprisingly, both girls were nude and cuddled so tight that Todd had to check to make sure he was touching the right girl. "Ami," he whispered softly. "Time to get up, Sweetheart." Cara groaned in her sleep and Ami's eyes fluttered open. "What time?" she mumbled. "It's a quarter after five, Honey. We've got to go to the studio and load up film." "Sleep," Ami moaned, rolling over. "You can sleep on the plane," Todd promised. "Ugh," was her response as she rolled on to her back slapping her hands down beside her. Without any pretext of modesty, she gave Cara a quick peck on her cheek then crawled out of bed, staggering a little as she tried to stand on her own. "Do I have time for a quick shower so I can wake up too?" she asked. Todd smiled and said he'd have coffee waiting for her when she was done. As Ami shuffled off to the bathroom, Todd gathered some clothes, got dressed, and headed to the kitchen. Coffee was his drink of choice when he needed the caffeine rush and he knew that while Ami preferred tea, she would welcome and appreciate the morning wake-up rush as well. Ami was still yawning when they pulled into the studio parking lot. It was still before six and the sky was just starting to lighten with the promise of a beautiful day. They entered very quietly so as not to wake up Vanetta and Robert, hopefully still asleep upstairs. The night before, they had carefully and totally cleaned the two major cameras and the K-1000, stripping the bodies to their basic components and cleaning every surface with care. Todd's work counter had reeked of alcohol by the time they were done, but all the cameras and their lenses as well as the focal prisms were spotless, and all moving parts had been checked. Ami had been amazed at Todd's shutter sync apparatus, commenting on how uncanny it was to have a machine read off one thousandth of a second. "It's not like we'll ever have any need for that kind of speed," Todd had told her, "but if it's not accurate at that speed, how will we know if the 125th setting is working. We have to meter through the lens and compare what we see to what the hand held and spot meters are telling us. Some shots you don't get a second chance at." The film cooler was loaded with freezer packs. Todd and Ami spent two hours loading up all the available cartridges for the two 'Blads they were taking to Brookhaven, and were greeted by three smiling faces when they emerged from the darkroom. Cara had woken up shortly after they had left the house and had convinced Laura and Kelly that they should all get up and join the two shutterbugs for breakfast. Kelly had a good idea of how long it would take Todd, even with Ami's help, so after a leisurely cup of tea they had packed up the vitamins they would need on this trip and enough for breakfast time this morning. Laura drove the Elantra while Kelly continued to yawn in the passenger seat trying to reconcile why in God's name she was up and out the door before eight in the morning! Brookhaven! That was the reason they were all up before normal human beings! They were flying out at eleven o'clock to spend 10 days at the resort island taking 'summer' pictures for the new brochure the mayor of the incorporated town had commissioned. "What are you guys doing here?" Ami asked. "We thought we'd get back to the house to pack before anybody knew we were gone!" "We did your packing for you, Sweetheart," Cara said. "At least what you didn't pack last night." "And we've got your morning vitamins, which you should take now," said Laura. "Cara convinced us to get up so we could have a company breakfast meeting." "A company meeting?" Todd asked. "Just as soon as Vanetta and Robert come down," said Kelly. "Well, I'm hungry," said Ami, and before anyone could stop her, she bolted up the stairs to the apartment above the studio to make sure that Robert and Vanetta were awake. Everybody heard a thud, and Ami came tearing back down the stairs flushed with embarrassment. "They were busy," she mumbled, her head down. "Busy doing what?" asked Kelly ever so innocently, knowing full well, if Ami's blush was any indication! "They were doing the nasty!" said Ami. "Vanetta was riding him, and when I ran in on them, Robert kind of went spastic and bucked her right off." "Poor Baby," Cara cooed. "You shouldn't be exposed to something so traumatizing this early in the morning." That just caused Kelly and Laura to start laughing. "What was the big thud?" Todd asked. "That was Vanetta landing on the floor," Ami said and started to laugh herself. "That wasn't funny," shouted Vanetta from the stairs. "I'm going to have a bruise on my ass, and I wasn't finished yet!" "Well, hurry up so we can all go out and eat," said Cara. "Ten minutes," Vanetta shouted down. "Hold your horses!" It was actually 15 minutes before the young lovers came down, both with still-damp hair from their shower and Vanetta rubbing her butt. "This worked out pretty good," said Todd as they slid into chairs at the International House of Pancakes. "We'd be overstuffed in just the Tracker, so this way we can ride to Chris's in the TNG van. I don't really want to leave the Tracker at the airfield for that long. You guys don't mind, do you?" "Not at all," said Robert. "We'll take Kelly's car back to the house and I'll keep the Tracker parked behind the studio." The group dove into the large Belgian waffles piled high with whipped cream and downed their vitamins with huge glasses of fresh-squeezed orange juice. During breakfast Kelly went over a few of the details with Vanetta again about where they would be staying and how their cell phones were all charged in case something came up, though nobody thought anything would. Vanetta could easily handle the business as she had done before when Todd and Kelly were out of town, and Robert had the TNG project to work on. "Publicity is the key," he said between mouthfuls. "The more interest I can build in the project the more revenue will be produced as sponsors clamor to get on board. Nearly everybody in business has a parent or grandparent in an assisted living facility or a nursing home. This is something they can all relate to, so all I need to do is keep the interest alive. I've upped the ante a bit as far as the students go." "How's that?" asked Todd. "Well," said Robert. "Just talking about what the students are doing would become old news fairly quickly. My dad's always saying that if it's a repeat it goes to the back of the paper, so I've added a few bonus prizes for students who write a short essay about something they learn while visiting with the seniors. Between the various weekly papers and the dailies, I can provide them all with new stories every week. Since we anticipate a lot of short essays, we won't have anybody duplicating anything seen in the other papers, it's fresh, and I'm targeting specific areas where schools are located. That keeps it local as well, and the students who make it to print get a $25 gift certificate that they can spend at a local audio-video store. The nice part is that the papers are paying for the gift certificates, so it doesn't cut into our budget at all." Vanetta beamed. Robert had really taken to this project and was covering all the bases. From what she could see, Todd was extremely pleased with the results he had delivered so far. "It sure sounds good to me, Robert," said Todd. "How many performances is the band scheduled for while we're gone?" "Just one a week while school's on," he answered. "I'd like to book them for more, and I've been talking to their teachers who say they will give extra credits to the members of the TNG band, but I don't want it becoming a chore for them either. We'll schedule extra performances through some of the holidays and especially at Christmas, but if I see that they're not enjoying it, I'll cut back the schedule." "I don't know," said Laura. "I always enjoyed performing for the seniors because they appreciate it so much. I doubt the kids will get tired of the ego stroking," and then she laughed, "but, seriously... If it looks like they're getting tired, you should consider taking them as a group to do something that doesn't involve performing. Treat them to a day out. Take them to a few movies in between and a few meals out. Remind them that what they're doing is a great service and that they are appreciated, and I think you'll see nothing but positive results." "I agree," said Ami. "Our coaches used to take us to game arcades between meets so that we could have some serious downtime." "By doing it as a group," Cara added, "we built camaraderie with the rest of the team, but since we weren't practicing or competing we didn't feel pressured. I think it helped keep us fresh." "That's a good idea," said Robert. "I know they've enjoyed the times we've gone out to eat to discuss band stuff, and they still haven't stopped talking about the trip to Disney or the fun they had at Carowinds. I'll see if I can't get them together for a few Saturday outings." "Or break up the week," said Todd. "Take them all out on a Wednesday after school. Maybe catch a movie or something." Kelly looked at her watch and quickly gulped the remainder of her juice. "I think we better get moving, guys," she said. "I know Chris will wait for us, but his planes are booked pretty solid, and I don't want to cause anyone else to be late because of us." "Can you imagine that?" Laura asked with a smile. "Kelly hurrying to catch a plane. Will wonders never cease?" Todd paid the bill and the group headed for the airstrip. ------- Even with the soft, near-textbook landing of the plane, Kelly was glad to step foot on terra firma again. Laura laughed as she took Kelly's hand and guided her off the tarmac. "Jeez, Kelly. The first time I had to fly I nearly peed myself I was so afraid, but you talked me through it. Now, it seems like I'm spending every other weekend on a plane going someplace. I guess that when I go to Australia, you won't want to come with me." Kelly turned and gaped at Laura. "Twenty hours on a friggin' plane? Honey, I'd love to go with you, but I wouldn't want to fly! Can't we go by boat instead? Hey... Just why do you want to go to Australia anyway?" Laura smiled that smug smile of hers. "Well, Sweetheart, you know I just love to go down under!" "Smart-Ass! Just you wait till later on tonight and we'll see who can last the longest down under! I'll make you squirm and beg for mercy before I'm done with you!" "Promise?" Laura coyly asked. Todd and Cara were laughing at the exchange. Ami, however, had had her eye glued to the viewfinder of her camera ever since the island came into view of those in the plane. She had asked for and gotten to sit beside the pilot, and Todd could smell the gears turning in Ami's mind. Aerial shots of the island was a good idea. Pictures of the runway would come in handy as well. Todd smiled with satisfaction and with pride in his young apprentice. "Looks like our ride is here," said Cara, pointing to a rather large Argo ATV. The tires on the 8-wheeled vehicle were large as was the man driving it. Todd smiled as the slow-moving boat on wheels got closer. It was the mayor of Brookhaven himself at the controls. The letters TKO were boldly painted in gold on the sides and front of the dark green vehicle, and Todd was quite sure they would be on the rear as well. For its size, the ATV moved smoothly, and the blimp-like tires absorbed any bumps in the field as it lumbered over them. Todd realized from the lack of noise that this Argo was a custom built one - the engine was purring as quietly as a kitten. Al waved as he got closer and Todd could see a small outboard motor visible on the rear. He knew the tires would propel the small craft through water, but a proper propeller would make it go much quicker. "Hi, Al," said Kelly when the Argo came to a stop. "Nice ride!" "I hope you like it," said Al shaking Todd's hand. "The trailer is parked off the island if you decide to take it home. But, at a recent council meeting it was decided that TKO would be recognized as a resident business operating on Brookhaven and as such afforded all rights and privileges, which includes a mailing address and reserved parking in the citizen's lot and a berth for a boat at the marina should you get one." Kelly laughed. "That's nice, Al. You can never have too many homes or friends." "What's this, Al," asked Laura pulling on a wrapped section of canvas. "Ah, the joys of outdoor life," said Al. "That's a collapsible canopy sunshade," he said as he undid the hurricane snaps, unfurling it, and snapping the braces in place. "Sun blocker and tanning lotions work fine, but under these sweltering skies and this proximity to salt water, nothing beats a bit of shade, especially when you're neck deep in the water!" "It was good of you to meet us here, Al," Todd said. "Did you get the time of our arrival from the control tower?" Al laughed as he nodded. "As soon as your pilot radioed in for clearance to land, I got a call at the office. The Hampton was my first stop just to confirm that your suite is ready, and then I went as fast as I could get this puppy to go to try and be here when you landed." Cara and Ami had already transferred all the luggage to the cargo area of the Argo and parked themselves on the molded bench in the rear. Ahead of their area were four more molded seats on which there were vinyl-covered cushions for backs and butts. "Can we give you a ride back, Al?" asked Kelly. "I think that might be a good idea. That way I can answer any questions about the operation of this particular model." Todd got into the driver's seat, turned the key, and set the switch for land mode. As Al explained it to him he gently eased the two handles back, setting the Argo moving forward. To test the controls and refresh his memory he pushed the one forward turning the eight-wheeled vehicle on the proverbial dime. Satisfied with the quick response he straightened back out and headed for the road. "She's as fast as any of the golf carts," Al said laughing, "but you won't have to look for a crossing at any of the water hazards." Using one hand to hold both drive handles, Todd stroked the deep green molded body. "I like it, Al. Nice color, and a comfortable ride. After we get settled in, I think I'll take it to the beach and test it on the sand dunes and in the water." "Just remember to be back in time for supper," said Kelly. "We're going to the boat restaurant tonight if I can get us reservations." They dropped Al off at the Short Creek Marina and rode on through to the Hampton, pleasantly surprised to see a reserved parking sign with their company name on it. Since there were no cars on the island, there really wasn't much of a parking lot except for the area where golf carts could be stored along with the Hampton Inn's own courtesy shuttles. The reserved area was close to the front, and a bellhop came out to help carry in their luggage. Kelly stopped at the front desk and got keys for the suite and stayed to chat with the manager. Cara stayed with Kelly while the others took the elevator to the sixth-floor penthouse suite. The Hampton was the tallest building on Brookhaven, and Ami was on the balcony while Todd was still busy tipping the bellhop. Laura was pointing to the dock where she had spent the morning romancing the dolphin that Ami had seen in the photograph at the studio. "How can I get on the roof, Todd?" Ami asked. "They must have some kind of access to it, and it would make for some wonderful panoramic shots of the island from up there." Todd had thought the same thing and told her to call the front desk and ask for permission. "I'm sure that there'll be an access route close to the elevator," he said. "Find out how and make sure they don't mind us going up there. We'll take a look at it as we'll want to see when the best time is to take shots from up there." Kelly and Cara came in while Ami was on the phone. Kelly was holding a sheaf of papers and wearing a smile. "The manager is an active member of the Brookhaven council and chairman of the board of tourism. He gave us copies of some of the previous catalogs for the island and a list of 'must shoot' businesses. They're giving us free rein over how and who, but a lot of the businesses on the island are nationally or internationally, owned and they've got corporations to answer to." "But they're not going to stifle or dictate creative content," Cara added. "Then I don't see a problem," said Todd. "I can understand their concern, but I'll make sure that we get good shots of them." He flipped through one brochure after another before adding, "And better than what they've had before. Some of these look like real estate photos." Kelly laughed. "That's what the manager said as well. A lot of the businesses here are looking forward to seeing what you can do for them. They've all seen the shots you sent back from our last visit. The one of Laura on the Hampton's private dock is one of the most popular on the island business-wise, but the most popular of all is the one of Laura and me that's hanging in Ray's T-Shop!" Todd wrapped his arms around Kelly and said, "You have to love a place that has such good taste!" "Speaking of good taste," said Kelly, "Ron - that's the manager, Ron Perry, by the way - he called up the boat restaurant while we were talking and got us a table for five at eight o'clock. Jim Fredy is the owner of the restaurant, and he's delighted that we're back. Rebel Heart starts playing at nine, so we should be able to eat and then dance away the calories." Todd laughed. "Wait till they see the pictures that Ami took of them performing at the company picnic. We'll give them to the band before they start playing. We should give them a copy of the video that university film department made as well." "Fine, but before we do any of that, I need a nap," said Kelly. "This getting up so early in the morning is for the birds. Which bedroom do you want while we're here? Ami and Cara will want to take the other and get unpacked. You, sir, can go out joyriding after we have lunch, which should be arriving in," she paused to look at her watch, "ten minutes. I took the liberty of ordering for all of us; chicken Caesar salad and chicken Alfredo pasta. Ron said the fridge in here is all stocked with Evian, and there's a full cupboard with complimentary wines from various local businesses. I'd say that this island is happy to have TKO taking care of business!" Todd smiled. ------- Dan Knight and his band did appreciate the pictures, and as musicians are prone to do, asked for copies from Ami! During their performance that night they spoke effusively about their command performance in Charlotte. Most of the patrons at the restaurant were locals that night as it was a weeknight and knew that TKO was on the island to start shooting the new catalog. As well, the rumors of the mysterious dancers had been circulating around the tourist population with the urban legend growing as new arrivals showed up for holidays and the story was told and retold by previous vacationers. Jim Fredy had hung a special top hat and scarf in a place of honor close to the band stage, and it was the cause of much speculation. Supper was a delicious repast, and the Pina Coladas flowed to their table. No one asked for proof of age from Ami or Cara, though Todd noticed that the two teens were only served one drink each before and one after their delicious meal. "I think my brain is permanently frozen," said Laura as she sucked the cherry out of her third glass of the frozen concoction - spearing the cherry with her straw as a vacuum and depositing it into Kelly's mouth. Kelly had had only one and was bemoaning the fact as she sipped on Evian. She graciously accepted Laura's offered cherry then pulled Laura up to dance. Todd only shook his head, vowing that this time he was not going to get up to rescue his two fiancés from whatever mischief they got themselves into! Ami and Cara joined Kelly and Laura on the dance floor, their shrimp fettuccini well settled in their stomachs. After a half-dozen songs, the girls came back to fetch and convince Todd to dance with them at least once before they left for the night to return to their suite at the Hampton. Even just their coercing of Todd out on the dance floor was something the patrons enjoyed, and it was multiplied as Dan and Rebel Heart quickly followed up their last song with the island's now-famous rendition of "You Can Leave Your Hat On." Kelly, feeling especially aroused and full of mischief, went over and retrieved the top hat and placed it on Todd's head to the whoops and cat calls of the crowd! It was an extended version of the song, and as the band played, more and more clothing became loosened or even discarded to the point of flirting with decency and moral clauses - not that Jim was complaining nor was the crowded restaurant! As the song wound down, Kelly's shirt was unbuttoned, Laura was dancing in her bra, and Todd's shirt was off as well. Ami and Cara had quietly returned to their table to watch the three lovers sway and gyrate to the suggestive music. To the groans of the crowd, when the song ended, Todd replaced the hat back on its stand, and after a final bow to the band, the three dancers gathered up their clothes and headed out to the Argo, pulling their younger charges along with them. Todd took the long way back to the hotel, testing the Argo on the sand dunes and the water while the four girls giggled and talked about the evening. ------- Early the next morning, Todd and Ami were on the roof of the Hampton. Todd wanted both sunrise and sunset shots from the roof in the direction of the four compass points to create a visually stunning panoramic view. While he knew that Al had hired TKO on the assumption that Todd would be doing the pictures, Todd also knew that two sets of trained eyes would double their chances of ideal photographs, and Ami was now as much a contributor to TKO's photo division as anyone ever could be. He was proud of his apprentice and coached her every step of the way in her education. For the next few days, Todd and Ami were all over the island. There were pictures of buildings and houses, boats and marinas, and they moved as the sun did. Ami learned more about indirect lighting in the first few days than any college course could teach her in a year. Todd insisted that there be no pictures with direct sunlight on a building or house unless 100 percent of the building was bathed in light. This generally meant they had to shoot around a building unless there was some cloud coverage. Todd took special care with the businesses that were required for the new brochure, changing camera angles to make them look even more impressive. Ami had started to get up every morning to spend time on the roof, duplicating the shots she and Todd had taken the first morning. She had a desire to prove herself to Todd and kept hoping for that one special shot that would stand out. While the shots of businesses and older buildings were artistically challenging to Ami, it was a long way from the action shots she and Todd started to do on the third day after arriving. Starting before sunrise, Todd and Ami would head out from shore either in their Argo or on board one of Al's boats. Sunrises caught at just the absolute right time were a matter of patience and trial. Using the long zoom lens, Ami could see how the professionals managed to fill a frame with a rising or setting sun. She compared the view through her Pentax in which what looked to be a beautiful sunrise coming up over the island turned into a spectacular picture when the big zoom was used. Todd showed her how to set the meter and aperture just right to capture the island in silhouette with its now-familiar landmarks. Many evenings, Ami would go off by herself or maybe just take Cara and sit by the airstrip watching the sun go down. She was hoping to surprise Todd with a picture of the wind cone flying in silhouette against a blazing red sunset... and providence smiled on her. Ami had taken Cara after supper and perched on the sand dunes, waiting patiently for the right colors to show in the sunset. She was ready with her new 'Blad loaded and the big lens mounted on it when the sun was nearly touching the water. The camera was mounted on a heavy-duty tripod, but the swivel was unlocked, and it allowed her to pan, scanning the surrounding area much like a telescope. The evening had been promising with the sun just starting to turn into a big shining orange ball when Cara excitedly grabbed her arm and pointed to her left. There, just coming into view were a group of sails from wind surfers. Ami got excited as well and crouched over the camera, swiveling to follow the group as it sailed past the island heading for the mainland. Waves were gently rolling in and some of the surfers were leaping out of the water, their boards literally flying over the waves. Moving quickly, knowing that the right light was fleeting, Ami double checked her exposure setting knowing that to make this shot perfect she had to have the surfers in relief. Centering the sun in her viewfinder, Ami shot an entire cartridge as the surfers sailed past, their sail masts glinting in the sunlight! "Did you get them?" asked an excited Cara. Ami chuckled. Cara didn't really see what she saw through the lens or in her mind, but she was sure she nailed it! "You bet, Honey! I got them all right!" It was going to be a toss up between the wind cone and the surfers as to which picture she thought Todd would appreciate the most, and Ami wanted nothing more than to have Todd proud of her! It was so hard to keep a secret from Todd, though. A few days later when Ami and Todd were shooting at the Short Creek Marina, the site where Todd had taken the picture of the Cuddy that had skyrocketed IC stock based on the wing design by the James Gang, Ami spluttered out her news. They had been taking pictures of the boats coming and going and interspersing pictures of water skiing in between. Ami and Todd had taken the Argo out a ways into the Atlantic, hoping for some interesting shots of wind surfers when Ami just couldn't contain herself any longer. "Todd," she sputtered. "I took some pictures of wind surfers here a few nights ago." Todd could tell by her tone that this was something exciting for her so he fed her a little bit of line. "Did you now?" he asked nonchalantly. "Not in the middle of the day so that the sun wouldn't over expose our precious film?" "Ah, well, the sun was nearly down when I shot them," Ami said and all at once Todd knew what she had done, but now wanted to tease her a bit. "You must have been pretty far off the island to get the sun at your back then," he said to her. "I hope you used your polarizing filter to compensate for the reflection off the water." "Actually I had the sun taking up two thirds of my horizontal screen and two thirds of my vertical axis as well," Ami said, cringing a bit now with worry, but at least she hoped that having followed his rule of thirds would earn her a bit of leeway. "You shot directly at the sun?" Todd managed to ask with a straight face. "Hell, Ami. You'll be lucky if you even get a shadow of the sails that way." Ami's eyes narrowed and she said no more. She couldn't see the smile on Todd's face, but she could feel it, and she started to scheme. Todd should have known better. He was in love with two women and lived with four, but nothing would have prepared him for the vindictive way that women can get even. Very early, the next morning, Ami was in the kitchen downstairs just off the lobby of the Hampton. She had taken one of the pillow covers from her bed and with the friendly assistance of the staff at the Hampton had filled it up with ice cubes. With Cara's help and the ever-helpful night staff at the Hampton, she had managed to borrow a laundry cart and a big tote box, into which she carefully placed the pillow case still filled with ice. Over this she poured ice-cold water until the linen was under water. Smiling, she and Cara thanked the kitchen staff and pushed the cart onto the elevator and quietly let themselves back into the sixth floor suite. Cara gently woke up Kelly, sleeping on Todd's right while Ami just as pleasantly woke up Laura on Todd's left. Kelly's eyes sprung open when she saw the cart with its payload of ice filled water, but Laura had to bite her hand to stop from laughing. As women are inclined to do, the two older girls gleefully helped their young charges prepare for the final event - delivery. Kelly and Laura gently lifted back the covers to completely expose a very sound asleep Todd in his birthday suit, gently snoring and dreaming the dreams of the innocent. But as we all know, when it comes to women, men are rarely ever thought innocent! Ami carefully lifted the pillow case filled with wet, cold ice and sweetly said: "Time to wake up, Todd!" as she let the ice slide out right into Todd's crotch! As Todd quickly awoke, Ami managed to say, "Bet there's just enough of a shadow now to catch on film," and tore off to the safety of her bedroom with Cara in tow. This should be a warning to all men, as Todd is willing to attest. If you think you got the last word in with a woman, you didn't. ------- By the morning of the sixth day, Cara, Laura and Kelly were baked to a nice delicious brown. They had traveled around most of the island with Todd and Ami but with nothing more to do than sit around, had started to spend time on the beaches and wander the streets of Brookhaven. Ray, of the T-shirt shop that bore his name, was of course thrilled to see Kelly and Laura. The three lone, wandering girls soon started to stop in on a regular basis for tea with the affable entrepreneur. "You realize you two girls could make a small fortune selling autographed copies of this poster," he said one afternoon to Kelly and Laura. "It would be pocket change," said Kelly smiling. "It's a limited edition poster. Only three were printed and you own one of the three. Universal has one, and the remaining one hangs in our studio." Ray simply beamed. "I've been offered a small fortune for it," he said, "but I'll never part with it. It means too much to me." ------- Kelly had received a message via the Hampton on their third day. The 'Healthy Living' food store had discovered she was on the island and asked if she would stop in to autograph her 'Prune Juice' poster. This had piqued the interest of Mr. Perry, the manager of the Hampton, and soon the store was swamped with requests for copies of the poster. Kelly thought it was a great laugh and soon after stopped worrying about her habit of sunbathing topless in the dunes. Even Al showed an interest in the benefits of prune juice, although as he said to Kelly, his wife would not understand his sudden passion for getting healthy, and he kept his copy of the poster at the marina office. Laura spent her mornings on the dock playing with the dolphins. Sometimes she was joined by Cara, other times she went by herself. Ami, having seen the photo Todd had taken of Laura often watched quietly from the roof snapping off pictures. Kelly and Laura took Cara and Ami to the equestrian center where the younger girls had a great time. Ami kept getting off her horse to take pictures. Laura had ridden with the two younger girls for a while, but Kelly was taking no silly chances with the baby growing inside of her. Todd had decided that since he had the better part of seven months in which to shoot the new brochure, he was going to take advantage of as many seasons as possible. With all the film he and Ami had exposed, he was certain he had a good collection of summer shots, which on its own would suffice for a brochure to outshine any of the previous issues he'd been shown. Todd, though, was a perfectionist, and while they really didn't need more business, the network of contacts from the island's business owners would not only boost his and the company's reputation but also ensure that Ami would receive enough exposure and work to keep her busy for years to come. Kelly had started spending more time talking to the local businesses, using a few hours every morning before she and Laura and Cara hit the beach. Cara was still taking good care of Kelly's body, rubbing her in with lotion every night, sometimes with the help of Ami or Laura or sometimes just by herself. Todd could clearly see there was a special bond between Cara and Kelly, and he was happy for both of them. Evenings were spent mostly at the floating restaurant at Shrimp Cove, though their public displays of affection were rare. Legends won't grow if they become predictable! Local tourism shops had started to carry costume top hats and it was becoming a fad on the island to be seen wearing one and having newcomers ask about the trend. Seeing them on the golf course was something that particularly amused Ami. Lunches were for the most part enjoyed at the club house, and all of them had started to pay particular attention to the plight of Janet's turtles. For Todd and Ami, it was a relief to be able to shoot wildlife and nature after spending hours looking at buildings. Ami worked on her action shots at the beach where the water skiers and windsurfers were happy to show off for her camera. They ate their share of ribs at Salty Dave's when they weren't out on the floating restaurant and had exquisite meals in their room as well, furnished by the fine chefs that worked at the Hampton. Breakfasts became an especially big meal for all of them, prepared by the Hampton's early-morning kitchen staff. Bellboys vied for the opportunity to deliver the food as it was not unusual to catch one of the ladies in a state of near nudity, generally seated on the balcony, and Todd was quickly becoming known as a very generous tipper! "I Love You, in English," said Ami one morning to no one in particular. "Te Amo, in Spanish," replied Cara between sips on her tea. Laura raised her eyebrows and added, "Je T'aime, in French, naturally." "Ich Liebe Dich, as the Germans say," added Todd thankful of his Beatle collection! "Ai Shite Imasu, in Japanese," Kelly threw in after a minute. "Smart ass," grumbled Ami, then grinned and added, "Wo Ai Ni, for the billion people in China!" Kelly dipped her chin and scowled before she responded with, "Jag Alskar Dig, as they say in Sweden!" "Oh, a contest, huh? Well, Nice Tits, as they say in Texas!" said Todd in an atrocious attempt at a Texas drawl, which caused everyone to break out in laughter while pelting Todd with all the croissants still left in the bread basket. As Kelly took her morning cigarette break on the balcony, she turned to Laura and said, "It doesn't matter what language, Honey, I love you, I love Todd and I love the girls and I love spending all this time here, right now, with you." "And I love you, Kelly, as I love Todd and the girls and being here with you." ------- Todd and Ami had shot more than enough film to do a dozen brochures and were spending more time relaxing with the others when Todd's cell phone rang early in the morning on their last planned day. Since his phone rarely ever rang, everybody stopped in the middle of breakfast to look at him as he opened the flip phone. "Todd?" Vanetta asked tentatively. "I didn't want to call Kelly with this," she began. Todd motioned for the girls to keep eating as he walked away from the table towards the balcony. "What is it?" he asked knowing that four pairs of eyes were following his every move. "I got a call from Sheila this morning at Lakeview. Todd... Muriel died this morning." ------- Chapter 39: My Dearest Kelly Kelly read the letter from Muriel with trembling hands. They had flown back to Charlotte right after Todd had sat her down and broken the news to her as gently as he could, which would, could, never be gentle enough. The woman she had taken to calling 'Grandma' had died. It was a heart-wrenching day for Kelly, and her eyes showed the wear of the many tears she had shed from the time she had gotten the news. Red rimmed and puffy, Kelly wiped at the last dry tears, trying to focus on the letter. Muriel had, of course, prearranged her own funeral, and it was a closed casket at her request. She had wanted to be remembered as being alive and not as the shell that rested in the solid oak casket. It was a quiet affair and dignified, though there were few in attendance. Muriel had no family, and with the exception of a few staff members of Lakeview, the only ones in attendance other than the minister and another man who nobody seemed to know, were Kelly, Laura, Todd and Cara and Ami to pay their last respects, along with some of Todd and Kelly's friends. The service was simple and the minister adequate, although Kelly realized that he didn't really know Muriel. He had gone on and on about what a wonderful full life Muriel had and how everyone was richer for knowing her, but she was much more than that to Kelly, and now that tie had been severed. Sheila handed Kelly the letter right after the internment at the cemetery. "It was the last thing she said to any of us before she went to sleep that night," Sheila had said. "Give this to Kelly after I am in the ground." Sheila sniffed back a tear of her own. "Of course we thought she was just being Muriel," Sheila said. "She had finished the Christening blanket for your baby early that morning and left instructions for it to be boxed and packaged, and later that afternoon she sat down to write this letter. We weren't even sure that she knew what she was writing. She folded it all up and asked for an envelope and then told me to make sure that I gave this to you after her casket was in the ground. I swear Kelly, I had a cold chill run down my spine when she said that, but I never thought that she would die later that same night." Muriel had died in her sleep at the age of 104. Kelly tried to start reading the letter again at the studio, her legs folded under her, her black dress scrunched around her butt. "My dearest Kelly, "I so wanted to wait and put off this moment until after you were married, but Johnny told me that you were loved and had enough support to see you through this. 104 years is a long time for anybody, and I want to be with my Johnny again. It's been so long since I've been able to wrap my arms around him. "I could tell you not to cry, sweet thing, but I know you better than that. Just be assured that I'll be keeping an eye on you and looking in from time to time. You've been such a blessing to me these past five years. I so enjoyed our visits and the time we had to spend together, although I realize that I wasn't always quite there with you in mind as much as spirit. "I have so much to tell you, and you'll have to excuse my chicken scratching. My penmanship isn't what it used to be. "I had a young girl come to visit me last week. She was part of a group that came to the nursing home, and she was such a joy. Just a wee thing, Suzie, I think her name was. Such a pleasant afternoon we spent together. She got so excited when I told her about the first time I saw an airplane in the sky. She couldn't imagine a time when the skies weren't full of airplanes, and she really laughed when I said there were more airplanes in the sky now than there were cars on the road when I was her age! "When she left, she said she was going to write a report on everything that I told her so that other people could learn about what life was like when I was younger. I thought that was so precious, but it made me curious - especially when some of the other ladies discussed their visitors later that evening. I asked one of the nurses about it and convinced one of them to make a phone call for me. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to find out that this was all part of a new program that was started by you and your young man." Kelly stopped reading long enough to wipe her nose and remember back to when Todd had come up with the idea to teach the young by getting them to visit the elderly. They hadn't gotten a report yet from Robert as to how the visits were going, but this letter from Muriel was good enough for Kelly. Todd had been there for Kelly from the moment he'd had to deliver the sad news. He had called Chris right away, arranging for a plane to come and pick them up. Laura had taken care of the suite and explaining to the Hampton the reason for their abrupt departure. Laura also called Al and their new found friend, Ray. Cara and Ami helped Laura pack, and they had driven out to the airstrip in their new Argo. For once, Kelly didn't seem to be bothered by the flight, spending most of her time crying on Laura's shoulder. Muriel was the closest thing she had to real family and had been there for her before she had found her true loves in Laura and Todd. It had been Muriel who had told her that her love of both was all right and that had been all the blessing that Kelly had needed. Todd had been as supportive as the girls were when they went to the funeral home the next day. Todd had put on a brand new suit, a dark blue pinstriped three piece, and had worn a tie and brand new shoes. Kelly had worn a simple black dress as did Laura and the girls. Laura's quick call home had galvanized the Williams' into action and at the funeral itself, the Williams and the Weavers showed up to pay their respects to the woman whose name graced the building they now lived in. Captain Walker had shown up as well, accompanied by Annie. All the policemen wore their best dress blues. Robert had talked to the younger Williams sisters, and at the cemetery Laura and her sisters had sung Amazing Grace as the casket was lowered into the ground. After the service, everyone had gathered at the office of TKO for a small, respectful reception. Annie Prince had put together platters of fruit and vegetables and small sandwiches, something that Kelly was eternally grateful for as she didn't have the strength to do it herself. Sheila had given her the letter at the cemetery, where Kelly once again noticed the quiet young man standing respectfully outside of the cemetery gate, quietly in the background. She had introduced herself to him wondering if he was some distant relative, though with all the talks she'd had with Muriel, she was sure that there were no living relatives. The yarmulke on his head confirmed her belief, and he replied he was a long-time family friend of Muriel's. He declined the invitation back to the studio but did say he would be in touch with her in a few days to settle some unfinished business regarding Muriel's last requests. "During all our visits, Kelly, you never asked me anything about my personal life, except of course about my birthday. You never tried to pry into my personal business, and since nobody here knows, I know you weren't visiting me for any reason except that you wanted to, which I really appreciated. I know I wasn't always totally coherent, but right now, my mind is as sharp as a tack, and I remember everything. You must have the patience of a saint to have put up with the ramblings of an old woman during those times when I wasn't totally here. "I do have to try to stick to all the things I want to tell you, but there is just so much. The most important thing is that I want you to promise me you won't name your little girl, 'Muriel!' I hope I didn't spoil any surprises for you, but this is just too important! I can tell you that you are going to have a healthy baby girl, so there's no need for you to worry about her. But, I didn't want to take a chance of having you saddle your baby with a name that is older than I am. It's a nice name for a building, and you were so sweet to name the new retirement apartments for me. You've done so much for me in the last five years, and you never thought of anything for yourself. I always loved it when you brought me flowers, but for me it was more important that you came. The singers who came last month, that was just so wonderful, those girls really have beautiful voices. Sheila told me that they were doing all the old folk's homes in Charlotte, and Johnny told me that it was you and your friend who were picking up the cost. It makes me happy that I made the decision I did. "I love my country, Kelly, I really do, but there's nobody on either my side or Johnny's side that we can leave our money to, so I've left instructions for it to be turned over to you. You've spent your own money so selflessly that I want you to take it. If you don't, then it goes to the government, and Johnny and I already paid our fair share to them." Kelly stopped and lit a cigarette, smiling. She made a silent vow to Muriel not to name her baby after her 'honorary great grandmother, ' and thanked her for the gift. "Now, I can see you smiling, Kelly, and you probably think that after a life that went through the Great Depression, I don't have much to bequeath. Honestly, I don't know how much I have or really what it's worth anymore. Back when I was a young girl, any man that could earn a thousand dollars in a year was considered very well off. It seems funny to me to have been born in one century and to know that I will die skipping an entire century, but there is so much I need you to understand. You've made sure that my name and life will go on after I'm gone, but I need to tell you about that life. "As you know, I was born in August of 1898. My father and mother weren't rich, but by the standards of the day they were well off. I had a good education, or at least as good as was possible for any female of that time - why I even graduated from Miss Lander's college for ladies when I was 18. Yes, it's true, Kelly. I was nearly a spinster when I met my Johnny. I was qualified to work in an office, but there wasn't much call for women in offices in Charlotte at the time, so I became a school teacher. It was a good job and I enjoyed teaching. In the daytime, I taught regular school children and in the evenings I taught English to all the new immigrants who were arriving in because of the Great War. That's where I met Mr. Cohen. He was one of the Russians who had moved as part of great flood of Jews in fear of their lives because of their religion under the rule of Lenin and his lackey, Joe Stalin. But I'm getting ahead of myself. "I met my Johnny when he returned home after the Great War, or as you know it, the First World War. Of course at the time we never thought there would be a second one, so we just called it the Great War. Johnny was what we called a wireless operator. He was one of the first to be trained in the military in the Marconi method of wireless telegraphy. We of course had telephones by then, though not many were in use in Charlotte at that time, and Johnny was a career man. He was a few years older than me and we met at a graduation service. He was doing a recruitment speech for the Marines, and when we met, I guess you could call it love. He looked so dashing in his uniform with his new Captain's bars. He walked with a bit of a limp he said he'd honestly earned when his radio reconnaissance group was attacked in Germany. Because of his wound, Johnny never did go back into action, but like me, he taught. He had been well educated to begin with, had gone to war as a fresh Second Lieutenant, and come home with a Purple Heart, a Silver Star, and the rank of First Lieutenant. "After the Marines realized that Johnny couldn't march anymore, they promoted him to Captain and he became an instructor. Johnny was a smart man, and he spent a lot of time at military colleges, learning all about the new electronics that he would teach the new radio operators. He asked my father if he could court me, and he did, for a full two years. We were married in June of 1920, when I was 22 and he was 27. "They were interesting times, Kelly, the 20's. I've heard them called the 'Roaring Twenties' but that had to have been something that happened up North somewhere, you know how they are up there. What was interesting were the changes we saw on a daily basis. We saw more airplanes, and we had demonstrations of the new planes at events called barnstormings. We saw more of the rich getting cars and telephones, though Johnny and I didn't really understand the appeal of these things and didn't see a real need for them for us at the time. It was a sad time for us as well as I lost both my mother and father and also my sister - my entire family - before that decade was over. "Johnny and I had been married for about three years when we ran into Mr. Cohen in the street one day, and I introduced him to my husband. Johnny and Ivan Cohen became friends, and one day, Ivan said to my Johnny, "If you're living within your means, you've already exceeded them." That got my Johnny to thinking, and we decided to start saving for our future. Ivan told us if we put 10% away from each paycheck, within a year we would be able to live for five weeks without any income should either of us get sick, but Johnny was making good money with his rank and seniority, and I was still teaching full time in the day and evenings on a part time basis, so we started to put 30% away each week. I don't think we ever felt we did without anything, and we didn't buy a house as big as the bank said we could buy, but we were comfortable and happy anyway. By the time the dustbowl settled in and caused the depression, Johnny and I had our little house paid off. "Some of the local folk were mighty surprised when I turned up with child in 1926 being I was 28 years old and all. Some of the women who attended the same church we did and were the same age as me were already grandmothers! But in December of that year, John Junior was born. "You have to realize, Honey, that I was considered an old maid by the time I got married. We were happy and that was all that mattered. Johnny's folks had passed by this time and he had no brothers or sisters, so it was just him and I. John Junior was our own little bundle of joy and made our family complete. Oh, I had wanted to have another, but the fever got me in '28, and after that, no matter how hard we tried, it wasn't meant to be. "While history paints the entire decade of the 30's as being doom and gloom, it wasn't all bad. In places like the Midwest where they couldn't even farm because of the drought, and the overcrowded cities like New York and Chicago had so many people who couldn't find work, it was bad - real bad. We lost more than a few jobs here in North Carolina as well, but that was because nobody had money to buy anything extra. We didn't do too bad, my Johnnies and me. I was still teaching and Johnny had his career. By 1935, there was some rumbling against women working, but Johnny told me that there was trouble again in Europe and to just stick to my guns about my job. He said that if I didn't want to give it up that I should fight for my rights. There had been more fighting going before that time about peoples' rights to have a social drink now and then, so it really wasn't much of a fight. "Johnny was right about trouble brewing in Europe again, and Mr. Cohen would come over on a regular basis and tell us of the news he heard from his relatives living there. It was Mr. Cohen who suggested to Johnny and me that we should take at least half our savings out of the local bank and buy silver coins with it. He said that if we took half our savings out and kept it in what he liked to call 'hard currency, ' that was always his term for silver dollars, then we wouldn't lose everything if problems came up at the bank. I didn't think that those problems we read about in the early 30's would bother us much in Charlotte, but then we started to see more and more houses for sale by the banks, so Johnny and I decided that we would take all of our savings out just a bit at a time. We were lucky and got it all out about a year before our own bank was closed. "Mr. Cohen ran a small watch repair and jewelry store in Charlotte. He offered to melt down our coins into silver bars, but Johnny said he had faith in the country to pull itself up by its bootstraps and get on with life again, so we just bought a good strongbox and kept the coins in it. You'd be amazed, Kelly, at how many silver dollars it takes to fill up a two-foot-square box! "John Junior was growing up tall and strong, and he followed in his father's footsteps when he turned 16. He joined the Marines. I can't say I was happy to see him join the military because by 1942 we were into another Great War, only this time with Germany and Japan, but like most of his classmates, John Junior couldn't wait to sign up. My Johnny tried to convince him to go to West Point, but John Junior wanted to go and fight. They said that he fought bravely, but he only lasted a few months before he was killed. Kelly, it was the saddest day of my life when they delivered that letter to me. "By the end of that war, my Johnny had served over 30 years in the service of his country, and they offered him a pension and told him he could retire in peace and dignity, proud of the part he had played. Well, my Johnny was still in good health, and he was only 52, so he decided to bank his pension checks and find another job. He soon ended up working for the telegraph service of the local post office. We had resumed depositing 30% of our paychecks in the early 40's when Mr. Cohen told us about the new banking regulations, but he stressed that we keep our money in one of the guaranteed federal banks. "By the '50s, we had ourselves a little car and a TV set and a telephone. I kept thinking of what my father would say if he could see what we had. I don't think he'd have believed his eyes. "Johnny kept saying we should take a trip or something, because we owned everything we had, and we had a tidy little nest egg. The price of silver was steady, and Mr. Cohen said we should probably just hold onto our 'hard currency' and only sell it if the price of silver went up substantially, which he thought it would as more and more silver was needed for all these electrical gadgets. Then in '55, Mr. Cohen died, and for the first time ever we met his youngest son, Samuel. Mr. Cohen had lost two boys in the war, but the youngest had been too young to go and fight. He ended up going to university in the North, and came back as a lawyer. He often stopped by to ask us if we needed anything and was always telling us how much his father had respected us. Samuel said his father often said that it was Gentiles like us who gave him hope for the future. "With all that I've seen over the years, I'm not sure what kind of hope he was looking for, but I know that the Jews have never had it easy. "In 1960, Samuel suggested that we might want to earn more with our money, and that we should consider investing some of our 'soft currency, ' the money we had in the bank, into something that might pay a better return. He offered to set Johnny and I up in anything we wanted to try, saying he could get good investment advice from a cousin of his. Well, Johnny had always liked the picture shows and thought he might want to invest in one of the companies that made the movies he liked best, but Samuel had different ideas. Samuel said that when a movie was made, there was no guarantee that the film company would make money, and that the movie houses where they were shown only made as much as a film was worth. He told us that the only people who made money off of any movie were the actors and the company that supplied the film. You couldn't make a movie without either one of them, so they were guaranteed payment. Samuel said the investment wouldn't pay as much as some of the riskier ventures, but that investing in a film supply company would get us a good return on our money, so we bought shares. Samuel said that the best investment would always be in the middle, and he had a good example for it. He said that the Vanderbilt's hadn't gotten rich by providing rail cars for passengers but for the cost of transporting goods. A farmer can grow an amazing crop of anything, but without the market, his crop is worthless. The willing buyers of the crop can sell it for a profit but couldn't get it without the middle man, which for a lot of years had been Vanderbilt and his friends. They got paid for transporting the goods from the seller to the buyer, and it didn't matter one hoot to them if either the seller or the buyer made money as long as they got paid. That made sense to us and we kept that policy for all our future investing, letting Samuel guide us to where the new middle was. "My Johnny passed shortly after his 68th birthday, and I was on my own. Many of my friends were also dropping all around me, and soon I was left with just a few friends. I continued to let Samuel play with my investment money, trusting him to be as honest as his father was. Back then I still used to watch my statements of earnings, and I seemed to be well set, though for me it became boring. I was getting too old to be traveling to far off lands or doing any of the fancy things that I heard about on the radio and TV. I met Samuel's son, Isaac, in 1970. The first thing that Isaac did was to thank me for teaching his grandfather how to speak and write English. Gosh, but that seemed so long ago, and I think at that point I realized that overnight somewhere I had become an old lady. I had taught school from 1918 till 1958, and then they had forced me to retire. Well, I didn't want to retire, so I took a job working at the library downtown. By the time I turned 70, I finally gave up working and just lived quietly in my little house downtown. I remember seeing that young singer, Elvis Presley, when he did the first world wide satellite performance from Hawaii, and thinking to myself that I had already been a mother of a young teen when he was born. I did like his singing, though, when he did the gospel songs. I don't see what all the fuss had been about for his 'Rock and Roll' songs either. I liked him, and I heard he loved his momma. I remember thinking how surprised my father would have been to see me with a color television set watching a singer who was performing all the way over in Hawaii. My, but how times changed, from seeing my first airplane fly to watching a man step on the moon. It amazes me, and now I see people walking around with portable telephones when I can remember it being a novelty to have one in a house. "The young girl, Suzie, who came to visit me, told me that she has a little portable music player she carries in her pocket and couldn't believe that the only music I heard while growing up was all live because we didn't have radios or record players. I had to laugh when she asked me what a record player was because the first time Johnny brought one home, I had asked the same question! "Just before that peanut farmer from Georgia ended his term in the White House, Isaac came to me and suggested that I sell all of the silver 'hard currency' I had in the house. He told me about two brothers and their Arab friends who were trying to buy up all the silver resources, and now would be a good time to unload what I had. "I asked Isaac how he knew about the silver that Johnny and I had stored away in the basement so many years ago because honestly, Kelly, I had forgotten about it myself! Isaac said there were notebooks that his grandfather had left that contained all the information on his closest friends, and he had recently read about our silver. Well, I wasn't doing anything with it, and figured that taking it to the bank would take more work than it was worth so I showed him the box. Lordy, we spent days going through all those old coins together. He got real excited about a lot of them, saying they were rare and hard to come by and asked for permission to act as my agent. I swear I never saw a man so excited! I told him to go ahead and take it all. I trusted him and his family. I remember seeing what he got for it once he had separated what he called rare and what he just sold outright for the silver, but I can't remember it now. I know that like his father, Isaac and his colleagues were collecting a small percentage of what I made with my money, but that was fine by me. Everything I had seen was showing I still had my nest egg, and since I didn't really need it to begin with, it gratified me to let them have fun playing with it. Isaac spent a lot of time and effort buying 90-day term deposits and turning them over to the point where I finally just signed a power of attorney form with their office so I didn't have to keep filling in paperwork for the tax man. The last papers I signed locked my money into a five-year fixed-term deposit. I asked Isaac if that was wise, and he said that I should probably cash out of my other investments at this time and lock the proceeds of that money into the same long-term deposits. Since I was getting more pension money than I knew what to do with and had so little to spend it on, I told him to go ahead. "Isaac would still drop by on a regular basis, though, and he always brought me fresh-baked pastry. He was a regular visitor right up to when he introduced his son to me. David was the fourth generation of Cohen's I had the pleasure to meet, and like his father and grand father and great grand father, he was just the most pleasant young man. He's the one I contacted about changing my will a couple of years ago. "When I realized that I was forgetting small things, I thought it would be best if I gave up my old house, the one that Johnny and I had shared so many happy years in, and I left it up to David to sell for me. There was some kind of construction going on all around my house anyway and it was time for me to really retire. "When I came to Lakeview, it was required that I turned over my pension money every month as 'rent' the way David explained it to me. He said that if I ever needed any money for anything to just give him a call, but you know, Honey, I just never wanted for anything. I had everything I needed, and I made some new friends here, and I was fed well, and I always had a clean room to sleep in. What more could I ask for? "Sometimes I fear, Kelly, people just want too much from life. Too much in the material sense, mere physical possessions. Happiness doesn't come from having everything you want but from being satisfied with what you have. If you have friends who care about you, someone who loves you, you should be happy. If you have enough food that you can share some with others, you are rich. If you have a roof over your head and blankets to keep you warm at night, what more do you need? Some people think that having a bigger roof will make them happy, but the truth is that they don't need it. But some folks just won't be satisfied until they have the biggest roof in the neighborhood. That doesn't make much sense does it? "If you have food and shelter, and you can work and put some money aside for a rainy day, why, you have more than a lot of people in the world. Always wanting for more is just greedy and silly. Johnny and I were always happy with what we had, and we still managed to put more aside than we needed. Now, all that extra, I'm giving to you. I want you to have a little extra so that you can always live within your means. "As long as I have known you, I think you have had more because you have always been giving and never asked for anything except to be loved - and you are, Kelly. Besides your young man and that girl you love so much, you have a lot of people who love you. I always have. "You give so much to so many, Kelly. Please accept this gift from me. I don't know if it is a lot or a little, but I want you to have it. I've lived a long time alone, Kelly, and your visits over the last years made my life happier. Though I lost John Junior so many years ago, in you I felt I had found a granddaughter, and I did so enjoy all the stories you would tell me about what you were doing. I know you had it rough as a little girl, but you've grown strong and independent, and now you're going to have a baby of your own and loving people to share your life with. I don't have to worry about you anymore. "I love you, Kelly. "Muriel" Kelly held the letter in her hands for a long time, the tears running freely down her cheeks. The phone call came two days later, and David Cohen requested some time to discuss Muriel's estate and will. ------- "Miss Jennsen," the young man at the door said with an air of certainty, "It's a pleasure to meet you, even though the circumstances are a little sad." Kelly smiled at him and invited him into her home. Todd and Ami were at the studio developing the film they had shot at Brookhaven, and Laura and Cara had decided this was a private matter for Kelly and had gone to visit Laura's mother. "So, Mr. Cohen, please make yourself comfortable. Can I offer you something to drink?" "Water would be just fine," David replied, so Kelly retrieved two bottles of mineral water from the fridge. "Please call me David," he said when Kelly was seated. "If you'll call me Kelly," she responded, causing both of them to smile. "I actually know quite a bit about you," he started. "When Mrs. Dale first contacted me about writing a will," he paused uncomfortably. "Well, I had to investigate a bit since she had never really shown any interest in her financial affairs before. I was pleased to see that you were successful in your own right and co-owned a business that is thriving, so I knew you hadn't befriended her in the hopes of gaining her estate." "I take no offense, David," she said. "From the letter that Muriel wrote me just before she died, it seems your family has been taking care of her needs for many years." David laughed. "My great grandfather made it very clear that we Cohen's of North Carolina owed everything we had to Mrs. Dale, and that we were honor bound to tend to her needs. My father and grandfather relate how my great grandfather used to recite the story of how Miss Keeler, her maiden name by the way, had taught him to speak and write in English. My great grandfather was not exactly a poor man when he arrived in America in 1916, but not speaking the language made getting a job difficult for him, and he couldn't practice his true profession. He was a brilliant engineer, Kelly, but at that time, Jews weren't exactly welcomed anywhere with open arms. After he learned to read and write and speak English properly, he opened a small jewelry store where he did repairs, and on the side he would loan money to other Jews to help them get started in their new lives here. My grandfather was the first of our family to get an American education and we went legitimate." He stopped to laugh for a minute. "Don't get the wrong idea, Kelly. My great grandfather wasn't a notorious mob figure who loaned money for outrageous interest rates. As a matter of fact, he charged less interest than the banks did because so few of them wanted to lend the new immigrants money. My grandfather finished Harvard Law thanks in part to gifts from the very people great grandfather had helped. Since then our family has practiced corporate law, and we've run a successful investment firm now since 1960." "So that's why your father was so adamant about Muriel's coins," Kelly said. "Kelly, Mrs. Dale had forgotten about the lock box in her basement, and when my father took a look, he found all kinds of silver dollars dating back to before the turn of the century. He had originally thought that it was a great time for her to cash in her silver for the $52 an ounce that was being offered, but there were just so many coins that had even more value to collectors." "Oh, my," Kelly said. "All of a sudden I get the feeling that Muriel didn't leave me just a few thousand dollars." David, who had picked that moment to take a drink from his bottle of water, coughed and choked. Kelly pounded on his back to help clear his lungs. "You really don't have any idea do you, Kelly?" he asked with a look of surprise after he caught his breath. "Not a clue, David," and she explained to him about the superstition amongst models about cut flowers and how she didn't want to waste them when she received some, that it was her custom to take them to someone lonely and elderly, and how in doing so she had met Muriel shortly after moving to Charlotte, that's how they had become friends. "I didn't know how you became friends with Mrs. Dale," David said, "but a couple of years ago, when she wanted to change her will, you became a person of interest to us. We watched and kept track of your public activities, and we were quite surprised to see how much charitable work you and your partner do in Charlotte. I realize that this is not common knowledge, but our success is based on knowledge, and we have many sources. Your most recent adventure with the 'Seniors:TNG' was a delightful surprise to our firm, and we were waiting for the right time to make a donation of our own. It is a remarkable thing you and your partner have started, and from our investigation, this is a very serious undertaking on your part." "I'm curious," Kelly said. "How did you get so much information about the 'Senior's' project. It's only been running a few months now." David smiled and said, "Robert Payne's father is very proud of his son and what he is doing for a living now, and he was very pleased to share the details with us." Kelly nodded slowly, understanding that Bobby's father was the editor of a local paper. "We also thought that 'Muriel's Place' was a great idea. Not all seniors are ready for a nursing home environment, and this is a great way for them to be with people their own age and keep some of their independence." "But we should get down to business, Kelly," David continued. "We have a lot of ground to cover if we don't want to see your inheritance eaten up by taxes." "Would taxes really be a problem?" Kelly asked. "The government always wants a large chunk when an individual who is not a direct family member inherits just over two and a half million," David said. ------- "TWO AND A HALF MILLION!" Kelly exclaimed. "DOLLARS?" David smiled at her and nodded. "I can't accept that," Kelly said. "Actually, Kelly, you don't have a lot of choice in the matter now. If you turn it down, the money goes to the government, something that Mrs. Dale really didn't want to happen, and out of respect to her wishes, I will do everything in my power to convince you to accept it." Kelly sat speechless. "As the executors of Mrs. Dale's estate as well as being her financial advisors, once I understood the situation, I recommended that she leave her money in trust for you. We set up a trust fund in your name without restrictions. You can legally have all the funds paid to you lump sum or in a few smaller amounts at any time, but considering your own tax bracket and business interests, if you did so anytime soon, you would be paying the highest taxes the government can levy against you. That could eventually change, but it's likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future. My advice to you would be to let our firm continue to manage the trust fund, watch for tax changes while investing in guaranteed debentures and treasury bills, and just let the money continue to grow. The rate of growth would not be substantial at this time but still better than bank interest rates. I would further advise you that to receive the most benefit from this money that you make your donations to charity in the future from the trust fund, thus reducing your personal income taxes." "I could do a lot of good with that money," Kelly agreed. "There are some really worthwhile charities that I always wanted to do more for." "Don't misunderstand me, Kelly," David said. "I'm not trying to persuade you to donate to charities - or even buy yourself a politician," he added with a laugh. "You can take whatever you want, whenever you want; I'm only offering our services as part of my family's commitment to Mrs. Dale and her memory." "Thank you, David," Kelly said. "I'll conditionally agree right now, but I would like to talk it over with our company lawyer before I commit fully." "As I would expect you to, Kelly. I have a copy here of Mrs. Dale's, excuse me, I suppose now your, portfolio of where the money is and how much there was as of this morning." Saying that, David reached into his briefcase and withdrew a thick, bound stack of papers. "Let your lawyer read this over call me when you make a decision." As he handed Kelly his card, a thought crossed her mind. "David," she said, "I'm curious why you didn't come into the cemetery the day Muriel was interred." David looked into Kelly's eyes, and said with a sad smile, "Because we are Cohen," as if that explained everything. Kelly suddenly realized that she was talking to a man of Jewish faith and something tickled her memory about certain names. "I'm sorry," she said. "I forgot the significance of your name and your heritage." "That's all right, Kelly. I'm actually surprised you know at all." "So do I have to give you an answer soon? I'm supposed to get married next week." "Take all the time you need, Kelly, and congratulations on your forthcoming marriage." Kelly walked him out to his car and then called Laura and then made a call to Steve. "Steve?" she said as he answered the phone. "You aren't going to believe what I have to tell you!" ------- "Holy Shit!" said Laura when Kelly told everyone the news at supper time. Todd was too stunned to respond, as were Ami and Cara. "And here we sit with Chinese take-out," said Kelly, putting things into perspective. Laura had been the first to read Muriel's letter to Kelly when she and Cara returned. Todd had picked up supper on his way home from the studio with Ami, but he had been the next to read it. "Do you know," said Todd finally, "for all my life, space travel has been a natural thing. By the time I was born, Neil Armstrong had already walked on the moon. I've never watched TV in black and white, and I've never been stuck with just a single channel or even two. I remember seeing records when I was young, but all my life I've bought my music on CD. I remember when cell phones became popular, but I was still in school when that craze started and they were expensive. And, while I've seen rotary dial phones, I've never used one." "I can't imagine life without computers," Ami said. "Or life without email," Cara added. "What did Steve say, Honey?" Todd asked. "I think he was more amused by my reaction to this than concerned," said Kelly. "He says he knows the Cohen firm and that they are a very honorable firm. I laughed when he said they had been in business forever and told him that Muriel was the one the family credits for helping to get established. He also said that David had set this up perfectly to obtain the most gain and the least tax. He's going to check over the paperwork but said that we should feel free to go on our vacation and get married." Kelly sighed. "What's left of our long vacation anyway." "We'll be taking more, Sweetheart," Todd said. "I think the wedding should be what we focus on now." Laura smiled and started to sing. "We're going to Jamaica and we're going to get mar... air... air... airied." ------- Chapter 40 Wrapped around each other Trying so hard to stay warm That first cold winter together Lying in each other's arms Watching those old movies Falling in love so desperately Honey I was your hero And you were my leading lady We had it all Just like Bogie and Bacall Starring in our old late, late show Sailing away to Key Largo Here's lookin' at you kid Missing all the things we did We can find it once again, I know Just like they did in Key Largo Honey can't you remember We played all the parts That sweet scene of surrender When you gave me your heart Please say you will ... play it again 'Cause I love you still Baby this can't be the end We had it all Just like Bogie and Bacall Starring in our old late, late show Sailing away to Key Largo Here's lookin' at you kid Missing all the things we did We can find it once again, I know Just like they did in Key Largo ------- Chris flew Todd, Kelly, Laura and the girls down to Key Largo himself on Saturday — the place where the TKO gang would board "Aussie Rules," Greg Norman's personal 200-foot yacht. IC had spared no expense to give Kelly and Todd their dream vacation! While the plan had originally been for just Todd, Kelly, and Laura to be going — the minister was going to fly to Jamaica and join them off shore in international waters — plans had changed, as the best laid plans of mice and men are bound to. Their plans for a 17-day cruise had been shortened by the funeral, though no one was complaining. The plans for Ami and Cara to fly down and join them later had been altered as well, and since they were caught up with their studies with Robert, and had managed to fit some actual classroom hours in, it was decided they should just come along for the trip. "I wonder how much this cost them?" Todd said as they approached the yacht. "If you have to ask, you can't afford it," quipped Kelly with a giggle! "Who's Greg Norman?" Cara asked. Todd laughed and explained Norman was one of the world's most famous and successful golfers. "Let me guess," said Cara. "He's Australian." "That was a hard guess," said Ami, "considering the name of the boat." "Now, girls," said Laura. "No bickering or we'll have to feed you to the sharks. Remember, this is our wedding trip." "We could feed you to Greg," said Todd. "He's known as the Great White Shark." "We'll behave," said Ami, giving her lover a big juicy kiss. Cara grinned and kissed her back with a bit more passion. "Not that I'm afraid of sharks," she said. "I just want to enjoy this trip." The taxi delivered them at the Basin Yacht Club in Key Largo, where they cleared through tight security, and the driver good naturedly, and, for the huge tip that Todd had slipped him, carried their luggage down to the "Aussie Rules." They, like so many tourists on the dock, stared in wonder at the massive vessel. It was nearly six times as long as Kelly's house and at least four times as high! Unlike the tourists milling about however, they boarded her. An officer who had been standing guard at the top of stairs, spoke into the microphone attached to his lapel. By the time Todd and Kelly reached the top, the entire staff had gathered and the captain saluted the party as they stepped on board. "TKO?" he inquired, verifying the guests. "Yes, Captain," said Todd extending his hand. "We're sorry you had to sit in dock waiting for our arrival but we had a death in the family." "As I had been informed," said the captain. "My condolences to you, Miss Jennsen." "Please, Captain, I'm Kelly, this is Todd, our bride to be, Laura," she said introducing Laura, "and our two wards, Cara and Ami. I appreciate the thought regarding my grandmother. I hope our delay won't cause you any problems." "None at all, Ma'am, I mean Kelly. Welcome aboard the 'Aussie Rules.'" "She's a big boat!" said Laura enthusiastically. "Ma'am," said the navigator, "anything over 150 feet is considered a ship." "Oh, my!" said Laura. "I'm hardly on her and I've already insulted her." This caused the captain to laugh. "She'll hardly take offense to you, Laura. Mrs. Norman is named Laura as well, and she was a model, though a few years before your time. Now I would like to introduce you to the crew of the 'Aussie Rules.' This is Gordon, my first officer," he said indicating the man who had been guarding the stairs when they had arrived and notified the crew. "Barney, our navigator," the captain continued, gesturing to a lean, short man who had nothing in common with his purple namesake. "Jack, the ship's mechanic," pointing to a smiling, burly man. "Jim, our full time and head steward," indicating a tall man who looked more like a butler than a sailor, "Heather, a graduate sommelier, hails from Vancouver," nodding to a very busty brunette, "and Tanya, from Perth Australia," indicating a tall, slim, small-breasted blonde, "who is also working the season between university courses." "A sommelier?" questioned Ami. "You're a bullfighter? For real?" After the laughter subsided a bit, Jim explained that a sommelier was a professional wine taster. "Really?" exclaimed Cara. "You can get a job drinking wine?" "Actually," said Heather, pushing her white blouse to a near bursting point, "professional sommeliers usually work either for wineries or for fancy restaurants who hire them to purchase their wines. There are more professionals than opportunities, which is why I crew for the summer. It helps pay for my tuition." "We also have a professional chef who flew in just for this trip," said the captain, "but he's currently on shore picking up fresh produce for tonight's meal." "He flew in just for this trip?" Todd asked incredulously. "He was hired directly by the board of directors of IC," said the captain. "As a matter of fact, a Ms. Petticour, one of the directors, insisted on it and sent a case of fine wines along as well. Generally we just make do with Tanya's galley skills. Tanya is also a certified scuba diving instructor, and we have lots of diving gear on board if you're interested." "The wine selection she sent is exquisite," said Heather. "There's a few bottles of Australian wine like the Trenthelm Muscatio White and the 2001, James Estate Verdhello. There's a Puklus White from Hungary, and some vintage wines from France including the St-Georges 2000 Bordeaux. Of course some American wines like the Blackstone 2001 Zinfandel and the Val-Oak Cabernet-Sauvignon 1999..." "I think they get the idea, Heather," said the captain who was watching Heather's chest expand and contract with her excitement. "And after supper will we be sailing off into the sunset?" asked Kelly. "While we can sail 24 hours a day, the directors of IC have specified you receive a memorable tour to Jamaica," said the captain. "As for sailing into the sunset, I'm afraid we'll be heading the wrong direction for that. We will however be sailing mostly into the sunrise on the second day. We sail tomorrow at 11:00." "Oh," said Kelly blushing. "I knew that." The captain smiled and suggested they get settled into their suites, and then when they had freshened up, he would give them a proper tour of the ship. Jim and the two female crew members helped get Todd, Kelly and Laura get set up in the main suite, directly beneath the bridge with a splendid 20-foot-wide forward view! Cara and Ami were settled into the suite next to them on the starboard side with a 14-foot window view. Todd was pleasantly surprised to find their room had a king-size bed in it, and as Kelly and Laura started to hang their clothes in the built in closets, Laura jumped back in surprise. "The last guest in this room left something behind," she said. "What's that, Honey?" asked Kelly. "It's a straw hat." Todd laughed and said she shouldn't be surprised. It was the familiar headgear for Greg Norman when he was playing golf. ------- While the gang from Charlotte were settling into their quarters, on the other side of the highway dividing Key Largo, a plane had just landed at the Surfside Aviation Club. It was Chuck's Silver Goose seaplane. After the plane was refueled, Chuck, Deanna, Anna, Brenda, Amanda, Sherri, and Celeste sat in the airport's lounge waiting for the arrival of Sara. "I hope Sara makes it soon," said Chuck. "I want to get under way and get our rooms. I'm not thrilled with the idea of flying too close to Cuba." "She called this morning," said Sherri. "She's driving the boat from the show down. She said the tests went well and she's signed on for the new season. Her boss thinks it will be good publicity having her drive the show's chase boat down here with her at the helm. Those triple Merc 750's should have her here in no time, and if I know Sara, she's got those motors tweaked to the max." Chuck smiled, remembering his argument with Sara when she said his boat could perform better if the air fuel ratio was adjusted, and it did. Her ideas had been implemented along with the other ideas the "James Gang" had offered, and Regan boats was now one of the leaders in the performance class of under 30-foot pleasure craft. As if on cue, Brenda's cell phone rang. "Hi," said Sara. "Damn port engine is out of sync again, but I'm not going to stop and tweak her now. I'm about 20 minutes away; can you still pick me up?" "Sure, Sweetie. We'll be there waiting for you. Chuck wants to get up and airborne before it gets too late. See you soon." As Brenda closed her phone and relayed the message, Chuck arranged for a shuttle bus to take them to the prearranged meeting point in Largo Sound where the producers of "Miami Blues" had secured a berth for the powerful cigarette boat. Chuck laughed as he heard the approaching boat, and wasn't surprised in the least to see news photographers lining the channel to the Sound. The producers of "Miami Blues" were going to get as much mileage out of their new star and their boat as possible, and Sara delivered in spades! It sounded for all the world like a convention tour from the Hell's Angels were coming down the channel as all three Merc 750's were on wide rich throttle, the sound reverberating from the mangrove trees that lined the channel. 'Miami Blues Blows Into The Conch Republic, ' was the headline on one paper the next morning. Sara quickly secured the boat after docking and posed for some pictures for the reporters, and then boarded the shuttle bus with the rest to take them back to the airport. "It's a pity that Nicole and James couldn't have come," said Sara as they got underway. "They're opening that new wing at the hospital, remember?" said Sherri. "They couldn't fit this trip in with all the fund raising going on right now." "I know," sighed Sara, "but I hardly get to see any of you guys anymore. By the way, Chuck. I've had some ideas about new motor configurations for your boats. It'll make them run faster and cheaper at the same time." Chuck laughed and said that she'd have to take it up with Brenda. He was too busy building sailboats with his daughter. "Do you think they'll be expecting us?" asked Celeste. "I know we said the three of us would perform at their wedding, but I wonder if they'll even remember. Nobody has called or emailed." "They've been a bit distracted," said Chuck, "but being on the board now of IC, I know their travel plans better than they do. We'll be down there and well settled in our hotel before they even arrive." ------- Each of the forward suites were finished in cherry wood and included their own bathrooms. They had noticed the formal dining room on their way to their rooms, and after changing and freshening up, they were escorted to the bridge by Tanya. The bridge was nothing if not awe inspiring. Electronic controls and monitors were mounted all over and made the wheel appear like an afterthought. "It looks like something straight out of Star Trek," Todd said, noting the Captain's chair and the two flanking command chairs. A row of six luxury chairs sat behind the command center. The view out the windows was spectacular and high enough to command an impressive view of the Gulf. "Yes," said the captain. "The design for modern yachts does closely resemble what you would see on Star Trek. The concept is basically the same whether you're sailing through the water or through space." "Something that might be of interest to you," the captain said addressing Todd, "we have two nose cameras: a fixed 35-mm one and a swiveling 50-mm. If you look at the monitors, you'll probably catch a view of some of the scuba divers still out in the water. We also have a 'Tuna' — a towed underwater navigational aid — which is a remote controlled camera towed off a winch beneath the boat. Its motion and zoom are controlled by a joy-stick remote." The group stood still for a few minutes just looking out at the water watching as jet skis and wind surfers played to and fro across the waves. "She must be a solid ship," Kelly said. "I see the rolling waves out there, but I don't feel anything on board." The captain smiled and said the "Aussie Rules" was moored and in fairly shallow water though the ship was in fact moving due to the natural rhythm of the water, but the size of her nullified most of the motion. "When we're underway, if the waves are over four feet, you'll notice it more, though not uncomfortable. Of course, if we catch some at a 45-degree angle off the bow, you might want to sit down in the fresh air and ride it out." "How fast will we be traveling, Captain?" Laura asked. "We'll be averaging about 20 knots," said the captain. "She can do 40 without a problem, but it's not economical fuel wise, and it would take the pleasure out of the trip. Depending on the weather, we'll arrive in the Bahamas, our first stop, around five hours after we set sail tomorrow." "And we do want this to be a pleasure trip," sighed Laura. The captain led the way from the bridge to the main living area behind the bridge. There was a huge windowed room which contained arcade games, a pool table, along with a superb lounging area, and of course a bar. There was even a small enclosed movie theatre at the rear. Leading the way up the stairs, the captain pointed out the sundeck and bar and the outdoor dining area, which was currently set up to seat 16 people! ------- By the time they had finished the tour, Kelly felt like she had walked all the way from her house to the studio and back again! There had been the galley, though in this case "kitchen" was an understatement as it was at least twice as big as her own, and this one was filled with shining stainless steel appliances and a walk-in freezer larger than her closet at home. There had been the two 25-foot outboard motorboats along with the 43-foot 'tender, ' aptly named "No Rules." She knew she would enjoy the hot-tub and that the girls would play in the 10-foot pool just for the sake of saying they had swam in fresh water while surrounded by sea water. There had been the steam room, the basketball court, and the handball court. Six jet-skis and 20 scuba sets were in the bay with over 200 fishing rods and, naturally, along with the skeet launcher and shotguns, there had been a teeing green and a putting green. It was hardly like going to sea at all what with the satellite TV and internet connections in every room. But it would be home for them for the next twelve days. Kelly was going to leave the US as a single woman and return home as a married wife to not just her best friend and business partner, but also as the wife of one of the most beautiful souls she had ever met in the form of her female lover, Laura. ------- When they had returned to the Bridge, Laura had gushed, "She must be one of the largest yachts anywhere!" "Hardly!" laughed the Captain, "the 'Aussie Rules' barely makes it into the top ten of the largest personal yachts. Top prize goes to "Rising Sun" owned by computer mogul Larry Ellison. Rumor has it that while waiting for the ship to be completed, he heard that Paul Allen, one of Microsoft's original partners had also commissioned a yacht, which was to be a few meters longer than his. So, quite naturally, he told his designer to add another 50 feet to HIS ship, just so he can claim bragging rights!" "Did the other guy change HIS ship's length?" asked Ami. "No. Mr. Allen already has a 300-footer that is ranked fourth on our list, so he doesn't need to prove that HIS is longer! In fact, he has another one which is only 200-feet long — it's berthed at the other end of this marina." He pointed and said, "Just take a walk to the last berth and you can see her." "Thank you for the tour, Captain," Todd said. "She is an impressive ship, and it's easy to see that you're quite proud of her." "I do hope you are joining us for supper, Captain," Kelly said. "I'd love to hear about some of the places you've been with her." The captain smiled and nodded. "I look forward to telling you of all the tales of times when I've had to outrun pirates and all the storms we've weathered." As they walked away from the bridge, Ami whispered to Todd. "He was kidding about the pirates, right?" ------- At 11:00 the next morning, the horn sounded three times on the 'Aussie Rules, ' and after ensuring her mooring lines were secure, the captain engaged the bow thruster propeller to nose the huge yacht into the Atlantic before engaging her rear props. Kelly, Todd, and Laura sat on the bridge watching the captain maneuver the ship out while Ami and Cara stood on the sundeck waving at the large crowd of onlookers from shore. They had dined the night before on fresh seafood and Black Angus porterhouse steaks, prepared by the highly competent chef. They had been joined by the captain and the first officer for the meal, and when questioned about the other crew members, Gordon, the first officer, had explained that while in dock it was considered fashionable for the captain and executive officer to join guests for dinner, but it would be inappropriate for any of the other crew members to do so. While underway, only the captain would join them if invited and then only if time permitted. They had to remember they were guests on one of the world's top privately owned luxury yachts. Then Gordon had smiled and thanked Kelly for her inquiry. The captain had kept them in stitches and wonder with his tales of outrunning the unofficially sanctioned pirates patrolling the Cuban coast and of times when bad weather had forced them to ride out storms. After supper, which was indeed scrumptious, albeit a bit formal with Jim and the two students serving them, Laura and the two younger girls had taken up the offer of taking out the jet skis, with Tanya and Heather going along to help. Kelly had told Todd he should go as well, but he declined, stating simply that he preferred to sit with her on the sundeck and enjoy a beer. The wine they'd had for supper had been a bit dry for Todd's liking and a bit pretentious. He had never developed a taste for wine the way that Kelly had, and having separate wines served with each course was really just a bit much for him. They sat and watched and laughed as Laura, Ami and Cara floundered through the small waves while Tanya and Heather bounced and rode them like high-powered surf boards. Heather had promised Cara and Ami a chance for scuba lessons the first night they were docked in the Bahamas, preparing them in the onboard pool to get them used to the equipment. As the sun set, five content bodies sprawled out in their respective beds and went to sleep. Kelly was as usual the last to wake up the morning of departure, and groggily made her way to the bathroom. Slipping on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, she had looked for and found her lovers and the two younger girls on the sundeck dining table, wolfing down golden, crisp waffles and eggs prepared in a variety of ways. "Coffee," she had mumbled, and out of nowhere, Tanya had appeared with a mug of wickedly delicious coffee prepared exactly how she liked it. "We told her," said Laura with a smug grin. "This stuff is great," said Cara. Kelly couldn't understand how the young girl could pack away so much food and not gain an ounce. She had always had to be careful with how much food she could eat, and now, with the baby she was more aware than ever of what she put into her body. "I didn't get a chance to rub you in last night," Cara said, causing Tanya, who was standing behind the table to gasp. Cara smiled a wicked grin then turned and said, "Oh, nothing that kinky, Tanya. I just get her greased up and prepared for her other lovers." Laura had picked the absolute worst time to have taken a sip of fresh-squeezed orange juice. As Laura blew her nose trying to get the pulp fragments out, she turned to Cara and said, "That's it, Missy! No more boyfriends for you until after you graduate!" This had caused everyone to laugh except for a perplexed Tanya. After breakfast was done, Cara did an especially good job rubbing in Kelly's body, once again coaxing a climax out of Kelly in her deeply relaxed state. As the ship sailed into the Atlantic, leaving Key Largo and the Basin Yacht Club behind, Laura and Kelly joined Ami and Cara on the sundeck above the bridge after changing into less formal attire. When Jim, the head steward, saw that the girls were doffing the tops of their bikinis, he smiled. These seemed to be nice people and easy to please, unlike some of the rich snobs who sometimes leased the 'Aussie Rules.' He left the sundeck to the care of Heather and Tanya and having seen Todd's preference for beer, went below to offer one to him. Todd had been glued to the screen for the movable underwater camera, watching divers searching old wrecks and the reef. He declined the offer for the beer, though did accept a coffee along with the captain and first officer. Todd watched in amazement as the 'Aussie Rules' slipped by the statue of Jesus built in 30 feet of water. The captain smiled at Todd's awe and told him the statue was called 'Christ of the Abyss.' "Is this just another boring same old, same old trip for you?" Todd asked. The captain turned around with a puzzled expression. It wasn't often that guests showed any concern for the crew. Then he smiled. "No, Todd. We ply many different routes, and with every hurricane, the banks and channels change. It's never the same route twice, although this year we do seem to travel a lot more in the Caribbean. Each day brings different weather so it's never boring, and if you love the sea, there's no better place to be than on a ship like this." Todd nodded slowly, understanding the captain much better. With a thanks for the chance to play with the camera, Todd headed out and up to the forward sundeck. ------- While Todd and the girls had been sleeping, Chuck and his girls had landed the Silver Goose at the Sir Donald Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. He had called in a few more favors and a shuttle bus was waiting to take them to the Grand Lido Resort just five miles from Negril. The flight had lasted well into the night, and it was a tired group that headed straight for bed. ------- During the first two hours on the ocean, Kelly began to feel like she had been planted on some water-based freeway. Boat traffic was incessant, the waterways crowded. Aside from personal yachts and tour boats, there were scores of commercial boats plying the water as well. Sport fishing charters seemed to dominate the traffic followed by commercial fishing boats. There were the cruise ships as well, about the only thing on the water bigger than the 'Aussie Rules, ' and Kelly felt like she was watching entire cities move by her. It was a lot like riding in a limousine, she thought. The week-long cruise passengers lined the decks of the ships to get a glimpse of the passengers in the privately owned yacht. Ami, Cara, and Laura thought it was neat, and enjoyed waving to the passengers of the cruise ships. Todd was slightly amused and spent his time relaxing with Kelly. Heather and Tanya were always close by, ready to pour a drink or offer some refreshment. The weather was very pleasant, no hurricanes in sight and no threat of foul weather. The blue sky was lightly sprinkled with white billowy clouds, the temperature in the low eighties, and the only humidity was below them in the water. After two hours, land was not to be seen from the decks of the 'Aussie Rules, ' but the signs of 'civilization' were everywhere much to Todd's disgust. While he appreciated the need for the numerous oil platforms, he did not appreciate seeing the floating garbage along the way. Some people have no respect for nature, he thought. Laura of course was enthused when she saw the first dolphins race alongside the ship, and in the course of the next few hours had identified numerous species, with the help of the captain, who she and the younger girls had gone up to see. From the bridge, the captain had pointed out schools of flying fish, numbering somewhere in the hundreds, as they swarmed across the waves. Dolphins were leaping in the air alongside the 'Aussie Rules' sometimes as high as 20 feet! "You can see when we're closer to land," said the captain to the three girls. "Seagulls stick to populated areas. If you watch closely, you'll see sandpipers as well." "Oh!" exclaimed Ami, who had been manning the controls of the movable bow camera. "I found Nemo!" "I didn't realize he was missing," laughed the first officer. Ami graced him with a glance that would freeze salt water. "I've got to tell Kelly and Todd," she said racing off, excited about seeing the orange clownfish. When she got to the sundeck, she found Kelly sound asleep and Todd sipping on a bottle of mineral water. "You found who?" Todd asked. "Nemo! You know, the fish from the movie!" "Good," said Todd, "maybe the chef can prepare him for supper." Ami was about to grace him with the same cold stare that she had given the first officer but then laughed as she realized that Todd was teasing her. She sat down on the end of his lounger and leaned back against him, sighing. "This is a great trip, Todd. Thanks for taking us along." Todd reached around his young apprentice and hugged her back to his chest. "We're family now, Ami." After a few minutes, Ami pondered out loud. "I wonder why the water looks so blue when you look at it, but when you hold it, it's clear?" "Well," said Todd, "it's like the sky looks blue when you realize and know that it's colorless as well. The physics of water and its chemistry — the shape and makeup of the molecule — makes it absorb the red end of the light spectrum and reflect more of the blue end, making it look blue when viewed from different angles. The water depth, bottom color, and configuration in shallows, and impurities within it, including plants, algae, and microscopic animals like diatoms, change the reflective properties and cause it to look different colors. Also, the sky's color can affect it if the viewer is in position to catch a reflection of it." Ami turned on the chair to face Todd with a dumbfounded look on her face. "Well thank you for the science lesson, Mr. Wizard! Now can you tell me why the water looks like a deeper blue over there?" "That's simple," said Todd. "The water's deeper!" Kelly snickered. "Hey, I thought you were asleep," said Ami. "You think I can sleep when there's a half-naked nymph sitting on my fiancé's lap?" Ami laughed, realizing that the comment had been for the benefit of Tanya who was at that moment placing more fresh fruit platters on the table behind them. "I'm just trying to sway him over to our side," said Ami. "You don't have to try," said Kelly. "He already likes girls!" ------- There was no formal lunch for the group, aside from the never-ending parade of pastry plates and fruit platters. They were just nibbling occasionally, having had a late breakfast and anticipating a sumptuous supper when they docked at Freeport in the Grand Bahamas. Laura, Cara and Ami spent the remainder of the afternoon getting lessons from Heather on how to use the scuba gear, and at 5:45, the 'Aussie Rules' docked in Freeport. It was a choice whether to eat on board or try one of the restaurants in Freeport, of which according to the first officer, there were many! "At last count," he said, "there were 32 restaurants serving everything from Chinese to African to Peruvian fare. Downtown Freeport covers a huge 55 acre area. It's crass commercialism hard at work, folks! There's a conservation fee to pay for entering the Bahamas, but it opens the door to the International Bazaar, where you can buy anything from name brand cameras to watches and lots of jewelry and Cuban cigars if you're so inclined, and it's all duty free." "And of course there are the roaming bands as well," added the captain. "You'll get to experience mariachi bands competing with steel pan bands. We're not allowed to sail in Bahamian Waters between 10 pm and 7 am so you could make an evening of it. We'll be setting sail tomorrow morning, probably before you wake up. It will be a 26-hour nonstop cruise from here to Montego Bay." "Why so long, Captain?" Kelly asked. "On the trip to Montego Bay, we're taking the scenic tour as specified by the board of IC. On the return trip we'll cut westward and skirt Cuba. I have very specific instructions to make sure you have a very safe, comfortable, and enjoyable cruise." ------- Todd, Laura, and the younger girls went into Freeport to do some shopping and sightseeing. The group had eaten on board, preferring the quiet comfort of each other and the assurance of a perfectly prepared meal by the gourmet chef. Todd had wanted to stay on board with Kelly, nearly insisting on it, but she had smiled at him with that special smile she reserved just for him. He was in many ways just a big kid at heart, and Kelly loved him for it. She convinced him to go with the girls and protect them from pushy sales people. She knew that Ami would probably buy herself a digital camera and that Cara would come back with jewelry. She wasn't sure that Laura would buy anything even at the ridiculously discounted prices, because Laura was as pragmatic as Kelly. Todd might buy something if he found anything he liked but knew that he was just going for the adventure of being with the girls. Kelly spent the evening reclined on a deck chair watching the sun set over the water, realizing that all she had ever dreamed of having in life she now had. She thought back to Muriel's letter and finally understood that she now had more than enough. She had the love of a good man, the love of a good woman, and she had friends. She had a career, a business, and a good life. What more could anyone ask for? ------- Vanetta and Robert surprised everyone by showing up in time for the wedding, riding out with Chuck, Deanna and Anna and the girls from the 'James Gang' to the 'Aussie Rules' as she sat just outside of the 12-mile international water boundary. Chuck had arranged for a small yacht to take them all out early in the morning. Everybody knew that Kelly would not be having a morning wedding! Tanya had taken the tender 'No Rules' to shore early that morning to pick up the minister who would be performing the marriage vows. Reverend Mather was an old college friend of Todd's and had no problems or hang ups about celebrating a plural marriage. As far as he was concerned, these three people loved each other and were willing to commit to a lifetime of sharing that love, and to him that was the most important thing of all! Contrary to their previously stated claims about getting married in the nude, Kelly and Laura wore white cotton saris. Todd was dressed in white cotton trousers with a matching billowy white cotton shirt. Sherri was playing the Clavinova keyboard that Chuck had arranged to be packed on the 'Aussie Rules.' As a member of the board of InterCoastal, he had no problems getting small things arranged. It was how he also knew when the 'Aussie Rules' was sailing and what day the wedding was taking place. He smiled with love at his daughter and granddaughter as they watched misty-eyed at the exchange of the vows. His heart felt too big for his chest as he watched Todd slip the wedding bands on the fingers of his new wives. Vanetta could hardly contain herself as her mother's prediction of this day via the 'Obi Man' came true. Kelly was happy and had found her happiness with Todd and Laura. Robert slipped his arm around her and whispered in her ear, "Soon enough it will be our turn, Honey." When Reverend Mather pronounced them as married, Sherri started to play the intro to "Faith of the Heart." Sara started singing... It's been a long road Getting from there to here It's been a long time But my time is finally here Celeste joined in with her violin, as Sara continued, And I can feel a change in the wind right now Nothing's in my way And they're not gonna hold me down no more No they're not gonna hold me down, 'Cause I've got faith of the heart I'm going where my heart will take me I've got faith to believe I can do anything I've got strength of the soul And no one's going to bend nor break me I can reach any star I've got faith Faith of the heart ------- Epilogue Jessica (Jessie) James Jennsen-Ayers was born February 12, 2003. As Muriel had prophesized and had told Kelly, Jessie was baptized at the Regan home by the lake. Reverend Mather had been flown in especially for the occasion. Much to Robert's chagrin, he had to strip down with Brenda as they carried their godchild into the water. Reverend Mather wore a plain white cassock and carried his Bible in his hand. Vanetta smiled at Robert's obvious embarrassment as being the only nude male in front of the large audience. Brenda for her part was just so thrilled when Kelly, Laura, and Todd had asked her to be Jessie's godmother. It was a warm June day and the proud parents looked on as little Jessie, wrapped in the christening blanket that Muriel had made, struggled to be free of the restrictive garment. From the day she had been born she had made it quite clear that she preferred to be unclothed, and she loved the water. Bath time was her favorite time of the day! Kelly's model's figure had returned in record time and showed no sign that she had given birth to the healthy little girl. Fit Pregnancy magazine had been so thrilled with the final photographs of Kelly. Cara's attention and care to her body had been so thorough that only by close examination had Dr. Meyers been able to tell she had given birth. Chuck, the only official, recognized grandparent of little Jessie, beamed. Amanda waited patiently for Reverend Mather to finish the christening and then tore off her own clothes to join the baby in the lake, shouting back to the rest of the crowd on shore, "What are you guys waiting for?" With lots of laughter and love, the rest of the 'James Gang' quickly shed their clothes and rushed into the lake. Todd and Kelly smiled at each other, hugged Laura, and then removed their own clothes to join their daughter. Chuck and Deanna were the last to join them, Anna having been the first to follow Amanda's lead. As he stepped into the water, Chuck looked around at the lake and the house. The place that had once been so cold and foreboding was now a place of love and happiness. ------- A mild breeze was blowing in September, the sun was shining, and big fluffy clouds floated sparsely in the skies over Charlotte, North Carolina. A lone figure dressed in black walked between the headstones in the cemetery, a big bouquet of flowers clutched to her chest. Stopping at a modest marker, she gently laid the flowers over the grave. "I know how much you love your flowers, Grandma," she said as she knelt, the tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry I haven't come sooner, but you left so suddenly. I guess I expected you to be around forever." "I kept my promise to you, Grandma. I didn't name our daughter, Muriel. We named her Jessie, in a way of honoring those who let me know what love is and accept it unconditionally from my husband and wife, the same way you loved me unconditionally. She's just turned seven months old and won't understand yet, but as she gets older, she will know who you are and what you meant to me." Kelly sat next to the grave telling Muriel all about the wedding and the birth of little Jessie, and all the other things that had happened in the year since Muriel had passed away. She talked for hours to the woman she had lovingly called Grandma as the sun went down. ------- Kelly's message to you: Love more than you are loved, Accept love without asking why. Love unconditionally, Live unconditionally. Live your own life, And live it to the fullest. Needing and wanting are not the same, Be happy with what you have, And share what you have with others. It costs you nothing to share a smile. May you always have enough! Love, Kelly ------- The End ------- Posted: 2003-12-05 Last Modified: 2007-12-30 / 01:19:20 pm ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------